pacific nw transportation consortium region 10 Pactrans

Last week, PacTrans Assistant Director, Cole Kopca, traveled to Washington D.C. to take part in the First Annual 2018 National Mobility Summit of US DOT University Transportation Centers. Mobility21 National University Transportation Center (UTC), lead by Carnegie Mellon University, hosted this one day summit which brought together UTC researchers with national government, industry and association leaders who are working to improve the mobility of people and goods.  With over eighty in attendance, goals of the summit include: highlighting research, education and technology transfer activities of mobility-themed US DOT UTCs; aligning UTC efforts with current and emerging “real-world” transportation mobility needs; and developing public and private partnerships.

The summit was comprised of a public agency panel discussion, a private industry panel discussion, a UTC overview session, and a reception. There was also a keynote address delivered by the Honorable Finch Fulton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and the US Department of Transportation. Mr. Kopca had the opportunity to give a brief overview of PacTrans and the mobility funded research currently underway, and also hosted an information table at the reception for those who wanted to further discuss ongoing research as well as potential new partnerships during the reception at the end of the day. In total there were nine UTCs in attendance representing forty-eight colleges and universities from around the country. There were also people present from USDOT, DOE, Community Transportation Association of America, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, National League of Cities, Mobility Lab, Paccar, Federal Highway Administration, SAE International, American Public Transportation Association, Transportation Research Board, American Road & Transportation Builders Association, Institute of Transportation Engineers, FDA, League of American Bicyclists, Qualcomm, ITS America, Federal Transit Administration, and many, many other.

In previous years, the T-SET National UTC, housed at Carnegie Mellon University, hosted an annual Safety Summit of UTCs. With new FAST Act funding, the consortium transitioned from a safety focused center to a mobility focused center. Their new national UTC is called Mobility21. PacTrans was a proud participant in the previous safety summits for the three years they were held and has also now transitioned to a new focus on mobility. This event continues to be a wonderful opportunity for agencies and private industry to share concerns and research gaps, while also offering UTCs the opportunity to present the many great endeavors they are involved in. We look forward to continued participation in future years!