Transportation Engineering Commons^™

Introduction To Signal Timing & Traffic Control, Sarah V. Hernandez, Mariah Crew, Karla Diaz-Corro, Taslima Akter

Civil Engineering Teaching and Learning

The purpose of these lesson plans is to introduce students to traffic signalization basics. Students will be lead through a series of mini-lectures on traffic control and signalization including a discussion on the limitations and benefits of traffic signalization. The lesson plans compliment a computer simulation “game” in which students act as manual operators for a single up to four by four gridded intersection. Students attempt to control the progression of signals to understand the relationship between signal timing and user delay. Through experimentation with the simulation, students generate a presentation discussing the benefits and drawbacks of signal timing and …

Proposal For Monitoring Concrete Painting As A Preventive Maintenance Tool (Abutments And Pier Caps), Danny Wells, Sudhir Palle, Theodore Hopwood Ii

Kentucky Transportation Center Technical Assistance Report

One of the growing number of preventive bridge maintenance activities conducted by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is washing and applying thin film protective coatings to bridge abutments and piers. Previous work conducted by Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) under KYSPR 10-406 documented increased chloride contamination of these bridge components and the need for protective coatings. KYTC Contract ID 162952 includes, among other tasks, cleaning and coating specific concrete elements of eighteen bridges in Anderson and Woodford counties (District 7). These elements are interior faces of the barrier walls, pier caps, and abutment seats. The contract was let on July 29, …

Proposed Testing Of Concrete Sealers, Danny Wells, Sudhir Palle, Theodore Hopwood Ii

Kentucky Transportation Center Technical Assistance Report

Chlorides, in sufficient concentrations, will cause corrosion of steel reinforcement in bridge decks. Previous studies have shown that de-icing chemicals and practices used by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) can result in problematic levels of chloride at steel reinforcing depths in a relatively short amount of time. With the advent of liquid applied pre-treatment deicing chemicals, testing performed in Kentucky indicate chloride levels in bridge decks at a depth of two inches have increased significantly.

Chlorides, in sufficient concentrations, will cause corrosion of steel reinforcement in bridge decks. Previous studies have shown that de-icing chemicals and practices used by the …

Collection And Analysis Of 2013-2014 Travel Time Data, Mei Chen, Xu Zhang

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report documents the findings of Planning Study 27, Collection and Analysis of 2013-2014 Travel Time Data, which is a continuation of Planning Study 24, Analysis of Historical Travel Time Data. The main scope is to analyze newly acquired link-referenced speed data on Kentucky roads from 2013 and 2014.

Results of the analysis demonstrate the value of probe data in measuring and tracking the performance of roadways across several years. In addition, such data can help KYTC and MPOs identify bottlenecks in the network, prioritize improvement strategies, and assess the effectiveness of projects. As data collection techniques advance, …

Book Review - Dixie Highway: Road Building And The Making Of The Modern South, 1900-1930, Rebecca Rose

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Itsblue: A Distributed Bluetooth-Based Framework For Intelligent Transportation Systems, Ahmed Awad Alghamdi

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Inefficiency in transportation networks is having an expanding impact, at a variety of levels. Transportation authorities expect increases in delay hours and in fuel consumption and, consequently, the total cost of congestion. Nowadays, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) have become a necessity in order to alleviate the expensive consequences of the rapid demand on transportation networks. Since the middle of last century, ITS have played a significant role in road safety and comfort enhancements. However, the majority of state of the art ITS are suffering from several drawbacks, among them high deployment costs and complexity of maintenance.

Over the last decade, …

A Simulator-Based Analysis Of Engineering Treatments For Right-Hook Bicycle Crashes At Signalized Intersections, Jennifer Warner, David S. Hurwitz, Christopher M. Monsere, Kayla Fleskes

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A right-hook crash is a crash between a right-turning motor vehicle and an adjacent through-moving bicycle. At signalized intersections, these crashes can occur during any portion of the green interval when conflicting bicycles and vehicles are moving concurrently. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of four types of engineering countermeasures – regulatory signage, intersection pavement marking, smaller curb radius, and protected intersection design – at modifying driver behaviors that are known contributing factors in these crashes. This research focused on right-hook crashes that occur during the latter stage of the circular green indication at signalized intersections …

Broadening Understanding Of Roundabout Operation Analysis: Planning-Level Tools And Signal Application, Ahmed Buasali

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

In United States, roundabouts have recently emerged as an effective and efficient alternative to conventional signalized intersections for the control of traffic at junctions. This thesis includes two investigations related to the operations of roundabouts.

The first investigation examines the ability of a planning-level tool (the critical sum method) to serve as an indicator variable for the results of the Highway Capacity Manual’s average delay per vehicle measure for a roundabout facility; to what extent do the results of one predict the results of the other? The critical sum method was found to accurately predict the HCM average delay per …

Algorithms For Constructing Vehicle Trajectories In Urban Networks Using Inertial Sensors Data From Mobile Devices, Umana Ahmed

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Vehicle trajectories are an important source of information for estimating traffic flow characteristics. Lately, several studies have focused on identifying a vehicle’s trajectory in traffic network using data from mobile devices. However, these studies predominantly employed GPS coordinate information for tracking a vehicle’s speed and position in the transportation network. Considering the known limitations of GPS, such as, connectivity issues at urban canyons and underpasses, low precision of localization, high power consumption of device while GPS is in use, this research focuses on developing alternate methods for identifying a vehicle’s trajectory at an intersection and at a urban grid network …

15-03 Real Time Bicycle Simulation Study Of Bicyclists' Behaviors And Their Implication On Safety, Valerian Kwigizile, Jun-Seok Oh, Raed Hasan, Cole G. Villalobos, Aous Hammad Kurdi, Anil Shaw

Transportation Research Center Reports

The main goal of this study was to build a bicycle simulator and study the interaction between cyclists and other roadway users. The simulator developed was used in conjunction with Oculus Rift googles to create a virtual cycling environment. The virtual riding environment contained roadway infrastructures and features such as intersections, crosswalks, bicycle lanes, shared-lanes, etc. It also contained both motor vehicles and pedestrians that interacted with cyclists. The rider’s perception and reactions to different situations were investigated based on their performance during four virtual simulation scenarios with an electroencephalogram (EEG) readings. In addition to the results on interactions of …

15-02 Estimating And Enhancing Public Transit Accessibility For People With Mobility Limitations, Jun-Seok Oh, C. Scott Smith, Rostam Qatra, Mohammad Al-Akash

Transportation Research Center Reports

This two-part study employs fine-scale performance measures and analytical techniques designed to evaluate and improve transit services for people experiencing disability. Part one puts forth a series of time-sensitive, general transit feed system (GTFS)-enhanced employment accessibility models that account for multiple transportation modes, categories of functional limitation and design characteristics of existing public transit infrastructure. Model results shed light on the degree to which a medium-size city’s public transit system addresses the gap between a theoretical continuum of rider capacities and the physical demands required to achieve mobility and access to employment. Our research finds that an individual’s combined physical …

Everglades Drainage District: Biennial Report 1927-1928 To The Board Of Commissioners Of Everglades Drainage District, F C. Elliot

City and Regional Planning -- Florida

Everglades Drainage District report 1927-1928

Evaluation Of Adjustable Continuity Joint Variations For Use In The Restore Barrier, Scott Rosenbaugh, Jennifer D. Schmidt, Ronald K. Faller, James C. Holloway

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

During MASH TL-4 full-scale crash testing of the RESTORE barrier, concrete cracking and spalling was observed on the barrier beams that would likely require repairs or replacement. This study sought to evaluate joint design alternatives for use in the RESTORE barrier in order to limit the amount of system damage. Three variations of the Adjustable Continuity Joint (ACJ) were identified as potential modifications: 1) incorporating rubber bearing pads within the ACJ, 2) utilizing normal weight concrete instead of lightweight concrete, and 3) incorporating a steel end cap into the ends of the beam segments.

Four dynamic component tests were conducted …

Benefits From Constructability Reviews, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, Roy Sturgill, Kiriakos Amiridis

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Constructability review is a process used during project design to infuse construction knowledge into the design process. There is industry impetus encouraging early construction involvement in project development. State transportation agencies often have to abide by legislation restricting these procurement methods leaving construability review as the only opportunity for early construction involvement. Staffing and budgetary constraints lead to state transportation agencies being very cautious in the practices and processes they implement that seemingly lie outside the main missions of project development and delivery. Without straightforward and documented savings of constructability review processes, these methods may also be eliminated. After streamlining …

China's Motorization Wave And The Place Of Emerging Technologies, Christopher Cherry

PSU Transportation Seminars

E-bikes, E-Cars, Carshare, Bikeshare, and Micro-EVs in China have shaken up the traditional motorization pathways that have occurred in developing countries in the past. The combination of emerging vehicle technologies, urban and environmental constraints, and heavy-handed policy make China's motorization processes unique in the world—but how China motorizes has far-reaching impacts based on sheer volume of vehicles and population.

This seminar discusses the results of a six-year NSF CAREER project to explore China's motorization processes, combining behavioral and environmental modeling approaches to assess the impacts of emerging vehicle technologies on motorization and ultimately environmental sustainability. The focus is mostly on …

Recommendation Of A New Transit Performance Measure In The National Transit Database, Fatemeh Baratian-Ghorghi, Hossein Ahmadianyazdi

Journal of Public Transportation

The frequency of incidents negatively changes public perception with regard to the public safety in transit systems. The level of safety expressed as performance measures, ensures contractors and users that a quality safety level is maintained. Both the private and public sectors in the U.S. annually report accurate data to the National Transit Database (NTD) to be used in assessing the progress of the nation's public transportation systems. Although they must provide both the annual report and monthly reports including Safety and Security data, measures are only grouped into the indicators of efficiency and effectiveness of a system and there …

A Fuzzy Ahp Approach To Compare Transit System Performance In Us Urbanized Areas, Xin Li, Yingling Fan, John W. Shaw, Yunlei Qi

Journal of Public Transportation

Public transit systems in the United States often face multiple policy objectives. Typically, stakeholders desire frequent service on an extensive network, but funding and other resources are constrained, creating complicated relationships between service effectiveness goals and business efficiency goals. Using data from the National Transit Map (NTM), this study evaluated the general performance of transit systems across 294 Urbanized Areas (UZAs) in the US, which were stratified into six peer groups based on population. Transit efficiency and effectiveness were compared by developing a composite business efficiency index score and a composite service effectiveness index score for each urbanized area. The …

Improved Bridge Joint Materials And Design Details, Theodore Hopwood Ii, Christopher W. Van Dyke, Sudhir Palle

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Expansion joints accommodate bridge movements that result from factors such as thermal expansion and contraction, concrete shrinkage, creep effects, live loading, settlement of the foundation and substructure, and environmental stressors. Expansion joints fall into two categories — open joints and closed joints. Open joints contain gaps that facilitate the passage of water and debris runoff through bridge joints. Flexible or stiff troughs are generally installed beneath open joints to direct runoff away from bridge elements. Closed joints produce a watertight seal that inhibits water, debris, and deicing materials from passing through bridge joints and remaining in contact with underlying bridge …

Focusing On Equity In Regional Plans, Kristine M. Williams

TREC Project Briefs

Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) have long been required to consider the equity implications of their regional transportation plans and processes.

Condition Factor Calibration For Load And Resistance Factor Rating Of Steel Girder Bridges, Joshua Steelman, Pranav M. Shakya

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Load and Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR) is a reliability-based rating procedure complementary to Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD). The intent of LRFR is to provide consistent reliability for all bridges regardless of in-situ condition. The primary difference between design and rating is the uncertain severity and location of deterioration, including the potential future loss of strength for an element already evidencing deterioration. Ostensibly, these uncertainties are addressed by applying an additional strength reduction factor: the condition factor, ϕc. Currently, condition factors are nominally correlated to the condition of the member, which can be Good, Fair, or Poor. However, definitions …