University of Michigan Team Wins 2024 Transportation Technology Tournament

Winning entry used real-time sensor data to save lives and reduce clashes at intersections

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A team of students from the University of Michigan won top honors at the 2024 Transportation Technology Tournament (TTT) during the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) annual meeting in Philadelphia.

Held from July 21-24, the seventh annual TTT was hosted jointly by the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) Professional Capacity Building program.

Developed by the University of Michigan’s team, the winning solution leverages data generated by vehicle sensing technologies to improve conflict prediction, reaction, and response in real-time to save lives at intersections.

“I want to extend my congratulations to the University of Michigan for its winning solution to make our roads safer and help vulnerable road users,” said NoCOE Director Nicholas Ramfos. “The project is part of a ‘reconnecting communities’ initiative at the university and the student’s solution used artificial intelligence or AI-based tools to speed up crash response timing.”

The final four student teams in the 2024 TTT contest, from Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University (joint team), University of Michigan, University of Texas–Arlington, and University of Washington, were flown to Philadelphia to compete. Selected from 14 teams in March, they presented at ITE’s annual meeting on July 22. Each team had 10 minutes to present their solutions, followed by questions from a panel of ITS and TSMO specialists. The University of Michigan was ultimately chosen as the winner during a July 23 session.

The University of Michigan won the prize not only for their innovative solution but also for their effective communication and presentation. They demonstrated a creative approach to addressing the issue of communities divided and displaced by freeway construction projects in the 1960s.

For students and schools interested in competing in the 2025 TTT contest, contact Adam Hopps, NOCoE’s technical services and communications director. The solutions developed by all 14 student teams competing in the 2024 TTT contest can be found at: https://transportationops.org/transportation-technology-tournament.

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NOCoE is a partnership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), ITE, and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, with support from the Federal Highway Administration. The unique mix of state, local, academic, and private sector representation is a key feature of NOCoE and ensures its ability to provide knowledge resources that effectively advance all aspects of TSMO.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials represents State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association catalyzing excellence in transportation.