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

Bi-objective Optimization for Battery Electric Bus Deployment Considering Cost and Environmental Equity

Xiaoyue Cathy Liu Aaron Golub , Ran Wei
Led by Xiaoyue Cathy Liu of the University of Utah, researchers have created a web-based modeling tool that enables U.S. transit providers to explore the impacts of changing over their systems to battery electric buses, or BEBs. The researchers ran the model for TriMet in Portland, OR, as well, with TriMet results and analysis presented in the final report.  “The interactive visualization platform lets users explore various electric bus deployment budget scenarios, so that transit agencies… Read More

Assessing Economic Impact of Disaster-Induced Transportation Disruptions Using A University Community Partnership Framework

Divya Chandrasekhar
Transportation systems play a critical role in maintaining supply chains for effective post-disaster recovery. The March 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns coincided with a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in Salt Lake City, Utah, resulting in supply chain disruptions throughout the region. A team of researchers collaborated with local agencies and transportation organizations to use this event and the community's response to evaluate the challenges faced by local business owners and the actions they took to… Read More