Entering the 21st Century is marked by continuing urbanization
process, growth of cities and metropolitan areas. Transportation
is one of the basic functions which influences growth, efficiency
and quality of life in urbanized areas. The need to accommodate
the growing population, provide good accessibility for persons
and goods, is an interesting and challenging task for engineers.
They must perform planning, design, implementation of plans
and operation of transportation systems. In addition to engineering
expertise, these tasks require expertise in analysis of economic,
environmental and social aspects.
Many cities face serious transportation problems, including
chronic highway congestion, inadequate transit and neglected
pedestrians. Construction of new facilities is sometimes needed.
However, in high-density urban areas where this is not possible,
emphasis must be placed on improved utilization and modernization
of existing systems and facilities and measures which result
in shifting of travel from cars to far less space-consuming
transit, taxi and pedestrian travel. This shift and improved
pedestrian areas greatly contribute to enhanced livability of
The Program in Transportation Systems Engineering was initiated
in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of
Pennsylvania in 1967 by Professor Vukan
R. Vuchic. The program has developed in the Department of
Electrical & Systems Engineering into two major directions:
Urban Transportation Systems and Logistics Systems.
The Urban Transportation Systems group covers the following
- Urban transportation systems: pedestrian, bicycle, auto/highway
and transit modes;
- Design, operation and theoretical analysis of transit networks:
bus, light rail transit, metro and regional rail systems,
automated guided transit and specialized modes;
- Traffic engineering, highway and street network design and
- Transportation systems management (TSM);
- Pedestrian and bicycle traffic and facilities design;
- Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) applications to
highways and transit;
- Scheduling, performance and optimization methods in transit
and street traffic;
- Urban transportation systems composition and intermodal
- Impacts of transportation on cities and their livability.
- Comparative analysis of urban transportation in different
- Urban transportation in developing countries.
- Rail transit systems automation;
- Traffic calming; bicycle and pedestrian areas and networks;
- Urban transportation policy: definition and implementation
of intermodal and balanced transportation systems;
- High speed rail systems and Maglev demonstration projects;
- Pollution Impacts of different transportation modes;
- and Bus Rapid Transit Systems.
Reasons to study Urban Transportation at Penn
The program in Transportation Systems Engineering at Penn has
a number of strengths:
Professor Vuchic, who initiated the Transportation Engineering
Program in 1967, has publications in the field of urban transportation
systems and policy, which are used in many countries. His major
books are Urban Public Transportation Systems and Technology
(1981), Transportation for Livable Cities (1999), and
Urban Transit: Operations, Planning, and Economics
In addition to the School of Engineering and Applied Science,
courses and research in and related to urban transportation
are offered in several programs including City and Regional
Planning, Wharton's Business Administration, and Urban Studies.
The Urban Transportation Systems (UTS) group has produced a
number of technical reports for transportation agencies and
cities, including Bus Transit System for FTA, Short and LongTern
Plans for Development of SEPTA's Regional Rail System, Improvement
of the Green Lines in Philadelphia (in cooperation with University
of Delaware), Control Center for the New York City Transit Authority
(NYCTA), San Francisco BART, Washington Metro and others.
The UTS group has contacts and cooperation with transportation
officials in the City of Philadelphia, Southeastern Pennsylvania
Transit Authority (SEPTA) and PATCO transit agencies, Delaware
Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation (PennDOT) and a number of transportation consulting
The Transportation Systems Engineering Program has extensive
worldwide contacts and cooperation: faculty exchanges, guest
lectures, international students, international transportation
journals and other professional literature.
Most advanced experience of cities around the world are analyzed
and used to develop practical solutions in the Philadelphia
Region and other metropolitan areas.
Being in the center of the Midatlantic Region, Philadelphia
is within easy travel distance from New York, Baltimore and
University of Pennsylvania students make field trips to some
of the most interesting transportation systems in the country:
in Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City.
University of Pennsylvania has traditionally had strong connections
with the City of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia has unique historic assets, urban environment,
a diversified intermodal transit system, as well as several
interstate freeways, a major international airport, port, and
headquarters of many transportation companies.