UFTI e-Newsletter – April 2015

Congratulations

Dr. Scott Washburn Honored with College of Engineering Award
Dr. Scott Washburn has been selected to receive the College of Engineering Doctoral Dissertation Adviser/Mentoring Award for 2014-2015 for his excellence in advising graduate students.[read more]


Research

UFTI Evaluates Corridors with Advanced Signal Control Technologies in Florida
A team of transportation faculty and graduate students are currently undertaking a study funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to look at the effectiveness of Adaptive Signal Control Technologies (ASCT) in selected test sites in Florida. The research team led by Dr. Lily Elefteriadou, Dr. Scott Washburn and Dr. Yafeng Yin will evaluate the traffic operational quality before and after the implementation of the new system.[read more]

Can Smartphone Parking Apps Help Reduce Traffic Congestion?
In densely populated urban settings, finding a place to park can be a real problem. Drivers often find themselves driving around and around for an extended period of time trying to find a place to park their cars, leading to wasted time and fuel, producing tons of carbon dioxide harmful to the environment, not to mention sheer frustration. Find out how Dr. Yafeng Yin of the UFTI and Dr. Yingyan Lou of Arizona State University and their team of researchers plan to optimize these services to help curb traffic congestion and emissions. [read more]


Education

Student Spotlight: Ria Kontou
To Ria Kontou, transportation engineering is a particularly rewarding field of study, considering the contributions a researcher can make to society. “The welfare and the well-being of modern societies rely heavily on transportation systems,” she said. . “A transportation engineer commits to achieving better mobility and, essentially, quality of life for all.” [read more]

UFTI’s Visiting Scholar from Spain
Alvaro Garcia 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 Spain’s capital and largest city – Madrid. Living with the hustle and bustle of a large city, Castro would often wonder why there was so much traffic. [read more]

UFTI Recruitment Video Highlights the Transportation Engineering Program
The Transportation Engineering Program in the Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering at UF is leading the way in cutting edge transportation research and teaching with exceptional faculty and graduate and undergraduate students participating in research projects, contributing to scholarly publications and activities. It is these students and others who will enter the workforce to make a difference in the transportation field nationally and internationally. [read more]


Technology Transfer

STRIDE Research to be Presented at the Florida i3 Transportation Showcase
STRIDE funded research projects will be featured as part of the Technical Presentation Program at the Florida i3 Transportation Showcase held May 26-29, 2015 at the Omni Orlando Resort at Champions Gate. The session titled “Active Traffic Management” will be presented by Dr. Lily Elefteriadou of UF, Dr. Mohammed Hadi of Florida International University and Dr. Nagui Rouphail of North Carolina State University on Wednesday, May 28, 2015. The presentations will discuss findings related to ramp metering, variable speed limits and other advanced traffic management strategies. [read more]

T2 Center and UFTI Students Reaching Out with Minority Task Force Grant
The T2 Center is in its third year of the FDOT-funded Minority Task Force (MTF) on Occupant Protection. A new item for the MTF grant this year is a software application created by UFTI doctoral student Miguel Lugo that can be used on a tablet to collect data during the pre-and post-surveys. [read more]

McTrans Rebuilds Two-Way Stop Control Module for HCS 2010 Release 6.70
The Two-Way Stop Control (TWSC) module has been completely rebuilt in the latest software architecture to provide a redesigned user interface for inclusion in HCS 2010 Release 6.70. This update now implements the procedures described in Chapter 19 of the HCM 2010. McTrans is completing the final beta testing for this module now and hopes to release it in May. [read more]