News

Steep NYC traffic toll would reduce gridlock, pollution

By Blaine Friedlander    New York City is among the most congested traffic spots in the world. Soon, in an effort to ease some of the Big Apple’s legendary gridlock – and make the air more breathable – driving a car into midtown Manhattan will cost you. New research...

Smart parking software could ease congestion, save time

By Melanie Lefkowitz New smart parking software developed by Cornell researchers, which matches drivers with parking garage spots based on travel time and other factors, could reduce congestion and emissions while saving drivers the time of circling to look for...

Cornell farm tractor gets clean, green biodiesel makeover

Lawrence Li ’21 installs the Optimus Technologies’ Vector System, which allows biodiesel to power this 2006 John Deere tractor.  Photo credit: Charissa King-O’Brien.   By Blaine Friedlander  A week before the Ithaca campus shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic,...

Using a Systems approach toward a better planet

By: Olivia M. Hall February 5, 2020 Consumers are paying increasing attention to their impact on the planet—and therefore, so are retailers. Now a study by Faisal Alkaabneh, a fifth-year student in Cornell Engineering’s Systems Ph.D. program, contributes a systems...

Smart intersections could reduce autonomous car congestion

By Melanie Lefkowitz In the not-so-distant future, city streets could be flooded with autonomous vehicles. Self-driving cars can move faster and travel closer together, allowing more of them to fit on the road – potentially leading to congestion and gridlock on city...

Curbing diesel emission could reduce big city mortality

By: Blaine Friedlander U.S. cities could see a decline in mortality rates and a related beneficial reduction in health care costs through midcentury if federal and local governments maintain stringent air pollution policies and diminish concentrations of diesel...

Electric vehicles would be a breath of fresh air for Houston

By Blaine Friedlander  The American Lung Association’s 2019 “State of the Air” report released in April ranked Houston ninth nationally for worst ozone pollution and 17th for particle pollution. But Cornell researchers express hope for the future of Houston’s...

Powerful Cornell software informs NYC’s transportation planning

By Syl Kacapyr A powerful software developed at Cornell Engineering is helping to inform transportation planning in New York City, resulting in cleaner air and healthier communities. Now the engineers behind the software are looking to bring their digital tool beyond...