Jan. 13. A $7.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will help fund a novel multi-institution center at UNC Charlotte that will be called the Center for Advanced Multimodal Mobility Solutions and Education (CAMMSE).

It will focus on relieving congestion and improving the quality of life for city dwellers around the country. Other institutions of higher learning joining in include Texas Southern University, the University of Connecticut, the University of Texas at Austin and Washington State University.

Wei Fan, associate professor in the College of Engineering, is the principal investigator for the center. The grant consists of federal funding 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.”

Charlotte, of course, is a hotbed of growth and expansion touching on all areas of mobility and infrastructure.

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.

Investigators will work in collaboration with the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and the NC Department of Transportation. Fan said they will use their research expertise to solve “real-world problems” for both CATS and NCDOT.