headshot of Michael Cassidy

Research Bio

Michael Cassidy is a Vice Chair for Undergraduate Studies and a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley. Cassidy’s research focuses on traffic and transportation operations, traffic control, and public transit. In 30 years of academic activity at Purdue University and UC Berkeley, Cassidy has published roughly 75 papers in refereed journals and has supervised more than 25 Ph.D. dissertations. 

Research Expertise and Interest

traffic and transportation operations, traffic control

In the News

Kicking hybrids out of carpool lanes slows all traffic

The end of a California program granting free access to carpool lanes by solo drivers of hybrid cars has unintentionally slowed traffic in all lanes, according to a new report by researchers at UC Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies. It turns out that when regular-use lanes became more congested with the addition of more hybrids, the carpool lanes slowed down as well. The transportation engineers explain this counterintuitive result.

Teaching

Courses taught during the three most recent terms
2026 Spring
  • Highway Traffic Operations  [CIVENG 255]  

  • Public Transportation Systems  [CIVENG 259]  

  • Individual Research  [CIVENG 299]  

  • Supervised Independent Study and Research  [CIVENG 99]  

2025 Fall
  • Directed Group Study for Advanced Undergraduates  [CIVENG 198]  

  • Operation of Transportation Facilities  [CIVENG 251]  

  • Field Studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering  [CIVENG 297]  

  • Individual Research  [CIVENG 299]  

  • Supervised Group Study and Research  [CIVENG 98]  

  • Supervised Independent Study and Research  [CIVENG 99]  

2025 Summer
  • Field Studies in Civil Engineering  [CIVENG 197]  

  • Field Studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering  [CIVENG 297]  

  • Individual Research  [CIVENG 299]  

2025 Spring
  • Field Studies in Civil Engineering  [CIVENG 197]  

  • Directed Group Study for Advanced Undergraduates  [CIVENG 198]  

  • Public Transportation Systems  [CIVENG 259]  

  • Public Transportation Systems  [CIVENG 259]  

  • Individual Research  [CIVENG 299]  

  • Supervised Group Study and Research  [CIVENG 98]  

  • Supervised Independent Study and Research  [CIVENG 99]