Jon D Fricker

Network Evaluation Tool to Improve Real and Perceived Bicycle Safety

Bicycles offer a promising transportation alternative to private motor vehicles, especially in areas with congestion, poor air quality, and high fuel prices. The study on which this paper is based sought rational methods for determining the most efficient use of the available funds to improve bicycle transportation. A bicycle network analysis tool was developed to assess the networkwide level of service offered to bicyclists in a study area. The tool uses route length and measures of perceived safety to quantify the bicycle friendliness of a street network. The tool can be used to compare networks and assist with the selection of locations for bicycle facility improvements.

REVIEW OF METHODS FOR ESTIMATING VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED

Estimates of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are used extensively in transportation planning for allocating resources, estimating vehicle emissions, computing energy consumption, and assessing traffic impact. The estimates used in these applications usually come from different sources. For an objective comparison of VMT estimates from different methods, the principles and assumptions supporting the methods and the potential sources of error associated with the methods must be clearly understood. Methods of estimating VMT, including those used by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), are reviewed. Also presented is a comparison of statewide VMT estimates in Indiana from INDOTs traffic count-based method and a non-traffic-data cross-classification VMT estimation model developed for INDOT. The cross-classification model is an independent source of statewide VMT estimates in Indiana to supplement INDOTs traffic count-based estimates. The results of the comparison indicate that INDOTs traffic count...

DESIGNING ADVANCED TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEMS FROM A DRIVER'S PERSPECTIVE: RESULTS OF A DRIVING SIMULATION STUDY

The focus is on the design of advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) from the user’s perspective. Based on the experimental results of this research, types of ATIS information that meet drivers’ needs and capabilities and offer effective method(s) of conveying the information are identified. A driving simulator was developed to assist the investigation. The research results indicate that a driver’s familiarity with a given traffic network significantly affects his or her perception of the ideal type of ATIS information and the most effective information conveyance method. When traveling in a familiar network and encountering congestion and delay caused by an unexpected traffic incident, drivers need only short and simple information, such as the location of the incident and expected delay time, to assist them in making route diversion decisions. It was found that drivers prefer to receive an auditory ATIS message when traveling in a familiar traffic network. For navigation assistance in an unfamiliar environment, travelers strongly indicated the need for information such as alternative route recommendations and directions to alternative routes. The combined format of auditory message and visual display was perceived as the best way to transmit information in a network with which a driver is unfamiliar. Analysis of driving simulator results also confirmed that a visual display causes greater distraction from driving than an auditory message.

Estimating an origin-destination table using a method based on shortest augmenting paths

The most well-known origin-destination estimation methods involve entropy maximization or information minimization. However, these methods often require much more information than is available in reliable form, namely, target trip tables and the extent to which each origin-destination path uses each link. In this paper, a second version of the Shortest Augmenting Path Estimation method (SHAPE-2) is introduced, in which target trip tables and path use proportions are not required. In tests to date, SHAPE-2 has produced good results. It has demonstrated good sensitivity to changes in link loadings on small test networks and, on a real network of special interest to the authors, it performed better than any method previously applied.

Policy Considerations for Construction of Wind Farms and Biofuel Plant Facilities A Guide for Local Agencies

The construction of energy facilities, particularly wind farms and biofuel plants, can be of great benefit to local communities. They can generate jobs and provide considerable revenue to local land owners, while at the same time they can contribute to the sustainability of the communitys (and the nations) energy resources. In the US, local communities are beginning to develop both types of sustainable energy sources in an attempt to realize these benefits. However, wind farms and biofuel plants may also have adverse impacts on the existing infrastructure, the environment, the aesthetics, and the safety of neighboring residents in the communities. While a few communities have completed the process of constructing wind farms and biofuel plants, many more are expected to follow. However, there is currently limited comprehensive information on the appropriate policy considerations for local agencies. To that end, the objective of this paper is to provide local agencies with specific financial, community, site, environmental, safety, and infrastructure considerations and concerns, in order to make informed community decisions about the construction and location of these types of sustainable energy facilities.

TRAFFIC VOLUME FORECASTING METHODS FOR RURAL STATE HIGHWAYS

This study builds on previous efforts found in the field of rural traffic forecasting. The study combines careful statistical analysis with subjective judgment to develop models that are statistically reliable and easy to use. This study developed two different kinds of models--aggregate and disaggregate--to forecast traffic volumes at rural locations in Indianas state highway network. These models are developed using traffic data from continuous count stations in rural locations as well as data for various county, state, and national level demographic and economic predictor variables. Aggregate models are based on the functional classification of a highway, whereas the disaggregate models are location-specific. These models forecast annual average daily traffic (AADT) for future years as a function of present year AADT, modified by the various predictor variables. The use of both aggregate and disaggregate models will provide more reliable traffic forecasts. The number of predictor variables employed in the models was kept to a minimum. The statistical analysis also found that the predictor variables are statistically significant; no other variables will provide significant predictive power to the models. The models developed in this study provide good R-squared values. More refined statistical techniques reinforce the choice of variables used in the models.

Assessment of Introductory Transportation Engineering Course and General Transportation Engineering Curriculum

Transportation engineering is a critical subdiscipline of the civil engineering profession as indicated by its inclusion on the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination and overlap with other specialty areas of civil engineering and as recognized by TRB, ITE, and ASCE. With increasing transportation workforce needs, low numbers of students entering the pipeline, and limited hours within undergraduate civil engineering programs, it is important to ensure that civil engineering students receive adequate preparation and exposure to career opportunities in the transportation engineering field. Thus, investigations into the status of transportation engineering within civil engineering programs and specifically the introductory transportation engineering course are essential for understanding implications to the profession. Relevant literature and findings from a new survey of civil engineering programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology is reviewed; that survey yielded 84 responses. The survey indicates that 88% of responding programs teach an introductory course in transportation engineering, and 79% require it in their undergraduate programs. Significant variation exists in the structure of the introductory course (number of credit hours, laboratory requirements, etc.). Common responses about improvements that could be made include adding laboratories, requiring a second course, and broadening course content. In addition, nearly 15% of instructors teaching the introductory course did not have a primary focus in transportation engineering. This finding should be investigated further, given that the course may be an undergraduate civil engineering students only exposure to the profession.

Effects of Bypasses

This study aims to investigate the long-term impacts of bypasses on small- and medium-sized communities in Indiana. Interviews were conducted with community officials and individuals familiar with the history of each bypassed community. Statistical models were developed to analyze economic impacts across a number of key indicators including payroll and employment in various industry sectors. Lessons learned from this study vary from county to county and across industry sectors. The findings of this study will be used to develop a concise guide that will provide guidance to both Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) officials and community officials as to how to best adapt to the presence of the bypass.

REDUCTION OF VIDEO LICENSE PLATE DATA

Video license plate surveys have been used for more than a decade in Indiana to help produce origin-destination tables in corridors and small areas. In video license plate surveys, license plate images are captured on videotape for data reduction at the analyst’s office. In most cases, the letters and numbers on a license plate are manually transcribed to a data file. This manual process is tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. Although automated license plate readers are being implemented with success elsewhere, their dependence on high-end equipment makes them too expensive for most applications in Indiana. Presented are the results of an attempt to use standard video cameras and tapes, readily available video processing equipment, and open-source software to minimize the human role in the data reduction process and thus reduce the expenses involved. The process of automatically transcribing video data can be divided into subprocesses. Analog video data are digitized and stored on a computer hard disk. The resulting digital images are further processed, by using image-processing algorithms, to locate and extract the license plate and time stamp information. Character recognition techniques can then be applied to read the license plate number into an electronic file for the desired analysis. The described video license plate data reduction (VLPDR) software can identify video frames that contain vehicles and discard the remaining frames. VLPDR can locate and read the time stamps in most of these frames. Although VLPDR cannot read the license plate numbers into a data file, this final step is made easier by a user-friendly graphical user interface. VLPDR saves a significant amount of manual data reduction. The amount of labor saved depends on the parameters chosen by the user.

The Development of a Procedure to Forecast Traffic Volumes on Urban Segments of the State and Interstate Highway Systems

This study developed a multi-facted procedure to forecast traffic volumes on urban segments of the state and interstate highway systems for the Indiana Department of Transportation. A detailed statistical analysis was conducted to develop alternative models to forecast traffic. The models and the procedures described in this studys Final Report are intended to provide highway planners with a tool for simple, fast and inexpensive estimation of traffic projections. Emphasis was also placed on achieving reliable input information for the forecasts of any background factors (independent variables) used in the models. This study improves on previous efforts to build simple and reliable procedures to forecast traffic. Among the several models examined in this study, elasticity and 1ag-AADT models were finally selected because of their simplicity and better performance. This study has employed several measures to evaluate the forecasting models. Often, combined forecasts developed in this study were found to perform better than the forecasts from any of the constituent models. Some problems and limitations of the models, and suggestions to overcome them, are discussed.