The SMARTER Center (2023-2029)

Overview

The Safety and Mobility Advancements Regional Transportation and Economics Research (SMARTER) Center operates a multidisciplinary research program designed to improve the mobility of people and goods in the Mid-Atlantic region. Led by Morgan State, the Center is a consortium of universities including Howard University, University of Delaware, University of Maryland, University of Pittsburg, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia University.

About SMARTER

The SMARTER Center is a USDOT Region 3 University Transportation Center that promotes the mobility of people and goods in the Mid-Atlantic through a robust program of research, education, and technology transfer. The Center was established under a $15 million grant awarded by the US Department of Transportation in 2023 and is the first USDOT Regional University Transportation Center to be led by an HBCU under Morgan State University.

The Center will work with the region’s state Departments of Transportation and other public and private sector partners to address growing transportation issues in the region's urban centers and rural areas, including food deserts, and rising transit costs, and congestion. SMARTER will leverage its staff’s extensive knowledge to provide science-based solutions to policymakers and strategic planners while supporting the development of a diverse transportation workforce.