Research Projects | Transportation Research and Education Center

S.T.E.A.M. TRAINing: Engaging High School Girls in Transportation and Equity Issues through GIS

Principal Investigator: Randy Morris

Co-Investigator: Nancee Hunter

The Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies’ Community Geography program wishes to apply for a grant to develop the curriculum for a 1-2 week lab course in transportation-focused mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to be held in th ... Read More

Revisiting TODs: How Subsequent Development Affects the Travel Behavior of Residents in Existing Transit-Oriented Developments

Principal Investigator: Nathan McNeil

Co-Investigator: Jennifer Dill

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 Portlan ... Read More

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

Evaluation of Bus-Bicycle and Bus/Right-Turn Traffic Delays and Conflicts

Principal Investigator: Miguel Andres Figliozzi

The interaction between transit vehicles and bicycles can create conflict when both share the same space. In particular, the location of transit stops poses specific challenges along bicycle facilities. Little research exists to offer insight on how ... Read More

A Comprehensive Examination of Electronic Wayfinding Technology for Visually Impaired Travelers in an Urban Environment

Principal Investigator: Martin Swobodzinski

Co-Investigator: Amy Parker

Human wayfinding and navigation are key organizing activities that allow human beings to acquire knowledge about the environment and develop cognitive representations in support of such essential tasks as route planning and travel. These activities a ... Read More

Social-Transportation Analytic Toolbox (STAT) for Transit Networks

Principal Investigator: Xiaoyue Cathy Liu

Co-Investigators: Ran Wei , Aaron Golub , Liming Wang

The new Social-Transportation Analytic Toolbox (STAT) for Transit Networks, developed by NITC researchers in a multi-university collaboration, is a dynamic platform that combines Twitter, general transit feed specification (GTFS), and census transpor ... 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

Incorporate Emerging Travel Modes in the Regional Strategic Planning Model (RSPM) Tool

Principal Investigator: Liming Wang

Co-Investigators: Jennifer Dill , Kelly Clifton

Performance-based planning helps local and state decision makers to understand the potential impacts of policy decisions, supporting cost-effective investments and policy choices that can help achieve policy goals. In addition, it can enable monitor ... Read More

Evaluating and Enhancing Public Transit Systems for Operational Efficiency, Service Quality and Access Equity

Principal Investigator: Ran Wei

Co-Investigators: Liming Wang , Aaron Golub , Thomas Cova

Regular assessment and improvement of the performance of public transit systems are essential for transit service providers given limited funding and growing public needs. Performance evaluation can help transit agencies identify underperforming serv ... 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

Smart, Shared, and Social: Enhancing All-Hazards Transportation Recovery Plans with Demand Management Strategies and Technologies

Principal Investigator: John MacArthur

Natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other emergency incidents can affect multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. Major disasters, such as earthquakes, create large-scale impacts that require outside assistance even for the most prepared local pu ... 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