GCRTA awards research grant to Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) on a sensor implementation and real-time data acquisition project.
Cleveland State University Professors Stephen Duffy, Nigamanth Sridhar and Nick Zingale will collaborate with researchers from Case Western Reserve University on the project, which has been titled "Implementing On-Board Sensor and Real Time Data Acquisition Capabilities in Transit Vehicles."
According to the university, the project seeks to develop and evaluate on-vehicle sensor systems focused primarily on rail maintenance and bus emissions. These systems will be capable of transmitting, archiving and interpreting data in addition to providing information for monitoring on-time performance and passenger wait times for GCRTA’s vehicles. The effort builds on a previous project conducted by the Internet of Things Collaborative (IOTC) that developed a sensor monitoring system for public vehicles used by the city of Lakewood, Ohio. The IOTC was formed by Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve in 2017 to research, education and technology transfer related to the Internet of Things, while also positioning Cleveland as a leader in digital innovation.
“IOT technologies are allowing government agencies to better monitor and improve numerous services they provide to the public,” Duffy said. “This project will enhance performance and reduce emissions for public transit systems within the Cleveland region, while generating significant data sets that can be utilized by additional researchers and managers to further advance operations for the GCRTA.”
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
