Course Details

Course Number: 94-845

Growth with Intelligent Transportation

Units: 6

Cities all around the world are being built and re-invented as smart cities utilizing information systems and innovative applications of data analytics. One major smart cities component is transportation. The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) industry is expected to grow at a rate of 19% per year and reach $5.5 Billion in annual investment by 2020. This shifting dynamic provides great opportunity for improved transportation safety and efficiency but also poses challenging information systems and public policy challenges. Furthermore, there are new opportunities for professional-school graduates outside of engineering schools for employment in transportation planning and policy.

This course is supported by CMU’s Traffic21 Initiative and Technologies for Safe and Efficient Transportation (T-SET) University Transportation Center. Classes will feature guest lectures provided by T-SET faculty and industry and government ITS professionals.

Learning Objectives:

• Develop an understanding of the underlying dynamics of the smart cities trend and how ITS is integrated. Smart Cities components in addition to transportation include; energy systems, health and human services, education, water and sewer infrastructure, public safety, etc.

• Develop an understanding of the various components of ITS. Examples of ITS components include; autonomous and connected vehicle technology in vehicles and between infrastructure and vehicles, real-time sensing of infrastructure, artificial intelligence to analyze data, information dissemination, etc.

• Develop an understanding of the various applications/systems of ITS on the local, state, national and international levels. Examples of ITS applications include: advanced traffic control system, automatic road enforcement (variable speed limits, electric toll collection), intelligent public transportation system, transportation demand management, intelligent parking management system, multi-modal traveler information systems, etc.

• Synthesize and analyze ITS policy and understand the technology challenges. Examples of current technology challenges include inadequacy of GPS positioning distribution of safety certificates. Policy challenges include; privacy, liability, tax equity, social acceptance of technology, etc.

• Develop hands on experience of ITS concepts by applying them to scenarios such as the City of Pittsburgh’s smart transportation plans.


Sean Qian