Urban Transit for Livable Cities

The goal of urban transit is to achieve an intermodal transportation balance. Ideally, each mode is used in its optimal role, in order to create a people-friendly environment. But how exactly can that be accomplished?

This course will cover examples from different cities and countries; comparing their physical characteristics, transportation policies, and evaluations of their strengths and weaknesses. Learners interested in transportation engineering and city planning will gain expert insight into the critical role transit services have on the character of the city and quality of life.

Urban Transit is designed for transportation engineers, city planners, and general city planning enthusiasts. It’s also well-suited for graduate and advanced undergraduate students of transportation, civil, environmental, mechanical, electrical and systems engineering, business administration, economics, and architecture.

The course is taught by Vukan R. Vuchic, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Transportation Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Vuchic has consulted on cities for government agencies and locations around the world.

Course Outline

• Week 1 - Cities and Transportation: Evolution of Transport Modes
• Week 2 - Highway Transit: Buses, Trolleybuses, BRT/BHLS and Paratransit
• Week 3 - Rail Transit: Tramways/Streetcars, LRT, Metro, Regional Rail
• Week 4 - Rail Transit Infrastructure, Operations and Roles
• Week 5 - Rail Transit Network, Scheduling and Performance
• Week 6 - Fares, Financing, Ownership and Regulation
• Week 7 - Transit Planning, Mode Selection and Design
• Week 8 - Transportation for Livable Cities: Policies and Implementation Measures