The 12th International Conference on Traffic & Transportation Studies (ICTTS’2026) was successfully held in Hong Kong, China, from August 14 to 16, 2026. The conference was organized by Beijing Jiaotong University and co-organized by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Lanzhou Jiaotong University.
Under the theme Beyond Smart Mobility: AI and LLMs Reshaping Transportation, the conference brought together over 180 experts and scholars from more than 30 universities and research institutions worldwide. Participants came from the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Erasmus University Rotterdam; The University of Hong Kong; The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Adelaide University; The University of Queensland; the University of Montreal; the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology; Chulalongkorn University; Tongji University; and Beijing Jiaotong University, among others.
The opening ceremony took place on the morning of August 14. Addresses were delivered by Professor Chi-yung Chung, Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Professor Lingyun Meng, Dean of the School of Traffic and Transportation at Beijing Jiaotong University; and Professor Hualan Wang from Lanzhou Jiaotong University.
Professor Chi-yung Chung, on behalf of PolyU, welcomed the participants and extended his appreciation to the organizing committee. He noted that the conference’s focus on AI and LLM applications in transportation was both timely and significant, and expressed his hope for productive exchanges and innovative ideas to emerge from the discussions.
Professor Lingyun Meng, on behalf of Beijing Jiaotong University, noted that this was the first time the conference had been held outside the Chinese mainland, marking a step forward in the internationalization of the ICTTS series. He highlighted the 130-year history of Beijing Jiaotong University and its ongoing efforts to integrate big data, AI, and LLMs with traffic and transportation engineering, with the goal of advancing the safety, digitalization, intelligence, and sustainability of integrated transportation networks.
Professor Hualan Wang, on behalf of Lanzhou Jiaotong University, emphasized that AI and LLMs are fundamentally reshaping transportation planning, operations, and management. She expressed her hope that the conference would foster deeper collaboration and drive theoretical, technological, and industrial progress in the field.
The keynote session, held on August 14–15, featured presentations from six distinguished scholars: Professor Michael J. Cassidy (UC Berkeley), Professor Xiaopeng (Shaw) Li (UW-Madison), Professor Dennis Huisman (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Professor S.C. Wong (The University of Hong Kong), Professor Yahua (Shane) Zhang (Adelaide University), and Professor Zuduo Zheng (The University of Queensland). Their topics were: Adaptive Cruise Control and Urban Traffic Congestion, Physics-Enhanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Transportation Autonomy, Challenges and Solutions in European Passenger Railways, Quantifying the Variability of Connected Vehicle Penetration Rate Estimates from Single-Source Data, Global Value Chain Partnerships for Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Implications for Australia-China, and 100 Days with Tesla FSD: Four Lessons for the Future of Autonomous Driving. The presentations were followed by discussions on the diverse ways in which AI and LLMs can reshape transportation.
The conference featured 17 parallel sessions, with 115 presenters sharing their latest research. Topics included Transportation Data Intelligence & Analytics, Intelligent Transportation Systems Management & Control, Transportation Safety, Security & Resilience, Intelligent Logistics & Supply Chain Management, and Smart Infrastructure & Predictive Maintenance, among others.
Side events included BJTU-Meet with Editors and a BJTU Recruitment session for the School of Traffic and Transportation. These activities provided additional platforms for academic exchange and institutional collaboration.
On August 16, participants visited the MTR Operations Control Centre for a technical tour, gaining firsthand insights into the operational practices of Hong Kong’s metro system.
ICTTS was initiated by Beijing Jiaotong University in 1998. Over twelve editions, held in cities including Beijing, Guilin, Kunming, Dalian, Nanning, Xi’an, Changsha, Shaoxing, Lanzhou, and Hong Kong, the conference has grown into a well-recognized academic event in the field of traffic and transportation. This year’s meeting in Hong Kong represents a meaningful expansion of the conference’s geographic reach and international engagement.
