Spring 2008 - Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers

STUDENT CHAPTER NEWSUNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIAUBC Students Drive the French RivieraHow does the SkyTrain in Vancouver run? What’s it like to drivein the French Riviera? Which British Columbia companies focuson transportation? These are the questions that engineeringstudents at the University of British Columbia (UBC) were ableto answer through this year’s UBC ITE Student Chapter events.In October, students were invited to take part in a tour of theGreater Vancouver Transit Authority’s SkyTrain Control Centre.Students were given a brief overview of the operations thenshown the control room and maintenance yard. The controlroom monitors the movement of the trains, much like an oldvideo game, as well as a live feed from video cameras at thestations. In the maintenance yard, students were able todescend below the trains to better understand theelectromagnetic process that powers them. This transit systemwas built for EXPO ‘86 and the original train cars are still inoperation among newer cars that are being added toaccommodate increasing passenger volumes.UBC ITE also organized an event where students were able totake a spin around the French Riviera in UBC’s own drivingsimulator. As students drove the course, attempting not tocrash, Dr. Jacqueline Jenkins, transportation professor at UBC,explained how the simulator can be used for research andtraining. The driving simulator is composed of a mock-up of aHyundai car cabin and five 32” LCD televisions providing a 200degree field of view. The Oktal software allows road geometriesand traffic scenarios to be manipulated in order to study driverbehaviour in various situations. UBC students took great interestin the simulator and nearly 60 students attended.The annual UBC ITE Industry Night was recently held inpartnership with the Greater Vancouver ITE Section. Industryprofessionals and students had opportunities to mingle andnetwork throughout the evening. Three groups of students alsopresented term projects from a recent class that requiredinvestigation of a potential road improvement in Vancouver. Thebest presentation was recognized with a $200 prize.UBC ITE continues to be an active Student Chapter, striving topromote transportation engineering and connect students withindustry professionals. We would like to thank Bunt andAssociates, Opus Hamilton, PTV America and the GreaterVancouver ITE Chapter for sponsoring our events. For moreinformation regarding the UBC ITE Student Chapter, pleasecontact us at ubcite@gmail.com.UBC: SkyTrain Control Centre Group PhotoUBC: Driving SimulatorUBC: Industry Night14 TRANSPORTATION TALK