Reversing decades of development trends that have led to increasingly longer trips, poor pedestrian and bicycle access, traffic congestion, adverse environmental impacts and inadequate services for people with disabilities will require not only additional transportation research but the delivery of research findings to decision-makers and stakeholders in forms that can be easily integrated into planning and implementation. Indeed, the TRCLC believes that meaningful innovation occurs only when the recognition and evaluation of particular problems through scientific research are translated into practical tools for technology transfer via a collaborative process.
The proposed technology transfer program will leverage and extend our existing activities as well as build new capacity to: 1) formalize a widely distributed and multi-format knowledge-sharing infrastructure, and 2) create opportunities for context-sensitive problem identification and participatory research.
The TRCLC will work with member institutions and our collaborative partners to develop programs that work toward the solution of immediate and long-range multimodal transportation problems. The TRCLC will leverage existing capacity and develop new opportunities to increase the profile of transportation in outreach, educational and professional development activities. Some planned activities will be specific to consortium universities while other events will coordinate efforts between campuses, academic departments, and TRCLC's collaborating partners.
The TRCLC consortium will create opportunities for learning and knowledge sharing through a comprehensive education and workforce development program based on a lifecycle of occupational development approach that emphasizes K-12 outreach, career-oriented higher education and professional development. Our program goals are to:
- Develop activities for teachers, counselors, administrators and students in K-12 schools to enhance awareness of the forms and functions of transportation systems;
- Develop career-oriented higher educational programs that combine multidisciplinary course work, experiential education, participative research and industry-university partnerships; and
- Develop a seminar series on a broad range of transportation topics geared to the needs of decision-makers, transportation officials, community members and professional staff.