This award will support a joint seminar on urban traffic networks, organized by Professor Nathan Gartner, University of Lowell and Professor Gennaro Improta, University of Naples, Italy. The problems of urban traffic in the industrially developed countries have been growing in severity for a long time. While both an indicator of and contributor to the economic well-being of those countries, highway traffic also has well-known detrimental effects, evident in high rates of congestion, accidents, and pollution. In the past few years, there were particularly rapid advances in two areas that affect urban traffic: l) Modeling of traffic flows in urban networks and calculation of predicted equilibrium conditions; and 2) Technology for communication with the driver and the ability to guide him to his desired destination. U.S. scientists have made tremendous advances in the modeling and calculation of equilibrium flows in urban traffic networks. Yet existing models lack the capability to deal effectively with the impact of new control and communications technologies on traffic flows. It is the goal of this seminar to contribute to the closure of this apparent gap. The combination of the capabilities of the scientists from the two countries, with the possible participation of observers from other countries as well, may lead to improved methodologies that combine technological developments and new computational capabilities for the improvement of traffic control and traffic analysis in urban areas. The Italian side has embarked on a program code-named PROMETHEUS (Program for European Traffic with Highest Efficiency and Unprecedented Safety) to utilize advances in information technologies and to increase safety and reduce adverse environmental impact. The lack of such a comprehensive and far-reaching program in the U.S., increases the potential for mutual benefits from this workshop.
