Prof. Robert Bertini attended the University Transportation Center Plenary Session in Washington, D.C. in April 2006. This two-day plenary session provided general information about where current and prospective UTC Program participants could receive information and engaged participants in general discussion about the broad research, development and technology goals of USDOT. Participants also learned about UTC Program goals and requirements under SAFETEA-LU, and heard about UTC grant preparation, approval, administration, oversight and best practices.
On August 10, 2005 the President signed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). SAFETEA-LU authorizes the Federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for 2005-2009. Within SAFETEA-LU, University Transportation Centers are authorized, and through this legislation a National University Transportation Center was created at Portland State University (PSU). Later named the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC), the Center is a partnership between PSU, the University of Oregon (UO), Oregon State University (OSU) and the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT). OTREC was granted $16 million over five years and will focus funding on activities that support its theme of advanced technologies, integration of land use and transportation and healthy communities. OTREC is dedicated to stimulating and conducting collaborative multi-disciplinary research on multi-modal surface transportation issues, educating a diverse array of current practitioners and future leaders in the transportation field and encouraging implementation of research results.
Portland State University hosted a celebration with Congressman Peter DeFazio on August 3, 2005 to mark a $16M investment in transportation programs in Oregon. Congressman DeFazio led the Oregon delegation in securing funding for PSU’s University Transportation Center in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The legislation represents the largest surface transportation investment in the Nationís history. The Center at PSU will be a partnership between PSU, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University and the Oregon Institute of Technology. The celebration included remarks by the Congressman and Portland State University President Daniel O. Bernstine.