Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President

Faculty Spotlight

Alasdair Cain

Name

Alasdair Cain

College

Engineering

Department

Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR)

Undergraduate Degree

Civil Engineering

From

University of Glasgow, Scotland

Graduate Degree

Master’s in Civil (Transportation) Engineering

From

University of South Florida

Previous Post(s)

Research Fellow, University of Westminster, London, U.K.: Evaluated the public and political acceptability of urban road pricing (congestion charging) projects in London and Edinburgh using public involvement and market research techniques.

Selected Published Works

• Cain, A. (2007). Are Printed Transit Information Materials a Significant Barrier to Transit Use? Journal of Public Transportation. Vol 10.2, pp.33-52.
• Cain, A., Darido, G., Thole, C., Flynn, J. (2007). An Overview of Bus Rapid Transit in the United States. Mass Transit Magazine, May 2007 edition.  http://www.masstransitmag.com/print/Mass-Transit/BRT-Update/1$3363
• Cain, A., Darido, G., Baltes, M.R., Rodriguez, P., Barrios, J.C. (2007). Applicability of Bogotá’s “TransMilenio” Bus Rapid Transit System to the United States. Publication forthcoming in the Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Washington, D.C
• Cain, A. (2006). Teenage Mobility in the United States - Issues and Opportunities for Promoting Public Transit. Transportation Research Record 1971, pp140-148. Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.  
• Cain, A. (2006). Achieving Majority Public Support for Urban Road Pricing – Preserving the Driver’s Right to Choose. Transportation Research Record 1932, pp119-128. Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.
• Cain, A. (2005) Design Elements of Effective Transit Information Materials. Conference Proceedings. APTA 2005 Bus and Paratransit Conference, Columbus, Ohio.
• Cain, A. and Jones, P.M. (2003) Using Public Consultation as an Input to Developing Edinburgh’s Congestion Charging Based Transport Strategy. Transportation Research Record 1839, pp89-97. Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Washington, D.C.
• Cain, A., Burris, M.W., Pendyala, R.M. (2001) Impact of Variable Pricing on Temporal Distribution of Travel Demand. Transportation Research Record 1747, pp36-43. Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Washington, D.C.
• Cain, A. and Burris, M.W. (1999) Investigation of the Use of Mobile Phones While Driving. DIANE Publishing Company, Collingdale, PA, USA.

Area of Specialization / Research

I work primarily for the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute, established here at CUTR in 2001. Institute staff work in partnership with the Federal Transit Administration to evaluate the role of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in improving urban mobility in the United States. My research interests include quantifying the importance of “image” to the attractiveness of BRT, studying the applicability of international best practices in BRT deployment, and assessing the role of BRT in reducing traffic congestion. Another research area that I am involved in is the design of printed trip planning information for public transit users.

Current Course Offerings

I co-teach “Transportation and Society” with my CUTR colleague, Cheryl Thole.

How and when did you first become interested in your field of study?

While undertaking my undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering, I became interested in transportation planning and engineering. When I came to the United States and to USF, I was a graduate research assistant at CUTR and my work here solidified transportation as my chosen field.

What made you decide to pursue a career in higher education? 

Having experienced the transportation field from several different perspectives earlier in my career, I found the academic setting to be by far the most compatible with the way I think and work. This setting allows me to develop and test my ideas and gain expertise in areas that are of interest to me.

Why did you choose to be a part of the academic community at USF?

I worked as a graduate research assistant at CUTR while I completed my graduate studies, and really felt at home there. Having worked in London for three years, I decided to return to the U.S, and knew that CUTR and USF offered the ideal setting to establish my career in this country.

What do you enjoy about teaching the students of USF?

Hopefully, I offer the students insight into how transportation affects their lives, their society and their world; however, I also learn from them through their papers and their insights. I am fortunate to teach a class that covers topical issues to which everyone can relate and upon which everyone can have an opinion. My co-instructor Cheryl Thole and I try to encourage in-class discussion as much as possible and have subsequently learned much from our students who come from so many diverse backgrounds and cultures.

What do you like about the university community?

I come from a country that had already established its urban geography, culture, and institutions centuries ago. In contrast, I find Florida to be very much in a state of flux and it is exciting to live in a place that is constantly changing. I feel that USF plays a central role in understanding and chronicling these changes, and preparing us for the future. I value the opportunity to participate in this process through my research and through working with the people that will ultimately determine the future of the state.