Center for Urban Transportation and Research (CUTR)

The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida, established in 1988 by the Florida Legislature, has become recognized nationally and serves as an important resource for policymakers, transportation professionals, and the public. With emphasis on developing innovative, implementable solutions to transportation problems, CUTR provides high quality, objective expertise in the form of insightful research, in-depth policy analysis, comprehensive training and education, and effective technical assistance that translates directly into benefits for CUTR’s project sponsors.

CUTR’s faculty of 45 full-time researchers combines academic knowledge and extensive “real world” experience in developing innovative, implementable solutions for all modes of transportation. The multidisciplinary research faculty includes experts in economics, planning, engineering, public policy, geography and other areas.

CUTR receives over $8 million per year in contracts and grants to support its research, education, training and technical assistance missions. The sponsors range from government entities to private sector both in Florida and in the United States, including Florida Legislature, the Florida Transportation Commission, state and local governments, agencies, and organizations. Areas of research, among others, include public transportation, transportation planning, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), transportation demand management (TDM), transportation economics and finance, geographic information systems, access management, alternative fuels, and transportation safety.

CUTR also is the home for the National Center for Transit Research and the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute.

National Center for Transit Research (NCTR)

National Center for Transit Research (NCTR), housed at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR), was designated and approved for funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration in 1999. Since then, NCTR has been repeatedly reaffirmed by the U.S. Congress in 1998 and in 2002 as Tier I University Transportation Center. The NCTR program builds on the goals and philosophies of the National Urban Transit Institute, which was established at the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida in Tampa by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991.

Through NCTR, CUTR conducts research projects in rapidly growing urban areas to develop innovative, pragmatic approaches that will enable public transportation to better meet the evolving needs of U.S. citizens.

Advanced Transit Energy Portal (ATEP)

Advanced Transit Energy Portal (ATEP) is an online information exchange resource covering all aspects of the adoption and operation of alternative fuel buses in the U.S. transit fleets. ATEP is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and is developed in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

The goal of the Portal is to facilitate the collection and sharing of various cost data related to the operation of alternative fuel (CNG, LNG, electric, hybrid-electric, bio-diesel) buses in the US transit fleets. It is envisioned that the collected data will include, but will not be limited to, the latest developments in various alternative fuel transit technologies, as well as the U.S. transit agencies’ experience with operating alternative fuel vehicles in their fleets, including identified advantages and limitations, lessons learned, best practices, critical success factors, and noteworthy comments.

ATEP will regularly share the current state of technology, latest developments, industry news, innovative approaches, best practices, cost implications, and other issues, related to implementing advanced transit technologies that would be useful to transit agencies, those already using alternative fuels, and those considering converting their fleets to alternative fuels.

The Portal is intended to create a single-point source of both theoretical and practical knowledge related to operating alternative transit vehicles in the U.S. transit fleets. It will facilitate information exchange and technology transfer, as well as provide a valuable resource to the transit agencies and government granting agencies considering the investment in alternative fuel transit technologies.