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CR2C2 Participates in 2026 National Mobility Summit in Washington, D.C.
CR2C2 Participates in 2026 National Mobility Summit in Washington, D.C.
Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities | Christina Mosley
Published September 16, 2026
The Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities (CR2C2) joined nine other University Transportation Centers (UTCs) to organize the 2026 National Mobility Summit, held Sept. 14, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Led by the National Center for Understanding Future Travel Behavior and Demand (TBD Center), the summit convened representatives from the U.S. Department of Transportation, state and local transportation agencies, congressional offices, industry, and the transportation research community. The event highlighted UTC research supporting USDOT’s strategic area of Improving the Mobility of People and Goods and encouraged collaboration around a shared national mobility research and deployment agenda.
Summit discussions addressed key transportation challenges and opportunities, including travel demand forecasting, rural and regional connectivity, freight and supply chain performance, data and artificial intelligence integration, and multimodal transportation system performance.
Assistant Secretary Seval Oz addressed participants and highlighted recent USDOT Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology initiatives, including the Digital Corridors Initiative, findings from the department’s recent automated vehicle Request for Information, and alignment with the National Freight Strategic Plan.
Throughout keynote presentations, expert panels, and a UTC directors’ roundtable, participants emphasized that transportation innovation must remain grounded in safety and the needs of the people and communities transportation systems serve. Discussions also underscored the importance of ensuring that emerging technologies and research outcomes are practical, accessible, trusted, and responsive to real-world transportation needs.
During the UTC Directors Roundtable: Building a National Mobility Research & Deployment Agenda, Dr. Maranda McBride, Co-Director of CR2C2 at North Carolina A&T State University, contributed to discussions on improving connectivity and multimodal integration in rural and regional transportation networks.
Dr. McBride highlighted the potential for a multistate automated shuttle deployment demonstration that could help establish a framework for rural communities interested in deploying automated shuttle technologies. Her remarks emphasized the importance of combining technological advancement with human-centered research so that future mobility solutions are safe, trusted, and responsive to the needs of rural communities.
CR2C2 was also represented during the Rural & Regional Multimodal Mobility Systems session by Dr. Jidong Yang of the University of Georgia, a CR2C2 consortium institution.
As part of the session on Rural & Regional Multimodal Mobility Systems, Dr. Yang joined transportation leaders in discussing strategies to strengthen connectivity, safety, and multimodal access in rural and underserved communities. He also highlighted CR2C2’s hierarchical digital twin developed through Project P2-1-2 and the center’s contributions to the Digital Corridors Initiative, demonstrating how digital infrastructure and advanced transportation data can support improved safety and efficiency across rural transportation systems.
CR2C2’s participation in the 2026 National Mobility Summit reflects its continued commitment to advancing research and technology that improve mobility, connectivity, and transportation access for rural and regional communities.
For more information about this summit, please visit: https://tbd.ctr.utexas.edu/2026-national-mobility-summit/
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