PacTrans News
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August 15, 2024
RECAP: Future of Transportation Summit
From Aug 13-15, 2024, the PacTrans team attended the Future of Transportation Summit in Washington D.C. Hosted by the US Department of Transportation (US DOT), the Future of Transportation Summit is an annual event organized by National University Transportation Centers led in its inaugural version by the Safety21 National UTC on Promoting Safety based at Carnegie Mellon University.
With around 600 participants, ~250 in-person and the rest remote, the Summit brought together university researchers working across the following transportation research focus areas of the UTC program:
- Improving the Mobility of Goods & People and Congestion
- Promoting Safety
- Reducing Transportation Cybersecurity Risks
- Preserving the Environment
- Improving the Durability and Extending the Life of the Transportation Infrastructure
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June 12, 2024
RECAP: 2024 CUTC Summer Meeting
From June 10-12, 2024, the PacTrans team participated in the 2024 Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) Summer Meeting held in South Padre Island, Texas. This year’s event was hosted by the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV).
Every year, our team eagerly anticipates these annual gatherings as a valuable opportunity for peer exchange with University Transportation Centers from all across the nation and government agencies. This year’s conference focused on enhancing workforce development, advancing technology transfer, strengthening community relationships through advisory boards, and providing general updates on topics such as grants and research databases.
PacTrans Director Yinhai Wang was featured on a panel titled “Lasting Effects of UTC Grants.” During this session, he delivered a presentation on “Developing Ongoing Collaborations with and Among State DOTs.” He emphasized the critical role of forming effective external advisory boards composed of strong community representatives. By aligning our research and projects with community needs, we not only foster better collaborations but also improve the likelihood of securing funding.
We are grateful for the experience and insights gained from the summer meeting, which will enhance our future efforts and collaborations.
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June 5, 2024
Meet 2024-2025 PacTrans Fellow: Pranav Manem
Today we’re spotlighting Pranav Manem, one of our upcoming 2024-2025 PacTrans Graduate Fellows starting in Fall 2024. Pranav has always been a problem-solver whether it was as a consultant, product manager, or acro yoga-enthusiast! He wants to bring that type of creative thinking when it comes to the development of public and multi-modal forms of transit for sustainability, health and economic reasons. Congrats on starting yout Transportation Masters with our consortium partner, University of Washington.
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June 4, 2024
RECAP – AI in Motion: Shaping the Future of Mobility & Safety Symposium
On May 15-17, 2024, the Texas Department of Transportation hosted the AI in Motion Symposium: Shaping the Future of Mobility & Safety in Austin, Texas. PacTrans, in collaboration with TTI and Region 6 UTC (Southern Plains Transportation Center), co-organized the event, drawing over 150 participants passionate about transportation AI.
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May 15, 2024
WDI Course Recap: Transportation Data and Analysis Tools with Dr. Ryan Avery
In May, PacTrans offered two specialized courses focused on transportation data and analysis tools, each consisting of 8 hours of online instruction over two days.
- Introduction to Transportation Data & Analysis Tools – this course focused on an introduction to transportation data, geographic information systems, and data visualization techniques
- Intermediate Transportation Data & Analysis Tools – this course introduced data analysis techniques (including an overview of machine learning) and beginning and advanced database and data management topics, including hands-on experience writing SQL queries.
Dr. Ryan Avery instructed both courses and each had approximately 12 attendees. Students valued the interactive nature of the courses, particularly the opportunities to share experiences and discuss data challenges. Students also worked in groups on advanced database query assignments and gained an appreciation for the nuances of asking the ‘right’ questions.
