[1] Professor Larson, serving as the PTTSC's first director, stated a vision for the organization in the April 1969 Status Report: "A major goal for the future and within the basic objectives of the Center is the evolution of an organization and method of operation compatible with the academic goals of this University and still comparable in terms of efficiency and creativeness with commercial research groups.

"[1] Early projects at PTTSC included the Pavement Durability Research Facility (construction started 1971) and a prestressed concrete bridge, which was built and tested to failure between 1971 and 1974.

[1] The Graduate Automotive Technology Education (GATE) Center was established in 1999 to focus on alternative energy storage systems, including the Air Products Hydrogen Fueling Station (installed in 2005).

In addition, the Penn State College of Engineering acquired space for what is now the Civil Infrastructure Testing and Evaluation Laboratory (CITEL) in 2003.

[2] Section 317 of the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987 (STURAA) established a new requirement to test transit buses before releasing federal funds to assist with the purchase, starting in 1989;[3] this rule was subsequently modified by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.