Research Centers

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Research Centers

The Mineta Transportation Institute directs several research centers focused on key transportation-related research.


NTFC

National Transportation Finance Center (NTFC)

The NTFC funds research in cutting-edge practices in surface transportation finance and disseminates the results widely to aid policy makers. NTFC emphasizes research into “smart” finance options – revenue and finance tools that not only raise needed transportation revenues but also promote social goals, such as environmentally sustainable transportation systems, congestion management, and social equity.

In recognition of the critical role that transportation finance plays in transportation policy making, the Mineta Transportation Institute established MTI’s National Transportation Finance Center (NTFC). The NTFC funds research in cutting-edge practices in surface transportation finance and disseminates the results widely to aid policy makers.

NTFC emphasizes research into “smart” finance options – revenue and finance tools that not only raise needed transportation revenues but also promote social goals, such as environmentally sustainable transportation systems, congestion management, and social equity.

NTFC Research

 


NTSC

Allied Telesis National Transportation Security Center (NTSC)

Our nation’s transportation systems, infrastructure, and skilled professionals are vital resources to ensure the safe and secure movement of people and goods, resources which are critical to our nation’s economic and social prosperity. MTI established its National Transportation Security Center (NTSC) in 1996. NTSC maintains a Database on Terrorist and Serious Criminal Attacks against public surface transportation, supported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Public surface transportation – passenger trains and train stations, freight trains, buses and bus stations and stops, and highway and railway infrastructure – are important targets for terrorists and serious criminals. For many terrorist groups, and for jihadist terrorists in particular, passenger train and bus targets, in particular, have been and remain killing fields. But protecting these targets present challenges. To move large masses of people rapidly, the system must be open, with multiple access points. It is, therefore, different than commercial aviation, which has long been based on queues, and can utilize screening and searching of individual travelers. These are challenges that require that transportation regulators and operators understand the trend of attacks. Which targets are attacked most often, with which weapons, and in which countries? Which types of attacks are most lethal in terms of average and median deaths and injuries per attack? The Mineta Transportation Institute’s Allied Telesis National Transportation Security Center is a key player in helping governmental authorities and private operators answer these questions, identify trends, and work to reduce security risks. MTI maintains an internationally unique database, and uses it to perform trend analyses.

Database and Research Activities

MTI maintains a database of all terrorist and serious criminal attacks against public surface transportation from January 1, 1970 until today. MTI’s experts identify trends in any number of factors; in addition to the obvious – the date, the location, and the perpetrator -- any set of attacks can be examined by the type of target (75+ target types), the type of weapon used (55+ attack methods), the method of concealing and placing bombs (45+ different methods), and by the outcome of the explosive – whether it detonated on target, or failed to detonate, or was rendered safe, or any combination of these and other factors. MTI can also determine how many attacks were stopped and how many devices were found, and by whom.

The research for MTI’s database started in 1996. Beginning in 2008, data was housed in increasingly sophisticated and powerful platforms. Beginning in 2011, under contract with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and then with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), it included a web-accessible version for TSA’s Office of Intelligence. The database is updated semi-monthly. It utilizes all past publicly available reporting systems as well as open source reporting. It is an internationally unique single source of data designed specifically for public surface transportation regulators and operators.

MTI's experts conduct a wide range of research and trend analysis based on the database. These include formal research reports and shorter security perspectives. MTI participates in number of security symposia and summits to present on this research. Our experts provide Congressional testimony and consult with government officials. In addition, MTI is able to provide specific analyses to individual transportation operators through consulting agreements.

NTSC Research

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CSUTC
MCEEST
MCTM
NTFC
NTSC

Contact Us

SJSU Research Foundation   210 N. 4th Street, 4th Floor, San Jose, CA 95112    Phone: 408-924-7560   Email: mineta-institute@sjsu.edu