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
December 9, 2020	Women Advancing Transportation for Our Future Mobility Needs Representation of women in the transportation workforce is stunningly low. What would happen to our mobility with more women driving transportation policies, planning, operations, and maintenance? During TRB's 6th International Conference on Women's Issues on Transportation, panelists discussed best practices for recruitment, support, and advancement of women in the transportation sector. In this webinar, conference speakers continued their discussion about workforce challenges and overcoming them; approaches to attract, retain and advance women in transportation, and how these leaders see COVID-19 changing the workforce and work environment. Featuring: Dr. Hilary Nixon, MTI Deputy Executive Director (moderator) Laurie Berman, Director (retired), California Department of Transportation Flora Castillo, President, Pivot Strategies, LLC Jodi Godfrey, Senior Research Associate, Mobility Policy Research Program & Transit Safety & Workforce Development Programs, Transportation Research, University of South Florida Debra A. Johnson, General Manager/ CEO, Regional Transportation District (Denver)
December 3, 2020	MTI Research Snaps Webinar: "Will Ride-hailing Enhance Mobility for Older Adults?" - San José, CA This webinar discussed the explored potential for ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber to help meet the travel needs of older Californians. Using data from a survey of almost 3,000 Californians 55 and over, researchers analyzed how many older Californians have used ride-hailing, how they booked trips, what concerns they have about ride-hailing services, and their interest in potential new options for how to book and pay for trips. View Recording. View Slides. Presenters: Asha W. Agrawal, PhD; Manish Shirgaokar, PhD
November 18, 2020	Effective Interpersonal "Virtual" Communications - Online 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. Presenters:* Patrick Sherry, PhD & Karen Philbrick, PhD
November 4, 2020	Make the Connection: Next Stop Your Career - Online WTS-SF Bay Area and the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) of San Jose State University hosted "Make the Connection: Next Stop Your Career." 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) Latinos in Transit (LiT) Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT)
October 29, 2020	MTI Research Snaps Webinar: "How Prepared Is Transit for a Cyber Attack?" - Online 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. View Recording. View Slides. Presenters: Scott Belcher
October 19, 2020	Women’s Perspectives on Transportation in Downtown San José 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 Presenters: Asha W. Agrawal, PhD, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Marcia Cohen, Victoria Partido, and Lola Torney
October 19, 2020 to October 23, 2020	Silicon Valley Education Foundation's College Day (week) - Online MTI proudly partnered with Silicon Valley Education Foundation for thier 10th annual College Day– a county-wide celebration that shows students that college is possible. This event featured a week's worth of workshops to promote college and career readiness for elementary, middle, and high school students. As part of their career exploration, students had the opprtunity to view two MTI videos on transportation careers 1) Transportation Careers: Moving More than People and 2) VTA/MTI Career Day.
October 7, 2020	MTI Research Snaps Webinar: "Carpooling for Cash and Congestion-clearing" - Online Traffic congestion is a serious challenge for transportation professionals. It is also linked to negative environmental impacts, economic drawbacks, and a reduced quality of life. As successful urban areas expand, so do roads, and congestion increases. Unfortunately, no long-term solutions have been found, and many commuters are reluctant to alter their traditional driving habits in favor of carpooling. A recent case study, however, found that at $15 a day, half of people driving on a busy road would be willing to travel as passengers and another 23% would be willing to serve as drivers. Congestion-clearing Payments to Passengers looks at a long-standing bottleneck location on Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay, California and suggests a potential solution for the continuing problem of traffic congestion. View Recording. View Slides. Presenters: Paul Minett, PhD, Richard Lee, PhD, and John Niles
September 24, 2020	Surveying Silicon Valley Cyclists - Online 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. Presenters: Dr. Kevin Fang
September 17, 2020	MTI Research Snaps Webinar: "See the USA in Your Chevrolet: The American Road Trip Reconsidered" - Online Road trips, often understood as an embodiment of American freedom, are an essential summertime activity for millions even amidst a global pandemic. New research and recent events, however, complicate the vision of the great American road trip by revealing how it has been shaped by democratic ideals, commercial interest, and nostalgia. Reexamining the road trip through a historical lens can inform the work of transportation professionals – especially in the context of the mobility revolution, social justice reform, and pandemic shutdowns. View Recording. View Slides. Presenters: Dan Albert, PhD, and Allyson Hobbs, PhD