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Phase 2 (2006 Deadline)
Development of an ITS-Based Traffic Management Model for Metropolitan
Areas of Pakistan with Karachi as a Pilot Study
Waheed Uddin, University of Mississippi
Mir Shabbar Ali, NED University of Engineering and Technology
Pakistani Funding (HEC): $195,988
US Funding: $94,000
Project Dates on US Side: February 1, 2007 - September 30, 2010
Project Overview
Over the past decade, Pakistan has worked intensively to build and modernize motorways and national highways as part of the country’s overall economic development efforts. However, traffic-related fatalities are alarmingly high, and about 41 percent of all crashes involve deaths, a figure that is significantly higher than in most other countries. Frequent congestion in most urban and metropolitan areas is adversely affecting travel time, business operating costs, and air quality, and increased air pollution is affecting public health. These problems require modern solutions emphasizing efficiency and safety as the main goals of traffic management. The primary objective of this project was to strengthen the capabilities of the Pakistani partner institution, NED University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi, for adapting modern geospatial technologies and scientific models of traffic flow and air quality. The implementation products should lead to increased transportation efficiency and safety, which can enhance economic prosperity, reduce public health costs, and benefit the people of Pakistan.
The partners on this project adapted and implemented an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) framework of traffic monitoring and evaluation technologies in which various traffic flow parameters and real-time traffic data were integrated to formulate an efficient Traffic Management System (TMS). Taking the densely populated metropolitan urban city of Karachi as a case study, they compiled a geo-referenced road network database using geographical information systems (GIS) technology. A comprehensive cost-benefit analysis methodology was used to assess traffic management strategies considering savings from reduced user and societal costs. The US partner institution, the University of Mississippi, helped NED to adapt US ITS experience and provided training in GIS/geospatial analysis and traffic simulation models. The project deliverable was a GIS-based TMS that was recommended for implementation to Karachi City Traffic Officials (CDGK-EDO Transport), with whom the principal investigators maintained close contact throughout the project. The local government authorities showed great interest in the outcome of the study, and NED signed a memo of understanding with the Karachi city government to share information from the traffic cameras installed by the project. Regional workshops were also held to disseminate the methodologies and key results to other major Pakistani cities and universities.
Major Results
- Improved overall traffic flow management and road safety through ITS surveillance and reduced air pollution
- Organized the first international conference on sustainable transportation and traffic management in Karachi, bringing together academics and professionals from all over Pakistan and abroad
- Provided consensus recommendations for formulating a sustainable transportation policy for metropolitan cities
- Developed close interaction and cooperation with the Command and Control System (CCC) of the Karachi City government, and launched three higher education partnerships between the United States and Pakistan
- Trained 1,566 Pakistanis (13% women) in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Risalpur, Sukkur, and Khairpur, as well as 44 Americans (57% women)
- Facilitated M.S. degrees obtained by one Pakistani and two U.S. students
- Published or presented 12 research papers
Blog Links
Satellite Imagery Based Mapping of Road Network, Traffic Demand, and GHG Emissions
Tsunami Simulation for Karachi Port Area, Pakistan, Using Geospatial Analysis
Progress Report Summaries
Show all progress summaries | Hide progress summaries
2010 Show summary || Hide summary
The First International Conference on Sustainable Transportation and Traffic Management, which was originally planned for December 2009, was held July 1-3, 2010. In August 2010 Dr. Ali, Dr. Uddin, and Dr. Muhammad Imran issued a paper entitled "Urban Transport Policy for Karachi and Other Pakistani Cities," which presents a comprehensive overview of their project, including findings and recommendations from the July 2010 conference.
2009 Show summary || Hide summary
In the third year of the project, Dr. Ali made a 2-week visit to the University of Mississippi May 31-June 15, 2009, with the costs funded by the Pakistani side of the grant. While in Oxford he worked with Dr. Uddin on various elements of their joint research, presented a lecture on the project to civil engineering faculty and students, and saw Mr. Afzal Ahmed successfully defend his master's thesis. After completing some revisions to his thesis, the latter received his degree and in late July 2009 returned home to Karachi, where he has now assumed a position as lecturer at NED University. In 2009 alone, participants in this joint project presented papers at six conferences.
2008 Show summary || Hide summary
In February 2008 Dr. Uddin welcomed a Pakistani graduate student, Mr. Afzal Ahmed, to begin work on his master's degree at the University of Mississippi. On Dr. Uddin’s return visit to Pakistan in June-July 2008, in addition to working on the research aspects of the project and assisting in the training of NED graduate students, he and his partners presented a workshop on GIS-based decision support systems June 18 and a two-day course on geospatial analysis June 19-20, both at NED. On June 27 Dr. Uddin presented a lecture at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, and on June 28 he led a seminar on highway infrastructure design and management at the National Institute of Transportation, Risalpur. On July 2 he presented a seminar at NESPAK Lahore on enhancing traffic safety using remote sensing and GIS technologies, and on July 12 he and Dr. Ali led a full-day workshop in Karachi on air quality and the impact of global warming. On July 15-16 they conducted a workshop on traffic safety and intelligent transportation systems for Karachi traffic officials, researchers, students, and representatives of industry.
2007 Show summary || Hide summary
In the first exchange visit on this project, Dr. Waheed Uddin and his colleagues at NED presented a workshop at NED June 18-21, 2007, on GIS and imagery-based geospatial analysis for transportation planning. The workshop provided training to 43 participants, including professionals from CDGK, the National Highway Authority, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre’s Traffic Safety Project, consulting engineers, professors, and graduate students. On July 30, 2007, a stakeholders’ meeting was held in Karachi to involve officials and planners from local transportation agencies. Following the meeting, an executive summary highlighting key findings and recommendations was released. During his six-week visit, Dr. Uddin and his colleagues also sampled data for congestion assessment not only in Karachi, the focus of their study, but also in Lahore and Islamabad. While in the latter city, Dr. Uddin presented a lecture at the National Highway Authority and visited that agency’s offices for consultations on remote sensing technologies for airborne terrain mapping to facilitate road construction in Pakistan’s mountainous northern region. He delivered additional lectures to engineers at National Engineering Services (NESPAK) headquarters and to engineering students at NED.
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