Cynthia Chen, PhD
Professional Service Teaching Publications
Students and Visiting Scholars
Biography
My primary research interest and focus
is to understand human movements in time and space. I focus on characterizing
key characteristics of these movements, identifying regular and irregular
patterns, and charting out the lifecycle of these patterns over time. I am
currently directing a NSF-funded research project aimed at understanding the
meaning, the scope, and the lifecycle of disaster from a social behavioral point
of view.
I teach courses in Travel Demand
Forecasting, Transportation Survey Methods, and Urban Transportation Planning.
Address
Box 352700, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98195
Phone: 206-543-8974; Fax: 206-543-1543;
email: qzchen@uw.edu
Positions
Associate professor of Civil and
Environmental Engineering (http://www.ce.washington.edu)
Adjunct associate professor of Urban
Design and Planning (http://urbdp.be.washington.edu/)
Affiliated faculty and member in the
Ph.D. steering committee, Interdisciplinary PhD program in Urban Design and
Planning (http://depts.washington.edu/urbdpphd/)
Education
Ph.D., University of California, Davis,
2001
M.S., New Jersey Institute of
Technology, 1995
B.A., Nan Kai University, 1992
Professional Service
·
Member, WSDOT
aviation advisory board (on Aviation Economic Impact Study) (2010-2011)
·
Member, Editorial
Advisory Board, Transportation (Journal) (2010-present)
·
Chair,
subcommittee on Time Use and Activity and Travel Patterns, Travel Behavior and
Values Committee, Transportation Research Board (2004-present)
·
Member, Committee
on Travel Behavior and Values (ADB10) http://trb-travelbehavior.org/,
Transportation Research Board (2004-present)
·
Member, Committee
on Telecommunications and Travel Behavior (ADB20), Transportation Research
Board (2004-present)
·
Member, Committee
on Travel Survey Methods (ABJ40), Transportation Research Board (2011-present)
·
Reviewer of over
10 proposals for National Science Foundation and Swiss National Science
Foundation
·
Member, King
County Parking Inventory Study Panel (2011)
·
Reviewer of many
professional journals
Teaching
CEE416: Urban Transportation Planning (Fall)
CEE500: Transportation Seminars (Fall)
CEE581: Travel Demand Forecasting (Winter) http://courses.washington.edu/cee581
(UW id and password required)
CEE599H: Transportation Survey Methods (Spring) http://courses.washington.edu/cee599h
(UW id and password required)
Publications (*
indicates my students)
Travel behavior analysis (including
residential location choices and housing search)
24. Chen, C. and Lin*, H. How far do
people search? Analyzing the roles of housing supply,
within-household disagreement, and the use of information channels. Housing Studies (accepted).
23.
Chen, C. and Lin*, H. (2011) Decomposing Residential Self-selection via a Life
Course Perspective. Environment
and Planning A 43(11), 2608-2625.
22.
Chen, C.; Chen*, J. and Timmermans, H. (2009) Historical Deposition Influence
and its Interaction with Lifecycle in Residential Location Decisions:
Development of a GEV Discrete Choice Model for Spatial Correlation. Environment
and Planning A 41(11) 2760-2777.
21. Chen, C. and
Chen*, J. (2009) What is Responsible for a Response
Lag of a Significant Change in Discretionary Time Use: the Built Environment,
Family and Social Obligations, Temporal Constraints, or a Psychological Delay
Factor? Transportation 36, 27-46.
20. Chen*, J.; Chen, C. and Timmermans, H. (2008)
Accessibility Tradeoffs in Residential Location Decisions. Transportation Research Record 2077,71-79.
19. Chen, C.; Gong,
H.; and Paaswell, R. (2008) Role
of the Built Environment on Mode Choice Decisions: Additional Evidence on the
Impact of Density. Transportation 35(3), 285-299.
18. Chen, C. and McKnight, C. (2007). Does the
Built Environment Make a Difference? Additional Evidence from
the Daily Activity and Travel Behavior of Homemakers Living in NYC and Suburbs.
Journal of Transport Geography 15(5), 380-395.
17. Chen, C. and
Lin, J. (2006) Making an Informed Vehicle Scrappage
Decision. Transport Review 26(6), 731-748.
16. Chen, C. and Chen*,
X. (2006) Dynamic Discrete Choice Models with Future Expectation. The
International Journal of Intelligent Controls and Systems 11(1), 36-50.
15. Chen, C. and Mokhtarian, P. (2006)
Tradeoffs between Time Allocations to Maintenance Activities/Travel and
Discretionary Activities/Travel. Transportation
33, 223-240.
14.
Chen, C. and Niemeier, D. A Mass Point
Vehicle Scrappage Model (2005) Transportation
Research Part B 39(5), 401-415.
13. Chen, C. (2005) Feasible Activity and
Travel Patterns Using a Discrete Choice Framework. (2005) Journal of Transportation Research Forum,
July.
12.
Chen, C.; Garling, T.; and Kitamura, R. (2004).
Activity Rescheduling: Deliberate or Habitual? Transportation Research Part F 7(6), 351-371.
11. Mokhtarian, P. and Chen, C. (2004) TTB or
Not TTB, that is the Question: A Review and Analysis of the Empirical
Literature on Travel Time (and Money) Budgets. Transportation Research Part
A 38(9-10), 643-675.
10. Kitamura, R.; Chen, C.; Pendyala,
R.; and Narayanan, R. (2000) Micro-simulation of Daily Activity-Travel Patterns
for Travel Demand Forecasting. Transportation
27(1), 25-51.
9. Chen, C.; Kitamura, R.; and Chen, J.
(1999) Multimodal Daily Travel Planner – an Interactive Approach. Transportation Research Record 1676,
37-43.
8. Kitamura, R.; Chen, C.; and
Narayanan, R. (1998) Traveler Destination Choice Behavior: Effects of Time of
Day, Activity Duration, and Home Location. Transportation
Research Record 1645, 76-81.
7. Beaton, P.; Chen, C.; and Meghdir, H. (1998) Stated Choice: a Study in Predictive
Validity Using an Aggregate Truth Set. Transportation
25(1), 55-75.
6. Beaton, P.; Chen, C.; and Meghdir, H. (1997) Stated Choice for Transportation Demand
Management Models: a Study in Predictive Validity Using a Disaggregate Truth
Set. Transportation Research Record
1598, 1-8.
5. Kitamura, R.; Chen, C.; Pendyala, R.
(1997) Generation of Synthetic Activity-Travel Patterns. Transportation Research Record 1607, 154-162.
4. Pendyala, R.; Kitamura, R.; Chen, C.;
and Pas, E. (1997) An Activity-based Microsimulation
Analysis of Transportation Control Measures. Transport Policy 4(3), 183-192.
3. Beaton, P.; Chen, C.; and Meghdir, H. (1996) Stated Choice: a New Tool for
Transportation Demand Forecasting. Institute
of Transportation Engineers Journal January, 26-29.
2. Chen, C.; Beaton, P. and Meghdir, H. (1995) Profile of Employee Transportation
Coordinators. Transportation Research
Record 1496, 123-130.
1. Beaton, P.; Chen, C.; and Meghdir, H. (1995) Stated Choice-based Performance
Evaluation of Selected Transportation Control Measures and their Transfer
across Sites. Transportation Research
Record 1496, 168-174.
Safety analysis
3. Chen*, L.; Chen, C.;
Ewing, R.; McKnight, C.; Srinivasan, R.; Roe, M. Safety countermeasures and
crash reductions in New York City—Experience and Lessons learned.
Accident, Analysis, and Prevention
(accepted)
2.
Chen, C.; Lin*, H.; and Loo, B. Exploring the impact of safety culture of
immigrants on pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Journal of Urban Health, forthcoming, DOI: 10.1007/s11524-011-9629-7.
1.
Chen*, L.; Chen, C.; Raghavan, S.; McKnight, C.; Ewing, R.; Roe, M. Evaluating
the safety impacts of bike lanes in New York City. American Journal of Public Health (forthcoming)
Survey analysis
2.
Gong, H.; Chen, C.; Bialostozky*, E. and Lawson, C. A GPS/GIS
Method for Travel Mode Detection in New York City. Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems (forthcoming).
1.
Chen, C.; Gong, H.; Lawson, C., and Bialostozky*, E. (2010) Evaluating the
Feasibility of a Passive Travel Survey Collection in a Complex Urban
Environment: Lessons Learned from the New York City Case Study. Transportation Research Part A 44(10),
830-840.
Ridership analysis
3.
Chen, C. and Varley*, D. (2011) What affects Transit
Ridership? A Dynamic Analysis Involving Multiple Factors,
Lags, and Asymmetric Behavior. Urban
Studies, 48(9), 1893 – 1908
2.
Loo, B.; Chen, C., and Chan*, E. (2010) Rail-based Transit-oriented
Development: Lessons from New York City and Hong Kong. Landscape and Urban Planning 97(3), 202-212.
1. Chen, C. and Chen*, J. (2009) Diurnal Pattern of Transit Ridership: A Case
Study of the New York City Subway System. Journal of Transport Geography 19,
176-186.
Other
5.
Pendyala, R.; Goulias, K. and Chen, C. (2009) Remembering a Teacher. Transportation 36, 643-645. [note: this is a memorial paper for my PhD advisor: Dr. Ryuichi Kitamura]
4. Lin, J.; Chen,
C.; and Niemeier, D. (2008) An Analysis on Long Term Emission Benefits of a Government
Vehicle Fleet Replacement Plan In Northern Illinois. Transportation 35(2),
219-235.
3. Gong, H., Japzon,
A. and Chen, C. (2008) Public Libraries and Social Capital in Three New York
City Neighborhoods. Tijdschrift voor Economische
en Sociale Geografie
(Journal of Economic and Social Geography) 99(1), 65-83.
2. Guo, J. and Chen, C. (2007) The Built
Environment and Travel Behavior: Making the Connection. Transportation
34(5), 529-533.
1. Wen, H. and
Chen, C. (2007) Factors Influencing the Initial Roughness of the Concrete
Pavement. Journal of Performance of
Constructed Facilities (ASCE Journal) 21(6), 459-464.
Students and Visiting Scholars
Current students
Tingting Wang (PhD student): Tingting is now a second year Ph.D.
student in University of Washington.
Her research
interest is in understanding people’s travel behavior, especially the
contributing factors, underlying regularity and potential abnormality,
and its
policy implications.
E-mail: wangtt@uw.edu
Li Chen (Ph.D. 2012): Li Chen is currently a PhD
candidate in Civil Engineering Department at the City College, City University
of New York and expecting to get her doctoral degree in May 2012. Her research
topics include evaluation of the effectiveness of safety countermeasures and
traffic calming measures, traffic safety and public health, and cost estimation
and risk analysis of transportation capital projects. She has worked on the
West Side Manhattan Traffic and Transportation Study during her internship at
the New York City Department of Transportation from 2005 to 2006, examining
traffic, pedestrian, bicycle, goods movement, safety, and land use issues in a
rapidly evolving area on the edge of the region's central business
district. During 2009-2011 she worked on
the research project “Effectiveness of Traffic Calming Measures” sponsored by
New York City Department of Transportation, studying the various safety
countermeasures in New York City, including speed humps, Barnes Dance, bike
lanes, bus lanes, and many others.
Email: lichen.cuny@gmail.com
Haiyun Lin (Ph.D.,
2012): Haiyun Lin is
a Ph.D. candidate at City University of New York and expecting to get her
doctoral degree in Civil Engineering in May 2012. Ms. Lin’s research activities
include behavior analysis focusing on residential location choice and housing
search, safety analysis regarding non-motorized travel modes, as well as
transportation policy evaluations. Her research interests also include activity-based
travel demand modeling and integrated land use and transportation system
modeling. Ms. Lin has worked on various research projects with Prof. Cynthia
Chen since 2007, from which she gains proficiency in designing and
administrating travel survey, as well as conducting various kinds of
statistical modeling and geo-spatial analysis.
Email: linhaiyunn@gmail.com
Former students
Dadi Ottosson (M.S.
2012): Dadi Ottosson
was recipient of a Valle Fellowship at University of Washington the academic
year 2010-2011. His research is focused on how on-street parking demand
responses to pricing but he has also worked on two innovation projects
regarding traffic safety. His research interest centers around parking in
general, travel behavior, transportation planning and in programs that
encourage 'green' travel modes. He is currently working as a Transportation
Engineer at EFLA consultant company which is located
in Iceland.
Email: dadibo@gmail.com
Jason Chen (Ph.D.,
2008): works in
Resources System Group as Transportation System Modeler. He has developed a
tour-based micro-simulation freight movement model, and has recently done a
study on activity-based travel demand model development and application for
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Dr. Chen used to work at
AECOM as Transportation Planner and his responsibilities include activity-based
travel demand model estimation, calibration, and data collection and analysis.
He has worked on multi modal studies, which involve estimation, forecasting and
evaluation of highway traffic management and improvement (e.g. hot lane, toll
schedules) and transit improvement (e.g. new commuter rail and BRT service). He
has calibrated NYMTC activity-based travel demand model to better represent the
project markets.
Email: chenxiaoqiang@gmail.com
Eugene Sit (M.S., 2009): Eugene Sit is an examiner at the
New York State Division of the Budget, where his areas of responsibility
include the Department of Transportation, Thruway Authority, and Bridge
Authority. He has also served as an
analyst for the NYS Senate Finance Committee, and an engineer at Vollmer
Associates, LLP. His M.S. thesis at the
City College of New York presented a sensitivity analysis of the NYMTC Best
Practice Model with respect to transit fares.
He holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Columbia University.
Email: eugene.sit@gmail.com
Don Varley (M.S., 2009): Don
Varley is a transportation planner in New York City. Mr. Varley is currently
employed by New York City Transit. As a transportation planner for NYCT, he is
responsible for researching and analyzing proposed permanent changes to the NYC
bus route network. He develops and maintains a database of service and
ridership information for planning purposes. In previous positions, Mr. Varley
has worked on a wide range of projects, focusing on public transit in the urban
environment. He has also conducted various types of analysis using geographic
information systems (GIS) to analyze spatially related data such as
socio-demographic data, transit ridership, and transit mobility and
accessibility for various clients including the New York City Department of
Transportation. While at the City College of New York, Mr. Varley worked with
Cynthia Chen on detailed ridership analysis, including calculation of short-
and long-term price elasticity for factors affecting transit ridership for New
Jersey Transit..
Email: don.varley@gmail.com
Visiting scholars and
students:
Professor
Fang Zong:
Visiting associate professor of Jilin University.
Email: zongfang@jlu.edu.cn
Xiaowei Hu: Xiaowei Hu is a visiting Ph.D. student from Harbin Institute of Technology, China. His research interests including travel behavior analysis and transportation management policy. Now he is working with Prof. Chen on human mobility dynamics analysis based on taxi GPS traces data.
Email: xiaowei_hu@yahoo.com