About MITL

The New Way to success. advance. progress.

MITL was born from a pressing need and a desire for change by business leaders, by civic leaders at all levels of government, and by academics that specialize in the study of transportation and logistics.

Who We Are

Moving Canada and the world toward transportation and logistics behaviours that are measurably more sustainable - socially, environmentally, and economically.

Through research, education and outreach, the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics (MITL) builds alliances with both private and public stakeholder organizations to advance evidence-based solutions for the more sustainable movement of goods and people. MITL was formed in 2007 with the vision to become a world-class institute at McMaster University for multi-disciplinary applied research in transportation and logistics.

Our Research!


Developing Highly Qualified Personnel

MITL provides an excellent environment for the next generation of leaders to develop their skills and expertise in addressing real-world research problems. Over its history, MITL has produced numerous highly-trained professionals who have taken on important roles in government and industry or as tenured faculty in academia. Students work alongside experienced researchers to produce high quality research outputs in the form of:

  • User-friendly reports intended for the general public or stakeholders
  • Peer reviewed academic literature

    • Our Team!


    Leveraging the Capabilities of one of Canada’s Leading Universities

    MITL is designed to harness the resources of McMaster University in pursuit of our mission. There are opportunities to draw on the expertise of university faculty members from multiple faculties such as: engineering, science, business, health sciences and social sciences and many sub-disciplines. Researchers on MITL projects have access to worldwide research that has taken place on the movement of goods and people and have the opportunity to build on this work as they solve current research problems for the benefit of our stakeholders.

    Research Areas

    • Disruptive and emerging mobility technologies
    • Vehicular emissions and health impacts
    • Transportation policy
    • Public transit
    • Goods movement



    Research Methods

    • Mathematical Optimization including Supply Chain Optimization
    • Simulation Modelling (especially traffic)
    • Emissions Modelling
    • Integrated Urban Modelling
    • Multivariate Statistics and Choice Modelling
    • Regulatory Analysis
    • Geographical Information Systems
    • Detailed and Critical Analyses of the Literature


    Goods Movement

    • Metropolitan Traffic Congestion in Canada: Measures, Causes, Implications and Policies
    • Estimating Urban Commercial Vehicle Movements in the GTHA
    • An Exploration of the Freight Village Concept
    • Maximizing the Potential of the Foreign Trade Zone Concept in Canada
    • Movements of Dangerous Goods Across the Credit Valley Conservation Watershed
    • Champlain Bridge – Montreal: Impacts of Disruptions to Bridge Capacity


    Logistics

    • Region of Peel Smart Freight Centre
    • Truck Freight Generators and Attractors in the Province of Ontario
    • Hamilton Truck Route Study
    • Delivery Route Optimization: an LCBO Case Study
    • An Assessment of Hands-Free Mooring


    Emissions / Environmental Sustainability

    • Metropolitan Traffic Congestion in Canada: Measures, Causes, Implications and Policies
    • Computer Modelling of Traffic and Emission Impacts of a Large, Mixed Use Development: The Case of the Prospective Burlington Innovation District
    • Estimating Vehicular Emissions for the Toronto and Hamilton Census Metropolitan Areas
    • Movements of Dangerous Goods Across the Credit Valley Conservation Watershed
    • Estimating Road Link-Based Emissions for Key Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas
    • An Evaluation of the MTO Green Commercial Vehicle Program
    • Children’s Exposure to Criteria Air Pollution Due to Drop-off Programs at School


    Electric Vehicles

    • National Consumer Stated Preference Survey
    • Stated Preference Survey for Fleets
    • Public Transit Stakeholder Interviews
    • Discrete Choice Analysis of Stated Preference Data
    • Geodemographic Analysis of Electric Vehicle Adopters
    • Economic Impact Analysis of EV Adoption
    • Metropolitan Estimation of Environmental / Social Impacts
    • Optimization Analysis for the Locations of Public Charging Infrastructure
    • Integration of Models


    Disruptive Vehicles

    • Provincial consumer "mobility technology adoption"
    • Autonomous Vehicles
    • Connected Mobility
    • Public and Micro Transit
    • Analysis of use and effect of advanced vehicle technologies
    • Economic impact on manufacturing opportunities in Ontario, operational efficiencies (avoided costs), infrastructural requirements and changes in labour demands and skills
    • Impacts of environment and health due to traffic-related emissions due to emerging new mobility technologies


    Urban Transportation Policy

    • Benchmarking, Planning, and Promoting Transit-Oriented Intensification in Rapid Transit Station Areas
    • Hamilton’s Rapid Transit Future: The Role of LRT
    • Shaping Hamilton with Complete Streets
    • The Safety Impacts of Red Light Cameras in the City of Hamilton
    • A Transportation Demand Management Plan for McMaster University
    • Transportation Concepts and Implications for the Prospective Burlington Innovation District