Mineta transportation consortium receives federal research grant

The Mineta National Transportation Research Consortium at San Jose State University has been awarded a $7 million in federal funding for transportation research, U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) announced yesterday.

The consortium's grant was among those recently awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation's University Transportation Centers program. The consortium's federal funds will be awarded in five yearly installments of $1.4 million, and require a 50 percent match by regional and state partners for a total $10.5 million investment.

The federal grant will fund research, education, workforce development and technology transfer activities focused on improving the mobility of people and goods.

"Investments like this help harness the know-how needed for better transit systems that move people more efficiently, protect the environment, and help boost our economy," said Lofgren in a press release.

Led by the Mineta Transportation Institute, the consortium combines the transportation research and education programs at Howard University, Navajo Technical University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and San Jose State University to leverage each program's expertise to find new solutions to the nation's transportation challenges.