Past Webinars

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
March 4, 2021	MTI Research Snaps Webinar: "TODs and Park and Rides, Which is Appropriate Where?" - Online In the quest for environmental quality as the pandemic subsides, many urban planners understand and appreciate that housing located within walking distance of rail stations and bus stops motivates many local residents to choose commuting on buses and trains rather than driving. But what about those park-and-ride (PnR) facilities for the commuters who choose to live in places beyond walking distance to transit? Attendees listened to the new research-based evidence on where parking provides a boost to bus and train ridership that is double to four times the impact of transit-adjacent housing. This webinar started the discussion of how transit agencies should react to the research. View Recording. View Slides.
February 16, 2021	Safe Routes to School in 2021: Let’s Walk the Walk - Online 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.
January 14, 2021	MTI Research Snaps Webinar: "Local Policy for Automated Mobility" - Online 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.
December 9, 2020	Navigating TRB 2021: Getting the Most Out of the Conference - Online CSU students participated in an informal information session with Drs. Asha W. Agrawal and Hilary Nixon to learn how to make the most of their TRB experience.
December 9, 2020	Women Advancing Transportation for Our Future Mobility Needs Representation of women in the transportation workforce is stunningly low. What would happen to our mobility with more women driving transportation policies, planning, operations, and maintenance? During TRB's 6th International Conference on Women's Issues on Transportation, panelists discussed best practices for recruitment, support, and advancement of women in the transportation sector. In this webinar, conference speakers continued their discussion about workforce challenges and overcoming them; approaches to attract, retain and advance women in transportation, and how these leaders see COVID-19 changing the workforce and work environment. Featuring: Dr. Hilary Nixon, MTI Deputy Executive Director (moderator) Laurie Berman, Director (retired), California Department of Transportation Flora Castillo, President, Pivot Strategies, LLC Jodi Godfrey, Senior Research Associate, Mobility Policy Research Program & Transit Safety & Workforce Development Programs, Transportation Research, University of South Florida Debra A. Johnson, General Manager/ CEO, Regional Transportation District (Denver)
December 3, 2020	MTI Research Snaps Webinar: "Will Ride-hailing Enhance Mobility for Older Adults?" - San José, CA 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.
November 18, 2020	Effective Interpersonal "Virtual" Communications - Online The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every facet of modern day life, single-handedly altering the way we communicate and engage with our colleagues and social support networks. Though face-to-face interaction has significantly decreased, or even become nonexistent, one thing has remained clear – the link between continuous communication, a healthy workforce, and productivity. This workshop, focused on effective interpersonal communication in a virtual world, presented techniques to adjust communication style, content, and frequency to maintain a personal touch. Best practices for building and solidifying relationships using a variety of mediums (phone, chat, video, etc.) was documented and breakout rooms will be used to facilitate an interactive exchange, allowing participants to share their experience and communicate in a safe space. *This webinar was intended for our partners at Caltrans (all Caltrans employees welcome), but if you or your organization is interested in hosting a similar event, please contact irma.garcia@sjsu.edu.
November 4, 2020	Make the Connection: Next Stop Your Career - Online 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)
October 29, 2020	MTI Research Snaps Webinar: "How Prepared Is Transit for a Cyber Attack?" - Online Ransomware, data breaches, phishing incidents and other cyber threats are on the rise, including among public transit agencies. Such threats leave the transportation sector—one of 16 critical infrastructure sectors whose disruption would have a debilitating effect on our nation’s security—in a vulnerable position. Decision makers need to be prepared to upgrade, patch, and secure transit systems to ensure that this essential service remains safe and operational. Yet new MTI research found that only 60% of transit agencies have many of the basic policies or personnel in place to respond to a cyber incident. In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness month, MTI researchers discussed this critical research and the policy recommendations needed to understand, mitigate, and respond to cyber threats. View Recording. View Slides.
October 19, 2020	Women’s Perspectives on Transportation in Downtown San José Historically, cities have often been planned by and for white men. Studies show that women often have different needs and travel patterns, and different concerns about safety, particularly when walking, biking, and taking transit. Our panel has explored the experience of women traveling within and to downtown San José, how the current transportation options do and do not serve them, and identifed solutions to make our streets safer in order to create a transportation system that truly serves everyone. WTS for the Downtown Transportation Plan Speaker Series focused on Women’s Perspectives on Transportation in Downtown San José. These are engaging conversations with San José community leaders and thought partners that are sparking innovative thinking around the future of San Jose’s downtown transportation. Understanding how women travel in San José and in the Downtown area will be key to building a transportation system that works for everyone. This panel brought together experts in the transportation field in conversation with local community members: *Dr. Asha W. Agrawal,* Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, University of California at Los Angeles Marcia Cohen, San José Senior Commission Victoria Partido, San José Community Leader Lola Torney, Valley Transportation Authority