Target 11.2 Improve transport systems
By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons
Institute for Resilient and Sustainable Coastal Infrastructure
FIU's Institute for Resilient and Sustainable Coastal Infrastructure identifies engineering solutions for challenges faced by aging infrastructure and develops innovative and economical technologies for the creation of resilient and sustainable communities. The economic prosperity of the United States is closely related to the health of the nation’s infrastructure, which includes aviation, bridges, dams, waterways, ports, rail, transportation and roadways. The institute is an umbrella organization that incorporates bridge engineering, the U.S. Department of Transportation-funded University Transportation Center, and the Lehman Center for Transportation Research.
Transportation Landscape of South Florida Report
FIU's Metropolitan Center has conducted an assessment of the Transportation Landscape of South Florida. The region's declining inflation-adjusted wages, high cost of living, and significant immigrant population indicate a need for increased public transit. However, the region’s geographical sprawl, conservative political economy, political fragmentation, and low education attainment are likely detractors. FIU's review of South Florida’s public transit institutional framework reveals multiple agencies responsible for planning, financing and delivering public transit. These agencies produce and update long-range plans. However, they lack concrete performance metrics, suffer from co-dependent rollout, and lack an overarching dedicated regional funding stream. Public transit ridership is declining across South Florida. But growing ridership on the I-95 Express buses suggests timely, frequent, and accessible transit may wean drivers from their autos—a difficult task in the U.S. and around the world.
Geographic Information Systems Center
FIU's Geographic Information Systems Center offers expertise in geospatial web technologies, geospatial data analysis, visualization and modeling, geospatial data management and remote sensing applications. The center offers a wealth of geo-datasets, including high resolution imagery data and historical coastal maps and data to research faculty and students as well as community partners including the Florida Department of Transportation and the South Florida Water Management District. At the federal level, partners include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Endowment for the Humanities and USAID.
Pedestrian Bridge
FIU is committed to improve pedestrian safety through various projects and collaborations at the local, state and federal levels as well as through research abroad. The FIU Geographic Information Systems Center leads a series of transportation planning projects that promote pedestrian and bicycle safety. The College of Engineering and Computing at FIU recently launched a comprehensive study to improve pedestrian safety on state roads in Florida. Sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation, the project is designed to identify pedestrian high crash locations, analyze pedestrian crash causes and patterns, and recommend proven effective countermeasures to address specific crash causes. Our researchers are looking at various aspects of pedestrian safety including understanding how street crossing situations affect younger and older adults' gait to create evidence-based policies, education and training in urban planning and help establish appropriate times for older pedestrians to cross streets safely.
Lehman Center for Transportation Research
The FIU Lehman Center for Transportation Research is committed to conducting research and training to improve transportation mobility and safety, and educating a multidisciplinary workforce to plan, manage, and implement transportation systems. The Lehman Center is the only transportation center of its kind in South Florida — home to about a third of Florida’s 18 million population. The center leads research in the areas of public transportation, GIS, transportation demand modeling, land use planning, intelligent transportation systems, transportation safety, traffic simulation, and transportation databases. The center also leads various projects in the areas of Intelligent Transportation Systems, Public Transit, Highway Safety and Transportation Planning. The Lehman Center is Florida’s leading center for developing innovative computer-based systems for transportation engineering applications, many of which are available for public access.
Driving Simulation Lab
Sharing a commitment to advancing research and application of driver safety, FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing, Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the Division of Research have collaborated to develop a premier center dedicated to driver safety, human factors and related civil engineering projects. The Driving Simulation Lab is the only facility of its kind in South Florida. The Driving Simulation Lab builds upon the research conducted by the FIU Lehman Center for Transportation Research providing access to a high-fidelity driving simulator that interfaced with an actual automobile provides a realistic setting for innovative transportation-related research. The interactive driving simulator has a 135-degree driver field-of-view integrated with an active steering and pedal system. The driving simulator provides opportunities for more sophisticated transportation research to improve the safety and mobility of travelers. Additionally, the lab facilitates multidisciplinary efforts to address public safety, driving performance, driver behavior, transportation, vehicle technologies and their effect on driving, congestion, and individual and public safety.
Institute of Transportation Engineers Student Center
FIU’s student chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers tackles important transportation concerns including improving pedestrian or bicycle safety, highway lighting or signage, studying the different types of barriers used in Florida’s express lanes or researching why wrong-way accidents occur. The students participate in the Campus Peer-to-Peer Campaign — a pedestrian and bicycle safety education program sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation. The campaign's goal is to foster safer campuses, provide peer-to-peer safety education and promote safe travel behaviors. Florida International University along with the University of South Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida and others have partnered to inform their campuses and communities about safety initiatives through the campaign. For their efforts, FIU's chapter received the Best Student Chapter award in 2022.
Transportation Engineering Program
FIU’s offers a Master of Science in Civil Engineering with a track in transportation engineering. This program is considered among the most comprehensive in the nation in terms of the number of courses offered and its multimodal nature. In addition to traditional courses in traffic engineering and transportation planning, the program offers multiple courses in public transportation, air transportation, maritime transportation, and advanced technologies. We are also very proud of our ability to serve the working professionals in the transportation community. Typically, about a third of our students are full-time professionals who seek to advance their education and careers with us. The program offers courses in the areas of transportation planning, traffic engineering, public transportation, transportation materials and advanced computer applications. For a full list of courses offered in our engineering transportation graduate degree visit the Lehman Center for Transportation Research website.