Geospatial Data Science and Simulation for Transportation (DS-01) Course Outline

Day 1 — Data & Analytics Foundations

9:00 – 9:15

  • Introductions & Course Overview

9:15 – 10:30

  • The Congestion Problem — Why Data Science for Transportation
    • The Data Science Pyramid

10:30 – 10:45

  • Break

10:45 – 12:00

  • Geospatial Data Overview, KNIME introduction - Why Low-Code?

12:00 – 1:00

  • Lunch

1:00 – 2:45

  • KNIME Exercise 1
    • Rockridge Window Sensors — Pulling Apart the Data to Evaluate the Problem – Edward Hoffman

2:45 – 3:00

  • Break

3:00 – 4:30

  • Project Discussion: Select Group Projects, Assign group projects
    • Use Case: Estimating Bike Lane Usage – Anthony Patire, Research Scientist, PATH UC Berkeley

4:30 – 5:00

  • Day 1 Summary

DAY 2  — Geospatial, Temporal Big Data

9:00 – 10:00

  • Data Preprocessing & Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) Maps as a Framework

10:00 – 10:15

  • Break

10:15 – 11:15

  • Data Driven Decision Making – Ramses Madou, Division Manager of Planning, Policy, and Sustainability for the Department of Transportation in the City of San Jose 
  • Trajectory Analytics

12:00 – 1:00|

  • Lunch

1:00 – 2:45

  • KNIME Exercise 2
    • GPS Probe Data

2:45 – 3:00

  • Break

3:00 – 4:30

  • Spatial Databases & Map Matching
  • Knime Example 2: 
    • Simulated link volumes + PeMS sensor counts; Compute error metrics; Map where the model diverges from reality

4:30 – 5:00Day 2

  • Summary & Project Work Time

DAY 3 — Simulation & Modeling

9:00 – 10:00

  • Transportation Network Simulation
    • Mobiliti – High Performance Computing and Parallel Discrete Event Simulation

10:00 – 10:15

  • Break

10:15 – 12:00

  • Use Case: Camp Fire Evacuation Planning
    • Leg event analytics
  • Use Case: Equitable EV Charging — Babur & Macfarlane (2026)
    • Route analytics
    • Regional modeling, equity priority communities, emission reductions

12:00 – 1:00

  • Lunch

1:00 – 2:30

  • Use Case: Knime Example for New Jersey Probe Data Example

2:30 – 2:45

  • Break

2:45 – 4:30

  • KNIME Exercise 3: Selected Group Project

4:30 – 5:00

  • Day 3 Summary & Project Work Time

DAY 4 August 6 — AI, ML & Project Readouts

9:00 – 9:15

  • Data Science Pyramid — Review

9:15 – 10:00

  • Synthetic Populations in Motion – ActivitySim + Mobiliti

10:00 – 10:15

  • Break

10:15 – 11:00

  • Knime Examples of AI in Transportation Ontologies, Knowledge Bases & Generative AI
    • Green Field Cities

11:00 – 12:00

  • Project Readouts
    • Each group: 5–7 min presentation + Q&A

12:00 – 1:00

  • Lunch

1:00 – 3:00+

  • Open Lab (optional)
    • Continue Your Project · Dig Deeper into Your Data · Peer Collaboration