TheTransportation Policy, Operations and Logistics Center was founded in 1991 within the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, home to nationally recognized scholarship in the area of public policy. The Center's programs focus on public policy issues associated with surface transportation, with emphasis on intelligent transportation systems. From the outset, the Center paid particular attention to institutional and user acceptance issues with additional research into privacy, consumer choice, land use questions, and demand modeling.

The School of Public Policy has grown from just a handful of faculty a few years ago to a full- and part-time faculty and staff of more than 100, including world-renowned scholars and international visiting fellows. It ranks third in the nation in federal research spending for public policy research, according to a recent National Science Foundation report. Research at the School focuses on the interplay of technology, political institutions, and economic development.