University of Washington

Highlights from 2016–2017 The Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) has been awarded a five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation of $14.35 million for transportation research, education, and outreach. The grant names PacTrans as one of ten regional university transportation centers across the country. The University of Washington (UW) has lead the Region 10 University Transportation center, along with consortium partners Oregon State University (OSU), University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), University of Idaho (UI), and Washington State University (WSU), since 1988. Through this most recent funding from the FAST Act, our consortium is excited to welcome new consortium members: Boise State University (BSU) and Gonzaga University (GU). The PacTrans program will focus on the USDOT identified priority of Improving the Mobility of People and Goods. This priority includes the following non-exclusive topic areas: • Increase access to opportunities that promote equity in connecting regions and communities, including urban and rural communities; • Smart cities; • Innovations to improve multi-modal connections, system integration, and security; • Assistive technologies for those with physical or cognitive disabilities; • Data modeling and analytical tools to optimize passenger and freight movements; • Innovations in multi-modal planning and modeling for high- growth regions; • Novel (non-traditional or alternative) modes of transport and shared use of infrastructure; and • Regional planning and setting of transportation priorities. PacTrans Director, Dr. Yinhai Wang, said this award recognizes PacTrans' contribution to using technological advances to develop data-driven, sustainable solutions for the diverse transportation needs of the Pacific Northwest. "This exciting new grant will allow us to address broader mobility challenges, of which our region certainly has many," said Dr. Wang. "Transportation mobility is one of the great challenges facing Washington State as we seek to remain competitive now and in the future," said Sen. Patty Murray. "This funding will support important advances that will benefit our local communities and the nation as a whole." Potential research projects under this new grant include: • Emerging mobility modes to improve transit accessibility for all users • Performance-based management of shared-use facilities • Shared infrastructure to promote non-motorized mobility • Emerging data-enabled, network-wide traffic system control methods • Aligning incentives to improve the efficiency of multimodal transportation systems • Integrating electric vehicle infrastructure into long-distance mobility support • Travel time reliability assessment methods and tools • Optimal winter maintenance operations in urban areas • Methods and tools for improving travel reliability during special events • Solar energy driven wireless sensors for user and infrastructure connection • Trusted big data sharing platform (TBDSP) for smart cities • Internet of Things (IoT) technology test-bed for smart transportation applications "When it comes to transportation problems, I have found that most folks want facts and data to guide decision-making," said Rep. Rick Larsen, a senior member of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. "That is why this grant is important – it will help the UW and its PacTrans partners develop smarter transportation solutions that will help drive job growth and keep the economy moving." The latest grant means PacTrans has brought Region 10, which encompasses the four states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, $29 million from a single federal program in the last 5 years. The requirement that each federal dollar be matched from a nonfederal partner has leveraged that investment, creating fruitful partnerships with more than 100 agencies and organizations nationally, including each of the four states' departments of transportation, dozens of city and county agencies, and private companies such as Kittelson and Associates, Transpo Group, DKS Associates, BMW, and Microsoft. "Considering the transportation challenges facing America, our country needs this innovative research being done by these universities to help speed up freight movement and reduce congestion," said Sen. Maria Cantwell. Under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act competition, U.S. DOT received 212 applications for 35 grants PACTRANS SELECTED AS FAST ACT FEDERAL REGION 10 UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTER ON MOBILITY 4 Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium

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