Inventing, creating and and guiding the future of transportation.

Technology is revolutionizing almost every industry and facet of our lives. New innovations arise each day that are making us more efficient, safer, and paving the way to a better tomorrow.

Yet, even as technology seems to be everywhere, one of our country’s backbones is still relying on decades-old technology. Due to congestion and lack of access for many Americans, transportation continues to become increasingly more inefficient and unsatisfactory. Its costs are the second largest expense for U.S. households. On average, each American spends more than 40 hours stuck in traffic each year, with the annual incurred cost from congestion estimated to be $121 billion. Meanwhile, the U.S. population is expected to increase by 70 million from 320 million in the next 30 years.

The cars that were once so synonymous with freedom and ease of mobility have fallen victim to their own success. But new ways of using existing infrastructure more efficiently are created each day. Technological innovation offer a chance to rethink, rework and reinvent our mobility challenges — and prepare for a transportation system unlike anything in the last century.

Where will the future of mobility take us?

Change is coming to transportation, whether we’re ready for it or not. We’re entering a transportation landscape rich with possibility, and full of challenges.

Streets are being redesigned to cater to all modes of commuters, not just drivers. Innovations in ride-sharing, bike-sharing, and real time transit services are re-imagining what it means to own your own car. Every feature of the automobile, from how they are fueled and owned to how they respond to the world around them and how the world responds to them, is being completely rethought and redesigned. America’s cities are tapping into real time infrastructure and mobility data to redefine how the transportation system works.

With all of this in mind, Mobility21, the National University Transportation Center for Improving Mobility has launched. By leveraging new technologies and revolutionary trends in transportation, Mobility21 aims to research, develop and deploy cutting edge technologies, policies, and develop educational programs to lay the groundwork for next-generation vehicles and mobility services for all.