Institute of Education Archives: Papers of Arabella Kurdi

Catalogue of the papers of Arabella Kurdi held by the Institute of Education Archives.Kurdi worked as School Meals and Domestic Science Organiser from The British Families Education Service (BFES) in post-war Germany. Her papers relate to her work, 1947-[1971], including album of photographs of conditions in Germany, friends and colleagues and BFES schools; correspondence, including letters describing her experiences; material relating to the school meals service; and printed material

Eighth National Garrett Morgan Symposium on Sustainable Transportation, Report MTI 08-03

On April 1, 2008, the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University hosted a videoconference that brought together experts in surface transportation and students from middle and high schools across the nation to discuss the importance of sustainable transportation. The goal was to introduce students to future career opportunities in transportation and to inspire them to take the high school and college courses that will prepare them for professional careers. Students from California, Maryland and Virginia participated in the 2008 symposium, during which they heard opening remarks from Vice Admiral Thomas J. Barrett, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Five teams of students presented their ideas on sustainable transportation alternatives for the future. These included a magnetic hover bus that can traverse both land and water, a plug-in electric-biodiesel-solar hybrid car, applications of the Stirling engine, a solar-hydropower bus, and an electric car with back-up power from solar panels and an internal windmill. The formal presentations were followed by a moderated question-and-answer session in which student teams questioned each other about their projects and sought the advice of experts about preparation for transportation careers and the critical issues they will face in the future. This publication is an edited summary of the April 2008 event, named in honor of Garrett A. Morgan, a black American inventor honored by Congress for his contributions to transportation and public safety

No Road, No Rage: A Forum on Expanding Bay Area Ferry Service, MTI Report F-02-01

As part of the Mineta Transportation Institute\u27s ongoing efforts to promote dialogue addressing surface transportation issues, it is my pleasure to share this edited transcript of No Road, No Rage: A Forum on Expanding Bay Area Ferry Service . As the title suggests, expanding water transit services has been proposed as one way to ease congestion on the roads. The San Francisco Bay Area Water Transit Authority is seeking to expand ferry service for the Bay Area, and this forum offered an opportunity for interested citizens to hear more about the proposal, ask questions, and share their concerns and hopes. This event was the result of many people\u27s efforts, and I thank all those individuals and organizations referenced in the Acknowledgements section. I especially want to thank George Dobbins, Program Director of The Commonwealth Club, for working with MTI to sponsor this event; Senator Don Perata for being a leader in the legislature on this issue and also for being our keynote speaker; Tom Vacar for taking the time to be our moderator; and our panelists, Steve Kinsey, Russell Long, Cynthia Murray, and Gavin Newsom. The Mineta Transportation Institute has three primary functions: research, education, and information transfer. It is in this last role that we organized and presented this discussion. We hope that this edited transcript will contribute to an understanding of the issues and possible solutions, not only for those in our community, but also for anyone considering water transit issues

Podcar City Washington, MTI Report S-13-03

On October 23-25, 2013, the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) co-presented a two-and-one-half day conference offering insights, strategies, and opportunities for cities to develop personal rapid transit (PRT) systems in their jurisdictions. These PRT systems are also known as automated guideway transit (AGT) or “podcars.” They are small driverless cars (4-6 passengers) that operate on an automated guideway system. Typically, they are used to transport passengers for first- and last- mile trips, such as between a transit station and an airport. However, they may be used for longer distances within or between neighborhoods or commerce centers. The International Institute of Sustainable Transportation (INIST) was the primary producer for the conference. Along with MTI, other co-producers included the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Swedish Transportation Administration, George Mason University, Advanced Transit Association (ATRA), and Kompass. Sponsors included Encitra, Lea+Elliott, and Citizens for PRT

Third National Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Symposium, MTI Report S-02-01

On May 2, 2003, the Mineta Transportation Institute joined numerous authorities in the surface transportation industry with several middle and elementary schools to discuss the topic of sustainable transportation. The purpose of this forum was to expose the students (from Maryland, Virginia, and California) to the many opportunities available to them in transportation-related careers, and to discuss the utilization of many natural resources to develop alternatives to current modes of transportation. Each of the schools participated in a videoconference to present projects for sustainable transportation options for the future. Their ideas included powering buses, cars, light rail, and ultra-light rail systems with solar energy, fuel cells, and wind. The symposium concluded with a question and answer session at the end. This publication is an edited version of the May 2 Forum