The theme of the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) is maintenance and operation of high volume transportation infrastructure systems. It is the goal of CAIT to be a catalyst for creating a multi-modal transportation infrastructure research and education paradigm that incorporates input from members of the TIS community. The Center will be active in TIS education, research, and technology transfer in the critical areas of safety, mobility, economic growth, human and natural environment, and national security; (envisioned by USDOT in the recently published USDOT Research and Development Plan.) The unique feature of the Center will be its focus on implementation of advanced and cutting-edge technologies, from broad and interdisciplinary sources, used for efficient maintenance and operation of multi-modal transportation infrastructure systems in high volume and heavily utilized intermodal corridors.

The TIS maintenance and operation theme will guide all educational, research, and technology transfer activities of the Center. The main criteria for success will be the implementation of goals and objectives that have been identified and will be presented in detail in the following sections of this plan.