Dr. Akito Higatani, Hanshin Expressway Co., Ltd., Japan
Akito Higatani is an accomplished professional in traffic engineering, currently serving as Assistant Manager in the Planning Department at Hanshin Expressway Co., Ltd. With a career spanning 18 years, he has made significant contributions to the field through his research and practical insights into traffic management and efficiency. Dr. Higatani’s academic journey began at Kyoto University, Japan, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the Undergraduate School of Global Engineering, specializing in Transportation Engineering and Management. He continued his studies at Kyoto University, obtaining a Master’s degree in Urban Management, focusing on traffic efficiency in urban expressways. His doctoral studies also at Kyoto University culminated in a Doctor of Engineering degree, where his research focused on planning patrolling schedules in urban expressway networks considering traffic incidents and network performance fluctuations. Dr. Higatani has contributed extensively to the field through peer-reviewed papers and presentations at international conferences. His research, such as studying traffic volume fluctuations and travel time reliability measures in the Hanshin Expressway Network, has been instrumental in advancing understanding and strategies in traffic engineering.
Professional Profile:
SCOPUS
Education:
Akito Higatani pursued his academic journey at Kyoto University, Japan, specializing in Transportation Engineering and Management.
- Bachelor of Engineering (Undergraduate School of Global Engineering, April 2000 – March 2004): Akito completed his undergraduate studies with a focus on Transportation Engineering and Management. His graduation thesis investigated traffic flow observation using image data.
- Master of Engineering (Department of Urban Management, April 2004 – March 2006): Continuing his studies at Kyoto University, Akito delved deeper into urban traffic management, particularly focusing on traffic efficiency at merging sections of urban expressways using image data.
- Doctor of Engineering (Department of Urban Management, April 2012 – March 2015): Akito pursued his doctoral studies, specializing in planning patrolling schedules within urban expressway networks. His dissertation focused on optimizing schedules considering traffic incidents and network performance fluctuations.
Work Experience:
Akito Higatani has accumulated extensive experience in traffic engineering and management, primarily at Hanshin Expressway Co., Ltd.
- Assistant Manager, Planning Department: Akito has been serving as an Assistant Manager since joining Hanshin Expressway in April 2006. His role involves strategic planning within the Planning Department, focusing on optimizing traffic flow and efficiency across the expressway network.
Academic Achievements:
Akito Higatani has contributed significantly to the field of traffic engineering through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations:
Publication top Notes:
Assessing the Impacts of Autonomous Vehicles on Road Congestion Using Microsimulation
An investigation into the appropriateness of car-following models in assessing autonomous vehicles
Driving simulator experiment on speed reduction during earthquake on an urban expressway
A study of traffic volume fluctuation considering traffic incidents in hanshin expressway network
Slippage test of frictional high strength bolted joints with adhesives for corroded damaged steel members