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Institute of Transportation Studies

Overview

The Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis was founded in 1991 as an Organized Research Unit under the aegis of the UC Davis Office of Research, and as a branch of the ITS Multicampus Research Unit (MRU) reporting to the UC Office of the President. (The other ITS branches are at UC Berkeley and UC Irvine.) Since then, ITS-Davis has evolved into a multifaceted program with more than 60 affiliated faculty members and 80 graduate students. Its primary program components are research, education, and outreach.

State policy and programs must be supported by independent research and fresh approaches. The state looks to the University of California for this need. UC Davis is so very valuable when the Legislature needs accurate information on vehicle technology, air quality, and greenhouse gases.

-- Lois Wolk, California State Assembly

Institute researchers are known for their expertise in travel behavior and transport systems modeling, environmental vehicle technologies, and climate change, air quality, and other environmental impacts of transportation.

With the strength of such a diverse research program as its foundation, the Institute’s academic curriculum prepares students with the technical and critical thinking skills they need to contribute productively to transportation decision making. The Institute’s outreach program, in concert with its research and education activities, offers real-world input to the university and in turn provides policymakers and the public with new research and information on emerging transportation technologies and trends.

The Institute partners with academic and research centers on and off campus, and with industry, government, and nongovernmental organizations around the world.

These partnerships ensure that ITS-Davis retains a broad-based, holistic, and independent perspective on sometimes contentious transportation policy and quality of life decisions. These partnerships, together with funding from private industry, government, foundations, individuals, and a variety of distinguished academic and research institutions, have helped ITS-Davis develop its increasingly prestigious and accomplished program.