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)

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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.

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About the Panelist

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. 

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. 

MTI's 2023 MSTI was held weekdays, July 10-28, 2023, M-F 9am-3pm at San José State University. While engaging in stimulating hands-on STEM activities and venturing on exciting local field trips, students learned about transportation innovation and earned 3 transferable college credits in Environmental Studies from San José State University. This program was completely free and open to high school students. 

This program was delivered in partnership with Caltrans and is a crucial step toward building the transportation workforce pipeline. 

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View 2023 Calendar of Activities

The WTS Capital Summit, a signature program of Transportation YOU, offers students an opportunity to meet transportation industry thought leaders, government and administration officials, and college students beginning their own career journeys in the industry. Historically, the Summit brings high school-aged mentees and transportation professional mentors to the Washington, D.C. area for a 4-day summer program of tours, lectures, and interactive experiences showcasing careers in transportation. Students register to attend the Summit through WTS Chapters.

The Summit provides participants experience in engineering challenges, professional development and leadership skills development, networking events, local tours, and opportunities to learn about core transportation development components, such as accessibility, livable communities, and urban planning. Tours may include the U.S. Department of Transportation; the U.S. Capitol and U.S. Congress, local airports, highway research facilities, the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro), live engineering projects, port operations, and other transportation hubs. The Summit also encourages student attendees to consider a wide variety of future undergraduate and advanced degree opportunities... STEM, engineering, and beyond.

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

14th Annual Mineta National Transportation Policy Summit

The United States faces a public health crisis on its roads. In 2021 alone, almost 43,000 people died in traffic crashes and millions more suffered serious injuries. Secretary Pete Buttigieg calls the situation a preventable crisis—one for which we must take responsibility by recognizing that human lives are not a price to pay for modernity. New funding available through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides a significant opportunity to reduce crashes through infrastructure redesign. The Mineta Transportation Institute and a panel of national experts discussed the role of infrastructure redesign in achieving a national goal of zero traffic fatalities.

See here for more information and recordings from past events in the series.

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CM Credit

Featured Speaker	Fireside Chat Moderator
Robin Hutcheson Administrator Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration	Karen Philbrick, PhD Executive Director Mineta Transportation Institute

Keynote Speaker	Keynote Speaker Q&A Moderator
Jennifer Homendy 15th Chair National Transportation Safety Board	Paula Hammond Multimodal National Market Leader, WSP Chair, American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Board of Directors

MTI Safety Survey Presenter	Panelist	Panelist
Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD Director MTI National Transportation Finance Center	Ravinder S. Bhalla Mayor City of Hoboken	Beth Osborne Vice President for Transportation and Thriving Communities Smart Growth America

Panelist	Panelist	Panel Moderator
Emily Schweninger Senior Policy Advisor, Transportation Health and Safety U.S. Department of Transportation	Tony Tavares Director California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)	Selika Talbott MTI Research Associate; Founder and CEO Autonomous Vehicle Consulting

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.

Whether you bike to work, school, shops, parks, libraries, or just wherever, biking is fun, and good for you and our environment. Bicycling is one of the biggest ways you can reduce Climate Change as well as improve your health!

May was Bike Month and May 18, 19 and 20 were Bike to Work/Wherever Days!

We want as many people as possible to get in the habit of bicycling for transportation rather than driving a car. Did you know that it’s possible to move more stuff using your bike than most people can fit in a car? Check out Carrying Things by Bike. And did you know if you choose to bike rather than drive you can save 1 million dollars?  See below for many fun things you can do during Bike Month and Bike to Wherever Days!

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

Major Bike Month Events

• 4/6 — Bike Commuting (Online class).

• 4/11 — Smart Cycling (Part 1 - Online class). Learn how to ride just about everywhere from busy streets to crossing the US.

• 4/19 — Smart Cycling (Part 2 - In person) - Turn classroom learning into muscle memory and practice on real streets under expert supervision.

• 4/23 — Viva Calle San Jose — A super Open Street event for all that is not to be missed.

• 4/26 — Basic Bike Maintenance (In person) — Get your bike ready for Bike Month!

• 5/1-31 — Bike Month — All month.

• 5/1 — Biking Basics (Online) — Learn the essentials to keep you safe when bicycling.

• 5/13 — Volunteer BTWD bag stuffing.

• 5/15 — Volunteer BTWD bag distribution to energizer stations.

• 5/16 — Basic Bike Maintenance (In person).

• 5/18 — Bike To Work Day. With Energizer Stations across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Concludes with Bike Bash events.

• 5/18 — Bike Bash party.

• 5/19-20 — Bike to Wherever Days. With Energizer Stations across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

• 5/19 — San Jose Bike Party.

• 5/24 — Smart Cycling (Part 1 - Online) Learn how to ride just about everywhere from busy streets to crossing the US.

• 5/28 — Smart Cycling (Part 2 - In person) - Turn classroom learning into muscle memory and practice on real streets under expert supervision.

• 6/7 — Family Biking (Online).

Human trafficking, a form of modern slavery, is the recruitment, transport, and/or transfer of persons using force, fraud, or coercion to exploit them for acts of labor, services, or sex. It is the fastest growing organized crime with approximately $150B in annual profits. Because trafficking relies on the transportation network to recruit, move, and transfer victims and to move goods produced by forced labor, the transportation industry plays a critical role in preventing and combating human trafficking.  Transportation can also be a gateway for survivors to leave their trafficking situation and obtain aid to rebuild their lives. 

For 2023 Caltrans Safety Awareness Week, the Mineta Transportation Institute hosted a one-hour webinar featuring expert panelists to showcase efforts to combat human trafficking in the United States. Experts discussed these critical questions: How can industry employees protect loved ones & our community? How can we learn to identify risk factors and signs of human trafficking when in the transportation system? 

Watch the recording to learn more about the role of transportation industry stakeholders in facilitating effective prevention training programs and increasing accurate victim identification, as well as putting in place survivor-centered and trauma-informed response protocols.

View the Recording 

View the List of Resources

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About the Panelists

• Paul Chang, Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator, US Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division

Paul Chang serves as the Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator at the U.S. Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division. In his 28+ years with the agency, Paul worked on some of the most celebrated cases as an investigator and Assistant District Director. He developed numerous training materials and programs, including the Enterprise Model that focuses on strategic approaches to prosecution, protection, and prevention of forced labor. Paul served as the National Co-Chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) Regional Network. Paul is also a lecturer at Cal State LA’s MPA program and Vanguard University on Human Trafficking. He is the recipient of numerous Secretary’s Awards and community honors, including the 2019 Global Center for Women and Justice Diamond Award.

• Evelyn Chumbow, Operations Manager and Survivor Advocate, Human Trafficking Legal Center (HTLC)

Evelyn Chumbow is a survivor of child labor trafficking turned anti-trafficking activist and public speaker. Chumbow has been invited to brief several government agencies about human trafficking from a survivor’s perspective, including the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the State Department, and the Department of Justice. She was appointed by President Obama to serve on the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. She has been invited as a speaker to international events and has been awarded many honors for her work. Chumbow serves as an advisor to human trafficking NGOs and on the Board of Directors for Free the Slaves. Chumbow hopes to leverage her unique position as a former child slave to end human trafficking in her hometown and globally.

• Aston Greene, Chief of System Safety and Security, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

• Polly Hanson, Senior Director, Security, Risk and Emergency Management, American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

Polly Hanson coordinates with APTA stakeholders to develop transit security, risk and emergency management standards and policies. She serves as the Vice-chair of the TSA Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee. Previously Ms. Hanson was the Chief of Police for AMTRAK, where she led a national police department responsible for protecting over 30 million passengers and 20,000 employees. Additionally, as the Chief of the Metro Transit Police in D.C., she led a tristate police department and directed the response to the terrorist attacks in Madrid and London. She received WMATA’s Carmen E. Turner Award, and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) named Ms. Hanson a “Woman Who Moves the Nation.” Ms. Hanson is a member of the Operation Lifesaver, Inc Board of Directors.

• Dr. Kezban Yagci Sokat, Research Associate, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

Dr. Yagci Sokat is an Assistant Professor of Business Analytics at San José State University and a Research Associate at the Mineta Transportation Institute with a passion for using analytics to alleviate human suffering in the areas of public health, humanitarian logistics, and human trafficking. Supported by the United States Department of Transportation, IBM, Valley Transportation Authority and San José State University, she has led various multi-disciplinary anti-trafficking projects and has served on several local anti-trafficking committees. She received her PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences from Northwestern University and holds master’s degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology with a Fulbright scholarship.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) hosted a conversation with a diverse panel of women transportation leaders representing academia, public and private industries, and the nonprofit sectors as they shared personal stories from their careers and lessons learned as they rose to the top. 

Moderated by April Rai, CEO of COMTO and a member of the MTI Board of Trustees, this webinar delved into a critical issue faced by the transportation industry: How are we prioritizing women and other traditionally underrepresented voices to build the most inclusive and effective transportation workforce for our future? What can their success stories teach us about the values of empowering women? 

Speakers:

• Melissa Figueroa, Chief of Strategic Communications, California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA)

• Dr. Karen Philbrick, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

• Kimberly Slaughter, CEO, SYSTRA USA

• Lynda Tran, Director of Public Engagement & Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)

Moderator: April Rai, President & CEO, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)

This event was co-sponsored by COMTO and WTS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter.

PDH Certificate

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About the Panelists

• Melissa Figueroa, Chief of Strategic Communications, California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA)

As the Chief of Strategic Communications, Melissa oversees the communications branches for media, stakeholder engagement, special projects, and outreach. Melissa previously served as CalSTA’s Deputy Secretary of Communications and Strategic Planning; Deputy Secretary of Communications and External Affairs at the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency; and Deputy Secretary of Communications at the State and Consumer Services Agency. Before beginning work in the state’s executive branch, Melissa worked within the Legislature as Press Secretary for California State Senator Joe Simitian. Figueroa graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2002 with a degree in Journalism. She served as a student representative on the department’s advisory board and now serves on the Cal Poly Journalism Advisory Board.

• Dr. Karen Philbrick, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

Karen Philbrick is the executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San José State University, a position she has held since 2014. MTI leads three multi university competitively selected consortia: the Mineta Consortium for Transportation Mobility (MCTM) funded by the US Department of Transportation, the California State University Transportation Consortium (CSUTC) funded by the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (CA Senate Bill 1) and the Climate Change and Extreme Events Training and Research Program funded by the Federal Railroad Administration. 

Dr. Philbrick has received many prestigious awards for her leadership excellence and outstanding contributions to her field. She received the CUTC Administrative Leadership award, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) named Dr. Philbrick a “Woman Who Moves the Nation,” the Silicon Valley Business Journal named Dr. Philbrick 1 of the 100 Women of Influence in Silicon Valley.

• Kimberly Slaughter, CEO, SYSTRA USA

Kimberly Slaughter has been involved in the development of mobility solutions for over 30 years and has a wealth of experience in the transportation industry, working for planning, architecture/engineering consulting firms and public transportation providers. She is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin with an MSc in Community and Regional Planning. Kim was appointed to head the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) subcommittee for the Mobility Restoration & Recovery Task Force. Kim has also served on the APTA Board of Directors and Business Members Board of Governors, Business Council of the African American Mayors Association, Women’s Transportation Seminar, and Conference of Minority Transportation Officials.

• Lynda Tran, Director of Public Engagement & Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)

Lynda Tran serves as Director of Public Engagement and Senior Advisor to the Secretary. A longtime organizer and communicator with over two decades experience in policy, advocacy, and campaigns, Lynda returns to DOT after co-founding 270 Strategies, where she developed public engagement strategies for clients across the globe – including the Environmental Defense Fund, Oxfam America, United Way Worldwide, FAMM, the Black Economic Alliance, and the Economic Security Project. Recently, she was a senior strategist for Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy and served on the Board of Advisors for Higher Ground Labs and Battleground Texas. A CBS News Political Contributor through the 2020 cycle, she previously led teams for Organizing for America, then-Governor Tim Kaine, and SEIU.

• (Moderator) April Rai, President & CEO, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)

April joined COMTO in December 2021 as President and CEO with nearly 20 years of experience managing private, public sector and non-profit organizations. Previously, April served as Deputy Executive Director for Women’s Transportation Seminar International (WTS), leading the management of operations, staffing and program management for 65 chapters across North America. Prior to joining WTS, April served as the CEO for the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), a coalition of over 100 organizations and agencies dedicated to youth health and safety education. April’s current appointments include Board Member, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), Board Member, Mineta Transportation Institute and numerous transportation related advisory boards.

This webinar was the fourth part of MTI Research Snaps' Advancing Transportation Equity series.

The Mineta Transportation Institute partnered with the California Planning Roundtable on Voices of Impact, an oral history project focused on identifying how past planning practices have impacted communities of color. The project highlights the voices of people who ordinarily may be reluctant to share their stories—to raise public awareness and to suggest how planning professionals and policy makers can change their practices in response. This film shares the unique stories of six individuals impacted by housing and land use policies enacted by federal, state and local governments and their successful community efforts for positive impact through emerging practices of equitable planning. This webinar shared critical perspectives that often go unheard, created a platform for historically underrepresented communities, and collaborated to find real solutions for injustice in our communities.

Watch the Project Video

Read ED Blog about the Project

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PDH Certificate

Discussion Guide

About the Presenter

Miguel Angel Vazquez, AICP, serves as the President of California Planning Roundtable. He is one of the first planners hired by a public health department in the nation. His role at the Riverside University Health System-Public Health is to strengthen the integration of planning and health through collaboration with non-traditional partners. The American Planning Association and affiliates have recognized his work and leadership with numerous awards, including the 2018 APA President’s Award and the 2020 APA California Distinguished Contribution Award.

About the Series

Transportation moves the world—impacting the lives of everyone, everywhere. Like many industries, transportation has dealt with its share of issues in equity. Transportation professionals work collaboratively to identify, analyze, and overcome inequities in the industry, acknowledging a sometimes-painful past to ensure that transportation policies serve all communities equitably

This February, we hosted a 4-part MTI Research Snaps series on “Advancing Transportation Equity.” In this series, MTI researchers discussed transforming equity in transportation as we reflected on some of the most pressing issues of diversity and accessibility in the industry as a whole and how to overcome them. 

Webinars include:

• Webinar #1 | Feb 7, 12:30-1:00p.m. (PT) | Exploring the Use of Public Transportation Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Survey

• Webinar #2 | Feb 14, 1:30-2:00p.m. (PT) | The Central Valley Transportation Challenge 

• Webinar #3 | Feb 21, 12:30-1:00p.m. (PT) | Free Transit: It All Depends on How 

• Webinar #4 | Feb 28, 12:30-1:00p.m. (PT) | Voices of Impact

This webinar was the second part of MTI Research Snaps' Advancing Transportation Equity series.

Students from minority populations and those in rural communities may not have the same established routes to learn about and access educational and professional opportunities as their peers from majority groups. The Central Valley Transportation Challenge (CVTC) provides underserved minority students, who are primarily from rural areas, with high quality transportation-related educational experiences so that they learn about transportation-related topics and opportunities in transportation careers. The CVTC is a project-based learning program that brings university faculty and students to K–12 classrooms in rural areas. This project supported K–12 teachers, connected K–12 students with university faculty and students, and transportation professionals, and developed an online hub with transportation-related lesson plans and sequences. The onset of the pandemic meant the timing of the program was especially useful, providing students that were learning from home with an engaging learning experience and some relief for teachers who were already dealing with a lot of adjustments. In this webinar, attendees learned about how the CVTC program empowered underserved students and how this model and its hub can continue making a positive impact in transportation.

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View Fresno State Transportation Institute's K-12 Resources

PDH Certificate

About the Presenter

Dr. Christian Wandeler is an associate professor in research methods and statistics at California State University, Fresno. He has a Ph.D. in personality and positive psychology from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. His research interests are in the development of hope and learning achievement, project-based learning, and self-managing teams. He is currently researching the use of agile learning methods and design thinking in action civics projects. 

About the Series

Transportation moves the world—impacting the lives of everyone, everywhere. Like many industries, transportation has dealt with its share of issues in equity. Transportation professionals work collaboratively to identify, analyze, and overcome inequities in the industry, acknowledging a sometimes-painful past to ensure that transportation policies serve all communities equitably. 

This February, we hosted a 4-part MTI Research Snaps series on “Advancing Transportation Equity.” In this series, MTI researchers discussed transforming equity in transportation as we reflected on some of the most pressing issues of diversity and accessibility in the industry as a whole and how to overcome them. 

Webinars include:

• Webinar #1 | Feb 7, 12:30-1:00p.m. (PT) | Exploring the Use of Public Transportation Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Survey

• Webinar #2 | Feb 14, 1:30-2:00p.m. (PT) | The Central Valley Transportation Challenge 

• Webinar #3 | Feb 21, 12:30-1:00p.m. (PT) | Free Transit: It All Depends on How 

• Webinar #4 | Feb 28, 12:30-1:00p.m. (PT) | Voices of Impact

Human trafficking, a form of modern slavery, is the recruitment, transport, and/or transfer of persons using force, fraud, or coercion to exploit them for acts of labor, services, or sex. According to the International Labor Organization, 49.6 million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, of which 27.6 million were in forced labor and 12% of all those in forced labor were children.

Human trafficking is the fastest-growing organized crime with approximately $150B in annual profits. Like any business, trafficking relies on the transportation network—to recruit, move, or transfer their victims and to move goods produced by forced labor. Therefore, the transportation industry plays a critical role in preventing and combating human trafficking, as well as providing access for many survivors trying to leave their trafficking situation and obtain aid to rebuild their lives. 

This National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we hosted a one-hour webinar featuring expert panelists to showcase efforts to combat this issue in the United States. Discussions included the role of transportation agencies in facilitating effective prevention training programs and increasing accurate victim identification, as well as putting in place survivor-centered and trauma-informed response protocols.

PDH Certificate

View Recording

View Human Trafficking Resources List

About the Panelists

• Paul Chang, Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator, US Department of Labor

Paul Chang serves as the Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator at the U.S. Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division. In his 28+ years with the agency, Paul worked on some of the most celebrated cases as an investigator and Assistant District Director. He developed numerous training materials and programs, including the Enterprise Model that focuses on strategic approaches to prosecution, protection, and prevention of forced labor. Paul served as the National Co-Chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) Regional Network. Paul is also a lecturer at Cal State LA’s MPA program and Vanguard University on Human Trafficking. He is the recipient of numerous Secretary’s Awards and community honors, including the 2019 Global Center for Women and Justice Diamond Award.

• Holly Austin Gibbs, System Director Human Trafficking Response Program, CommonSpirit Health

Holly Austin Gibbs is the System Director of the CommonSpirit Health Human Trafficking Response Program. Holly oversees efforts to implement policies, procedures, and education that assists providers in identifying patients who may be impacted by human trafficking and in offering trauma-informed services. In 2014, Holly released a book titled Walking Prey: How America’s Youth are Vulnerable to Sex Slavery; and in 2019, she received the Sister Concilia Moran Award from the Catholic Health Association. As a survivor of child sex trafficking, Holly has testified before Congress and consulted for organizations including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and the AMBER Alert program.

• Polly Hanson, Senior Director, Security, Risk and Emergency Management, American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

Polly Hanson coordinates with APTA stakeholders to develop transit security, risk and emergency management standards and policies. She serves as the Vice-chair of the TSA Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee. Previously Ms. Hanson was the Chief of Police for AMTRAK, where she led a national police department responsible for protecting over 30 million passengers and 20,000 employees. Additionally, as the Chief of the Metro Transit Police in D.C., she led a tristate police department and directed the response to the terrorist attacks in Madrid and London. She received WMATA’s Carmen E. Turner Award, and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) named Ms. Hanson a “Woman Who Moves the Nation.” Ms. Hanson is a member of the Operation Lifesaver, Inc Board of Directors.

• Elizabeth Jespersen, Manager, Organizational & Human Capital Development, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)

Elizabeth Jespersen has spent over 30 years in both the public and private sector of Transportation. As VTA’s Manager of Organizational and Human Capital Development, Elizabeth is responsible for all employee training and development programs. She previously served as the Supervisor of Organizational Development and Training. Elizabeth was deeply involved with Diversity and Inclusion initiatives including serving on VTA’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Committee and leading VTA’s Discover Opportunities in Transit grant partnership with the Federal Transit Authority. With the Director of Policy and Compliance, Elizabeth manages the Not On Transit Grant, which will provide federal dollars towards eliminating human trafficking in and around the VTA system.

• Dr. Kezban Yagci Sokat, Research Associate, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

Dr. Yagci Sokat is an Assistant Professor of Business Analytics at San José State University and a Research Associate at the Mineta Transportation Institute with a passion for using analytics to alleviate human suffering in the areas of public health, humanitarian logistics, and human trafficking. Supported by the United States Department of Transportation, IBM, Valley Transportation Authority and San José State University, she has led various multi-disciplinary anti-trafficking projects and has served on several local anti-trafficking committees. She received her PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences from Northwestern University and holds master’s degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology with a Fulbright scholarship.

Freight represents about 30% of transportation climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, but many local climate action plans and freight plans put little emphasis on freight emissions reduction strategies. Routes to Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Freight Transportation in the City of San José presents strategies for the City of San José to reduce GHG emissions from freight. While this study focused on GHG emissions from freight in a single city, the lessons gleaned from this case can be applied broadly to other cities and regions. Communities seeking to meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions must focus on emissions from freight as a major contributor. By managing freight demand, utilizing low emissions modes, focusing on the last mile, and other critical objectives, we can reduce the negative impacts transportation emissions have on human and environmental health.

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About the Presenter

Dr. Serena E. Alexander is an MTI Research Associate and Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning and Director of Urban Online at San José State University. She is currently establishing the American Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) and Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) collaboration platform to serve as a repository of best practices of climate action planning across the globe. She currently serves as Visiting Scholar at USDOT Climate Change Center.

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CM Credit Certificate

PDH Certificate

The Spatial Analytics and Visualization Institute (SAVi) at San Jose State University celebrated National GIS Day 2022 on November 16, 2022, 5:15p.m.-8:00p.m., with a student poster competition at SJSU Student Union Room 4A.

The student poster competition, co-sponsored by SAVi and Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), received submissions from SJSU and the broader GIS community in the Bay Area. Posters focused on using GIS for transportation and environmental applications, including theory and practice of GIS and remote sensing, landscape design and urban planning, economic and mobility spatial analysis, transportation planning and design. 

2022 SJSU GIS Day Poster Presentation Competition

*MTI was a proud co-sponsor of the 2022 SJSU GIS Day Poster Competition

1st Place Winner 

2nd Place Winners 

3rd Place Winners 

The central theme for the symposium was “translating transit research into practice.” As the transit industry is poised to take advantage of the largest transit and rail investment in our lifetimes, the symposium will be 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. In addition to discussions on transit research and practice in the US, a group of international speakers were invited to share transit insights from non-US contexts. The Symposium focused on the following topics:

• Zero-fare transit
• Fare collection and payment options
• Electrification and zero emissions
• Transit resiliency
• Public health and transit
• Mobility hubs and multimodal coordination
• Strategic funding for public transit
• Managing costs and maintenance

The Symposium took October 25-27, 2022 online, but attendees were able to attend in Gainesville, Florida at the University of Florida campus for in-person site visits in Gainesville and Jacksonville as well as network with other transit researchers and professionals.

The Symposium was convened by a partnership between APTA, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), University of Florida Transportation Institute, and the T-SCORE University Transportation Center. 

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

Nonprofits in Oakland are planting trees to help with carbon sequestration to address climate change with the help of blockchain technology—a system in which a record of transactions are maintained across several computers linked in a peer-to-peer network. Blockchain provides an effective mechanism to codify process steps, enables any qualified individual or entity to easily participate in the delivery of those services, removes the need for single entity contracts, and also effectively tracks execution of those services. The process of selecting trees, getting permits to plant those trees in the right spot, planting the trees, and verification of proper planting all happen on the blockchain, and because activity is broken down and managed at discrete transaction level, anyone can participate in the effort as long as they follow the rules set out in the blockchain. This expert research investigates and develops specifications for using blockchain and distributed organizations to enable decentralized delivery and finance of urban infrastructure and the potentials of blockchain to empower everyone to improve transportation systems and their communities. Webinar also included Q&A with the project authors.

CM Credit Certificate.

PDH Credit Certificate.

View Recording.

View Slides.

From self-driving cars to RoboTaxis and autonomous food delivery - this event explored the latest trends in Silicon Valley & Germany.

Since the first autonomous car was invented, the technology of autonomous vehicles has advanced significantly. Fully autonomous vehicles are just around the corner. Thus, many inventive minds are already thinking about how to bring more innovative technologies and applications to the industry and the consumer.

Autonomous driving is about to disrupt multiple key industries and will impact the lives of consumers immensely. What will the next steps look like? What are the challenges of the expansion of autonomous technology and are there limits? How will autonomous driving shape our lives moving forward? 

Core questions we discussed at the event:

• In what ways can the autonomous driving industry expand?
• What are the newest developments in the industry?
• How can the Silicon Valley software and the German automotive expertise jointly improve the industry?
• How can society benefit from autonomous vehicles?

Benefit from various use cases and opportunities:

• Attendees learned about the latest industry insights from our panel participants
• Attendees learned about potential collaboration opportunities
• Attendees explored the newest pilot projects in the autonomous driving industry

*MTI was a proud partner of this event

MTI was a part of the U.S. Committee hosting ILCAD 2022 in Denver, CO June 8 – 10. This year’s event was co-organized by International Union of Railways (UIC), Association of American Railroads (AAR), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI).

The themes of the 2022 conference were:

• Technology – What technologies could help to educate people, raise awareness, and ultimately prevent incidents at level/grade crossings?
• Enforcement/Regulations – joint initiatives of the railways with local authorities and law enforcement agencies to encourage people to respect the rail-highway interface.
• Community outreach – What are the best means of making people aware of the safety risks at crossings?

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

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.

The Synopsys Outreach Foundation launched their 23rd annual sciencepalooza! event, serving the East Side Union High School District. With all of the challenges our schools, students, teachers, and families have endured over the past two years, it's time to have some fun with: All things STEM! We want to celebrate what students have learned and give them opportunities to see STEM at work and as a career path ahead for them! This event was a full day, hands on event and not your traditional science fair. The goal was to create a festive, fun atmosphere for students to enjoy!

MTI was a proud sponsor of this event as well as sponsoring the Mineta Best Innovative Transportation Award!

Whether you bike to work, school, shops, parks, libraries, or just wherever, biking is good for you and our environment. Bicycling is one of the biggest ways you can reduce Climate Change as well as improve your health! COVID-19 caused many more people to bike around to exercise, have fun, and get wherever they need to go. During the month of May, SVBC organized a series of fun, family-friendly events to keep the momentum rolling and celebrate biking! 

We want as many people as possible to get in the habit of bicycling for transportation rather than driving a car. Did you know that it’s possible to move more stuff using your bike than most people can fit in a car? Check out Carrying Things by Bike. And did you know if you choose to bike rather than drive you can save 1 million dollars?  

Major Bike Month Events

• April 26 - Basic Bike Maintenance - 

• May 1 - Bike Month kicks off with Viva Calle SJ!

• May 3 - Biking Basics

• May 5 - Smart Cycling Part 1 Classroom (English) 

• Mayo 14, 2022 - Ciclismo Inteligente Parte 1 (Español) 

• May 14 - Volunteer: BTWD Bag Stuffing in Santa Clara County & San Mateo County

• May 16 - Volunteer: BTWD Bag Distribution to Energizer Stations in Santa Clara County & San Mateo County

• May 17 - Basic Bike Maintenance

• May 20, 21, 22 - Bike to Wherever Days! 

• May 27 - Bike Bashes

• May 28 - Smart Cycling Part 2 On Bike (English & Spanish) 

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

This year we focused the discussion around racial equity in the field of transportation planning. This event aimed to give attendees a better understanding of some of the problems that minority communities face in transportation and mobility and some of the ways that these issues can be addressed through the planning process.

Our keynote speaker was Tamika Butler, who kicked off our discussion with a short presentation about their work in the field of transportation followed by a brief Q&A session.

Following the keynote speaker, we had a short discussion with our panel of experts including:

• Natasha Araceli Opfell
• Clarrissa Cabansagan
• Ramses Madou
• April Rai
• Kimberly Slaughter

View Recording.

The Mineta Transportation Institute, in partnership with SPUR and researchers at Arizona State University, created a parking census of the Bay Area has revealed the true enormity of land that we dedicate to our cars: 15 million spaces spread across the region’s nine counties. To coincide with the launch of this census we’re also releasing the database that was used as the backbone for our research. This innovative, publicly-available tool can serve as an important asset to help policymakers and planners throughout the Bay Area make more strategic decisions about parking. But such a tool is only useful if you know what to do with it. This interactive workshop taught us the data-rich index of the region’s parking surfeit can be wielded to inform policy changes, both big and small, in your own city.

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

View Recording.

How are high tech employees returning to work? Maybe by bike. Google employees borrowed high quality electric- assisted and conventional bicycles for free, for up to six months. MTI researchers discussed their recent evaluation of this transportation demand management program in this webinar.

The lending program at Google represents one of the largest employer-sponsored bike and e-bike lending programs in North America with over 1,000 bikes in its inventory. More individuals and agencies have shown interest in e-bike rebates and in the role of public policy in the shift from four wheels to two. This evaluation is a critical first step toward understanding the potential for bike lending as a strategy in North American suburban contexts. 

CM Credit Certificate.

PDH Credit Certificate.

View Recording.

View Slides.

How can the transportation industry approach issues of diversity and accessibility in the workforce, in transit riders, and in the community? How can we overcome historic and current injustices both by taking action now and by laying the groundwork for further transformation down the road? By shifting from broader conversations on equity to timely, focused discussions and hands-on planning, our industry can begin to understand and address the needs of community members of all ages, races, genders, and abilities. This Black History Month, MTI and a panel of experts to discussed transforming racial inequity in the transportation industry. We reflected on some of the most pressing issues of equity in our nation and industry today, and contributed to the discussion about how to address these issues.

View Recording.

View Slides.

Traffic fatalities, which are on the rise, leave pedestrians and bicyclists highly vulnerable. Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered systems that monitor and manage traffic flow can significantly improve safety for everyone. Until recently, there was no effective automated system for monitoring the movement of vulnerable road users. MTI funded research contributed to the development and implementation of  an accurate, real-time, and automatic system based on Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision to monitor, detect, track, count, and manage traffic elements like pedestrians, bicyclists, cars, and more. This cost-effective system does NOT require installing new cameras. Instead, the system has been trained on videos captured from existing traffic cameras in Los Angeles. The results demonstrate more than 97% accuracy in pedestrian counting. We have presented the system’s features and capabilities in this webinar.

Human trafficking—a form of modern slavery—is the recruitment, transport, or transfer of persons using force, fraud, or coercion to exploit them for acts of labor or sex. According to the International Labor Organization, human trafficking is the fastest growing organized crime with approximately $150B in annual profits and 40.3M individuals trapped in slave-like conditions. 

The transportation industry plays a critical role in combating human trafficking as traffickers often rely on the transportation system to recruit, move, or transfer victims of human trafficking for either sex or forced labor. Additionally, transportation is used to move goods produced by forced and trafficked labor. 

This webinar shared the state-of-the-art efforts being used to combat this issue in the United States, including the role of transportation in facilitating effective prevention programs and increasing victim identification. It informed ongoing efforts on legislation, key initiatives, collaboration, data collection, and research on transportation.

PDH Credit Certificate.

View Recording.

View Slides.

One of the greatest advantages of autonomous vehicle technology is its potential to empower people to achieve mobility. This technology has significant potential to empower Americans with disabilities to move from A to B in ways previously unheard of. However, the realization of this potential depends on many stakeholders and potential obstacles. Vehicle manufactures, policy- makers, and state agencies all collaborate to accommodate the needs of disabled individuals at different stages of travel, through information system design, vehicle design, and infrastructure design. Integrating accessibility at this stage of the AV revolution would allow an opportunity to develop a transportation system that treats accessibility as a guiding principle, not as an afterthought. ADA regulations, along with universal design principles and assistive technologies, can maximize accessibility for all. We explored how through improved collaboration and adoption of best practices, the industry can learn to address the needs of individuals with disabilities.

PDH Credit Certificate. 

View Recording.

View Slides.

Automotive companies are constantly striving to enhance their vehicles to minimize and ultimately eliminate driver errors and enhance safety. Various advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated features are designed to warn, and in some cases, take over certain driving maneuvers. These systems are part of vehicles with driver assist technology, which are vital for the successful deployment of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) in the near future. What are these features? How do they work? How does a driver’s behavior vary when driving a vehicle with ADAS or automated features in rural, urban, and freeway driving scenarios? This webinar explored these questions based on research from evaluating drivers’ behavioral response to scenarios when driving vehicles with and without features like lane departure warning (LDW), blind spot warning (BSW), over speed warning (OSW), lane keep assist (LKA), and adaptive cruise control (acc).

View Recording.

View Slides.

MTI is partnered with the SJSU Department of Urban Planning, Communivercity, and Veggielution on this community-based project. In order to gain broad participation in a downtown community survey exploring the habits of Downtown San Jose residents and the new SoFA Pocket Park, MTI co-hosted three outreach events, including two geared towards K-12 participants. 

MTI is proudly co-sponsored Mobility 21's 2021 Summit "Road to Recovery." Mobility 21 is a coalition that brings together public, business and community stakeholders to pursue regional solutions to the transportation challenges facing Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. 

In this year's summit, speakers tackled such topics as:

• California's Global Ports & Supply Chains
• Carbon Neutrality
• Employees Commutes
• Transportation Advocacy
• Equity 
• Contractors
• Housing

The City of San Jose considered reducing the regulations it placed on parking to allow development to occur more easily. On August 27th, the City Council held a study session on this. What would these changes mean? Could they be beneficial for San Jose? How will they impact the next generation of San Joseans? Catalyze SV & Mineta Transportation Institute held a dynamic panel bringing together Professor C.J. Gabbe of Santa Clara University and his Environmental Studies and Sciences students.

*MTI was a proud co-sponsor to this informative event.

View Recording.

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.

View Recording.

View Slides.

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.

View Recording.

View Slides.

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 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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

View Recording.

View Slides. 

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.

View Recording.

View Slides. 

In the unprecedented times of COVID-19 and social distancing the class of 2020 persevered. The MTI/SJSU community gathered to recognize and celebrate the graduating students in a virtual session.

E-program. | Congratulations from our trustees. | View recording.| View Slides.

​Much like Garrett Augstus Morgan, who, despite his humble beginnings as the son of slaves, recognized the importance of education, ideation, and entrepreneurship, we too are living in a time of great innovation. Most recently in light of the COVID-19 global pandemic, we’ve seen businesses adapt to ensure the safety of their employees and communities. Most significantly we’ve seen individuals and whole communities rally behind essential workers like nurses, service industry workers, and transit workers to ensure that they can continue to provide those critical services and keep all of us moving. And that is what we do in transportation: keep things moving. Regardless of this pandemic our  industry is always teeming with new ideas focused on sustainability, traffic reduction, active transit, and others. And that’s where this competition comes into play by highlighting the significant creativity and innovation of these incredible students who put together projects despite the challenges associated with their schools closing as a result of COVID-19. 

Congratulations to the winners: 

• In 3rd place and the winners of an official award plaque and $200 is American Indian Child Resource Center for their project ‘Day and Night,’ which looks into hybrid electric and solar charging stations for devices and double as light sources around transit stations! Congratulations!
• In 2nd place and the winners of an official award plaque and $300 is Aptos Middle School for their project ‘Eco Drive,’ which proposes a bioethanol powered car with CO2 absorbing components. Congratulations!
• Finally, in 1st place and the winners of $1,000 cash prize, a plaque, and a special recognition from our Trustees (drumroll) is California Montessori Project- Capitol Campus for their project ‘Fast. Easy. Smart: A Sustainable AV Plan for Cities,’ which proposes a system for the deployment of autonomous vehicles that meets societal needs as well as safety and environmental concerns. 

[In light of recommendations regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the event has been postponed.]

Martin Luther King Jr. Library room 225 | 10:30a.m. - 4:30p.m. | AICP CM Credits: 4.0 (pending)

“Redefining the American Dream: Silicon Valley’s Housing Crisis” will brought together planning professionals, experts and advocates to shed light on the housing challenges facing our region and explored potential solutions. The presentation will be focused on four areas:

HOUSING FOR BETTER HEALTH

A dialogue amongst health professionals, policymakers and advocates on the linkage between the lack of affordable housing and increasing public health concerns.

MISSING MIDDLE: ADUs, JDUs, MICROUNITS

A discussion on how new laws will help integrate diverse housing choices and density into residential zoning districts.

BIG TECH, DISPLACEMENT & GENTRIFICATION

Addressing big tech’s housing pledges and their role in displacement and gentrification in Silicon Valley.

HOMELESS & HUNGRY @ SJSU

Bringing awareness to the lives of the homeless student and faculty population at SJSU.

• Breakfast & Registration begins at 10:30am

• Panels start at 11:00am

• Lunch will be provided

• AICP | CM 4.0 Credits (Pending)

[In light of recommendations regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the conference was postponed until further notice.]

In light of recommendations from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the summit was postponed until further notice.

Women from all different backgrounds and walks of life gathered to discuss "What's Next?" 

This half-day confrence tackled difficult and important subjects such as:

1. State of Women's Health
2. Reproductive Rights and Justice
3. Ending Violence Against Women
4. Relationship Between Women and Homelessness
5. Navigating Demands of Career and Caregiving
6. Mentorship: Building the Pipeline
7. Gun Safety Regulation
8. Men and Women: Lean in or Out
9. Climate Action and Environmental Policy
10. Youth Panel: Mental Health, Vaping Epidemic and Sexual Assault
11. Confronting Women's Workplace Challenges
12. A lunch plenary session on Leadership: Step Up, Step Forward, and Stand Out

Get empowered, engaged and take action on issues affecting our communities.

This year’s fair moved into the fifth world of creation, or the glittering world, and feature the work of Native youth throughout the region with the 3rd Annual Innoventure Product Challenge. The Innoventure Product Challenge (see far right) is an annual competition that tasks regional middle and high school students with designing a 3D printed product and developing a business model in introducing it to the public. The competition is expected to provide a glimpse into what making will look like for Navajo people in the future, while providing an outlet for the youth to feature their work. 

In light of recommendations from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Pathways to Climate Smart Careers event was cancelled.

The purpose of this webinar is to introduce university researchers to two new and growing datasets at the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The two datasets that will be covered on the webinar are described below:

• Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR): Includes information about the entire pipeline of development in each locality (i.e., development applications, approved entitlements, building permits issued and certificates of occupancy). This dataset also includes project identifiers (e.g., APNs, address), projected household income levels that will be served, and number of units in the developments. The presenter will review the new APR form (attached to this email). For more information about the Housing Element APR, please visit the Regional Housing Needs Allocation and Housing Elements webpage and click on the “Annual Progress Reports” located in the middle of the page.

• Housing Element Site Inventory: The HCD is working on a more structured format to collect information from cities and counties. This format will allow cities and counties to consistently report location and projected density of parcels that are included in their Housing Element to accommodate their share of the Regional housing needs allocation.

View Recording.

When a disaster devastates a community, housing is one of the assets that are damaged or destroyed. Dr. Frannie Edwards and her colleagues have researched the impact of the loss of housing and the challenges of restoring housing for the long-term recovery of a community. Using examples from Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, and Maria and earthquakes in Haiti, Turkey and India, their research demonstrates how communities struggle to recover, and what best practices lead to community long-term recovery. They addressed the issue of living with risk, and the financial options for dealing with it, including insurance, which may be a license to dare.

Presented by the SJSU Lucas College of Business

Transportation is key for older adults to thrive and mobility access is limited without a car. How can we retrofit our communities for better options for the non-driver? Professor Sandra Rosenbloom, Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin shared her research as the keynote speaker.

Twice a year, the Seniors’ Agenda Network Summit brings together nearly 200 professional, aging advocates, and elected officials to actively engage in meaningful learning to strengthen our community for older adults. Age-friendly efforts are highlighted, and new resources are shared.

In addition to the keynote speaker – there was a panel on “Transportation Trends and Options for Older Adults” moderated by Nuria Fernandez, VTA General Manager.

Panelist Included:

• Tylor Taylor, Exec. Dir. of Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council (SASSC) and the R.Y.D.E volunteer driver program
• Nikita Sinha, CAWalks
• Jesse Minz-Roth, San Jose Vision Zero
• Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Mineta Institute of Transportation SJSU

MTI Research Associates and affiliated researchers presented at the 99th annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board. This event attracted more than 13,000 transportation professionals from around the world. 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 2020 meeting: A Century of Progress: Foundation for the Future.

Led by Chair Abbas Mohaddes, President & COO Econolite Group Inc., the board held its Winter meeting to discuss the success of the previous year and desired growth for the next. 

MTI headed to Bochrodt Elementary to discuss careers in transportation, train and rail safety, and an introduction to bridge building with second graders! 

Over 20 variations of podcar systems are being deployed today, offering cost-effective ways to enhance transit and help meet the challenges of urban congestion, environmental concerns and mobility for all. Larger players, such as Ericsson communication systems, NASA, Google, Amazon and a series of strong IT companies in Silicon Valley are getting involved, boosting the acceleration of automated transit forward. 

Podcar City 2019 focused on cities and their urgent need on making a reality of new modes of public, automated transportation through technology, planning and business opportunities. 

MTI excitedly participated in the 2nd Annual STEAM Fair for a day of discovery, learning, and reaching for the beyond! The STEAM Fair is a whole day dedicated to having fun exploring the wonders of STEAM and hopefully spark an interest in youth to pursue a career in a field they never considered before.
 

The LIT Inaugural Leadership Summit welcomed the nation's top Latino transit leaders to discuss career advancement for mid-level managers seeking to grow in their industry.

Supervisor Cindy Chavez, SJSU's Mineta Transportation Institute, and a community of female leaders and allies came together for another powerful Summit to address and challenge high need issues in our County. Attendees learned and engaged on new ideas and initiatives, built relationships with policy makers, were empowered at the Lunch and Mentor Session, and connected with local nonprofits and agencies at the Resource fair.

• The Intersection of Housing and Transportation
• Social Equity and Advocacy
• Women's Initiatives
• Leadership 101: Be an Effective Leader
• Immigration: Keeping Families Together and Initiatives to Support our Immigrant Communities

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. California Montessori Project Capitol Campus was declared this year's winning team in the Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition, and Lorena Bernal-Vidal was honored with the MSTM  Student of the Year among other celebratory events.

Images courtesy of Robert Bain and Irma Garcia.

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for making this event possible!

Prospect Silicon Valley’s Innovation and Impact Symposium focused on emerging technologies in advanced mobility, energy and the built environment. This year’s event highlighted the accomplishments and progress surrounding innovation, specifically the impact of transforming California with clean technology. The region’s leaders from the startup, corporate, public and research communities gathered to examine what it takes to integrate and implement solutions for maximum impact. 
 

Garrett Augustus Morgan (1877-1963) was one of seven children born in Kentucky to former slaves. After enduring the challenges of farming in the South and having to quit school to earn a living at the age of 14, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. While working as a handyman in Ohio, Morgan hired a tutor to continue his education, influencing him to open his own business as a clothing manufacturer and start a successful newspaper. Garrett Morgan's innovative drive led him to obtain many patents, but one of his most prominent inventions, the three-way traffic signal, was designed to make roads safer for everyone, but especially pedestrians. It is not only for his inventions, but for his innovative spirit and determination for continued education in the face of adversity that MTI is proud to honor this trailblazer through the Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition. 

This year From the Heart Christian School, Juan Crespi Middle School, Toddy Thomas Middle School, MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate School, California Montessori Project- Capitol Campus, Sutter Middle School, Hazelton Middle School, and Crownpoint Middle School schools registered to compete. This year's winners demonstrated that the future is in good hands with California Montessori taking first place and MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate and Sutter Middle School took 2nd and 3rd respectively. 

Description

The International Chinese Transportation Professionals Association (ICTPA)  hosted its 32nd Annual Conference May 16-19, 2019, in San Jose, California, the heart of Silicon Valley, known worldwide for consumer and transportation technology development. ICTPA’s conference is recognized as the leading U.S.-to-Asia platform for information exchange, networking opportunities and business development. It is the top venue to present new findings and learn about the latest technical information in transportation. Detailed conference information is at: http://www.ictpa.org

Conference Topics

In keeping with the Silicon Valley location, this year’s conference theme is “Innovation in Transportation" with the following topics:​
(1) Transportation Planning and System Development: including but not limited to modeling, simulation, policy, pilots, impacts of MaaS, AV, CV, micr.mobility​, etc.
(2) Transportation Infrastructure: including but not limited to infrastructure design, complete streets/active transportation, V2X, SPaT, fleet electrification​, EV charging, etc.
(3) Transportation System Operations & Maintenance: including but not limited to ridehailing, integrated fare payment, traffic safety, vulnerable road users, ADAS, microtransit​, etc.
(4) Other Related Transportation Topics

Conference Schedule

Day 1: Technical Tour (1-5 pm) and Dinner, May 16, 2019 
Day 2: Opening Ceremony and Whole Day Conference (8:30 am-5 pm) and Dinner, May 17, 2019 
Day 3: Whole Day Conference (8:30 am-3 pm) and ICTPA Board Meeting, May 18, 2019 
Day 4: Post-Conference Visit, Optional, May 19, 2019

San Jose State’s Urban Planning Coalition presented their 2019 annual spring symposium. This year’s topic focused on personal transportation devices (PTDs).
 

In partnership with California's Community Cycles, elementary school sudents were taught the basics of bike mechanics and repair. 

• Air! Students learned to repair or replace a bike tire.
• Brakes! Students learned how to check their brakes, grease them, and replace brake pads.
• Chains! Students learned to identify issues with their chain and how to grease, tighten, or replace it.

"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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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

​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.

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.

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. 

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

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) 

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

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

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.

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. 

MTI's Director of Research and Technology Transfer presented on careers in transportation to Grade 2 students at Bench Elementary School.

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 

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:

1. 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)

2. 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)

3. 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

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.

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.

The Mineta Transportation Institute held its winter board meeting in Washington DC. Chair Grace Crunican, General Manager of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), presided.

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.

The 7th Annual Silicon Valley Bike Summit was the Bay Area’s largest gathering of active transportation leaders and organizers from government, law enforcement, non-profit, and the public. This year’s keynote speaker was Tamika Butler, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust and former Executive Director of Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC). Tamika discussed LACBC’s work on Vision Zero, law enforcement, and creating safe bicycling for the diverse population of LA. The Bike Summit also had sessions on Safe Routes to Schools, protected bike lanes, Bikes + Transit, planning low-stress bike networks, and bicycling encouragement programs. MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.

The Mineta Transportation Institute held its summer board meeting in San Jose CA. Chair Nuria Fernandez, CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, presided.

The Innovation & Impact Symposium featured the latest developments in Energy, Mobility and the Built Environment. The region’s leaders from the startup, corporate, public and research communities discussed what it will take to implement these ideas for maximum impact. With a Keynote Presentation by Steve Westly, and featuring speakers from Tesla, Microsoft, Integral Group, Navigant Research, and SoCal Edison, the event connected participants to like-minded visionaries! MTI proudly co-sponsored this symposium.

Worldwide the Netherlands has the highest bicycle use and provides the widest range of cycling know-how, products and infrastructure. With over 40 years of experience in bicycle policy and practical bicycle solutions, experts from the Dutch Cycling Embassy discussed bicycling in the context urban mobility, road safety and emission reductions, social inclusion, and health. The event was held at San Jose State University. MTI proudly co-sponsored this bilateral exchange.

MTI partnered with the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center to provide a tour of the Spartan Superway Automated Transportation Network Facility at San Jose State University.

The inaugural Women in Leadership League Conference at San Jose State University brought together top women leaders, alumni, and students from all disciplines. The conference provided a mix of keynote addresses and small group discussions, providing participants with inspirational experiences as well as practical advice and strategies from successful women leaders. MTI proudly co-sponsored this event.