Ciprian Alecsandru, PhD

Research interests

• Traffic Simulation
• Traffic Operations and Control
• Intelligent Transportation Systems
• Soft Computing in Transportation Applications
• Sustainable Transportation Development
• Safety and Operations of Non-Motorized Road Users

Projects

• Cell-Transmission Based Model for Signalized Intersections
  
• Modeling Framework for Large-Scale Traffic Networks
  
• Montreal Public Transit System - Metro
  
• MTQ projects
  

Academic experience

• 2006 - present Transportation Professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC
• 2001 - 2006 Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• 1997 - 2001 Assistant Lecturer, Transportation Department, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania

Education

• 2006 PhD Civil Engineering Louisiana StateUniversity, Baton Rouge, LA
• 2003 MS Civil Engineering Louisiana StateUniversity, Baton Rouge, LA
• 1998 MS Telematics for Transportation Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania
• 1997 BS Automatics for Railroad Transportation Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Romania

Teaching interests

• Traffic Engineering
• Urban Transportation Planning
• Transportation Analysis
• Advanced Transportation Topics

• Traffic operations and control

• Modeling and simulation for dynamic transportation networks

• Intelligent transportation and information systems

• Transportation systems scalability

• Soft computing and emerging technologies in transportation

Courses

• ENGR 213 - Applied Differential Equations
• CIVI 372 - Transportation Engineering
• CIVI 474 - Transportation Planning and Design
• CIVI 6401 - Transportation Systems Analysis
• CIVI 6411 - Urban Transportation Planning
• CIVI 6441 - Traffic Engineering

Research projects

• PI, A Framework to Model Mixed Conventional and Automated Vehicular Traffic: Ameliorating Operations, Safety and Environmental Impacts. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. (04/01/2020-03/31/2026) ($156,000)
• PI, Connected and Automated Vehicles: Ameliorating Traffic Safety and Operations,  MITACS-ERICSSON Cluster (04/01/2020-03/31/2022) ($80,000)
• PI, Towards Sustainable Transportation Networks, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. (06/01/2015-05/31/2020) ($100,000)
• Co-PI, Efficacité énergétique et déglaçage des entrées pourle tunnel Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine, MTQ Research Grant. (01/01/2017-12/31/2018) ($750,000)
• PI, Évaluation des pratiques sécuritaires pour les voies réservées aux véhicules à taux d'occupation élevée, MTQ Research Grant. (04/01/2012-02/28/2015) ($150,000)
• PI, An assessment tool for evaluation of operational and safety performance of intermodal transit terminals, MITACS Accelerate, 2011
• PI,  Methodology to Estimate Bus Terminal Capacity using Microscopic Simulation, MITACS Accelerate, 2010
• PI, Modeling Framework for Large-Scale Traffic Networks, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. (06/01/2007-05/31/2012) ($95,000)
• PI, Cell-Transmission Based Traffic Simulator for Signalized Intersections, ENCS, Concordia University (08/01/2006-05/31/2008) ($25,000)

Selected refereed journal publications

• M. Karimi, C. Roncoli, C. Alecsandru, and M. Papageorgiou, COOPERATIVE MERGING CONTROL VIA TRAJECTORY OPTIMIZATION IN MIXED VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.  Journal of Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies 116 (2020)
  
• M. Karimi and C. Alecsandru. A TWO-FOLD CALIBRATION APPROACH FOR MICROSCOPIC TRAFFIC SIMULATION MODELS. IET Intelligent Transportation Systems Vol 13, Issue 10 (2019)
• M. Karimi, Miriestahbanati, H. Esmaeeli, C. Alecsandru. MULTI-OBJECTIVE STOCHASTIC OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHMS TO CALIBRATE MICROSIMULATION MODELS, Journal of Transportation Research Board, Volume: 2673 issue: 4 (2019)
• C. Li, M. Karimi, C. Alecsandru. MICROSCOPIC SIMULATION-BASED HIGH-OCCUPANCY VEHICLE LANE SAFETY AND OPERATION ASSESSMENT: A CASE STUDY. Journal of Advanced Transportation, Vol 2018, Issue 4, pp. 367-386.
• H. Shahrokhi, C. Alecsandru, R. Maghsoudi, L. Amador. AN EFFICIENT SOFT COMPUTING-BASED CALIBRATION METHOD FOR MICROSCOPIC SIMULATION MODELS. Journal of Transportation Safety and Security, 2017, Vol 10, Issue 4, pp. 367-386.
• Rouhieh, B. and C. Alecsandru. OPTIMIZING ROUTE CHOICE IN MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 2014, 41(9), pp. 800-810
• Alecsandru, C., S. Ishak, and Y. Qi. PASSENGER CAR EQUIVALENTS OF TRUCKS ON FOUR-LANE RURAL FREEWAYS UNDER LANE RESTRICTION AND DIFFERENT TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 2012 39(10), pp. 1145-1155.
• Rouhieh, B. and C. Alecsandru. ADAPTIVE ROUTE CHOICE MODEL FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEMS: AN APPLICATION OF MARKOV DECISION PROCESSES. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, Vol 39(8), pp. 915-924
• Y. Qi, S. Ishak, B. Wolshon, and C. Alecsandru. Traffic Behavior and Compliance to Truck-Lane restrictions on Four-Lane Rural Freeways. Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2011, 4(2), 160-177
• Alecsandru, C., B. Rouhieh, T. C. K. Huang.  Traffic Safety and Operations on Shared-Access Facilities: An Urban Arterial Case Study. Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2010, (1)2, 101-120
• Wolshon, B., S. Ishak, Y. Qi, M. Korkut, X. Sun, and C. Alecsandru.  Perceptions of Lane Restriction and Differential Speed Limit Policies on Freeways. Journal of Transportation Safety & Security, 2009, 1:2, 101-120
• Ishak, S., S. Kondagari, and C. Alecsandru. A Probabilistic Data-driven Approach For Real-time Screening Of Freeway Traffic Data. Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2012, pp. 94-104, 2007
• Alecsandru, C., S. Ishak, and Y. Zhang. An Optimal Downsampling Procedure for Microscopic Simulation Modeling of Transportation Networks: A Proof-of-Concept Study. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, Vol. 34, No 1, 2007
• Ishak, S., C. Alecsandru, and S. Chakravarthy. Potential Computational Benefits of Geometric, Kinematic, and Behavioral Downsampling of Microscopic Traffic Network Simulation. ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, No. 20, 2006
• Ishak, S., C. Alecsandru, and D. Seedah. Improvement and Evaluation of the Cell-Transmission Model for Operational Analysis of Traffic Networks: A Freeway Case Study. Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1965, pp. 171–182, 2006
• Ishak, S., and C. Alecsandru. Analysis of Freeway Preincident, Postincident, and Nonincident Conditions Using Second-Order Spatiotemporal Traffic Performance Measures. Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1925, pp. 20–28, 2005.
• Alecsandru, C. and S. Ishak. A Hybrid Model-Based and Memory-Based Traffic Prediction System. Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1879: pp. 59-70, 2004.
• Ishak, S. and C. Alecsandru. Optimizing Traffic Prediction Performance of Neural Networks under Various Topological, Input, and Traffic Condition Settings. ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering, 130(4): pp. 452-465, 2004.
• Ishak, S., P. Kotha, and C. Alecsandru. Optimization of Dynamic Neural Network Performance for Short-Term Traffic Prediction. Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1836: pp. 45-56, 2003

Conference proceedings and presentations

• Alecsandru, C. and S. Ishak. A Lane-Changing Algorithm for Cell-Transmission Model. Presented at the 19th IASTED International Conference on Modeling and Simulation, Quebec, Canada, 2008.
• Alecsandru, C. and S. Ishak. Modeling Randomness In Driving Behavior Within A Cell Transmission Based Framework. Preprint CD-ROM of the 86th Annual Meeting of TRB, National Research Council, Washington D.C., 2007.
• Ishak, S., S. Kondagari, and C. Alecsandru. A Probabilistic Data-driven Approach For Real-time Screening Of Freeway Traffic Data. Preprint CD-ROM of the 86th Annual Meeting of TRB, National Research Council, Washington D.C., 2007.
• Ishak, S., C. Alecsandru, and D. Seedah. Topological and Operational Improvements to a Cell-Transmission-Based Simulation Model. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Applications of Advanced Technology in Transportation, Chicago, IL., 2006
• Ishak, S., C. Alecsandru, and D. Seedah. Improvement and Evaluation of the Cell-Transmission Model for Operational Analysis of Traffic Networks: A Freeway Case Study. Preprint CD-ROM of the 85th Annual Meeting of TRB, National Research Council, Washington D.C., 2006.
• Ishak, S., and C. Alecsandru. Analysis of Freeway Preincident, Postincident, and Nonincident Conditions Using Second-Order Spatiotemporal Traffic Performance Measures. Preprint CD-ROM of the 84th Annual Meeting of TRB, National Research Council, Washington D.C., 2005.
• Ishak, S, Y. Zhang, and C. Alecsandru. Development of Optimal Downsampling Procedures for Microsimulation Modeling of Transportation Networks: A Freeway Case Study. Preprint CD-ROM of the 84th Annual Meeting of TRB, National Research Council, Washington D.C., 2005.
• Ishak, S., S. Chakravarthy, and C. Alecsandru. Performance versus Scalability of Microscopic Traffic Simulation Systems Preprint CD-ROM of the 83rd Annual Meeting of TRB, National Research Council, Washington D.C., 2004.
• Alecsandru, C. and S. Ishak. A Hybrid Model-Based and Memory-Based TrafficPrediction System. Preprint CD-ROM of the 83rd Annual Meeting of TRB, National Research Council, Washington D.C., 2004.
• Ishak, S., and C. Alecsandru. Optimizing Traffic Prediction Performance of Neural Networks under Various Topological, Input, and Traffic Condition Setting. Preprint CD-ROM of the 82nd Annual Meeting of TRB, National Research Council, Washington D.C., 2003
• Ishak, S., P. Kotha, and C. Alecsandru. Optimization of Dynamic Neural Network Performance for Short-Term Traffic Prediction. Preprint CD-ROM of the 82nd Annual Meeting of TRB, National Research Council, Washington D.C., 2003.