UFTI’s Visiting Scholar from Spain

Alvaro Garcia Castro is a doctoral candidate from the Transport Research Centre (TRANSyT) located at the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM) in Spain. His doctoral fellowship provides him with the opportunity to spend time at international institutions, so he’s come to the UFTI for 3 months to conduct research under the direction of Dr. Lily Elefteriadou, the Institute’s director.

“I wanted to come to the U.S., as I had interest of knowing more about the university and the research system outside Europe,” Castro said. “My supervisor and other professors at my school recommended UF and in particular the UFTI.”

Castro was born in Murcia, a city in Spain nestled between the enigmatic and historical southern region of Andalucía and Valencia, well-known for its oranges and paella. Murcia sits overlooking the Mediterranean Sea where Castro used to spend his summer vacations, but he did grow up in Madrid – Spain’s capital and largest city. Living with the hustle and bustle of a large city, Castro would often wonder why there was so much traffic.

“Since I was a kid, I used to pay attention to the road when I was travelling with my family and used to ask my father why traffic jams happened,” Castro said. “I still ask myself the same question.”

Which brings us to his area of focus: traffic congestion and emissions mitigation. Castro is specifically looking at the effects of eco-driving behavior on traffic and emissions using traffic simulation software such as PTV VISSIM. What is eco-driving? Simply put, it is fuel-efficient driving, which follows a set of measures that includes anticipating traffic flow and traffic lights and accelerating and braking smoothly or shifting up earlier.

“Eco-driving data collected in Madrid, Spain reflect individual fuel savings from 5% to 15% compared with the same itineraries performed with a normal driving behavior,” Castro said. “In these 3 months, I aim to reproduce this eco-driving behavior in the traffic simulation software, and analyze the effects of different penetration rates of eco-drivers in the traffic flow and emissions.”

To do this, Castro will be using the available traffic simulation tools at UFTI. He is also interested in refining his traffic modeling skills and plans to interact with UFTI faculty and staff experienced in simulation. A portion his time also will be dedicated to conducting an extensive review of the literature in the traffic simulation area.

Castro’s background includes a master’s degree in Transportation Planning and Engineering from UPM and the Technical University of Munich in Germany as part of a double degree program between the two universities. While pursuing his doctoral degree at UPM, Castro has also received a second master’s degree in civil engineering systems with a focus in the field of transportation.

We are delighted to have such capable and motivated students at the UFTI. Welcome Alvaro!