The way we move through life has a lot to do with the changing systems used to transport and accommodate our busy lifestyles. Throughout history, improvements in transportation have influenced our choices more than we realize and research and education have been the primary catalysts for these changes.
At the Institute for Transportation, Research and Education (ITRE) at North Carolina State University, the past 25 years have been dedicated to exploring and improving the transportation systems that impact and move our lives.
"A Definition of the Word "Transportation"
(from the 1978-1979 ITRE Annual Report)
Transportation is a complex set of interrelated systems that accommodate the movement of people and goods across time and space by some mode of conveyance over or through some type of guideway. Transportation is pervasive, influencing business locations and life styles. It allows alternative consumer choices in selecting living sites, offices, factories, schools, shopping centers, and recreational activities. Improvements in transportation permit increasing levels of participation, often by the transportation disadvantaged, in community activities.
Since its inception, ITRE has become a national leader in surface transportation research, education, and technical services. Working in partnership with other universities, federal and state agencies, and the private sector, ITRE has addressed the nation's critical transportation issues and made landmark strides in the arena of transportation education. While the true definition of transportation has not changed over time, its place in our ever-evolving human and natural environmental world remains dynamic. ITRE has also evolved every step of the way in order to meet and support the needs of the transportation world for the 21st century and beyond.
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