METRANS
SPPD is at the forefront of transportation research through METRANS, the National Center for Transportation Research. METRANS is a U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Center. It is a joint partnership of USC and Cal State University Long Beach. Housed at SPPD, the center conducts interdisciplinary research, trains the next generation of transportation professionals, and provides outreach to the larger transportation community. Its mission is to solve transportation problems of major metropolitan areas through an integrated approach that draws on the disciplines of engineering, policy, planning, public administration, science and business. METRANS has four focus areas: goods movement and international trade, urban mobility; infrastructure, and safety and security.