Brenda Young, a UCF graduate student in Transportation Engineering, appeared in the September, 2008, issue of the Florida Engineering Society Journal.  The article discusses the benefits to high school students participating in Construction Career Days: Florida which is sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation and several local engineering firms.

The fair allows high school students the opportunity to receive hands-on exposure to operating machinery as well as use computer tools to design and test structures.  You can read the full article or visit the Construction Career Days: Florida Web site for more information. 

Dr. Essam Radwan's current research involving red light running has been the topic of recent local news articles. For more information, please visit the News section of this site.

Regardless of the principle mode for the movement of freight, whether it is by rail, ship, or plane, all goods consumed are carried by trucks at some point in their journey. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, freight volume moving within the United States has nearly doubled the rate of population growth over the past three decades. It has even exceeded the growth rates in disposable income and GNP. It is estimated that the volume of goods moved by truck will increase approximately 45 percent between now and 2015.

Goods are moved by large and heavy trucks, traveling at highway speeds, and often for relatively long distances at a time. The primary mission of motor carrier operations in Florida is the safe and efficient movement of goods. Efficiency is assured when there is minimum interference in these operations; only to the degree necessary to ensure the safety of the traveling public.

It is practically impossible to stop, inspect, and test every commercial vehicle that travels through Florida to ensure that trucks meet all safety, security, and environmental regulations. Instead, traditional enforcement mechanisms have centered on selecting a random number of commercial vehicles for inspection at weigh stations. Weigh-In-Motion is considered a tool for weight enforcement and data collection. The adoption of modern Weigh-in-Motion systems has allowed trucks to avoid stopping at static scales in weigh stations leading to large benefits for interstate commerce and the reduction of pollution.

The Virtual and remotely operated weigh station is a technology that offers a more complete coverage of compliance issues as well as addressing new highway infrastructure demands. Because the locations of WIM stations are known to truck drivers, some truck drivers take bypass roads to avoid being weighed and measured. This results in vast deterioration of pavements and reduced safety. This research project had multiple objectives, but the main objective was the design and implementation of the first commercial vehicles remotely operated compliance station (ROCS)^TM in Florida. To read the final report, please click here. View a presentation on ROCS.

The TEA 21 Bill authorized the establishment of 13 new transportation centers under the University Transportation Centers (UTC) program of the Research and Special Program Administration (RSPA). The University of Central Florida was listed in the bill as one of the 23 universities. The bill appropriates an annual support of $300,000 per year for the first two years, $500,000 per for the third and fourth years, and $1 million per year for years 5 and 6. Funding for years 5 and 6 are on a competitive basis.

The center is called Center for Advanced Transportation Systems Simulation (CATSS ). The theme of this center is to apply computer simulation, driving simulators, virtual reality, wireless communication and other advanced technologies to enhance the planning, design, operation, management, and safety of transportation systems. This theme will complement and support two key national transportation issues namely "Intelligent Transportation Systems", and "Human-Centered Systems".

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