CETOC EVENTS

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2025

Multiple CETOC Researchers & Students

January 5-9, 2024
Washington, D.C.

Customizing Trustworthy Computer Vision Systems for Safer and Smarter Traffic Applications - From A Single Node to a Collaborative System

Dr. Hao Frank Yang
Assistant Professor
Johns Hopkins University

Thursday, November 21, 2024
11:30 am - 12:30 pm EST
UF, MAEB 234
and on Zoom

InnovateUNO

Bob Danton
CETOC Project Manager
Andrew Tritch
Graduate Research Assistant, CETOC
University of New Orleans

Wednesday, November 20, 2024
1:00 - 2:30 pm CST
Earl K. Long Library 410
University of New Orleans

"Does e-Commerce Lead to More Sustainable Travel? Evidence from the 2017 and 2022 National Household Travel Surveys" Dr. Guang Tian, Andrew Tritch (presenting), Bob Danton

"Studying Understudied Populations’ Travel Behaviors with a Machine Learning Approach – A Focus on Hispanic and Latinx Households" Dr. Guang Tian, Bob Danton (presenting)

Infrastructure-based Solution to Mitigate the VMT and Congestion Impacts of Driverless Vehicles

Dr. Michael Hyland
Assistant Professor
University of California, Irvine

Thursday, November 14, 2024
11:30 am - 12:30 pm EST
UF, MAEB 234
and on Zoom

CETOC Webinar Series: China’s Experience of High-Speed Rail Development: Planning, Financing, Institutions and Impacts

Zhenhua Chen, Ph.D.
Ohio State University

Wednesday, November 13, 2024
2 pm CST
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273
Recording Available on YouTube Soon!

Zhenhua Chen, Ph.D. will explore China's rapid development of high-speed rail (HSR), focusing on the planning strategies, financing, and institutional frameworks that have enabled its success. He will highlight how consistent government support, strong research investment, and international cooperation facilitated large-scale infrastructure development. Additionally, the talk will examine the socio-economic impacts of HSR on regional development, offering insights into the lessons learned and their implications for future infrastructure projects both in China and globally.

Zhenhua Chen is an Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning at The Ohio State University. He has held visiting scholar positions at the University of Cambridge, Waseda University, and the Asian Development Bank. Currently, he serves as a board member and conference chair of the International Association for China Planning (IACP). His research focuses on infrastructure planning, disaster impact assessment, and resilience. Dr. Chen has authored three books, co-edited two volumes, and published around 100 articles in leading journals such as Transportation Research Part A, Transport Reviews, and Environment Research Letters. He was named to Stanford’s 2024 Global Top 2% Scientists List, ranking 98th in the logistics and transportation subfield. His work has been recognized with awards including the Lumley Research Award, the Geoffrey Hewings Award in regional science, the William Miernyk Research Medal, and the Charles Tiebout Prize. His research and insights have been featured in mainstream media outlets such as The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal Video Network, and Forbes.

Resilience of Urban Socioeconomic Networks to Behavioral Changes

Dr. Takahiro (Taka) Yabe
Assistant Professor
Director, Resilient Urban Networks Lab
Tandon School of Engineering
New York University

Thursday, November 7, 2024
11:30 am - 12:30 pm EST
UF, MAEB 234
and on Zoom

Next-Gen Transportation: Resilience, Sustainability & Emerging Technology in Transportation

Dr. Ruth Steiner
University of Florida
Jennifer Carver
FDOT
Alexander "Xan" Traversa
JTA
Dr. Xiang "Jacob" Yan
University of Florida
Bowen Kyle
Ladris Technologies
Dr. Xilei Zhao
University of Florida

Friday, November 1, 2024
10:30 am - 2:30 pm EDT
UF, I-STREET Lab Conference Room, 571 Gale Lemerand Dr.
& on Zoom

UNOTI Speakers Series Fall 2024 Part 2

Donna Lemm
IMC Companies
Sean M. Duffy, Sr.
Big River Coalition
Bruce Lambert
USDOT Maritime Administration

October 25-26, 2024
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273

Research to Practice Transit Symposium

As the transit industry is poised to take advantage of the largest transit and rail investment in our lifetimes, the symposium will provide a platform where transit experts can share insights on how evidence-based research is being or can be, used to make the most of these opportunities in a changing environment.

October 22-24, 2024
Online
Information

AI for Cities and Transportation

Dr. Lewis Lehe
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Thursday, October 17, 2024
11:30 am - 12:30 pm EDT
UF, MAEB 234
and on Zoom

UNOTI Speakers Series Fall 2024 Part 1

Robert "Bobby" Landry
The Water Institute
Jolene Hayes, AICP
Fehr & Peers
Bryant Walker Smith
Stanford Law School & University of South Carolina
Ken Ericksen
Polaris Analytics and Consulting
Marin Stephens
New Orleans City Planning Commission
Bessie L. Martin
Jefferson Parish Planning Department
Matt Rufo
New Orleans Office of Resilience & Sustainability

October 4-7, 2024
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273

Autonomous Vehicle Technology on a Global Scale

Maetal Shalom & David Polak
Technical PMs & Site Residents
Mobileye

Thursday, September 26, 2024
11:30 am - 12:30 pm EDT
UF, MAEB 234
and on Zoom

The Future of Highways?

CETOC Director Dr. Guang Tian and
Dr. Kate Ko, WSP; Moderators in conversation with

Dr. John Stehlin
UNC Greensboro
and
Fatemeh Janatabadi
George Mason University

Wednesday, September 25, 2024
2:00 pm EDT
Zoom

Zoom ID: 863 9016 7051

Economic Analysis of Curb Parking with Urban Delivery

Dr. Zhentian Xu
Director, Sustainable Urban Mobility Lab
George Washington University

Thursday, September 12, 2024
11:30 am - 12:30 pm EDT
UF, MAEB 234
and on Zoom

Navigating Urban Planning and Transport to Achieve 1.5 Degrees

Dr. John Renne
Florida Atlantic University

35th International Geographic Conference
August 24-30, 2024
Dublin, Ireland

Future of Transportation Summit

Dr. Guang Tian
Director, CETOC
Dr. Xiang (Jacob) Yan
University of Florida
Justyna Kaniewska
University of Utah
Andrew Tritch
University of New Orleans

August 13-15, 2024
USDOT Headquarters
Washington, D.C.

https://fot-summit.org/

Dr. Tian speaks on "How can transit-oriented communities be affordable and sustainable?"
Dr. Yan presents a poster on "Shared micromobility as a first- and last-mile transit solution? Insights from a novel dataset"
Justyna Kaniewska presents a poster on  "What makes affordable housing affordable: mechanisms used to produce affordable housing near transit"
Andrew Tritch presents a poster on "A Longitudinal Analysis of Light Rail Transit’s Land-Use Multiplier Effect in Three Regions"

Book Talk: Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System

Dr. Wes Marshall
Leadership Team, CETOC
Professor of Civil Engineering
University of Colorado-Denver

Friday, June 28, 2024
6 PM Mountain Time
Old Firehouse Books
232 Walnut Street
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Panel Talk: Leveraging Digitalization, Artificial Intelligence, and Other Integrated System-of-Systems Technologies to Decarbonize Transport

Dr. Guang Tian
Director, CETOC

7th EU-U.S. Transportation Research Symposium: Global Pathways to Net-Zero: Behavioral, Social, and Technological Research and Innovation Strategies for Transportation Decarbonization

June 11-12, 2024
Washington, D.C.

Book Talk: Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System

Dr. Wes Marshall
Leadership Team, CETOC
Professor of Civil Engineering
University of Colorado-Denver

Livestreaming
Friday, May 31, 2024
2PM Eastern Time

Watch the Recording

CETOC Webinar Series X
APA Lunch & Learn:
The Impact of Work From Home on Planning

Dr. Guang Tian
Director, CETOC
Nathan Lipson, AICP
Senior Transportation & Environmental Planner, WSP
and
Bob Danton, MS
Project Manager, CETOC

In Person & Virtual
Friday, April 19, 2024
12:30 - 1:30 PM CDT
1100 Poydras, 8th Floor
New Orleans & Online (Link TBA)

Watch the Recorded Webinar Here!

Resilient and Sustainable Infrastructure: Lessons from Global Cities

Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions

Friday, April 19, 2024
9:30 AM - 2:00 PM EDT
Forkas Alumni Center, FAU
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431

Watch the Recordings

Data Analytics and the Promise of Artificial Intelligence to Improve Highway Safety

Dr. Fred Mannering
Executive Director,
Center for Urban Transportation Research
University of South Florida

Thursday, April 11, 2024
11:45 am - 1 pm Eastern Time
UF, MCCC 0100

Residential Location and H+T Cost

Dr. Hongwei Dong
Cal State University Fresno
and
Minyu Situ & Alex Karner
University of Texas Austin

Wednesday, March 27, 2024
2:30 pm Eastern Time
Zoom

Zoom ID: 863 9016 7051

UNOTI Speakers Series:

Randy Guillot
President
Triple G Express, Inc

Friday, March 22, 2024
9:00 am - 10:00 am
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273

A View from Every Level: President, Owner, Operator on Supply Chain Trucking

Randy has more than 39 years of experience working in the trucking industry and is President of Triple G Express, Inc. and Southeastern Motor Freight, Inc. Since 1983, Randy has carried on the family tradition of trucking by working for Southeastern Motor Freight, which his grandfather founded in 1945. In 1985, Randy helped launch Triple G Express, Inc. and he now oversees, collectively, more than 140 employees and contractors. The two companies haul mostly intermodal containers primarily servicing the Port of New Orleans, but also operate short-haul dry-vans. During his time in trucking, Randy has worked in all aspects of the business, ranging from sales and driving to dock work and safety. Randy was 2019-20 Chairman of American Trucking Associations, the largest national trade association for the trucking industry.

Randy is an Executive Committee Member and Board Member of American Trucking Associations and is Past Chairman of Louisiana Motor Transport Association, one of ATA’s affiliated state trucking associations. He is also past Chairman of ATA’s Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference and Treasurer and Board Member of the North American Chassis Pool Cooperative.

UNOTI Speakers Series:

Jeff Roesel
Executive Director
New Orleans Regional Planning Commission (NORPC)

Friday, March 22, 2024
11:45 am - 1:00 pm
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273

Leading Our Growth and Development: An Inside Look at the Regional Planning Commission

As the Executive Director of the Regional Planning Commission (RPC), Jeff’s primary responsibilities include the overall management, direction, and coordination of all the organizations staff and activities. As the RPC is also the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the New Orleans, Slidell, Mandeville-Covington, and South Tangipahoa Urbanized areas, Mr. Roesel is tasked with overseeing the strategic planning, financial management, transportation planning, programming, and comprehensive project development throughout the metropolitan area.

Mr. Roesel’s expansive 30-year career has included: Project Manager for the Planning and Environmental Phases of Regional Transit Authority’s Canal Streetcar Line, and the Riverfront Connector project (connecting Canal Street to the Riverfront Line); transportation planner with a New Orleans based engineering and planning firm; a Hub Supervisor with UPS, and as a Team Chief in the 214th Engineering Squadron of the Louisiana Air National Guard.

Jeff holds a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans. He is a Certified Planner by way of the American Planning Association, a member of Institute of Transportation Engineers, a former ex-officio board member of the Louisiana Public Transit Association, past President of the Louisiana Planning Council, and an adjunct faculty member of the Planning and Urban Studies department at the University of New Orleans.

Machine Learning-Enabled Decision-Making Frameworks for Sustainable Mobility Systems

Dr. Jimi Oke
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Massachusetts Amherst

Thursday, March 21, 2024
11:45 am - 1 pm Eastern Time
UF, MCCC 0100 

Cybersecurity in Connected and Automated Vehicle Systems

Dr. Neda Masoud
Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Michigan

Thursday, February 29, 2024
11:45 am - 1 pm Eastern Time
Zoom

https://ufl.zoom.us/j/9514383897

UNOTI Speakers Series:

Ellen Soll
Senior Project Manager
ATG
Colin Ash
Transportation Planner
ATG
and
Jonathan Gambino
Traffic and Transportation Engineer
Volkert, Inc.

Saturday, February 24, 2024
9:30 am - 10:30 am
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273

Planning Safe Streets for All with ATG and Volkert

This session will illuminate the process of developing a Safe Streets for All Action Plan, using Natchitoches, Louisiana as a recently completed case study.

UNOTI Speakers Series:

Derek Chisolm
Associate Vice-President
AECOM
and
Anne Watkins
Economist
AECOM

Friday, February 23, 2024
12:45 pm - 2:00 pm
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273

Transportation Finance with AECOM

A primer on transportation grants and grantmaking, proposal development, benefit-cost analysis, and cool tools for identifying potential funding sources for projects and programs.

UNOTI Speakers Series:

Marin Stephens
Senior Planner
City of New Orleans
and
Joanna Farley
Transportation Planner
New Orleans RTA

Friday, February 23, 2024
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273

Transit-Oriented Communities with RTA and City of New Orleans

This session will highlight the City of New Orleans’ recently completed Transit-Oriented Communities study, with a focus on methods for identifying and prioritizing target locations and corridors for land use, zoning, and transit enhancements and planning implementation of actions that will promote more walkable, livable, transit-supportive neighborhoods.

Advancements in Electrified Public Transportation Systems

Dr. Ziqi Song
Associate Professor
Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering
University at Buffalo, SUNY

Friday, February 23, 2024
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Eastern
Zoom

https://ufl.zoom.us/j/9514383897

Leveraging Data Science and AI for Smart and Equitable Public Transportation Systems

Dr. Xiang (Jacob) Yan
CETOC Researcher &
Assistant Professor
University of Florida

Thursday, January 11, 2024
Federal Trade Administration,
Washington, D.C.

At-Grade Rail Crossings: Safety & Operations

Dr. Guang Tian
CETOC Director & Professor
University of New Orleans
and
Gregory Harris
Operations Manager
New Orleans Public Belt Railroad

Tuesday, November 7, 2023
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Entergy Centre
1100 Poydras St, Ste 898
New Orleans, LA

UNOTI Speakers Series:

Dwight Norton
Interim Chief of Planning & Infrastructure
New Orleans RTA
Sunday, October 1, 2023
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273

Public Transportation in New Orleans

Dwight serves as the Chief of Planning and Capital Projects. Dwight has been with RTA since 2021 when he joined the team as Senior Director of Strategic and Long-Range Planning and has contributed greatly over the last couple years in terms of moving the agency's strategic plan forward. Dwight has more than 18 years of experience in transportation and community development. With the support of his planning and capital team, he will continue to advance our transportation capital projects, push for innovation in our transit service planning, modernize our fare technology and software systems, and spearhead our region’s first Bus Rapid Transit project.

UNOTI Speakers Series:

Chris Handzel
Director of Transportation Planning and Policy
HNTB: Central States Office
Sunday, October 1, 2023
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Chris Handzel serves as the Director of Transportation Planning and Policy at HNTB’s Central States office. He has over 22 years of industry experience creating successful, memorable placemaking within the built environment. His experience in delivering complex, urban infrastructure projects and a proven ability to collaborate with architects and engineers to develop community-driven solutions to urban open space, infrastructure, and mobility challenges. With an emphasis on urban design, he produces creative design solutions that support livable communities, improve the quality of public spaces and promote multimodal connectivity. Chris is currently serving as the BRT design lead and FTA advisor for the Plank-Nicholson Bus Rapid Transit project in Baton Rouge. He is also assisting as an advisor for the ongoing New Orleans BRT planning study.

Abstract: Bus Rapid Transit is a high-quality bus-based transit system that delivers fast and efficient service that may include dedicated lanes, busways, traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, elevated platforms and enhanced stations. This mode has gainly popularity throughout the US as a premium transit option that can be appropriate scaled to a community’s needs. Chris will provide an overview of the benefits and challenges of bus rapid transit and provide recent national case studies. He will also tell the story of BRT in Baton Rouge, soon to become the first BRT line in Louisiana. He will follow with an update on BRT is New Orleans as the RTA looks to add this service to the network of transit options in the region. 

UNOTI Speakers Series:

Dan McGrath
Transportation Planner
Alliance Transportation Group
Sunday, October 1, 2023
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
UNO, Milneburg Hall 273

Data Analyses for Determining Transit & Active Transportation Demand

Dan's central motivation is to improve access to opportunity. For thirteen years, this meant increasing access to opportunity through education as a teacher and counselor in New Orleans middle and high schools. After returning to school himself to earn his MURP degree and GIS graduate certificate at UNO, it now means enhancing physical access to opportunity through transportation planning. As a planner with Alliance Transportation Group (ATG), Dan specializes in analyzing data for public transit systems and developing multimodal and active transportation plans for communities. He also works on sustainability, resilience, and safety policy development, as well as grant applications and employee training that support those policies. Outside of work, he has a silly, curious toddler and plays on a mediocre baseball team.

Abstract: Dan will present on data analyses for determining transit and active transportation demand. He'll also provide an overview of other projects from his first year as a transportation planner and answer questions about the profession.