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
How Can Interdisciplinary Teams Leverage Emerging Technologies to Respond to Transportation Infrastructure Needs? A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Civil Engineers, Urban Planning, and Social Workers’ Perspectives
Noelle Fields Courtney Cronley , Kate Hyun , Stephen Mattingly
This study explores strengthening collaboration between disciplines, to build a transportation system that better serves everyone.
Transportation planners and engineers often struggle to serve at-risk communities and environmental justice (EJ) populations. EJ populations can include older adults, people with low income, low socioeconomic status, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals with disabilities—all groups who are at an increased risk for transportation disadvantage. Evidence of…
Read More
Racial Bias in Drivers' Yielding Behavior at Crosswalks: Understanding the Effect
Kimberly Kahn
Led by Dr. Kimberly Kahn of Portland State University, the purpose of this investigation is to explore social identity-related factors that influence drivers’ behaviors in interactions with pedestrians at crosswalks. Dr. Kahn and her research team conducted a field experiment where black and white male and female pedestrians wore identical clothing and repeatedly crossed the same intersection in a systematic manner, with coders in the field marking drivers’ behaviors.
The initial study …
Read More

