Dr. Xilei Zhao, an assistant professor in UF’s Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering, has been awarded an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant titled “An Integrated Trustworthy AI Research and Education Framework for Modeling Human Behavior in Climate Disasters.” This grant will support research in developing and using AI responsibly based on a White House Executive Order.[Read more]

Dr. Yu Wang of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida is building an autonomous vehicle (AV) facility that allows researchers to conduct interdisciplinary experiments and testing. The Smart Autonomy Lab primarily aims to supply researchers with cutting-edge hardware and software for AV experimentation. Researchers can use the lab's available resources to test and optimize algorithms in a cost-effective and controlled environment to improve AVs' performance under various scenarios. Dr. Wang leads the UFTI's Autonomous and Connected Vehicles group. [Read more]

Dr. Lili Du, a professor in the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering at UFTI, and her dedicated research team have uncovered a groundbreaking routing technology called Correlated equilibrium Routing Mechanism (CeRM)that could help reduce traffic jams caused by drivers taking the same routes recommended by navigation apps. Traffic jams are pervasive in the United States, costing consumers time and money. INRIX, the transportation analytics research firm, has estimated that urban commuters in 2022 spent a staggering 51 hours a year stuck in traffic, resulting in an annual cost of approximately $81 billion. Many people today use navigation apps such as Google Maps or Waze to help them find the quickest way to their destination. These apps tell us which roads are free of congestion and which ones are heavy with traffic. The issue is that if many people use the same app at the same time and follow the same uncongested route, this will undoubtedly lead to congestion on the route that showed up as otherwise free of congestion.[Read more]

Millions of people travel on highways and toll roads daily without ever considering the planning, decision-making, and financial decisions that went on in the background before that road was built. To make the construction process more efficient and cost-effective, Dr. Gabriel Castelblanco, an assistant professor at the University of Florida’s M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management, has devised a new way to finance toll road projects. [Read more]

Dr. Aaron Costin, an associate professor from UF's College of Design, Construction, and Planning, and his research team are gearing up to launch the second phase of a Building Information Modeling project for Bridges and Structures project. This innovative multimillion-dollar initiative marks a significant milestone in the revolutionized way bridges are designed, built, and maintained in the United States. Spearheaded by more than 20 state departments of transportation and the Federal Highway Administration and in collaboration with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Committee on Bridges and Structures, this project is centered around the adoption and implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM). This research aims to streamline and enhance model-based data exchanges across all stages of a bridge’s lifecycle. This forward-thinking approach promises a future where the lifecycle management of bridges—from initial concept through to construction and ongoing maintenance—is significantly improved through the adoption of digital technologies.  [Read more]

Transportation Technology (T2) Transfer Trainings

Advanced Temporary Traffic Control Refresher 

• March 26

Advanced Temporary Traffic Control FDOT Certification

• March 27-28

Pilot Escort 

• March 29

Advanced Temporary Traffic Control FDOT Certification

• April 1-2

Pilot Escort

• April 3

Advanced Temporary Traffic Control Refresher

• April 4

Intermediate Temporary Traffic Control Refresher

• April 5

For a complete list of courses, click here.

UF alumni are eligible for 15% off. Submit your UF degree and registration to T2Training@ce.ufl.edu for review.

Questions? Contact T2Training@ce.ufl.edu or call 352.273.1670

McTrans Virtual Training



Highway Safety Analyses

• May 7-8
• July 9-10

Highway Capacity Analyses

• Apr 30 – May 2
• July 16-18

Microsimulation Fundamentals

• Mar 26-27
• June 4-5
• August 27-28

Register at mctrans.ce.ufl.edu/training/. 

For more information, contact mctrans@ce.ufl.edu

STRIDE Webinars &

Archives

The STRIDE Center regularly hosts webinars throughout the semester. Past webinars can be accessed and viewed here.

The STRIDE Center is the 2016 U.S. Department of Transportation's Regional (Southeast) grant-funded University Transportation Center (UTC). Find out more about the research, education, and technology transfer activities taking place at STRIDE by visiting https://stride.ce.ufl.edu

By making your tax-deductible contribution, you can help power and move forward the Research, Education, Technology Transfer, and K-12 efforts at the UFTI.

University of Florida Transportation Institute

319 Weil Hall | UFTI@eng.ufl.edu | 352.294.7762