MTI NEWS

September 2025

MTI’s Annual Student Contests

Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition

We are launching the 2026 Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition: an opportunity for middle schoolers to think critically about their world as they collaborate and explore real-life transportation issues. By joining this free, national STEAM-focused competition, you can empower 6th-8th graders to build their college and career portfolios and hone problem-solving skills as they compete to win prizes!

This year’s theme: Ride On, Ride Safe—E-Bike Style!

Students will create a peer-to-peer video campaign teaching classmates how to ride e-bikes safely—and advocate for safety resources in their schools and communities. Projects should be fun and engaging (skits, songs, posters, art, or animation) and include a strong call to action encouraging schools, PTAs, community groups, or city leaders to make e-bike safety education a priority.

Remember: safety isn’t just about helmets—think road awareness, charging safety, speed, and visibility. This is about education and advocacy: inspiring peers and adults alike to prioritize safe riding practices.

Contest Details:

Who: Students in grades 6–8 (open to middle school classes, clubs, after-school programs, and any other youth-serving organizations in the U.S.)

What Teams Receive: All teams receive access to the competition, a free digital teacher’s guide, and a $100 project stipend. In addition, the first 20 registered educator team leads will receive a $500 honorarium at the conclusion of the competition.

Prizes:

• First place: $1,000 cash prize, a plaque, and an all-expenses-paid trip for a teacher, two student representatives, and a parent or adult guardian to San José, CA, for the MTI Awards Banquet in June.

• Second place: $500 and a plaque.

• Third place: $200 and a plaque.

• All participants: Every student will receive a signed certificate of participation from MTI.

Essay Contest

In recent years, more tweens and teens are riding electric bicycles (e-bikes), bringing both big benefits and serious safety questions. E-bikes offer kids independence, exercise, and a more sustainable, cheaper alternative to traveling by car. But hospitals are seeing more and more kids injured while riding e-bikes, and there are concerns about reckless riding that put riders, pedestrians, and even motor vehicle drivers at risk.

These concerns have led many communities to ask if there should be more limits on how kids ride e-bikes and about whether schools should teach kids safe riding skills.

Contest Details:

• Who: Students in grades 6-12 (public, private, or homeschool) across the U.S.
• Prizes: A total of $2,250 will be given to four winners! The first-place winner from the 6th-9th grade category will receive $500, and the second-place winner will receive $250. The first-place winner from the 10th-12th grade category will receive $1,000, and the second-place winner will receive $500. Each winner will also receive a certificate of achievement.
• Publication: Winning essays will be published on MTI's website and in our newsletter, shared with over 2,000 readers.

MSTM Student Spotlight

Dakota Gross

Master of Science in Transportation Management (MSTM) student Dakota Gross is dedicated to advancing equity and customer experience in transit. This past summer, she participated in the San José State University High-Speed Rail Study Abroad Program in France and Spain, where she studied how European transit agencies enhance the rider journey—from trip planning and wayfinding to station amenities and last-mile connections. She recently shared her insights in the MTI webinar From Paris to Madrid: What Great Stations Teach Us.

As Deputy Project Manager for the Los Angeles Metro Gender Action Plan—the first systemwide initiative in the U.S. designed to improve the ridership experience for women—Dakota led a multidisciplinary team to deliver recommendations centered on safety, accessibility, and comfort. That experience continues to guide her academic focus and career goals.

Her contributions have also been recognized nationally. In 2022, Engineering News-Record named her one of California & Northwest’s Top Young Professionals, and in 2025, she received the Myra L. Frank Memorial Scholarship from WTS-Los Angeles.

Dakota’s immediate goal is to complete her MSTM degree by 2026 and pursue leadership roles in rail and transit projects that prioritize equity, safety, and customer experience. Reflecting on the program, she notes: “You don’t just learn policy or planning—you study everything from funding and finance to operations, leadership, and even marketing and communications. That wide-ranging perspective really prepares you to tackle transportation challenges from every angle.”

New Research

Evaluating Demand-Responsive Scheduling in Public Transportation Service Offerings to Retirement Communities 

This project explores alternatives to traditional fixed-schedule transit in retirement communities, comparing fixed-route service with demand-responsive transit (DRT) in two Santa Clara County communities with similar demographics and locations. Using travel diaries, researchers tracked participants’ recent trips, measuring not only how often they used each service but also how they felt about the experience. Findings showed that residents with access to DRT reported significantly higher transit use and greater satisfaction compared to those relying on fixed schedules. While evaluations of the service provider, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), were similar across both groups, the results highlight the potential of flexible transportation options to improve mobility and well-being for older adults. These insights can help policymakers make more informed decisions to strengthen mobility for all.

Update on Vehicle Rammings: Attackers, Frequency, Lethality, and Mitigation Measures

Between November 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025, there were 27 vehicle ramming attacks worldwide, including four in the United States. This Update on Vehicle Rammings analyzes the rise of these incidents, highlighting patterns, motivations, and strategies to reduce risk. Since 2012, most attacks have occurred in economically advanced nations, with the U.S. experiencing the highest number (83), followed by Israel and the Palestinian Territories (68), China (20), the U.K. (14), and France (12). Together, these five countries account for nearly three-quarters of global attacks. The study finds that incidents—and related fatalities—are increasing over time in advanced countries, especially the U.S., and often occur in clusters. By tracking recent trends and case studies, this research provides insights for transportation planning, street design, and event security to help address the growing threat of vehicle rammings.

Join MTI in the latest installment of our  On the Right Track  webinar series, featuring Angus Campbell of the globally acclaimed architecture practice Foster + Partners, as he discusses his work on rail stations both internationally and domestically in the US, particularly in California. This includes San Jose Diridon station and several stations along the Central Valley segment of California High-Speed Rail. Campbell’s work includes a wide range of projects, many involving adaptive reuse and mixed-use districts. What can California learn from international examples Foster + Partners has worked on? Are there lessons to be drawn on delivering projects more efficiently, while also maximizing their benefits for cities and regions? Join us for this not-to-be-missed conversation on Thursday, October 9th!

As the transit industry is experiencing significant changes (e.g., new technologies, potential funding shortage) in recent years, the symposium provides a platform where transit experts share insights on how evidence-based research is being or can be, used to make the most of these opportunities in a dynamic environment. This year’s symposium will focus on the following topics:

• AI in Transit
• Federal Transit Innovations
• High-speed rail
• Rural Transit
• Intercity Bus Systems
• Microtransit and Paratransit State of Practice

In addition to the opening and closing plenaries, the symposium features two types of sessions:

• Researcher + practitioner sessions: researchers and practitioners will jointly present a research project that addresses a practical issue important to a transit agency, metropolitan planning organization, or department of transportation.
• Regular sessions: traditional presentations where an individual presenter shares transit-related research.

The Symposium is convened through a partnership among the American Public Transportation Association, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the University of Florida Transportation Institute, the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, the Mineta Transportation Institute, and the Safety and Mobility Advancements Regional Transportation and Economics Research (SMARTER) Center at Morgan State University.

Presented by the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking, Santa Clara County’s Valley Transit Authority, and Santa Clara County’s Human Trafficking Taskforce, this one-day conference focuses on identifying and responding to different forms of violence, with a specific focus on human trafficking. In 2026, the Bay Area will be hosting the NFL Super Bowl, NBA March Madness, and FIFA World Cup. These events will bring amazing opportunities for tourism in the region, but we also know that it will heighten risks as it relates to trafficking, exploitation and violence. These risks are of particular concern to those in the hospitality and transit industries, law enforcement partners, and advocates providing services to survivors.