CSTI was created in August 2007. In total, we have secured over $10.2 million in external funding through 2022.

The Center for Sustainable Transportation has received over $2.6 million dollars for 10 additional projects since 2018. Six have been completed.

Current projects include Data management , mining, and Inference for bridge monitoring, Continuation of Carbon Nanotube additives for structural and Highway Concrete, Microbial Concrete Sealer and Tactical Urbanism / Demonstration Guide for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. In 2017 we were awarded from PennDOT 5 additional research projects. The total value of projects under contract with PennDOT at the end of 2017 was $1,435,881. In addition CSTI secured additional funding through the WalkWorks program, the Healthy Ride System Research Project (funded by the Oakland Transportation Management Association, OTMA) and a National Science Foundation grant in conjunction with the University School of Computing and Information (Pitt Smart Living) with funding totaling $210,347 in 2017.

In 2017 CSTI continued to sponsor the Transportation Forum at the University of Pittsburgh on April 5, 2017. CSTI, in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE) and Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), held this one-day forum to advance learning on the research being performed by CSTI. The forum in 2017 addressed the application of new technologies, condition monitoring and asset performance management for transportation infrastructure. The advancing of this work is a public-private partnership of transportation agencies, engineering companies and University researchers that work in a collaborative manner to improve infrastructure from the perspective of system owners, designers, and operators.

CSTI continued its participation with the Graduate School of Public Health in 2017 in the WalkWorks program funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. WalkWorks’ goal is to increase physical activity among children and adults by establishing community-based walking programs in Western Pennsylvania. CSTI conducted walking safety assessments for a walking route in Allegheny County, developed a Resource Guide for Implementing Infrastructure Recommendations of Walkability Assessments and participated in the awarding of planning grants for four Pennsylvania communities for the development of a transportation plan with an emphasis on walking and biking.

In 2017 CSTI began the Healthy Ride System research project on the bikeshare system in Pittsburgh funded by OTMA. This project will develop a methodology to determine the air quality benefits of HRS based upon the travel characteristics of bikeshare user. Estimates of HRS bike user’s volumes and routes in the City of Pittsburgh were determined along with reductions in vehicular travel. In 2018 the air quality benefits will be estimated for the region and a focused study area in Oakland within the City of Pittsburgh.