Programs
ITS scholars approach much of their research through the lens of transportation equity, studying how travel behavior, infrastructure development, and the environmental impacts of transportation impact low-income residents and communities of color. The Access to Opportunities program, a partnership with the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, examines how transportation connects — or disconnects — people from high-quality housing, stable jobs, and other paths out of poverty.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gases in California and the fastest-growing source of emissions worldwide. Yet climate policies to date have often had disappointing results, and the sector has proven stubbornly resistant to decarbonization. ITS scholars work on all frontiers of climate and environment research, from supporting the transition to zero-emission vehicles to analyzing the effectiveness of policies to reduce vehicle travel.
The New Mobility program considers the intersection of travel behavior, economics, engineering, regulation, and infrastructure as technology and business forces lead to new mobility options. These options include ride-hailing, automated and connected vehicles, and micromobility. New mobility can strain existing infrastructure and regulations, and researching empirical questions can inform a response.
UCLA ITS is proud to host the world’s leading research program into parking policy and planning — an understudied issue with a dramatic impact on transportation, land use, the economy, and the environment, particularly in car-heavy Southern California.
Since the publication of the seminal book “The High Cost of Free Parking” by distinguished research professor and ITS faculty fellow Donald Shoup, UCLA scholars (including students in the graduate parking course) have revolutionized how urban planners think about parking. The groundbreaking research produced in the ITS parking program has critical implications for policy efforts to combat housing scarcity, greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, and many other challenges.
California is counting on public transit to help meet its ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion. Yet despite large public investments in bus and rail service, the state’s transit ridership is on the decline. ITS scholars are at the forefront of research into mass transit, from its funding and planning to passenger trends to the rider’s safety and experience, informing policymaking aimed at getting more people on board.
There is no better place to study traffic congestion than Southern California. In the famously gridlocked region, traffic is directly tied to development patterns and growth. The ITS traffic congestion research program, a joint effort with the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, examines the connections between traffic and urban development, economic activity, transportation planning, and public finance tools — including the controversial issue of congestion pricing — to inform policymakers in the quest to “solve” gridlock.
Transportation is often a means to an end – a way to access goods, services, or opportunities. Transportation is inextricably linked with the built environment and quality of life. The Transportation & Communities program examines transit-oriented communities, transportation and urban design, active transportation, pedestrian and bicycle planning, complete streets, livable streets, and linkages between gentrification, displacement, and mobility.
From gas taxes to congestion pricing, transportation finance is often controversial. As California plans for a number of fiscal methods to fund high-speed rail and infrastructure and limit greenhouse gas emissions, ITS research into the cost, impact, and equity of transportation finance can help state and local decision-makers craft effective policy.