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Engineering post-doc Samah El-Tantawy works with Professor Baher Abdulhai to develop 'smarter' traffic lights (Photo: Johnny Guatto).

As Torontonians get ready to head to the polls on October 27, issues that have been driving public debate and city politics over the past year are heating up.

Over the next four weeks, U of T News—reposted on Engineering News—will feature a mini-series of podcasts introducing experts from engineering, geography, architecture and more as they explain their boundary-breaking research with the aim of providing voters—and anyone interested in the future of cities—with a snapshot of what Toronto and other global cities could look like just a few years from now.

The first episode is all about traffic. You can download or stream the full episode here:

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(Click the down-pointing arrow button in the player to download episode and transfer to your listening device)

Part One: Smarter traffic lights

In the first part of this episode, post-doctoral researcher Samah El-Tantawy (CivE) explains her work with Professor Baher Abdulhai (CivE) as they develop a system known as MARLIN-ATSC (Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Integrated Network of Adaptive Traffic Signal Controllers).

The name sounds complicated but it’s really a simple idea: making traffic lights artifically intelligent.

She says traffic simulations have shown that MARLIN can reduce traffic wait times by 40 per cent—and it’s just about to be tested on the roads of Burlington.

Last year, El-Tantawy was featured in U of T News for winning an international award for her work on MARLIN.

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Wheelspan is a new human-electric hybrid vehicle designed by U of T Engineering alumni.

Part Two: A new kind of ride on Toronto streets

Engineering alumnus Phil Lam (EngSci 0T9, MIE PhD 1T5) and his team at Wheelspan want to make travel on Toronto roads greener, safer and more efficient.

Their innovative human-electric hybrid vehicle and their company are both in development at the Impact Centre, one of U of T’s entrepreneurship hubs specifically designed for entrepreneurs focused on the physical sciences.

Lam explains the urban needs driving the mission of Wheelspan.

Part Three: Putting the politics of traffic into students’ hands

Professor Zack Taylor teaches urban issues and local government at University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus.

He’s interested in political questions and behaviour at a local scale –and he’s inviting his students to join him in his work.

This semester, Taylor is leading a fourth-year seminar course all about the Toronto election.

In this episode, he explains why he’s looking to students to help fill the gaps of scholarship on city elections and what it means for young researchers to dig in.

Read more about building successful cities at U of T. 

This podcast features music made available on the Free Music Archive from artists Cheese N Pot-C, Tha Silent Partner and The Custodian of Records.

Media Contact

Fahad Pinto
Communications & Media Relations Strategist
416.978.4498