Bio

Ali Hajbabaie is a professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at NC State University. He is primarily associated with the “Transportation Systems” and “Computing and Systems” groups within the Department.

After receiving his Ph.D., Hajbabaie was a postdoctoral research scholar at the Institute for Transportation Research and Education at NC State. He then moved to Washington State University, where he was an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 2014 to 2019.

Hajbabaie has served as the Secretary of the Work Zone Traffic Control Standing Committee of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine since 2014, and as the chair of the Asset Management Subcommittee of the Traffic Signal Systems Committee of the TRB.

Hajbabaie teaches courses such as Traffic Engineering, Advanced Traffic Control, Traffic Flow Theory, and Traffic Operations.

Area(s) of Expertise

Hajbabaie's research is focused on traffic operations and control in the presence of connected human-driven and self-driving cars. Dr. Hajbabaie and his research group use multi-scale analysis, modeling, and optimization to improve traffic operations. His research advances our understanding of cooperative traffic control systems and contributes to the development of future mobility systems, including connected and automated vehicles.

Publications

• A Multi-Trajectory Construction Heuristic to Manage CAVs in Signal-Free Intersections , IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems (2026)
• A Real-Time Trajectory Construction Heuristic for Connected Automated Vehicles in Single-lane Roundabouts , Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering (2026)
• Evaluating Pedestrian Safety and Service at Alternative Intersections with Three-Critical-Phase and Two-Critical-Phase Traffic Signals , Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board (2026)
• Framework for Identifying Suitable Locations for Alternative Intersections with Three-Critical-Phase Traffic Signals , (2026)
• Redesigning Trip-Based Travel Demand Models for the Connected Automated Vehicle Era , Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board (2026)
• Integrated column generation for volunteer-based delivery assignment and route optimization , Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering (2025)
• Introducing Two New Versions of Continuous Flow and Median U-Turn Combination Intersection Designs , Journal of Transportation Engineering Part A Systems (2025)
• Optimal Connected Automated Vehicle Control in Freeway Merge Segments through Distributed Coordination , Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board (2025)
• Performance Effects of the New Displaced Left Turn and Median U-Turn Combination Design , Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board (2025)
• Public Acceptance Scoring System for Alternative Intersections , Public Works Management & Policy (2025)

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