Transportation Tech Transfer Touted

The Center for Integrated Transportation Systems Management (CITSM) of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland organized a recent one-day demonstration/exhibition of prominent university transportation products developed with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) sponsorship in partnership with the DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).

The event was held on April 6, 2011, at DOT headquarters in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the event was to show the impact of DOT’s college- and university-based research and education programs. In addition, the event highlighted the transfer of technology from university transportation programs in use at various federal, state and local agencies.

Researchers representing 25 different universities, the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) and Federal Aviation Administration attended the event and showcased some of the high-impact research that is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Two CITSM projects led by Professors Mehdi Kalantari Khandani and Gang-Len Chang were selected for presentation at the event. One project was a low-cost, green wireless traffic sensor and the other, integration of variable speed control and travel time information to minimize recurrent highway congestion.

Attendees included RITA Administrator Peter Appel, Deputy Secretary of Transportation John Porcari (former State of Maryland secretary of transportation, and former University of Maryland vice president for administration), FHA Deputy Administrator Greg Nadeau and Ali Haghani, chair of the Clark School's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of CITSM.

Published April 12, 2011