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 16, 2019	Grant Writing with James Griffith of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services - San Jose State University: Clark 202 MPAs and MSTMs joined us as James Griffith, MPA of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services taught a Grant Writing Workshop for the MPA program. Admission was free for MPA and MSTM students at San Jose State University. Attendees who completed the day received a certificate of attendance for 4 contact hours of instruction for their training record provided by the Mineta Tranportation Institute, where James is a Research Assistant.
February 2, 2019	Santa Clara County Women's Leadership Policy Summit - San José, CA "A gathering of women and allies for a day of education, engagement and empowerment." Session 1 Panels: Housing 101. Designed specifically for advocates and newcomers to the planning and land use process. How do we create housing, how does the process work, what are our current housing needs? Transportation 101. How are transit and transportation plans developed and funded? What are the links between city, county and regional plans and funds? How do school districts and other interests become involved? Wage and Equity. From the personal to the regional. How do you negotiate for yourself, establish fair work place policies in your organization or advocate for regional change? Policy Initiatives. Learn how existing initiatives can augment services you provide or want to provide. We will touch on labor standards, LGBTQ affairs, youth resources and behavioral health. Session 2 Panels: Housing 102. Navigating new or proposed legislation at regional, state and Federal levels. We will discuss Local Measure A 2016 that lead to new Homebuyers Initiatives and the regional CASA initiative. Transportation 102. Case studies in advocacy and developing safer communities. How to develop priorities and fund programs. How to be an Effective Leader From Both sides of the Dais. From the basics of meeting management to developing skills and alliances necessary to move policy forward. Policy Initiatives. Learn how existing initiatives can augment services you provide or want to provide. We will touch on labor standards, LGBTQ affairs, youth resources and behavioral health.
January 13, 2019 to January 17, 2019	98th Transportation Research Board Meeting - Washington, DC Transportation for a Smart, Sustainable, and Equitable Future. Research Associates with the Mineta Transportation Institute presented at this annual conference at the Washington Convention Center. The meeting program covered all transportation modes, with more than 5,000 presentations in nearly 800 sessions and workshops, addressing topics of interest to policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions. A number of sessions and workshops focused on the spotlight theme for the 2019 meeting: Transportation for a Smart, Sustainable, and Equitable Future.
January 12, 2019	MTI Board of Trustees Meeting - Washington, DC Led by Chair Grace Crunican, General Manager of Bay Area Rapit Transit (BART), the board held its Winter meeting to discuss the success of the previous year and desired growth for the next.
December 13, 2018	VivaCalleSJ: Showcase of Student Learning - San José, CA SJSU students, faculty, and San José Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) gathered to illustrate how data collected from the assessent of VivaCalleSJ 2018 is being used to provide new insights into the evaluation content and process. The data demonstrated how City and University collaboration helped build community and social capital in San José as well as enhanced student learning.
November 7, 2018	MTI Visiting Scholar Presents: Dr. Richard Willson - San José, CA This workshop was a participant driven, interactive opportunity to launch a planning and/or engineering career.Through the concepts of A Guide to the Idealist: Launching Your Planning Career, participants idnetified their strengths and weakensses, their desired career plan, and how to work effectively in a team environment. Check out Dr. Willson's career workshop presentation.
November 7, 2018	MTI's Sips with Scholars presents: Dr. Richard Willson - San José, CA With access to affordable housing of critical concern for the Bay Area, Dr. richard Wilson posed the question of how parking reform plays a role in that crisis. Check out the presentation slides.
October 24, 2018	MTI Visiting Scholar Presents: Dr. Martin Wachs - San José, CA For more than a hundred years Californians have weighed in on transportation policy decisions, especially transportation funding through the electoral process. Reliance for transportation revenue on citizen voting to tax themselves has recently peaked and other states are emulating the way we do things.The talk described research finding on the outcomes and implications of ballot box transportation funding and policymaking in California. Missed it? We've got the video here for you! Need a closer look?Check out Dr. Wach's PPT presentation here. Presenters: Martin Wachs, PhD
October 18, 2018 to October 19, 2018	PedsCount! 2018 - San José, CA MTI had the pleasure of collaborating with the pedestrian advocacy groups California Walks and Walk San Jose for PedsCount! 2018. This pedestrian summit focused on holistic discussion on how to create more just and equitable communities and how to incorporate new and emerging transportation technologies. Among the topics discussed were the housing crisis, gentrification and anti-displacement, climate change, and aging in place. Major takeaways for attendees included tools, research, and strategies for empowerment and successful community-driven change.
October 15, 2018	Second Autonomous Vehicles and the City - San Francisco, CA How will smart mobility impact our cities? What kind of policy do we need to ensure sustainability and resilience? On October 15, 2018 the University of San Francisco hosted its second annual symposium focusing on the many ways that technology and innovation is reshaping how we move through our cities. AGENDA
October 10, 2018 to December 7, 2018	Norman Y. Mineta: The Life & Legacy of a National Leader and Son of San Jose - Special Collections Room (5th Floor)- Martin Luther King Jr. Library This summer, the California Room on the 5th floor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Library presented a special exhibit highlighting San Jose Mayor and Secretary of Transportation, Norman Y. Mineta along with other political leaders. In honor of Mr. Mineta, and through the sponsorship of the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), an entire display dedicated to the man who ordered the grounding of all planes on 9/11. The display was in place throughout the Fall 2018 semester in the MLK Special Collections Room (MLK 560).
October 10, 2018	San Jose Film Premier of "An American Story: Norman Mineta & His Legacy" - San José, CA San Jose Film Premiere An American Story: Norman Mineta and His Legacy Presented by Mineta Legacy Project & San José State University's Mineta Transportation Institute This was a private invitation-only event. Immigration. Detention. Executive Order. Secretary Norman Mineta’s American story rings true 75 years after he felt the shame and humiliation as a child in a U.S. concentration camp and went on to seek justice for all Americans while serving 20 years in Congress and in two presidential cabinets. His story hit the big screen in the documentary film, An American Story: Norman Mineta and His Legacy, which was followed by a post-screening discussion featuring Secretary Norman Mineta and filmmakers Dianne Fukami and Debra Nakatomi.
October 9, 2018	Opening of the Mineta Archives at MLK Library - Special Collections Room (5th Floor)- Martin Luther King Jr. Library On October 9th, 2018 the Martin Luther King Jr. Library in partnership with San Jose State and the Mineta Transportation Institute opened the Mineta Archives, which contain over 50 years worth of artifacts and documents from Norman Mineta's life as internment camp survivor, mayor, congressman, and son of San José.
October 6, 2018 to October 7, 2018	Friday Night Live Youth Summit Friday Night Live builds partnerships for positive and healthy youth development, which engage youth as active leaders and resources in their communities. The Youth Traffic Safety Summit is a place for young people from across the state of California to come together for two days to share, connect, create and empower one another to make their local communities safer. This event is made possible by the Allstate Foundation, the California Office of Traffic Safety and the California Department of Health Care Services. The Youth Summit is hosted by the California Friday Night Live. MTI conducted a Friday Night Live workshop that introduced students to an MTI in progress research project that hits close-to-home and remains atransportation safety issue: the debate over e-scooters or the #escooterstruggle. In a mock community forum that debated the pros and cons of e-scooters, students participated in a role-playing model that required them to use such learning skills as: Team Building Problem Solving Public Speaking & Diplomacy Research Skills Leadership Active Listening Time Management Critical Thinking and more! Students took away an understanding of the type of research that MTI does and its relevance to the real world, thereby demonstrating the significance that a commitment to their studies can have in the future. Additionally, participants were exposed to examples of both the benefits and dangers of broader mobility innovation. Participants gained a respect for safe options regarding all modes of transportation.
September 23, 2018	VivaCalleSJ: SoFA to The Street - San José, CA Walk, Skate, Bike And Play! Open Streets In San Jose! Viva CalleSJ is a free program that temporarily closes miles of San Jose streets to bring communities together to walk, bike, skate, play, and explore the city like never before. Each year's event opens upwards of six miles of streets, through some of San Jose's most iconic neighborhoods for people to come out and play for the day! It’s free! Sunday, September 23, 2018 from 10am – 3pm. It’s not a race, and you don’t need a bike to participate. You can walk or skate. There’s no beginning or end. You can start anywhere and go as far as you would like. The flow of participants goes both ways, just like regular traffic. Check out the route and Activity Hubs!
September 11, 2018 to September 13, 2018	National High Speed Rail Leadership Summit - San José, CA High Speed Rail to Silicon Valley! Business and politial leaders brought high speed rail to America at the National High Speed Rail Leadership Summit! California leads the nation in building state-of-the-art, 21st century transportation. The summit celebrated the great ongoing leadership and vision moving America forward! Construction is underway on the first phase of the state-wide, 800-mile super advanced transportation system set to revolutionize mobility in America.
August 22, 2018	Silicon Valley Bike Summit 2018 - San José, CA Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition hosted its 8th Annual Silicon Valley Bike Summit, the area’s largest gathering of active transportation leaders and organizers from government, law enforcement, non-profit, and the public. The Bike Summit discussed topics including: grassroots advocacy, engineering and planning, housing and transportation, bike share, Safe Routes to School and more. Watch the opening plenary. Watch the awards and closing pannel.
June 23, 2018	26th Annual Awards Banquet and Convocation Celebration - San José, CA Graduates of MTI's Masters of Science in Transportation Management were honored at a banquet attended by families and friends as well as national and international transportation leaders. An award was given to students from Toddy Thomas Middle School in Fortuna, the winning team in the Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition, and the MSTM Alumni Association honored its Alumna/us of the Year. 2018 Banquet Images © SJSU Photographic Services, photo by Nanzi Muro Speakers Distinguished Guest Spearker: Norman Y Mineta, U.S. Secretary of Transportation (Ret'd.) Recipient of the Inagural Norman Y. Mineta Innovative Leadership Award: Senator Jim Beall, Chairman, California Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing Keynote Speaker: Laurie Berman, Director, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Valedictorian: Lisa Rae Vickery, Transportation Superintendent, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
June 22, 2018	Ninth Annual Mineta National Transportation Finance Summit - San Francisco, CA The need to invest in California’s transportation system is dire and after years of seeking a solution to the state’s transportation crisis, the State Legislature passed and the governor signed SB 1 (Beall, 2017), also known as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, increasing transportation funding by $54 billion over a decade. SB 1 provides the first significant, stable and ongoing increase in state transportation funding in more than two decades. This free, half-day summit hosted by the Mineta Transportation Institute looked at how SB1 funds are being implemented and documented the strategies that state, local, and regional governments and transportation agencies are taking to address California’s transportation needs. Take a look at some of the great photos of the summit! To listen to the audio recording visit the Commonwealth Club audio archive and check out the vidoe of the summit on Youtube.
June 18, 2018	Going Places: Historic Transportation Day - San José, CA History San José and the California Trolley and Railroad Corporation and explored how people have gotten from A to B throughout history. From electric cars to trolleys. In honor of Father's Day, dad's received free admission into the hands-on fun! Event Categories: Hands-on History Days, History San Jose Events
May 22, 2018 to May 23, 2018	International Seminar: High-Speed Technologies on Railway Systems - San José, CA This event on high-speed rail featured international experts sharing specialized knowledge of railway technologies. The seminar was oriented to qualified professionals, graduate engineers, local SBEs and senior students with interest in this field. It provided and expanded a qualified workforce for the development of HSR in California. Additionally, it was an opportunity to bring students into contact with international leaders and companies in these technologies.
May 17, 2018	Electric Vehicles for EVeryone - Redwood City, CA How is California accelerating the transition from polluting, fossil fuel cars to electric vehicles? Attendees learned about charging stations and infrastructure, what cars and trucks are available, saving money by going electric, and how everyone can benefit from the growth of electric vehicles. Topics/speakers: Opening comments, Assemblymember Marc Berman Alan Suleiman from Silicon Valley Clean Energy discussed how community choice energy providers are helping with EV chargers Mark Tang from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District explained the BAAQMD rebate program for low-income EV purchaser Janelle London of Colutura shared creative strategies using policy and culture to shift consumers away from gasoline engines Shyam Nagrani of MotivPower discussed EVs for the medium-duty transportation sector Moderator: Diane Bailey, Menlo Spark Cosponsors: Acterra, Menlo Spark, Peninsula Interfaith Climate Action, Mineta Transportation Institute Presenters: Alan Suleiman, Marc Berman, Mark Tang, Janelle London, Shyam Nagrani
May 16, 2018	Synchronizing Climate and Transportation Plans - Palo Alto, CA Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the region and the state. What transportation strategies make it harder to reduce GHGs, and what can help? How can we make better decisions today that support a sustainable future? Widening highways or converitng exisiting lanes to express lanes Building more parking garages, or less Building more homes near transit, jobs, and services The transition to electric vehicles Transportation as a service Co-sponsors: Palo Alto Forward, Friends of Caltrain, TransForm CA, Mineta Transportation Institute Presenters: Billy Riggs, Michael Boswell, Gil Friend
May 10, 2018	“An American Story: Norman Mineta and His Legacy” to premier at San Francisco’s CAAMFest36 - San Francisco, CA Former San Jose mayor, Democratic congressperson, cabinet secretary, founder of the Mineta Transport Institute (MTI), veteran, and World War II incarceration camp survivor, Norman Mineta’s life premiered on the big screen in Dianne Fukami and Debra Nakatomi’s “An American Story: Norman Mineta and His Legacy.” It was selected as the Opening Night film as part of the Center for Asian American Media’s (CAAM) film festival, or CAAMFest36, on May 10th in San Francisco’s Castro Theater. “An American Story” highlights the challenges Mineta and his family faced while incarcerated at Heart Mountain, Wyoming as an 11-year old boy, inspiring him to become a community leader. Considered a man of many firsts, Mineta, according to producers Fukami and Nakatomi, personifies the dreams and aspirations of the Asian American community.
May 6, 2018	4th Annual “Silicon Valley Bikes!” Festival & Bicycle Show - San José, CA We joined our Valley’s racing, road, cargo, fixed gear, cruiser, recreation, vintage, lowrider, mountain biking, BMX, cool urban lifestyle cyclists and their families for a day of fun and community building. This was a collaboration between History San José, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Mineta Transportation Institute, Specialized Bicycles, Gooseneck Bicycles, Santa Clara Valley Brewing and more.
May 5, 2018	Women in Leadership League (WILL) Conference 2018 - San José, CA On Saturday, May 5, 2018, the Lucas College of Business hosted the 2^nd Annual Women in Leadership League Conference. This conference brought together top women leaders, alumni, and students from all disciplines. The day provided a mix of keynote addresses and small group discussions, which provided participants with inspirational experiences as well as practical advice and strategies from successful women leaders.
April 30, 2018	Optimizing Our Highways: Moving more people with fewer cars - Burlingame, CA An express lane is now being considered on 101 from San Francisco to San Jose, but projections show that it alone will do little to solve Bay Area traffic woes. It is increasingly clear that the only way to get to the root of congestion — and to reduce climate emissions — is by catalyzing a dramatic shift from solo driving to carpools, shuttles, transit and incentivizing a shift to clean vehicles. Can we make Silicon Valley the place to break out with truly disruptive ideas that work? Topics/speakers: Stuart Cohen and Chris Lepe, Executive Director and Senior Community Planner at TransForm, outlined how a 101 Mobility Action Plan (MAP) can achieve stronger equity and environmental outcomes while improving mobility. Jeff Tumlin, Principal and Director of Strategy at Nelson\Nygaard, discussed how to best implement managed/express lanes. We'll also create ways for the audience to get your ideas into the mix. Proudly co-sponsored by the Mineta Transportation Institute.
April 27, 2018	Careers in Transportation - Duncan, B.C. MTI's Director of Research and Technology Transfer presented on careers in transportation to Grade 2 students at Bench Elementary School.
April 19, 2018	Three Revolutions: Planning for an electric, autonomous, shared transportation future - San Carlos, CA Three revolutions will fundamentally change transportation. But whether these changes will be for better or worse for social equity, traffic congestion, pollution, and energy use, will depend on the policy choices people make now. Topics/ Speakers Dan Sperling, UC Davis - 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program Debs Schrimmer, Lyft - Technology/service provider perspective Clarrissa Cabansagan, TransForm - Policy and Equity considerations Moderator: Billy Riggs, MTI Research Associate Co-sponsors: SAMCEDA, Menlo Spark, TransForm, Friends of Caltrain, Mineta Transportation Institute
April 2, 2018	Beyond Commuter Rail: International models of rail excellence - Mountain View, CA Alon Levy, writer and analyst about transit systems around the world, visited the United States to present international examples of effective rail and transit systems, and a critique of the practices that hold the U.S. back from excellent service. As Caltrain prepares a business plan for the era of electric service, the event addressed what the U.S. could learn about the transformation of commuter rail around the world. As well as, what the Bay Area could learn about pulling together seamlessly integrated transit systems in complex regions? Co-sponsors: Menlo Spark, San Francisco Transit Riders, Seamless Bay Area, Silicon Valley Climate Action Alliance, TransForm, Mineta Transportation Institute
March 26, 2018	Car-Light Housing: More affordability, less traffic - San Mateo, CA We need to address the housing affordability crisis, but we don’t want to make it harder to get around town or harm the climate. This event discussed the following: Learned about the connections between housing affordability, traffic reduction, and climate change; Heard what neighboring communities are doing to reduce the need to drive; and Saw how people can help make their community more walkable, affordable, and transit-friendly. Topics/Speakers: Nina Rizzo manages GreenTRIP Certifications at TransForm. The GreenTRIP program supports multi-family residential developments that implement strategies to reduce traffic, parking and greenhouse gas emissions Nevada Merriman of MidPen Housing is designing and developing affordable housing where residents can reduce their reliance on cars Elaine Breeze of SummerHill Apartments works on “smart growth” multi-family rental housing and mixed use developments MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.
March 17, 2018	Innovative Technologies in Urban Planning - San José, CA On Saturday, March 17, San Jose State University’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the Urban Planning Coalition hosted the Annual Symposium at the Martin Luther King Library. This event was proudly co-sponsored by MTI. Special guest appearance Julia Lave Johnston President Elect at California Chapter, American Planning Association helped to kickoff the spring symposium. The symposium focused on “Innovative Technologies in Urban Planning.” Keynote speaker was Dr. Paul Waddell, who has led the development of the UrbanSim model of urban simulation now used by Metropolitan Planning Organizations and other local and regional agencies. He was introduced by Dr. Shishir Mathur from San Jose State University. Panel discussions addressed the following: Using Urban Simulation and Data Science to Evaluate Land Uses Moderated by Richard Kos, AICP Panelists: Sam Blanchard (UrbanSim) Adam Garcia (Greenbelt Alliance) Yanwen Luo (Guanxi University) Di Meng (Gensler) Providing Services Using Emerging Technologies Moderated by Dr. Serena Alexander Panelists: Ryan Wold (Civic Studio) Jerry Zeyu Gao (San Jose State University) Allen Tai, AICP (City of Alameda) Transportation and Technology in the Urban Environment Moderated by Dr. Joseph Kott Panelists: Dr. Serena Alexander (San Jose State University) & Dr. Anurag Pande (Cal Poly) Dr. Kevin Fang (San Jose State University) Melissa Ruhl (Arup) Sam Sadle (LimeBike) 4 AICP CM credits available
March 14, 2018 to March 16, 2018	CALCOG Regional Leadership Forum: Takin’ It To The Streets! - Monterey, CA Every year, leaders from regions across California gather in Monterey for the Regional Leadership Forum. This event combined a focus on current issues with deeper level discussions about the role of regional governance in California. For 2018, the Forum explored the ways that Senate Bill 1 is making California a better place to live, work, and thrive. MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.
March 6, 2018 to March 8, 2018	West Coast Rail Conference - Los Angeles, CA The world's leading rail experts joined with business and political leaders to discuss bringing fast rail to America at this conference. Construction is underway on the first phase of the 800-mile, state-of-the-art transportation system set to revolutionize mobility in America, starting with California. Once the system is built out, it will carry more than 100 million people each year, saving time, money, energy, and lives. MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.
February 21, 2018	Secretary Norman Y. Mineta Rotary Event: Retrospective on the Career of an Icon - San José, CA Secretary Norman Y. Mineta is a hometown boy hardened in the crucible of the Japanese American internment camps of WWII; who succeeded against all odds as San Jose High School student body president, a UC Berkeley and ROTC graduate, Army intelligence officer during Korea, the first Japanese American mayor of a major US city, 21 years in congress in progressively more powerful positions retiring as chair of the powerful House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, president of a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, and the Secretary of Commerce for Democratic President Clinton then Secretary of Transportation for Republican President Bush where he served for seven years, the longest in history. Though now retired, that quiet but profound super-achiever continues to maintain his hometown contacts through SJSU's Mineta Transportation Institute, the San Jose Norman Y. Mineta International Airport, and by serving on numerous nonprofit and commercial Silicon Valley boards. The Rotary Club of San Jose is immensely proud to host this most distinguished of the Valley's public benefactors, an honorary member of the Rotary Club of San Jose, and the dear friend to all who know him simply as, "Norm".
February 20, 2018	Implementing the State Rail Plan - San José, CA In the fall of 2017, California released its State Rail Plan, a strategic vision that provides an innovative framework for our rail network over the next two decades with the intended goal of creating a state-of-the-art rail system by 2040. During this event, participants explored the plan to learn more about its vision, how it supports the intermodal connections at Diridon Station and how it might change the future of travel throughout California for the better. Mineta Transportation Institute was a proud co-presenter of this event.
February 6, 2018	MTI Research Snaps Webinar: "Are Autonomous Vehicles Safe? Understanding What’s Already Here and What Needs to Happen" - Online This webinar, organized through the U.S. Department of Transportation, Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office covered recently concluded and ongoing projects related to safety and regulatory concerns for the expanding market of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs). The work presented was conducted within the past year at the RiSA2S Research Center of San José State University, a multi-disciplinary innovation center for the Risk and Safety Assessment of Autonomous Systems with funding support from the Mineta Transportation Institute. The activities of the lab are aimed at improving safety and better informing regulatory agencies in their recommendations for the certification process of autonomous systems. In particular, the seminar delved into three topics of current interest: An analysis of current AV accident statistics based on the data provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles; An examination of triggers and contributory factors of disengagements of the autonomous technology that controls the car; and An overview of current issues related to driver’s reactions to disengagements when collaboration is expected (e.g., Level 2 and 3 AVs) and presentation of ongoing human-in-the-loop study. Presenters: US Department of Transportation
January 5, 2018	MTI Board of Trustees Meeting - Washington, D.C. The Mineta Transportation Institute held its winter board meeting in Washington DC. Chair Grace Crunican, General Manager of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), presided.
November 8, 2017	Autonomous Vehicles and the City - San Francisco, CA With the rise of autonomous vehicles, there are both opportunities and challenges in how these technological advances can be harnessed to reshape future cities and improve the socio-economic health of cities. Opportunities exist to reduce collisions and improve access to healthcare for those who need it most — particularly high-cost, high-need individuals at the younger and older ends of the age spectrum. Opportunities also exist to connect individuals to jobs and change the way cities organize space and optimize trips. That said policy has lagged in this area. And despite some high-level policy suggestions from organizations such, technological change is outpacing urban planning and policy. The purpose of this symposium was to frame and develop policy around the topic of AVs particularly focused on: Land Use Social Implications of the Technology Economics MTI was a proud platinum co-sponsor of this event.
November 8, 2017 to November 10, 2017	Podcar City & Advanced Transit – Smart City, Smart Transit, Smart Energy - San José, CA MTI sponsored the eleventh annual Podcar City conference focused on sustainable and innovative automated public transportation. More than 200 city planners, transit planners, academics, engineers, developers, elected officials, and others discussed this 21st-century opportunity. The Urban International Design Contest (or UIDC) was a main feature of the 2017 Podcar City Conference. The UIDC connected students with city professionals and together they worked toward the goal of educating, inspiring and motivating important stakeholders in how new modes of sustainable public transportation can be utilized in an urban environment.