About RTI

Center Theme:
Transportation and Economic Development in Mountain Regions

Who We Are

RTI  is a National University Transportation Center funded by the United States Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration and is based at Marshall University.

With the Center Theme of “Transportation and Economic Development in Mountain Regions,” RTI’s purpose is to advance transportation technology and economic development efforts through its research, education and technology transfer activities. RTI cultivates relationships with private industry and public agencies to leverage resources, technology and strategic thinking to improve mobility and to stimulate economic development in West Virginia, the 13 states that comprise the Appalachian Region, the Nation and around the world.

RTI’s headquarters are located in the heart of the Appalachian Region, in historic Huntington, West Virginia. A city of river, roads, rail and trail, Huntington features the largest inland river port in the nation – and 4th in the world; the intersection of two major rail lines; and a variety of intermodal facilities in the area. These unique resources position RTI as an ideal location for conducting site-specific research, supporting intermodal planning and analyzing economic data that will improve mobility and global connectivity.

What We Do

RTI addresses multimodal and intermodal transportation and economic development research, education and technology transfer activities to benefit the Appalachian Region and the United States. An emphasis is placed upon developing innovations and solutions that relate to 9 Program Areas:

  • Geospatial Sciences
  • Information Systems
  • Intelligent Transportation Systems
  • Maritime
  • Rails
  • Trails
  • Transportation Economics
  • Transportation Infrastructure Systems
  • Workforce Development/Continuing Education