The Transportation Research Center (TRC) is celebrating 50 years of automotive testing and research.
“Transportation innovators of every sort and size come to TRC because they appreciate the depth and diversity of our expertise, the broad range and quality of our services, and the client-first focus of our work,” said Brett Roubinek, TRC’s president and CEO.
“We’ve built that reputation over 50 eventful years, and we plan to continue in the tradition of our history for many years to come.”
The TRC was established by Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes in 1974, during the development of the interstate highway system and amid rising concerns over road safety that lead to legislative action to improve vehicle safety standards. In the half century since, it has grown to become North America’s “most comprehensive” independent test center and proving ground, servicing government, industry, trade associations and education organizations.
Located on 4,500 acres of land outside East Liberty, Ohio, the TRC has road courses, wooded trails, a 7.5-mile high-speed test track and a 50-acre vehicle dynamics area, and functions as a global hub for automotive research and testing.
In 2019 it opened the SMARTCenter for testing autonomous and connected vehicles; this facility has a six-lane high-speed intersection, dedicated facilities for autonomous vehicles and configurable traffic signals – designed for safe testing of vehicles in scenarios that mirror real-world driving experiences.