PennSTART is a unique partnership that was created among the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), Carnegie Mellon University, Westmoreland County, and RIDC. The program management project team led by Michael Baker also includes engineering consultants HDR, Inc. and BRPH, aviation specialist uAvionix, and mobility testing service provider Transportation Research Center, Inc.
PennSTART will be located at RIDC's Westmoreland Innovation Center in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and will feature a high-speed track, in-field testing, and several proving ground areas for testing and training under various scenarios. The facility will address safety training and research needs in several key areas: traffic incident management; tolling and intelligent transportation systems technology; work zones; commercial vehicles; transit vehicles; advanced air mobility; and connected and automated vehicles. PennSTART will benefit emergency and first responders, technology developers, public agencies, and research institutions.
