University Of Arizona Background

Since 1991, the College of Engineering and Mines has been conducting research in the area of Intelligent Traffic Control Systems, funded through grants and contracts from the Federal Highway Administration, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Maricopa Association of Governments, the Pima Association of Governments, and the City of Tucson. In addition, faculty from the College has 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 movement of goods across the border. Lastly, through contracts and grants with other agencies, such as the National Science Foundation, and with some private firms, or simply through internal project assignment, faculty have developed innovative methods for logistics management, such as scheduling resources (trucks, cranes, containers, storage space, etc.), designing networks, siting facilities, routing and scheduling of vehicles (trucks, buses, cargo ships, etc.), and designing decision support systems.

A particular highlight in these endeavors is the development of RHODES, an innovative computer-based traffic control system, done through the College's Systems and Industrial Engineering Department. In laboratory testing it has proven to be among the most effective traffic control systems dealing with congestion and widely varying traffic conditions (the first such system developed in the US). Various state and federal agencies have recognized the potential of RHODES and have scheduled field operational testing in the Cities of Tucson, Tempe, and Seattle (WA). It is quite likely that some cities outside the USA will also field test RHODES in the near future.

The City of Tucson has helped establish the Living Laboratory for Transportation Technologies to implement and test off-the-shelf equipment for traffic management. In conjunction with this, the College and the University have provided some seed funding for the SIE Department to establish a Program on Research in Emerging Technologies for Transportation Engineering.

In 1998, University of Arizona established the Center for Excellence in Advanced Traffic and Logistics Algorithms and Software (ATLAS). This Center consolidates and enhances the above mentioned research activities. The Center will also provide advanced educational programs and workshops in these areas for students, practicing engineers and managers, and researchers. It seeks collaborations with interested faculty and experts in these areas from other colleges within University of Arizona. It is envisioned that the ATLAS will become a world-renowned center of excellence in research on traffic and logistics management, where students, researchers, engineers, and managers will be attracted for learning and for pushing the state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice in traffic and logistics management.

In addition, it is envisioned that the ATLAS Center will seek support, partnerships, and collaborations with other public agencies and private sector companies to (1) develop algorithms and software dealing with other important traffic and logistics management issues (e.g., ground control for airlines/airports and cargo logistics systems for railroads) that are not currently within the scope of ITS goals and (2) fund international projects and collaborations (e.g., development of global distribution systems for express delivery of cargo).

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