Morgan State University Newsroom Morgan State University
United States Congressman Elijah Cummings will join a host of transportation government officials and experts on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 for the Morgan State University National Transportation Center’s Transportation Funding Symposium, to be held in the University Student Center beginning at 8:00 a.m.
The symposium will engage community leaders on funding for transportation and benefits to national economic development, and is the latest event in a series of initiatives the MSU-NTC has led for the campus community and beyond. In addition, the symposium will introduce to the public a student driver safety campaign.
“In February 2011, the university took on Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood’s challenge to initiate a student driver safety campaign, which in our case focuses on the state bans on texting and talking on hand-held phones effective October 1, 2011,” said Morgan NTC Director Dr. Z. Andrew Farkas. “Our university community responded with a full campaign involving students and administrative outreach to build awareness for the state’s new cell phone laws, meant to discourage distracted driving. This symposium will enhance Morgan’s role in advocating for and building high quality, safe transportation systems in our state and throughout the nation.”
In partnership with the Maryland Highway Safety Office and Baltimore City DOT, Morgan is raising awareness with the installation of state highway signs (no texting, no hand held cell phone) on area roads around the campus and near the campus parking garage. The Morgan section of the National Council of Negro Women led a successful drive to raise student awareness of the new law, collecting more than 75 students signatures pledging to avoid cell phone usage while driving.
