UNLV Transit UTC Is Presenting Three Studies at the Fall Transportation Conference, Las Vegas, October 11-12

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) will present three studies supported by the Mineta National Transit Research Consortium (MNTRC) at the 20th Annual Fall Transportation Conference in Las Vegas from October 10-11. With his study, Hualiang (Harry) Teng, PhD, will present a research project, High Speed Rail Station Multimodal Connectivity in France, and will relate the information to the high-speed rail station proposed for Las Vegas. This station will be the end point for the planned XpressWest, an approximately 185- mile high-speed rail route connecting the city with Victorville CA.

During the same session, Mohamed Kaseko, PhD, and his student will present the results recently obtained from their research project, Enhancing Transit Service in Rural Areas and Native American Tribal Communities. In addition, a high school student at Ed W. Clark High School, Henry Teng, mentored by Dr. Kaseko, will present “A Student Analysis of the Benefits of High Speed Trains as Reflected from Popular Cinematic Works.” This study provides historical perspectives on the impacts of high-speed rail based on several popular movies they collected. Mr. Teng believes that the positive impacts of high-speed rail must be conveyed to the US, especially during this time when interest is high.

Drs. Teng and Kaseko are associate professors affiliated with the Nevada University Transportation Center (NUTC) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. NUTC is a partner with the MNTRC at San Jose (Calif.) State University.

“Recently, there was a meeting at the Regional Transportation Commission, our local metropolitan planning organization, where representatives from XpressWest presented their outlook,” said Dr. Teng. “This triggered the discussions about building a multimodal terminal that integrated all the transportation modes, including transit, with the proposed high-speed rail station. Our research project is addressing that issue, which is critical for Nevada.”

The Fall Transportation Conference is organized by three professional organizations: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in Nevada. Typically, the conference attracts up to 200 attendees, including industry and governmental professionals, as well as university students and faculty. The event also features a product showcase.

ABOUT THE NEVADA UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTER (NUTC)

NUTC is a nationally recognized center of excellence for research in planning, operations and management of sustainable transportation systems in rapidly growing urban areas. The center serves as a vital source of knowledge and training for leaders and professionals who are prepared to meet the nation’s need for the safe, secure, and efficient movement of people and goods. For information, go to http://nutc.unlv.edu/

ABOUT THE MINETA NATIONAL TRANSIT RESEARCH CONSORTIUM

The Mineta National Transit Research Consortium (MNTRC) conducts research, education, and information and technology transfer, focusing on transportation policy, technology, and management issues, especially as they relate to transit. MNTRC was established in 2011 as part of SAFETEA-LU legislation authorized by Congress. Six of the Consortium’s nine university transportation centers were originally authorized under ISTEA in 1991, TEA-21 in 1998, and/or SAFETEA-LU in 2006. The MNTRC has been funded by Congress through the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), by individual state departments of transportation, and by other public and private grants and donations. The nine Consortium universities include Bowling Green, Detroit Mercy, Grand Valley, Howard University, Penn State, Rutgers, San Jose State, University of Nevada Las Vegas, and University of Toledo. For information, go to http://transweb.sjsu.edu/mntrc