Owen Waygood

Owen Waygood is a Full Professor in the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. He holds a PhD in Transportation Behavior from Kyoto University (2009), an MA in Biomimicry from the University of Toronto (2005), and dual BSc degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Saskatchewan (2001). His research spans transportation engineering, sustainable mobility, and the intersection of urban environments with social, environmental, and economic impacts on travel behavior.

• PhD in Transportation Behavior and Urban Management, Kyoto University, 2009
• MA in Biomimicry, University of Toronto, 2005
• BA in Computer Science and BE in Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 2001

Waygood’s work focuses on transport and well-being, traffic hazard assessment tools, sustainable development in transportation, and children’s mobility. He has developed machine learning techniques for traffic danger evaluation, studied carbon dioxide information framing in transport decisions, and analyzed pedestrian safety at urban intersections. His research often integrates public health, environmental psychology, and urban design.

Recent publications examine autonomous taxi adoption, pedestrian risk factors, and household greenhouse gas emissions. He collaborates with institutions like CIRRELT and CIRODD, and has supervised 10 graduate students. Media engagements highlight his expertise in Montreal’s infrastructure challenges, including REM metro reliability, winter cycling adoption, and car ownership trends. He co-developed a hazard assessment tool for Montreal intersections and contributed to pandemic-era mobility studies.

Owen leads projects like the Road Safety Research Network (RRSR) and participates in the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Operationalization of Sustainable Development (CIRODD). His supervision includes studies on traffic danger analysis, park accessibility, and machine learning optimization. He has been featured in 98.5 FM, La Presse, CBC, and Le Devoir for insights on child pedestrian safety, sustainable transport, and urban planning.