Contact: Maridith Geuder
A just-signed research agreement between Mississippi State University and the University of Denver will look at ways to design a seamless national transportation system that saves money and increases travel efficiency.
MSU and Denver are sharing $1.6 million in federal grants for transportation research and education and will be eligible for additional funding beginning in 2002.
Earlier this week, the two schools collectively were named as a National University Transportation Center for Intermodal Systems Planning and Assessment. Intermodal refers to coordination and planning among various transportation systems.
The center is being established under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century that President Clinton signed into law June 9. Researchers will focus on various modes of transportation and ways to integrate them for increased efficiency.
The Starkville institution is home to the MSU Transportation Research Center, which coordinates learning, research and service among various university units in the area of transportation.
Meridian native Gil Carmichael chairs the Denver school's Intermodal Transportation Institute that focuses on transportation policy, law and planning issues. A veteran Republican campaigner and a recognized authority on intermodal transportation policy, he headed the Federal Railroad Administration during George Bush's presidency.
Melvin Ray, MSU's acting vice president for research, said congressional delegations from Mississippi and Colorado played key roles in achieving this recognition for the two states.
"In particular, Sens. Trent Lott and Thad Cochran and Rep. Chip Pickering were strong forces in recognizing the importance of transportation systems in the future and in communicating Mississippi State's expertise in the area of transportation issues," Ray said.