UrbanMITS @
Urban Mobility and Intelligent Transportation Systems Laboratory
Where Innovation Meets Future Urban Mobility
Core Research Pillars at UrbanMITS Lab
Explore our core research areas shaping the future of urban mobility and intelligent transportation. Check out our comprehensive, up-to-date publications on Google Scholar.
By integrating real-time data from sensors and vehicles, the UrbanMITS Lab builds dynamic Digital Twins of urban environments. These virtual replicas support testing and optimization of solutions for infrastructure monitoring, traffic congestion, public safety, and mega-event management, delivering actionable insights for smarter city operations. Explore our projects and pioneering workshops at TRB '24 and TRB '25.
Our A-Eye Urban initiative uses advanced computer vision to transform 24/7 real-time video streams into actionable intelligence. We automate traffic monitoring, incident detection, and infrastructure inspection for safer, more efficient streets. A key example is the Traffic Density Tracker, which analyzes 1,000 NYC cameras to assess the Congestion Pricing program. Learn more about our computer vision research.
Advanced Simulation
The UrbanMITS Lab uses Advanced Simulation to model complex traffic and test emerging technologies such as Connected and Automated Vehicles, creating predictive tools to design future mobility systems. By integrating real-world data with AI, the lab pioneers innovative methods including Physics-Informed AI, Bayesian Optimization solutions, safety-based calibration, and 2D-3D co-simulation.
Transportation Safety
Enhancing transportation safety is a cornerstone of the lab’s mission. By harnessing real-time data from various ITS systems, including connected vehicles, drones, and smartphones, the lab develops novel methodologies that identify risks before they escalate into incidents. These insights enable proactive measures such as surrogate safety analysis of near-misses and AI-driven control strategies for safer networks.
Cybersecurity
The UrbanMITS Lab addresses cybersecurity in transportation by safeguarding data and systems in connected and autonomous vehicles and Intelligent Transportation Systems. The lab focuses on detecting vulnerabilities, developing secure communication protocols, and ensuring data integrity to protect data privacy and critical infrastructure and enhance resilience.
Urban Resilience
To enhance urban resilience, the UrbanMITS Lab studies policy impacts and develops strategies that help transportation networks withstand and recover from major disruptions. Using simulation and real-time data, the lab identifies infrastructure vulnerabilities and designs adaptive frameworks to maintain mobility during crises. See research highlights from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Buffalo Blizzard.