In urban environments such as Charlotte, multiple options are needed to move people and goods. To do so with maximum efficiency that relieves congestion and improves the quality of life for city dwellers will require innovative research, which is the aim of the Center for Advanced Multimodal Mobility Solutions and Education (CAMMSE) at UNC Charlotte.

Using a $7.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, UNC Charlotte will be the lead university for this novel multi-institutional center that includes Texas Southern University, the University of Connecticut, the University of Texas at Austin and Washington State University.

Wei Fan, associate professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department within UNC Charlotte’s William States Lee College of Engineering, is the principal investigator for the center; the federal funding is for five years.

“There is much compelling evidence that multimodal transportation plays a key role in the sustainability and efficiency of a transportation system,” Fan said. “Multimodal transportation is important in attracting people to urban areas, creating communities that are resilient and robust and improving the overall quality of life.”

Multimodal transportation refers to the integrated network of roads, airports, seaports, rails, transit systems, bicycle and pedestrian trails and walkways. CAMMSE researchers will apply the multimodal term to the movement of people and goods, with the aim of developing innovations to relieve congestion and improve efficiency for both.