Page 14 - Inventing Tomorrow

FACULTY
FEATURE
When it comes to improving our transportation networks, CSE researchers are in the driver’s seat.
Ruling the Road
I
Written by EVE DANIELS
magine a world without traf c jams, car crashes, or highway pileups. A future where smart-
phones are no longer a distraction from safe driving, but rather a safety tool. A future where it’s easier for everyone to get where they need to be, whether they’re driving, busing, biking, or hoo ng it.
This future may happen sooner than later, thanks to advancements from the University of Minnesota. Researchers in the College of Science and Engi- neering are helping to make our com- mutes smoother, our vehicles smarter, and our destinations more accessible.
Yearly delay per auto commuter is 47 hours in the Twin Cities, according to the Texas A&M Transportation Insti- tute. That’s an entire workweek stuck in traf c (ironically, on our way to and from work). While the Twin Cities aren’t as notorious for traf c problems
Photos by SCOTT STREBLE
as, say, Los Angeles (where delay is 80 hours per year), there’s always room for improvement.
How to reduce congestion is one of many questions that need answering. How do we reduce or eliminate crash- es? How do we keep drivers focused on the road? In which modes of public transit should we invest the most heavily? Where do we need to improve access to jobs, schools, hospitals and parks?
While these problems are global in scope, solving them at the University of Minnesota makes sense for a few reasons—starting with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. “MnDOT is probably the most forward-thinking state DOT in
the country,” said Max Donath, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Roadway Safety Institute. “They provide us with access
14 INVENTING TOMORROW