Transportation and Infrastructure Systems Engineering
As a branch of civil engineering, transportation engineering has a history that is long and illustrious and a future that is full of promise. The National Academy of Engineering has identified restoring urban infrastructure and implementing smart mobility as grand challenges. We need coordinated approaches to tackle transportation issues by integrating car, rail, bus, truck, walking and bicycling to meet sustainability goals. Currently, we see how smartphones have enabled ride sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, while taxis and GPS-equipped cars and trucks are providing massive amounts of data that was unimaginable a few years back. Before long, it may be common to have vehicles are talking to infrastructure (V2I) and vehicles talking to each other (V2V). Traffic flow with automated vehicles is expected to be much safer and more efficient than with human drivers.
The journey to that future will be fascinating and challenging. The safe and efficient movement of people and goods relies on infrastructure. Highways, airports, railroads, waterways and pipelines need to be planned, designed, operated, and maintained. Purdue's Transportation and Infrastructure Systems Engineering faculty offer a wide range of classes, research facilities, and experiences. Their efforts will have noticeable impacts on challenges such as:
- Asset management
- Data acquisition and analytics
- Emergency response
- Energy
- Freight Transportation and Logistics
- Environment
- Smart Mobility
- Sustainability
- Urban infrastructure
The award-winning Purdue Student Chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers introduces students to the transportation profession and fosters a close association of students with practicing engineers, educators from other institutions, and local and national chapters of ITE.
Spotlights
April 15, 2014
Steven Lavrenz (JTRP), Pulkit Parikh, and Vinay Varadarajan represented Purdue in the regional Traffic Bowl competition sponsored by Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) on April 14, 2014 in Indianapolis.
April 2, 2014
The 100th Purdue Road School was held March 11-13 2014. Civil engineering professors Darcy Bullock and John Haddock served as co-chairs of the conference that included 160 sessions attended by approximately 2,330 transportation professionals.
April 1, 2014
The Center for Roadway Safety (CRS) focuses on driver and roadway infrastructure safety through a multi-disciplinary approach to research. Through its collaborations with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), Homeland Security and various offices at the US DOT, CRS has compiled one of the largest traffic-safety databases in the State of Indiana.
March 18, 2014
Congratulations to Alex Hainen, recipient of the 2014 College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award
February 7, 2014
Associate Professor Samuel Labi has been selected by the Transportation and Development Institute to receive the 2014 Frank M. Masters Award for his outstanding and innovative work in advancing the area of transportation infrastructure asset management systems.
August 13, 2013
A joint report published by INDOT traffic engineers and Purdue University researchers shows significant improvements statewide. The 2012 Indiana Mobility Report also ranks congestion on Indiana's interstates, including increases or reductions in travel time.
May 8, 2013
JTRP Project "Analysis and Methods of Improvements of Safety at High-Speed Rural Intersections" was selected as a High Value Research (HVR) project by AASHTO Region 3 RAC. Purdue University Professor Andrew Tarko served as the Principal Investigator.
April 22, 2013
This award recognizes excellence in both research and service to the school, college and the university community.
April 8, 2013
Samiul Hasan has been named a recipient of the 2013 Outstanding Research Graduate Student Award presented by the College of Engineering. This award recognizes excellence in graduate student research.
March 20, 2013
Congratulations to Prof. Fred Mannering on being named a recipient of the 2013 Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.
January 30, 2013
Congratulations to Kevin Ford on being selected by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of their 2013 New Faces of Civil Engineering.
November 1, 2012
The award was given in recognition of his exceptional commitment to broadening the reach of scholarship by making publicly-funded research freely accessible online in collaboration with Purdue Libraries.
June 12, 2012
Fifteen INDOT employees were recognized by Governor Daniels for implementing the JTRP Research Recommendations from SPR-3411, "Recovering Full Repair Costs of INDOT Infrastructure Damaged by Motor Vehicle Crashes."
March 21, 2012
Congratulations to Bismark Agbelie, Eleni Bardaka and Harkrishan Singh Sahi, recipients of the Edward J. Cox Memorial Transportation Scholarship Award, and to Wubeshet Woldemariam for winning the 33rd Annual Harter Rupert Best Paper Award.
March 1, 2012
The 98th Purdue Road School on March 6-7, 2012, was attended by over 2,200 transportation professionals. Governor Daniels was the featured speaker at the annual Road School luncheon.
March 1, 2012
Congratulations to Bismark Agbelie on being awarded the Outstanding Service Scholarship.
February 28, 2012
On February 24, 2012, USDOT awarded Eisenhower Graduate Research Fellowships to Alex Hainen and Steve Remias.
January 24, 2012
The NEXTRANS Center at Purdue University has been awarded a $3.5 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to advance research and education programs that address the nation's critical transportation challenges.
December 5, 2011
A study of Indiana drivers shows heightened risk of serious injury and death for men 45 and older driving on snow and ice, women driving on rain-slick highways, and younger men driving on dry roadways.
August 31, 2011
The Third International Conference on Road Safety and Simulation on Sept. 14-16 will take place at the Indiana Government Conference Center in downtown Indianapolis. The three-day conference is organized by Purdue University's School of Civil Engineering and the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council and hosted by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
