About RETRC & University Transportation Centers

Research, Education, and Training Reauthorization Coalition

 The national University Transportation Center (UTC) program began informally in the 1970s.  The Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987 formally authorized the establishment and operation of the first ten transportation centers, one in each of the 10 standard federal regions. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) reauthorized the UTCs for an additional six years and added three national centers and six University Research Institutes.

Subsequent surface transportation bills, TEA-21 and SAFETEA-LU, reauthorized the UTC Program and continued to expand the program. 

In 2012, Congress passed MAP-21, which included a reauthorization of the UTC program for $72.5 million/year for FY 2013 and FY 2014. USDOT held an open competition to determine National Centers, Regional Centers and Tier 1 Centers in 2013.  

RETRC is composed of 22 universities, which work with over 100 different universities spread across 42 states making it a truly national organization