Research Projects | National Institute for Transportation and Communities

Toward Automating the Measurement of Urban Design Qualities Related to Walkability

Principal Investigator: Seyed Hassan Ameli

Streets are one of the most significant elements of urban spaces to accommodate public activity and provide access to numerous locations and services. Today, our cities face various challenges, including urban sprawl, air pollution, and obesity. To ... Read More

The use and influence of health indicators in transportation decision-making

Principal Investigator: Kelly Rodgers

Research on health and transport has increased significantly in the past 20 years, both across health and transportation fields. Researchers and practitioners have called for the use of health indicators in transportation, which come amidst the growi ... Read More

Employment-Worker Balance & Polycentric Transit-Oriented Development: Towards an Index

Principal Investigator: Robert Hibberd

This dissertation will further NITC goals to increase access to employment opportunities and provide better models for an increasingly complex transportation system. It will consider the effectiveness of transit-oriented development (TOD) at addressi ... Read More

Modeling Capacity: Multiple Weaving Areas

Principal Investigator: Sheida Khademi

Co-Investigators: Behruz Paschai , James Williams

Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective approach to the solution of many problems facing highway administrators and engineers. Traffic congestion on freeway systems is one significant concern in urban areas throughout the U.S.A ... Read More

Pedal the Old Pueblo: A Naturalistic Study on Bicycling in Tucson, AZ

Principal Investigator: Joey Iuliano

City investments in bicycle infrastructure can improve residents' health and wellness, lower pollution, fight climate change, and reduce congestion. While transportation geography and planning have long focused on looking at how vehicles, goods, and ... Read More

Transportation as a Critical Factor in the Homelessness Continuum

Principal Investigator: Erin Murphy

Transportation is an often-cited barrier to health management, employment, social inclusion, and access to social services. Despite its importance, transportation is largely overlooked in the homelessness literature and, despite their vulnerabilities ... Read More

Identifying and Measuring Transportation Challenges for Survivors in Intimate Partner Violence Shelters

Principal Investigator: Sarah Leat

Environmental stressors within the built environment can greatly impact health. Environmental stressors, such as noise levels, crowding, and housing quality have been shown to impact physical healing as well as mental health. Although environmental s ... Read More

Free Movement: Enhancing Open Data to Facilitate Independent Travel for Persons with Disabilities

Principal Investigator: Shiloh Deitz

Co-Investigators: Amy Lobben , Henry Luan , Colin Koopman , Stephen Fickas

Nearly 40 million Americans report a disability, and of this population, 70 percent travel less because of the challenges they face. When they do travel, those with limited mobility are more likely to be pedestrians or public transit users. Today, fr ... Read More

Maternal Mental Health and Keetoowah Women: Past, Present, and Future

Principal Investigator: December Maxwell

American Indian/Native American (AI/NA) women experience postpartum depression (PPD) at a disproportionate rate. Poor transportation services and systems increase the risk of PPD prevalence in AI/NA populations, particularly since those in more rural ... Read More

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

28 Results