News

Dr. Xu has been honored with the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, one of the most prestigious recognitions for early-career faculty!

The research will target and innovate system design and operational problems involved in the last segment of urban delivery, known as the “final 50 feet”. This segment, driven by the rapid growth of urban delivery, places new and significant demands on already crowded urban city streets and curbs, causing spillover effects such as extensive cruising, illegal parking, and street blockages in busy urban neighborhoods. The project will conduct economic and system-level analyses to characterize the “final 50 feet” problem in urban environments, identify the key drivers of critical issues, and evaluate the effectiveness of new policies, designs, and operations intended to address these challenges. Stay tuned!

On January 9, 2025, Dr. Fangni Zhang and her team from the University of Hong Kong visited our Sustainable Urban Mobility (SUM) Lab at George Washington University and delivered a talk on “Collaborative Passenger and Freight Transportation: Modeling, Analysis, and Optimization.” Dr. Zhang shared their latest research on collaborative passenger and freight transportation, covering public transit-based co-modal systems, modular vehicle-based co-modal systems, and crowdsourced co-modality. The visit sparked engaging discussions, making it a truly productive and enriching exchange!

Dr. Fangni Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Data and Systems Engineering at The University of Hong Kong. Dr. Zhang primarily works on transportation system modeling and optimization, and transportation economics. Her recent research focuses on the fundamental and emerging issues in shared, automated, and electrified mobility systems.

     

 

At the 2025 TRB Annual Meeting, Dr. Xu presented a poster on “Analysis of Transshipment in Three-Sided Meal Delivery Services via Microhubs.” This research, conducted in collaboration with his student Linxuan, introduces and analyzes a novel meal delivery model that integrates transshipment. Preliminary findings show that incorporating transshipment significantly outperforms the traditional pickup-and-delivery model by reducing both customer wait times and vehicle miles traveled, especially under high-demand or low-supply conditions. This approach is particularly effective for serving larger areas and fulfilling long-distance orders.

Additionally, Dr. Xu has begun a new role as the Communication Coordinator for the TRB Standing Committee on Innovative Public Transportation Services and Technologies (AP020). If you have exciting news or research findings related to emerging mobility services and technologies, please feel free to reach out—I’d love to help broadcast the information to the broader research and practitioner community!

The Chesapeake and Potomac Section of ITE (CAPSITE) Annual Conference was held at the National Union Building on October 24, 2024. At the conference, Dr. Zhengtian Xu represented the GW Transportation Program, introducing the program and the GWU ITE student chapter. Officially registered in 2023, the chapter is actively growing, and we look forward to engaging more transportation professionals with additional events planned for the future!

Dr. Xu was also invited to participate in a panel discussion moderated by Sarah Abel from ITS America, focusing on land use and sustainable transportation. Alongside David and Jamie, Dr. Xu shared his insights on topics ranging from emerging mobilities,  EV charging infrastructure, to transit-oriented development. It’s inspiring to see so much shared interest in sustainable transportation!

At INFORMS 2024 in Seattle, Dr. Xu and Dr. Kenan Zhang continued their INFORMS session series by organizing a session on Innovative Last-Mile Solutions for Passengers and Freight. In this session, Linxuan presented his work analyzing microhubs for meal delivery services [URL].

Dr. Xu has also been selected by the Transportation Science editorial board to receive a Meritorious Service Award, recognizing his dedicated efforts as a reviewer for the journal. This is his third consecutive year receiving this honor.

Additionally, at the TSL Business Meeting, it was announced that Dr. Xu has been appointed as the TSL Cluster Vice-Chair. He is excited to start this new role serving the TSL community!

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) have funded the establishment of the Research and Engagement for Action in Climate and Health (REACH) Center, an environmental health center of excellence. The REACH Center is led by Dr. Susan Anenberg, professor and chair of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health. This multi-institutional partnership, involving George Washington University, George Mason University, Howard University, and the Environmental Defense Fund, aims to leverage big data to drive climate solutions that promote health and environmental justice.

The SUM Lab will collaborate with a team of researchers from environmental and public health disciplines to evaluate the potential health and environmental justice benefits of congestion pricing in Washington, DC.

Dr. Xu starts an affiliate faculty appointment with the Global Food Institute (GFI). This newly-chartered institute was founded in 2023 by GW and renowned chef, humanitarian and long-time GW instructor, José Andrés. The GFI seeks to advance global food policy and address the world’s most urgent problems by understanding and leveraging the power of food. Dr. Xu shares an interest in how the rise of urban delivery is reshaping restaurant, grocery, and food charities operations and altering the dynamics of how people access food in cities.

We look forward to collaborating with the GFI to make the world a better place through the power of food!

Dr. Xu delivered a podium presentation at ISTTT25 on the economics of curb parking in urban delivery. It was a pleasure to be back in Michigan four years after graduation and share this exciting work with fellow transportation scholars. Presenting at Rackham Auditorium was truly an extraordinary experience. [URL]