With legislative support from Congressman Jerry Lewis, CSUSB was one of 22 Universities to receive funding from the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).

• August 10, 2005, SAFETEA-LU signed into law by President Bush
• January 2006, Norm King named Director
• July 18, 2006, the Center is named after William and Barbara Leonard
• November 7, 2006, the center's strategic plan approved
• Tier II University Transportation Center

The Center is named after William and Barbara Leonard for their long-time support of the university as well as the couple's commitment to education and to transportation issues. The Leonard's, who have been staunch supporters of scholarships, direct a program through the First Presbyterian Church in San Bernardino, where they are members. More than $100,000 in scholarships has been awarded, much of it to Cal State San Bernardino.

Bill Leonard was involved in the early negotiations that led to the university being located in north Sam Bernardino. In the early 1960s, Leonard was a founding director of Inland Action Inc., a group of local business, government and education leaders, of which Cal State San Bernardino is an active participant.

Earlier in his career, Leonard was a real estate developer. His company subdivided land for development, rehabilitated houses, built seven parking lots in downtown San Bernardino and more than 50 units in apartment complexes. He also built the public golf course on South Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino.

A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in business administration, Leonard has also had a profound effect on transportation issues in the region. He served on the High Speed Rail Authority and served as a member and chairman of both the California Transportation Commission and the California Highway Commission and held another gubernatorial appointment to the State Athletic Commission. His service to the state was acknowledged when the interchange of State Route 210 and Interstate 15 was named the William E. Leonard Interchange.

Location

The Leonard Transportation Center is located on the campus of California State University, San Bernardino equidistant between Los Angeles and Palm Springs in the heart of Southern California, the CSUSB campus serves the rapidly expanding Inland Empire, an area encompassing more than 27,000 square miles - a territory larger than 10 states.