October 9, 2025

UC ITS Launches New Round of Research to Shape California’s Transportation Future

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Through funding from the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 1), the UC Institute of Transportation Studies (UC ITS) is launching a new slate of research projects aimed at advancing California’s transportation, climate, and equity goals.

This year’s portfolio features work to enhance roadway safety, develop innovative planning tools, reduce transportation emissions, improve public health, and integrate emerging technologies. Together, these projects demonstrate UC ITS’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that public investments and policies are grounded in rigorous research and deliver tangible benefits for communities across the state.

Explore the new projects launching this fall below.

Airport Parking as Grid Assets: Optimal Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure and Management

Research Team:

Matthew D. Dean (lead)

UC Campus(es):

UC Irvine

Co-Designing a Community Bicycle Lending Library in Santa Ana, CA

Research Team:

Elisa Borowski (lead)

UC Campus(es):

UC Irvine

Enhancing Automated Vehicle Braking for Human Compatibility

Research Team:

Wenlong Jin (lead), Jooneui Hong

UC Campus(es):

UC Irvine

Do Plans Converge? Tracking Local Planning in Response to State Transportation Goals

Research Team:

Jae Hong Kim (lead)

UC Campus(es):

UC Irvine

Online Portal for Sharing Insights on Universal Basic Mobility and Mobility Wallets

Research Team:

Angela Sanguinetti (lead), Mollie Cohen D’Agostino, Brian Harold, Caroline Rodier

UC Campus(es):

UC Davis

Evaluating the Deployment of an Affordable Electric Carsharing Service in the City of Richmond

Research Team:

Caroline Rodier (lead), Brian Harold, Yunwan Zhang

UC Campus(es):

UC Davis

Exploring the Class 2b-3 Vehicle Market in California: Understanding Ownership, Usage, and Electrification Potential

Research Team:

Gil Tal (lead), Vaishnavi Karanam, Anya Robinson, Aviv Steren, Maha Shafaeen

UC Campus(es):

UC Davis

Investigating the Direct and Indirect Costs of Grid Updates Related to Transportation Electrification on Disadvantaged Communities

Research Team:

Alan Jenn (lead), Scott Hardman, Aaron Rabinowitz, Yanning Li

UC Campus(es):

UC Davis

Evaluating Road Resilience to Wildfires: Case Studies of Paradise and Carr Fires

Research Team:

Somayeh Nassiri (lead), Changmo Kim, Ali A. Butt

UC Campus(es):

UC Davis

Improving Shared Micromobility Vehicle Design and Safety

Research Team:

Beth Ferguson (lead)

UC Campus(es):

UC Davis

Estimating the Magnitude and Impacts of Bike Theft on Bicycling Behavior

Research Team:

Trisalyn Nelson (lead), Achituv Cohen, Dillon Fitch-Polse, Lizzy Schattle

UC Campus(es):

UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara

Effects of Road Collisions on the Travel Behavior of Vulnerable Groups: Expert Interview Findings

Research Team:

Prashanth Venkataram (lead), Dan Sperling, Jesus M. Barajas

UC Campus(es):

UC Davis

Collection of Activity Data from On-Road Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles

Research Team:

Kanok Boriboonsomsin (lead)

UC Campus(es):

UC Riverside

Re-Examining Induced Travel in California

Research Team:

Michael Cassidy (lead), Jean Doig Godier, Atiila Kharobo

UC Campus(es):

UC Berkeley

CrossWise: A Scalable System for Intersection Classification and Safety Analysis

Research Team:

Maryam Hosseini (lead), Jon Atkins

UC Campus(es):

UC Berkeley

Improving Electric Transportation Resilience After Disasters

Research Team:

Ricardo deCastro (lead), Keith Corzine

UC Campus(es):

UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz

Trajectory Planning for Connected and Automated Vehicles in Work Zones

Research Team:

Pei (Peggy) Wang (lead), Xinwei Yang

UC Campus(es):

UC Berkeley