Sustainable Fleet Technology Conference
Program Overview
The Transit Research Team specializes in conducting research on integrated mobility and advanced vehicle technologies to provide technical assistance for public, nonprofit, and private sector clients to inform planning and policy decisions. Program researchers focus on a wide variety of public transportation and shared used modes, with expertise in economic analysis, strategic planning, bus rapid transit, designing and conducting program and performance evaluations, program administration, transit development plans, and peer review analyses to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and innovation for emerging/advanced mobility and public transportation solutions/applications.
Select Clients
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) (includes Central Office and District One Office)
- Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA)
Applied Research
- Specific experience in bus rapid transit: research, planning, evaluations
- Transit operations and service planning (including transit development plans)
- Transit safety research
- Develop and conduct transit performance evaluations and peer review analyses
- Economic analysis
- Documented policies and practices that state departments of transportation (DOTs) are engaged in to regulate and manage micromobility (NCHRP Synthesis 597).
Strategic Planning, Performance and Program Evaluation
Assist the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) with strategic planning efforts, develop and conduct program evaluations, and administer FTA’s Information Dissemination and Outreach Program, which enables FTA to achieve the mandates of authorizing legislation and to communicate the results of FTA projects, programs, and strategy in an effective, consistent, and accessible way to all key stakeholders.
Administration of Networks, Information Exchange, and Data Tracking
- Use the National Transit Database (NTD) for a wide variety of projects including the development and maintenance of a historical database for transit agencies in Florida on behalf of FDOT. NTD assistance to FDOT also includes the provision of data for funding allocations and performance reporting, as well as administration of NTD training.
- Administer the Automated Transit and Shared Use Network (ATSUN) on behalf of FDOT which serves as a clearinghouse for the most current and innovative research and information on the topic of transit automation and shared use services. CUTR provides assistance to FDOT on the network and is engaged in the dissemination of information and lessons learned among Florida transit agencies, research community, government agencies, and other industry stakeholders. ATSUN also includes a listserv, conference planning and support, and technical assistance.
Economic and Environmental Benefits of Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Technologies
- Studies the economic and environmental benefits of alternative fuel, advanced propulsion, and energy efficient mobility systems to assist local, state, and federal agencies with planning, policy, deployment, and evaluation of these technologies.
- Manages the Tampa Bay Clean Cities Coalition (TBCCC), which is the a U.S. Department of Energy sponsored initiative that works to build partnerships on a local and regional level to advance affordable, domestic transportation fuels and technologies. Clean Cities has a primary goal of reducing petroleum in transportation. TBCCC was officially designated by U.S. DOE in 2014, re-designated in 2021, and is housed at CUTR and is managed by CUTR faculty and staff.
- Studies the role of advanced transportation fuels for resiliency, focusing on the use of various alternative fuels and strategies to improve state’s preparedness to natural disasters (hurricanes).
- Evaluates performance and operating costs of alternative fuel transit vehicles, and market penetration of alternative fuel and autonomous vehicle technologies.
- Performed fleet analysis to evaluate potential procurement strategies for the USF Bull Runner fleet and assess impacts of fleet electrification to PATS budget and USF sustainability goals.
