Transportation Planning, AC

Applicants may be students with bachelor’s degrees seeking to specialize in an aspect of transportation or those with advanced degrees wishing additional coursework in a highly focused area of the profession.

You may apply for transfer to degree programs without any loss of credits, assuming you are admitted to the degree program and that the courses are related to the degree. Admission to this certificate program does not guarantee admission to a full degree program.

You must complete 12 credits of study to obtain an Advanced Certificate in Transportation Planning at the School of Engineering. Nine credits are required courses, plus three credits are chosen from the list of elective courses.

Required Courses

1.5 Credits Fundamental Concepts in Transportation TR-GY 6011

This course provides the contextual foundation for the study of transportation systems that reflect the perspectives of users, system providers/owners, and communities. The connection between transportation supply, travel demand, service volume, and level of service will be explored and quantified for travelers and freight movement. The impacts of transportation system performance on travel behavior will be discussed. The roles of technology and institutions in transportation will be explored through class discussions.
Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing or permission of instructor

3 Credits Forecasting Urban Travel Demand TR-GY 6113

The purpose of this course is to study methods and models used in estimating and forecasting person travel in urban areas. The objective is to understand the fundamental relationships between land use, transportation level of service and travel demand, and to apply methods and state-of-the-practice models for predicting person travel on the transportation system.
Prerequisite/Corequisite: TR-GY 6013 or permission of instructor.

1.5 Credits Transportation Planning Principles & Practice TR-GY 6231

This course discusses the principles guiding the planning, design and operation of urban transportation systems. The concepts of mobility and accessibility are explored through an analysis of the interactions of land use, transportation supply and travel demand. Examples of transportation planning practice include a review of the Urban Transportation Planning Process in metropolitan areas and presentations from guest speakers.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor

3 Credits Transportation & Traffic Concepts, Characteristics & Studies TR-GY 6333

The course covers basic concepts in transportation and traffic engineering, including: volume, demand, and capacity; traffic stream parameters and their meaning; transportation modes and modal characteristics. The impact of traveler and vehicle characteristics on traffic flow and on other modes is presented and discussed. The importance of data collection is emphasized with sample studies, such as volume, speed and travel time, and safety. Capacity and level of service analysis for uninterrupted flow facilities, including freeways, multilane highways and two-lane highways is demonstrated using methodologies of the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor

Select Three Credits from the Following:

3 Credits Urban Public Transportation Systems TR-GY 7133

This course provides a thorough understanding of policy, planning, operational and technical issues that affect urban public transportation. It includes the historical development of cites and the rise of urban transport. Also covered are the characteristics of various urban transportation modes (their specific operating and infrastructure characteristics), as well as key elements that are critical to service provision, such as service planning, scheduling, fare collection, communication and signaling, station design and customer service. The course offers a broad perspective on regional planning, capital programming and policy matters. Special focus will be on emerging technologies and their practical applications.
Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor.

3 Credits Intelligent Transportation Systems and Their Applications TR-GY 6223

This course introduces the concepts and applications of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and its growing role in the management of transportation systems. The course stresses the role of ITS as national policy, as specified in major transportation funding legislation ? ISTEA, TEA21 and SAFETY-LU. A systems engineering approach to overall development of ITS technologies is stressed. Major components of ITS are discussed, and examples of their application treated. Coordination and integration of ITS components are treated.
Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor.

3 Credits Multimodal Transportation Safety TR-GY 7033

Technology, legislation and market forces have contributed to improved transportation safety for decades. But one must consider which metrics are most relevant for which modes, the role of demographics and traffic levels and other factors when analyzing and predicting safety trends. The course pays attention to a systems view, to metrics by mode and to both standard field and statistical analyses. Consistent with current priorities, the course addresses security as well as safety issues.
Prerequisite: Graduate status or permission of instructor.