Event Calendar
Past Event
NUTC Seminar Series: "Toward an Integrative Approach to Machine Learning for Traffic Planning" -Jiayang Li | Northwestern University
Northwestern University Transportation Center
4:00 PM
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Chambers Hall
Details
Jiayang Li
PhD Candidate
Northwestern University
Abstract:
The transportation sector is experiencing monumental disruptions driven by the constant evolution of new technologies and mobility services. The SEA (Sharing, Electrification, and Automation) change, for example, is widely recognized for its potential to improve efficiency and promote sustainability. However, this potential does not automatically translate into reality. Instead, it necessitates the guidance of a traffic planner to make critical decisions. These include the design of dedicated facilities to accommodate automated vehicles and the regulation of such vehicles within these systems. However, the intrinsic computational complexity of traffic planning problems often restricts the scalability of established methods to the vast scope of practical transportation networks.
In this talk, I will present an innovative approach for solving traffic planning problems. By leveraging the power of machine learning (ML) techniques, it improves computational efficiency by orders of magnitude compared to traditional methods. The approach relied on a novel reformulation of the traffic planning problem as an equivalent format analogous to training deep neural networks. This reformulation subsequently permits the use of deep learning frameworks for problem-solving, enabling their application to traffic planning problems within regional-scale transportation networks. Besides explaining why this approach scales, I will also highlight the potential of this methodology in future transportation scenarios, for example, those where automated and human-driven vehicles coexist and interact with each other.
Bio:
Jiayang Li is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University, advised by Prof. Yu (Marco) Nie and Prof. Zhaoran Wang. Before joining Northwestern, he obtained his B.S. degree in mathematics and applied mathematics from Tsinghua University, complemented by a minor in economics and finance. Jiayang’s research focuses on bringing together optimization, machine learning, and game theory to resolve challenges within complex (e.g., economic, social, or infrastructure) systems, with an emphasis on improving transportation and mobility. He was a recipient of the Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award from Tsinghua University. More recently, he was awarded the Transportation Center Dissertation Year Fellowship and the McCormick School of Engineering Terminal Year Fellowship from Northwestern University.
Time
Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
NUTC Seminar Series | "A Mega Project: Road/Bridge from Finland to Sweden" - Antti Talvitie
Northwestern University Transportation Center
4:00 PM
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Ruan Conference Room, Chambers Hall
Details
Abstract
TBD
Bio
Mr. Talvitie is a transportation consultant and certified psychoanalyst. He resides in Chicago, IL, USA. He is Professor (Emeritus) at Aalto University, Finland. Previously, Mr. Talvitie was a Senior Transport Specialist at the World Bank, served as Director of Highway Construction and Maintenance in the Finnish Road Administration, and was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo). Mr. Talvitie graduated from Aalto University, Espoo, Finland. He has an MSc and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. He is a Certified Psychoanalyst (Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis).
Time
Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
Ruan Conference Room, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
NUTC Seminar Series | "Recent Advances in Transit Operations Analysis" - Nigel Wilson, MIT
Northwestern University Transportation Center
4:00 PM
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Ruan Conference Room, Chambers Hall
Details
Abstract
For the past thirty years, the MIT Transit Lab has been engaged in long-term research collaborations with a range of large urban public transport agencies including London (Transport for London), Boston (MBTA), Chicago (CTA), Washington DC (WMATA), San Juan (PRHTA) and Hong Kong (MTR). Much of this stream of research has focused on the role that automatic data collection systems can play in improving transit performance including tackling fundamental problems such as passenger origin-destination matrix estimation and measuring service reliability, using data from automated fare collection systems and automatic vehicle monitoring systems. This seminar will focus on recent MIT initiatives in transit operations analysis, much of which builds on the earlier work but also includes use of newer data sources and more advanced analysis methods.
Bio
Professor Nigel Wilson, director of the MIT Transit Research Program, has more than 30 years experience dealing with operations, management and planning issues associated with transit systems worldwide. His research and teaching focus on urban public transportation, including topics related to the operation, analysis, planning and management of transit systems. Specific research activities he has directed include using automated data systems to improve planning and operations, workforce planning in the transit industry, short-range transit planning methods, the role of private operators in public transportation and the potential for computers and communication systems to improve the performance of transit systems. During two leaves from MIT, he worked directly in three large transit agencies, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (1985-86), London Transport (1992-93) and Metro Transit (2008-2009) and has also consulted to a number of other North American transit authorities. Additional information about Professor Wilson can be found on MIT's Civil and Environmental Engineering website.
Time
Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
Ruan Conference Room, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2024-2025 Commencement Ceremony
University Academic Calendar
All Day
Details
2024-2025 Commencement Ceremony
Time
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Contact
Calendar
University Academic Calendar
Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
9:00 AM
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2705 Ashland Ave
Details
McCormick School of Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.
Time
Monday, June 16, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location
2705 Ashland Ave
Contact
Calendar
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Northwestern Engineering Undergraduate Convocation
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
2:00 PM
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2705 Ashland Ave
Details
McCormick School of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.
Time
Monday, June 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location
2705 Ashland Ave
Contact
Calendar
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
2025 ITEA Summer School
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
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Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual School is to provide young researchers with a high-quality introduction to academic research on transportation economics, including many recent advances in the field. The School’s program consists of a series of lectures and tutorials conducted by some of the most prominent researchers in transportation economics. In addition, the students are given the possibility to present their own work at the Conference.
Time
Monday, June 23, 2025
Location
Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2025 ITEA Summer School
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
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Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual School is to provide young researchers with a high-quality introduction to academic research on transportation economics, including many recent advances in the field. The School’s program consists of a series of lectures and tutorials conducted by some of the most prominent researchers in transportation economics. In addition, the students are given the possibility to present their own work at the Conference.
Time
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Location
Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2025 ITEA Summer School
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
//
Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual School is to provide young researchers with a high-quality introduction to academic research on transportation economics, including many recent advances in the field. The School’s program consists of a series of lectures and tutorials conducted by some of the most prominent researchers in transportation economics. In addition, the students are given the possibility to present their own work at the Conference.
Time
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Location
Ruan Conference Center, Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2025 ITEA Annual Conference
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
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Kellogg Global Hub
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual Conference is to promote scientific excellence in the field of transportation economics and to provide a forum for scientific exchange. Research presented at the conference covers both theory and empirical work, including all transport modes and a wide range of research methodologies.
Time
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Location
Kellogg Global Hub Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2025 ITEA Annual Conference
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
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Kellogg Global Hub
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual Conference is to promote scientific excellence in the field of transportation economics and to provide a forum for scientific exchange. Research presented at the conference covers both theory and empirical work, including all transport modes and a wide range of research methodologies.
Time
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Location
Kellogg Global Hub Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center
2025 ITEA Annual Conference
Northwestern University Transportation Center
All Day
//
Kellogg Global Hub
Details
The aim of the ITEA Annual Conference is to promote scientific excellence in the field of transportation economics and to provide a forum for scientific exchange. Research presented at the conference covers both theory and empirical work, including all transport modes and a wide range of research methodologies.
Time
Friday, June 27, 2025
Location
Kellogg Global Hub Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern University Transportation Center