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Penn is launching the Richards Transportation Initiative at Penn (R-TRIP), a new hub for research, innovation, and real-world solutions in transportation. Housed in the Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR), R-TRIP brings together leading minds from academia, government, and industry.
R-TRIP is led by Leslie Richards, former CEO of PennDOT and SEPTA and now Professor of Practice at the Weitzman School, and Lead Faculty Advisor Megan Ryerson, the UPS Foundation Professor and chair of city and regional planning. The initiative aims to connect Penn’s world-class academic research with the complex realities of modern transportation systems, bringing innovative transportation ideas from the lab to the streets.
“The Richards Transportation Initiative is built on the idea that great research should move quickly into action,” says Richards. “We’re creating a platform where public agencies, private partners and academic leaders can work together to develop and implement smart, scalable solutions that accelerate innovation across the transportation sector.”
R-TRIP will address current challenges facing transportation today, including:
- Transportation safety and crash prevention;
- Expanded access to jobs, education, and essential services;
- Data-driven innovation and technology deployment;
- Infrastructure prepared for future demands and disruptions; and
- Improved reliability and performance of complex systems.
Whether reimagining how people move through regions or integrating emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and advanced analytics into decision-making, R-TRIP is focused on practical impact and measurable progress that can be deployed across cities, regions and states. Projects will be co-developed with input from public agencies and private sponsors and guided by interdisciplinary teams of Penn faculty, students and transportation leaders.
The Initiative’s Public Sector Advisory Committee includes CEOs from major transportation agencies across the country, offering insight across the mobility landscape, including transit, highways, airports, tolling and municipal systems. Members represent a broad and diverse mix of regions and networks, including LA Metro, WMATA (Washington, D.C.), California State Transportation Agency, Georgia DOT, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Utah DOT, Denver International Airport, Pittsburgh Regional Transit and Philadelphia’s Department of Aviation, among others.
“We’re creating a platform where public agencies, private partners and academic leaders can work together," says Leslie Richards, professor of practice in the Department of City and Regional Planning, of R-TRIP.
“The Richards Transportation Initiative is exactly the kind of forward-looking collaboration our nation’s transportation systems need,” says Garrett Eucalitto, President of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation. “Initiatives like this strengthen the ability of agencies to work across functions to improve mobility, accelerate electrification, and think beyond standard practices to better serve their communities.”
R-TRIP anticipates launching a series of pilot projects in collaboration with public and private partners, with an emphasis on:
- Leveraging AI and predictive analytics to improve safety and operational efficiency;
- Exploring smart infrastructure that adapts to user behavior and demand;
- Advancing mobility data platforms that support informed planning and investment; and
- Supporting infrastructure that is resilient and adaptable to future conditions.
These efforts aim to produce measurable public benefits, such as reduced congestion, increased safety, and broader access to opportunity, through solutions that can scale across diverse environments.
“We constantly ask how we can make travel safer, faster, and more responsive across Pennsylvania and beyond,” said Michael B. Carroll, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). “The Initiative’s applied research model gives us a powerful new tool to inform real-world planning and investment.”
R-TRIP is supported by a strong network of private sector partners. Founding sponsors include Google Public Sector, AtkinsRéalis, Bentley Systems, HNTB, INRIX, STV, WSP, 4M Analytics and Slalom.
“Transportation systems are the backbone of our communities,” says Eugenie Birch, co-director of Penn IUR and Lawrence C. Nussdorf Professor of Planning. “This Initiative reflects Penn’s ongoing commitment to research that serves the public good.”
The Richards Transportation Initiative officially launches with events on October 16 and 17, 2025.
For more information about R-TRIP, the launch events and collaboration opportunities, visit the PennIUR website.