Webinars
UTC Seminar Series Archives
UTC Seminar Series
The UTC Seminar Series offers on online forum to address poignant transportation and urban planning topics designed to inform and stimulate discussion on ways to help build livable communities and solve real-world problems.
Featured speakers are invited from the academic, industry and government arenas. All events are recorded and shared with PowerPoint presentations. The Seminar Series reinforces the UTC’s position as a leader in transportation research, provides faculty, students and others with fresh insight on current industry issues, and builds awareness for the value of transportation in modern society.
Spring 2026 Seminar Series
March 18: The Importance of Freight Rail in America and the Impacts of a Proposed Mega Merger. Presented by Peter Skosey, Executive Director for Public and Government Affairs at BNSF Railway. Mr. Skosey shared insight on how freight rail, developed some 200 years ago, still serves as the backbone of the American economy and why the proposed mega merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern threatens the balance of the supply chain. Download the zoom presentation and PowerPoint deck.
April 16: Chicago Hub Improvement Program: Transforming Chicago's Passenger Rail Experience. Presented by Joe Shacter, Amtrack Director of Program Management for the Chicago Hub Improvement Program. The conversation focused on plans to improve infrastructure both in and around Chicago's Union Station, with the goals of improving reliability, reducing travel time, and enhancing the customer experience.
Seminar Series Archive
Please see below for more information on past UTC seminars.
Fall 2025
September 18: Plans underway to transition commuter rail from diesel to electric service though the lenses of regional long range planning in Northeast Illinois was the focus of “Long-Range Plans to Transition Commuter Rail in NE Illinois from Diesel to Zero-Emissions,” the debut online Seminar Series presentation. Thanks to our speakers: Maulik Vaishvav, Senior Deputy Executive Director of Planning and Capital Programming at the, Regional Transportation Authority and David Kralik, AICP, Director of Planning and Programming, Metra Commuter Rail. Visit this link to download the zoom presentation and PowerPoint decks.
October 16: The second session provided an overview of the region’s unique transportation emissions profile and spotlighted key strategies to reduce emissions in support of CMAP’s Comprehensive Climate Action Plan. The presentation, “Electrification Alone Can’t Solve Our Climate Goals: Diverse Strategies for a Sustainable Transportation Future,” drew participation from a wide audience. Jesse Altman and Noah Harris, policy analysts from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, led a provocative discussion and shared details of the CCAP. Interested in what was discussed? We recorded the conversation and PowerPoint presentation. Access by visiting this Box folder.
November 20: The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE) was formed in 2003 as a public-private partnership that works to improve the way passengers and goods move over rail within metropolitan Chicago. The final presentation featured an update on CREATE projects from Velicia Goode, P.E, Freight Section Rail Chief with the Illinois Department of Transportation, and Rebecca Wingate, CREATE Program Manager at the Association of American Railroads. Yes, we have a recording of the zoom presentation and the detailed PowerPoint deck. Click here to get access.
Spring 2025
Topics that center on rail transportation were the focus of the online Spring 2025 Seminar Series.
February 20: Insight on the practice of using data to increase rail safety and bolster the state of good repair was the subject of “Leveraging Emerging Railway Track Health Data for Railway and Rail Transit Track Condition Assessment.” Dr. J. Riley Edwards of RailTEC at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign led the discussion. Download the zoom recording and presentation.
March 20: A presentation on how to improve the iconic Chicago Union Station was delivered by Rick Harnish, Executive Director of the Chicago-headquartered High Speed Rail Alliance. The webinar, “A Rail Revolution Begins with Fixing Chicago Union Station,” included an analysis of planned upgrades from Amtrak and the State of Illinois. Download the zoom recording and presentation.
April 17: The results from a just-finalized FRA freight study were addressed in “Quantifying and Improving the Energy Consumption of Railroad Track Maintenance and Material Transportation.” Our featured speakers were Dr. C. Tyler Dick, Ph.D., P.E. Assistant Professor, Texas Railway Analysis & Innovation Node (TRAIN), and Dr. Pasi Lautala, Ph.D., P.E., Professor, Civil, Environmental & Geospatial Engineering and Director, Michigan Tech Transportation Institute. Download the zoom recording and presentation.
Fall 2024
The impact and future of autonomous vehicle technology were the focus of online presentations in fall of 2024.
September 19: The debut Fall 2024 presentation, “Autonomous Vehicle Deployment in Arizona,” addressed the history and introduction of autonomous vehicles in Arizona and why the state is a prime location for AV testing. Featured speaker Amanda Kindle, Stakeholder Relations Manager with ADOT/MVD, discussed current AV operations and regulations. Visit this link to access a Box folder with the A/V recording, audio only, Chat comments and PowerPoint presentation.
October 17: The second presentation, “Bridging the Gap: Addressing the Last-Mile Problem with AMoD,” featured a comprehensive look at the transit last-mile connectivity problem. Our speaker, Dr. Alireza Khani, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, presented insight on a recent study involving employing autonomous vehicle bus service to address last mile issues related to the Miller Hall Mall in Duluth. Please send an email to Edward Bury to request a link to a Box folder with the zoom recording and PowerPoint presentation.
Spring 2024
In Spring, the UTC secured experts across a wide range of organizations to share insight on current state of paratransit.
February 22: The debut presentation, “The Outlook for Paratransit Across Metropolitan Chicago in 2024,” focused on a wide range of issues and developments involving paratransit services across metropolitan Chicago. Speakers Jaemi Jackson and Nikolas Merten from the Regional Transportation Authority and Katie Garrity and Kendra Johnson from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning tackled current and future funding, right-of-way challenges, reduced fare programs, ADA paratransit eligibility and new initiatives like the Access Pilot Program and Taxi Access Program. Statistics shared support the need for enhanced paratransit services: In Northeastern Illinois, 436,000 people or 4.5% of the population, have a disability. Visit this link to access a Box folder with the zoom recording, audio only recording, Chat comments, and three presentations.
March 21: The growth of paratransit services in Northeastern Illinois and a statewide initiative to provide paratransit vehicles to transit providers and non-profit organizations were addressed in the second Spring presentation, “The Evolution of Pace Paratransit and IDOT Consolidated Vehicle Procurement Program.” Featured speakers were Pace Suburban Bus Executive Director Melinda Metzger and Zoe Keller, Illinois Department of Transportation Section Chief, Office of Intermodal Project Implementation. Key takeaways centered on the impact of technology on the enhanced paratransit services offered by Pace and the expansion of paratransit services offered by 113 providers through the $57.1 million IDOT program. One key takeaway: The pandemic accelerated plans to leverage technology to expand paratransit services. Visit this link to access a Box folder with the zoom recording, audio only recording, Chat comments and two PowerPoint decks.
April 11: Rideshare service providers have become and increasingly important component in today’s paratransit landscape. The final discussion was led by featured Dr. Mahtot Gebresselassie, Assistant Professor at York University in Toronto. Dr. Gebresselassie shared results from a recent study, “Wheelchair Users’ Perspective on Transportation Service Hailed Through Uber and Lyft Apps.” A survey of 341 wheelchair users in the U.S. was conducted to understand general trends and patterns. Data collected from 224 complete and 117 partial responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear and logistic regressions. The findings indicated that some wheelchair users were satisfied with the service, but others experienced challenges, including service denial by drivers and lack of accessible vehicles. Almost half of those without Uber or Lyft experience perceived Uber and Lyft as a viable means of transportation. Visit this link to access the Box Folder with the recording and presentation.
Fall 2023
For fall 2023, the UTC Seminar Series centered on the growing microtransit shared transportation networks nationwide and across metropolitan Chicago.
These online presentations were held via Zoom. Our sincere thanks to the transportation professionals who shared knowledge and insight, and to those who registered and participated in these hour-long conversations. Watch this space for news early in 2024 on Seminar Series events for the Spring semester.
September 21: “New Developments in Microtransit,” with Natalie Covill-Fontaine of the Federal Transit Administration and Rudy Faust of the Shared Use Mobility Center. Download the zoom AV, audio only, Chat and PowerPoint decks.
October 19: “Connecting Cook County: An Overview of Cook County’s Support for Microtransit and Multimodal Initiatives,” with Curtis Witek and Benet Haller of the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, and Joe Ronovsky from the Village of Bedford Park. Download the zoom AV, audio only and PowerPoint deck.
November 16: “Connecting Riders: Pace Contracts with Rideshare Services to Strengthen First/Last-Mile Connections,” with Steven Andrews, Pace Suburban Bus Community Relations Manager. Download the zoom AV, audio only, Chat and PowerPoint deck.
Spring 2023
February 16: “The Evolution of Microtransit in the United States.”
The debut UTC Spring 2023 Seminar Series presentation February 16 featured two speakers from Via Transportation, Inc. who shared thoughts regarding how on-demand and transit has evolved over the past decade to play a part in urban, suburban, and rural transit systems nationwide. Download the video, audio only, Chat messages and PowerPoint presentation.
March 16: “Reimagining Regional Mobility for a Post-pandemic World.”
For nearly two years, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) worked collaboratively with transportation leaders and advocates to develop a visionary strategy that can support an equitable post-pandemic recovery, sustain the transit network, and ease a rebound in congestion. Daniel Comeaux, a senior policy analyst for CMAP who led the Mobility Recovery initiative, shared behind-the-scenes insights about the project and what lessons the region can use to ensure this visionary strategy becomes reality. Download the video, audio only, Chat messages and PowerPoint presentation.
April 13: “Lessons from a Bike Advocate: The Impact of Local Advocacy on the Community and a Career.”
Positive change at the community level is the guiding principle for local advocates. Advocacy can sometimes be exhausting work, but the improvements that result are often well worth the time and energy – for the community and on a personal level. Our featured speaker was Dave Simmons, Executive Director of Ride Illinois. In his presentation, Dave shared insights on how his long-time passion for cycling led to a career change and local advocacy. Download the video, audio only, Chat messages and PowerPoint presentation.
Fall 2022
The Fall 2022 Seminar Series presentations that focused on: 1) The state of transportation in metropolitan Chicago in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2) Improvements to mobility options through the Chicago Free Bike and new e-scooter programs. 3) An analysis of the great maritime network that helped define the city.
Spring 2022
In Spring 2022, the UTC hosted two Seminar Series presentations that centered on funding and workforce development. Presenters represented the American Public Transportation Association and Elevate.
Fall 2021
In Fall 2021, the UTC hosted three Seminar Series webinars featuring presentations by leaders from two Chicago-area transportation service bureaus and a panel led by the Regional Transportation Authority.
Spring 2021
In Spring of 2021, the UTC hosted three Seminar Series webinars featuring representatives from the state, county and regional governments.
CUTC Seminar Archive
Please click on the links below to learn about webinars led by UTC faculty and staff researchers in 2014 and 2015. These hour-long, no-cost transportation presentations are hosted by the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida.
Incentivizing Off-Peak Delivery (OPD) of Freight, October 15, 2015
Thursday, October 15, 2015. Participants learned about an OPD pilot project under development in metropolitan Chicago from a UTC research program funded by the National University Rail Center (NURail). Presenter: James C. LaBelle, UTC Senior Research Specialist, Urban Transportation Center.
Visit this page to listen to a broadcast of the October 15, 2015 webcast (scroll down to Recording section) and download the PowerPoint presentation and a copy of the OPD report, “Off-Peak Delivery: A Pilot Project for the Chicago Region.” Want more? Click here to view an abstract.
Integrated Modeling of High Performance Passenger and Freight Train Operation Planning on Shared use Rail Corridors: A Focus on the U.S. Context
Thursday, October 29, 2015. Participants learned about completed UTC research that led to development of a hypergraph based, two-level model that may help minimize the impact of delays resulting from shared passenger and freight rail corridors. The research was funded through the Metropolitan Transportation Support Initiative (METSI). Presenter: Dr. Bo Zou, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Materials Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and an affiliated faculty member of the Urban Transportation Center.
Visit this page to listen to a broadcast of the October 29, 2015 webcast (scroll down to Recording section) and download the PowerPoint presentation and a copy of the Shared Use Rail report, “Integrated Modeling of High Performance Passenger and Freight Train Operation Planning on Shared Use Rail Corridors: A Focus on the U.S. Context.” Want more? Click here to view an abstract.
Pedestrian/Bicyclist Warning Devices and Signs at Highway-Rail and Pathway-Rail Grade Crossings
On June 12, 2014 Dr. P.S. Sriraj and Dr. Paul Metaxatos led a webinar on completed research involving pedestrian and cyclist safety at railroad grade crossings. Learn more and download a recorded version of the webinar.
Value Capture Coordination: Best Practices and Case Studies for Transit Capital Projects
UTC Research Transportation Planner/Analyst Jordan Snow led a webinar July 24, 2014 on the subject of value capture, a process that can be used to help fund new transit systems, expand existing ones and modernize stations and terminals. Learn more and download a recorded version of the webinar.
Sustainability Metrics and Mapping Tool for Environmental Assessment of Rail Infrastructure in Illinois
This webinar presented a comprehensive mapping tool for environmental impact assessment of rail infrastructure in Illinois. The presentation was delivered December 11, 2014 by Dr. Ning Ai. Learn more and download a recorded version of the webinar.