TREC research addresses complex transportation problems by drawing on multiple disciplines, including engineering, planning, economics and design, from across the Portland State University campus. Use the search box at right to search for a specific project.

Research Highlights

Washington State Pedestrian and Bicycle Miles Traveled Project

Krista Nordback
Estimates of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) drive policy and planning decisions for surface transportation. No similar metric is computed for cycling and walking. What approaches could be used to compute such a metric on the state level? This report discusses three such approaches, identifies the advantages and disadvantages of each, and applies them to Washington State. The first approach employs travel survey data. The second approach is sample-based using pedestrian and bicycle count data. The… Read More

Evaluation of Different Curb Extension Treatments for Pedestrian Comfort and Safety at Intersections

Nathan McNeil Sirisha Kothuri
In a project funded by the The District Department of Transportation (DDOT), Portland State University is partnering with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to document and identify factors associated with road user safety and comfort at intersections with permanent versus tactical (both with and without mural art) curb extensions, as well as a set of control locations with no curb extensions. DDOT has over the last few years installed several curb extension treatments on different… Read More