Transportation Workforce Development Related to Traffic Signal Systems – Phase II)
Research Team
Dr. Nithin Agarwal (UF)
Dr. Dimitra Michalaka (Citadel)
Dr. Steven Click (TTU)
Dr. Kweku Brown (Citadel)
Dr. Jeff Davis (Citadel)
What is the current issue? STRIDE Transportation Workforce Development for State DOTs to Address Congestion for the Southeast project (C4), Phase I, identified challenges of transportation agencies in the Southeast. Phase I concluded: (1) a robust workforce is a critical need among transportation agencies in the Southeast U.S., (2) knowledge transfer of retirees to incoming transportation professionals is necessary and (3) technology-related education and training opportunities must be provided to cultivate knowledge critical to an efficient and safe transportation network with multimodal infrastructure components.
What will the research produce? Phase II seeks to develop necessary skills in technology in the transportation field. Technology is rapidly evolving, and transportation professionals need to develop skills related to updated equipment, resources, and approaches. Traffic signal systems play a critical role in managing and alleviating congestion. With the advent of on-demand transportation, ever-changing transportation mode choice, shrinking revenue, and escalating costs, greater efficiency and productivity of the entire transportation workforce is expected. University Transportation Centers and higher education can play an important role in successfully addressing these challenges. The research team seeks to use the framework of Phase I together with a survey of regional and national efforts to focus on traffic signal equipment education opportunities and gaps existing in the Southeast U.S. Using congestion mitigation as the focus, we will (1) synthesize how state and local agencies prepare staff on the required knowledge and skills to operate traffic systems; (2) synthesize how educational institutions in the Southeast prepare future transportation professionals; (3) develop a framework of training curriculum related to traffic signal systems (4) host a pilot five-day modular style symposium for working professionals as well as college students. Together, the synthesized curriculum and the modular symposium (with virtual and hands-on s) will provide a paradigm for enhanced and more integrated transportation training that will enhance skills among the Southeast U.S. transportation workforce.