News

In late July, Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore) announced that Portland State University's Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) has been designated as a national transportation center, one of ten in the nation, and that it will receive a total of $16 million in federal funding through 2009 for transportation research, education, and outreach programs. The CTS at Portland State University is in partnership with the University of Oregon (U of O), Oregon State University (OSU), and the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT).

"I am pleased to secure funding for such a worthy project. Portland State University will lead the U of O, OSU, and OIT in a unique partnership to conduct research on transportation and transit systems. Their research will be critical to federal, state, and local officials in planning and enhancing our transportation systems and in turn improving our national economy," said Congressman Peter DeFazio.

"This is an affirmation of the research done by PSU faculty in both the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Urban and Public Affiars, said PSU President Daniel O. Bernstine. "It also recognizes Portland State's commitment to partner with research faculty at OUS institutions."

Established in 1966, the Center strives to stimulate and conduct multidisciplinary research on transportation issues, facilitating the dissemination of information and encouraging the implementation of research results. In 2003, Professor Robert L. Bertini, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, was appointed CTS Director. Bertini also directs the Intelligent Transportation Systems Laboratory in the Maseeh College, which continues to support its students and faculty in their research and educational activities. Additionally, Professor Christopher Monsere serves as a key Maseeh College faculty member with a focus on freight, transportation safety, and the transportation continuing education portfolio..

Approximately 25 graduate courses specializing in transportation subjects are taught with more than 50 degrees awarded since 1998. The CTS currently offers the following five graduate programs in transportation planning and engineering.

• Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) with a transportation specialization
• Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering (MSCE) with a transportation specialization
• Master of Urban Studies with a field area in transportation
• Ph.D. in Urban Studies with a field area in transportation
• Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a transportation specialization

The ten national centers are the University of Alaska; Mashall University (on behalf of a consortium of West Virginia colleges and universities); University of Minnesota; University of Missouri-Rolla; Northwestern University; Oklahoma Transportation Center; Portland State University (in partnership with U of O, OSU, and OIT); University of Vermont; Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University; and the University of Wisconsin.

There are 42 other centers, not nationally designated, authorized for lower amounts of money, including the University of California, Davis; the University of Idaho; Iowa State University; MIT; Penn State University; Texas A&M University; and the University of Washington.

We wish to acknowledge the support of our many public and private partners for being designated a national center along with $16 million in federal funding. For additional information, please link to the Web sites for the CTS at www.cts.pdx.edu; the ITS Lab at www.its.pdx.edu; and the PSU news release at www.pdx.edu/news/6655/.