The First Annual PATH-California University Transportation Centers Conference

The theme for the very first joint conference of PATH (Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways)-UCTC (University of California Transportation Centers) is “On the Road to Sustainability: From Research to Practice.” As Professor Kostas Goulias points out, the conference, held October 29-31 in Berkeley, “is the first time that all the Transportation Programs in California have met to discuss and identify policy research directions for our state. The topics cover a wide array of subjects with a phenomenal depth, demonstrating significant gains from a well organized research program.”

To quote the web site ):

Transportation systems around the world are facing tremendous challenges that are economic, environmental and social in nature. In the United States , two key issues are becoming large drivers of policy changes and debate. First, global warming threatens our fragile environment. Policymakers, researchers and the public are increasingly looking to the transportation sector to reduce its impact. Second, the primary federal funding source for transportation, the Highway Trust Fund, will have a significant shortfall in just two years. Creative financing and demand management strategies are needed to sustain high quality transportation infrastructure and services.

California faces a special set of challenges. By 2025, California’s population is expected to reach 50 million – a population larger than that of many nations. California’s transportation system will have to meet the challenge of rapid growth while at the same time securing future economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity.

This year’s PATH-UTC conference will address these critical issues. We will examine the topic of sustainable transport from all angles – technology, policy, planning, engineering, social and environmental impact, economics and finance – and will draw from experiences in the and abroad.

The three-day conference has been designed to bridge research and practice, with 35 presentations, a poster session, and ample time for participant comments, questions, and discussion. Conference participants will help shape the future agendas of the participating research groups by sharing ideas on needed improvements and innovative concepts.