What Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute does

Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) is a research and education center at North Dakota State University, established under North Dakota Century Code §54-53, that conducts transportation research, technical assistance, training, and data tool development. It operates ten specialized programs and centers spanning traffic analysis (ATAC), infrastructure preservation and sustainability (CTIPS), commercial vehicle safety (CVSC), DOT support services (DOTSC), regional consortium research (Mountain-Plains Consortium), local technical assistance (NDLTAP), tribal transportation assistance (Northern TTAP), rural safety and security (RTSSC), surface mobility simulation (SMARTSe), and distance education (Transportation Learning Network).

The institute's product portfolio includes a database of 1,326+ research reports, the Geographic Roadway Inventory Tool (GRIT), monthly Grain Industry Data (Grain Trax) reports covering North Dakota grain production and shipment, and the Transportation Data Intelligence Lab (TDIL). Applied research extends into AI and machine learning for pavement marking condition assessment using mobile imagery and for explainable spatial analytics on highway-rail grade crossing safety, with peer-reviewed publications supporting these efforts.

UGPTI is funded primarily through government grants and appropriations from federal and state transportation departments, tribal governments, and industry stakeholders. It does not operate commercial pricing; technical assistance and training are delivered at no cost or minimal charge to eligible public-sector entities. Customer segments are dominated by North Dakota state agencies, county and municipal governments, tribal governments, and agricultural industry stakeholders in the Upper Great Plains region, with growing national reach through the tribal road maintenance symposium.

Name

Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

Legal name

Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute

Website

https://ugpti.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute is a North Dakota State University research center that delivers transportation research, technical assistance, training, and data tools to state DOTs, tribal governments, counties, cities, and agricultural stakeholders across the Upper Great Plains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transportation Research Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Transportation (488), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

DSRC / IEEE 802.11p V2X Infrastructure (TLAJAHAD)

Keywords

• Transportation research services
• Rural road safety training
• Infrastructure data tools
• Tribal technical assistance
• Grain transportation analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Fargo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: Funded by federal and state transportation departments to conduct transportation research, technical assistance, and training programs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

UGPTI is a university-based transportation research and outreach institute that conducts applied research, provides technical assistance and training, and develops specialized data and geospatial tools for transportation agencies in the Upper Great Plains (North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, and Wyoming). Its portfolio spans traffic analysis, commercial vehicle safety, infrastructure preservation, rural and tribal transportation, freight and grain logistics, and live broadcast training for transportation professionals. Core publicly accessible assets include a research reports database (1,326+ reports), the Geographic Roadway Inventory Tool (GRIT), Grain Trax, and the Transportation Data Intelligence Lab (TDIL).

Product overview

Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) is a research and education center at North Dakota State University offering a portfolio of transportation research products and services. The institute operates a research reports database containing over 1,300 reports, supported by specialized tools including the Geographic Roadway Inventory Tool (GRIT) for spatial analysis and the Grain Industry Data (Grain Trax) for agricultural transportation intelligence. UGPTI also houses several specialized research centers (ATAC, CTIPS, DOTSC, MPC) and programs focused on traffic analysis, infrastructure preservation, and rural transportation safety. The Transportation Data Intelligence Lab (TDIL) serves as the core analytics platform integrating these research capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UGPTI Research Reports Database Searchable public database of 1,326+ UGPTI research reports, event proceedings, and staff presentations on transportation topics, available to public agencies, researchers, and the general public.
• Geographic Roadway Inventory Tool (GRIT) GIS-based geospatial roadway inventory and visualization tool that consolidates roadway data for use by state DOTs, local agencies, and researchers in the Upper Great Plains region.
• Grain Trax Grain industry transportation data and analytics platform providing visibility into grain and agricultural freight movements for shippers, elevators, and state agriculture departments.
• Transportation Data Intelligence Lab (TDIL) Transportation data intelligence lab that consolidates transportation datasets and provides analytics, visualization, and decision-support resources for researchers and public agencies.
• Advanced Traffic Analysis Center (ATAC) Center providing traffic analysis, modeling, simulation, and transportation data services for state DOTs, local agencies, and researchers, including traffic operations and safety studies.
• Center for Transformative Infrastructure Preservation and Sustainability (CTIPS) Research center focused on infrastructure preservation, sustainability, and pavement/materials research, including machine-learning-based pavement assessment for state and local transportation agencies.
• Commercial Vehicle Safety Center (CVSC) Center providing commercial vehicle safety research, data systems, and enforcement support for state DOTs, motor carrier safety programs, and industry partners.
• DOT Support Center (DOTSC) Center providing direct technical support, research, and analytic services to state Departments of Transportation in the Upper Great Plains.
• Mountain-Plains Consortium (MPC) University transportation center consortium that funds and conducts regional transportation research across the Mountain-Plains region, including student workforce development and research outputs.
• North Dakota Local Technical Assistance Program (NDLTAP) Local Technical Assistance Program providing training, technical assistance, and resources to city, county, and tribal transportation agencies in North Dakota.
• Northern Tribal Technical Assistance Program (Northern TTAP) Tribal Technical Assistance Program providing training, technical assistance, and resources to tribal governments and tribal transportation programs across the Upper Great Plains region.
• Rural Transportation Safety and Security Center (RTSSC) Center focused on rural transportation safety and security research, training, and outreach for rural counties, tribes, and small communities in the Upper Great Plains.
• Surface Mobility Applications and Real-time Simulation environments (SMARTSe) Initiative providing real-time simulation environments, surface mobility modeling, and application development for connected and autonomous transportation research.
• Transportation Learning Network (TLN) Live and recorded broadcast training network delivering professional development and training to transportation professionals across the Upper Great Plains region.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Dakota Public Service CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSheri Haugen-Hoffart serves as Chair of the UGPTI Advisory Council representing the North Dakota Public Service Commission, providing regulatory oversight and policy guidance on transportation matters.
• North Dakota Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRon Henke represents the NDDOT on the Advisory Council, supporting transportation research alignment with state DOT priorities and funding.
• North Dakota Association of CountiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAaron Birst represents county transportation interests, providing input on rural and county road infrastructure needs and planning.
• North Dakota League of CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatt Gardner represents municipal transportation needs, focusing on urban transportation planning and city infrastructure.
• North Dakota Farmers UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLance Gaebe provides agricultural perspective on transportation needs for grain and agricultural product movement.
• North Dakota Department of AgricultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDoug Goehring represents agricultural transportation interests and commodity movement logistics.
• North Dakota Motor Carriers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKacey Heidrich provides insight on commercial vehicle operations and trucking industry needs.
• North Dakota Wheat CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJim Peterson represents wheat transportation and export logistics interests.
• North Dakota State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUGPTI is a research and education center at NDSU, utilizing university resources, faculty, and students for transportation research programs.
• Associated General Contractors of NDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuss Hanson represents construction industry perspective on transportation infrastructure development and maintenance.
• Lignite Energy CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMike Holmes represents lignite industry transportation needs including coal transportation logistics.
• Grand Forks Cities Area TransitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKristi Slominski represents public transit needs and urban transportation planning.
• Mountain-Plains Consortium (MPC)coreTechnology or IntegrationUniversity transportation research consortium focused on rural and regional transportation challenges across eight universities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Midwest Transportation Center: USDOT Region 7 UTC hosted by Iowa State, focused on rural and multimodal transportation - directly comparable to UGPTI's MPC given overlapping regional priorities and stakeholder overlap in the Upper Midwest.

Emerging players

• Carnegie Mellon Traffic21 Institute: University-based transportation research institute applying AI/ML to smart city, traffic, and safety problems; comparable to UGPTI's CTIPS and SMARTSe work in deploying ML on transportation imagery and simulation.

Direct peers

• Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI): University-affiliated transportation research institute conducting safety, infrastructure, and data-driven research with proprietary testing facilities and tools, comparable in structure and mission to UGPTI.
• Center for Transportation Research (UT Austin): University transportation research center producing peer-reviewed reports, data tools, and training, similar in operating model and government customer base to UGPTI's MPC and DOTSC programs.
• National Center for Transportation Research (USF): USDOT-designated university transportation center producing research, education, and technology transfer for public agencies; shares UGPTI's funding model and mission structure.
• Mineta Transportation Institute (San Jose State University): Congressionally-designated university transportation center focused on multimodal policy, surface transportation, and workforce training; comparable in producing research reports and education programs funded by USDOT.
• University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI): University-based transportation research institute focused on safety, mobility, and policy; comparable in delivering federally and state-funded research products, datasets, and training programs to government stakeholders.

Broad incumbents

• Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI): Largest university-based transportation research institute in the US; shares UGPTI's model of multi-modal research, training, and data tools funded by state DOTs and federal agencies, but at materially greater scale and with national reach.
• UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies: Premier university transportation research program with deep faculty, AI/data science capability, and policy influence; comparable to UGPTI in academic institutional model but at much greater scale and national visibility.

Others

• Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (FHWA): Federal in-house transportation research facility of FHWA; not a direct competitor but a key counterpart/partner that consumes UGPTI's research products and co-funds many of the same programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ugpti
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upper-great-plains-transportation-institute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute