Research Projects | Transportation Research and Education Center

Developing Data, Models, and Tools to Enhance Transportation Equity

Principal Investigator: Amy Lubitow

Co-Investigators: Julius McGee , Raoul Liévanos

Data from travel surveys are used to forecast demand, inform transportation investments, and craft urban policies. Because these data are so essential to shaping our transportation system, it is critical that hard-to-reach populations—such as low-i ... Read More

Understanding Economic and Business Impacts of Street Improvements for Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility - A Multi-City Multi-Approach Exploration [Phase 2]

Principal Investigator: Jenny Liu

This research project explores the economic impacts of bicycle and pedestrian street improvements in the United States using multiple data sources and analytical approaches. Building on studies in New York City and San Francisco, researchers examined ... Read More

Understanding Economic and Business Impacts of Street Improvements for Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility - A Multi-City Multi-Approach Exploration

Principal Investigator: Jenny Liu

Co-Investigator: Jennifer Dill

This NITC National project was the first phase of a research effort measuring the economic impacts of bicycle and pedestrian street improvements. See the findings, final report and other products on the Phase II project page: https://nitc.trec.pdx.ed ... Read More

Life-Space Mobility and Aging in Place

Principal Investigator: Ivis Garcia

Co-Investigator: Alan DeLaTorre

Research on older adults frequently explores the notion of “aging in place”—providing older adults the opportunity to continue to live in their own homes and communities. However one’s ability to stay or leave, particularly in old age, often ... Read More

How Technology Can Affect the Demand for Bicycle Transportation: The State of Technology and Projected Applications of Connected Bicycles

Principal Investigator: John MacArthur

The term “connected vehicle (CV)” refers to vehicles equipped with devices, which enable wireless communication between internal and external entities, supporting vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-everything ... Read More

Biking and Walking Quality Counts: Using “BikePed Portal” Counts to Develop Data Quality Checks

Principal Investigator: Nathan McNeil

Co-Investigator: Kristin Tufte

Cycling and walking are sustainable modes of transportation which improve community livability, but these modes have not been studied with the quantitative rigor applied to motor vehicle travel. This research aims to change that by improving bicycle ... Read More

Understanding the Accessibility, Economic and Social Equity Impacts of Urban Greenway Infrastructure

Principal Investigator: Jenny Liu

“City Greenways” is a concept proposed as a part of Portland’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan, which calls for a citywide network of park-like pedestrian and bicycle friendly streets crisscrossing the city at roughly three-mile intervals. This researc ... Read More

Transferability & Forecasting of the Pedestrian Index Environment (PIE) for Modeling Applications

Principal Investigator: Kelly Clifton

There have been important advances in non-motorized planning tools in recent years, including the development of the MoPeD pedestrian demand model (Clifton et al., 2013, 2015). This tool and others are increasingly requested by governments and agenci ... Read More

FHWA Guidebook for Measuring Multimodal Network Connectivity

Principal Investigator: Joe Broach

Co-Investigators: Jennifer Dill , Kelly Clifton

In 2018 the Federal Highway Administration issued a new guide, Measuring Multimodal Network Connectivity. TREC researchers contributed to the guidebook in partnership with Alta Planning + Design and ICF. The guide provides information on incorporatin ... Read More

FTA Manual on Pedestrian and Bicycle Connections to Transit

Principal Investigator: Jennifer Dill

Co-Investigator: Nathan McNeil

This manual provides a compendium of best practices to help transit and other transportation professionals improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and access to transit, including information on evaluating, planning for, and implementing improvements t ... Read More

Multimodal Trip Generation, Vehicle Ownership and Use: Characterizing The Travel Patterns of Residents of Multifamily Housing

Principal Investigator: Kelly Clifton

Many cities are reconsidering their reliance on ITE’s Trip Generation Manual, now in its 10th edition. Kelly Clifton and co-investigator Kristina Currans of the University of Arizona examine the advantages and limitations of ITE’s land use taxono ... Read More

Racial Bias in Drivers' Yielding Behavior at Crosswalks: Understanding the Effect

Principal Investigator: Kimberly Kahn

Led by Dr. Kimberly Kahn of Portland State University, the purpose of this investigation is to explore social identity-related factors that influence drivers’ behaviors in interactions with pedestrians at crosswalks. Dr. Kahn and her research team ... Read More