U.S.-Italy Joint Seminar on Urban Traffic Networks; Naples, Italy, June 1989

该奖项将支持由洛厄尔大学Nathan Gartner教授和意大利那不勒斯大学Gennaro Improta教授组织的关于城市交通网络的联合研讨会。长期以来，工业发达国家的城市交通问题日益严重。虽然公路交通既是这些国家经济福祉的指标，也是经济福祉的贡献者，但它也有众所周知的有害影响，明显表现为高拥堵、高事故和高污染。在过去的几年里，影响城市交通的两个领域取得了特别快的进展：L)城市网络中交通流量的建模和预测均衡条件的计算；以及2)与司机通信的技术和引导他到达理想目的地的能力。美国科学家在城市交通网络均衡流量的建模和计算方面取得了巨大的进步。然而，现有的模型缺乏有效处理新的控制和通信技术对交通流量的影响的能力。本次研讨会的目标是为弥合这一明显差距作出贡献。两国科学家的能力结合在一起，可能还会有其他国家的观察员参与，这可能会导致改进的方法，将技术发展和新的计算能力结合起来，以改善城市地区的交通控制和交通分析。意方已启动代号为Prometheus(欧洲最高效率和前所未有的安全交通计划)的计划，以利用信息技术的进步，提高安全性和减少对环境的不利影响。美国缺乏这样一个全面和影响深远的计划，这增加了这次研讨会互惠互利的可能性。

This award will support a joint seminar on urban traffic networks, organized by Professor Nathan Gartner, University of Lowell and Professor Gennaro Improta, University of Naples, Italy. The problems of urban traffic in the industrially developed countries have been growing in severity for a long time. While both an indicator of and contributor to the economic well-being of those countries, highway traffic also has well-known detrimental effects, evident in high rates of congestion, accidents, and pollution. In the past few years, there were particularly rapid advances in two areas that affect urban traffic: l) Modeling of traffic flows in urban networks and calculation of predicted equilibrium conditions; and 2) Technology for communication with the driver and the ability to guide him to his desired destination. U.S. scientists have made tremendous advances in the modeling and calculation of equilibrium flows in urban traffic networks. Yet existing models lack the capability to deal effectively with the impact of new control and communications technologies on traffic flows. It is the goal of this seminar to contribute to the closure of this apparent gap. The combination of the capabilities of the scientists from the two countries, with the possible participation of observers from other countries as well, may lead to improved methodologies that combine technological developments and new computational capabilities for the improvement of traffic control and traffic analysis in urban areas. The Italian side has embarked on a program code-named PROMETHEUS (Program for European Traffic with Highest Efficiency and Unprecedented Safety) to utilize advances in information technologies and to increase safety and reduce adverse environmental impact. The lack of such a comprehensive and far-reaching program in the U.S., increases the potential for mutual benefits from this workshop.