Traffic Engineering And Transport Planning

Traffic engineering is a branch of civil engineering that uses engineering techniques to achieve the safe and efficient movement of people and goods on roadways. It focuses mainly on research for safe and efficient traffic flow, such as road geometry, sidewalks and crosswalks, cycling infrastructure, traffic signs, road surface markings and traffic lights. Traffic engineering deals with the functional part of transportation system, except the infrastructures provided.

Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning

Typical traffic engineering projects involve designing traffic control device installations and modifications, including traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings. Examples of Engineering Plans include pole engineering analysis and Storm Water Prevention Programs (SWPP).[1] However, traffic engineers also consider traffic safety by investigating locations with high crash rates and developing countermeasures to reduce crashes. Traffic flow management can be short-term (preparing construction traffic control plans, including detour plans for pedestrian and vehicular traffic) or long-term (estimating the impacts of proposed commercial/residential developments on traffic patterns). Increasingly, traffic problems are being addressed by developing systems for intelligent transportation systems, often in conjunction with other engineering disciplines, such as computer engineering and electrical engineering.

Traditionally, road improvements have consisted mainly of building additional infrastructure. However, dynamic elements are now being introduced into road traffic management. Dynamic elements have long been used in rail transport. These include sensors to measure traffic flows and automatic, interconnected, guidance systems to manage traffic (for example, traffic signs which open a lane in different directions depending on the time of day). Also, traffic flow and speed sensors are used to detect problems and alert operators, so that the cause of the congestion can be determined, and measures can be taken to minimize delays. These systems are collectively called intelligent transportation systems.

Highway safety engineering is a branch of traffic engineering that deals with reducing the frequency and severity of crashes. It uses physics and vehicle dynamics, as well as road user psychology and human factors engineering, to reduce the influence of factors that contribute to crashes. A well-drafted Traffic Control Plan (TCP) is critical to any job involving roadway work. A properly-prepared TCP will specify equipment, signage, placement, and personnel.[2]

Graduates of the master's program in Transportation Planning and Engineering join the ranks of one of the oldest networks of transportation engineering alumni in the United States. Students are trained by an internationally renowned, award-winning faculty with expertise ranging from traditional traffic engineering to the latest state of the art in smart and connected cities. Alumni gain access to one of the biggest transportation job markets in the United States with New York City, having one of the largest populations, with its transit systems, airports, and seaports, requiring an increasing number of transportation engineers to tackle the one-of-a-kind challenges that accompany them.

Current students are immersed in projects and learning opportunities in areas that the faculty members are known for including connected vehicle deployment; congestion management; city logistics; traffic engineering and optimal control; humanitarian logistics and disaster management; multimodal network design; activity-based demand scheduling; smart cities and urban informatics; among others.

3 Credits Urban Transportation & Logistics Systems TR-GY7013 This course provides graduate students with operations research methods to solve logistics problems faced by decision-makers for congested urban infrastructure. Optimization and evaluation methods covered include linear programming, network flow, integer programming, vehicle routing, facility location, functions of random variables, Markov processes, (point, spatial, and Jackson) queueing, and queue tolling. Students will design and analyze a toy system related to one of the following applications: public transport, shared mobility, ITS applications, freight deliveries, traffic operations. Prerequisites: Graduate Standing or Department Permission 3 Credits Fundamental Concepts in Transportation TR-GY6013 This course provides the contextual foundations to study urban transportation systems, using performance criteria reflecting the perspectives of system providers/owners, users and communities. The connection between transportation supply, travel demand, service volume and level of service is explored and quantified for various travel modes. The impacts of transportation system performance on travel behavior, communities and the environment is discussed. The role of technology and institutions is examined with case examples. Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor. 3 Credits Forecasting Urban Travel Demand TR-GY6113 The purpose of this course is to study methods and models used in estimating and forecasting person travel in urban areas. The objective is to understand the fundamental relationships between land use, transportation level of service and travel demand, and to apply methods and state-of-the-practice models for predicting person travel on the transportation system. Prerequisite/Corequisite: TR-GY 6013 or permission of instructor. 3 Credits Transportation & Traffic Concepts, Characteristics & Studies TR-GY6333 The course covers basic concepts in transportation and traffic engineering, including: volume, demand, and capacity; traffic stream parameters and their meaning; transportation modes and modal characteristics. The impact of traveler and vehicle characteristics on traffic flow and on other modes is presented and discussed. The importance of data collection is emphasized with sample studies, such as volume, speed and travel time, and safety. Capacity and level of service analysis for uninterrupted flow facilities, including freeways, multilane highways and two-lane highways is demonstrated using methodologies of the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor 3 Credits Traffic Operations & Control TR-GY6343 The course would focus heavily on signalization, with an introduction to simulation and signal timing tools. The course would cover warrants, timing pretimed signals, understanding actuated controllers and their settings, as well as detector types placement. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or department consent 3 Credits Transportation & Traffic Project TR-GY6403 This is a capstone course involving individual and/or group projects that include several different aspects of transportation planning and engineering. The project will be different each year, and focus on a problem of current interest and importance. Prerequisites: TR-GY 6113, TR-GY 6333, TR-GY 6343 or permission of instructor

3 Credits Analytics and Learning Methods for Smart Cities TR-GY7083 Basics of analytics and learning methods, with applications in smart cities. Introduction of algorithms in their very basic forms. Implementation of common machine learning algorithms in coding languages. Smart city applications of machine learning algorithms. Topics include probability review, inference, linear regression, classification, neural networks, and introduction to reinforcement learning. Applications include autonomous vehicles, traffic control, public transit, ridesharing, urban emergency response, smart grid, and smart buildings. Intended for students interested in smart city applications. Prerequisites: Knowledge of Statistics or Data Analysis or equivalent 3 Credits Stochastic Models and Methods for Engineering Systems TR-GY7063 Basic theory of stochastic processes and random graphs with a variety of transportation applications. Random variables, events, laws of large numbers; Finite-state Markov chains, steady-state distribution, exponential convergence, Markov decision process; Poisson process, Little's theorem, M/M/1 queues, queuing networks, hybercube model, fluid model; Branching process, Erdos?Renyi model, geometric random graph; Applications in connected/autonomous vehicles, intersections, highway traffic, transit, patrol, emergency services, air transportation, infrastructure maintenance, urban development. Prerequisites: Knowledge of Undergraduate course on calculus, probability, and linear algebra 3 Credits Multimodal Transportation Safety TR-GY7033 Technology, legislation and market forces have contributed to improved transportation safety for decades. But one must consider which metrics are most relevant for which modes, the role of demographics and traffic levels and other factors when analyzing and predicting safety trends. The course pays attention to a systems view, to metrics by mode and to both standard field and statistical analyses. Consistent with current priorities, the course addresses security as well as safety issues. Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor. 3 Credits Management of Urban Traffic Congestion TR-GY7123 The purpose of this course is to (1) understand the causes of traffic congestion and to measure how congestion impacts transportation users and communities, (2) set forth a vision for managing congestion and (3) develop and evaluate strategies and policies that achieve the vision. Prerequisite: Graduate Standing 3 Credits Urban Public Transportation Systems TR-GY7133 This course provides a thorough understanding of policy, planning, operational and technical issues that affect urban public transportation. It includes the historical development of cites and the rise of urban transport. Also covered are the characteristics of various urban transportation modes (their specific operating and infrastructure characteristics), as well as key elements that are critical to service provision, such as service planning, scheduling, fare collection, communication and signaling, station design and customer service. The course offers a broad perspective on regional planning, capital programming and policy matters. Special focus will be on emerging technologies and their practical applications. Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor. 3 Credits Intelligent Transportation Systems: Deployments and Technologies TR-GY7243 Transportation infrastructure deploys a wide range of modern technology to provide service to travelers, the general public and private entities. This technology enables other systems to function effectively and serve societal needs. This course focuses on data communications and applications in intelligent transportation systems: communications alternatives and analyses, emerging technologies, geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS). Prerequisite: TR-GY 6223 or permission of instructor. 3 Credits Design of Parking & Terminal Facilities TR-GY7323 This course covers design techniques and approaches to a variety of pedestrian and vehicular needs in conjunction with access to land functions. Parking serves as the primary access interface to many land facilities, from shopping centers and sports facilities, to medium- and high-density residential developments. Theplanning and design of parking facilities, and the planning of access and egress from these facilities, is critical to the economic success of a development. Terminals are inter-modal interface facilities involving the transfer of peopleand/or goods from one mode of transportation to another. This course covers essential elements of terminal planning and design, including transit stations and terminals, major goods terminals at ports and railheads and others. The design of pedestrian space and ways within terminal structures is also treated Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor. 3 Credits Data-driven Mobility Modeling & Simulation TR-GY7353 The goal of this course is to provide students with the tools and methods to understand basics of traffic flow theory, modeling and simulation. The emphasis will be on the use of real-world data to supplement the understanding of the theory behind theoretical models. Small-scale models will be developed in R or Python then tested and validated against real-world data. The use of some of the well-known microscopic, mesoscopic, and agent-based transportation / traffic modeling and simulation software tools such as SUMO and MATSIM will also be introduced using a hands-on approach with real-world transportation networks. Prerequisites: TR-GY 6333 and TR-GY 6343 or equivalents; or permission of advisor 3 Credits Travel Behavioral Informatics TR-GY7073 This course teaches students how to design information systems for operating transportation facilities and services. The information systems are built on information obtained from a diverse population of travelers, and hence behavioral modeling is a crucial component. An introduction is provided of intelligent transportation systems (ITS): systems engineering, ITS architecture, and current ITS trends associated with behavioral information systems: e.g. cyber-physical transport systems, Internet of Things, and information & communications technologies (ICTs). An introduction to decision theory with incomplete information is provided based on different models random utility maximization: multinomial logit, probit, nested logit, mixed logit. Students will design tools based on behavioral choice models (for users) in a dynamic setting and construct simulation tests to evaluate them. A route choice information system (new technology marketing strategy, route diversion system, or fare/toll revenue management system) will be used as a case study. Prerequisites: Graduate Standing or Department Permission Readings in Transportation TR-GY900X This is an individually guided effort involving research into a topic of interest, usually growing from a course the student has taken. Readings courses should not duplicate material available in a regularly scheduled course, but should involve additional research on a topic or topics of interest to the student that is related to a course or courses. A formal written report is required. The student must have a faculty advisor who agrees to work with them and an agreed-upon topic before registering. The student may register for 1 to 3 credits for a readings effort, in proportion to the effort and as approved by the supervising instructor. Prerequisite: Permission of supervising instructor. 3 Credits Intelligent Transportation Systems and Their Applications TR-GY6223 This course introduces the concepts and applications of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and its growing role in the management of transportation systems. The course stresses the role of ITS as national policy, as specified in major transportation funding legislation ? ISTEA, TEA21 and SAFETY-LU. A systems engineering approach to overall development of ITS technologies is stressed. Major components of ITS are discussed, and examples of their application treated. Coordination and integration of ITS components are treated. Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor. MS Thesis in Transportation TR-GY997X Students electing to take a 6-credit MS Thesis commit to a significant individually guided research effort, resulting in a formally defended thesis report, bound in accordance with Institute requirements. Prerequisites: MS degree status and permission of thesis adviser. 041b061a72