The Urban Transportation Center's research focuses on the following clusters: transit planning, operations, and management; transportation funding and financing; freight planning, operations and management; and data development for transportation planning and policy analysis.
Transit Planning, Operations, and Management
Multidisciplinary strategies are sought by public and private transit providers to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of service of their planning, operations, and management. The UTC has built a strong reputation and track record in transit planning both nationally and locally since its inception, and this has included studies associated with capital investment, facility design, service planning, infrastructure management, evaluation of operational strategies, development of strategic plans and programs, and technology implementation and evaluation.
Transportation Funding and Financing
The UTC also has experience in developing funding, financing, legislative, and public advocacy strategies for both private and public sector transportation interests. This includes transit rail extensions, public-private partnerships for toll facilities, airport facility revenue generation, and the finance and reform of metropolitan public transit systems.
Freight Planning, Operations and Management
The UTC has carved out a niche in studying and analyzing intermodal freight transportation systems with a particular emphasis on freight policy analysis, economic and land use impact assessments, and freight modeling. Faculty and staff have in the past completed projects requiring expertise in conducting freight surveys, freight-oriented development, intermodal terminals, commercial vehicle trip chaining, and daily tour scheduling.
Data Development For Transportation Planning and Policy Analysis
Developing primary data and constructing synthesized data from secondary sources for all modes of transportation is an integral part of research in transportation planning and policy analysis. This has been an area of strength at the UTC, with particular emphasis on statistical treatment of unusual observations, small samples and missing data, construction of synthetic bidirectional flows for people and goods movement, and data integration from multiple sources.
Other Areas of Specialization
• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
• Asset Management
• Transportation, Land Use, and the Environment
• Paratransit
• Human Services Transportation
