This email bulletin from the WCTRS contains the following items. Please click on an item to scroll to the details.

What: The CODATU XVIII Conference Prize for the best PhD Thesis on Urban Mobility in Cities of Developing Countries: Very Short Deadline

CODATU (Cooperation for urban mobility in the developing world) have just announced that they will be awarding the Prize for the best PhD Thesis on Urban Mobility in Cities of Developing Countries as part of the CODATU XVIII Conference, which will take place from 13th-16th September 2021 in Dakar. There is therefore a very short timeline for submissions, and they encourage all applicable young PhD holders and PhD students to apply as soon as possible. One prize will be awarded for the best thesis written in English, and one for the best thesis written in French.

Deadlines: Applications should be submitted with all supporting documents with the subject line “CODATU PhD Prize Application” to Este endereço de email está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa do JavaScript ativado para vê-lo. before Monday 21st June 2021. Application forms and Conditions and Rules for the English language and French language prizes can be found at this link.

Further information: If you have any questions please contact Solène Baffi (Este endereço de email está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa do JavaScript ativado para vê-lo.).

What: The 7th International Conference on Integrated Land Use Transport Modeling

The 7th International Conference on Integrated Land Use Transport Modeling Conference will be held on the 18th-19th June 2021 at the Center for Academic Exchanges, North Campus Teaching Area, Beilin Campus, Chang’an University in the City of Xi’an, China.The theme of the conference is “Supporting Spatial Planning and Integrated Planning: What and How”, and it aims to share the academic achievements and practical experiences of domestic and foreign elites in integrated planning, spatial planning and ILUTMs, discussing the support for regional/urban spatial and integrated planning through ILUTMs, the influence of ILUTMs on policy, transport, economic, land use, integrated planning and environment, in order to improve urban and regional transportation planning/assessment process and promote the exchange of research results and technical experiences in this particular area.

When: 18th-19th June 2021

Deadlines: Presentation abstracts of up to 200 words should be submitted online at this link by 11th June 2021. Participants should also register for the conference at this link before the start of the conference.

Further information: For further information please see the conference website. For current details of the program, please see this link.

What: The International Conference on Dynamics in Logistics (LDIC 2022) in Collaboration with SIG B1: Call for Papers

The 8th International Conference on Dynamics in Logistics (LDIC 2022) will be held in Bremen (Germany) from February 23 - 25, 2022 and will be accompanied by satellite events such as a PhD workshop.
Dynamics of logistics processes and networks are at the heart of the forthcoming conference. We invite empirical, theoretical, methodological, and practice-oriented contributions addressing the modeling, planning, optimization and control of processes in supply chains, logistic networks, production systems, and material flow systems and facilities. LDIC 2022 provides a forum for the discussion of advances in that matter. We encourage WCTRS researchers, especially those with an interest in Logistics and Supply Chain Management topics, and especially those connected to the SIG B and B1 interest groups, to present their best work at the conference and related events.

When: February 23 - 25, 2022

Deadlines: Deadline for abstracts (for presentations only) with up to 250 words: October 1, 2021; Notification of acceptance: November 1, 2021.
Deadline for full papers with up to 10 pages: September 1, 2021; Notification of review results: November 1, 2021; Submission of revised, camera-ready full paper: December 1, 2021; Publication of conference proceedings: May 2022.
The submission system – including author instructions and Springer’s template – will open in June 2021 on the conference website.

Further information: Please direct any questions to Este endereço de email está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa do JavaScript ativado para vê-lo. (SIG B1) co-chair about the conference. The full list of topics of interest and call for abstracts and papers can be found at the following link (PDF document), and the following website link. The call for papers is also be listed at the WCTRS SIG B1 homepage.

Dear colleagues

This email bulletin from the WCTRS contains information about the Call for Papers for the 8th International Conference on “Transportation Systems Engineering and Management” (CTSEM 2021). Papers should be submitted online through EasyChair by Monday 7th June 2021, following the author guidelines available at this link.  Further information can be found at the CTSEM 2021 website.

What: 8th International Conference on “Transportation Systems Engineering and Management” (CTSEM 2021). Online 26th-27th August 2021

The 8th Online International Conference on Transportation Systems Engineering and Management (CTSEM 2021) aims to bring together researchers, academicians and engineers in different areas of Transportation Engineering and Management.
The objectives of the CTSEM are to provide an opportunity for students, research scholars, academics, scientists and practising professionals to present their research works, exchange ideas, learn about advancements and applications in their respective fields and thus arrive at future directions for research.
The Call for Papers for this conference is now open. All papers should be in English, and all accepted papers will be published in Scopus indexed conference proceedings and reputed journals.
 
When: The conference will take place online on Thursday 26th-Friday 27th August 2021. The deadline for papers is Monday 7th June 2021. Papers should to be submitted online through EasyChair using the Paper Template.
 
Further information: The full details of the conference and call for papers, including a list of topics, can be downloaded from this link (PDF file). Further details can also be found at the CTSEM 2021 website.

Interview with International Transport Forum (ITF) Secretary – General, Mr. Young Tae Kim

The WCTRS Research Newsletter Editorial team took a brief interview of Secretary - General Mr. Young Tae Kim, of International Transport Forum (ITF), which is a key partner organisation of WCTRS.

Below is the full interview with Mr. Young.

How do you value ITF association with WCTRS? With the experience so far, in what way the association is useful?

I value our association with WCTRS very highly. Two ITF staff members play roles in WCTRS committees, and I strongly support that. The WCTRS is an important bridge to the academic community in many parts of the world. The WCTRS provides access to a deep pool of researchers and to the younger generation, not least through its triennial conferences. The Society is also a valuable partner in organising the annual Research Day we hold in conjunction with the ITF Summit. You help us to engage with a much broader range of transport researchers than we could ever reach alone. And your efforts to engage countries across the globe mirror our own efforts to be truly global.

What is your vision on transport research and practice post COVID-19? How can it address the challenges faced post-COVID-19?

The Covid-19 pandemic crisis has created serious problems for our sector. These will have to be resolved proactively once restrictions on social and economic activities are lifted. Not the least among these problems are the economic losses accrued by transport companies. If these are left on the accounts of operators, they will not be able to invest. In public transport, for example, this risk is launching a vicious circle of declining investment, declining quality of service and declining ridership. Such a development would be wholly incompatible with policies to protect the climate and create more liveable cities. Research amply illustrates the dangers of allowing debt to accumulate in the accounts of operators, and these findings need to be marshalled to forestall the same mistake on a massive scale in the wake of the pandemic. 

Kindly brief us about ITF, portfolio of activities being done, and how they can be beneficial to WCTRS members?

The ITF is the only global intergovernmental organisation with a mandate for all modes of transport. We work primarily with, and for, our 62 member countries, but we aim to be of value to all stakeholders in the transport sector. Like the WCTRS, we work to make the best research more visible and accessible to decision makers in our governments, and thus to increase its relevance and impact. We have a portfolio of projects mostly in five priority areas: connectivity; decarbonisation, digitalisation; universal access; and safety, security, and health. The work is undertaken as part of our core programme of work for member countries on the one hand, and in case-specific projects with various partners such as individual governments, international organisations. Multilateral development banks, or member companies of the ITF Corporate Partnership Boards. We regularly work with WCTRS members in these projects. We hope that beyond these targeted collaborations our research is a valuable resource for all members of the WCTRS. We regularly solicit the Society’s membership for contributing research papers for our annual Pre-Summit Research Day. The ITF can also help convey research findings from WCTRS members to policy insights.

What do you think could be ways by which transportation sector can contribute more and better towards achievement of UN SDGs?

There is not one SDG specifically focused on transport, despite the importance of the transport sector as a contributor to and means of sustainable development. Transport can in fact be connected to more than half of the SDGs, including SDG 2 Zero Hunger; SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being; SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy; SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities; SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13 Climate Action, and SDG 14 Life Below Water.  In addition, the transport sector will contribute to SDG 5 Gender Equality and SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, through the improvement of transport accessibility and connectivity. 

Mr. Young Tae Kim, Secretary-General, International Transport Forum (ITF)

Remembrance of Prof. Dinesh Mohan, IIT Delhi (Oct 4, 1945 – May 21, 2021)

Dear colleagues

We are deeply saddened to announce the loss of Professor Dinesh Mohan of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Professor Mohan was involved with the WCTRS for many years, serving on both the Scientific and Steering Committees, and providing invaluable help to the then President Yoshi Hayashi to initiate Organisational membership to the Society. Professor Hayashi remembers

that his exception writing skills and warmth of spirit made drafting the relevant documents and launching the initiative to be a smooth and easy process.

Professor Mohan’s work in Traffic Safety and Injury Prevention was unparalleled. He was invited to join the International Association of Traffic Safety Sciences and was the director of the Independent Council for Road Safety International. During his distinguished career he was the recipient of many honours and awards, including the 1991 International Association for Accident & Traffic Medicine’s International Award and Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Traffic Medicine. Professor Mohan also worked to develop the WCTRS’s research into traffic safety and initiated the WCTRS Special Interest Group in Traffic Safety Analysis and Policy (SIG C4) with Professor Geetam Tiwari. He brought good humour, humanity, and a beautiful style of writing to all of his work, and he will be sorely missed as a scholar, colleague and friend.

Professor Tae Oum, President of the WCTRS

Professor Yoshi Hayashi, Immediate Past-President of the WCTRS

Professor Greg Marsden, Secretary General of the WCTRS, and Ms. Emma Pickering, Secretary of the WCTRS

Introduction to Topic Area B – Freight Transport and Logistics 

In this newsletter TA B chooses to report activities in SIG B1 and B4 more extensively. Recent activities of SIG B3 were reported in the April 2021 newsletter and SIG B5 reports that it launched an expression of interest for a new book but failed to get sufficient number of potential contributions among the SIG members.

SIG B1 Logistics and Freight Transport Operations

Aseem Kinra (SIG B1) and Füsun Ulengin (SIG E1) have jointly edited a forthcoming special issue in Transport Policy on Transportation and Logistics Systems Performance Assessment.

The SIG also works on organising a workshop on transport research specialised on supply chains at University of International Business and Economics in Beijing in August 2021. It will combine offline sessions are for local Chinese scholars and online sessions for overseas scholars. SIG B1 is also active organising a doctoral workshop and a conference specialised within Logistics, to be held in Bremen in February 2022. Furthermore, SIG B1 is deeply involved in the WCTRS Chartered SCM (Supply Chain Management) Education-License program with Aseem Kinra and Kun Wang as steering committee members.

SIG B4 Urban Goods Movement

SIG B4 was established following the 1992 WCTRS Conference held in Lyon. Since then, papers from the SIG have been presented at all the WCTRS conferences and at many intervening events. SIG activities at the WCTR in Mumbai in May 2019 highlight the scope of the SIG and presentations covered a wide range of research approaches including case studies, modelling, behavioral analysis and scenario development. The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented SIG B4 members to meet at events during almost all of 2020 and the first half of 2021.

However, members of WCTRS SIG B4 played an active part in an online event held in Gothenburg in March 2021. Many of those who attended the WCTRS Conference in Mumbai took part in the event and it provided an excellent example of the way that this research community is growing adding new researchers from a wide range of countries. In total 315 researchers from over 30 countries took part in the three-day event with sessions organized to allow for the major time differences. In total over 80 papers were presented including the following topics:

• Pandemic: impacts on urban freight activity
• Digitalization and automation
• Policy and Planning
• From global flows to urban traffic
• Last miles initiatives
• Sustainable urban freight
• On demand economy and urban freight
• Urban logistics
• Facilities to enhance distribution
• Kerbside management

Presentations were recorded and are currently being edited to make them more widely available. For more details see: https://www.chalmers.se/en/centres/lead/urbanfreightplatform/vref-2021/Pages/default.aspx

Prof. Johan Woxenius and Prof. Michael Browne, Topic Area Manager B, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

(on behalf of all SIGs under TA B)

Updates – Activities done by SIG A2

From 5 to 7 May 2021, SIG A2 hosted the very successful fifth edition of the three-annual conference of the SIGA2 Maritime and Ports, fully online, supported by the team of the Department of Transport and Regional Economics at the University of Antwerp. 120 papers were presented, sessions were attended by 340 participants in total, and very interesting discussions were engaged in, among others during the 12 sector round tables on 6 May.

The audience was composed of academics, sector representatives, policy makers and students from around the world. Networking opportunities were stimulated on a dedicated platform.

Out of the conference contributions, four journal special issues will be prepared during the coming months, with following journals: Frontiers in Future Transportation, Sustainability, Case Studies on Transport Policy, and Competition and Regulation in Network Industries.

Prof. Thierry Vanelslander, University of Antwerp

WCTRS – Africa CAR Council

With 1.2 billion inhabitants and an ailing transport system, the African continent is in dire needs of transport solutions that promote smooth and sustainable connections for both persons and goods across this vast continent. The often-unique African problems require that this move towards a more safe and secure, affordable, accessible, efficient, resilient, and environmentally friendly transport system is done in close collaboration between local and international experts.

As a continent with both low-and middle-income countries, most research, thus far, has focused on transport economics, followed by road safety related research, as the continent carries the largest burden worldwide. Most of the research is conducted by Southern African researchers, followed by global researchers assessing African challenges. The aim of the African countries and regional representatives (CAR) is to improve and nourish the relationship of African researchers (and not only those in Southern Africa) with the global network of researchers and with each other.

After focussing on the dissemination of information of World Conference on Transport Research Society (WCTR) News for almost a decade, the focus of the African CAR has shifted to actively connecting African scholars to the Society. Chairperson Professor Marianne Vanderschuren (Este endereço de email está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa do JavaScript ativado para vê-lo.) from the Centre for Transport Studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, together with Associate Professor Dr Olusiyi Ipingbemi (Este endereço de email está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa do JavaScript ativado para vê-lo.) Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Environmental Design and Management, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, Professor Charles Anum Adams (Este endereço de email está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa do JavaScript ativado para vê-lo. or Este endereço de email está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa do JavaScript ativado para vê-lo.), Regional Transport Research & Education Centre Kumasi (TRECK), College of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana and Wilson Lepartobiko (Este endereço de email está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa do JavaScript ativado para vê-lo.) a senior engineer at the National Roads Agency, Kenya have identified almost 400 interested parties in Africa who are updated regularly about activities of the Society. Capitalising on the recent boom in use of virtual platforms for sharing and discussing transport research (also in Africa), we envision more access to global and local events, alike.

We encourage any interested party to contact us and Link up with the WCTR Africa CAR.

Prof. Marianne Vanderschuren, University of Cape Town, South Africa

In this Issue

1. “A PASS approach” – Research article by the WCTRS COVID-19 Task Force

2. Introduction to Topic Area H – Transport in Developing and Emerging Countries

3. Update – Activities done by SIG C1

4. Update – SIG B3 -–5th Interdisciplinary Conference on Production, Logistics and Transport

5. Update – SIG C2 – Workshop Series on State-of-the-art Traffic Signal Coordination

“A PASS approach” – Research article by the WCTRS COVID-19 Task Force

“Zhang J. (2020) Transport policymaking that accounts for COVID-19 and future public health threats: A PASS approach. Transport Policy, 99, 405-418” (Open Access) is now the most downloaded paper in Transport Policy. The paper presents a new policymaking methodology for addressing the impacts of COVID-19 and future pandemics, called PASS (P: Prepare–Protect–Provide; A: Avoid–Adjust; S: Shift–Share; S: Substitute–Stop). 

Viruses causing pandemics are invisible. It is therefore crucial to make policies in a systematic and seamless way by involving various stakeholders. The PASS approach is in line with general system theories. The approach is proposed in the context of the transport sector; however, it is also applicable to other sectors. It emphasizes cross-sectoral collaboration and involvement of various stakeholders.

In the paper, more than 100 policy measures are proposed/summarized. The following are some examples.

• Prepare – protect – provide: Preparing guidelines, contingency plans, institutional design for pandemic policymaking, public participation and capacity building, development of protection and physical distancing technologies as well as post-pandemic distancing driven urban and transportation planning; Protecting transport service staff and users as well as vulnerable population groups via immediate economic measures, physical distancing measures and personal protective equipment, and health monitoring; Providing evidence-based guidance and information, financial and institutional support, and anti-virus services.

• Avoid – adjust: Avoiding inconsistent and less scientific policy decisions, crowded platforms and vehicles, and unnecessary and non-urgent trips; Adjusting policymaking processes, service operations and demand management, activity-travel schedules, logistic supply chains and so on for minimizing transport.

• Shift – share: Shift to pandemic-sensitive governance and service operation, modal shifts (especially for encouraging sustainable transport), shift to a lifestyle suitable to the new normal; shared mobility, shared operational resources (using public transport and taxi vehicles to transport both passengers and goods), voluntarily-shared responsibility (e.g., encourage family members of public transit staff to take sufficient physical distancing), and information sharing.

• Substitute – stop: Substitution of transport activity by virtual communication, substitution of face-to-face procedures by online procedures to minimize transport; stop of services with close face-to-face contacts, lockdown, and stay at home, stop of unsustainable lifestyles and business styles.

Prof Junyi Zhang,Hiroshima University, Japan

Introduction to Topic Area H – Transport in Developing and Emerging Countries

SIG H1 (Chair: Shinya Hanaoka, Tokyo Institute of Technology) newly launched in 2017 after merging three different session tracks in the Topic Area H: “Institutions, Governance and Capacity Building”, “Planning, Financing, Socio-economic Impact Evaluation” and “Regional and Interregional Transport”. SIG H1 focuses on the multi-disciplinary research of transport policy, planning and financing in developing and emerging countries. The policy aspects cover the institutional capacity; capacity building both government and private entities; governance structures; policy and decision-making practices; and pricing of infrastructure services, etc. The planning aspects cover how well transport infrastructure plans are integrated with overall urban, national and regional plans, as well as the economic plans. The financing aspects cover innovative financing and funding issues in transportation including road funds, cost-recovery from users, public private partnership, and local government finance, including fiscal decentralisation. 

SIG H2 (Chair: Ashish Verma, Indian Institute of Science and Keping Li, Tongji University). It focuses on issues of infrastructure operation and traffic management in developing economies. It is a well-known and established fact that traffic behavior and characteristics in developing economies are fundamentally different than developed economies, especially in terms of, heterogeneity, non-lane-based traffic, little or no segregation, driver behavior etc. This requires fundamentally different theories and approaches to tackle infrastructure operation and traffic management issues in developing economies, including Traffic Theory and Modeling, Traffic Control and Management, Traffic Network and Analysis, Safety Analysis and Policy, Intelligent Transport System, Highway Capacity Analysis, Parking Policy and Management, Road Geometry and Traffic Flow, Travel Demand Management, Non-Motorized Transport Infrastructure operation, Public Transport Operation and Management, Quality Management (QM) in Transport and Logistics, etc. SIG H2 has closely collaborated with Transportation Research Group of India (TRG) and has published papers from its sessions in the journal Transportation in Developing Economies (TiDE), Springer. The last major physical activity of the SIG H2 was a Summer School on Governance and Mobility in March 2020.

SIG-H5 Urban Transport in Developing Countries (Chair: Varameth Vichiensan: Kasetsart University) is a joint-activity between WCTRS and CODATU, of which mission is to build capacity in the fields of urban transport and mobility in developing countries. As it is well accepted that the efficient and affordable urban transport and mobility for all are of prime importance for the developing world, SIG-H5 aims at transfer of knowledge and experiences (North-South as well as South-South), applied research and research capacity building in developing countries, and human resources development. As the economic and land-use characteristics of developing country cities are different from those prevailing in industrialized or developed countries, new and appropriate transport planning, engineering, and management approaches are required. Potential research topics of SIG-H5 include, but not limit to, traffic congestion mitigation, transport safety, land use/transport interaction, transit system for medium-size city, accessibility management, CO2 reduction, post-COVID-19 in the developing world. The past activities of SIG-H5 are special sessions at the WCTR conferences and CODATU conferences.

Prof. Meng Li, Topic Area Manager H

Tsinghua University

Updates – Activities done by SIG C1

In March, Xiaobo Qu, Kun Gao, and Xiaopeng Li finished a report on SIG-C1 Transport Theory and Modeling entitled “Impacts of COVID-19 on the Transport Sector and Measures as well as Recommendations of Policies and Future Research”. This report summarizes the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic, reviews existing research results, and identifies future research needs in the scope of SIG C1 in the WCTRS.

Xin Wang, Xiaobo Qu, and Xiaopeng Li submitted a workshop proposal to the 2021 IEEE International Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference (ITSC) entitled “Workshop for Global Advances and Future of Testbeds on Connected and Autonomous Vehicles”.

This workshop aims at creating a global discussion platform for leading CAV testbed representatives across developing and developed countries, including the US, Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. This workshop is expected to bridge the information gap among different testing methodology and protocols and present unique features and services of various testbeds.

Xiaopeng Li submitted two regular papers to ITSC. One is entitled “Long Short-Term Memory Network based Car Following Models with a Dimensionality Reduction Technique”. Another one is entitled “Automated Vehicle Identification in Mixed Traffic”.

In April and May, Xiaopeng Li and Xiaobo Qu will organize a workshop on modular autonomous vehicles virtually due to COVID-19. Xiaobo Qu will be organizing special issues with IEEE TITS and TR Part A.

Prof. Xiaopeng Li, SIG C1 Chair, University of South Florida

Prof. Xiaobo Qu, SIG C1 Chair, Chalmers University of Technology

Updates – SIG B3 - 5th Interdisciplinary Conference on Production, Logistics and Transport

On 17th and 18th March 2021, the 5th Interdisciplinary Conference on Production, Logistics and Transport took place in a virtual setting with great success. The ICPLT is a collaborative event hosted by the Technical University of Darmstadt and the Technical University of Dortmund, which focuses on actual drivers influencing economic, technical, environmental, and societal issues affecting production, logistics, and transport. However, this year's ICPLT was something special.

Due to the pandemic situation, the conference was successfully hosted and organized online by SIG B3 Chair Prof. Dr. Ralf Elbert (TU Darmstadt). He is part of the highly qualified scientific Conference Board, as is Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Boltze (TU Darmstadt), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Uwe Clausen (TU Dortmund) and Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Christian Pfohl, whose research focuses on transport planning, traffic engineering, logistics, and network management. 

This year, about 130 participants from all over the world were able to participate in the event. Presentations and subsequent discussions focused on topics such as "Promoting Intermodal Transport", "Freight Transport Modelling", "Transport Policy", and "Logistics Innovation Impact". Some special highlights of the event were the keynote by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lóránt A. Tavasszy from the Delft University of Technology with his presentation "Freight traffic management as a service: a data-to-value living lab" and the keynote by Dr. Amr Mahfouz from the Technological University Dublin with his presentation "Supply chain resilience to business disruptions: Brexit implications on Irish food supply chains".

Globalization, increasing volatility, digitalization, and urban growth lead to an increased utilization of transport infrastructure and an even greater importance of logistics services. Consequentially, companies and the public sector need to coordinate their decisions to stay competitive. The basis for such coordination is an interdisciplinary approach in basic and applied research. The ICPLT provides a platform for interdisciplinary discussion, which is often still neglected. This kind of discussion helps to gain a better understanding of interdependencies and conflicts of interest between the areas of production, logistics, and transport. Accordingly, the presentations at the 5th ICPLT focused on these areas.

The Special Interest Group B3 Intermodal Freight Transport looks back on two very informative conference days with excellent scientific discussions and is looking forward to participating in the next Interdisciplinary Conference on Production, Logistics, and Transport. The 6th ICPLT will take place on 21st and 22nd March 2023 at the Technical University of Dortmund. The call for papers is expected to start in summer 2022.

Prof. Ralf Elbert, SIG C1 Chair, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany

Prof. Felix Roeper, SIG C1 Chair, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany

Updates – SIG C2 - Workshop Series on State-of-the-art Traffic Signal Coordination

The Special Interest Group on Urban Transport Operations (SIG C2) has organized an online workshop series on arterial coordination signal control. The first two workshops were conducted on December 11th, 2020 and January 26th, 2021, jointly with Tongji-WCTRS World Transport Research Center. The workshops included several presentations made by world-class signal control experts from seven different countries.

Traffic signal coordination is a method to provide the ability to synchronize multiple intersections to enhance the operation of one or more directional movements, which is one of the key techniques to improve quality of service of urban arterials. Several different approaches have been developed and implemented in practice in different countries under their own background.

During the workshops, experts from seven countries presented the state of practice in signal coordination, including Dr. Zong Tian, Professor of the University of Nevada, Reno, USA; Dr. Axel Wolfermann, Professor of Darmstadt University of Applied Science, Germany; Dr. Thomas Riedel, Manager of Verkehrs-Systeme AG, Switzerland; Dr. Wanjing Ma and Dr. Chunhui Yu, Professor and Research Associate of Tongji University, China; Dr. Takashi Oguchi, Professor of the University of Tokyo, Japan; Dr. Maria Salomons, Researcher of Delft University of Technology, Netherlands; and Mr. Daniel Suter, Principle Consultant of Transmax, Australia. The workshops attracted more than 150 attendees from 12 countries. Following the presentations, Q&A sessions were also held for exchanging the information among the audience. It revealed that signal coordination is done under either fixed-time or actuated control with traffic detectors, considering not only automobiles but also public transport or bicycles in some cases, depending on the subject road network conditions and strategies in these countries. Discussions also covered complexities of real-world implementations, importance and difficulties of quality management of coordination systems, and expected impacts of connected-and-automated vehicles.

At the beginning of the workshops, Dr. Zong Tian also provided a brief update on the publication of the WCTRS-Elsevier co-branded book series. SIG C2 is in the process of publishing the second book of “Global Practices on Road Traffic Signal Control” that focuses on urban signal coordination, following the first one about fixed-time control at isolated intersections <https://www.elsevier.com/books/global-practices-on-road-traffic-signal-control/tang/978-0-12-815302-4>. Dr. Zong Tian will be leading the effort on publishing the second book. More information will be announced in the coming opportunities.

The final programs and presentations of the first two workshops can be found at <http://www.genv.nagoya-u.ac.jp/ge1/nakamura/wctrsig15/conference/coordination1/index.html> and <http://www.genv.nagoya-u.ac.jp/ge1/nakamura/wctrsig15/conference/coordination2/index.html>.

Prof. Keshuang Tang, Tongji University

Prof. Zong Tian, University of Nevada, Reno

Dr. Azusa Toriumi, University of Tokyo