Traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway.
The University Transportation Research Center (UTRC) at The City College of New York is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) on two transformative transportation initiatives supported by $16 million in federal funding. The cutting-edge projects promise to revolutionize urban mobility and infrastructure management through advanced artificial intelligence and smart technology solutions.
NYC DOT is one of seven recipients nationwide to receive funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Congestion Relief Grant Program. Their $11.6m award will fund "Integrating ITS Systems and Video Analytics for Arterial Traffic Management in Northern Manhattan," a project that will deploy state-of-the-art traffic management technologies to transform mobility across Northern Manhattan's vital arterial routes. This innovative system combines AI-powered video analytics with next-generation traffic signal controllers to create a responsive, intelligent traffic management network that will significantly reduce congestion and enhance safety for all road users.
Complementing the federal funding is an additional $4.4m to NYC DOT from the Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) program to pioneer an automated roadway inspection system. Overall, this groundbreaking program integrates dashcam and aerial data with sophisticated artificial intelligence to revolutionize street maintenance, enabling unprecedented efficiency in identifying and addressing infrastructure needs.
"These projects represent a significant step forward in leveraging artificial intelligence and data analytics to address urban transportation challenges," said Camille Kamga, UTRC Director and professor in CCNY’s Grove school of Engineering. "By partnering with NYC DOT on these innovative initiatives, we are not only helping to reduce congestion and improve infrastructure maintenance but also creating a model for smart city solutions that can be replicated across the country. The integration of AI technology with traditional transportation infrastructure promises to revolutionize how we manage urban mobility and maintain our roadways."
Matthew W. Daus, UTRC Transportation Technology Chair, added: "We are excited at UTRC about supporting the US DOT grants to help NYC DOT leverage and integrate cutting edge AI technology to improve road safety through real-time maintenance and traffic management. This is the dawn of a new age, with electric eyes on the street to assist government in doing more with less, and to more quickly address traffic flow and critical repairs. We look forward to objectively conducting research and analysis on these projects to communicate the widespread benefits of the new mobility technologies involved with these grants."
As one of the earliest University Transportation Centers established by Congress, UTRC has maintained a strong legacy of collaboration with local agencies and industry partners throughout Region 2, with NYC DOT being a particularly vital partner in advancing transportation innovation. UTRC's recognized expertise in data modeling and simulation, combined with its comprehensive educational platform, has been instrumental in driving research, education, and workforce development initiatives that strengthen the transportation sector across our region. This latest collaboration builds upon decades of successful partnership in developing smart transportation solutions for New York City.
“DOT is a national leader in harnessing technology to improve safety on our streets and efficiency in our operations. This funding will assist the Agency in continuing this work, but will also ensure more responsiveness to real-time traffic conditions in upper Manhattan and improve maintenance of our street markings citywide,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We are grateful for the Biden administration and CUNY’s UTRC for their partnership and support.”
These initiatives represent a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda, with a particular focus on empowering historically underserved communities through enhanced transportation infrastructure. The projects are set to commence immediately, with UTRC providing comprehensive research and analysis support throughout their implementation.
For more information about these groundbreaking initiatives, please contact UTRC Director Camille Kamga at
ckamga@ccny.cuny.edu
.
About UTRC
CCNY’s University Transportation Research Center serves as the headquarters of Region 2 University Transportation Center: the Center for Social and Economic Mobility for People and Communities through Transportation (SEMPACT). UTRC is dedicated to advancing transportation research, education, and technology transfer while promoting sustainable mobility and fostering economic growth. As a consortium of 19 universities, UTRC leverages multidisciplinary expertise to address complex transportation challenges and improve mobility for communities.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Jay Mwamba
p: 917.892.0374
e:
jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu