Transportation Commons^™

One Year Performance Of Longitudinal Waterborne Paint Pavement Markings Used On Primary And Secondary Roads Of South Carolina, Sudhakar Pandurangan

All Theses

Pavement markings are made retroreflective so that roads are more visible. But retroreflectivity degrades over time due to a number of factors. Although the Federal Highway Administration has yet to finalize minimum standards for retroreflectivity, the degradation of pavement marking retroreflectivity can be detrimental to safety. The primary objective of this thesis was to use statistics to develop and validate regression models to predict the degradation of water borne pavement marking retroreflectivity. This will provide the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) a systematic means to determine when markings should be replaced.
To achieve this objective an LTL-X handheld retroreflectometer …

The Nature Of Context-Sensitive Solutions, Stakeholder Involvement And Critical Issues In The Urban Context, Marta Panero, Jan Botha

Mineta Transportation Institute

Over the last several decades many transportation and planning agencies have experienced conflicting demands emerging from the need to develop projects in an expeditious manner while at the same time involving stakeholders in the decision-making process, which sometimes is perceived as slowing project delivery and/or increasing costs. Given this tension between apparently conflicting demands, it is important to understand how the stakeholder involvement is being carried out and what best practices may be recommended. This study examines the issue in the context of a relatively new policy framework – Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) – which supports the early integration of …

Have We Become A Template Nation?, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In his commentary, SMU assistant professor of law Eugene Tan observed that last week's three MRT service breakdowns have raised concerns over whether our public transport system is able to cope with the increased commuter load and public expectations. While the road and rail infrastructure has grown significantly in the last few years, doubts now fester as to whether the relevant organisations, the people who run them and the systems and policies, have kept pace.

Development Of A Simulation Tool For Analysis Of Freeway Crashes Due To Cell Phone Usage, Sourabh Sriom

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research shows that drivers are susceptible to numerous distractions while driving which can be held responsible as the reason of a crash. Usage of cell phones, i.e. talking or texting while driving is considered one of the prominent distractions which causes a crash. This dissertation aims to study the number of crashes occurring on the freeways and their relation with the drivers of these cars using cell phones while they are driving. Since crashes occur relatively less frequently, the study of crashes is done using what is called the "rare event" theory. Java based simulations are done to model a …

Lane Transit District Integrated Functional Transportation Assessment Project: Findings From A Case Study And Developmental Evaluation, Margaret B. Neal, Susan Eliot, Mark Person, Jost Lottes

Institute on Aging Publications

This report describes the results of a case study and developmental evaluation of Lane Transit District's innovative project to develop an integrated functional assessment for transportation services, referred to here simply as the Transportation Assessment Project (TAP).

The TAP is unique in that it is a collaborative effort between a public transit agency and local human service agencies to blend traditionally separate assessments for eligibility for transportation services. Specifically, in the TAP, Lane Transit District subcontracts with human services agencies to conduct personalized in-home assessments with individuals with special transportation needs and who are requesting paratransit rides. While in the …

Design Of A Dynamic Activity Travel Modeling System For Metro, John Gliebe

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Trip-based models are no longer adequate for some of the more complex questions. They fail to account for time of day sensitivity, dynamic congestion effects, variable pricing and tolls, and the reliability of both highways and transit. Existing activity/tour-based models lack the enhanced temporal element provided by a more dynamic, activity-based microsimulation. DASH is the next-generation model being developed by the Metro Research Center.

Tls Newsletter. Volume 6, Edition 3. November, 2011, Unf Transportation And Logistics Society

Transportation & Logistics Society Newsletter

Inside the Newsletter: TLS Trivia Night, Wednesday November 9th. TLS President's Corner Tom Branning. TLS Community--Hubbard House and Propeller Club. TLS Tidbits: Business/Networking cards. Get to Know TLS Secretary Paula Nelson. TLS on Tour: Anheuser-Busch Brewmaster. Life after Graduation with Claudia Gorham.

Establishing New Orleans As A Leader In Active Transportation: Solidifying Progress, Moving Towards An Active Transportation Culture, Billy Fields

UNOTI Publications

Research in this brief by the Pedestrian Bicycle Resource Initiative (PBRI) at the University of New Orleans highlights the growing use of active transportation in New Orleans and the potential to solidify these gains through a process of culture change that makes active transportation an integral element in the overall transportation system. New Orleans is currently a regional leader in active transportation with a high national ranking in active transportation commute mode shares. While these rankings are promising, New Orleans lacks a clear, institutionalized system for integrating active transportation into the overall transportation decision-making structure. The process of solidifying and …

A Capping Case Study: Integrating Freight Rail Into A Community Setting, Jeff Schnabel, Tristan Brasseur

TREC Final Reports

This investigation seeks to explore specific design solutions that could potentially enhance the capabilities of heavy rail facilities while increasing their safety and reducing their environmental and community impacts.

Using Portland's Brooklyn Rail Yard as the study site, this case study explored the potential of structural platforms (caps) built above the existing rail yards to provide development space for expanding rail capacity and rail related activities. The potential for capping to reduce /eliminate conflicts between rail and non-rail uses will also be investigated. Finally, the various designs were presented for caps at the rail yard.

Capping projects (the development of …

A Pomdp Model For Guiding Taxi Cruising In A Congested Urban City, Lucas Agussurja, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We consider a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) model for improving a taxi agent cruising decision in a congested urban city. Using real-world data provided by a large taxi company in Singapore as a guide, we derive the state transition function of the POMDP. Specifically, we model the cruising behavior of the drivers as continuous-time Markov chains. We then apply dynamic programming algorithm for finding the optimal policy of the driver agent. Using a simulation, we show that this policy is significantly better than a greedy policy in congested road network.

The Fairmount Initiative Quarterly Progress Report: People And Places: Understanding The Processes, Outcomes And Impacts Of Interventions Of The Fairmount Corridor, Donna H. Friedman

Center for Social Policy Publications

The Boston Foundation has contracted with the Center for Social Policy as an analytical and evaluation partner for a five year period, December 1, 2010 to November 30, 2015, to maximize effectiveness and create alignment among its people and place based efforts in Boston’s Fairmount commuter rail corridor. The geographic area, encompassing Fairmount neighborhoods which are home to approximately 88,000 residents, extends for 9.2 miles from the Newmarket Transit Station in the north to the Readville Transit Station in the south.

The detail to follow in this report provides an overview of each of the four initiatives, its progress over …

2010 Transit Oriented Developments Survey, Jennifer Dill

TREC Final Reports

This report presents results from surveys of residents at several transit-oriented developments (TODs) in Portland, Gresham, Hillsboro, and Happy Valley. The research complements survey work done in 2005 at sites near three MAX stations in Hillsboro and Beaverton (west of downtown) and the Merrick apartments near the Convention Center in Portland, and in 2007 at 11 sites in the eastside of Portland and Gresham.

A Foreigner’S Gaze On The Micro-Culture Of The Car-Rapide—Senegalese Values Vs. Monetary Lust, Merrill Pierce

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The vibrant, chaotic, and interactive Car Rapide, a poignant micro-culture in Dakar, is a visually communicative entity and social space in Senegal’s transportation system. From an outsider’s gaze, this project addresses the history, artistic and religious significance, inner-workings of the system of employees, and present day implications of the car-rapide. The car-rapide emerges as the embodiment of both valuable and challenging aspects of Senegalese culture.

Bridge Damage Models For Seismic Risk Assessment Of Oregon Highway Network, Peter Dusicka, Jeffery Roberts

TREC Final Reports

The highway transportation network of the United States relies on the health and integrity of major infrastructure elements such as bridges. Frequently traveled parts of Oregon are within the seismically active Pacific Northwest and many of the bridges were designed and built to lateral demands that were assumed to be less than the current expectation, a deficiency caused by our growing awareness of seismic hazard and our enhanced understanding of the non-linear response of bridges. This vulnerability to damage from earthquakes can result in not only immediate damage, but also in potentially lingering economic impact caused by the disruption to …

Concentration In The Airline Industry: Evidence Of Economies Of Scale?, Ahren Johnston, John Ozment

Journal of Transportation Management

The early experience of the airline industry under deregulation was very much as expected, with increased competition and new entrants offering highly competitive rates. However, there are approximately 130 airlines operating today, and the industry remains more heavily concentrated than it was prior to deregulation. This study reports on concentration in the US airline industry between 1970 and 2009, as measured by the Hcrfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and Concentration Ratio, together with changes in industry costs. The results show a trend of industry-wide reduced costs per available seat mile that is negatively correlated with the increased level of industry output over …

Combined Seismic Plus Live Load Analysis Of Highway Bridges, Michael H. Scott, Minjie Zhu

TREC Final Reports

The combination of seismic and vehicle live loadings on bridges is an important design consideration. There are well-established design provisions for how the individual loadings affect bridge response: structural components that carry vertical live loads are designed to remain well within the linear-elastic range while lateral load carrying components are designed to yield under large seismic excitations. The weight of the bridge superstructure is taken in to account as dead load in structural analysis for seismic loads; however, the effects of additional mass and damping of live loads on the bridge deck are neglected. To improve the design of highway …

Cross-Cultural Validation Of The Factorial Structure Of A Logistics Strategy Model: A Three-Country Study, Michael A. Mcginnis, Talha Harcar, Ali Kara, John E. Spillan

Journal of Transportation Management

In 2011, McGinnis, Kohn, and Kara reported the effects of overall logisties strategy (OLS) on logistics coordination effectiveness, customer service effectiveness, and organizational competitive responsiveness. This manuscript empirically compares the three dimensions of the Bowersox Daugherty typology to logisties strategies among U.S., Turkish, and Guatemalan companies. US, Turkish, and Guatemalan subjects (logistics managers) were chosen to test the underlying factor structure and measurement equivalences of the scales used. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), findings indicate that the three dimensions of the Overall Logistics Strategy (OLS) - Process Strategy, Market Strategy, and Information Strategy - hold in all three country environments …

A Commentary: The Perfect Storm: Schramm Decision, Fmcsa, And An Imposible Duty For Brokers And Third Party Logistics Companies, Paul Stewart

Journal of Transportation Management

Over the last thirty years, there never has been a more confused doctrine than the current “duty of reasonable care” faced by transportation brokers, third-party logistics companies and shippers as they select carriers for transport. The confusion in what was once reasonable and well understood law has been fueled by a perfect storm ofjudicial reasoning with misplaced reference to faulty empirical data, the complete failure of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to properly assess carrier safety worthiness, a feeding frenzy by the plaintiffs’ bar and apathy by many in the industry. The purpose of this commentary is to …

Competitive Advantage And Fuel Efficiency In Aviation, Adam D. Reiman, Alan W. Johnson, William A. Cunningham

Journal of Transportation Management

This paper builds upon a resource based view of competitive advantage under a dynamic capabilities construct. Fuel efficiency measurement in the aviation industry can be incorporated into dynamic capabilities such as strategic decision making and alliancing. These dynamic capabilities can drive operational cost reductions, which in-turn can enhance profitability and establish a competitive advantage. To further this advantage, fuel efficiency can be embedded inside an organizational culture. A fuel efficiency focused organizational culture can be a valuable, rare, inimitable and non- substitutable resource. This paper proposes a model to merge the dynamic capabilities of strategic decision making and alliancing with …

Ltl Pricing: Looking Back To The Future, C. Clifford Defee, Joe B. Hanna, Robert Overstreet

Journal of Transportation Management

Numerous LTL carriers struggled during the recent recession as customers demanded lower prices. This study is designed to qualitatively evaluate the data gathered from three industry segments regarding LTL pricing. Researchers used semi-structured interviews to conduct an in-depth investigation with over two dozen industry experts who represented shippers, carriers, and 3PLs. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory coding technique. Five major themes emerged from the interview transcripts. These themes are used to describe possible future adjustments to industry pricing structure.