The University of Pennsylvania has been the home for a DoT National and a Tier-1 UTC for the past several years. This month we were awarded a $14MM National University Transportation Center for Improving Mobility called Mobility 21 which will investigate technologies, policies, incentives and training programs for improving the mobility of people and goods in the 21st century efficiently and safely. Mobility 21 will leverage connected and automated vehicle technologies, smart city technologies like adaptive traffic signals, real-time traveler information services, preventive maintenance techniques, predictive analytics and alternate modes of transportation like bicycles. The primary thrusts of Mobility 21 will be (a) Smart City Technologies, (b) Multi-Modal Connections, (c) Assistive Technologies for People with Disabilities, (d) Data Modeling and Analytical Tools, (e) Novel Modes of Transport, (f) Regional Planning, and (g) Improved Transportation Access to Disadvantaged Neighborhoods.
The Mobility 21 team is comprised of Carnegie Mellon University (lead), University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State University and the Community College of Allegheny County. Tackling the multi-faceted nature of Mobility 21 objectives requires coordinated technology and policy activities, and is supported by researchers spanning multiple disciplines: electrical and computer engineering, civil engineering, transportation engineering, computer science and robotics, public policy, and big data analytics. The Mobility 21 team places strong emphasis on technology transfer to transit agencies and real-world deployments. A Mobility 21 Partner Consortium has more than 70 members from the public, non-profit and private sectors including PennDOT, and the Cities of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Mobility 21 activities are supported by platforms and testbeds that include connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), V2X infrastructure, fleet vehicles, adaptive traffic signals and a mobility analytics center.