UGPTI Responds to North Dakota's Needs

Originally published in the North Dakota Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute newsletter: UGPTI Update: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-the-Upper-Great-Plains-Transportation-Institute.html?soid=1101720449945&aid=JNwdFdHQXe4

Summer is a time of intense activity across our region. At the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) at NDSU researchers are taking advantage of this time to gather data, conduct research and plan outreach activities.

The UGPTI Advisory Council has decided to resume publication of this newsletter after a hiatus of several years. As chair of the UGPTI Advisory Council, I am excited to share with you some of the excellent work of the UGPTI researchers and students.

But first, a bit of history about UGPTI. The Institute was formed by the ND Legislature in 1967, “to conduct and supervise research in the field of transportation and logistics in order to facilitate acquisition of a wider knowledge and understanding of marketing factors associated with the geographical location of the state of North Dakota and the upper great plains in the field of transportation and their influence on the socioeconomic systems of the state, region, and country.” This purpose is spelled out in the North Dakota Century Code, which also outlines the make-up of the Institute’s 19-member advisory council. This group of leaders provides guidance to the Institute in matters of related to the development of transportation in North Dakota.

At its founding, UGPTI was focused primarily on agricultural commodity shipping and rail rates. In the ensuing years, with deregulation in the rail and trucking industries and dramatic changes in North Dakota’s demographics, technology and business climate, the Institute diversified and broadened its programs to include nearly all modes of transportation. Today it is regionally and nationally recognized as a leader in rural transportation research.

In this issue of the newsletter, you'll learn more about the 2025 Autonomous Trucking Conference planned for next month in Grand Forks, how local leaders provide important input into the biennial local road and bridge investment needs study, and the opening of a new high-tech Traffic Data Intelligence Lab.

I hope you'll click the links provided in the newsletter to learn more about UGPTI's work across the state. If you have any questions about UGPTI and its programs, please contact me, UGPTI Director Denver Tolliver, or any of the UGPTI staff.

Best regards and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Sheri Haugen-Hoffart

ND Public Service Commissioner

UGPTI Advisory Council Chair