USDOT Region V Regional University Transportation Center

NEXTRANS Program Areas

NEXTRANS Center research seeks integrated solutions to a broad range of transportation problems. The Center will focus on three areas:

• Vehicle-Information/Control Interaction. This component addresses the linkages between the vehicle and the information/control architecture and its effects on the transportation system.
• Vehicle-Infrastructure Interaction. This component seeks to analyze the interdependencies between the vehicle and the infrastructure so as to address one or more system-level goals.
• Vehicle-Driver Interaction. This component addresses the relationships between the vehicle and the driver, and their consequences.

The three focus areas are potentially integrated with each other through goals, modes, technology, methods, financing, and/or partnerships. It is this multidimensional integration that has previously been either not considered or addressed in an ad hoc manner. We believe that it is critical to systematically study this integration. At a fundamental level, it provides opportunities for new ways of thinking to solve transportation problems. It offers: (i) a clearer understanding of the linkages between goals previously addressed one-at-a-time; (ii) the identification of overlapping causal factors across seemingly different problems; (iii) a systems perspective to leverage limited resources; (iv) suggesting “win-win” public-private partnerships; and/or (v) innovative financing schemes.