MTI Receives $15 Million Grant to Lead a UTC Consortium
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The Mineta Consortium for Equitable, Efficient, and Sustainable Transportation (MCEEST), led by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University (SJSU), was awarded $10 million in federal funding over a 5-year period ($2 million annually) through the University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program for transportation research, education, workforce development, and technology transfer activities. Matching funds from regional and state partners, including Caltrans, bring the five-year grant total to $15 million.
In addition to SJSU, the Consortium brings together a diverse set of university partners including Howard University, Navajo Technical University, and the University of South Florida who will focus on improving the mobility of people and goods to ensure that our nation’s transportation system is safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient for all.
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MTI is thrilled to announce the winners of its first annual Essay Contest!
For the theme “Rethink Your Ride,” students grades 6-12 nationwide proposed and explored a solution to a problem centered around reexamining U.S. car culture to help mitigate some of the most dangerous effects of climate change. Congratulations to Anping and Caitlin for this achievement!
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Group 1 Winner (Grades 6-9)
Reduction of Car-Reliance in the US Economy
Anping Huang
Grade 9, Lynbrook High School (San José, CA)
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Group 2 Winner (Grades 10-12)
Public Transportation: Incentivizing Widespread Usage
Caitlin Zhou
Grade 10, Lynbrook High School (San José, CA)
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COMTO Emerging Leader Award
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This month, MTI is shining a spotlight on MSTM student Fernando Flores! Fernando has over a decade of experience in business administration, human resource management, and affirmative action program development. As a Principal Analyst at BART's Office of Civil Rights, he is responsible for the development and implementation of BART’s programs for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Non-Discrimination, Small Businesses and Labor Compliance Monitoring, ensuring equity in District contracting and related benefits in compliance with BART Board policy and local, state, and federal laws.
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Fernando holds a Bachelor’s degree in Corporate and HR Management, and was recently awarded with an Emerging Leader Award from the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials – Northern California chapter (COMTO). Thanks for all your hard work advancing equity in transportation, Fernando!
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COMTO Emerging Leader Committee Co-Chair
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MTI is also spotlighting one of our outstanding alumni (MSTM ‘17), Jon Ross (J.R.) Alexander! During J.R.’s career in the transit industry, he has served in various communications and operations management positions at LA Metro, VTA, AC Transit and, finally, as a Specialist Master/Manager - Public Transit at Deloitte. J.R. was recently appointed as one of the new co-chairs for COMTO’s national Emerging Leaders Committee, leading key initiatives to engage members seeking to build the requisite skills to advance toward the rank of Officer or Executive in the transportation industry.
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“When I attended my first COMTO conference in 2014, I was overwhelmed by not only the sheer amount of people but people who looked like ME in leadership positions to where I had no other choice but to be inspired to reach that level of achievement. As someone who has had a passion for public transit since I was a child, it has been a blessing to have COMTO support me throughout my nearly decade-long career, and I hope that folks who look like myself take advantage of joining!”
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Silicon Valley Business Journal's Power 100
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Launching a Transit Revolution: Addressing Barriers Preventing Youth from Using Public Transportation to Get to and From School
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The National Safe Routes to School program (SRTS) was designed to encourage kids to use active transportation to get to and from school. However, the growing popularity of charter schools, schools of choice, and private schools have made it increasingly difficult for children to travel to school independently, partly because many no longer live close enough to walk or bike. Incorporating public transit for school commutes could solve this challenge. This study explored why students at two intermediate schools sharing a campus in Redwood City, California, did not use public transportation for their school commute even though 80% live within one-half mile of a transit route serving the transit center nearby. This paper includes recommendations for school districts, transit operators, and local governments to improve youth transit ridership.
About the Author
Meredith Stowe Park assisted various nonprofit and school-related organizations, including volunteering on SRTS initiatives. In 2016, she was awarded a City Coin from the San Carlos City Council for her work advancing youth transit ridership, which not only alleviated traffic and congestion, but also reduced traffic danger around schools, the commute burden on parents, and fostered independence and resiliency. The experience prompted her to pursue a master’s degree in Transportation Management at SJSU where she graduated in 2022.
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What is Transit?
Time to Decide!
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Transit faces an existential crisis as we emerge from the pandemic. Travel patterns have shifted, in some cases permanently, and transit agencies have seen a substantial drop in ridership. The industry is grappling with fundamental questions around funding and purpose. A major adjustment is needed, but what exactly should that adjustment look like? This paper explores the ways that transit could improve its focus, considering several ideas, such as for transit to act more like a business and for transit to focus on being a public service for those who do not have access to automobiles.
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March 21, 2023 | 11:00a.m.-12:00p.m. (PT)
In celebration of Women’s History Month, join the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) for a conversation with a diverse panel of women transportation leaders representing academia, public and private industries, and the nonprofit sectors as they share personal stories from their careers and lessons learned as they rose to the top.
Moderated by April Rai, CEO of COMTO and a member of the MTI Board of Trustees, this webinar delves into a critical issue faced by the transportation industry: How are we prioritizing women and other traditionally underrepresented voices to build the most inclusive and effective transportation workforce for our future? What can their success stories teach us about the values of empowering women?
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Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation (2023 Caltrans Safety Awareness Week)
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April 27, 2023 | 10:00-11:00a.m. (PT)
For the 2023 Caltrans Safety Awareness Week, the Mineta Transportation Institute is hosting a one-hour webinar featuring expert panelists to showcase efforts to combat human trafficking in the United States. Experts will discuss these critical questions: How can industry employees protect loved ones & community members? How can we learn to identify risk factors and signs of human trafficking?
Join us to learn more about the role of transportation industry stakeholders in facilitating effective prevention training programs and increasing accurate victim identification, as well as putting in place survivor-centered and trauma-informed response protocols.
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MTI Research Snaps Presents "Advancing Transportation Equity" Series
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This month, MTI hosted a 4-part MTI Research Snaps series on “Advancing Transportation Equity.” In these webinars, our researchers discussed transforming equity in transportation as we reflected on some of the most pressing issues of diversity and accessibility in the industry as a whole and how to overcome them.
Webinar recordings of the first three parts are now available online.
- Webinar #1 | Exploring the Use of Public Transportation Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Survey
- Webinar #2 | The Central Valley Transportation Challenge
- Webinar #3 | Free Transit: It All Depends on How
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