Past Webinars

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MTI organizes or participates in several transportation-related webinars each year. You can find leading transportation experts at all of these webinars, making them an excellent resource for professional and research insights.

Dates Events
May 8, 2025 Energy Savings & Safety Concerns: The Evolution of Right Turn on Red Policies  -  Online

This MTI Research Snaps webinar was co-sponsored by ITS California.

Right turn on red (RTOR) has been employed as an energy-saving measure around the country since the 1970s, but recent research puts the practice into question. MTI Research Associates Dr. Bruce Appleyard and Dr. Anurag Pande digged into the data and demonstrate why RTOR movements are actually unsafe—for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers—while only marginally useful in lowering emissions. 

Presenters: 

  • Bruce Appleyard, PhD, MTI Research Associate; Professor, San Diego State University
  • Anurag Pande, PhD, MTI Research Associate; Professor, Cal Poly

Moderator: Hilary Nixon, PhD, Deputy Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

 


About the Presenters

Dr. Appleyard is a Professor in City & Regional Planning and Public Administration at San Diego State University (SDSU), with expertise in designing and creating livable streets and facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists, geo-spatial analysis, econometrics, and applied transportation and land use policy analysis. Dr. Appleyard is SDSU's Director of the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and the Active Transportation Research Center. Dr. Appleyard recently authored Livable Streets 2.0 about the conflict, power, and promise of our streets, how to identify problems along streets and at intersections, and how to fix them efficiently and effectively. He has also led several research efforts examining the relationship between the built environment, transportation, land use and safety, and a variety of outcomes related to public health, safety, sustainability, economic vitality, livability, and social behaviors.
 

Dr. Pande is a Professor of Civil Engineering at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). His research interests include traffic simulation, data mining applications, and observational data analysis, including in the areas of traffic safety and crashes, driver behavior, transportation resilience, and emergency evacuation. As the faculty liaison for community-based learning at Cal Poly, he has worked with Cal Poly faculty and local agencies to support projects of mutual benefits. He serves on two Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committees as a member: Safety Data, Analysis, and Evaluation (ANB 20) and Emergency Evacuation (ABR 30). He was recognized with the “Young Researcher Award” by the Safety Data, Analysis, and Evaluation committee in 2007. Dr. Pande has co-authored more than 30 manuscripts that have been either published or are forthcoming in peer-reviewed journals. He has worked on several sponsored projects, including a study on driver behavior funded by the National Science Foundation. He was also one of the invited speakers on “Changes in Traffic Safety Policies and Regulations in 7 Countries (1950– 2010)” at the 2012 International Workshop organized by IATSS (International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences) at the United Nations University in Tokyo. He is the editor of the recently released 7th edition of Traffic Engineering Handbook (TEH), published by ITE (Institute of Transportation Engineers). The TEH has been a widely recognized reference among traffic engineering practitioners since 1941, when the 1st edition of the Handbook was released. Dr. Pande received his B.Tech. in Civil Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in Mumbai (India); and M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from University of Central Florida (UCF). 

May 6, 2025 Reclaiming the Right to Walk: Learning from a Century of Pedestrian Advocacy  -  Online

Over a century ago, the United States experienced a profound re-shaping of street space, from a place for pedestrians to a place for motorized vehicles. Historian Peter Norton and Vision Zero Network Executive Director Leah Shahum shared how the history of the movement for pedestrians rights can inform current policy and advocacy efforts to win back street space for safe and convenient walking.

Guest Speakers:

  • Peter Norton, Associate Professor, Department of Engineering & Society, University of Virginia

  • Leah Shahum, Founder & Director of the Vision Zero Network

Moderator: Dr. Asha Weinstein Agrawal, MTI Research Associate & Education Director

*This webinar was co-sponsored by Vision Zero Network, ITE - San Francisco Bay Area Section, APA - NorCal Chapter, WTS - SF Bay Area Chapter, SJSU History Department, America Walks, and California Walks.

*0.75 CM credit available

View Recording

View PDH Certificate

View Vision Zero Network Slide Deck


About the Speakers

Peter Norton is Associate Professor of History in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia. He is the author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City, and of Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving. He is a walker, a bike rider, and a frequent speaker on the past and future of urban mobility.

Leah Shahum is founder and director of the Vision Zero Network, a nonprofit helping to advance Vision Zero -- safe mobility for all -- in communities across the U.S. As a German Marshall Fund Fellow, Shahum researched Vision Zero strategies in Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. Prior to that, she was the Executive Director of the 10,000-member San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and served as a policymaker on the Boards of Directors of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway & Transportation District.

May 1, 2025 Winner Announcement: 2025 Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition  -  Online

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater and MTI's Executive Director Dr. Karen Philbrick hosted the exciting announcement of the winners of the 2025 Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition.

Each year, MTI honors inventor and trailblazer Garrett Augustus Morgan (1877-1963) through the Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition, first instituted at the U.S. Department of Transportation by this year’s special guest Rodney Slater. 

This year, participating teams were from Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council - Scouting America, Cupertino Middle School, Troop 492 - Cupertino Rotary Club, Elkhorn Elementary School, Graham Middle School/St. Simon Mountain View, Greensboro Middle School, Herman Intermediate School, JLS Middle School, Juan Cabrillo Middle School, Hyde Middle School, KIPP DC Smilow Campus, Major STEM Academy, Peter Hansen Elementary School, The Hamlin School, and William Hopkins Middle School. 

April 30, 2025 Safeguarding Travel: Transportation’s Fight Against Human Trafficking  -  Online

This webinar was co-sponsored by WTS SF Bay Area Chapter and Lucas College and Graduate School of Business.

An estimated 49.6 million individuals are currently trapped by human trafficking, with women and girls making up about 71% of trafficking victims worldwide. Transportation hubs are key locations where trafficking takes place, and it is critical for the transportation industry to understand how traffickers take advantage of weaknesses in networks and who they target in order to stop trafficking and help survivors. Featured speakers shared insights into how traffickers take advantage of transportation networks and discuss potential points for tailored interventions. In this webinar, attendees learned how to support survivors and implement anti-trafficking strategies that will make transportation safer for everyone. 

Featured Speakers: 

Moderator: Hilary Nixon, PhD, Deputy Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

View Recording

View Slide Deck

View PDH Certificate


About the Featured Speakers

  • Evelyn Chumbow, Director of Advocacy & Survivor Leadership, 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.

Christi Wigle is the CEO and Co-founder of United Against Slavery. She has worked on the frontlines of anti-human trafficking work for thirteen years, serving in leadership and survivor advocacy for sex and labor trafficking survivors. Drawing upon two decades of business and product development experience, she created an innovative methodology to perform comprehensive frontline research and data collection, creating a Collaborative Research Model. Christi co-founded United Against Slavery in 2014 as a research organization to identify and document the challenges faced by more than 20 stakeholder groups here in the United States and around the globe.

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.

April 9, 2025 Garrett Morgan Competition Career Night (2025)  -  Online

How will automation and urban technology redefine our cities? What role do engineers play in building sustainable, resilient infrastructure? At the Garrett Morgan Competition Career Night, we explored these questions and more about the future of transportation careers with two experts shaping the industry. Dr. Billy Riggs, professor at the University of San Francisco and director of the Autonomous Vehicles and the City Initiative, discussed his career in automated mobility and transportation innovation. Andrea Mosqueda, a licensed professional engineer, shared her perspective on what it’s like designing roads, bikeways, and drainage systems to meet the challenges of modern cities. 

Guest Speakers:

 

View the Recording.

View the Slide Deck.


About the Speakers

Andrea Mosqueda, PE is a Project Engineer with Ardurra. With over 7 years of experience, she has contributed to and led design efforts for numerous general civil, transportation, stormwater, and structural engineering projects in California including several large-scale public works infrastructure projects. An active member of ASCE, Andrea has advanced the profession through her commitment to professional and community activities including K-12 and college student outreach. Andrea holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University and a M.S. in Civil Engineering with a structural focus from CSULB.

William (Billy) Riggs, PhD is an MTI Research Associate. He is also a professor at the University of San Francisco, and the director of the Autonomous Vehicles and the City Initiative. He is an expert in the fields automated mobility and future transportation, urban technology and sustainable urban development in the face of climate change. He has authored over 100 publications, including the 2022 Mineta Transportation Institute report, Blockchain and Distributed Autonomous Community Ecosystems: Opportunities to Democratize Finance and Delivery of Transport, Housing, Urban Greening and Community Infrastructure. Dr. Riggs is the author of two books, most recently, End of the Road: Reimagining the Street as the Heart of the City, which envision a distributed and sustainable future for our cities.

March 11, 2025 Electrifying Transit: Zero-Emission Buses in the U.S.  -  Online

Major challenges leave agencies and transit bus manufacturers facing uncertainty as the U.S. public transportation sector charges ahead into a zero-emission future. Leah Foecke and Zachary Karson of global infrastructure advisory firm Rebel Group and authors of a recent MTI publication explored obstacles and insights in the US transit bus market. The discussion focused on key industry dynamics, financial challenges with zero-emission bus (ZEB) acquisition, technological barriers in deployment, and regulatory issues. 

Presenters: 

  • Leah Foecke, MS, MTI Researcher & Manager, Rebel Group
  • Zachary Karson, MS, MTI Researcher & Manager, Rebel Group

Moderator: Karen Philbrick, PhD, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

View Recording.

View PDH Credit.

View Presentation Slides.


About the Presenters

MTI Researcher; Manager, Rebel Group

Leah is a Manager at Rebel with over seven years of experience as an economic consultant and policy advisor. She brings experience advising clients at the national, state, and local level, with particular expertise in transit and transportation, zero-emission transition, and public-private infrastructure delivery. Prior to Rebel, Leah provided economic analysis, strategic advisory services, and monitoring and evaluation support to public and private sector clients as an economic consultant and held fellowships focused on climate and infrastructure with the City of Boston and the State of Massachusetts. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Public Policy and a bachelor’s degree in economics and biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

MTI Researcher; Manager, Rebel Group

Zachary is a Manager at Rebel with experience advising both public and private clients on infrastructure projects and transactions in various sectors, including mass transit and mobility, renewable energy, broadband, water, and wastewater. Zachary focuses on financial analysis, risk analysis, procurement support, and assisting clients with key commercial and financial decisions. Zachary is also a registered Series 50 municipal financial advisor. Before working at Rebel, Zachary worked for various public and private organizations in the renewable energy sector. He holds a master’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in business administration from New York University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from Kenyon College.

March 5, 2025 Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail  -  Online

On the Right Track: The Transformative Potential of Rail

Discover the secrets behind over 50 years of global high-speed rail innovation in MTI’s newest webinar series! Explore station planning, station design development best practices, and groundbreaking projects from France, Germany, and Spain, featuring actionable insights from expert speakers. Join us as we explore how international high-speed rail success can guide U.S. professionals to shape the future of transit in our communities.

This webinar series is co-sponsored by APTA High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Committee, California High-Speed Rail Authority, High Speed Rail Alliance, and US High Speed Rail Association.

Webinars include:

  • Webinar #1 | December 11, 2024 | The French Case: Stations as City Boosters
  • Webinar #2 | January 15, 2025 | The Spanish Case: Transformacion Rápida
  • Webinar #3 | February 12, 2025 | The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World
  • Webinar #4 | March 5, 2025 | Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail

Webinar #4 - Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail

Join us for the final installment of our webinar series On the Right Track: The Transformative Potential of Rail! This session features expert insights from Heidi Sokolowsky (Urban Field Studio), Kristopher Takács (AECOM), and Eric Eidlin (City of San José). All three have decades of experience in station planning, both in the U.S. and globally. In this session, the three panelists will summarize key takeaways from the past three webinars in the series and reflect upon how global insights from world-class station design and project delivery can influence the future of multimodal transit in California, the U.S., and beyond. They will also consider how recent federal policy shifts could influence the trajectory of high-speed rail projects in the U.S. Don’t miss this opportunity to join the conversation shaping the future of rail!

Featured Guests:

View Recording.

View PDH Credit.

View Presentation Slides.


About the Speakers

Eric Eidlin is Station Planning Manager with the City of San Jose. In this role, he plays a leading role in the City’s efforts to transform Diridon Station into a world-class multimodal hub.

Eric brings a wealth of experience in high-speed rail (HSR) and intermodal facility planning to the City, including from his travels to France and Germany, where he has studied best practices in HSR system and station development. Eric previously worked as Sustainability Manager for the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Region 9 office in San Francisco, where he coordinated major federal interagency initiatives relating to sustainable transportation and development. Eric holds a master’s degree in urban design from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in city planning from UCLA.

 

Heidi Sokolowsky is a founding partner at Urban Field Studio, an urban design firm based in San Francisco. Heidi has received her master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Design from the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, and has worked on urban development and transit-centered projects for over 30 years, including station areas for HSR, BART, Caltrain, and L.A. Metro Stations. Heidi is currently a consultant to the California High-Speed Rail Authority focusing on station area planning, early site activation, and community engagement. She enjoys and collaborates on the design of urban places that are walkable, livable, and sustainable – and can evolve over time. She is also a regular user of trains and bikes. She has taught urban design at San José State University and at the Bauhaus University in Weimar.

 

Architect and urbanist Kristopher Takács leads AECOM’s global practice for Stations and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), a multi-disciplinary team of designers, transportation experts, and land planning strategists recognized for creative, technical expertise that connects people, buildings and places. Kristopher has been instrumental in the creation of award-winning multi-modal passenger facilities and mixed-use urban development around the world, including Denver Union Station and Brightline Florida. He is a skilled leader of complex urban design and transportation infrastructure projects that deeply engage public and private stakeholders—projects that lead with vision and result in consensus-driven value creation.

February 12, 2025 The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World  -  Online

On the Right Track: The Transformative Potential of Rail

Discover the secrets behind over 50 years of global high-speed rail innovation in MTI’s newest webinar series! Explore station planning, station design development best practices, and groundbreaking projects from France, Germany, and Spain, featuring actionable insights from expert speakers. Join us as we explore how international high-speed rail success can guide U.S. professionals to shape the future of transit in our communities.

This webinar series is co-sponsored by APTA High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Committee, California High-Speed Rail Authority, High Speed Rail Alliance, and US High Speed Rail Association.

Webinars include:

  • Webinar #1 | December 11, 2024 | The French Case: Stations as City Boosters
  • Webinar #2 | January 15, 2025 | The Spanish Case: Transformacion Rápida
  • Webinar #3 | February 12, 2025 | The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World
  • Webinar #4 | March 5, 2025 | Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail

Webinar #3 - The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World

Get ready for the latest installment of our On the Right Track series featuring Tobias Keyl from the globally acclaimed architecture firm Gerkan, Marg & Partners (gmp). Explore how world-class multimodal transportation hubs enable seamless global mobility, while also serving as destinations in and of themselves. Renowned for their designs of rail stations, airports, and sports complexes across Europe and Asia, gmp has redefined large-scale infrastructure. Mr. Keyl will highlight Berlin Main Station as an example of how national infrastructure investments helped unify a long-divided country. He will also discuss gmp’s work in China, and advancements that can inspire the future of intermodal travel in the U.S. Join us to help shape the future of mobility!

Featured Guest: Tobias KeylAssociate Partner, gmp

Moderator: Eric EidlinStation Planning Manager, City of San José Department of Transportation

*1 PDH credit available

 

View Recording.

View PDH Credit.


About Tobias Keyl

Tobias Keyl is an Associate Partner in gmp’s Berlin office. After studying architecture at the Technical University in Braunschweig and becoming a registered architect, he started at gmp in Berlin in 2004. In 2009, Tobias transferred to gmp’s Beijing office, before returning to Berlin seven years later. A true global citizen, he has successfully managed several large-scale projects from conception to delivery and is currently overseeing efforts across Europe, Asia, and Africa. This reach enables Tobias to swiftly grasp the complexity of his clients’ cultures and challenges, empowering innovative solution strategies that adhere to the highest design standards.

Tobias’s work focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration towards sustainable projects: In 2020 he was part of the industry Advisor Group at Harvard University Graduate School of Design on the topic “Future of Air Travel.” Since 2021 Tobias has been a part of gmp's global sustainable design steering group.

January 15, 2025 The Spanish Case: Transformacion Rápida  -  Online

On the Right Track: The Transformative Potential of Rail

Discover the secrets behind over 50 years of global high-speed rail innovation in MTI’s newest webinar series! Explore station planning, station design development best practices, and groundbreaking projects from France, Germany, and Spain, featuring actionable insights from expert speakers. Join us as we explore how international high-speed rail success can guide U.S. professionals to shape the future of transit in our communities.

This webinar series was co-sponsored by APTA High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Committee, California High-Speed Rail Authority, High Speed Rail Alliance, and US High Speed Rail Association.

Webinars include:

  • Webinar #1 | December 11, 2024 | The French Case: Stations as City Boosters
  • Webinar #2 | January 15, 2025 | The Spanish Case: Transformacion Rápida
  • Webinar #3 | February 12, 2025 | The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World
  • Webinar #4 | March 5, 2025 | Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail

Webinar #2 - The Spanish Case: Transformacion Rápida

In the second installment of “On the Right Track: The Transformative Potential of Rail” series, explore how high-speed rail has transformed Spanish society and its economy from international rail expert Eduardo Romo. Despite starting later in high-speed rail than some countries, Spain now has the greatest amount of track mileage in Europe and the second most in the world. Learn what factors led to this rapid adoption and the opportunities and challenges high-speed rail presents to cities of all sizes. Don’t miss out on these insights and more, including what Spanish high-speed rail can show professionals in the U.S.! 

Featured Guest: Eduardo Romo, Principal, Technology for Railways and Engineering Solutions (TRES, LLC); President, Fundación Caminos de Hierro

Moderator: Eric EidlinStation Planning Manager, City of San José Department of Transportation

 

View Recording.

View PDH Credit.


About Eduardo Romo

Eduardo Romo is an international expert in railway systems with over 35 years of experience carrying out more than 100 railway projects. As a senior rail engineer he has led the planning and design of a number of sections and components of more than a dozen high-speed rail lines in Spain, other European countries, and the United States. Now based in Oakland, he is Principal at Technology for Railways and Engineering Solutions (TRES, LLC), President of non-profit Railways Expertise Centre Fundación Caminos de Hierro, Vice Chairman of UIC Intercity and High-Speed Committee, and Coordinator of Organizing Committee for International Conference on Engineering for HSR.

December 11, 2024 The French Case: Stations as City Boosters  -  Online

On the Right Track: The Transformative Potential of Rail

Discover the secrets behind over 50 years of global high-speed rail innovation in MTI’s newest webinar series! Explore station planning, station design development best practices, and groundbreaking projects from France, Germany, and Spain, featuring actionable insights from expert speakers. Join us as we explore how international high-speed rail success can guide U.S. professionals to shape the future of transit in our communities.

This webinar series was co-sponsored by APTA High-Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Committee, California High-Speed Rail Authority, High Speed Rail Alliance, and US High Speed Rail Association.

Webinars include:

  • Webinar #1 | December 11, 2024 | The French Case: Stations as City Boosters
  • Webinar #2 | January 15, 2025 | The Spanish Case: Transformacion Rápida
  • Webinar #3 | February 12, 2025 | The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World
  • Webinar #4 | March 5, 2025 | Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail

Webinar #1 - The French Case: Stations as City Boosters 

Join Fabrice Morenon, PhD, Managing Director of French Railways international branch, as he explores how French rail stations serve as catalysts for urban and regional growth. Drawing on notable examples from stations in larger cities like Lyon and Bordeaux, as well as smaller cities like Besançon, Dr. Morenon will reveal how iterative design processes and public-private partnerships transform stations into powerful economic and mobility hubs. In the first of this webinar series, discover how French development principles can inspire high-speed rail success in the U.S.

Featured Guest: Fabrice Morenon, PhD, Managing Director, SNCF Hubs & Connexions

Moderator: Eric EidlinStation Planning Manager, City of San José Department of Transportation

 

View Recording.

View PDH Credit.


About Fabrice Morenon, PhD

Fabrice Morenon, PhD is the Managing Director of SNCF Hubs & Connexions, the arm of the French Railways that oversees the development of rail stations internationally. With a PhD in Economics and degrees from La Sorbonne and Sciences Po, his expertise spans station financing, development, and operations. Morenon is a Chevalier (Knight) of the French National Order of Merit, has been appointed French foreign trade advisor by the French Prime Minister, and was named Chairman of the sector “Station Managers Global group” at the International Union of Railways (UIC).

November 20, 2024 Connect for Your Career: An Introduction to Professional Associations in Transportation (2024)  -  Online

WTS-SF Bay Area and the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) of San Jose State hosted this free virtual event "Connect for Your Career: An Introduction to Professional Associations in Transportation" that introduced university students and emerging professionals to transportation organizations that offer networking, professional development opportunities, and/or scholarship opportunities. 

Participating organizations include:

  • American Planning Association (APA
  • American Public Transportation Association (APTA)
  • 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)
  • Latinos in Transit (LiT)
  • National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
  • Transportation Research Board (TRB)
  • US High Speed Rail Association (USHSR)
  • Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS)
  • Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT)

View Recording.

View Slides.

November 13, 2024 Perfecting Your Scholarship Application (2024)  -  Online

MTI Student Association hosted a free virtual event to learn tips for perfecting students' scholarship applications for a better chance at funding their education. Speakers joined from transportation associations such as the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), California Transportation Foundation (CTF), and Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS). Attendees learned about each association's scholarship programs.

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

View Recording.

View Slide Deck.

October 22, 2024 to October 24, 2024 2024 “Research to Practice” Transit Symposium  -  Online

The 2024 “Research to Practice” Transit Symposium took placeOctober 22-24, 2024. The symposium was hosted online and streamed on YouTube. As the transit industry is poised to take advantage of the largest transit and rail investment in our lifetimes, the symposium provided a platform where transit experts share insights on how evidence-based research is being or can be, used to make the most of these opportunities in a changing environment. This year’s symposium focused on the following topics:

  • Transit leaders’ perspectives on the future of transit
  • Practical applications of transit data
  • Transit fare policy
  • Transit equity
  • Women in transit
  • Transit infrastructure costs
  • Transit research implementation

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

 

View Day 1 Recording

View Day 2 Recording

View Day 3 Recording

September 25, 2024 Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition: Information Night

MTI was joined by eager middle school students, dedicated parents, and passionate educators at the Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition Information Night. This event served as a gateway to an extraordinary national STEAM competition crafted to educate and engage students by solving our nation’s critical transportation issues. Participants learned how they can participate in the competition, and win prizes as we revealed this year’s Get Going, Go Green competition prompt. 

Learn more about the competition: https://transweb.sjsu.edu/workforce-development/garrett-morgan-program

View the Recording.

View the 2025 Competition Prompt.

September 3, 2024 Who Works in Transit? Establishing a Baseline of Transit Workforce Diversity   -  Online

This Research Snaps webinar was co-sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

Public transit agencies function best when the diversity of their workforce represents the communities they serve—yet research finds mismatched representation, with fewer women and people of color in leadership positions and an overconcentration of men and people of color in operational roles. This Research Snaps was based on the MTI report Understanding Workforce Diversity in the Transit Industry: Establishing a Baseline of Diversity Demographics. The report authors shared the latest data on racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in the U.S. transit workforce. They also dove into promising practices to help transit agencies attract and retain staff who reflect and embrace the vibrant diversity of their communities. 

Presenters: 

  • Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD, Research Associate & Education Director, MTI
  • Evelyn Blumenberg, PhD, Professor; Director, Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies in the Luskin School of Public Affairs, UCLA
  • Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, PhD, Distinguished Professor; Interim Dean, Luskin School of Public Affairs and Professor of Urban Planning, UCLA

View the Recording.

View the Slides.

PDH Credit.

 

July 30, 2024 Uncharted Territory: 2024 Cybersecurity Insurance and Transit Landscape

Cybersecurity threats are everywhere, and no organization is immune. While the volume of cyberattacks has increased exponentially, the bigger concern for most transit agencies is that the  average cost to recover from successful attacks has skyrocketed. While many transit operators have taken steps to improve cyber resiliency, others continue to assume they will not be targeted. How are insurance companies and regulators responding? This Research Snaps webinar featured discussion about recent evolutions in the cyber risk landscape and the impacts on transit. Expert speakers provided recommendations on how the different segments of the market can work together to manage the risk of cyber attacks in “Uncharted Territory: 2024 Cybersecurity Insurance and Transit Landscape.” 

Presenters: 

  • Scott Belcher, Research Associate, MTI; Co-Founder, Cybrbase, LLC
  • Todd Chollet, Risk Advisor and Cyber Practice Leader, Sunstar Insurance Group

Moderator: Hilary Nixon, PhD, Deputy Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

View Recording

View PDH Credit

May 22, 2024 Emergency Preparedness in Motion: The Role of ICS in Transportation

If a wildfire, earthquake, or cyber emergency impacts a transit system—what happens next? How do transportation agencies respond in an emergency? The use of an Incident Command System (ICS) allows for a uniform response method for emergencies and is required by FEMA and the FHWA. ICS, however, is rarely used by transportation personnel. Transportation and emergency response experts discussed the pros and cons of implementing ICS training for field-level transportation supervisors and staff. 

Presenters: 

  • Frances L. Edwards, PhDDeputy Director, National Transportation Security Center

  • Dan GoodrichSenior Transportation Security Scientist, National Transportation Security Center

Moderator: Karen Philbrick, PhD, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

View Recording

View PDH Credit


About the Panelist

Frances L. Edwards, PhD

Deputy Director, National Transportation Security Center

Frances L. Edwards, MUP, PhD, CEM, is professor emeritus of political science at San José State University, following 17 years as the Director of the Master of Public Administration program. She is the Deputy Director of the National Transportation Security Center at the Mineta Transportation Institute. A Certified Emergency Manager with over 20 years’ professional experience in California, she has served as acting assistant fire chief for the San José Fire Department, as Budget Analyst for the Irvine, California Police Department, and as Assistant to the City Manager in Florham Park, New Jersey. 

Dan Goodrich

Senior Transportation Security Scientist, National Transportation Security Center

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. 

May 21, 2024 Collaborative Strategies for Sustainable Transportation: Developing an Equitable VMT Mitigation Program for Santa Clara County  -  Online

This Research Snaps webinar was co-sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

New developments are popping up everywhere, and bringing more economic opportunities, more community engagement, more trips to new and exciting places—and more driving. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is working with partners to develop a program to reduce the amount of driving generated from new developments, and they called on a team from the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) and San José State University (SJSU) students for help. This collaboration provided assistance in creating an equity framework for VTA’s proposed Equitable Vehicle Miles Traveled Mitigation Program. During the event, attendees heard from the researchers about identified strategies for equitable VMT mitigation programs and effective community engagement processes and how they can be applied to other jurisdictions.

Presenter: Serena Alexander, PhD, MTI Research Associate; Associate Professor, Northeastern University

Moderator: Hilary Nixon, PhD, Deputy Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

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May 17, 2024 Beyond the Pump: Rethinking Transportation Funding Without the Fuel Tax  -  Online

15th Annual Mineta National Transportation Policy Summit

While the climate benefits from booming electric vehicle sales, the nation’s transportation system faces an unfortunate predicament: less gasoline and diesel purchased means dwindling fuel tax revenue. Fuel tax revenue provides a core funding source for operating, maintaining, and improving transportation systems, so policymakers must find a replacement as soon as possible. This event explored such options as mileage fees, higher annual vehicle fees, or abandoning the user-pay principle and relying on general fund revenue.

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

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CM Credit

       
MC MTI Tax Survey Presenter Federal Funding, Past and Future Panel Moderator
Karen Philbrick, PhD Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD Jeff Davis David "Davey" S. Kim

 

Karen Philbrick, PhD

Executive Director
Mineta Transportation Institute

 

Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD

Director
MTI National Transportation Finance Center

 

Jeff Davis

Senior Fellow
Eno Center for Transportation

 

 

David “Davey” S. Kim

MTI Trustee

Senior Vice President & Principal, National Transportation Policy and Multimodal Strategy
WSP
       
     
Panelist Panelist Panelist
Carlos Braceras Ed Sniffen Ed Sniffen

 

Carlos Braceras

Executive Director
Utah Department of Transportation

 

Tim Gatz

Executive Director
Oklahoma Department of Transportation

 

Ed Sniffen

Director
Hawaii Department of Transportation
     
May 8, 2024 Pedaling Progress: Equity Assessment of San José's Urban Bike Infrastructure via SJ-BikeEquity Tool  -  Online

This Research Snaps webinar was co-sponsored by SJSU's Spatial Analytics and Visualization (SAVI) Center.

Bike networks are growing nationwide—including in San José, which is keen on becoming “one of the most bike-friendly cities in North America.” Expanding bike networks and allocating funds require careful planning to ensure a fair distribution of bike infrastructure, but most assessment methods neglect differences in bike path classes that provide different safety and comfort levels for cyclists. MTI experts discussed an equity assessment of San José’s bike infrastructure, driven by a weighting system for different safety and comfort levels of the urban bike network, and what it could mean for traffic congestion, sustainability, and Bay Area communities. 

Presenter: Ahoura Zandiatashbar, PhDSJSU Assistant Professor, MTI Research Associate.

Moderator: Hilary Nixon, PhD, Deputy Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)

*0.5 PDH credit available

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PDH Credit.

 

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