MTI was founded in 1991 as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and was reauthorized under TEA-21 and again under SAFETEA-LU. MNTRC was founded in 2012 following a national competition in which the consortium was awarded a $3.49 million federal grant to research various facets of public transit. In addition to San Jose State University, home of Mineta Transportation Institute, the consortium includes eight other universities: Bowling Green State University, Grand Valley State University, Howard University, Penn State University, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, University of Detroit Mercy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and University of Toledo. MTI and MNTRC share a board of trustees that includes internationally respected representatives from all major surface transportation modes. Under MTI's leadership, MNTRC conducts research, education, and information and technology transfer focusing on various aspects of transit, including policy, access, environmental impacts, alternative fuels, planning, and other issues.