Transportation Engineering Commons^™

Enhancing Bridge Resilience And Overheight Vehicle Mitigation Through Innovative Sacrificial Cushion Systems, Aly Mousaad Aly, Marc Hoffmann

Faculty Publications

Transportation departments have made significant strides in addressing the challenges posed by the increasing weights of trucks on bridges. While there is a growing awareness of overheight vehicle collisions with bridges, implementing effective countermeasures remains limited. The susceptibility of bridges to damage from such collisions is on the rise, further exacerbated by unpredictable lateral impact forces. This study employs nonlinear impact analysis to assess the response of an unprotected vehicle-girder model, yielding realistic deformation outcomes comparable to observed impacts on the US-61 bridge. Predictions for a truck traveling at 112.65 km/h indicate deformations of 0.229 m, 0.161 m, and 0.271 …

A Study On The Preferred Teleworking Policy By The Private Sector And Its Implication To The Demand On Transport Infrastructure (Case Study: Greater Jakarta Area), Alvinsyah Alvinsyah, Edy Hadian, Wahyu Aji Syahputra

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

This study examines the implementation of a teleworking policy with a work-from-home (WFH) scheme from a private company perspective and its implications on the Greater Jakarta’s proposed urban rail network’s carrying capacity. Using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, a representative percentage of employees capable of working from home was determined. This figure, found to be sixty percent, was then employed in a macro transport model simulation to assess its impact on urban rail network demand. The results of the statistical analysis indicate that sixty percent of the company's workforce can still permitted to work remotely. The model simulation conducted indicates …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Performing Motorized-To-Non-Motorized Crash Analysis Using Multi-Model Lbs Traffic Data Calibrated Through Random Forest Models, Nicholas Aldridge

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Traditionally, traffic prediction has been an engineering challenge due to insufficient quantities of data. In this thesis, the use of a new type of data called location-based service (LBS) data from StreetLight (StL) and a large database of multi-modal traffic counts are used to infer vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle volumes on all road segments in Lincoln, Nebraska. Additional land use features are incorporated into the model from the EPA Smart Location Database (EPA-SLD). The use of random forest models provides strong measures of fit for all modes, with R² scores of 0.98 for both the bicycle and pedestrian modes …

Transportation System Performance And Traveler Behavior In The Context Of A Systemwide Shock: Applications Of Data Science Toward A Sustainable Future, A. Latif Patwary

Doctoral Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic, a systemwide shock, has left a long-lasting and significant impact on transportation systems. It has contributed to a shift in travel behavior, with many people turning to work from home (WFH) and online shopping. This shift has led to a reduction in vehicular travel. However, the pandemic witnessed increased crash fatalities despite a reduction in overall crashes, disproportionately affecting disadvantaged communities (DACs). The main question arising from these pandemic-related issues is what we can learn to improve transportation systems and shape future travel behavior. Therefore, this dissertation aims to investigate how the transportation system changed during COVID-19 …

Understanding And Modeling Drivers’ En-Route Diversion Behavior During Congestion, Mohammad Shapouri

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the field of transportation, traffic assignment models primarily have been used to forecast driver route preferences, translating their choices into traffic flow patterns across networks. These models are grounded in distinct behavioral theories and strive to explain how drivers navigate routes based on network features and personal tendencies. Using an aggregation approach, conventional traffic assignment models distribute demand among paths, considering utility and attractiveness. Despite their prevalent use in transportation planning and operations, the fundamental behavioral assumptions of these models have rarely been thoroughly explored. This gap is further compounded by their limited consideration of real-time adjustments and choices …

Exploring Statistical And Machine Learning-Based Missing Data Imputation Methods To Improve Crash Frequency Prediction Models For Highway-Rail Grade Crossings, Muhammad Umer Farooq, Aemal Khattak

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) are critical spatial locations of transportation safety because crashes at HRGCs are often catastrophic, potentially causing several injuries and fatalities. Every year in the United States, a significant number of crashes occur at these crossings, prompting local and state organizations to engage in safety analysis and estimate crash frequency prediction models for resource allocation. These models provide valuable insights into safety and risk mitigation strategies for HRGCs. Furthermore, the estimation of these models is based on inventory details of HRGCs, and their quality is crucial for reliable crash predictions. However, many of these models exclude crossings …

Analyzing Major Elements Of Crash Injury Severity Involving Priority-I Detriments Of Vision-Zero Plan, Muhammad Umer Farooq, Cole Madson, Aemal Khattak

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Road traffic crashes result in significant economic losses for individuals, their families, and entire nations. These losses stem from the expenses associated with injury treatment, as well as the productivity lost due to fatalities or disabilities caused by these injuries. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development set an ambitious target of halving the global number of fatalities and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2020 and achieving zero deaths by 2030, commonly referred to as the 'Target Zero Plan.' The Target Zero Plan prioritizes traffic safety issues into three distinct levels. The three priority levels are determined based on the …

Road Work Zone Safety: Investigating Injury Severity In Motor Vehicle Crashes Using Random Effects Multinomial Logit Model, Aemal Khattak, Muhammad Umer Farooq

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Work zones serve the purpose of facilitating maintenance and rehabilitation activities on roadways. However, these areas can also present unforeseen conditions to drivers, including narrowed right-of-way, lane shifts, and traffic disruptions. These conditions frequently contribute to vehicular crashes within work zones, resulting in property damage, injuries, and even loss of life. This paper aims to highlight work zone related crash data insights and presents statistical estimates of significant determinants of injury severity by analyzing ten-year crash data (2008-2018) from Nebraska, USA. The examination of crash data helped in highlighting work zone attributes that are empirically associated with serious injury crashes …

Transportation Components Of The City Of Bennet Comprehensive Plan And Downtown Economic Development Plan, Kyle Mclaughlin

Community and Regional Planning Program: Theses and Student Projects

In partnership with the City of Bennet, the University of Nebraska, and Marvin Planning Consultants, this project assisted the creation of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Downtown Economic Development Plan by creating a transportation focused report as a supplement to those plans. The project operates in six sections; Introduction and Overview, Evaluate the Present, Engage the Community, Recommendations, Strategies, and Policies, Implementation and Funding, and Monitoring and Evaluation. The project scope included existing conditions understanding, qualitative and quantitative transportation analysis, public engagement and stakeholder meetings, coordination with two plan creators, identifying transportation improvements, description of implementation steps, overview of available …

Integrating The Concept Of Complete Streets Into Pavement Preservation, Sirisha Gangireddy

LSU Master's Theses

This study is motivated by the evident gap in integrating Complete Streets principles into pavement preservation. Complete Streets opportunities, which aim to accommodate all road users, are typically encouraged in all kinds of projects including new construction, reconstruction, preservation, and rehabilitation. While the concept of Complete Streets is understood in terms of new construction (e.g., building sidewalks), its application through pavement preservation programs is not well-developed. To bridge the gap between the Complete Streets and pavement preservation, this study conducted a comprehensive review on how state Department of Transportation (DOTs) are currently incorporating Complete Streets into pavement preservation and identified …

Understanding And Modeling Drivers’ En-Route Diversion Behavior During Congestion, Mohammad Shapouri

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the field of transportation, traffic assignment models primarily have been used to forecast driver route preferences, translating their choices into traffic flow patterns across networks. These models are grounded in distinct behavioral theories and strive to explain how drivers navigate routes based on network features and personal tendencies. Using an aggregation approach, conventional traffic assignment models distribute demand among paths, considering utility and attractiveness. Despite their prevalent use in transportation planning and operations, the fundamental behavioral assumptions of these models have rarely been thoroughly explored. This gap is further compounded by their limited consideration of real-time adjustments and choices …

A Guide To Navigating Existing And Emerging Sources Of Local Vmt And Travel Data, So-Ra Baek, Dohyung Kim

Mineta Transportation Institute Publications

As the crisis of climate change looms, transportation policy in California continues to emphasize sustainability in land-use and transportation decisions. This report evaluates the implementation of two sustainability-focused policies (Senate Bill 375 and 743) by local governments and the current-state-of-the-practices by metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in assisting them in California. The research focuses on local governments’ access and use of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and transportation data for achieving VMT and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction by land-use planning. The research also examines the role of MPOs in providing needed transportation data, training, and technical support to its local members to …

Ai-Based Bridge And Road Inspection Framework Using Drones, Hovannes Kulhandjian

Mineta Transportation Institute Publications

There are over 590,000 bridges dispersed across the roadway network that stretches across the United States alone. Each bridge with a length of 20 feet or greater must be inspected at least once every 24 months, according to the Federal Highway Act (FHWA) of 1968. This research developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based framework for bridge and road inspection using drones with multiple sensors collecting capabilities. It is not sufficient to conduct inspections of bridges and roads using cameras alone, so the research team utilized an infrared (IR) camera along with a high-resolution optical camera. In many instances, the IR camera …

A Study On Measures To Reduce Greenhouse Gases And Air Pollutants In Domestic Fishing Vessels, Jihong Kim

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Disruption Type, Trip Purpose, Gender, And Age On Driver Diversion Willingness In The United States Of America, James D. Fuller

LSU Master's Theses

When drivers encounter traffic congestion, one of the most common ways to avoid excessive delays is to divert to an alternate route. Despite the commonplace nature of such routing decisions, relatively little is known about the specific influencers, motivators, and preferences that affect diversion choices under disrupted conditions. Understanding these driver motivations is important for improving the ability of transportation authorities to plan, design, operate, and maintain transportation networks. The research described in this thesis utilizes a driver survey to investigate the situational factors and personal characteristics that may play a significant role in determining a decision to divert or …

An Interrogation Of The Role Of Ngos In Improving The Maritime Education And Training (Met) System In Kenya, Kulthum Hussein Salim

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Parameters Which Affect Dairy Herd Movement On Irish Pasture-Based Farms, Paul James Maher, Michael D. Murphy, Michael Egan, Patrick Tuohy

Publications

In pasture-based grazing systems, farm roadways are a pivotal link to connect paddocks on the grazing platform to the milking parlour. However, their effectiveness in the efficient movement of the dairy herd between the grazing paddocks and the milking parlour has yet to be fully quantified. A validation experiment was conducted on a research farm to analyse characteristics on farm roadways that may affect cow throughput, which was observed as the number of cows per minute (CPM) passing a specified location. Roadway width (R2 = 0.96) and surface condition score (SC) (R2 = 0.78, respectively) were both positively associated with …

Virus Control Aboard A Commuter Bus, Hamid Rahai, Jeremy Bonifacio

Mineta Transportation Institute Publications

A major health concern for public transit users is exposure to viruses from other passengers. This numerical study examines virus containment aboard a public bus with changes to the bus ventilation system. The virus was modeled as a 2.5 µm round solid particle released from the mouth of the infectious passenger at a rate of 21 particles per second at a mouth velocity of 0.278 m/sec. The air delivery to the cabin was two linear ceiling slots spanning the length of the bus delivering 59.38 m3/min (2,097 CFM) of air at a mean velocity of 1 m/sec. Two different axial …

2023 Final Report For Databases In The 2022 Traffic Records Improvement Plan: Facilitating The Development Of Projects To Attain The Goals In The Implementation Plan For The 2022-26 Traffic Records Strategic Plan, Lenahan O'Connell, Samantha Wright, Reginald Souleyrette

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

During fiscal year 2023, with financial support (Grant #M3Da-2022-04) from the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC)-continued its work with traffic database officials to facilitate successful attainment of the remaining goals from the 2017-21 Traffic Records Strategic Plan (TRSP), which goals are in the 2022-26 TRSP Transportation Records Improvement Plan (TRIP). For most databases, some new goals were developed; this required further refinement of some projects or strategies to improve database performance. Projects to complete the goals in the TRIP were continued and some completed for the following databases: CRASH, Citation/Adjudication, Injury Surveillance (KIPRC and EMS), …