Zong Tian
- Phone: (775) 443-6163
- Email: zongt@unr.edu
- Building: SEM
- Room: 221
- Mailstop: 0258
Dr. Zong Tian joined the University of Nevada Reno in 2004 and is currently a professor and the founding director of Center for Advanced Transportation Education and Research (CATER).
He obtained his Ph.D. degree from Texas A&M University. He held a position of associate research scientist at the Texas Transportation Institute between 2000 and 2004. He was employed at Kittelson and Associates, Inc. in Portland, Oregon between 1995 and 1999.
Dr. Tian is active in several transportation professional organizations. He served on two two major committees of the Transportation Research Board (TRB): the Highway Capacity and Quality of Service Committee, and the Traffic Signal Systems Committee. He was the paper review chair for the Highway Capacity and Quality of Service Committee of TRB, handling over 60 paper reviews each year. He is the topic area manager for area C: Traffic Management, Operations, and Safety of the World Conference on Transport Research Society (WCTRS). He also chairs the Special Interest Group (SIG-C2) focusing on Urban Transport Operations. He has been serving as a co-organizer for the International Conference on Traffic and Transportation Studies (ICTTS) since 2004 and has been the co-editor of the conference proceedings. He is the associate editor of Case Studies on Transport Policy.
His specialty area is in traffic signal systems and operations, highway capacity, and integrated freeway and arterial operations. Tian received the Young Consultant Award from ITE in 1997.
- Ph.D., Civil/Transportation Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2004
- M.S., Civil/Transportation Engineering, University of Idaho, 1995
- M.S., Railroad Engineering, Northern Jiaotong University, China, 1986
- B.S., Railroad Engineering, Northern Jiaotong University, China, 1983
Prospective graduate students
Dr. Tian is currently recruiting students with strong analytical and computational skills from any background.
Research interests
Dr. Tian's research focuses on various aspects of traffic engineering and intelligent transportation systems, including traffic signal system and operations, freeway ramp metering, integrated freeway/surface street system operations, highway capacity, video image systems, and large-scale transportation network modeling.
Professional certifications and memberships
- Registered Professional Engineer in Nevada and Texas
Selected publications
Book
- Tian, Z. (2009). Integrated Diamond Interchange Ramp-Metering Traffic Control Systems. VDM Publishing House Ltd. ISBN 978-3-639-17795-4.
Proceedings as an editor
- Tian, Z., Nakamura, H., Boltze, M., and Chung, E. (2018). Special Issue on Innovative Intersection Design and Control for Serving Multimodal Transport Users, Transportation Research Part C – Emerging Technologies.
- Tian, Z., Romana, M., Troutbeck, R., and Elefteriadou, L. (2014). Innovative Applications of the Highway Capacity Manual 2010, Transportation Research Circular, E-C190, Transportation Research Board.
Referred journal publications
- Yang, G., Tian, Z., Wang, Z., and H. Xu (2019). Impact of On-ramp Traffic Flow Arrival Profile on Queue Length at Metered On-Ramps, Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, ASCE, 145(2).
- Gholami, A. and Tian, Z. (2018). Model of Transition Delay for Unaccommodated Pedestrian Timing, Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems, 144(2), pp. 1-8.
- Yang, G., Tian, Z., Wang, D., and Xu, H. (2018). Queue Length Estimation for a Metered on-ramp Using Mesoscopic Simulation, Transportation Letters, pp. 1-10.
- Yang, G., Yue, R., Tian, Z., and Xu, H. (2018). Modeling the Impacts of Traffic Flow Arrival Profiles on Ramp Metering Queues, Transportation Research Record, pp. 1-8.
- Wang, D., Tian, Z., Gholami, A. and Yang, G. (2018). Using a Virtual Controller Interface Device for Traffic Signal Control Simulations, Transport (in Press).
- Wu, J., Xu, H., Zheng, Y., and Tian, Z. (2018). A Novel Method of Vehicle-pedestrian Near-Crash Identification with Roadside LiDAR Data, Accident Analysis & Prevention, Volume 121, pp. 238-249.
- Wang, D., Tian, Z., Yang, G. and Gholami, A. (2018). Comparison of Performance between Virtual Controller Interface Device and Controller Interface Device, IET Intelligent Transport Systems, Volume 12, Issue 1, pp. 22-30.
- Yang, G., Z. Wang, H. Xu and Z. Tian (2018). Feasibility of Using a Constant Acceleration Rate for Freeway Entrance Ramp Acceleration Lane Length Design. Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: System, ASCE, 144(3), pp. 1-8.
- Gholami, A., Tian, Z., and Andalibian (2017). Innovative Detector Layout for Automated Traffic Turning Volume Counting: Proposing a New Detector Placement Configuration, Journal of Advanced Transportation, 50(8).
- Farivar, S., Andalibian, R. and Tian, Z. (2017). Modeling Right-Turn Blockage and Approach Capacity at Signalized Intersections with Channelized Right-Turn Lanes. Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE, Part A, 143(2), pp.
- Gholami, A. and Tian, Z. (2017). Increasing the Accuracy of Loop Detector Counts using Adaptive Neural Fuzzy Inference System and Genetic Programming. Transportation Planning and Technology, 40(4), pp. 1-18.
- Yang, G., Tian, Z., Xu, H., and Wang, D. (2017). Impacts of Traffic Flow Arrival Pattern on the Necessary Queue Storage Space at Metered On-Ramps. Transportmetrica A: Transport Science, Volume 13, Issue 10, pp. 1-19.
- Yang, G., Tian, Z. (2016). Queue Length Estimation for Metered Freeway-to-Freeway Connectors. Journal of Advanced Transportation, 10(1).
- Yang, G., Xu, H., Tian, Z. (2016). Vehicle Speed and Acceleration Profile Study for Metered On-Ramps. ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering, 142(2).
- Gholami, A., Tian, Z. (2016). Using Stop Bar Detector Information to Determine Turning Movement Proportions in Shared Lanes. Journal of Advanced Transportation (50), 802-817.
- Gholami, A., Tian, Z. (2016). Designing the Required Changes in the Bus Network after Performing Limited Traffic Zone in Mashhad, Iran. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 4(2).
- Gholami, A., Tian, Z., Andalibian, R. (2016). Estimating intersection turning volumes from actuated traffic signal information. Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE.
- Farivar, S., Tian, Z. (2016). Modeling Delay at Signalized Intersections with Channelized Right-turn Lanes Considering the Impact of Blockage, Journal of Advanced Transportation.
- Gholami, A., Tian, Z. (in press). Innovative detector layout for automated traffic turning volume counting. Journal of Advanced Transportation.
- Wu, J., Liu, P., Tian, Z. (2016). Operational analysis of the contraflow left-turn lane design at signalized intersections in China. Transportation Research Part C, 69, 228-241.
- Gholami, A., Tian, Z. A. (2016). A multi-criteria-based guideline for pedestrian timing accommodation into signal coordination. Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE.
- Zhou, C., Tian, Z. (2016). Right-Turn Traffic Volume Adjustment in Traffic Signal Warrant Analysis. Transportation Research Record, 2562, 28-35.
- Lvu, B., Tian, Z. (2016). An offset optimization approach for coordinated signal systems with preferred measure considerations. Advances in Mechanical Engineering, 8(3).
- Yang, G., Tian, Z. (2016). Recommendations for Acceleration Lane Length for Metered On-Ramps. Transportation Research Record, 2588, 1-11.
- Farivar, S., Tian, Z. (2016). Modeling delay at signalized intersections with channelized rightâturn lanes considering the impact of blockage. Journal of Advanced Transportation.
- Gholami, A. and Tian, Z. (2015). Using Stop Bar Detector Information to Determine Turning Movement Proportions in Shared Lanes, Journal of Advanced Transportation.
- Tian, Z., Ma, Y., Gao, H. and Su, J. (2015). A Probabilistic Delay Model for Signalized Intersections with Short Right-Turn Lanes, Journal of Transportation Systems Engineering and Information Technology
- Yang, G., Xu, H., Tian, Z., Wang, Z. (2015). Acceleration Characteristics at Metered On-Ramps, Transportation Research Record No.2484 (SCI), pp.1-9.
- Yang, G., Xu, H., Tian, Z., and Wang, Z. (2015). Vehicle Speed and Acceleration Profile Study for Metered On-Ramps in California, Journal of Transportation Engineering, ASCE, (SCI).
Courses taught
- CEE 362 Transportation Engineering
- CEE 463/663 Traffic Engineering Analysis and Operations
- CEE 761 Traffic Simulation
- CEE 762 Math Applications in Transportation
- CEE 763 Traffic Safety
- CEE 764 Transportation Systems