FTA and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funds are transferred to the U.S. DOT Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), which then awards grants to specific UTCs and coordinates their research activities
By statute, each University Transportation Center (UTC) must develop a multi-modal strategic plan that describes how it will meet the UTC program’s legislative intent. UTCs must also report annually on the progress made in achieving identified strategic goals using specified measurable performance indicators. RITA documents the extent to which each UTC meets legislative requirements and undertakes research that directly supports appropriate strategic goals. For transit, these goals are FTA’s strategic research goals. FTA also undertakes considerable outreach to the UTCs to inform them of transit priorities.
For more general information on the UTC program, as well as completed and ongoing research projects, please see the U.S. Department of Transportation’s UTC website and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) UTC website. 