Transform Public Transit Through Education and Innovation
Efficient, reliable, and low-cost public transportation is critical for individuals who do not have access to a car. For many, a lack of dependable transit options creates significant barriers to opportunity, limiting access to education, employment, and essential services. This reinforces cycles of poverty by making it harder for people to achieve economic stability.
Through interdisciplinary research, innovative design, and public education, organizations and industries can develop evidence-based solutions that serve the needs of families and individuals experiencing financial insecurity.
To Get Started:
Design and conduct research: Partner with students who have firsthand experience with transportation barriers to design and conduct research that is meaningful and impactful. This ensures that studies are grounded in real-world challenges and produce relevant findings.
Pursue funding for research: Actively seek grants to support transportation research initiatives. The Department of Transportation and other groups provide funding to teams of colleges and universities to explore new ideas and innovative solutions.
Educate stakeholders on research findings: Engage local government, decision-makers, and the public by sharing your research. Focus on how findings can meet the needs of low-income individuals and inform new policies and investments.
Some Examples of Best Practices / Innovative Programs:
SURTCOM (Small Urban, Rural and Tribal Center on Mobility) is a partnership between the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University, the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute at North Dakota State University, and the Urban and Regional Planning program at Eastern Washington University. It focuses on enhancing mobility in small urban, rural, and tribal communities. Its work provides a model for how academic collaboration can address specific transportation needs.
Cornell University is collaborating on a $3.2 million project to revamp Chattanooga's public transit system using AI. The initiative will create "mobility zones" with integrated buses, shuttles, electric vehicles, and bike shares, dynamically recommending efficient routes through a mobile app.