The program focuses on six areas of research: (i)Transit Operations, (ii)Transit Facility Design and Construction Processes, (iii) Decision Support for Service Development, (iv)Future Transit Funding Strategies and Opportunities, (v)Transportation Planning and (vi) Infrastructure Renewal and Replacement. The research team in consultation with CTA staff and CTP staff identifies specific topics. A typical topic will be driven by student interest, the commitment of a faculty member to serve as advisor and the identification of appropriate and interested staff members at CTA.

With the initiative coming from the student(s), this project has proven beneficial to all participants. The CTA is able to move forward with innovative ideas that it might not otherwise pursue, the UIC faculty gain an opportunity to make contributions to the state of practice, and the students gain opportunities to develop academically, given unique access to CTA data and facilities, with strong support from CTA staff and UIC faculty. The resulting academic products, student theses and publications based on their projects reflect the synergy created by this collaboration. The project work and additional opportunities to intern at CTA also provide students with a rich base of experience and understanding about the functioning of a transit agency. This in turn has proved valuable for students moving into a career in transportation.