With profound sadness, MTI staff and family mourn the passing of MTI Trustee Taki Oshima. Taki, the CEO and Founder of Allied Telesis, was born in 1940, Tokyo, Japan. Taki studied at the University of Florida before moving to the Bay Area to work for the legendary Fairchild Semiconductor company. A pioneer in the field of Ethernet technologies, Taki held various roles at ITT, Fairchild Camera Instrument, and other companies before founding Allied Telesis in 1987. He grew a once-small telecommunications company into a booming worldwide enterprise.

In 2018, Taki and Allied Telesis gifted a generous $500,000 to MTI to establish a permanent endowment to provide long-term sustaining support to MTI’s cyber security program. MTI's security center was renamed the Allied Telesis National Transportation Security Center in honor of this contribution.

Those who knew Taki well described him as “a great man with boundless energy, generosity, and humor.” Taki will be greatly missed, but his vision will carry on at MTI. 

Hardik Gajera recently collaborated with MTI Research Associate Dr. Srivinas Pulugurtha on Influence of Level 1 and Level 2 Automated Vehicles on Fatal Crashes and Fatal Crash Occurrence. This research synthesized literature and identified risk factors influencing fatal crashes involving level 1 and level 2 connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) in the United States, contributing to the growing body of literature that will identify potential areas for improvement in the safety of vehicular technologies and road geometry. Hardik Gajera was the recipient of The Gujarat Institute of Civil Engineers & Architects (GICEA) Gold Medal Award for outstanding academic performance in the Masters of Engineering (Civil Engineering). He is an associate committee member of the ASCE Transportation and Safety Committee, serves as a conference chair for the ITE student chapter at UNC Charlotte, and works as a Graduate Research Scholar in the Infrastructure Design, environment, and sustainability (IDEAS) Center at UNC Charlotte. Thank you, Hardik, for your meaningful contributions to understanding CAV safety!

Dr. Hovannes Kulhandjian is an MTI Research Associate and Associate Professor at California State University, Fresno. His recent research AI-based Pedestrian Detection and Avoidance at Night using an IR Camera, Radar, and a Video Camera developed a pedestrian detection and alert system through the application of a visual camera, infrared camera, and radar sensors combined with machine learning to reduce pedestrian fatalities. “On average, a pedestrian is killed every 88 minutes in traffic crashes in the United States. That is more than 16 people a day, almost 115 people a week,” explains Dr. Kulhandjian. “That is just unacceptable. I thought ‘there has to be a better mechanism to help.’” Experimental results of this project—which uses a pedestrian detection scheme using multi-sensor data collection along with machine learning—show an average accuracy of 99.6% during the day and 97.3% at night, numbers that could mean significant fatality reduction. A paper related to the project was accepted for presentation at the IEEE International Conference on Computing, Networking and Communications (ICNC) in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 2023. Congratulations, Dr. Kulhandjian, and thank you for your efforts to make streets safer!

New Research

Pedestrian fatalities surged in the United States over the past decade. They have increased by 46%, from 4,302 in 2010 to an estimated 6,301 deaths in 2019. Of these fatal accidents, about 75% of them occurred after dark. In an effort to reduce fatalities, new MTI research developed a pedestrian detection and alert system using the combination of a visual camera, infrared camera, and radar sensors supported by machine learning. The research team designed a pedestrian detection and collision avoidance system that shows an average accuracy of 99.6% during the day and 97.3% at night. The working prototype of the system can be embedded into a smart vehicle system that provides real-time pedestrian detection and alerting mechanisms by vibrating the driver’s wheel and displaying a message on a monitor/dashboard to warn the driver to avoid colliding with the pedestrian. 

Human trafficking, a form of modern slavery, is the recruitment, transport, and/or transfer of persons using force, fraud, or coercion to exploit them for acts of labor or sex. The transportation industry plays a critical role in combating human trafficking as traffickers often rely on the transportation system to recruit, move, or transfer victims. Understanding the Role of Transportation in Human Trafficking in California investigates this critical issue by utilizing a survey of 72 multi-disciplinary anti-trafficking practitioners followed up with 25 semi-structured in-depth interviews with labor trafficking victims, service providers, legal advocates, and local and federal law enforcement officials. The results of this study emphasize that anti-trafficking initiatives should outline the steps clearly and be culturally and linguistically appropriate to cover a wide range of victims and public demographics, and focus on the direct role that transportation plays in the system, including in victim identification and successful exit attempts. 

Executive Director's Column

Grade separation for the California high-speed rail project at Excelsior Avenue near State Route 43 in Kings County. Photo courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

High-speed rail boasts the potential to connect Californians faster than any other mode of ground transport, create a multitude of jobs in high-cost cities and increase economic activity—all while expanding sustainable transportation choices and reducing emissions. In this latest San José Spotlight column, Dr. Karen Philbrick argues in favor of building high-speed rail as a part of our sustainable, efficient and safe transportation future that will connect communities in California and across the nation.

Upcoming Event

January 24, 2023 | 11:00a.m.-12:00p.m. (PT)

Human trafficking is the fastest-growing organized crime with approximately $150B in annual profits. Like any business, trafficking relies on the transportation network—to recruit, move, or transfer their victims and to move goods produced by forced labor. Therefore, the transportation industry plays a critical role in preventing and combating human trafficking, as well as providing access for many survivors trying to leave their trafficking situation and obtain aid to rebuild their lives. 

This National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we are hosting a one-hour webinar featuring expert panelists to showcase efforts to combat this issue in the United States. Discussions will include the role of transportation agencies in facilitating effective prevention training programs and increasing accurate victim identification, as well as putting in place survivor-centered and trauma-informed response protocols.

Past Event

Freight represents about 30% of transportation climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, but many local climate action plans and freight plans put little emphasis on freight emissions reduction strategies. Routes to Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Freight Transportation in the City of San José presents strategies for the City of San José to reduce GHG emissions from freight. By managing freight demand, utilizing low emissions modes, focusing on the last mile, and other critical objectives, we can reduce the negative impacts transportation emissions have on human and environmental health.

MTI Essay Contest

We are still accepting submissions for MTI Essay Contest!

Students, grades 6-12, are invited to propose and explore a solution to a problem centered around the 2022 theme: Rethink Your Ride. Essay submission is accepted until January 6, 2023. Two winners will be selected; one from grades 6-9 and one from grades 10-12. Winners will receive $500 and $1,000, respectively, as well as certificates of achievement.