For 50 years, Transportation Research Center Inc. has been a world leader in improving transportation and a driving force for Ohio’s economy - Op-Ed

By Brett Roubinek, President and CEO of Transportation Research Center, Inc.

Since 1974, North America’s most advanced proving grounds and transportation research complex has kept the Buckeye State on track with technologies that are vital to jobs and economic growth.

This summer Ohio celebrates the 50th anniversary of Transportation Research Center Inc., one of the state’s most impactful technological and economic landmarks.  At TRC Ohio’s sprawling 4,500-acre proving grounds in Logan and Union counties, nearly 500 skilled engineers and other specialists have built an impressive 50-year track record, helping to make today’s cars, trucks and highways safer and more efficient.

As president and CEO of TRC, I don’t hesitate in claiming that no place in North America can demonstrate a longer, more successful history of cutting-edge vehicle and roadway research to improve safety and automotive durability.  And because our highly regarded expertise and services have attracted so many industry-leading clients to Central Ohio over the past half-century, TRC has been a major benefit for the state’s economy as well.

TRC traces its beginnings to the late 1960s and the determination of then-Governor James A. Rhodes to build a world-leading, state-of-the-art test track and vehicle research center in Ohio.  The goal was to make our state a nexus for automotive research, draw manufacturers here and serve as an engine of economic development for the entire state.  Since its official dedication in July 1974, independent and nonprofit TRC has developed an impressive range of testing capabilities and professional expertise that has drawn transportation industry leaders here to test and refine their latest innovations.  As a result, many of those industries have also brought jobs to Ohio, investing in plants, research centers and other support operations.

 Today, TRC is a globally recognized automotive research complex that operates 24/7 to conduct autonomous and connected mobility testing for industry, the government and academia across the full transportation spectrum of passenger cars, trucks, buses, drones, motorcycles, aircraft, and off-road, tracked and alternative-fueled vehicles.  All this effort has focused on one objective:  making vehicles, highways and traffic management systems safer. 

That’s always been our goal, but so much has changed since TRC was born in the 1970s. This was the dawn of interstate highways and an era of tail fins, chrome bumpers and high-revving muscle cars.  But it was also a time when as many as 60,000 Americans were killed or seriously injured in highway accidents every year.  Over the past 50 years, safety features like seat belts, air bags and anti-lock brakes have significantly reduced highway-death rates.  Many of those lifesaving systems can attribute their development and constant improvement to the work of TRC specialists and their client partners.

Now, looking to the fast-changing future, TRC research is working to eliminate driver error and distraction, by far the leading causes of highway deaths today, as well as improving transportation for vulnerable road users.  Automated driving systems and other driver-assistance technologies, including cars and trucks wirelessly linked with sensor-equipped smart highways and traffic control systems, are making giant steps forward in traffic safety.  Well-researched estimates say these technologies, when perfected and fully adopted, could save thousands of lives each year in the U.S. alone.  There will be tremendous, worldwide benefits as well – and, thanks to TRC, Ohio will be a leader in making that happen.

As an example of TRC’s forward-looking mindset, I can point to significant upgrades being made at our highly regarded Impact Laboratory with a new $25 million economic-development grant from the State of Ohio.  Research conducted here has made crucial, lifesaving contributions to highway-safety advances over the years, and TRC is grateful to state leaders who share our commitment to keeping this a go-to resource for auto-safety research.  We’ve also developed our new SmartCenter, a 540-acre complex that’s been specifically designed for cutting-edge testing and research of autonomous driving systems and other advanced mobility technologies. 

While this year’s 50th anniversary celebrates TRC’s past, our focus – as always – is firmly fixed on the future.  We may be world-acknowledged leaders today, but everyone here knows we must always be preparing for what’s next in advancing technologies in order to keep ourselves – and Ohio – in leadership for the next 50 years and beyond.

Brett Roubinek, is president and CEO of Transportation Research Center, Inc., in East Liberty, Ohio.

About Transportation Research Center, Inc.

Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.) is North America’s most advanced, independent mobility testing service provider, fulfilling the complex engineering, research, evaluation and testing needs of the world’s leading transportation companies. With 45-plus years of engineering expertise and industry knowledge, TRC Inc. serves the needs of industries, governments, trade associations and educational institutions worldwide. TRC Inc.’s headquarters and Ohio facility (TRC Ohio) is located on 4,500 acres of land in East Liberty, OH, 40 miles northwest of Columbus. TRC Ohio operates 24/7 with a variety of facilities including road courses, wooded trails, 7.5-mile High-speed Oval Test Track, and a 50-acre Vehicle Dynamics Area. On this expansive facility, TRC Ohio conducts programs designed to test for safety, energy efficiency, fuel economy, emissions, durability, performance, noise, crash simulation and crash-worthiness.  Programs evaluate performance of passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, airplanes, off-road, tracked, alternative-fueled vehicles and its components. More information about the organization can be found at TRC Next.