Transportation Systems Engineering

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Person driving car

About Transportation Systems Engineering

Transportation systems are the building blocks of modern society. Efficient and safe movement of information, people, goods and services ensures a thriving economy and improves our quality of life.

Our students study not only the design and operations of these critical systems but also their influence on our travel behavior, how they affect the quality of our environment, and how they influence the design our communities. Working with our faculty of world-renowned scholars, students help to improve the design and performance of transportation systems as well as our understanding of how they fit into the environmental, institutional and social contexts of our society.

Students supplement their core technical transportation courses in urban planning, traffic engineering, highway and transit facility design, administration, network modeling, and statistical analysis with interdisciplinary coursework from other units across Georgia Tech.

Focus Your Studies

There are opportunities available at all levels for students interested in Transportation Systems Engineering. Undergraduate students may choose an optional track to focus their electives and gain a deeper understanding of this discipline. There are also opportunities for students to conduct research in this area with faculty and graduate students.

Graduate programs in civil engineering are organized within the affinity groups. Students pursuing a master's degree or PhD may affiliate with the Transportation Systems Engineering group for their educational and research activities. Graduate students work closely with faculty advisors throughout their studies and as they prepare a thesis. Browse the directory at the bottom of the page to get to know the faculty in this group and learn more about their research interests.

There are many opportunities for students to get involved beyond the classroom. Student organizations offer unique opportunities to learn about the many aspects of civil engineering. Transportation systems engineering students interested in extracurricular activities with like-minded peers may consider joining the American Society of Highway Engineers, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Women's Transportation Seminar, and the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.

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Facilities

  • Traffic signal lab
  • Instrumented vehicle lab
  • Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) laboratory.
  • Autonomous and Connected Transportation (ACT) Lab
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A yellow traffic light on a shelf next to silver machinery

Research Centers

Georgia Tech is a key partner in U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Centers. These centers work with state, regional and local agencies to provide leadership on research, education and technology transfer with respect to today’s most pressing transportation issues. The following centers are within the Transportation Systems Engineering group:

Georgia Tech also leads the Georgia Transportation Institute (GTI), which was established to coordinate and act as a focal point for transportation research in the state of Georgia. GTI-affiliated researchers are active in a broad range of topics including policy and planning, environmental issues, transportation technology, transportation infrastructure, safety, and traffic operations.

Key Research Areas

  • Planning methods for transportation investment
  • Enhanced methods for monitoring and modeling travel behavior
  • Airline passenger behavior
  • Smart city infrastructure with connected and automated vehicles
  • New models for estimating vehicle emissions
  • Improved concepts for intermodal passenger and freight transportation
  • Sustainable development and transportation
  • Decision support tools for infrastructure management
  • Dynamics and evolution of transportation networks

Faculty

Adjo A. Amekudzi-Kennedy
Associate Chair for Global Engineering Leadership and Entrepreneurship
Frederick L. Olmsted Professor
Group Coordinator
Samuel D. Coogan
Demetrius T. Paris Associate Professor
Randall L. Guensler
Guy J. Lookabaugh Professor
Angshuman Guin
Senior Research Engineer
Patricia L. Mokhtarian
Clifford and William Greene, Jr. Professor
Srinivas Peeta
Frederick R. Dickerson Chair & Professor
Sofía Pérez-Guzmán
Assistant Professor
Michael O. Rodgers
Regents Researcher
Yi-Chang James Tsai
Professor & Group Coordinator