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Projects

The National Center for Sustainable Transportation has funded a variety of research grants, organized by our three research themes (Infrastructure Provision; Travel Demand; and Vehicle Technology), and by project type (applied research projects, white papers / research synthesis, seed grants, translational projects, dissertation grants, and graduate student-led research). 

View Projects Awarded Prior to 2025

Evaluating Human Safety Factors in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Under Adaptive Traffic Signal Control: A Simulator-Based Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Study

  • Principal Investigator Fengxiang Qiao, Ph.D.
  • Texas Southern University
This project uses driving simulator experiments to examine how drivers interact with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and adaptive traffic signals, and to identify human factors such as trust, attention, over-reliance, and automation surprise that could affect the safety of vehicle-to-infrastructure systems.
Project Status
In Progress

Integrating Advanced Air Mobility into Metropolitan Transportation Systems: Lessons from Houston and Emerging U.S. Regions

  • Principal Investigator Mehdi Azimi, Ph.D.
  • Texas Southern University
This project develops a framework for metropolitan regions to integrate Advanced Air Mobility into existing transportation systems, drawing on planning efforts, case studies, and stakeholder insights to address governance, infrastructure, connectivity, freight, and workforce readiness.
Project Status
In Progress

Coordinating Marine Terminal Appointments and Inland Warehouse Receiving Windows to Improve Freight Movement Efficiency and Reliability

  • Principal Investigator Kanok Boriboonsomsin, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Riverside
This project uses agent-based simulation to evaluate coordinated marine terminal and warehouse appointment strategies that could reduce drayage delays, truck queuing and idling, congestion, and operating costs across Southern California's freight network.
Project Status
In Progress

Autonomous Trucking Workforce & Safety Workshop Series, Guidebook, and Web-Resource Hub

  • Principal Investigator Miguel Jaller, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This project will translate research on autonomous trucking safety, human-automated driving systems interaction, and workforce impacts into a practical guidebook and resource hub to help policymakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders support safe implementation and workforce planning.
Project Status
In Progress

State of Road Usage Charges/Mileage Fees in the U.S.

  • Principal Investigator Alan Jenn, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This project will synthesize and compare active and developing U.S. road usage charge programs and create an interactive website providing policymakers and researchers with a centralized, up-to-date reference on program designs, implementation, costs, interoperability, and revenue outlook.
Project Status
In Progress

Measuring Household Mobility and Travel Patterns with Partial Vehicle Automation

  • Principal Investigator Aviv Steren, Ph.D
  • University of California, Davis
This project will use partial vehicle automation systems (SAE Level 2) as a real-world setting for studying how automation technologies may influence household mobility, travel demand, and transportation system performance.
Project Status
In Progress

Fare-Free Futures: The Diffusion of Youth Fare-Free Transit Programs in the U.S.

  • Principal Investigator Susan Pike, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This project will evaluate the adoption and diffusion of youth fare-free transit programs across U.S. agencies to identify key drivers, barriers, and organizational factors that support long-term ridership growth and policy implementation.
Project Status
In Progress