Research Projects | Transportation Research and Education Center

Exploring the positive utility of travel and mode choice

Principal Investigator: Patrick Singleton

Traditionally, travel is considered a disutility to be minimized, and travel demand is derived from activity demand. Recently, scholars have questioned these axioms, noting that some people may like to travel, use travel time productively, find other ... Read More

Equity Outcomes and Potential for Better Bike Share

Principal Investigator: John MacArthur

Co-Investigator: Nathan McNeil

In a mere ten years, public bike-sharing systems have exploded from operating in a few select European cities to expanding in North America at a pace of nearly two dozen cities per year in recent years. The majority of academic research to date has f ... Read More

Evaluating the Distributional Effects of Regional Transportation Plans and Projects

Principal Investigator: Kristine Williams

Co-Investigator: Aaron Golub

Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) have long been required to consider the equity implications of their regional transportation plans and processes. Funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities, this research aims to pr ... Read More

Narratives of Marginalized Cyclists: Understanding Obstacles to Utilitarian Cycling Among Women and Minorities in Portland, Oregon

Principal Investigator: Amy Lubitow

Everyday cycling for transportation can have positive, population-level health impacts. Significant deterrents to cycling remain, however, particularly for women and minorities. Narratives of Marginalized Cyclists, a NITC project conducted by Amy Lub ... Read More

Evaluation of an Eco-driving Intervention: Changing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior by Means of Supervisor Support

Principal Investigator: Donald Truxillo

Co-Investigators: John MacArthur , Leslie Hammer , Talya N. Bauer

Past eco-driving research has looked at the effectiveness of various eco-driving programs, but the role supervisor and organizational support have remained unexamined. This is unfortunate, as support from the supervisor and the organization have cons ... Read More

Planning Ahead for Livable Communities Along the Powell-Division BRT: Neighborhood Conditions and Change

Principal Investigator: Lisa Bates

Co-Investigator: Aaron Golub

New transit investments can be a double-edged sword for disadvantaged communities (e.g. those included in environmental justice and Title VI potected classes). Transit investments improve community’s mobility and access and may improve health with ... Read More

Adding Value to GPS Travel Data with New Open-Source Processing Software for Everyone

Principal Investigator: Jennifer Dill

Researchers and practitioners have a growing interest in using Global Positioning System (GPS) based travel data to augment or even to replace traditional diary-based surveys. GPS data promise improved accuracy and more detailed spatial data. Largely ... Read More

Drivers’ Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Bicyclists: Intermodal Interactions and Implications for Road Safety

Principal Investigator: Tara Goddard

Psychology teaches us that implicit biases—attitudes we hold on a level below consciousness, and may not even be aware of—can have a heavy influence on split-second decisions. In a fast-paced activity like driving, with a lot of moving parts in a ... Read More

Modeling and Analyzing the Impact of Advanced Technologies on Livability and Multimodal Transportation Performance Measures in Arterial Corridors

Principal Investigator: Miguel Andres Figliozzi

Transportation corridors are complex systems. Tradeoffs, particularly in terms of traffic mobility, transit performance, accessibility and pedestrian interactions, are not well understood. When the focus is on motorized vehicle mobility and throughpu ... Read More

FHWA Strategic Agenda for Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation

Principal Investigator: Jennifer Dill

Co-Investigator: Nathan McNeil

In 2016, TREC was part of a team, in partnership with ICF and Alta Planning, that developed the Strategic Agenda for Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation, a framework to inform future investments, policies, and partnerships and serves as the update ... Read More

Measuring the Impacts of Social Media on Advancing Public Transit

Principal Investigator: Jenny Liu

Co-Investigator: (Jeff) Xuegang Ban

This project is a collaboration between Portland State University (PSU) and the Center for Infrastructure Transportation & Environment (CITE) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute seeking to develop performance measures for assessing the impacts of soc ... Read More

Improving Walkability Through Control Strategies at Signalized Intersections

Principal Investigator: Sirisha Kothuri

Co-Investigator: Christopher Monsere

The goal of signal timing at an intersection should be to separate conflicting movements in time, maximizing safety and efficiency for all users. In many jurisdictions, however, signal timing objectives have traditionally focused on allowing vehicle ... Read More