TREC research addresses complex transportation problems by drawing on multiple disciplines, including engineering, planning, economics and design, from across the Portland State University campus. Use the search box at right to search for a specific project.
Research Highlights
Updating and Expanding LRT/BRT/SCT/CRT Data and Analysis
Arthur C. Nelson
This project will update and expand our station area databases (developed under previous NITC contracts 547, 650, and 763) to include new systems added since the late 2000s and more metropolitan areas. Under prior NITC contracts, we built station area databases for 12 light rail transit (LRT) systems, nine bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, four streetcar transit (SCT), and five commuter rail transit (CRT) systems. We included employment data extending annually from 2002 through 2011, and census…
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Exploring the positive utility of travel and mode choice
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 benefits in traveling, or travel for non-utilitarian reasons. These are instances of “the positive utility of travel” (PUT). In this dissertation, I conceptually and empirically investigate PUT, its determinants, and its impacts on travel behavior…
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