Fresno State New Technology

An innovative new program to help address air quality and to take advantage of advances in technology and transportation in the Central Valley has opened at California State University, Fresno. Made possible by a nearly $3 million grant from the Measure C New Technology Reserve Program, the new Transportation Institute is a partnership between the University, Fresno Council of Governments, and the Fresno County Transportation Authority.

The Institute, headed by founding director, Dr. Aly Tawfik, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, is dedicated to finding innovative solutions for Fresno County’s specific transportation concerns, with a four-pronged approach focusing on education, research, technical service, and public outreach.

The aims will include initiating undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as professional development workshops and conferences in regional transportation planning, economics, and business; building a workforce dedicated to addressing Fresno’s future transportation obstacles; funding studies and research grants to establish innovative research programs that focus on advanced multimodal and transit solutions; partnering with and providing local agencies with human resources and technical expertise to help them secure grants; and increasing public knowledge, acceptance, and expectations for advanced multimodal and transit systems.

Tawfik says, “This is an investment in Fresno County. We were awarded almost $3 million, but we believe we’re going to bring this money back. It’s an investment in our future.” The Institute will address our region’s unique problem of air quality; help Fresno County adapt to and optimize our future transportation industry, which will be drastically affected by both the high-speed rail and automated vehicles; provide a skilled labor force for our region; and spur economic growth.

Four other new technology grants were also awarded this year, as shown on the next page. Each is unique in their approach to helping the region identify and implement new innovations in transportation technology.