Led by the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San José State University (SJSU), the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida (USF) was named a member of a $15 million Mineta Consortium for Equitable, Efficient, and Sustainable Transportation. Along with partners at Howard University and Navajo Technical University, USF will assist and advance USDOT’s goals of equity, climate and sustainability, and economic strength and global competitiveness. This diverse group of institutions will conduct research to address equity, barriers to opportunity, and other societal issues with the ultimate goal of creating transportation networks that are more accessible and safer for all communities. The USDOT selected the Mineta Consortium from 230 applicants nationwide for the highly competitive award.


CUTR Associate Director Lisa Staes will act as the USF lead for the MTI consortium. Ms. Staes has over 30 years of experience within various transportation research fields, and her expertise focuses on bus operator assaults and many topics in the area of transit safety and security. “We are honored to work alongside our partner universities and grateful for the opportunity afforded to us by MTI. We cannot wait to begin our work,” said Ms. Staes. The award was announced in late February, and the team will begin work soon.