CE 3113 TRANSPORTATION ENGINGEERING
The CE 3113 Transportation Engineering course is an introductory class that gives an overview of transport engineering, planning, theory, and practice. This is a 3 Credit Course, and is mandatory for all undergraduate students intending to major in Civil and Environmental Engineering. I use the hypothetical nature of the lessons as jumping-off points to discuss how transport planning, design, operation, and management occur on real-world projects. The goals and expectations of this course are ambitious, but the main objective is to give the class a taste of how to think and act as an engineer and planner. Students will gain deeper knowledge into the complexities of what transport engineers and planners do, as well as begin to examine the possibilities and the limitations that they face. Examples of learning goals of this course are:
- Explain the concept and process of transport planning, design, operation, and management
- Learn traffic concepts such as queueing, traffic flow, shockwaves, and signalization
- Learn geometric design concepts such as sight distance, earthwork, and horizontal and vertical curves
- Solve introductory traffic and geometric design problems
CE 6173 TRAVEL BEHAVIOR MODELING AND FORECASTING
The CE 4173 and CE 6173 Travel Behavior Modeling and Forecasting course was developed and added to the curriculum of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Mississippi State University by Professor Alireza Ermagun. This course gives an overview of travel behavior analysis and forecasting, with primary attention given to the statistical, econometric, and behavioral choice model research techniques used to study and forecast travel behavior. Instruction is based on studying practical transport and urban planning problems and handling real-world data. The course makes an introduction to statistical programming languages R and STATA, training students in model formulation, estimation, and use of models in travel prediction for real problems. Attention to the modeling process, or how travel demand analysis and forecasting actually occurs, represents a constant theme in the course. Examples of learning goals of this course are:
- Understand travel behavior patterns and planning process
- Develop the ability to use statistical analysis including data exploration and hypothesis testing
- Become familiar with different model specifications, assumptions, and implications
- Develop hands-on skills to handle real data and use relevant software for demand modeling
CE 8163 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The CE 8163 Public Transportation course is an advanced class that gives an overview of public transport planning and practice, with a strong emphasis on current issues being discussed in the planning and transport industries in the United States. It examines the evolution of transit systems, with particular emphasis on policy, planning, operational, and technical issues. Public transport is an essential element of sustainable transport systems, to the extent that the United States Environmental Protection Agency names “transit accessibility” and “transit productivity” as two of their twelve Sustainable Transportation Performance Measures. Hence, understanding of the design, planning, management, and operation of public transit systems is indispensable to students who aim to enter the transport planning and engineering job market. Examples of learning goals of this course are:
- Represent the history and evolution of public transit systems
- Illustrate the link between public transit and land use and their interaction
- Analyze capacity, level-of-service, route scheduling, and connectivity
- Describe the role of technology and traveler information in the future of public transit systems
CE 6163 URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
The CE 4163 and CE 6163 Urban Transportation Planning course examines the concept, framework, and key components of transport planning. The materials of this course emphasis on the interaction between transport and urban form in the era of electrification, autonomy, and crowdsourcing. Cities are changing rapidly and are facing complex challenges. According to the World Health Organization, nearly half of the total global population lives in cities, and that figure is projected to grow to 70% by 2050. This necessitates thinking differently about how to solve the 21st century problems. The emergence of information and communication technologies, data management, and digital systems offers opportunities to better plan for transport systems. Examples of learning goals of this course are:
- Describe and critique the current transport planning practices and future trends
- Understand the roles that emerging data and technologies play in transport planning
- Illustrate the link between transportation planning and land use planning.
- Develop the 4-step process of generation, distribution, mode choice, and trip assignment