UTRC has a broad based Technology Transfer program that is far-reaching and responsive to the needs of both practicing professionals and interested citizens. By promoting an immediate and ongoing exchange of ideas, regional outreach is provided in many forms including presentations at large and small scale technical briefings, participation in regional transportation projects and advisory boards, representation at major local and national transportation conferences, publication in technical journals, community assistance, seminars, working papers, newsletters, report dissemination, and continual regional contact.
Resources
Technology Transfer Seminars
In addition to its public conferences and lectures, UTRC also organizes in-house seminar series to meet the needs of government agencies within Region 2. Its longstanding seminar series for the staff of the New Jersey Department of Transportation has in recent years addressed issues of public transit economics, seismic retrofits of bridges, and smart growth. In 2005, UTRC will launch a new seminar series for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council.
Icon Mentor Program
Region 2 is rich in professionals who have devoted their careers towards advancing transportation theory and practice. Each year, the University Transportation Research Center will select one of these persons to serve as its Consortium wide mentor. He/she will be available throughout the year to meet with students, and faculty at each consortium institution and literally, give out pearls of wisdom. For the past three years UTRC selected Herbert Levinson, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, to serve as its Icon Mentor. He is considered to be one of the fathers of modern transportation planning and has extensive knowledge of transportation activities and operations throughout the world. He is an invaluable resource to the region.
Survey of Time Related Contract Provisions
In 2002, UTRC assisted the New York State Department of Transportation Resource and Risk Management Bureau with the design and implementation of a survey of the Department’s contractors, industry associations, and design consultants. The purpose of the project was to help the Department determine the perceived effectiveness for the reduction in construction time, reduction of public inconvenience, and increased contractor innovation on construction projects that utilize time-related contract provisions.
Transit Technology Skills for the 21st Century
Since 1998, UTRC has been working with the Transit Workers Union, New York City’s Transit Tech High School, the N.Y. State Federation of Labor and the Working for America Institute to develop a program to support expanded training opportunities for the transit workforce to deal with rapidly changing transit technologies. The initiative received funding from USDOT in 2001, and has since been expanded through new contract provisions between the union and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. So far, the program has provided training to over 1,000 employees. More on this initiative can be found here.
Training Programs
As part of our technology transfer activities, UTRC provides training services to transportation agencies within its region. At the request of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, UTRC developed and administered a Technical and Managerial Training Program. Since this program began, UTRC administered a total of sixty-eight courses, attended by more than 300 professionals from the staff of NYMTC member agencies. A training program is currently developped and administered by UTRC for NYMTC staff.