ISIS researchers use NSF and DOE funding to help improve transportation in India
Abhishek Dubey, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and Ayan Mukopadhyay, a research scientist in Vanderbilt’s Institute for Software Integrated Systems, are collaborating with researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) to improve transportation in the city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Currently, the main means of transportation in the densely populated city in northern India is intermediate public transportation (IPT), like motorized two-wheelers, cycling, and walking. The fixed-route bus transit, which is in dire need of improvement, is only meeting 15% of the city’s travel demand.
Dubey and his team are exploring the possibility of an Aerial Ropeway Transit (ART), or cable car, to address the transportation problem. Some specifics of the project are developing transit demand forecasting algorithms; identifying optimal stop locations for fixed-line ART service; redesigning transit network and operational schedule with fairness and equity considerations; and creating story-maps animation videos on public transportation usage for informing policymakers and transport authorities.