Morgan State researchers analyze new ways to help Maryland commuters get around easier

BALTIMORE – Whether you choose to walk, drive, fly, or take the bus— transportation impacts us all–– now more than ever. 

This is why state and federal transportation leaders visited Morgan State University to see what transportation researchers are doing to help. 

Dr. Alireza 'Ali' Ansariyar is on the team of researchers at Morgan State University looking at new ways to help Maryland commuters get around better. 

"I mean we just wanted to see what is going to happen on the network," said Ansariyar, a recent Morgan State University Doctoral student. 

This work comes after the collapse of the Key Bridge and traffic shifted around Baltimore.

"It is important for people because they want to know how they can reroute on the network and what is going to happen on the travel time," said Ansariyar. 

Ansariyar presented his work to the U.S. Department Of Transportation research team Thursday morning, giving them an analysis of traffic patterns before and after the collapse. 

"On I-95, especially after rerouting the vehicles, especially truck drivers," said Ansariyar.  

Multiple research scenarios focused on ramp meters placed along freeways to help control traffic.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, ramp meters are traffic signals installed on freeway on-ramps to control how frequently vehicles enter the freeway.  

Transportation officials believe ramp metering helps to reduce overall freeway congestion by managing the amount of traffic entering the freeway and by breaking up platoons that make it difficult to merge onto the freeway.

Federal and state leaders also visited Morgan's campus to get a first-hand account of other research being done by Morgan students, and how their insights could work in real-life traffic scenarios.

"They analyze how traffic is being rerouted because of the disaster at the bridge and the port. And so Morgan State is really trying to figure out how to best direct traffic. So, there's less congestion," said Dr. Robert Hampshire, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology at the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

"Transportation is going to be one of the biggest challenges that the state faces, and it's how we remain globally competitive. So the solutions are going to come right here," said Aruna Miller (D), the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland.

"The goal is to make sure the transportation system is safer as you're doing your daily commute, but also serves more people in this region," said Dr. Hampshire. 

"It is going to impact the community, it is going to impact the economy," said Dr. Oscar Barton, the Dean of Mitchell School of Engineering at Morgan State University. "It all speaks to us meeting the needs of Maryland, Baltimore in the nation."

And they hope their work will one day change the landscape of transportation in the region.  

"With all the people that are here, we're going to be able to build back better," said Miller.