Development of a Special Topics Course on Intelligent Transportation Systems for the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering of Texas A&M University

Project Description

To improve the safety and mobility of the surface transportation system, individuals responsible for developing, deploying, and managing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) projects need a solid foundation not only in transportation engineering concepts and principles but also systems engineering, communications, and technology. This project developed a graduate-level survey course that provided students with the basic knowledge and concepts needed to plan, design, and implement an ITS project that can be deployed in the field.

The course was structured as a 3-credit course, with 2 hours per week devoted to instructor-led lecture and a 3-hour laboratory period per week. The laboratory periods included problem-solving exercises as well as field visits to see an ITS project in operation. Successful completion of this course will enable students to:

• highlight and discuss the fundamental characteristics of ITS and the importance of ITS as a traffic management tool in addressing today's mobility and safety problems;
• apply basic systems engineering principles and concepts to operations, system, and functional requirements for an ITS implementation;
• conduct a high-level alternatives analysis of different communication systems and alternatives using results of the systems engineering process;
• demonstrate a basic understanding of traffic detection and surveillance technologies; and
• demonstrate a basic understanding of the principles, procedures, and tools for evaluating ITS projects.

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