Digital Commons Network^™

Website Blocked: Filtering Technology In Schools And School Libraries, Jennifer M. Overaa

School of Information Student Research Journal

This paper investigates the impact of filtering software in K-12 schools and school libraries. The Children's Internet Protection Act, or CIPA, requires that public schools and school libraries use filtering technology in order to receive discounted rates on technology. As a result, nearly all public elementary and secondary schools today use filtering technology. While the provisions of CIPA narrowly define the content to be blocked, filters are often set to block much more than is required. Filtering technology is often ineffective, and many unobjectionable sites end up being blocked, including Web 2.0 sites and tools needed to educate students in …

A Case Study Of Pedestrian Environments Around Tamien Station In San Jose, California: An Analysis Of Existing Conditions And Recommendations To Improve Pedestrian Access And Promote Walking Around Tamien Station, Priya Gopalkrishnan

Master's Projects

The objective of this research is to understand how the analysis of design elements can foster design recommendations for the transformation of the pedestrian environment around the Tamien Station area. This was done by conducting a street segment audit for twenty-five selected streets around the one-half mile walking distance of Tamien Station providing recommendations based on audit findings and urban design analysis.

Walking And Cycling In San Francisco: Identifying Underserved Locations That Are Particularly Receptive To Non-Motorized Transport Via The Pedestrian And Bicycling Survey, Rebecca Walters

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Fourteenth Annual Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Symposium, Mti Report S-14-01, Mineta Transportation Institute

Mineta Transportation Institute

On March 27, 2014, the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) continued its support of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program by conducting the Fourteenth Annual National Garrett Morgan Symposium and Videoconference on Sustainable Transportation. The ongoing mission of this national videoconference is to stimulate the minds of young people and to encourage them to pursue challenging academic programs including mathematics and science – an education course that will prepare students for tomorrow’s challenging transportation careers. Participating schools were: Cardozo Middle School, Washington DC; Findlay Middle School, North Las Vegas NV; Juan Crespi Middle School, …

An Approach For Actions To Prevent Suicides On Commuter And Metro Rail Systems In The United States, Mti Report 12-33, Jan L. Botha, Marissa K. Neighbour, Satnam Kaur

Mineta Transportation Institute

The primary goals of this report are to discuss measures to prevent suicides on commuter and metro rail systems, and to outline an approach for suicide prevention on rail systems. Based on existing literature and analysis of data obtained from the Metrolink system in Southern California, it was found that most suicides occur near station platforms and near access points to the track. Suicides occurred most frequently when relatively more trains were in operation and in areas of high population density. There do not appear to be suicide “hot spots” (e.g., linked to mental hospitals in the proximity, etc.), based …

Evaluating The Reverse 9-1-1 System In Santa Clara County: Does The Process Work?, Areej M. Sadhan

Master's Projects

In times of crises, emergency first responders need an effective system of communication to notify the public, to organize evacuation, and to direct evacuees to shelters and hospitals around the affected areas. This research focuses on the “Reverse 911” alert system used by Santa Clara County and asks key questions about its efficiency: ‘Is it the only alert system used to communicate with the public during crises?’ ‘Is it a reliable tool?’ ‘Should Santa Clara County improve its emergency communication?’ ‘Can we be sure the community is notified on time and well directed to safety?’

The legislative intent of Reverse …

Public Bikesharing In North America During A Period Of Rapid Expansion: Understanding Business Models, Industry Trends & User Impacts, Mti Report 12-29, Susan A. Shaheen, Elliot W. Martin, Adam P. Cohen, Nelson D. Chan, Mike Pogodzinski

Mineta Transportation Institute

Public bikesharing—the shared use of a bicycle fleet—is an innovative transportation strategy that has recently emerged in major cities around the world, including North America. Information technology (IT)-based bikesharing systems typically position bicycles throughout an urban environment, among a network of docking stations, for immediate access. Trips can be one-way, round-trip, or both, depending on the operator. Bikesharing can serve as a first-and-last mile connector to other modes, as well as for both short and long distance destinations. In 2012, 22 IT-based public bikesharing systems were operating in the United States, with a total of 884,442 users and 7,549 bicycles. …

Help-Yourself City: Market-Driven Planning And D.I.Y. Responses In Making The “Neoliberal” Streetscape, Gordon Douglas

Faculty Publications, Urban and Regional Planning

Since the 1970s, the consequences of global economic restructuring and the rise of free-market “neoliberal” ideologies in governance have been visible in most every arena of social life, but are perhaps nowhere more visible than in urban space. The humble bus stop, a basic element of local transit service, is today often turned over in large part to private advertising interests and in the process has become both an indicator of neglect and a symbol of the commodification of public space. This paper examines such physical manifestations of neoliberal planning policy in the urban streetscape – spatial neglect and inequality …

Crisis Informatics, Christine Hagar

Faculty Publications

No abstract available.

Connecting Children And Families To Nature, Dina Izenstark, Aaron Ebata

Faculty Publications

Although more municipal recreation agencies and schools have begun to develop and implement natural playscapes in their communities, there is little empirical evidence on the direct impact of this feature and how it has the potential to benefit children over traditional playgrounds. Researchers at the University of Illinois in the Department of Human and Community Development conducted a study to evaluate the Champaign County Forest Preserve’s new Homer Lake Natural Playscape between August and December 2012 using a mixed-methods research design. This entailed an onsite questionnaire (n=152) and one-on-one interviews (n=15) with parents and grandparents, as well as participant observations …

What Do Americans Think About Federal Tax Options To Support Public Transit, Highways, And Local Streets And Roads? Results From Year Five Of A National Survey, Mti Report 12-36, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Hilary Nixon

Mineta Transportation Institute

This report summarizes the results of year five of a national random-digit-dial public opinion poll asking 1,503 respondents if they would support various tax options for raising federal transportation revenues, with a special focus on understanding support for increasing revenues for public transit. Eleven specific tax options tested were variations on raising the federal gas tax rate, creating a new mileage tax, and creating a new federal sales tax. Other questions probed various perceptions related to public transit, including knowledge and opinions about federal taxes to support transit. In addition, the survey collected data on standard sociodemographic factors, travel behavior …

Modal Shift And High-Speed Rail: A Review Of The Current Literature, Mti Report 12-35, Peter J. Haas

Mineta Transportation Institute

This report provides a review of scholarly literature with direct relevance to the topic of modal shift and high-speed rail (HSR). HSR systems are usually planned on the expectation that they will attract riders who would have chosen other modes (such as air, automobile, bus, etc.) had the HSR not been created. Identifying and measuring the actual ability of HSR to effect modal shift is therefore critical. This report examines the evidence concerning HSR and modal shift in both secondary analyses of previous studies and in newer studies that use primarily original data. The studies that were reviewed comprise a …

The Breach Of Security At San Jose’S Airport Raises Broader Issues, Brian M. Jenkins

Mineta Transportation Institute

This Transportation Security Perspective is the fifth in a continuing series produced by the National Transportation Safety and Security Center of the Mineta Transportation Institute. These examine major terrorist attacks and trends in terrorists targeting surface transportation. Previous perspectives include the bus attack in Abuja, Nigeria, the terrorist bombings in Volgograd, Russia; the assault on passengers at the Kunming train station in China; and more.

California Graffiti Removal Programs: Benchmarking San José’S Graffiti Abatement Program Against Best Practices In The Cities Of Long Beach, San Diego, And Santa Ana, Samantha Silva Tavares

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Social Media: An Effective Tool For Risk And Crisis Communication?, William Kelly

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Government Clean Air Regulations And Tesla Motors, John B. Wills

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Active Travel Co-Benefits Of Travel Demand Management Policies That Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Mti Report 12-12, Caroline Rodier, Richard W. Lee, Brandon Haydu, Nicholas J. Linesch

Mineta Transportation Institute

There is increasing evidence that improved health outcomes may be significant co-benefits of land use plans and transport policies that increase active transport (or walking and biking for purposeful travel) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from vehicle miles traveled (VMT). A greater understanding of these benefits may broaden the constituency for regional planning that supports local and national GHG reduction goals. In this study, California’s activity-based travel demand model (ABM) is applied to (1) demonstrate how this new generation of travel models can be used to produce the active travel data (age and sex distributions) required by comparative risk …

A Terrorism Analysis Of The April 14, 2014, Bus Terminal Bombing In Abuja, Nigeria, Brian M. Jenkins, Bruce R. Butterworth

Mineta Transportation Institute

This Transportation Security Perspective is the fourth in a continuing series produced by the National Transportation Safety and Security Center of the Mineta Transportation Institute. These examine major terrorist attacks and trends in terrorists targeting surface transportation. Previous perspectives include the terrorist bombings in Volgograd, Russia; the assault on passengers at the Kunming train station in China; and the reported plot against the Metro in Los Angeles.

Building Consensus And Partnerships For Implementing The Map-21 Section 5310 Program In California, Mti Report Wp 12-25, Christopher Ferrell, Bruce Appleyard

Mineta Transportation Institute

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)—the legislation that currently provides funding for federal transportation—allows metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) or eligible large, urbanized area (UZA) agencies to assume administrative responsibility for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310—the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities grant program. Caltrans engaged Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) to conduct research and facilitate a dialogue with the State’s 5310 stakeholders. The MTI team conducted interviews with key stakeholders and Caltrans staff and performed in-depth quantitative analysis of the existing administrative activities of the 5310 program. This research was followed by two …

The Terrorist Attack In Kunming, China: Does It Indicate A Growing Threat Worldwide?, Brian M. Jenkins, Bruce R. Butterworth

Mineta Transportation Institute

At 9:00 pm on March 1, 2014, six men and two women, dressed in black and wielding knives, arrived at the Kunming train station, one of the largest in southwest China, and began slashing people at random. Before authorities could stop them, the assailants had killed 29 people and wounded another 143. It was the second worst terrorist attack in the history of the People’s Republic of China, not including a series of bombings in Shijiazhuang in 1998, which killed 108 people. These, however, were carried out for personal, not political reasons. It was also China’s second most lethal transportation …

Transportation Futures: Policy Scenarios For Achieving Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets, Mntrc Report 12-11, Robert B. Noland, Andrew I. Kay, Robert B. Noland, Caroline J. Rodier

Mineta Transportation Institute

It is well established that GHG emissions must be reduced by 50% to 80% by 2050 in order to limit global temperature increase to 2°C. Achieving reductions of this magnitude in the transportation sector is a challenge and requires a multitude of policies and technology options. The research presented here analyzes three scenarios: changes in the perceived price of travel, land-use intensification, and increases in transit. Elasticity estimates are derived using an activity-based travel model for the state of California and broadly representative of the U.S. The VISION model is used to forecast changes in technology and fuel options that …

Mineta Transportation Institute Says Subways Are Still In Terrorists’ Sights, Brian M. Jenkins, Bruce R. Butterworth

Mineta Transportation Institute

The FBI arrested a California National Guard reservist on March 17 as he headed for the Canadian border on his way to Syria. Once in Syria, Nicholas Michael Teausant, who is also a student at San Joaquin Delta Community College in Stockton CA, planned to join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Although he had never attended the army’s basic training course and was in the process of being discharged by the National Guard for failing to meet “basic education requirements,” Teausant thought he could teach the Syrian jihadists shooting skills and urban warfare tactics

Perceptions Of Bicycle-Friendly Policy Impacts On Accessibility To Transit Services: The First And Last Mile Bridge, Mti Report 12-10, Bradley Flamm, Charles Rivasplata

Mineta Transportation Institute

The coordination of bicycle and transit modes has received close attention from public transit planners and researchers in recent years, as transit agencies around the world have installed bicycle racks on transit vehicles, implemented bicycles-on-trains policies, and made other efforts to facilitate bicycle-transit integration. Many planners presume that the catchment area for transit is enlarged by these efforts, but geographic changes in the size of catchment areas have not been effectively documented. This research project was designed to assess the distances travelled on bicycle by cycle-transit users (CTUs), both those who use bicycles as a means of access to transit …

Exercise Handbook: What Transportation Security And Emergency Preparedness Leaders Need To Know To Improve Emergency Preparedness, Mti Report 12-08, Frances Edwards, Daniel C. Goodrich

Mineta Transportation Institute

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has provided extensive general guidance on developing training and exercise programs for public entities, but little had been done to focus that material on the transportation sector specifically. Transportation sector emergency managers have noted that there should be specific guidance for developing exercises that are focused on the operational work of their agencies, in addition to the Logistics Section functions that are usually the focus of transportation sector entities in multi-agency, multi-jurisdiction exercises. The first section of his report provides information on federal training and exercise requirements for transportation sector entities. It summarizes …

Educating Students Who Do Not Speak The Societal Language: The Social Construction Of Language-Learner Categories, Guadalupe Valdés, Luis E. Poza, Maneka Deanna Brooks

Faculty Publications

On 21 September 2012, California Assembly Bill 2193 was approved by Governor Jerry Brown. The bill added sections to California’s Education Code defining the terms long-term English learner and English learner at risk of becoming a long-term English learner. It mandated that the Department of Education collect data on the number of students corresponding to both new categories and report those data to school districts. This specific example of the construction of categories and labels matters because it is a clear example of how coexisting discourses and language ideologies provide a set of cultural rules, conditions, practices, and power …

Ohio Housing Needs Assessment, Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Holly Holtzen, Bryan Grady, Matthew Record

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

By The Numbers: Russia’S Terrorists Increasingly Target Transportation, Brian M. Jenkins, Bruce R. Butterworth

Mineta Transportation Institute

If body count is the terrorists’ goal, then surface transportation provides an attractive target— crowds of strangers in confined environments. While Umarov’s Chechen predecessors carried out spectacular hostage seizures at hospitals, a primary school, and even at a theater in the heart of Moscow, trains, subways, and buses have featured heavily among their targets.