Sadek Leading Project That Could Help Better Manage Traffic During
Extreme
Weather
December 10, 2010
Adel Sadek, Director of UB’s Transportation Systems Laboratory and Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, is leading a project that could help better manage traffic during
extreme
weather conditions.
Researchers are building a computer model of the Buffalo-Niagara region to help planners better manage the transportation system during
extreme
weather emergencies. The simulation is dynamic and will reflect the amount of congestion typical for specific times of day, including morning and evening rush-hour periods.
“The simulation will capture what goes on under various emergency situations,” Sadek explains. “For example, we will be able to predict how closing one lane—or an entire section of the Thruway—will impact the region’s traffic patterns. That information will allow traffic planners to better plan when and how they should respond when
inclement
weather is predicted."
UB transportation engineers are modifying TRANSIMS (Transportation Analysis Simulation System), a software program developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, to conduct the simulation.
The project is funded by the Federal Highway Administration. The partners on the project are the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council (GBNRTC) and the Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition (NITTEC). UB researchers should have preliminary results by this summer, with final results ready by spring 2012.
Related Links
UB project could help better manage traffic during inclement weather
UB Reporter; Dec. 6, 2010
UB Traffic Study: How to Keep Motorists From Being Stranded
WBEN.com; Dec. 6, 2010
Officials analyze Thruway snow woes
The Buffalo News; Dec. 5, 2010
