The Grainger College of Engineering
Illinois Center for Transportation

Paving T.H.E. way for tomorrow's transportation

4/17/2023 Kent Reel

The 109th Annual Transportation and Highway Engineering Conference was held at the I Hotel and Conference Center on March 8 and 9. 

Under the leadership of Conference Chair Jeffery Roesler, more than 1,400 attendees from diverse sectors of the transportation industry came together to discuss transportation projects for roads, bridges, cyclists, pedestrians, transit riders and airports. 

This year’s conference also delved into key advancements in traffic safety and operations, local roads and streets, and transportation policy.

With support from 10 gold and seven silver sponsors, the T.H.E. conference unveiled a brand-new breakout session on Transportation and Material Innovation, shedding light on emerging technologies. 

The conference kicked off with two workshops on March 7, focusing on bike, pedestrian, and ADA guidelines for state and local agencies and utilities. On March 8, 27 exhibitors showcased their state-of-the-art products and services, while transportation graduate students added poster presentations to the mix.

Lama Abufares, a CEE doctoral student, presents at the poster session of the T.H.E. conference on March 8.
Lama Abufares, a CEE doctoral student, presents at the poster session of the T.H.E. conference on March 8.

The conference boasted presentations on several Illinois Center for Transportation and Illinois Department of Transportation research projects, spanning AI, electric vehicles, connected and autonomous vehicles, and transit ridership:

  • Erol Tutumluer, CEE Abel Bliss Professor in Engineering, presented “Computer Vision Based Imaging of Aggregate Materials for Transportation,” based on Illinois Department of Transportation-sponsored projects R27-182 and R27-214.
  • Christopher Schmidt, IDOT’s air quality manager, discussed “Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment in Illinois.”
  • Imad Al-Qadi, ICT director and CEE Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering, focused on “ICT: Emerging Transportation Technologies for Illinois.”
  • Yanfeng Ouyang, CEE George Krambles Endowed Professor in Rail and Public Transit, presented “COVID-19’s Impacts on CTA Transit Ridership: Findings, Expectations, and Recommendations,” based on IDOT-sponsored efforts R27-SP45 and R27-SP53.
The Illinois Center for Transportation display at the conference, which highlights ICT’s innovative research such as ground-penetrating radar and the proposed Illinois Autonomous and Connected Track, among others.
The Illinois Center for Transportation display at the conference, which highlights ICT’s innovative research such as ground-penetrating radar and the proposed Illinois Autonomous and Connected Track, among others.

The program committee expressed gratitude to all speakers, moderators, exhibitors, sponsors and volunteers, as well as the entire T.H.E. planning committee, for crafting this year’s technical program and networking activities.