Past Events

Electric vehicles may seem like cutting-edge technology, but they are in fact quite the opposite: electric versions of the “horseless carriage” first appeared nearly two centuries ago. This webinar invited International EV experts Dr. Gijs Mom and Dr. Daniel Sperling to reflect on lessons from the history of EV technology and policy innovation that could help today’s policymakers and automotive experts smooth the path for cost-effective EV adoption.

Earth Day 2022 called for us to "Invest in Our Planet," and explore key questions about EV technology, regulation, subsidy, and charging infrastructure is critical to furthering the potential for EVs as climate-friendly transportation.

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About the Speakers:

Dr. Gijs Mom is Associate Professor Emeritus at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, where he also served as Programme Director for Mobility History. Today he is recognized globally as one of the foremost experts on automotive history, known for his unique ability to blend analysis of technological, cultural, and political forces. 

Dr. Mom began his career with degrees in both literary history and automotive engineering, and briefly worked on engine development at Renault, in Paris. He next completed a doctoral degree in the history of technology. His dissertation, The Electric Vehicle: Technology and Expectations in the Automobile Age, was published in 2004. This book received both the ASME Engineer-Historian Award and the Best Book Award from the Society of Automotive Historians. 

Among Dr. Mom’s many scholarly articles is a prize-winning analysis of early electric trucking, coauthored with David Kirsch (2001). Later books include a cultural history of Western automobility, Atlantic Automobilism; The Emergence and Persistence of the Car, 1895-1940 (2014), a history of automotive technology: The Evolution of Automotive Technology, A Handbook (2014), and the first volume of his world mobility history, Globalizing Automobilism; Exuberance and the Emergence of Layered Mobility, 1900 – 1980 (2020). The last won best-book awards from both the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT) and the World History Association (WHA). The sequel of this book, Pacific Automobilism, Adventure, Status and the Carnival of Mobility, 1975-2015, will be published in September 2022.

In 1997 Dr. Mom founded the European Center for Mobility Documentation, located in Helmond, the Netherlands. In November 2003, he co-founded the International Association for the History of Transport, Traffic and Mobility (T2M), which he led as president during its first five years. In 2011 he founded the journal Transfers: Interdisciplinary Journal of Mobility Studies and served as its first editor.

Dr. Daniel Sperling works at the University of California, Davis, where he is Distinguished Blue Planet Prize Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy, founding Director of the Institute of Transportation Studies, and founding chair of the Policy Institute for Energy, Environment, and Economy .

Dr. Sperling has been recognized for three decades as a leading international expert on transportation technology assessment, energy and environmental aspects of transportation, and transportation policy. He has authored or co-authored hundreds of technical papers and books. Dr. Sperling was co-director of the 2007 study that designed California’s landmark low carbon fuel standard and co-director of a follow-up 2010 national study. He was also lead author of the transportation chapter on the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore. His books include Three Revolutions: Steering Automated, Shared and Electric Vehicles to a Better Future (Island Press, 2018) and Future Drive: Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation (1995). In 2022, he was elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Dr. Sperling’s many public service roles include his appointment in 2007 to the California Air Resources Board, where he oversees state policies and regulations on climate change, low carbon fuels and vehicles, and sustainable cities. 

Prior to obtaining his Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (with minors in Economics and Energy & Resources), Dr. Sperling worked two years as an environmental planner for the US Environmental Protection Agency and two years as an urban planner in the Peace Corps in Honduras. He has an undergraduate degree in engineering and urban planning from Cornell University.

On April 2022, the California Bicycle Summit returned to Oakland for four days of keynote addresses, workshops, and bike rides. 

This inspiring biennial gathered California bicycle advocates, planners, agency administrators, and more. The California Bicycle Summit is the state’s most important bicycle advocacy event and one of the nation’s leading bicycle-related conferences. Attendees were able to learn, share, inspire, and meet others who shared the same passion in biking!

*MTI was a proud sponsor of this summit.

This webinar talked about the independent consultants and small business owners and their experience starting their business, with a focus on key administrative steps and considerations (e.g., necessary permits, selecting insurance, setting billing rates). VTA’s Office of Business Diversity Programs also shared more about state and local small business certification programs. 

Panelists included:

• Diana Dorinson, Founder and Principal, Transportation Analytics
• Danielle Stanislaus, President, Emergent Transportation Concepts
• Jennifer Mena, Business Diversity Programs Analyst, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

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Parking may seem scarce when you’re looking for just the right spot, but it’s actually one of the Bay Area’s most expansive resources. With 15 million parking spaces — enough to wrap around the planet more than twice — the region has an excessive amount of parking. Yet for decades, planners have operated blindly when they attempt to determine parking needs or assess the impacts of new parking policies. Thsi webinar discussed a new effort, the Bay Area Parking Census, produced by the Mineta Transportation Institute in partnership with SPUR, to quantify the region’s parking supply and its negative impacts on health, climate and affordability. The discussion was led by the effort’s principal researcher, Mikhail Chester, PhD, to learn more about the Bay Area Parking Census and the strategies that Bay Area cities can use to reduce, manage and convert parking.

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*MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.

Part 1: The Inspiration - Lessons Learned from Small Business Owners

WTS-SF Bay Area and the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) of San Jose State hosted a virtual event "How to Be Your Own Boss Without Going Broke or Crazy - Part 1." Thinking about starting a consulting business? While the idea is exciting, the actual process can be quite daunting. We created this three-part series about starting your own business to help you get on your way.

This first session was an opportunity to talk with three business owners about how they started off, what they've learned on the way, and their successes and challenges.

Panelists included:

1. Eileen Goodwin, President, Apex Strategies
2. Ronny Kraft, Planner, Ronny Kraft Consulting
3. Dominic Tafoya, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, VST Engineering

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MTI was a proud to co-sponsor of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) SJSU Student Leadership Summit (SLS), an event organized by students to promote guidance and professional development through fun events such as presentations, socials, and technical events. Previously hosted by California Polytechnic State University, it was a great honor to continue the tradition of providing opportunities on behalf of San Jose State University for students to network with professionals in the transportation sector and streamline their interpersonal and leadership skills.

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Aviation’s impact to climate change is significant; without mitigation, this impact is expected to grow as the industry recovers from the global pandemic. Climate change has a correspondingly large impact on aviation; changing weather patterns can affect aircraft performance, infrastructure, and operations. Over the coming decades, the decarbonization of the aviation sector will present numerous technological, policy, and environmental challenges, while extreme weather will create challenges and new requirements for aviation safety and growth.

On January 20, 2022, SJSU and its Mineta Transportation Institute hosted a virtual forum on Aviation and Climate Change to discuss these issues. The forum brought together Silicon Valley leaders in academia, government, and industry to showcase the regional capabilities available to address climate change and aviation challenges, and to encourage the public-private partnerships and collaborations needed to do so.

PDH Credit Certificate.

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Programming

Welcome and Forum Overview, Dr. Karen Philbrick, Executive Director, SJSU Mineta Transportation Institute and Dr. Tina Panontin, Director of Program Content, Professor of Practice, SJSU College of Engineering

Welcome and SJSU Perspective, Dr. Vincent Del Casino, Provost and Senior Vice President, SJSU

Silicon Valley Policy-Maker Perspectives, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, 19th District of California and Senator Dave Cortese, State Senate District 15

1. Aviation and Climate Change: Phenomenology

Speakers:

• Dr. Minghui Diao, Associate Professor, SJSU College of Science, Department of Meteorology and Climate Science

• Raj Pai, Senior Technologist, NASA Ames Research Center

2. Aviation and Climate Change: Strategic Frameworks

Speakers:

• Robert Pearce, Associate Administrator, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

• Dr. Brandon Graver, Senior Researcher, International Council on Clean Transportation

• Dr. Sheryl Ehrman, Don Beall Dean, SJSU College of Engineering

• Dr. Michael Kaufman, Dean, SJSU College of Science

• Dr. Eugene Tu, Center Director, NASA Ames Research Center

3. Aviation and Climate Change: Technology Advances

Speakers:

• Dr. David Wagner, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering, SJSU College of Engineering

• Dr. Alison Bridger, Department Chair, SJSU College of Science, Department of Meteorology and Climate Science 

• Shawn Engelland, Aerospace Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center

• Dr. Mark Hansen, Professor of Transportation Engineering, UC Berkeley

• Kevin James, Senior Aerospace Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center

• Dr. Serena Alexander, Associate Professor at SJSU, Research Associate at MTI

4. Public Private Partnerships

Speaker:

• Shivanjli Sharma, National Campaign Deputy Lead, NASA Ames Research Center

5. Industry Roundtable

Moderator:

• Andrea Pesce, Director, Industry Alliances & Licensing, UC Santa Cruz

Speakers:

• Amy Gross, Sustainability Lead, Joby Aviation

• Chris Bley, Co-Founder & Director, Monterey Bay DART

• David Merrill, CEO & Co-Founder, Elroy Air

• Michael Read, Founder, Skybase

The Student Video Contest is an annual competition aimed at helping students gain a better understanding of the importance of transportation infrastructure investment to the U.S. economy and quality of life, and to learn more about the industry and potential transportation construction career opportunities.

ARTBA’s Research & Education Division sponsors the competition, which is divided into two age groups:

• Elementary, middle or high school students
• Post-secondary, college and graduate students

Winners are selected in each age group. First prize in each category is $500 and second place in each category is $250.

Videos should be no longer than 2 ½ minutes and feature audio.

View past submissions | Rules and regulations

WTS-SF Bay Area and the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) of San Jose State hosted this free virtual event "Make the Connection: Next Stop Your Career" that introduced Bay Area university students studying transportation to local professional organizations that offer networking, professional development opportunities, and/or scholarship opportunities. 

At this event, Bay Area university students studying transportation (all disciplines) were introduced to the many wonderful professional organizations in our region, including:

• Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS)
• American Planning Association (APA) 
• American Public Works Association (APWA)
• Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP)
• Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)
• Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
• Intelligent Transportation Society of California (ITS California)
• Latinos in Transit (LiT)

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How can the transit industry and vendors align to address increasing cybersecurity challenges? This webinar looked at research to help public transit agencies understand the cybersecurity risks posed by the role some vendors play in their systems, and aligned vendors’ interests with the agency’s to better understand, mitigate, and respond to threats. The research team is delving into crucial behind-the-scenes details with these issues by conducting interviews, reviewing best practices, and examining U.S. policy on cybersecurity in public transportation and potential changes from the new Administration. The researchers provided operational recommendations for public transit operators and supply chain of vendors to adequately combat critical cyber risks.

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The trucking industry transports goods essential to our everyday lives. In recent years, the industry has faced workforce dilemmas such as driver shortages and high turnover—and supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic only amplify these problems. How can we ensure this important workforce remains functional and efficient? How does trucking fit into the future of transportation? This webinar explored truck driver recruitment and retention as well as other broader industry trends. 

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This webinar found alternatives to solo driving can help reduce congestion, improve air quality, and reduce parking demand.

In October 2019, Google contracted the company Via to launch a new on-demand microtransit commute option called Via2G. This webinar discussed three months of pilot operations to understand the trends, challenges, and successes of microtransit commuting. The Via2G program enjoyed increasing popularity over time, providing more than 7,500 rides to nearly 900 Google employees. Most trips were relatively short, suggesting the program complemented peoples’ existing commute modes.

Findings suggested future program iterations should seek ways to minimize deadheading, focus future programming and outreach on employees who always drive and/or complete errands on the commute trip, and extend program hours.

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This webinar discussed how Twitter data can be used to understand and explain travel patterns in the relation between commuting and non-commuting trips. Local and regional planners struggle to keep up with rapid changes in mobility patterns, but researchers looked at whether geo-social network data can help. When comparing a robust data set of tweets from the Bay Area to US Census LODES data, researchers found that the data closely matched, and concluded that the common practice of employing LODES data to extrapolate to overall traffic demand is indeed justified. Regardless of trip purpose (e.g., shopping, regular recreational activities, dropping kids at school), the LODES data is an excellent predictor of overall road segment loads.

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6:00 - 8:00p.m. (PT) | View Event Page

During this virtual event, students from the Master of Science in Transportation Management program at San José State University presented their final capstone research projects. This interactive event provided opportunities to meet with the students and learn about their research and key issues in the field of transportation.

In recent years, curbspace has become more diverse and complex necessitating strategies for managing competition between multiple modes and types of users. This webinar featured policies, best practices, and lessons learned for managing curbspace in complex built environments and discussed recent changes in response to the global pandemic. Topics discussed include:

• Fees for access and use;
• Prioritizing access for public transportation, cyclists, pedestrians, older adults, youth, and people with disabilities;
• Geofencing to limit curb access; and
• Pricing; and other related strategies.

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MTI was a proud partner of Lorin Eden Elementary of Hayward, CA for their annual STEAM Innovation Showcase, where students unveiled their sustainable transportation-related projects. After exploring three critical areas of transportation— active transportation, fuel sources, and new and emerging technology, these students had the opportunity to discuss their ideas with transportation professionals.

Featured speakers from: 
- California High Speed Rail and Fresno's Institute of Transportation

This webinar discussed how widespread autonomous vehicle use impact traffic law violations and current government revenue schematics. States and localities have the opportunity to rethink and replace current practices since these vehicles will likely commit fewer traffic offenses. Governments can begin to reallocate resources that are currently invested in writing these tickets, defending the charges, and pursuing the debts in addition to re-evaluating the considerable equity issues that autonomous vehicle adoption may further highlight. 
 

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By now, we've all adjusted to Zoom meetings and online events, but are you utilizing technology's potential or was there a scramble to move everything digital with a "Phew! That'll do." attitude? In a survey by HubSpot, only 23% of companies were set up for remote work prior to COVID-19; 51% of companies weren't prepared for remote work at all and had to quickly pivot their in-person strategies. However, online events and in-person events were not created equal. This misunderstanding has led to day-long, butt-numbing virtual conferences, Zoom fatigue, and challenges maintaining team enthusiasm and participation. Sound familiar? With a few simple tips, you can learn the formula for effectively engaging your online community.

Webinar discussed:

• Understanding participant attention: online vs. in-person events
• Creating memorable and effective content
• Utilizing the right technology

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As schools prepare to fully reopen, how can Safe Routes to School programs (SRTS) help prepare for the resurgence of children walking and rolling through busy intersections? MTI researchers analyzed the relationship between the presence of SRTS programs and the likelihood that children will travel to school by active modes. They also identified the potential to bolster existing SRTS programs by leveraging university student and city partnerships. Both of the research projects featured in this webinar dive into the racial and geographical demographics of the student population in areas with SRTS programs at different stages of implementation.

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Autonomous and automated vehicles, which are both electric and shared—promise to reduce reliance on the personally-owned gasoline-powered car and have the potential to make our cities safer, cleaner, more inclusive, and more sustainable. Yet this vision can only be achieved with policy support at the city, state, and federal levels of government. Local policymakers specifically are uniquely positioned to harness these technological innovations.

Attendees learned how curb use and demand management; parking redesign; asset maintenance; right of way standardization; and cyclist and pedestrian-friendly projects can help cities meet emerging transportation demand more efficiently.

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CSU students participated in an informal information session with Drs. Asha W. Agrawal and Hilary Nixon to learn how to make the most of their TRB experience.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every facet of modern day life, single-handedly altering the way we communicate and engage with our colleagues and social support networks. Though face-to-face interaction has significantly decreased, or even become nonexistent, one thing has remained clear – the link between continuous communication, a healthy workforce, and productivity. This workshop, focused on effective interpersonal communication in a virtual world, presented techniques to adjust communication style, content, and frequency to maintain a personal touch. Best practices for building and solidifying relationships using a variety of mediums (phone, chat, video, etc.) was documented and breakout rooms will be used to facilitate an interactive exchange, allowing participants to share their experience and communicate in a safe space.

*This webinar was intended for our partners at Caltrans (all Caltrans employees welcome), but if you or your organization is interested in hosting a similar event, please contact irma.garcia@sjsu.edu.

Ransomware, data breaches, phishing incidents and other cyber threats are on the rise, including among public transit agencies. Such threats leave the transportation sector—one of 16 critical infrastructure sectors whose disruption would have a debilitating effect on our nation’s security—in a vulnerable position. Decision makers need to be prepared to upgrade, patch, and secure transit systems to ensure that this essential service remains safe and operational. Yet new MTI research found that only 60% of transit agencies have many of the basic policies or personnel in place to respond to a cyber incident. In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness month, MTI researchers discussed this critical research and the policy recommendations needed to understand, mitigate, and respond to cyber threats.

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Historically, cities have often been planned by and for white men. Studies show that women often have different needs and travel patterns, and different concerns about safety, particularly when walking, biking, and taking transit. Our panel has explored the experience of women traveling within and to downtown San José, how the current transportation options do and do not serve them, and identifed solutions to make our streets safer in order to create a transportation system that truly serves everyone.

WTS for the Downtown Transportation Plan Speaker Series focused on Women’s Perspectives on Transportation in Downtown San José. These are engaging conversations with San José community leaders and thought partners that are sparking innovative thinking around the future of San Jose’s downtown transportation.

Understanding how women travel in San José and in the Downtown area will be key to building a transportation system that works for everyone. This panel brought together experts in the transportation field in conversation with local community members:

• Dr. Asha W. Agrawal, Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University
• Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, University of California at Los Angeles
• Marcia Cohen, San José Senior Commission
• Victoria Partido, San José Community Leader
• Lola Torney, Valley Transportation Authority

Silicon Valley is committed to California’s goal of reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 15% in the next three decades. To investigate local support for this initiative, MTI researchers—in collaboration with Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) and the Santa Clara Department of Public Health—surveyed 1,009 Santa Clara County residents, recruited via location-based targeted advertisements, about their travel behavior and attitudes. This webinar based on the report, Surveying Silicon Valley Cycling, Travel Behavior, and Travel Attitudes, discussed survey findings on a range of transportation modes (driving, public transportation, walking, and more), with an emphasis on cycling.

This webinar discussed the Caltrans-funded study investigating trends in the primary pavement materials’ unit price over time and developed guidelines for selecting unit price values for future maintenance and rehabilitation in life cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Researchers collected 20 years of California socio-economic data, including oil price, population, and other key variables to identify correlations with pavement materials’ unit price. Researchers predicted future values through time-series analysis (auto regressive integrated moving average: ARIMA) and used them to estimate future prices. Additionally, they collected unit price records of the primary pavement materials for the same time period and categorized them by project size. Using this data, researchers predicted future price values and then used a case study to compare the results with the prices in the current LCCA procedure.

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This research webinar covered research from Characteristics of Effective Metropolitan-Areawide Public Transit, which evaluates ten metropolitan areas in Australia, Canada, and Europe with highly effective regional transit. This research identified key traits that are correlated with high public transit usage, including:

• the “behind the scenes” or political and institutional characteristics;
• the customer-apparent transit service features; and
• funding and willingness to subsidize transit.

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All in-person MTI events have been postponed until the global pandemic passes and the shelter in place directive is lifted. As a result, the 2020 Annual MTI Banquet and Convocation Celebration has been cancelled. 

Understandably, COVID-19 is at the top of many people's minds; however, a webinar is the perfect way to social distance while engaging in knowledgeable research discussions. Join the conversation from anywhere online. We look forward to future event opportunities that will allow us to continue in our mission to improve mobility for all.

Resources for Transportation Professionals

Recent extreme weather events in California—wildfires, droughts, and flooding—make abundantly clear the need to plan effective responses to both the causes and consequences of climate change. New Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) research, Harmonizing Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Transportation and Land-Use Planning in California Cities, analyzed the climate plans for 23 California cities in addition to interviewing 25 local, regional, and state officials working on climate planning.  Identified transportation and land-use (TLU) strategies that both mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and successfully prepare communities to be less severely impacted by climate change remains a challenge. The study assessed existing city plans and identified the potential pitfalls between mitigation and adaptation. Then, it establishes methods the state can implement to help cities effectively incorporate integrated TLU actions.

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