Whether you drive or take public transportation, your synthetic composite counterpart is also traveling on Zongzhi Li’s desktop computer. With travel and traffic information gathered from census, survey, and field data, Li, an associate professor of transportation engineering at IIT Armour College of Engineering, is formulating the daily comings and goings—an estimated 28.5 million trips—of some 9.7 million people in the Chicago metropolitan area. His work is part of a next-generation transportation planning, traffic operations, and evacuation planning and emergency management project.

The development of a large-scale activity-based Transportation Analysis and Simulation System (TRANSIMS) toolbox was initiated in the early 1990s at Los Alamos National Laboratory as part of the vision of the 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act. TRANSIMS originally aimed to assist transportation planners in determining if a possible transportation plan would meet multimodal transportation infrastructure, mobility, safety, energy consumption, and air-quality standards in an area. It quickly became an effective tool for simulating normal and emergency travel conditions as well as helping transportation leaders make the most cost-effective investment decisions.

Working our way from east to west, we have the following

Millennium Station at the corner of Michigan and Randolph. When Millennium Park was constructed in the late ‘90’s and early ‘00’s, it covered the existing commuter station that had been below street level but uncovered. This new station serves the Metra Electric Line and the South Shore, often referred to as the “last interurban,” which serves NW Indiana, and runs as far as South Bend, 140 miles from the Loop.

Central Station sat astride the tracks of the Illinois Central (IC) at Roosevelt Road, which continued north into what is now Millennium Station. No trace of Central Station remains today. Central Station served the long distance IC trains, notably the Panama Limited and the City of New Orleans, and was torn down in the early 1970’s after Amtrak took over almost all of the intercity passenger trains and consolidated operations in Union Station. This area is now the booming South Loop district of the city, and one of the real estate development calls itself “Central Station.”

Dearborn Street Station was best known as the home of the Santa Fe Super Chief, perhaps the most famous of the western trains in the United States, which provided a two-overnight service between Chicago and Los Angeles. All the tracks into the station have long since been removed. The station, at Dearborn and Polk Streets south of the loop, is now home to a number of small shops at the south end of the Printer’s Row district of the city.

La Salle Street Station, south of Van Buren, was the home of the New York Central Railroad, who’s most famous train, the all sleeping car 20th Century Limited, whose 18-hour run from Chicago to New York represented the pinnacle of luxury intercity trains. The station is now home to the Metra Rock Island line trains, and the station house has been replaced by the Chicago Board Options Exchange high rise, and only the platforms and a small enclosure with the CBOE building still remain. The movie The Sting, starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman, features scenes on the 20th Century Limited, and some segments were shot in the station before it was torn down.

Grand Central Station Many considered this the architecturally finest of the Chicago stations. It was located at the corner of Wells and Harrison, and remains an empty lot in the middle of the dense downtown area. Some of the platforms, overgrown with grass, can still be seen. This station, too, was torn down in the early 1970’s when Amtrak moved all trains to Union Station. The best known of its intercity trains was the Baltimore and Ohio’s Capitol Limited, running daily between Chicago and Washington DC.

Union Station Many cities built “Union Stations,” which accommodated all rail service to that city from all railroads. Despite its name, Union Station in Chicago never came close to consolidating all intercity rail into one station until the Amtrak era. Union Station in Chicago was the last of the magnificent rail stations built during the heyday of passenger rail, opening in the 1920’s. It hosted trains like the sleek Burlington Zephyrs, an early diesel train, an example of which can be seen near the entrance to the Museum of Science and Industry on Chicago’s South Side. Amtrak consolidated all passenger rail service to and from Chicago at Union Station shortly after assuming control from most of the railroads in 1971. Many of the Metra long distance commuter lines also use Union Station, making it a very busy place on a weekday morning! A typical weekday sees about 325 Amtrak and Metra trains coming and going.

Chicago and North Western Station (now the Ogilvie Transportation Center). This was the only station owned and used by a single railroad—the Chicago and North Western (C&NW). It opened in the 1890’s and served the C&NW’s fleet of long distance and commuter trains, which served destinations in the great plains, and partnered with western lines to provide through service to west coast destinations. The station waiting areas and retail shops were torn down in the 1980’s and replaced with a modern high rise office building. The station’s platforms are now reached through the office building, and host Metra routes that correspond to the C&NW’s former commuter service. After transferring intercity passenger rail operations to Amtrak and commuter operations to Metra, the C&NW continued to operate their freight network, and was bought out by the Union Pacific in 1995 after almost 150 years in business.

The following positions need to be filled.

• Set up and event prep–(Friday, day/eve before event). Forms, packet assembly, signs, etc.
• Technical Appraising–7:30 am to 6 pm plus webinar orientation (2 hours)
• Competition support –7:30 am to 6 pm plus webinar orientation (2 hours)
• Registration–7 am to 10:30 am or evening of Jan 14th from 3 to 6 pm
• Greeter/ general information– 7 am to 5 pm with short shifts available
• Score room–10 am to 6 pm or till last score is verified
• Runner during the event–8 am to 7 pm with short shifts available
• Pack up and clean up–6 pm to 9 pm
• Photographer-have camera will travel!
• DI Information Station–short shifts available
• DI Instant Challenge Station with short shifts available
• Helping to Recruit teams by contacting schools or other networking
• Helping to recruit local exhibitors for Rally to interact with students and encourage engineering
• Helping at CC Booth at Chicago Toy and Game Fair November 20 or 21 to publicize event and recruit teams and volunteers
• Concessions planning prior to event
• Concessions stand the day of event
• Videographer 8 to 6 pm with short shifts available
• Information and General Help 7:30 to 7 pm with short shifts available
• Publicity support for teams and event–contacting press and writing articles
• Structure building station with crusher board and weights
• Clean up and site reset–noon to 8 pm with short shifts available

For more information about the competition, visit http://www.constructionchallenge.org/index.php

Topics discussed:

• Items related to airport capacity
• Terminal design
• Aircraft ramp and taxiway/runway design
• Aircraft turnaround procedures (loading/unloading, refueling, other servicing, etc)
• Airfield operational considerations (parallel approaches, instrument approaches, deconfliction with O’Hare traffic, etc)
• Limitations under various weather conditions
• Airfield safety design
• Runway overrun arrestor system
• Air Traffic Control Improvements
• Elimination of dependence on radar
• Elimination to following published airways and approaches

STARTING SALARY: $10.00 – $14.00/hour contingent on level of education.

TASKS: Preparing pavement marking plans using CADD software; conducting detailed field surveys to collect geometric, traffic, parking, and land use data needed for bikeway designs; identifying required upgrades to existing bikeways; assisting with the development of state and federal reports; developing plan sets and work orders; assisting the bikeways team with other tasks.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Enrolled in an accredited engineering- or transportation-related program.
• Enthusiasm and initiative to improve bicycling conditions in Chicago.
• Experience with CADD software (MicroStation or equivalent).
• Ability to work independently, efficiently, and cooperatively.
• High attention to detail.
• Comfortable, able, and willing to bicycle on Chicago streets.
• Able to provide own bicycle, helmet, and lock.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Exposure to ArcGIS a plus.
• Year-round availability preferred.

HOURS & TERM: Starting: December 2010
Part-time employment during school semester, possible full-time employment over winter/spring/summer breaks.
INTERESTED? E-mail a resume with cover letter to David Gleason, the consultant to the Chicago Department of Transportation on this project, (david.gleason@tylin.com) by Monday, November 29, 2010. We thank all applicants. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

IIT graduate students are invited to apply for the Starr Research Fellowship and the Fieldhouse Research Fellowship. Each fellowship provides up to $15,000 for one year and can be used for tuition support and stipend.  The fellowships are NOT renewable, but may be supplemented by funding from other sources.

The fellowships are made possible through a generous donation from the Starr Foundation and IIT’s capital campaign match to honor Irv Fieldhouse, who until his death in 2005 had been an active member of the IIT-IITRI community for over 40 years. To enhance Mr. Fieldhouse’s commitment for developing joint research projects, both fellowships target research that leads to cooperation between IIT and IIT Research Institute (IITRI), National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST), Fermilab or Argonne National Laboratory (ANL).

Student Eligibility

IIT students (domestic and international)  currently enrolled in a Master of Science or Doctoral program in the following departments: AM, BCPS, BME, CAEE, CHBE, CS, ECE, or MMAE. The student must be nominated by an IIT faculty member. (see below for faculty member eligibility)

The Fellows are required to pursue advanced study and research under faculty guidance; support faculty and their external advisors in specific research projects; and make their own contributions to academe through writing and research.

Eligibility of Advisor:  Tenured-track Assistant Professor or above, from AM, BCPS, BME, CAEE, CHBE, CS, ECE, or MMAE. The IIT advisor should recommend the contact and initiate the communication with IITRI, NCFST, Fermilab or ANL.
Application package:

• A completed application form
• A Proposed Plan for Research describing the proposed work, its novelty and importance, and its impact on collaboration between IIT and IITRI, NCFST or ANL
• Previous Research Experience form.
• Three letters of recommendation. (1) from the IIT research advisor; (1) from the external research advisor; and (1) other reference. Please include the Reference Report Form (2 pages) for each reference.
• Copies of college transcripts (duplicates of transcripts submitted to IIT and IIT transcripts, as applicable).

The Application Form and the Reference Report Form can be downloaded from the following website:
http://www.grad.iit.edu/research/InternalFunding/starr_fieldhouse.html
DEADLINE:    Please submit the complete application package by Thursday, November 18, 2010 to:

Pat Krolewski
Graduate College
Room 301 H Main Building
312-567-5757
pkrolews@iit.edu

“Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and public transportation users of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a complete street.” – National Complete Streets Coalition

JOHN N. LAPLANTE, PE, PTOE, is currently Director of Traffic Engineering for T.Y.Lin International, working out of their Chicago office.  Prior to joining the firm in 1992, Mr. LaPlante had been with the City of Chicago for 30 years in various transportation engineering positions, including Chief City Traffic Engineer and Acting Commissioner of the new Department of Transportation.  He has been involved in several national committees (PROWAAC, AASHTO Green Book and Bicycle Guide Committees, NCUTCD Bicycle Technical Committee and Pedestrian Task Force, and the TRB Pedestrian and Bicycle Committees) and was principal author of the AASHTO Pedestrian Guide. He has taught many courses as part of the FHWA Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, National Complete Streets Coalition and the APBP/US Access Board Designing for Pedestrian Accessibility training.  His education includes a BSCE degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and an MSCE degree at Northwestern University.  He is a Fellow of both ITE and ASCE.

The Illinois Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers is pleased to send the application materials for their 2010 scholarship awards.  Their Student Scholarship is open to undergraduate (sophomore through senior) and graduate students and will be granted to two students (one undergraduate and one graduate) in the form of $2,000 each.  The Student Paper competition, open only to graduate students, provides $1,000 to the deserving author of a technical paper.  They are also providing the Student ITE chapter with the most applicants with a $150 prize to use at their discretion.  All of these awards are a terrific opportunity for each of the students individually and for the student chapter as a whole!

The files below include full description of each scholarship; and all necessary application forms.  These forms can be printed and mailed or scanned in and emailed.

ILITE Student Paper
ILITE Scholarship Application
ILITE Scholarship Professor Evaluation
ILITE Scholarship Description