Research Overview
The University of Toronto Transportation Research Institute (UTTRI) is a leading interdisciplinary transportation research institute advancing innovative, data-driven, and sustainable mobility solutions for cities and regions worldwide. Since its establishment in 2013, UTTRI has evolved into a globally recognized hub for transportation research, bringing together expertise from engineering, urban planning, computer science, data science, operations research, economics, public policy, and environmental studies.
UTTRI’s research addresses some of the most pressing mobility challenges facing modern societies, including urban congestion, climate resilience, transportation equity, freight efficiency, infrastructure optimization, and the transition toward intelligent and low-carbon transportation systems. Through close collaboration with government agencies, municipalities, transit authorities, industry partners, and international research institutions, UTTRI develops evidence-based solutions that directly inform policy, planning, and real-world implementation.
The institute’s research ecosystem is organized through eight core research centres and labs, including the Data Management Group (DMG), Travel Modelling Group (TMG), Travel Demand Modelling Group (TDMG), ITS Centre and Testbed, Transit Analytics Lab (TAL), Smart Freight Centre (SFC), Centre for Automated and Transformative Transportation Systems (CATTS), and Transportation and Air Quality Research Group (TRAQ), as well as a network of affiliated centres that extend interdisciplinary collaboration across the University of Toronto and partner organizations. Together, these research groups and centres support large-scale initiatives in urban mobility analytics, AI-enabled transportation systems, travel demand modelling, freight and logistics optimization, transportation emissions analysis, data management, and smart infrastructure technologies.
UTTRI Research Centres, Labs, and Collaborative Research Ecosystem
UTTRI’s Major Research
Driving innovative, data-driven and sustainable solutions for the future of mobility
Sustainable
Transportation
Systems
Advancing low-carbon mobility solutions through research on public transit systems, electric and connected vehicles, transportation emissions reduction, and environmentally responsible urban mobility strategies.
Smart Mobility &
Artificial
Intelligence
Developing next-generation transportation technologies including AI-driven traffic management, intelligent transportation systems, autonomous mobility, real-time analytics, and integrated data platforms.
Urban Mobility
Analytics and
Planning
Investigating travel behavior, transportation demand forecasting, multi-modal mobility systems, and land use-transportation interactions to support efficient and resilient urban transportation planning.
Freight, Logistics,
and Supply Chain
Mobility
Enhancing urban freight systems and goods movement through data-driven logistics research, smart freight technologies, and sustainable supply-chain optimization.
Transportation
Policy and
Equity
Examining the social, economic, environmental, and accessibility impacts of transportation systems to support equitable, inclusive, and evidence-based transportation policies.
Infrastructure and
Network
Optimization
Creating advanced models and operational strategies for traffic control, transit operations, network efficiency, and integrated transportation infrastructure management.
Research In Action
and signal optimization
mobility systems
innovation
and air quality research
systems
forecasting and modelling
supervised
conference papers
participants