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Introduction
The Innovative Transportation
Research Institute (ITRI) at Texas Southern University was
developed in the fall of 2006 by expanding the former Urban
Traffic and Air Quality Lab (UTAQL), which was first
established in 2000 and has already achieved extensive
accomplishments. By utilizing advanced technologies, large
scale computer simulation methods, complex modeling systems,
and state-of-the-art lab
equipments, ITRI will attempt to develop, evaluate,
optimize, and recommend comprehensive strategies for traffic
congestion mitigation, urban transportation planning, ITS
development, mobile source emission reduction, and fuel
consumption saving.
Mission
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Conduct innovative
research and development to seek optimal solutions to
various transportation problems
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Develop and deliver
high-quality education and training programs to traffic
engineers, transportation planners, transportation
managers, air quality specialists, etc.
Research Focuses
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Traffic planning and
simulation for real-time and large-scale traffic network
applications
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ITS data management
strategies for ITS and planning applications
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Automatic traffic
condition monitoring and prediction
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Transportation system
performance evaluation based on traffic video
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Mobile source emission
modeling
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Safety and human
factors
Five Affiliated
Research Centers
1. Center
for Modeling and Simulation (CPS)
The Center for Modeling and
Simulation aims to develop suitable transportation planning
models for middle and large-scale networks, and to develop
and identify microscopic and macroscopic simulation tools
for various transportation applications such as evaluating
evacuation plans, recommending comprehensive congestion and
incident mitigation strategies, improving roadway traffic
operation performances, etc.
2. Center
for Air Quality Analysis (CAQA)
The Center for Air Quality
Analysis aims to conduct extensive research on the
microscopic and macroscopic modeling of mobile emission
estimation and fuel consumption, and the measurement and
evaluation of on-road vehicle emission and fuel consumption
using advanced Portable Emission Measurement System (PEMS).
CAQA will also identify the impact of transportation
behaviors to air quality, and propose comprehensive
strategies to reduce emissions and fuel consumption from
on-road vehicles and non-road equipments so as to enhance
the regional air quality.
3. Center
for ITS (CITS)
The Center for Intelligent
Transportation System aims to investigate approaches to
significantly improve the performance of multi-modal
transportation systems by smartly utilizing various
up-to-date innovative technologies in interdisciplinary
fields such as transportation engineering, computer
engineering, electric and electronic engineering,
communication, automatic control, cybernetics. CITS has the
ability to obtain the transmitted real time traffic data
from Houston TranStar, and is equipped with the advanced
Autoscope Van for on-road data collection. CITS will monitor
and store the real time data, and develop innovative models
and procedures to archive, aggregate and compress the huge
amount of traffic data for the use of various applications
such as rural and urban transportation planning,
environmental protection, operational management, and
incident prevention.
4. Center
for Driver Behavior (CDB)
The Center for Driver
Behavior aims to investigate the application of emerging
technologies to transportation safety improvement and to
identify the impact of human factors in roadway accidents by
using the advanced driving simulator. CDB is also capable of
conducting cooperative human behavior related studies such
as drug and psychology tests.
5. Center
for Training and Technology Transfer (CT3)
The Center for Training and
Technology Transfer aims to perform any transportation
studies and conduct professional trainings to field traffic
engineers, air quality specialists, transportation planners,
etc. CT3 may invite new software and technology developers
for trainings from various industries, governments, and
organizations. All developed technologies in ITRI will be
introduced and transferred via CT3 |
