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Goodrich Chair of Excellence in Transportation

 

Dr. Tom Urbanik is the Goodrich Chair of Excellence in Transportation.  His teaching and research interests are in traffic operations.

Professor Urbanik is an international expert in transportation system operation and management including advanced traffic control systems, system performance measurement and optimization, highway-railroad grade crossings, transit priority, geometric design, and transportation management during natural and technological emergencies.

Prior to coming to UT, he worked for the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University System for nearly 25 years.  As Associate Agency Director for Transportation Operations, he managed an $8 million dollar research program encompassing most aspects of transportation system operation.

Dr. Urbanik is active professionally, chairing the Transportation Research Board Committee on Traffic Control Systems and being a member Transportation Research Board Committee on Freeway Operations.  He chairs the National Communications for Intelligent Transportation Systems working group on signal control and prioritization. Professor Urbanik has been an invited speaker at conferences and workshops around the world.

Professor Urbanik served as City Traffic Engineer in Ann Arbor, Michigan for more than 5 years where he was involved in computerized traffic signal systems, the Ann Arbor Transit Authority, and one of the first urban bike programs in the U.S.

Dr. Urbanik has a PhD from Texas A&M University, a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Purdue University, a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Science in Forest Engineering from the New York State College of Environmental Science and Forestry.  He is a registered engineer in Michigan, Texas, and Tennessee.

 

Selected Publications

"Detector Range Setting Methodology for Signal Priority", Koonce, P., J. Ringert, T. Urbanik, W. Rotich, and B. Kloos.  In, Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2002, pp. 115-136.

 

"Freeway Systems Research Beyond the Highway Capacity Manual 2000," May, A. D., N. Rouphail, L. Boomberg, F. Hall, and T. Urbanik, In, Transportation Research Record 1776, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2001, pp. 1-9.

 

"Pedestrian Timing Alternatives and Impacts on Coordinated Signal Systems Under Split-Phasing Operations," Tian, Z., T. Urbanik, R.E. Engelbrecht, and K. Balke. In, Transportation Research Record, 1748, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2001, pp. 32-41.

 

"Freeway System Research Beyond the Highway Capacity Manual 2000." May, A.D., N. Rouphail, L. Boomberg, F. Hall, and T. Urbanik. In Transportation Research Record, 1776, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2001, pp. 1-9.

 

“Evacuation Time Estimates for Nuclear Power Plants,” Thomas Urbanik II. Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 75, 2000.
 

“Traffic Signal Systems: Addressing Diverse Technologies and Complex user Needs,” Darcy Bullock and Tom Urbanik.  Transportation in the New Millennium, Transportation Research Board, 2000.
 

“Implementing Actuated Control of Diamond Interchanges,” Eric J. Nelson, Darcy Bullock, Tom Urbanik.  Journal of Transportation Engineering, Sep./Oct. 2000, Vol. 126 No. 5.
 

 “Pedestrian Timing Treatment for Coordinated Signal Systems,” Zong Z. Tian, Tom Urbanik, Kent K. Kacir, Mark A. Vandehey, Howard Long.  Proceedings of ICTTS 2000, August 2000.
 

“Enhanced Genetic Algorithm for Signal Timing Optimization of Oversaturated Intersections,” Byungkyu Park, Carroll Messer, Thomas Urbanik II.  Transportation Research Record, No. 1727, 2000.
 

“Development and Evaluation of an Intelligent Bus Priority Concept,” Kevin Balke, Conrad Dudek, Thomas Urbanik II.  Transportation Research Record, No. 1727, 2000.
 

 “Automated Turning Movement Counts from Shared-Lane Configuration at Signalized Diamond Interchanges,” Srinivasa R. Sunkari, Hassan Charara, Thomas Urbanik II.  79th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board.  Washington, D.C. January 2000.
 

“Development of an Actuated Traffic Control Process Utilizing Real-Time Estimated Volume Feedback,” Michael Pacelli, Carroll Messer, and Tom Urbanik II. Research Report 1439-10, September 2000.
 

“Guide for Traffic Signal Preemption Near Railroad Grade Crossings,” Steve Venglar, Mark Jacobson, Srinivasa Sunkari, Roelof Engelbrecht, and Tom Urbanik II. Research Report 1439-9, September 2000.
 

“Reducing Truck Stops at High Speed Isolated Traffic Signals,” Srinivasa Sunkari, Hassan Charara, and Tom Urbanik II. Research Report 1439-8, September 2000.
 

“Signal Design Manual for Diamond Interchanges,” Srinivasa Sunkari and Tom Urbanik II. Research Report 1439-6, September 2000.

 

 

 

 

 

 219-B Perkins Hall
 Knoxville, TN 37996

 Phone: 865-974-7709
 Fax: 865-974-2669

 Email: turbanik@utk.edu

 

    Traffic Signal Lab