C2SMART's U.S. D.O.T. Tier 1 Designation Extended

When Congress enacted the University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program back in 1987, they enlisted the help of researchers in academia to address the nation’s ever-growing need for the safe, efficient, and environmentally sound movement of people and goods. Today, Tier 1 UTCs like NYU Tandon’s C2SMART are delving into topics like shared- and micro-mobility, advising policymakers on issues of transportation equity, and using big data and sensor-based metrics to help envision the smart cities of tomorrow. 

C2SMART, which launched in 2016, was recently awarded an additional year of funding, worth $1.4 million, by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), extending the Center’s Tier 1 UTC designation to September 2023. Thanks to that development, C2SMART — which, under NYU Tandon leadership, also includes Rutgers University, University of Texas - El Paso, University of Washington, and City College of New York — will carry on with and expand its slate of research projects involving smart cities, big data analytics, infrastructure resiliency, transportation equity, and more, over the course of the coming year.

Over the last five years, the Center has undertaken such large-scale research efforts as the BQE Urban Roadway testbed, a Multi-Agent Simulation Testbed, Sensors to Predict and Measure Urban Flooding in Real-Time,  and a four-year research partnership with the New York State Department of Transportation, along with implementation of the C2SMART Student Learning Hub, and the C2SMART Center Webinar Series. Now, in line with USDOT and the  U.S. Secretary of Transportation's vision for the future of U.S. transportation, C2SMART has ambitious plans, including tracks focused on accessibility, electric vehicles, and other timely topics, and an expansion of agency and industry partnerships to enhance student and faculty research.

As a consortium of more than 30 faculty researchers with upwards of 20 active projects, C2SMART is also working to develop the workforce of tomorrow by mentoring students in transportation and helping them gain valuable academic and professional skills.