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Virginia was in the race to create that place. The Center for Trans portation Research was receiving significant federal funding, and research to improve transportation safety and efficiency continued as a priority. A 1990 Richmond Times-Dispatch article quoted U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher as saying Virginia was the first state to apply for federal funds to build a smart highway, which the Center for Transporta tion Research would design. Center Director Anthony Hobeika told the newspaper that the highway would be equipped with fiber optic sensors that used navigational computers to warn drivers when they were getting too close to the vehicle in front, when they were veering off the road, when they were approaching a hazard, and when it was okay to pass. During the summer of 1991, the Roanoke Times reported, “A U.S. House of Representatives committee has approved Rep. Rick Boucher’s request for $10 million for construction of a ‘smart road’ between Blacksburg and Roanoke.” It was November by the time the proposal worked its way through the system and $5.9 million was awarded for a “smart road demonstration project.” In December, President George H.W. Bush signed the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 with approximately $660 million authorized to intelligent vehicle/highway systems during the next six years.

In early 1992, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors approved the “University Connection.” Other organizations or municipalities that endorsed the road included the Town of Blacks burg, the Greater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce, Roanoke City, Roanoke County, the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Com merce, the New River Alliance, and the Roanoke Times. Transportation Research Proceeds Even while the Smart Road was only on the drawing board, the Center for Transportation Research was advancing its mission of research and education. Support continued as the General Motors Foundation agreed in 1992 to give Virginia Tech $250,000 during the next five years for students to study smart highway systems. A $1.37 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration to Virginia Tech, Hughes Aerospace, Bell Atlantic, and JHK & Associ ates was awarded to support Rural Applications of Advanced Trav eler Information Systems. The project would assess traveler needs, identify technologies, and develop and test systems designed to improve the safety and efficiency of rural traffic. By 1993, other Center for Transportation Research projects that would grow into major programs in the years to come included:

During the past 25 years, VTTI has grown its research portfolio to encompass hundreds of sponsors, partners, and clients from both the public and private sectors. The continued success of the Institute is due in large part to its diverse collaborations with local, state, and national transportation agencies; fellow industry researchers; major automotive companies; and automotive suppliers. Since 1988, some of the key VTTI partners have included: • American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials • Battelle Memorial Institute • Bendix • Calspan • Crash Avoidance Metrics Partnership (a consortium of auto manufacturers) • CUBRC ExpandingVTTI

• George Mason University • Goodyear • Google • Halifax County, Va. • Intelligent Transportation Society of America • Meritor WABCO • Michelin • Motorcycle Safety Foundation • National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board • National Institutes of Health • National Science Foundation • Navistar International • NAVTEQ (now Nokia) • Nissan • Norfolk Southern Railroad • Penn State University • SAE International • Montgomery County, Va. • Morgan State University

• Texas A&M Transportation Institute • Toyota • Travelers • University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute • University of Virginia • U.S. Department of Defense • U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration • USDOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration • USDOT National Highway Traffic Safety Administration • USDOT Research and Innovative Technology Administration • Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research • Virginia Department of Transportation • Virginia Tech Foundation • Volvo Trucks and Volvo Cars • Westat

• Delphi Electronics • Fairfax County, Va. • Ford Motor Company • General Motors

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