Past Events

This award ceremony celebrated the winners of the 2021 Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition and featured a keynote address by Dr. Robert C. Hampshire, Chief Science Officer, U.S. Department of Transportation. 

2021 Garrett Morgan Awarding Ceremony (video)

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

View Recording.

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.

View Recording.

View Slides.

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.

View Recording.

View Slides.

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)

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.

View Recording.

View Slides.

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.