Transportation Safety & Traffic Flow Research Council

Topics examined by this council include intelligent transportation systems, traffic detection, traffic control, crash analysis, machine vision, traveler information systems, human factors, and injury prevention.

Non-University representatives join faculty and research staff from the Departments Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, and Computer Science and Engineering; ITS Institute; Center for Excellence in Rural Safety; HumanFIRST Program; Northland Advanced Transportation Systems Research Laboratories, University of Minnesota Duluth; Minnesota Traffic Observatory; Intelligent Vehicles Laboratory; College of Design; and other disciplines.

Responsibilities

Activities of the Council include:

  • Provide advice during research project activities.
  • Identify and advance emerging research needs and opportunities.
  • Participate in seminars and other mechanisms to disseminate research results.
  • Assist in planning the annual CTS Research Conference.

Meetings

The Council meets a minimum of three times per year; the Fall and Winter meetings are generally held in conjunction with research seminars.

Membership

Council members are appointed by the CTS director on behalf of the CTS Executive Committee, following nomination by the council chair. Approximately one-third of council members are University faculty or staff. Non-University members include a balance of business, government, and other interests.

A membership rotation occurs every three years. Though members may serve more than one consecutive three-year term, an effort is made to rotate approximately one-third of council membership during a rotation year. In addition to members, “friends” of councils also participate in council activities. New members will often be drawn from friends who are active within councils.

How do I become involved?

If you are interested in becoming a friend of one or more of the councils, please contact Joe Barbeau, program coordinator, at 612-626-1077 or barb0092@umn.edu or return the Council interest form (PDF).

Members

  • Chair: Susan Groth — MnDOT
  • Mike Abegg — Minnesota Valley Transit
  • Lowell Benson
  • Donna Berger — Minnesota Department of Public Safety
  • John Bloomfield — College of Design, University of Minnesota
  • Dharam Bobra — Hennepin County
  • Raymond Chiu — 3M
  • Ginny Crowson — Athey Creek Consultants
  • Marc Culver — City of Maple Grove
  • Gary Davis — Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Max Donath — ITS Institute, University of Minnesota
  • Eric Drager — Hennepin County
  • Brad Estochen — MnDOT
  • Kathleen Harder — College of Design, University of Minnesota
  • John Hourdos — Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Cory Johnson — MnDOT
  • James Kranig — MnDOT
  • Eil Kwon — Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth
  • Taek Kwon — Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth
  • Chen-Fu Liao — Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Henry Liu — Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Michael Manser — HumanFIRST, University of Minnesota
  • James McCarthy — Federal Highway Administration
  • Panos Michalopoulos — Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Steve Misgen — MnDOT           
  • Vasillios Morellas — Computre Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos — Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Howard Preston — CH2M Hill
  • Rajesh Rajamani — Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Alan Rindels — MnDOT
  • Wayne Sandberg — Washington County
  • Brian Scott — SRF, Inc.
  • Shashi Shekhar — Computer Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Ray Starr — MnDOT
  • Daryl Taavola — URS
  • Linda Taylor — MnDOT
  • Rick West — Ottertail County