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
Emerging Technologies and Cities: Assessing the Impacts of New Mobility on Cities
Becky Steckler Rebecca Lewis
Digital devices – such as smart phones, tablets, and computers – are significantly changing how people and goods move. Leaders in communities where new mobility services and e-commerce deliveries exist are grappling with how to take advantage of the benefits of these services and mitigate the challenges. Government agencies are just beginning to create strategies and policies to ensure that these new mobility services help communities achieve their goals. These efforts are being led primarily…
Read More
Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Surrounding Residential Property Values
Victoria Perk Martin Catala
As bus rapid transit (BRT) grows in popularity in the United States, a better understanding of the mode’s impacts on land uses and property values is needed. Economic theory suggests, and literature has shown, that people are willing to pay higher housing costs to lower their costs of transportation to areas of economic activity. Does high-quality BRT service reliably provide such access and, thereby, increase residential property values?
The hypothesis is that property values are higher…
Read More

