This three-year REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Transportation Engineering will provide undergraduate students an immersive and interdisciplinary educational experience in community engaged research. Improving the transportation experience for all communities is the focus for this project. REU students will develop as well-rounded researchers by learning to design transportation systems that better serve communities; to formulate transportation policies and regulations that lead to more improved and accessible transportation outcomes; and to help bridge communication gaps across disciplines, academia, transportation professionals, and communities of interest. Ten undergraduate students each year will engage in professional development activities about how to persist in STEM and to pursue graduate education and related careers in transportation engineering fields. Participants will be recruited from a variety of institutions nationwide including R1 institutions and community colleges. This project will help build the workforce in a key strategic area – transportation - helping to increase the economic competitiveness of the U.S. by providing opportunities for promising students in community engaged research, design, and planning. The objectives of this REU Site include engaging undergraduate students in transportation research, educating students on convergent research that affects their communities’ transportation decisions, encouraging participants t