Research Projects | National Institute for Transportation and Communities

Methodologies to Quantify Transit Performance Metrics at the System-Level

Principal Investigator: Travis Glick

Performance metrics have typically focused at two main scales: a microscopic scale that focuses on specific locations, time-periods, and trips; and, a macroscopic scale that averages metrics over longer times, entire routes, and networks. When applie ... Read More

Suburban Black Poverty in East Portland: The Role of Transportation in Making Ends Meet

Principal Investigator: Steven Howland

Portland has faced a mass displacement of Black households from the historically segregated area of Albina through various phases of urban renewal, urban deterioration, and gentrification. A substantial number of them have moved to East Portland, a s ... Read More

Transportation, Social Support by Family Visitation, and Depression of Older Adult Nursing Home Residents: A Mixed-Methods Study

Principal Investigator: Vivian Miller

Older adults who live in nursing homes are at an increased risk for depression and anxiety, and research has shown that social connections and family support are key factors that positively impact their mental health. However, research also suggests ... Read More

Social Equity in Transit: Toward social and environmental justice in transportation

Principal Investigator: Torrey Lyons

Much of the literature on transit focuses on very fine-grained aspects of the industry, often neglecting the important foundation of why the service is even provided in the first place. Transit service is supported by local governments with aid from ... Read More

Using Time-Series Analysis to Precisely Identify and Rank Road Hotspots

Principal Investigator: Alexander Lee

Co-Investigator: Wei Lin

Over the past decades, many ranking methods have been proposed. However, results vary from method to method, and one of the issues behind ranking is the element of subjectivity. One approach to resolve these issues is the use of combined models. One ... Read More

Data and Methodological Issues in Assessing Multimodal Transportation Impacts for Urban Development

Principal Investigator: Kristina Currans

In 1976, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) compiled their first Handbook of guidelines and methods for evaluating development-level transportation impacts, specifically vehicular impacts (Institute of Transportation Engineers 1976). Dec ... Read More

Exploring the positive utility of travel and mode choice

Principal Investigator: 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 ... Read More

Drivers’ Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Bicyclists: Intermodal Interactions and Implications for Road Safety

Principal Investigator: Tara Goddard

Psychology teaches us that implicit biases—attitudes we hold on a level below consciousness, and may not even be aware of—can have a heavy influence on split-second decisions. In a fast-paced activity like driving, with a lot of moving parts in a ... Read More

Pedestrian Modeling and Agent Cognition

Principal Investigator: Nicholas Perdue

Walking is one of the most commonplace forms of human expressions, yet the forms, motivations, and practices of walking vary greatly and are often at odds with dominant discourses in urban and transportation planning. As interest in pedestrianoriente ... Read More

Active Travel Behavior and Spatial-Temporal Land Use Mixing

Principal Investigator: Steven Gehrke

Urban policies have emphasized the importance of land use mixing as an intervention beholding of lasting planning and public health benefits. Transportation planners have identified potential in efficiency gains achieved by increasing land use mix an ... Read More

Characterization of the urban roadway atmospheric environment to evaluate transportation impacts and improve exposure assessment

Principal Investigator: Christine Kendrick

Urban arterials are landscapes that give rise to short and long-term exposures to increased transportation-related pollution. With high traffic volumes and a wide mix of road users such as those waiting for transit, pedestrians, and bicyclists, urban ... Read More

Shared Space and Bicyclists

Principal Investigator: Allison Duncan

Shared space is a traffic calming technique and design concept. The technique is relatively new, and the majority of existing research concerns pedestrians only. This mixed methods study will be international in scope focusing on intersections in E ... Read More

31 Results