Sponsor: USDOT, through USC
PI: Edward Smaglik
Co-PIs: Steven Gehrke and Brendan Russo
The Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center is the Region 9
University Transportation Center funded under the US Department of Transportation’s University
Transportation Centers Program. Established in 2016, the Pacific Southwest Region UTC (PSR)
is led by the University of Southern California and includes nine partners:
California State University, Long Beach
Northern Arizona University
Pima Community College
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Hawaii
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The Pacific Southwest Region UTC conducts an integrated, multidisciplinary program of
research, education and technology transfer aimed at improving the mobility of people and
goods throughout the region. Our program is organized around four themes: 1) technology to
address transportation problems and improve mobility; 2) improving mobility for vulnerable
populations; 3) Improving resilience and protecting the environment; and 4) managing mobility
in high growth areas.
Region 9 includes four diverse states as well as the Pacific Island territories. The region is
home to eight metropolitan areas in excess of one million in population (including the nation’s
second largest), four of the seven most visited U.S. cities on the globe, four of the nation’s 10
busiest airports, the nation’s largest port complex, and the largest high tech region on the
planet. At the same time the region is home to vast, sparsely settled desert regions, and some
of the most remote pacific islands. The region has the nation’s highest proportion of non-native
born populations, large concentrations of native American and native island populations, and
concentrations of extreme poverty and disadvantage.
The PSR UTC supports research that addresses the unique combination of problems in the
region, serves as a clearinghouse for curriculum to improve transportation education programs,
addresses workforce development through targeted training, community college partnerships
and professional development, and conducts a comprehensive, multimedia dissemination
program.
The PSR UTC is structured to have a truly regional focus and is intended to build a strong
university-government-industry partnership. Our consortium of universities and community
colleges, together with partnerships with state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), forms a region-wide network to guide the
development and implementation of the center’s research, education, and technology transfer
programs.