METRANS and the University of Southern California will be hosting the sixth Annual Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center (PSR-UTC) Congress on March 17 and 18 on the USC Campus in Los Angeles. Established in 2016 as the U.S. Department of Transportation Region 9 UTC, PSR conducts a multidisciplinary program of research, education, workforce development, and technology transfer aimed at improving the resiliency of transportation systems and the mobility of people and goods throughout the region.

The Congress provides an opportunity for researchers, students, and practitioners to present the findings from their work along with best practices from projects involving all aspects of transportation. The Congress also allows the host institution to showcase the local transportation systems and industry and government partners benefitting from the work of PSR. Past in-person Congresses have been held in Tucson, Long Beach, and Honolulu. The Congress was held virtually during 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the University of Hawaii also hosted a special post-Congress California-Hawaii Symposium, the first collaborative workshop involving the California and Hawaii DOTs.

This year’s Congress, themed "Moving Forward: Improving Transportation in Region 9," will feature 50 presentations, from students and faculty researchers, on topics that include life cycle greenhouse gas emission analysis of truck decarbonization pathways, general transit feed system simulations of transit access, homelessness in transportation settings, non-motorized travel, autonomous vehicles, and much more.

The 2023 Annual Congress will also feature two practice-focused panel discussions on emerging data needs in that apply throughout Region 9. Both of these practice focused panels, at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Pacific time on March 17, will be available in-person and via Zoom. The sessions will be on (1) data aggregation and standardization (1:30 Pacific March 17) and (2) novel data collection methods for truck and non-motorized traffic (3:30 Pacific March 17). To attend the practice-focused sessions on March 17 via Zoom, register here by March 15 and Zoom information will be emailed to you. 

The 2023 Congress will feature a special recognition of USC Distinguished Professor Genevieve Giuliano, the Margaret and John Ferraro Chair in Effective Local Government at USC, and the previous Director of the METRANS Transportation Consortium and the PSR UTC. Dr. Giuliano will be celebrated at a special welcome reception and luncheon on March 17. According to METRANS Director Marlon Boarnet, “The Congress is an ideal gathering in which to honor Gen Giuliano and recognize her work. The faculty and students present have all benefitted in some way from her mentoring and her groundbreaking research. Many of the practitioners, leaders in the transportation field throughout Southern California, found their way to transportation through her classes and her influential policy related work.”

There is no registration fee for the Congress. Over 150 persons are registered. Please register here.