This research focuses on the development of the conceptual framework and algorithmic steps for real-time location and routing decisions in dynamically changing environments for urban service operations, including emergency response services, vehicles carrying hazardous materials, and response teams to incidents involving hazardous materials. Response time and the associated level of service of many of these urban service operations, such as ambulance, police, fire and emergency repair, depend on travel times experienced on the roadways and the relative location of the call for service to that of the response vehicle. Thus, optimal location and routing decisions are vital to the performance of many emergency service operations. Real-time information can be used to make improved tactical and operational location and routing decisions for emergency services and other urban operations, including the transport of hazardous materials. However, it is critical that procedures that dynamically respond to current conditions on the state of the network consider the time-varying and uncertain nature of future travel conditions in order to generate robust solutions; i.e. solutions that will remain optimal, or nearly optimal, despite variations in travel conditions and that can be applied to a variety of situations. The inherent stochastic and dynamic characteristics of future travel conditions, including the probability of arc or node failures, as well as the spatial and temporal correlation in travel conditions and the possibility of multiple conflicting objectives, are considered in this work. Accompanying this research effort is an integrated educational initiative to provide students with fundamental knowledge and skills drawn from multiple disciplines to allow them to solve a broad range of difficult problems, to integrate research and teaching through inclusion of real-world problems in coursework, to impart an interest in transportation graduate studies and promote retention of women and underrepresented minorities in engineering, and to develop skills in using non-lecture based pedagogical techniques for improved comprehension of fundamental engineering concepts.
