Past Events

The Mineta Consortium for Equitable, Efficient, and Sustainable Transportation organizes or participates in numerous transportation-related events each year. Details about past events, including links to presentations and other relevant resources, when available, are listed below.

Dates	Events
February 6, 2024	Putting the Brakes on Rider Harassment: Research Tools, Community Partnerships, and Data-Driven Solutions - Online This event was co-sponsored by Stop AAPI Hate. Harassment is keeping riders from using transit and feeling safe. Taking on harassment on transit doesn't need to be a daunting task—it starts with data collection and setting up community partnerships to guide the process. Speakers, two transit operators and their community partners, discussed both qualitative data gathering approaches and a new passenger survey tool. How can these be used to make a difference in making public transit safer for everyone? Be a part of the conversation about putting the brakes on rider harassment.* This webinar was created for transit riders, operators, community-based organizations, advocacy groups, government workers, researchers, and anyone who wants to be a part of sharing insights and strategies to address rider harassment and fostering a safer and more inclusive public transit experience for everyone. MTI Survey Presenter: Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD, National Transportation Finance Center Director, MTI Moderator: Annie Lee, Esq., Managing Director of Policy, Chinese for Affirmative Action/Stop AAPI Hate Panelists: Chantal Hildebrand, Co-Executive Director, Alliance for Girls Meghna Khanna, Deputy Executive Officer, Mobility Corridors, LA Metro Alicia Trost, Chief Communications Officer, BART PDH Certificate. View List of Additional Resources. View Recording. View Slide Deck. Presenters: Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD, Annie Lee, Chantal Hildebrand, Meghna Khanna, Alicia Trost
January 26, 2024	Beyond the Tracks: High-Speed Rail Station Access and Development This event was co-sponsored by High Speed Rail Alliance. The City of San Jose and high-speed rail thought leaders discussed best practices and lessons learned from developing and running high-speed rail stations. They also explored the intricacies of planning, designing, and developing mixed-use station areas and multimodal passenger facilities that enable a safe, comfortable, and seamless travel experience. This webinar was created for planners, policymakers, transit managers, and others passionate about shaping the future of HSR and station areas. Agenda Highlights: Station Area Development First-/Last-Mile Connections Transit-Oriented Development Best Practices Discussions & Q&A Speakers: Eric Eidlin, Station Planning Manager, City of San Jose Ramses Madou, Division Manager of Planning, Policy, and Sustainability for the Department of Transportation, City of San Jose Moderator: Karen Philbrick, PhD,* Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) PDH Certificate View Recording Presenters: Eric Eidlin, Ramses Madou, & Karen Philbrick, PhD
November 30, 2023 to December 1, 2023	The Future of Automated Shared Mobility - San José, CA Link to register The Podcar City Conference for the Future of Automated Shared Mobility 2023 was held at City Hall, Council Chambers, and the Rotunda at the City of San José. The main goal of the Podcar City Conference is to encourage considerable improvement of mass mobility in all possible ways – conserve earth and human resources, improve equity and have an open dialog of planning for the future. For more information on the Program and speakers, head to the Conference's event website. The Podcar City Conferences is an initiative by 4Dialog AB, Sweden, in collaboration with the International Institute of Sustainable Transportation (INIST), USA. *MTI was a proud-co-sponsor of this event.
November 8, 2023	Connect for Your Career: An Introduction to Professional Associations in Transportation - Online WTS-SF Bay Area and the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) of San Jose State hosted this free virtual event "Connect for Your Career: An Introduction to Professional Associations in Transportation" that introduced university students and emerging professionals to Northern California transportation organizations that offer networking, professional development opportunities, and/or scholarship opportunities. Participating organizations include: American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) American Planning Association (APA) American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) 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) Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS) Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT) View Slides. View Recording.
October 31, 2023	Fixing Our Broken Transit Planning Process - Online U.S. transit has long grappled with escalating costs and delays: why do we struggle to build transit systems at a pace or a cost comparable to other countries? How can we mend a fractured transit system? In this webinar, transportation experts discussed the core issue: Should the focus be on individual projects or on achieving broader outcomes? Attendees learned what approach will bring positive, actionable change to our transportation systems. Speakers: Alison Premo Black, PhD, Senior Vice President & Chief Economist, American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Eric Goldwyn, PhD, Program Director of Transportation and Land Use & Clinical Assistant Professor, NYU Marron Institute Sadie Graham, Link21 Program Director, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Joshua Schank, PhD, MTI Research Associate & Managing Principal, InfraStrategies Moderator: Hilary Nixon, PhD, Deputy Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) View Recording. View & Download PDH Certificate. Presenters: Alison Premo Black, PhD, Eric Goldwyn, PhD, and Joshua Schank, PhD
October 24, 2023 to October 26, 2023	2023 “Research to Practice” Transit Symposium - Online As the transit industry is poised to take advantage of the largest transit and rail investment in our lifetimes, the symposium provides a platform where transit experts share insights on how evidence-based research is being or can be, used to make the most of these opportunities in a changing environment. This year’s symposium focused on the following topics: Practical applications of transit data Transit fare policy Transit equity Transit marketing and outreach strategies Transit-centered multimodal integration (e.g., MaaS) Transit apps and digital payments Microtransit and automated shuttles Bus fleet electrification Post-COVID ridership recovery strategies Opportunities and challenges to transit research implementation The Symposium was convened by a partnership between APTA, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), University of Florida Transportation Institute, the T-SCORE University Transportation Center, and the Mineta Transportation Institute.
October 19, 2023 to October 21, 2023	ACSP2023 Annual Conference - Seattle, WA The Mineta Transportation Institute, with SJSU's Department of Urban and Regional Planning, participated in the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning 2023 Annual Conference in Chicago. As one of the largest events of the year for planning academics and professionals, the ACSP Annual Conference attracts faculty, researchers, and students from across the United States and from 30+ countries worldwide. The ACSP Annual Conference is known for furthering the success of the academic planning community. Attendees had the opportunity to visit the Community Connection Café and learn more about MTI/SJSU authors. *MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.
October 11, 2023	Empower Girls, Amplify Young Voices: International Day of the Girl - Bill, San José, CA This event is an annual and internationally recognized observance on October 11th. Like its adult version, International Women's Day (March 8), International Day of the Girl acknowledges the importance, power, and potential of adolescent girls. At the same time, this day is designated to eliminate gender-based challenges that little girls face around the world. By empowering girls through education, skills training, and mentorship, we can dismantle barriers and create a world where every girl can flourish. Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley celebrated the entire week of October 10th-15th and observed the 11th with an event. "When I was younger, I wanted to be a scientist - *but I had stopped that dream* because I just hadn't seen a lot of women scientists. But today, I met a lot of amazing women with amazing careers. I met engineers, I met lawyers - I met scientists! *I really needed this." To learn more about the movement, visit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley's website. MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.
September 26, 2023	Perfecting Your Scholarship Application - Online Scholarship season is here! MTI Student Association hosted a free virtual event to learn tips for perfecting students' scholarship applications for a better chance at funding their education. Speakers joined from transportation associations such as the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), California Transportation Foundation (CTF), and Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS). Attendees learned about each association's scholarship programs. *MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event. View Recording.
September 21, 2023	Best Practices in Disaster Public Communications When disaster strikes and an emergency notification is issued, people are often unsure how to act. They may spend time “milling,” checking in with friends and neighbors, scrolling through sources and social media—trying to decide whether the alert applies to them. Research has shown this can be life threatening. Looking at how community members responded to alerts during the SCU and CZU complex wildland fires in 2020, experts Dr. Frances L. Edwards and Dan Goodrich examine disaster public communications best practices. How can public agencies collaborate with social media organizations to get the right messaging out? How do we ensure messaging engenders immediate, life-saving action? The researchers have also proposed an app that could assist in eliminating time spent milling by speeding up social media investigation by sorting messages via GIS coordinates, time, and more to ensure community members are reading the messages most relevant to them. This webinar, presented during National Preparedness Month, helped viewers gain valuable insights and explore innovative solutions in disaster communication. View Recording. View Slide Deck. View & Download PDH Certificate. About the Panelist Frances L. Edwards, PhD Deputy Director, National Transportation Security Center Frances L. Edwards, MUP, PhD, CEM, is professor emeritus of political science at San José State University, following 17 years as the Director of the Master of Public Administration program. She is the Deputy Director of the National Transportation Security Center at the Mineta Transportation Institute. A Certified Emergency Manager with over 20 years’ professional experience in California, she has served as acting assistant fire chief for the San José Fire Department, as Budget Analyst for the Irvine, California Police Department, and as Assistant to the City Manager in Florham Park, New Jersey. Dan Goodrich Senior Transportation Security Scientist Daniel C. Goodrich, MPA, CEM, MEP is a Senior Transportation Security Scientist with the Mineta Transportation Institute at SJSU, and the instructor for “Security Issues for Transportation Professionals” in the Master of Science in Transportation Management program. He is a Certified Emergency Manager, a Master Exercise Practitioner, a Professional Continuity Practitioner and a Certified Security Specialist. He provides emergency management planning and training support to Caltrans and Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority. Presenters: Frances L. Edwards, PhD and Dan Goodrich