Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Ada Accessible Trail Improvement With Naturally Occurring, Sustainable Materials, Matthew D. Sleep, Damian K. Matzen

TREC Final Reports

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides specific guidelines and requirements that must be met in terms of accessibility. However, in the case of unpaved trails, the requirements are less defined. An ADA trail must be firm, stable and slip resistant. Some compacted aggregate material may meet this definition, but degrade over time and can no longer be ADA compliant. The benefits of using unpaved surfaces for ADA trails include fit to the natural environment, cost, sustainability and environmental benefits such as increased permeability. If an unpaved surface can be improved with the use of an additive, more could be …

What Do 15 Years Of Travel Surveys Tell Us About Tod Residents?, Nathan Mcneil, Jennifer Dill

TREC Project Briefs

Does living in a transit-oriented development (TOD) actually change the way people travel? That’s the fundamental question that 15 years of research in Portland, Oregon seeks to answer. Since 2005, Portland State University has worked with Portland’s Metro regional government to survey occupants of buildings for which developers had received funding from Metro’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Program. Metro strategically invests in TODs to help more people live, work and shop in neighborhoods served by high-quality transit.

“Revisiting TODs,” the latest installment in this research, is led by Nathan McNeil, a research associate in PSU’s School of Urban Studies & Planning, …

Toward Safer Skies: An Analysis Of Global Governance Gaps And Civil Aviation Accidents, Richard Austin Gunderson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Billions of people around the world use the global airspace system for their travel needs every year. Given the rising number of passengers traveling by air annually, it is crucial that pilots, airlines, regulatory agencies, governments, and international organizations work together to ensure the integrity of a safe and efficient global airspace system. While air travel is statistically one of the safest forms of transportation, accidents in which civilian aircraft operating on standard routes and schedules are shot down are not unprecedented. Not all airspace around the globe designated for civilian use is free from geopolitical conflict. In this project, …

The Impact Of Location On Healthcare Access For Individuals With Disabilities, Addison Kimber

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper analyzes healthcare access for individuals with disabilities living in rural areas. In current political discussion, we typically think of insurance coverage as the metric to analyze healthcare access. However, as demonstrated by studies of healthcare in the United Kingdom, people with disabilities continue to face barriers to health care even with universal healthcare systems. In particular, individuals in rural areas have less healthcare access than urban residents. This is due to factors including socioeconomic status, insurance coverage, access to competent care, and transportation. This study aims to understand if disability status exacerbates the issue of access in rural …

A Data-Driven Analysis On The Impact Of High-Speed Rails On Land Prices In Taiwan, Joyce M. W. Low, Byung Kwon Lee

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

High-speed rail (HSR) networks boost inter-city accessibility across a country and stimulate economic growth in inner cities. These economic gains, however, can often be accompanied by sharp increases in land and property prices along the lines that raise governmental concerns. This study examined the effect of the introduction of HSR on land prices in Taiwan and how the extent of such an effect varied with the stages of economic, societal, and infrastructural developments in different cities in Taiwan. Based on extensive published data, an empirical study was conducted using an integrated methodology comprising system dynamics, multivariate regression, and principal component …

The Adoption Of Zero-Emissions Vehicles By Low-Income Consumers In California: An Outcome Evaluation Of The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, Julie Nguyen

Master's Projects

Is the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) program achieving its planned outcomes of accelerating the adoption of Zero-Emissions Vehicles (ZEVs) by low-income consumers in California? This research will evaluate what effect additional CVRP rebates provided to low-income consumers have on their adoptions of ZEVs. The purpose of this research is to determine whether the CVRP rebates are making it feasible and compelling enough for low-income consumers to adopt ZEVs at a rate that will lead to California meeting its greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Pupil Transportation Alternatives: An Analysis Of Alternative Pupil Transportation Models, Jarrett Garife

Master's Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine whether alternative pupil-transportation models are more cost efficient and safer for students than traditional school bus transportation in California. The study also focused on the fiscal and safety challenges that school districts face when transporting students. For the purpose of this analysis, “safer” will be defined in relation to the estimated injury or fatality costs resulting from a vehicle/school bus accident during pupil transportation.

The study analyzed the transportation departments of five California school districts (San Francisco Unified School District, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, Salinas City Elementary School District, Chualar Union …

Revisiting Tods: How Subsequent Development Affects The Travel Behavior Of Residents In Existing Transit-Oriented Developments, Nathan Mcneil, Jennifer Dill

TREC Final Reports

Portland State University has worked with the Portland Metro regional government periodically since 2005 to survey occupants of buildings for which developers had received funding from Metro’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Program. This research extends upon the prior TOD surveys in Portland by revisiting a set of developments with a second wave of surveys to understand how the travel behavior of TOD residents may change over time, and what factors influence change in travel patterns. The second-wave surveys, coming 8-13 years after the baseline surveys, include five TODs in the west-side Portland suburbs of Hillsboro and Beaverton, two TODs in East …

Route Choice Behaviour And Travel Information In A Congested Network: Static And Dynamic Recursive Models, Giselle De Moraes Ramos, Tien Mai, Winnie Daamen, Emma Frejinger

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Travel information has the potential to influence travellers choices, in order to steer travellers to less congested routes and alleviate congestion. This paper investigates, on the one hand, how travel information affects route choice behaviour, and on the other hand, the impact of the travel time representation on the interpretation of parameter estimates and prediction accuracy. To this end, we estimate recursive models using data from an innovative data collection effort consisting of route choice observation data from GPS trackers, travel diaries and link travel times on the overall network. Though such combined data sets exist, these have not yet …

Hierarchical Multiagent Reinforcement Learning For Maritime Traffic Management, Arambam James Singh, Akshat Kumar, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Increasing global maritime traffic coupled with rapid digitization and automation in shipping mandate developing next generation maritime traffic management systems to mitigate congestion, increase safety of navigation, and avoid collisions in busy and geographically constrained ports (such as Singapore's). To achieve these objectives, we model the maritime traffic as a large multiagent system with individual vessels as agents, and VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) authority as a regulatory agent. We develop a hierarchical reinforcement learning approach where vessels first select a high level action based on the underlying traffic flow, and then select the low level action that determines their future …

La Multiplication Des Services De Livraison À Vélo Et Les Problèmes De Santé Et De Sécurité Des Cyclistes Commerciaux : Élaboration De Bonnes Pratiques, Ugo Lachapelle, David Carpentier Laberge, Marie-Soleil Cloutier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les emplois nécessitant l’usage d’un vélo se sont diversifiés au-delà de la simple messagerie de plis et colis pour devenir de plus en plus nombreux. Parmi ces types d’emploi, celui qui a connu le plus grand essor à Montréal, comme ailleurs, est la livraison par vélo de repas à domicile. D’autres services mobiles, les déménagements, la vente ambulante et les entreprises de logistique du dernier kilomètre utilisent également de plus en plus souvent le vélo comme moyen de transport. Pourtant, les risques encourus par les cyclistes commerciaux sont peu connus.

Les objectifs du projet étaient d’étudier la croissance de la …

A No-Crash Course In Vision Zero Data, Anamaria Perez

PSU Transportation Seminars

Vision Zero was adopted unanimously by Portland City Council in 2015 with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries on Portland streets in a way that is equitable, accountable, and data-driven. But what does it mean to be data-driven? And should we stop there?

In this presentation, learn how Portland’s Vision Zero Action Plan was developed and how the Vision Zero team is using data to move into a future where all Portlanders can travel safely, regardless of the travel mode they use. Explore the datasets used in Vision Zero implementation and the challenges that come with them. …

Curb-Sided: How Technology Disrupts The American Transportation Planning Process, Mary Angelica Painter

Dissertations

The disruptive arrival of Uber, Lyft, and other transportation network companies (TNCs) into American cities ignited arguments on how policy-makers should regulate such entities. Policy debates started among policymakers, companies, and existing industries and interests. In attempts to persuade policy, actors adopted a variety of language and used different levels of government to achieve policy goals. In almost all cases, TNCs were able to gain favorable policy through image framing and venue shopping – the key components to Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET). This analysis looks at the policy process of three American cities: Chicago, IL, St. Louis, MO, and Austin, …

Moving Toward Equitable Transit-Oriented Developments By Integrating Transit And Housing, Hongwei Dong

PSU Transportation Seminars

Prior studies show that transit-oriented developments (TODs) increase property values and raise property tax revenue. Property owners reap economic benefit from TODs and public officials use it as evidence to justify the high cost of rail transit. However, renters, who rely on transit more than homeowners, may have to pay higher rent to live in TODs. The location affordability index at the neighborhood level suggests that renters can also benefit from TOD by saving money on transportation costs. Recent studies at the individual level, however, found little evidence that living in TODs reduces transportation expenditure. Using rental data scraped from …

Webinar: Visual Exploration Of Trajectory Data, Nikola Markovic, Mark Franz, Seth Miller

TREC Webinar Series

This webinar will demonstrate the tremendous value of GPS trajectory data in understanding statewide travel patterns and measuring performance. First, Dr. Markovic (U of Utah) will conduct visual exploration of GPS trajectories that capture about 3% of all the trips in Utah. He will briefly discuss the problem of scaling GPS trajectories to the population, and then focus on the use of scaled trajectories in computing origin-destination matrices, vehicle-hours delays, vehicle-miles traveled, and trip-based performance measures. Second, Dr. Franz (CATT Lab) will demonstrate a suite of visual analytics that enables transportation agencies to easily explore terabytes of GPS trajectory data. …

Bus-Bike Designs For The Division Transit Project, Derek Abe, Jesse Stemmier

PSU Transportation Seminars

This seminar is brought to you by the Oregon chapter of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP), with support from TREC at Portland State.

Transit stops and stations are a confluence of complementary and competing activities - pedestrians accessing businesses, passengers boarding and alighting, and bicyclists zipping through to their destinations. People are moving in different directions, at different speeds, and need to be able to navigate this space safely and comfortably. A common point of conflict is the bus/bicycle interaction when a transit stop is adjacent to a bike lane. Designs for integrating pedestrian and bicycle …

Understanding Economic And Business Impacts Of Street Improvements For Bicycle And Pedestrian Mobility, Jenny H. Liu, Wei Shi

TREC Project Briefs

This research explored a systematic framework for evaluating the economic development effects of corridor-level bicycle or pedestrian street improvements across a number of corridors in multiple cities.

It is our hope that the results of our research will encourage the application of similar corridor selection processes, data collection efforts and multimethod analyses in additional corridors and cities around the country, and will provide a solid basis for policymakers, planners and other stakeholders considering street improvement infrastructure for pedestrian and bicycle mobility to make evidence-based investment decisions.

Final Project Report, Nikhil Menon

CTEDD Final Project Reports - Archive

No abstract provided.

Connections With(In): Exploring The Intangibles Of Public Transit In Prague, Sarah Stapleton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project explores the connection (physically and metaphorically) local users have to the public transit systems in Prague, recognizing and highlighting their gathered subjective experiences through a creative piece. The methods included a review of the history, planning, and development of the public transit systems (metro and tram) across time, as well the sociopolitical timeframe these occurred through. After rooting her knowledge within the relevant literature and history, the author asked six local users of public transit a series of 10 questions about their relationships, memories, stories, and feelings connected to traveling through the public transportation systems. These interviews and …

Personal Beliefs About The Effectiveness Of A Primary Seat Belt Law In Virginia Versus North Carolina, Rochelle A. Rushlow

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Seat belt law strength (primary versus secondary) affects the ability of law enforcement to enforce consistent seat belt use, especially in secondary seat belt law states. Certain demographics correlate with seat belt law effectiveness beliefs and overall seat belt use. The current study used an overall omnibus model to determine the strength of the relationship among demographics and beliefs in the effectiveness of primary seat belt laws. A survey was deployed to Mechanical Turk (MTurk) users who were Virginia or North Carolina residents, held a valid United States driver’s license, and were at least 18 years old. Three hundred twenty-four …

A Rule Based Control Algorithm For On-Ramp Merge With Connected And Automated Vehicles, Ehsan Beheshtitabar

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

One of the designs for future highways with the flow of Connected Automated Vehicles (CAVs) cars will be a dedicated lane for the CAVs to form platoons and travel with higher speeds and lower headways. The connectivity will enable the formation of platoons of CAVs traveling beside non-platoon lanes. The advent of connectivity between vehicles and the infrastructure will enable advanced control strategies ̶ improving the performance of the traffic ̶ to be incorporated in the traffic system. The merge area in a multilane highway with CAVs is one of the sections which can be enhanced by the operation of …

Incorporating A Reverse Logistics Scheme In A Vehicle Routing Problem With Cross-Docking Network: A Modelling Approach, Audrey Tedja Widjaja, Aldy Gunawan, Panca Jodiawan, Vincent F. Yu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Reverse logistics has been implemented by various companies because of its ability to gain more profit and maintain the competitiveness of the company. However, extensive studies on the vehicle routing problem with cross-docking (VRPCD) only considered the forward flow instead of the reverse flow. Motivated by the ability of a VRPCD network to minimize the distribution cost in the forward flow, this research incorporates the reverse logistics scheme in a VRPCD network, namely the VRP with reverse cross-docking (VRP-RCD). We propose a VRP-RCD mathematical model for a four-level supply chain network that involves suppliers, cross-dock, customers, and outlets. The main …

Connected Vehicle System Design For Signalized Arterials, Xianfeng Terry Yang, Mingyue Ji, Qinzheng Wang

TREC Final Reports

It can be expected that connected vehicles (CVs) systems will soon go beyond testbed and appear in real-world applications. To accommodate a large number of connected vehicles on the roads, traffic signal control systems on signalized arterials would require supports of various components such as roadside infrastructure, vehicle on-board devices, an effective communication network, and optimal control algorithms. In this project, we aim to establish a real-time and adaptive system for supporting the operations of CV-based traffic signal control functions. The proposed system will prioritize the communication needs of different types of CVs and best utilize the capacity of the …

Understanding Economic And Business Impacts Of Street Improvements For Bicycle And Mobility – A Multicity Multiapproach Exploration, Jenny H. Liu, Wei Shi

TREC Final Reports

Many cities across the country, as part of Complete Streets initiatives or to promote community livability and environmental sustainability, have engaged in street improvement or transportation infrastructure upgrade projects that increase access and mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists through a reduction of on-street parking or traffic lanes. With various transportation modes competing for scarce resources (including right-of-way and transportation funding), city planners and transportation agencies often struggle with how to justify these infrastructure investments for non-motorized modes such as bicycling and walking, particularly when driving is still the predominant mode of transportation in most cities. There is a vital need …

Critical Issues In Trucking Workforce Development, Thomas O’Brien, Tyler Reeb, Deanna Matsumoto, Diana Sanchez

Mineta Transportation Institute

This white paper identifies research opportunities focused on workforce development for the trucking industry, particularly regarding truck drivers and the truck driver shortage. Interviews were conducted with key national and state trucking industry leaders. In addition, the authors gathered information from relevant sessions at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in January of 2020. The researchers also synthesized recent literature related to the trucking industry and workforce development. Key findings indicate that 1) the shortage may be a byproduct of “churn,” where truck drivers are leaving not the industry, but their respective companies for other companies, which creates a …

Truck Trailer Classification Using Side-Fire Light Detection And Ranging (Lidar) Data, Olcay Sahin

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Classification of vehicles into distinct groups is critical for many applications, including freight and commodity flow modeling, pavement management and design, tolling, air quality monitoring, and intelligent transportation systems. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) developed a standardized 13-category vehicle classification ruleset, which meets the needs of many traffic data user applications. However, some applications need high-resolution data for modeling and analysis. For example, the type of commodity being carried must be known in the freight modeling framework. Unfortunately, this information is not available at the state or metropolitan level, or it is expensive to obtain from current resources.

Nevertheless, using …

The Urban Heat Island Effect In Nevada, Ember Smith, Kaylie Pattni, Caitlin Saladino, William E. Brown

Environment

This fact sheet explores the temperature difference between Nevada cities and their undeveloped surrounding areas using reports by the Urban Land Institute, Climate Central, National Public Radio (NPR), and various governmental organizations. We investigate what “urban heat islands” are, their effects, the correlation between heat and income, and factors that contribute to rising temperatures in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Reno.

The Impacts Of The Bicycle Network On Bicycling Activity: A Longitudinal Multi-City Approach, Wei Shi

Dissertations and Theses

Bicycling is a promising approach to improve health, environment, and economic development of urban places. Theoretically, a bicycle network's component goes beyond lanes and paths, and would generate greater impacts than the sum of its parts. However, most previous research focused on how individual types of bicycle-related infrastructure could promote bicycling. Few empirical studies investigated how bicycle networks impact bicycling activity. This project attempts to address this question. Specifically, how to properly measure bicycle networks, and what impacts bicycle networks have on bicycling activity, e.g. bike ridership and bike mode choice, across different cities and longitudinally.

To address the first …

Against The Wind: A Study On Aviation As A Female Career Choice, Bonnie Gagliardo

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to identify and describe the educational and social experiences that sparked the interest of female pilots as young women to pursue a career in aviation.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study utilized semi- structured interviews to explore the lived experiences of female pilots, to understand if there were common social and educational factors which influenced them to become interested in aviation. Using convenience sampling, eleven pilots who hold a Federal Aviation Administration Commercial or Airline Transport Pilot’s License were selected to participate in this study.

Findings: The findings from this …

Webinar: When Growth Outpaces Infrastructure: A Community-Engaged Assessment Of Transportation Gaps, Jandel Crutchfield, Kate Hyun

TREC Webinar Series

This study used a community-engaged interdisciplinary approach to assess the gaps between economic growth and transportation infrastructure development, and the impact of potential gaps on access to opportunities for environmental justice populations within North Central Texas, where population growth has increased over 100% since 2000.

The interdisciplinary team, comprised of social work and civil engineering researchers, in partnership with the regional homeless coalition, measured residents’ perspectives of:

• the economic growth in the area over the past decade,
• the extent to which transportation infrastructure has matched the economic growth, and
• the implications for access to affordable quality housing, employment, quality public …