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

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

S.T.E.A.M. TRAINing: Engaging High School Girls in Transportation and Equity Issues through GIS

Randy Morris Nancee Hunter
The Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies’ Community Geography program wishes to apply for a grant to develop the curriculum for a 1-2 week lab course in transportation-focused mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to be held in the summer of 2019. The course will be geared towards girls of middle school and high school age, and would teach digital mapping and analysis, as well as spatial and geographic concepts, all relating to themes around transportation and transportation… Read More