Center for Excellence In Advanced Traffic and Logistics Algorithms and Systems

Public Roads, Jan, 2001 by David Gibson, Alan Hansen, Pitu Mirchandani

Two major factors in the economic competitiveness of a country and the quality of life of its people are the ease with which people move between home and workplace and other destinations, minimizing the attendant impact on clean air, and the efficient movement of goods from point of origin to destination. Thus, economic competitiveness and the people's quality of life can be considerably enhanced by better management of vehicular traffic on the road network. Economic competitiveness can also be enhanced by better management of logistics to improve the efficiency and cost of the movement of goods.

Recognizing the pivotal role of research in discovering new efficiencies to enhance economic competitiveness and quality of life, the University of Arizona with the support of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) established a center of excellence for the research and development of algorithms, software, and systems to advance the state of the art and the state of the practice in traffic management systems and logistics management systems.

The University of Arizona has a solid background in transportation research. Since 1991, the College of Engineering and Mines has been conducting research in the area of Intelligent Traffic Control Systems, funded continuously through grants and contracts from FHWA, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), the Maricopa Association of Governments, the Pima Association of Governments, and the cities of Tucson and Tempe. In addition, members of the faculty of the college have developed software tools to manage emergency response systems for the Tucson Fire Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Also, along with the university's Office of Economic Development and the National Law Center for Inter-American Trade, the faculty has been studying technologies and systems to improve traffic and the movement of goods across the border. Lastly, through contracts and grants with other agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, and with firms, such as Modular Mining and AT&T, or simply thro ugh internal project assignment, faculty members have developed innovative methods for logistics management, such as scheduling resources (trucks, cranes, containers, storage space, etc.), designing networks, siting facilities, routing and scheduling vehicles (trucks, buses, cargo ships, etc.), and designing decision-support systems.

In the advanced traffic management area, the university's showpiece research is the development and deployment of RHODES (Real-Time Hierarchical Optimized Distributed Effective System), an innovative computer-based system for traffic-adaptive signal control. In laboratory testing, RHODES, which is the first system of its type developed in the United States, proved to be among the most effective traffic control systems dealing with congestion and widely varying traffic conditions. Various state and federal agencies have recognized the potential of RHODES and have scheduled field operational testing in Tucson, Tempe, Santa Clara, and Seattle. It is quite likely that some cities in Canada will also field test RHODES in the near future. Also, agencies in China, Italy, and Singapore have expressed interest in a modification of RHODES for their environment.

Successes in research in traffic and logistics management have not gone unnoticed. The city of Tucson helped to establish the Living Laboratory for Transportation Technologies to implement and test off-the-shelf equipment for traffic management. The Systems and Industrial Engineering Department of the College of Engineering and Mines established a Program on Research in Emerging Technologies for Transportation Engineering.

The university envisions that, within the next few years, the Center for Advanced Traffic and Logistics Algorithms and Systems (ATLAS) will be an internationally recognized resource for excellence in the research and learning of technologies, algorithms, and systems for efficient and effective traffic and logistics management. Public agencies and private firms will seek out ATLAS for assistance in assessing research needs and conducting research and development projects. ATLAS will be a continuing source of talented researchers and graduates who are engaged in researching, developing, and deploying the state-of-the-art traffic and logistics management systems.

ATLAS is building research and educational partnerships with the private sector; federal, state, and local government agencies; and other academic institutions and is seeking opportunities to collaborate with national and international experts. This will enable faculty associated with ATLAS to work together with faculty and staff from other universities and research organizations, as well as work on joint projects sponsored by firms and agencies throughout the world.

Also, the center will provide opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to spend extended periods of time at U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) agencies to conduct specialized research or studies. And the staff of USDOT, other public sector organizations, and industry are welcome to study and/or perform research at ATLAS.