Book Talk: Road Traffic Congestion; An Examination of the Causes, Consequences, and Possible Congestion Relief Strategies

Event date and time
-
Speaker(s)
Dr. John Falcocchio and Herbert Levinson
Sponsor(s)
University Transportation Research Center (UTRC)
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Description

Event Description:

Traffic congestion has been a part of city life since ancient times. Today, traffic congestion is found in cities throughout the world. It continues to increase as cities’ population and motorization grow, and public investments in roads and public transportation infrastructure have not adequately kept up with this growth. The current focus on the applications of advanced technologies (ITS) in the real-time management of transportation networks and travel demand, as well as the emerging promise of autonomous vehicles, offer near future expectations for greater transportation efficiency and for a more sustainable traveler and freight mobility.

This presentation is based on the recently completed book by Dr. John C. Falcocchio and Dr. Herbert S. Levinson, entitled “Road Traffic Congestion: A Concise Guide,” scheduled for publication in early 2015.

The presentation will cover five topics:

  • Types and Causes of Congestion 
  • Measuring Congestion
  • Impacts of Congestion
  • Congestion Relief Strategies
  • Future Outlook

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About the Speaker(s)

John Falcocchio:

Dr. John Falcocchio has been Professor of Transportation Planning & Engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) since 1981, and the Director of the NYU-Poly’s Urban ITS Center since 1995. Until 2003, he was the Executive Director of NYU-Poly’s Transportation Research Institute, and was the head of its Department of Civil Engineering until 2001. He received his BCE, MS and PhD at NYU-Poly (then Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn), and a Certificate in Traffic Engineering from the Yale University Bureau of Highway Traffic where he studied on a nine-month fellowship.
 
Strongly committed to integrating advanced technologies into transportation infrastructure management strategies, Dr. Falcocchio in 1995, co-established the Urban Intelligent Transportation Systems Center (UITSC) at NYU-Poly. For the last 10 years the UITSC has provided the NYCDOT and NYSDOT with an effective framework to assess ITS technology deployment strategies in upgrading the performance of New York City’s transportation systems through research, professional training, demonstration projects, and international outreach. His current research concentrates on the development and use of real-time traffic performance metrics in monitoring and managing traffic congestion. 

Herbert Levinson:

Herb Levinson has been an Icon Mentor at the University Transportation Research Center for many years. Herbert S. Levinson is a teacher, researcher and practitioner. Herb has impacted the majority of the transportation profession through his teaching, his extensive writings and his practice. His work spans the disciplines of traffic engineering, transportation planning, parking, pedestrians, policy and highway and transit design. Herbert S. Levinson was elected as the Institute’s 53rd Honorary Member by ITE’s Board at their August 2, 1997 meeting. Few transportation professionals have been so extensively published. Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), ITE and a myriad of other organizations cite more than 100 of Herb’s papers. 
 
Herb’s career has included employment with the Chicago Park District, Wilbur Smith and Associates and his own firm. He has served on the faculty of Yale University, the University of Connecticut and the Polytechnic University of New York. He has served on committees of the Transportation Research Board, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Planning Association and the Institute of Transportation Engineers.  (Information Retreived from: http://www.ite.org/aboutite/honorarymembers/LevinsonHS.asp)