The State and Local Policy Program (SLPP), which is part of the Regional Planning and Policy Area at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, conducts research on transportation and the community and economic development and human capital. In the former, research projects focus on understanding the social, economic, and environmental impacts of transportation technology and policy and exploring how new policy models can benefit communities, including congestion pricing and other applications of Intelligent Transportation Systems. In the latter, research focuses on understanding how changes in the global economy affect the economic competitiveness of regions and communities, including economic and income disparities, and how industry clusters relate to knowledge and workforce strategies. SLPP also manages the national Center for Excellence in Rural Safety (CERS) established under the federal surface transportation law, SAFETEA-LU, in 2005.