SURTC's Programs

SURTC is a program of leadership and partnership helping people solve mobility and transportation issues in the Great Plains states including: Western Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

The Vision of the SURTC is to develop a Center of Excellence that addresses the transportation needs of the public in small urban and rural locations.

The Mission of the SURTC is to be a research support and outreach center to assist small urban and rural transit systems and other transit entities by conducting relevant research and offering outreach and training.

The research undertaken will look particularly at social equity, transit ridership, improved technology and air quality. The Center will provide information to transit agencies, businesses and communities aiding them in planning, coordinating, and decision making.

The education will consist of undergraduate and graduate courses in public transportation preparing students to become leaders in the transit industry. In addition, SURTC will work with other faculty to incorporate public transit in student curriculum.

SURTC will also focus on training, outreach & service. Training will be conducted as needed, particularly in the DOT Region 8 states. One of the first projects will be to offer the CTAA transit manager training. Other training programs will be developed to meet user needs.

The service function of the program will be carried out using both traditional and non-traditional methods of dissemination and assistance. The Advanced Traffic Analysis Center (ATAC) training facility/laboratory will be used for training individual practitioners in the use of advanced technologies. Additionally, the TEL8 system, a telecommunications network linking four universities and five state DOT's in Federal Region 8 will be used to disseminate results and conduct workshops and seminars.

The specific goals of SURTC are:

1. Enhance public transportation systems in small urban and rural communities.
2. Improve accessibility and mobility in small urban and rural communities.
3. Foster and facilitate information exchange among transit stakeholders and decision-makers in public transportation.
4. Contribute to the body of knowledge in transit.

What Can SURTC Do for You?

The SURTC team wants to assist the transit industry in research, education, and training & outreach. Please let us know if you would like to host a training session in your city or have suggestions for research projects.