PSU Special Transportation Seminar:

An analytical derivation of the capacity at weaving sections consistent with empirical observations and micro-simulated results

Where: ITS Lab, Room 315, PSU Engineering Building

Summary: Weaving sections are discontinuities of the highway network formed when merge segments are closely followed by diverge segments. Because of their geometrical configuration, weaving areas generate numerous lane changes. Those lane changes lead to a reduction of the capacity and affect therefore the operation of weaving sections. 

This contribution aims at investigating empirically the lane changing behavior at a weaving section located in Grenoble (France). The data have been collected at a microscopic level, describing the position of every vehicle at every time step (trajectories of each individual vehicle). The data have been measured with a high-resolution camera mounted underneath a helicopter. 

From the empirical results, we develop an analytical formulation of the capacity of weaving sections. We consider a theoretical weaving section as the superposition of two merges and two diverges. We assume moreover that the accelerations and slowdowns of weaving vehicles create voids in the traffic stream that reduce the total capacity. The analytical estimation of the capacity is compared with field macroscopic data measured in Grenoble and micro-simulated results.

The specification of the needed data sample to...

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A System-Wide Adaptive Ramp Metering (SWARM) system is being implemented in the Portland metropolitan area and should be operational on all corridors by April 2006. This study entails a before and after evaluation of the operational benefits of the new SWARM system using the existing data, surveillance and communications infrastructure. In particular, the study will quantify system-wide benefits in terms of savings in delay, emissions and fuel consumption and safety improvements on and off the freeway due to the implementation of the ramp metering system. This will aid in the optimal deployment of current SWARM system and will be transferable to other regions as their systems come on line in the future.

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SFpark was a federally-funded pilot program of a new approach to managing parking in San Francisco. It utilized real time data to identify parking availability, and demand-responsive parking pricing to help make parking easier to find. Parking management is an invaluable transportation demand management tool and the SFpark pilot demonstrated how data can help cities make smarter decisions. Come hear about the pilot evaluation results from a former SFpark staffer and PSU alum.

Kathryn Doherty-Chapman is a transportation planner focused on helping people access safe and healthy transportation options.... Read more
Webinar: Modeling Freeway Traffic in a Mixed Environment: Connected and Human-Driven Vehicles - Terry Yang

 

PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

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OVERVIEW

Although connected vehicles (CVs) will soon go beyond testbeds, CVs and human-driven vehicles (HVs) will co-exist over a long period. Hence, it is critical to consider the interactions between these two types of vehicles in traffic flow modeling. In this study, we aim to develop a macroscopic model to understand how CVs would impact HVs in the traffic stream. Grounded on the second-order traffic flow model, we study the relationships among flow, density, and speed by two sets of formulations for the groups of CVs and HVs, respectively. A set of friction factors, which indicate CVs' impact to HVs, are introduced to the speed equation for accounting CV speed impacts. Then extended Kalman Filter is employed to update both model parameters and friction factors in real-time. By using CVs trajectory data as measurements, the difference between CV average speed and overall traffic mean speed will be fully accounted. The proposed model will serve as a basis for designing CV-based traffic control function,...

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Summary: Shaun will present on the recently completed pilot demonstration of multimodal arterial performance measures for the Portland metro region, as part of the larger regional concept of operations. Treatments include a permanent bike count station on the Springwater Trail, permanent truck classification stations, Bluetooth travel time stations, as well as leveraging existing transit and signal controller data to paint a picture of the collective modal transportation system.

Bio: Shaun Quayle is a transportation engineer with Kittelson and Associates, Inc. (www.kittelson.com). His focus areas of practice are in the operations, planning and design of arterial traffic signal systems, performance management systems, and complex traffic analysis and simulation. 

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ORcycle is a new smartphone application (for both Android and iOS) developed by Transportation, Technology, and People (TTP) lab researchers at Portland State University as part of an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) research project. ORcycle collects user, route, infrastructure, crash, and safety data. ORcycle was successfully launched in early November 2014 and presents many improvements over existing or similar apps. Initial data findings and insights will be presented. Lessons learned as well as opportunities and challenges associated with smartphone data collection methods will be discussed. More information about the app can be found here: http://www.pdx.edu/transportation-lab/orcycle

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Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center at PSU

The ability to forecast future transportation patterns under a particular land-use scenario or urban form is key to making informed decisions at the local and regional levels.

Although several researchers have explored the links between the built environment, socio-demographics and travel behavior, a consensus is not reached.

This talk highlights two recent projects. The first project focuses on individuals’ attitudes towards transportation, neighborhood characteristics and their effects on campus commuters’ transit use, and addresses the question whether attitudes, the built environment or a combination of both explains the resulting transit use better.

The second part presents the Regional Land Use Allocation Decision Analysis Tool developed for The Ohio Department of Transportation, which enables decision makers to quantify the impacts of population and employment distribution in terms of the resulting VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled). This tool forecasts the impacts of future land-use policies in Ohio, based on alternative assumptions of highway and mass transit corridor development, zoning and environmental constraints, regional growth or decline...

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Smart Cities: Improving the Roadside Environment with Distributed Sensor Systems

The City of Portland is exploring how distributed “Internet of Things” (IoT) sensor systems can be used to improve the available data that is usable by city engineers, planners, and the public to help inform transportation operations, enable assessments of public health and equity, advance Portland’s Climate Action Plan goals, and...

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Topic: Understanding Where We Live and How We Travel: The Development of an Online Visual Survey Tool and Pilot Studies Evaluating Preferences in Residential Neighborhood Choice and Commute

Summary: Understanding changing residential preferences—especially as they are represented within land use and travel demand models—is fundamental to understanding the drivers of future housing, land use and transportation policies. As communities struggle to address a rising number of social challenges with increasing economic uncertainty, transportation and land use planning have become increasingly centered on assumptions concerning the market for residential environments and travel choices. In response, an added importance has been placed on the development of toolkits capable of providing a robust and flexible understanding of how differing assumptions contribute to a set of planning scenarios and impact future residential location decisions.

In this presentation, we discuss one such improvement that can be added to the transportation planning toolkit: an innovative visual online survey tool. This tool was developed to provide a means for researchers to communicate the residential environment to the public. Within this study, we test the ability for the...

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Join us for a three day introductory in-person workshop on databases and SQL

June 17, 18, and 20, 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Each day will be a combination of a lecture and practical. We will cover:

  • Introduction to relational databases.
  • Structured query language (SQL).
  • How to setup a PostgreSQL database on your local machine and use it to analyze data.

Software Requirements

You will be expected to bring your own laptop and have all required software installed prior to the workshop. If you are using a work-issued laptop, you will most likely need administrator privileges to install the following required software:

REGISTRATION

General: $325
Non-profit and community-based organizations: $125
PSU Students: $10 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This three-day workshop is eligible for 9 hours of professional...

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