CTS Seminar Series

Many cities in the U.S. are installing roundabouts instead of traditional signalized intersections, largely due to evidence that roundabouts dramatically reduce fatal and severe injury crashes. However, the impact of roundabouts on pedestrian safety is not clear. In this seminar, John Hourdos will discuss a research project aimed at investigating pedestrian accessibility in Minnesota’s urban roundabouts and addressing complaints from pedestrians regarding intersection crossing and safety issues.

The project involved the observation and analysis of interactions between pedestrians or bicycles and vehicles at two modern urban roundabouts in the Twin Cities area. The researchers examined factors such as who yielded, the location of the crossing, the number of subjects involved, and the conditions inside the roundabout before the interaction occurred. Hourdos will also discuss the study’s results, which highlight and categorize the existence of friction between pedestrians and drivers at roundabout crossings.

Driving is a significant part of independent living for people of all ages and abilities. Within the next decade, a quarter of all U.S. drivers are expected to be over the age of 65. To address the needs of the growing aging driving population, Clemson University researchers are partnering with two major hospital systems to develop objective training programs as well as develop and evaluate new products and services.

In this seminar, Johnell Brooks discussed the research partnership and its initiatives, which include comprehensive studies of aging drivers. Through these studies, the research team aims to lengthen the duration of patients' independent living status by providing evidence-based preventative measures for senior drivers through medicine, rehabilitation, engineering, and research. Brooks also reviewed the driving simulators, mobility and physical functioning lab, and instrumented vehicle research used in the studies.

Asphalt overlays provide an economical means for treating deteriorated pavements. Thin bonded overlay (TBO) systems have become popular options for pavement rehabilitation because they provide functional improvements and ensure a high degree of waterproofing benefits. The use of spray paver technology for the construction of TBO leads to continuously varying asphalt binder content, up to approximately one-third of the layer thickness.

The graded material behavior and thinness of TBOs make them challenging to characterize in a lab, and it is often difficult to realistically simulate them for design and analysis purposes. In this seminar, Eshan Dave will outline newly developed laboratory fracture measurement techniques, numerical simulation methods for design and analysis, and early field performances of TBOs.

Fuel efficient driver behavior, such as coasting to a stop or avoiding complete stops, has helped drivers achieve large reductions in fuel consumption. Vehicle interfaces that deliver fuel economy information to drivers can also help attain fuel savings.

In this seminar, Justin Graving will discuss a recent study that evaluated how features of market and aftermarket fuel economy displays affected fuel consumption during simulated driving. Study results indicated that the presence of a fuel economy display promoted fuel efficient driving, but also showed that when instructed, drivers were able to reduce their fuel consumption without the aid of a display.

In response to an increasing demand for new capacity on highways, many states are exploring Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in state highway development. PPPs allow public agencies to access private project financing and specialized expertise, often resulting in saved public investment, expedited project completion, and improved service quality and diversity. However, the confusion and controversy surrounding recent concession cases in the United States has led to widespread public concern and legislative caution on the question of whether a PPP project is advancing the public interest.

In this seminar, Jerry Zhao will report on a study of public interest associated with PPPs in terms of both outcome and procedure. For each PPP option, the study analyzed public benefits, associated risks, and possible approaches to mitigate these risks. Research also included an archive study to examine related public concerns and discuss potential strategies to address these concerns at different stages of PPP decisions.

Coordination is essential to providing the highest possible quality of service on signalized arterials through movements, and travel time is its most accurate yet most expensive measure. In this seminar, Darcy Bullock will present a methodology for evaluating signal coordination that combines high-resolution signal data with travel time measurement using Bluetooth device MAC-address matching. The Purdue Coordination Diagram is used as a tool for visualizing and quantitatively evaluating signal performance and identifying opportunities for improvements.

Bullock will discuss a study in which arterial travel times were measured using MAC-address matching. In the study, intersection and mid-block detecting stations were used to identify, calculate, and implement timing improvements. The presentation will also include a discussion of Bluetooth tracking applications in airport security lines and work-zone origin-destination research.

Despite a solid body of evidence about distraction and its risks, automobile manufacturers now allow you to update your Facebook page while driving. Positive Train Control systems have been mandated for implementation, yet there has been little if any attempt to understand the new roles of the human operator given the aggressive time frame in which the system must be in operation. There is a similar concern about the NextGen air transport system, which is supposed to revolutionize how flights are managed and flown.

Developing the system architecture is the straightforward part. Understanding the myriad of human and policy implications is much more complex, but it is foundational and necessary if the system is to be safe and realize its intended potential. This presentation develops an approach to understanding the application of automation technology through three interdependent models: sociotechnical, human systems integration, and formative evaluation.

Computing is ubiquitous in nearly every household. Computers are becoming smaller, more portable, and embedded in many common appliances and devices. In addition, digital cameras are becoming pervasive in society. They are appearing in many varieties, and can be found in devices ranging from cars to telephones.

This seminar focuses on the problem of camera networks for transportation and security applications. Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos will present the Hyperion framework, which involves the computation of an extensive set of video-analytics based on human and crowd activity monitoring, automatic camera placement, camera-to-camera tracking, semi-autonomous calibration, and video forensics analysis. An innovative user interface allows a single user to monitor thousands of cameras. Applications of this technology include the real-time identification of empty parking spots at truck stops and traffic data collection on freeway systems.

Over the past five years, there have been many pervious concrete projects in Minnesota. The majority of studies on pervious concrete have concentrated on the analysis of laboratory specimens without significant examination of field performance. Furthermore, most of these studies have not taken the comprehensive approach of evaluating the pervious concrete’s durability from both a hydraulic and structural perspective.

In this seminar, Lev Khazanovich will discuss the study of pervious concrete completed at the University of Minnesota, including its aims to categorize distresses common to pervious concrete in a wet, freeze-thaw environment and analyze pervious concrete as a pavement. As part of the study, researchers analyzed core samples of existing, local, in-service pervious concrete, including samples at the MnROAD facility in Albertville, Minnesota.

Itasca County, Minnesota, is the third largest county in the state by land area, but one of the smallest in terms of population. The challenge this presents to transportation planners was recently addressed in a study by the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and CTS. Researchers conducted focus groups, listening sessions, interviews, and background research to identify the county’s key transportation needs.

In this presentation, Frank Douma will discuss the study’s evaluation of the cost and ease of implementing travel options within Itasca County. The study’s resulting recommendations, including improving bike routes and awareness of public transportation, improving bus service from the county to Duluth, and launching a carpool service, will also be discussed.