Multimodal Transportation and Infrastructure Consortiuim (MTIC), Part 2

The U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, provides funding for university transportation research, education and workforce development, and technology transfer. These funds are provided through the University Transportation Center Program. The Multimodal Transportation and Infrastructure Consortium (MTIC) was awarded a two-year grant as one of 10 Tier I (national) University Transportation Centers in January 2012. MTIC is comprised of Marshall University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, and Hampton (Va.) University. The Kentucky Transportation Center at the University of Kentucky has used the first year of available funding ($1,250,000) to conduct and collaborate on several projects addressing the efficiency, economic competitiveness, safety and security of the inland waterway transportation system. These projects have addressed the inland waterway transportation system and its role in the overall multimodal transportation system. The second year of available funding ($1,189,160) will be used to continue, in general, the projects initiated with the first year funding. The projects will specifically address and further the development of the economic impacts of freight intermodal facilities, the development of an integrated freight network model, the development of a port sustainability audit process, the requirements for a shipment management system, and a determination of the basis for an operational model. In addition, the existing education and workforce development capability and needs for the inland waterway industry will be identified. Also, a waterway symposium will be presented to share the results of MTIC and other inland waterway transportation research with stakeholders. There will be a few new, smaller projects that will address non-waterways related topics. These involve support for a graduate certificate program, a commercial vehicle technology evaluation, and a national bridge technology transfer activity.