Friday, February 13, 2009, 2 PM
Olsson Hall 005

Stochastic Optimization and Sustainable Transportation Systems

Byungkyu (Brian) Park, Ph.D.

Abstract

In the past, transportation system management and operations have utilized a deterministic modeling and optimization approach.  It is generally understood that such approach does not adequately consider variations in vehicular demand, vehicle mixes (i.e., passenger car, bus, truck), and driving behaviors, and often results in improper conclusions. To overcome this, a microscopic traffic simulation model, which explicitly treats each vehicle and driver as a system entity, has been widely accepted and mainly used for assessing the performance of traffic operational strategies. However, little research has attempted to conduct a stochastic optimization using a microscopic traffic simulation due to enormous computation time and lack of suitable calibration/validation method and optimization technique.

This presentation will cover (i) a stochastic optimization using a microscopic simulation model, and (ii) a sustainable transportation system. The stochastic optimization will briefly discuss a microscopic simulation model calibration/validation procedure as well as two meta-heuristic optimization techniques (i.e., genetic algorithm and shuffled frog leaping algorithm) -- this will include findings from an optimization of 16 signalized intersections in Northern Virginia. The sustainable transportation system will discuss an integrated approach of microscopic simulation, stochastic optimization, and microscopic fuel and emission models -- findings from Charlottesville network and impacts of IntelliDriveSM (i.e., cooperative vehicle infrastructure environment) for route guidance systems will be presented.

Biography

Dr. Byungkyu (Brian) Park is an Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Virginia, and an associate director for the Center for Transportation Studies. Prior to joining at the University of Virginia, he was a Research Fellow at the National Institute of Statistical Sciences and a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the North Carolina State University. He is an editorial board member of the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation and the KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering.

The Civil Engineering seminar series is open to the University community.
Civil Engineering undergraduate students are especially invited to attend.