What Maryland Transportation Institute does

The Maryland Transportation Institute (MTI) is a multidisciplinary research and education institute housed at the University of Maryland, College Park, within the A. James Clark School of Engineering's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Formally established in 2018 under the UMD Office of the Provost's FY2018 Initiative Program, MTI coordinates more than $20 million in annual research expenditures and consolidates expertise from 10 UMD colleges spanning engineering, computer science, public policy, urban planning, economics, and public health, supported by 20+ affiliated research groups and a CATT Lab team of 100+ engineers, software developers, and researchers.

MTI's portfolio centers on transportation big-data analytics and decision-support platforms. Core technology assets include the CATT Lab-operated Regional Integrated Transportation Information System (RITIS), described as the world's largest transportation data archive; the COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform (39 metrics at national, state, and county levels, launched April 2020); the incenTrip AI-driven consumer travel app (35,000 users on Android and iOS); National Origin-Destination Data Products built from fused mobile device location data; and the MAP-21 Analytics Tools adopted by 30 states via AASHTO. Additional capabilities span smart traffic signal control systems, a deep-learning-driven spatiotemporal travel demand estimation framework, a UAS organ transport apparatus (patent pending), and the Build America Center, which provides technical assistance under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

MTI operates as a university-based research institute, not a commercial entity, and does not sell products or services at list prices. Revenue is generated almost entirely through competitive federal research grants and contracts from USDOT, FHWA, DOE/ARPA-E, NSF, CDC, and other federal departments, supplemented by state and local government research contracts (Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland State Highway Administration, four Maryland counties) and public-private partnership research projects with industry partners such as Battelle. The institute has trained more than 500 transportation professionals annually through affiliated online graduate programs and professional development courses.

Name

Maryland Transportation Institute

Legal name

Maryland Transportation Institute

Website

https://mti.umd.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Maryland Transportation Institute is a University of Maryland research hub that coordinates more than $20 million in annual transportation research expenditures, serving federal agencies (USDOT, FHWA, CDC, VA, Treasury), Maryland state and county governments, and AASHTO with data platforms, travel demand models, and policy analytics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transportation Research and Analytics

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

DSRC / IEEE 802.11p V2X Infrastructure (TLAJAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Asset Inspection, Monitoring & Digital O&M (Sensors/SHM, Drones, CMMS/EAM) (TLAJAAAK)

Keywords

• Transportation research
• Big data analytics
• Mobility data platforms
• Travel demand modeling
• Transportation policy

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants and Contracts: MTI's primary revenue stream consists of competitive federal research grants and contracts from agencies including USDOT, FHWA, DOE/ARPA-E, NSF, CDC, and other federal departments. These fund specific research programs, data platforms, and technology development. The institute coordinates over $20 million in annual research expenditures.
2. State and Local Government Research Contracts: MTI generates revenue through research agreements with state transportation agencies (Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland State Highway Administration) and local county governments in Maryland. These include the 14 active research projects with state of Maryland agencies and the COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform partnership with multiple Maryland counties.
3. Public-Private Partnership Research Projects: MTI conducts research in collaboration with private sector partners (e.g., Battelle) funded by federal agencies like FHWA, developing databases and tools for public-private partnership project decisions and public policy.
4. University Provost and Engineering School Funding: Initial institutional funding from UMD Office of the Provost (FY2018 Initiative Program) and the A. James Clark School of Engineering to establish and operate MTI as a multidisciplinary research hub.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

MTI is a multidisciplinary university-based research institute that conducts transportation research and develops big data analytics platforms, AI-driven travel demand models, and decision-support tools. Its portfolio includes the COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform, the incenTrip AI travel app, national origin-destination data products, MAP-21/RITIS analytics tools, and the Build America Center for infrastructure funding assistance, serving federal, state, and local government agencies.

Product overview

MTI is a multidisciplinary research institute offering a portfolio of technology platforms, data products, and research centers. Core offerings include the COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform (data and analytics for pandemic decision support), incenTrip (AI-powered travel demand management app), NHTS National OD Data Products (origin-destination travel data), and MAP-21/RITIS analytics tools (government transportation performance management). MTI also operates affiliated research centers including the Build America Center, CMMM University Transportation Center, and CATT Lab with its RITIS platform. The portfolio spans consumer-facing apps, enterprise analytics platforms, open data products, and federally-funded research centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform: Data and insight platform on COVID-19's impact on mobility, health, economy, and society for all U.S. states and counties with daily data updates.
• incenTrip
• Build America Center
• Next Generation National Household Travel Survey (NHTS)

Products and services

• COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform Comprehensive decision-support platform providing 39 metrics on COVID-19's impact on mobility, health, economy, and society at national, state, and county levels with daily updates. Includes the Society and Economy Reopening Assessment (SERA) tool for federal, state, and county agency decision-making.
• incenTrip AI Travel App AI- and big data-based consumer mobile app that provides personalized travel mode, departure time, and route recommendations based on real-time road and transit conditions, rewarding users with points redeemable for gift cards for smart travel choices that reduce congestion and emissions. Available on Google Play and Apple Store.
• NHTS National Origin-Destination Data Products National passenger and truck origin-destination data products for 2020-2024 derived from mobile device location data fused with NHTS core surveys. Includes data dictionaries, quality memos, and pooled fund packages, covering 300+ metropolitan statistical areas with rigorous validation against FHWA targets.
• MAP-21 Analytics Tools Web-based analytics tools adopted by 30 states via AASHTO to compute, visualize, and report transportation system performance and freight congestion metrics required under MAP-21 federal legislation.
• Regional Integrated Transportation Information System (RITIS) Platform hosted by CATT Lab providing analytical and visualization tools for agencies to calculate congestion costs, measure construction project benefits, conduct after-action reviews, and support transportation investment decisions using the world's largest transportation data archive.
• Public-Private Partnership (P3) Database Platform Open-access, web-based database of P3 project implementation and outcome information for transportation projects, developed for FHWA in collaboration with Battelle with nine detailed case studies to support P3 project decisions and public policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10% reduction in regional congestion and energy use with 160,000 active incenTrip users
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability9 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BattellecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2018MTI and Battelle collaborated on a project funded by FHWA to build an open-access, web-based database of public-private partnership (P3) information for transportation projects. MTI affiliates Qingbin Cui, Lei Zhang, and Paul Schonfeld led the UMD team working with Battelle researchers to compile implementation and outcome data supplemented by nine detailed case studies.
• U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) / Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSDOT and BTS use MTI's mobility metrics from the COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform to track the daily number of trips by distance bands across the United States, supporting national transportation planning and statistics.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDC integrates MTI mobility and social distancing data into epidemic models for prediction of future COVID-19 cases and deaths, demonstrating the crossover of transportation data into public health applications.
• U.S. Department of Veterans AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe VA uses the platform's Society and Economy Reopening Assessment (SERA) tool to help determine when to reopen certain facilities in specific states and counties.
• U.S. Department of Treasury and Federal Reserve SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTreasury and the Federal Reserve use mobility and economic metrics from the COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform for economic and financial impact analysis during the pandemic.
• Prince George's County (Maryland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrince George's County partnered with MTI to receive COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform data providing early warning of hotspots and assisting in targeted response during the pandemic.
• Baltimore County (Maryland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaltimore County partnered with MTI for COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform data and early warning of hotspots and targeted response support.
• Baltimore City (Maryland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaltimore City partnered with MTI for COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform data providing early warning of hotspots and assisting in targeted pandemic response.
• Howard County (Maryland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoward County partnered with MTI for COVID-19 Impact Analysis Platform data providing early warning of hotspots and assisting in targeted pandemic response.
• Build America Center (BAC)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe Build America Center (BAC) is housed at MTI and directed by Professor Qingbin Cui. BAC assists states and municipalities in accessing Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, providing technical assistance, emissions and equity analyses, and public engagement support for infrastructure projects.
• Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCEC partnered with the Maryland Equitable Charging Infrastructure Partnership (MECIP), which includes the Build America Center and nearly 20 corporate and municipal partners, to deploy 58 new EV charging stations in Maryland's economically disadvantaged communities using a crowdfunding model developed by BAC researchers. Supported by a $15 million federal grant.
• Maryland State Highway AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaryland SHA partnered with MTI on a four-month study to understand where truckers park and what factors they consider when choosing parking locations, surveying long-haul truckers at I-95 South Welcome Center and other parking locations.
• Morgan State University (MSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMD and MSU partnered to develop a GIS-based evacuation planning tool for low-income populations, piloted in the Baltimore metropolitan area using data from Anne Arundel and Carroll counties. Funded through MSU's Urban Mobility and Equity Center, part of a federally funded consortium including UMD and Virginia Tech.
• Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory (CATT Lab)coreTechnology or IntegrationCATT Lab is an MTI affiliate that hosts the world's largest transportation data archive (RITIS) and develops analysis, visualization, training, and educational tools used by local, state, and federal agencies and private companies. MTI leverages CATT Lab data and tools for all major research initiatives.
• Metropolitan Washington Council of GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Council of Governments plans to add incenTrip to the Commuter Connections accounts of tens of thousands of members, significantly expanding the app's user base to help achieve the 10% congestion and energy use reduction goal.
• Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSWC PCD partnered with UMD's UAS Test Site to test experimental wireless mesh network communications relay systems using UAS and robotic boats for naval operations applications.
• U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Tier One University Transportation CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMD was selected by USDOT to establish the Center for Multi-Modal Mobility in Urban, Rural, and Tribal Areas (CMMM), a Tier One UTC focused on improving mobility of people and goods, particularly among disadvantaged populations. UMD is also part of two other UTCs: the Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility REgional Transportation Equity Center (led by Morgan State) and the Research and Education in Promoting Safety Center (led by Howard University).
• Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft DivisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUAS Test Site partnered with Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division to extend the distance between a bomb disposal robot and its operator by tens of miles using UAS relay communications.
• Naval Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology DivisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUAS Test Site partnered with Naval Warfare Center Indian Head to extend the distance between a bomb disposal robot and its operator by tens of miles using UAS relay communications.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• INRIX: INRIX is a commercial provider of transportation intelligence and traffic data that partners with MTI (providing mobile device location data for OD tables) and competes with MTI-affiliated data products in the state DOT and MPO market. It represents the commercial counterpart to CATT Lab's RITIS platform.
• StreetLight Data: StreetLight Data is a commercial mobility analytics platform using location data to deliver OD and trip analysis for transportation agencies. It is both a partner to MTI (providing data inputs) and a competitor in selling derived mobility analytics to state DOTs and MPOs that MTI serves through research contracts.

Direct peers

• Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI): VTTI is a leading university transportation research institute with a comparable scope in intelligent transportation systems, connected and automated vehicles, and infrastructure safety research. Both operate large-scale test beds and partner with USDOT, state DOTs, and private industry on federally-funded transportation research.
• UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS Berkeley): ITS Berkeley is a leading university transportation research center with comparable focus on transportation big data, travel demand modeling, and AI-driven mobility research. Both serve as anchor institutions for UC Berkeley and UMD's top-tier transportation science rankings and compete for similar federal and state research funding.
• Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI): TTI is one of the largest university-affiliated transportation research institutes in the U.S. and a direct peer to MTI — both coordinate $20M+ in annual research expenditures, host major federal pooled fund programs, and partner with state DOTs and USDOT. MTI and TTI were jointly selected with INRIX by AASHTO for highway performance analytics.
• University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI): UMTRI is a major university transportation research institute with deep expertise in traffic safety, mobility analytics, and connected vehicle research. Both UMTRI and MTI operate as multidisciplinary research hubs with strong federal funding bases and provide data products used by USDOT and state transportation agencies.

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation (Transportation Research): RAND's transportation research division produces policy analysis, mobility studies, and infrastructure assessments for federal and state agencies. It overlaps with MTI in delivering evidence-based transportation policy research to USDOT, FHWA, and state DOTs but operates as a broader, non-university-affiliated research organization.
• Iteris: Iteris is a commercial intelligent transportation systems provider offering traffic management, intersection safety, and smart city analytics. It operates in MTI's ITS and connected infrastructure space but as a commercial vendor serving the same state DOT and municipal customers MTI supports through research.
• Cambridge Systematics: Cambridge Systematics is a leading private transportation consulting firm specializing in travel demand modeling, freight analytics, and transportation planning software. It competes with MTI for state DOT and MPO analytical contracts and represents the commercial alternative to university-based research in the same problem space.
• Battelle Memorial Institute: Battelle is a large applied science and technology research organization that partners with MTI on FHWA-funded P3 database research and operates broadly in transportation, energy, and national security research. It represents a much larger, established competitor in federally-funded transportation and infrastructure research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/marylandtransp1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/umd
• Facebookfacebook.com/clarkschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/edu/school?id=42980

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maryland Transportation Institute