About This Course

This course, taught by Dr. Vukan R. Vuchic, focuses on achieving an intermodal transportation balance to foster a people-friendly environment in urban settings. Using examples from multiple global cities, it contrasts their physical structures, transit policies, and the efficacy of different transportation modes, including their strengths and weaknesses.

Targeted at transportation engineers, city planners, and enthusiasts of urban planning, this course is ideal for graduate and advanced undergraduate students across fields such as transportation, engineering, business administration, economics, and architecture.

What Students Will Learn

• Understanding technical and operational aspects of various transit systems.
• Efficient management of bus and rail transit modes.
• Exploring the influence of buses, transit, and rail on a city's livability.
• Developing policies to achieve a balance among transit systems, cars, pedestrians, and other modes.

Course Prerequisites

Prospective students should have prior courses in engineering, city planning, business, or economics. Professional experience in city government or transit agencies is recommended but not required.

Course Coverage

• Operational characteristics of transit systems.
• Role and impact of various transit modes on city livability.
• Development of balanced and effective transportation policies.

Who Should Enroll

This course is designed for individuals interested in transportation engineering, city planning, and enhancing the quality of urban life. It is particularly suited for students and professionals in the fields of transportation engineering, civil engineering, systems engineering, business administration, and economics.

Applying Skills in the Real World

Students can leverage the skills from this course in various ways, including urban planning, policy making for public transit systems, consultancy for city development projects, and as part of academic research or teaching in transportation engineering and related fields.

Course Syllabus

1. Week 1: Cities and Transportation - Evolution of Transport Modes
2. Week 2: Highway Transit - Buses, Trolleybuses, BRT/BHLS, and Paratransit
3. Week 3: Rail Transit - Tramways/Streetcars, LRT, Metro, Regional Rail
4. Week 4: Rail Transit Infrastructure, Operations, and Roles
5. Week 5: Rail Transit Network, Scheduling, and Performance
6. Week 6: Fares, Financing, Ownership, and Regulation
7. Week 7: Transit Planning, Mode Selection, and Design
8. Week 8: Transportation for Livable Cities - Policies and Implementation Measures