CURRENT PROJECT: Building and Promoting an Autonomous Vehicle Corridor in Western Pennsylvania and Beyond
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) are partnering to deploy PennSTART, a state-of-the-art training and testing facility to address the transportation safety and operational needs of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic Region. Safety21, the US DOT National University Transportation Center for Safety is a partner on the project and has sponsored/funded several research projects in collaboration and in anticipation of PennSTART.
Examples of technologies for which safety and operational testing, as well as training, will be conducted at the new facility include:
- Traffic Incident Management
- Connected & Automated Vehicles
- Tolling, ITS and Traffic Signals
- Work Zones
- Commercial Vehicles
- Transit Vehicles
- Autonomous Technologies
On December 8, 2025, PennSTART announced that construction is underway with a planned opening date in Fall 2026. News coverage can be found in the PennSTART news room. Director Raj Rajkumar serves on the operating committee of PennSTART; Metro21/Safety21 Executive Director Karen Lightman serves on other supporting committees including construction and education.
