Past Events

The Mineta Consortium for Transportation Mobility organizes or participates in several transportation-related events each year. These include national summits, regional forums, industry conferences, or special events and broadcasts. You can find leading transportation experts at all of these events, making them an excellent resource not only for professional and research insights, but also for networking.

Dates	Events
March 10, 2025	ITS California NorCal Spring Meeting - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, San Jose State University, Meeting Room 225 ITS California and MTI hosted an on-campus luncheon event exploring the future of human-AI interaction in transportation. This event featured opening remarks from MTI’s Executive Director Dr. Karen Philbrick and Gary Carlin from ITSCA. Presenters included industry leaders from Caltrans and Dr. Gaojian Huang, who use real-life case studies to discuss his research “Beyond Automation: The Future of Human-AI Interaction in Transportation.” *MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.
March 5, 2025 to March 9, 2025	Fresno International Transportation Innovations / S.T.E.P. Summit 2025 - Valdez Hall, Fresno, CA The Fresno International Transportation Innovations / S.T.E.P. Summit 2025 is a global conference, assembling leaders in the transportation energy sector, along with policymakers, engineers, and advocates for sustainable transportation worldwide. The goal of the 2025 S.T.E.P. Summit is to promote innovations in sustainable transportation design, planning, and policy, focusing on alternative energy like hydrogen, biofuels, and electrification. To learn more about this Summit, visit the event website. *MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.
March 5, 2025	Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail - Online On the Right Track: The Transformative Potential of Rail Discover the secrets behind over 50 years of global high-speed rail innovation in MTI’s newest webinar series! Explore station planning, station design development best practices, and groundbreaking projects from France, Germany, and Spain, featuring actionable insights from expert speakers. Join us as we explore how international high-speed rail success can guide U.S. professionals to shape the future of transit in our communities. This webinar series is co-sponsored by APTA High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Committee, California High-Speed Rail Authority, High Speed Rail Alliance, and US High Speed Rail Association. Webinars include: Webinar #1 \| December 11, 2024 \| The French Case: Stations as City Boosters Webinar #2 \| January 15, 2025 \| The Spanish Case: Transformacion Rápida Webinar #3 \| February 12, 2025 \| The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World Webinar #4 \| March 5, 2025 \| Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail Webinar #4 - Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail Join us for the final installment of our webinar series On the Right Track: The Transformative Potential of Rail! This session features expert insights from Heidi Sokolowsky (Urban Field Studio), Kristopher Takács (AECOM), and Eric Eidlin (City of San José). All three have decades of experience in station planning, both in the U.S. and globally. In this session, the three panelists will summarize key takeaways from the past three webinars in the series and reflect upon how global insights from world-class station design and project delivery can influence the future of multimodal transit in California, the U.S., and beyond. They will also consider how recent federal policy shifts could influence the trajectory of high-speed rail projects in the U.S. Don’t miss this opportunity to join the conversation shaping the future of rail! Featured Guests: Eric Eidlin, Station Planning Manager, City of San José Department of Transportation Heidi Sokolowsky, Founding Partner, Urban Field Studio Kristopher Takács, Global Head of Stations and TOD, AECOM View Recording. View PDH Credit. View Presentation Slides. About the Speakers Eric Eidlin is Station Planning Manager with the City of San Jose. In this role, he plays a leading role in the City’s efforts to transform Diridon Station into a world-class multimodal hub. Eric brings a wealth of experience in high-speed rail (HSR) and intermodal facility planning to the City, including from his travels to France and Germany, where he has studied best practices in HSR system and station development. Eric previously worked as Sustainability Manager for the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Region 9 office in San Francisco, where he coordinated major federal interagency initiatives relating to sustainable transportation and development. Eric holds a master’s degree in urban design from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in city planning from UCLA. Heidi Sokolowsky is a founding partner at Urban Field Studio, an urban design firm based in San Francisco. Heidi has received her master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, and has worked on urban development and transit-centered projects for over 30 years, including station areas for HSR, BART, Caltrain, and L.A. Metro Stations. Heidi is currently a consultant to the California High-Speed Rail Authority focusing on station area planning, early site activation, and community engagement. She enjoys and collaborates on the design of urban places that are walkable, livable, and sustainable – and can evolve over time. She is also a regular user of trains and bikes. She has taught urban design at San José State University and at the Bauhaus University in Weimar. Architect and urbanist Kristopher Takács leads AECOM’s global practice for Stations and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), a multi-disciplinary team of designers, transportation experts, and land planning strategists recognized for creative, technical expertise that connects people, buildings and places. Kristopher has been instrumental in the creation of award-winning multi-modal passenger facilities and mixed-use urban development around the world, including Denver Union Station and Brightline Florida. He is a skilled leader of complex urban design and transportation infrastructure projects that deeply engage public and private stakeholders—projects that lead with vision and result in consensus-driven value creation. Presenters: Eric Eidlin, Heidi Sokolowsky, and Kristopher Takacs
February 14, 2025	Engineers Week 2025 - High School Day - Santa Clara, CA Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. Engineers Week aims to inspire future generations of engineers and provide opportunities for K-12 students to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through professional panels, discussions, and hands-on engineering activities. As a part of Engineers Week celebration, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Jose - Young Members Forum hosted 75 local high school students to participate in High School Day at Valley Water District Office. *This event was presented by the Mineta Transportation Institute.
February 13, 2025	Engineers Week 2025 - Girl Day - San José, CA Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. Engineers Week aims to inspire future generations of engineers and provide opportunities for K-12 students to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through professional panels, discussions, and hands-on engineering activities. As a part of Engineers Week celebration, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Jose - Young Members Forum hosted 150 local high school girls to participate in Girl Day at San José Woman's Club and San José State University. *This event was presented by the Mineta Transportation Institute.
February 12, 2025	The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World - Online On the Right Track: The Transformative Potential of Rail Discover the secrets behind over 50 years of global high-speed rail innovation in MTI’s newest webinar series! Explore station planning, station design development best practices, and groundbreaking projects from France, Germany, and Spain, featuring actionable insights from expert speakers. Join us as we explore how international high-speed rail success can guide U.S. professionals to shape the future of transit in our communities. This webinar series is co-sponsored by APTA High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Committee, California High-Speed Rail Authority, High Speed Rail Alliance, and US High Speed Rail Association. Webinars include: Webinar #1 \| December 11, 2024 \| The French Case: Stations as City Boosters Webinar #2 \| January 15, 2025 \| The Spanish Case: Transformacion Rápida Webinar #3 \| February 12, 2025 \| The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World Webinar #4 \| March 5, 2025 \| Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail Webinar #3 - The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World In the latest installment of the On the Right Track series, Tobias Keyl of the internationally acclaimed architecture firm Gerkan, Marg & Partners (gmp) explored how world-class multimodal transportation hubs enable seamless global mobility while also serving as destinations in their own right. Renowned for designing rail stations, airports, and sports complexes across Europe and Asia, gmp has redefined large-scale infrastructure. Mr. Keyl highlighted Berlin Main Station as a powerful example of how national infrastructure investments helped unify a long-divided country. He also discussed gmp’s work in China and shared advancements that can inspire the future of intermodal travel in the United States. Featured Guest: Tobias Keyl, Associate Partner, gmp Moderator: Eric Eidlin, Station Planning Manager, City of San José Department of Transportation 1 PDH credit available View Recording. View PDH Credit. About Tobias Keyl Tobias Keyl is an Associate Partner in gmp’s Berlin office. After studying architecture at the Technical University in Braunschweig and becoming a registered architect, he started at gmp in Berlin in 2004. In 2009, Tobias transferred to gmp’s Beijing office, before returning to Berlin seven years later. A true global citizen, he has successfully managed several large-scale projects from conception to delivery and is currently overseeing efforts across Europe, Asia, and Africa. This reach enables Tobias to swiftly grasp the complexity of his clients’ cultures and challenges, empowering innovative solution strategies that adhere to the highest design standards. Tobias’s work focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration towards sustainable projects: In 2020 he was part of the industry Advisor Group at Harvard University Graduate School of Design on the topic “Future of Air Travel.” Since 2021 Tobias has been a part of gmp's global sustainable design steering group. Presenters:* Tobias Keyl & Eric Eidlin
February 11, 2025	gmp Insights: Architecture & Community - Mineta Transportation Institute, 210 N 4th Street, 4th Floor, San Jose, CA 95112 Tobias Keyl from renowned Hamburg-founded international architecture firm Gerkan, Marg & Partners (gmp) joined MTI in an exciting in-person discussion of transformative transportation projects from Germany, China, and around the world. Attendees had the opportunity to explore gmp’s impressive portfolio of work and hear about how they design transit stations and airports as revolutionary hubs of community and connection that advance safety, sustainability, and economic impact. Welcome remarks: Dr. Karen Philbrick, Executive Director, MTI Hon. Rod Diridon, Sr., Retired Founding Executive Director, MTI Moderator: Eric Eidlin, Station Planning Manager, City of San José Department of Transportation Featured Guest: Tobias Keyl, Associate Partner, gmp
February 11, 2025	Engineers Week 2025 - Middle School Day - San Jose Mineta International Airport Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. Engineers Week aims to inspire future generations of engineers and provide opportunities for K-12 students to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through professional panels, discussions, and hands-on engineering activities. As a part of Engineers Week celebration, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Jose - Young Members Forum hosted 90 local middle school students to participate in Middle School Day at San Jose Mineta International Airport. *This event was presented by the Mineta Transportation Institute.
February 10, 2025	Engineers Week 2025 - Elementary School Day - Mexican Heritage Plaza, San Jose, CA Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. Engineers Week aims to inspire future generations of engineers and provide opportunities for K-12 students to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through professional panels, discussions, and hands-on engineering activities. As a part of Engineers Week celebration, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Jose - Young Members Forum hosted 80 local elementary school students to participate in Elementary School Day at Mexican Heritage Plaza. *This event was presented by the Mineta Transportation Institute.
February 7, 2025	Youth of the Year Gala - San José, CA What is Youth of the Year? Youth of the Year is a four-month long leadership development program that celebrates the remarkable lives of Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley members who have distinguished themselves by rising above challenging circumstances. Throughout the program, Youth of the Year candidates will practice public speaking, essay writing, team building, and more. At the Youth of the Year Gala, each finalist will share their story with the entire Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley community, and one youth will be awarded the Citywide Youth of the Year title. The judging process includes evaluating the nominees’ academic performance, personal statements, two references, assessing public speaking skills, and one-on-one interviews with candidates. The Citywide Youth of the Year receives a college scholarship and the opportunity to advance to Boys & Girls Clubs’ Northern California Youth of the Year competition. To learn more about this program, visit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley's website. *MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.