OTREC's Past Events

Free Seminar: Dr. Glen Koorey on Crash Prediction Models

Who: Dr. Glen Koorey, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

What: Calibration of Highway Crash Prediction Models for Other Countries, A case Study with IHSDM

When: Friday, August 20, 2pm to 3pm

Where: ITS Lab (Room 315, Engineering Building, 1930 SW 4th Ave, Portland) at Portland State University

Additional Information:

The use of suitable crash prediction models (CPMs) is an increasing feature of rural highway design practice around the world.  Given the significant undertaking required to develop these, there is a certain appeal in investigating how countries can jointly develop crash prediction models and calibrate them for each jurisdiction. Research recently explored ways to assess the safety performance of (predominantly two-lane) rural highways in New Zealand (NZ).  The Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) from the US was identified as worthy of further investigation, and a number of tasks were undertaken to adapt IHSDM for use in NZ.

Importing routines were developed to export NZ geometry and crash data into formats suitable for IHSDM.  IHSDM's CPM was calibrated to match NZ crash patterns, both nationally and for a series of subsets defined by traffic volume, number of lanes, region and terrain. A series of validation tests were then undertaken, using actual sections of NZ highway including a "before and after" realignment case study. These investigations showed that IHSDM is a promising tool for safety and operational assessment of highway alignments (both existing and proposed) in NZ.  Incorporating crash history data generally improves IHSDM's crash estimates, and appears to provide a better level of "local calibration" than by using sub-national calibration parameters. However, IHSDM's current lack of consideration for bridges and inconsistent adjacent elements are notable omissions that limit the ability of the CPM to assess sub-standard existing routes with as much accuracy as well-designed newer alignments.
 
Dr Koorey is a senior lecturer in the Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering at the University of Canterbury, where he teaches and does research in a variety of transportation engineering subjects, with a particular focus on sustainable transport and road safety. Prior to joining the University in 2004, he worked for 10 years with Opus International Consultants as a transportation engineer and road safety researcher. This year he is on sabbatical (study leave) and has been undertaking a three-month study tour of Europe and North America, including 3 weeks in Portland.

Sustainable Communities Partnership: Oregon Dialogue

OTREC will host a statewide forum on Wednesday, June 30th to discuss the federal "Partnership for Sustainable Communities," which includes the Environmental Protection Agency, Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation, through their Region 10 offices. The purpose, as described by the Administrators of those agencies, is to "increase awareness and understanding of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities; to receive input from state, regional and local participants about opportunities and needs to inform our efforts; and, to catalyze an enhanced level of participation throughout Oregon. The meeting will be held at Willamette Unviersity in Salem from 10am to 3pm. Invitation Only.

Free Movie Screening: Beyond the Motor City

OTREC is please to present "Beyond the Motor City," a new documentary directed by filmaker Aaron Woolf (INDEPENDENT LENS "King Corn"). This film examines how Detroit, a grim symbol of American's diminished status int he world, may come to represent the future of transportation and progress in America. The film will be shown one-time only in Portland on June 29th and McMenamins Bagdad Theater. Doors open at 5:30pm and screening begins at 6:30. Admission is FREE. A panel discussion to follow with Aaron Woolf (filmmaker), Bob Hastings (TriMet Architect) and Gil Kelley (Loeb Fellow, Harvard University). Co-hosted by OTREC and Architects Without Borders-Oregon.

Visiting Scholar: Jonathan Levine

OTREC is pleased to host Visiting Scholar Jonathan Levine of the University of Michigan. Professor Levine was chosen as the 2010 Expert in Residence for the Sustainable Cities Initiative at the University of Oregon. During his visit, Prof. Levine will spend two days on the UO campus and one day in Gresham, Oregon, where the Sustainable City Year is underway. Prof. Levine will give a presentation as part of a round-table discussion at Gresham City Hall on Friday, May 7th at noon. RSVP required.

2010 Oregon APA Annual Planning Conference

OTREC is pleased to be a sponsor of the 2010 Planning Conference, hosted by the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association. The conference will be held at the Oregon Convention Center on May 13-14. There are also mobile workshops available on May 12th.

Light Rail Transit Facilities Design Course

OTREC is pleased to present a professional development course on the design of LRT facilities. In partnership with TriMet and David Evans and Associates, the course will be offered on May 11th and 12th at Portland State University. The course includes tours of local light rail facilities, and lectures on the following subjects, given by top practitioners:

• Introduction to LRT Facility Design
• Streetscapes, Urban Design and LRT Stations
• LRT Alignment Design
• Bridges and Structures
• Track Design
• Roadway Interface and Traffic Engineering
• Safety and Security Considerations
• Operations and Maintenance
• Sustainability and Long-Term Maintainability Issues

2010 Northwest Transportation Conference: The Future of Transportation is Here

The Northwest Transportation Conference is a biennial event produced by the research unit of the Oregon Department of Transportation. The theme for 2010 is "The Future of Transportation is Here"  and the conference will kick off with a keynote presentation by Glen Hiemstra and a luncheon presentation by Carolos Schwantes (University of Missouri, St. Louis).  The conference is held at the CH2M-HILL Alumni Center on the campus of Oregon State University starting Tuesday, February 9th and concluding on Thursday, February 11th. Other featured speakers include Scott Belcher (President and CEO of ITS America), John Charles (Cascade Policy Institute) and Richard Wilson (California Polytechnic University, Pomona).

Free Seminar: Transportation Rx with Shireen Malekafzali

Shireen Malekafzali (PolicyLink) will present the findings of the recently completed report, "The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Healthy, Equitable Transportation Reform in America," which was commissioned by the Convergence Partnership and edited by Ms. Malekafzali.

The seminar will be held in room 315 of the PSU Engineering Building (1930 SW 4th Avenue). Guests are welcome to bring lunch to the seminar.

Free Webinar: Communicating the Value of Research

The need for transportation research can be a tough sell to policy makers and the public.  Many in the transportation community regard the lack of awareness and knowledge of the value of such research as a major obstacle to securing adequate funding for further advances in safety, mobility, and infrastructure.  The approval process for new or continuing research projects requires that the transportation community clearly communicate how these innovations will be applied and how they will affect Americans' lives now and in the future. This webinar will explore the results of TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 610: Communicating the Value of Transportation Research.  Panelists will discuss integrating communications throughout the research process and will provide tips for good communications practices, planning and evaluating communications efforts, and communications geared towards specific audiences.

OTREC will host a free viewing of the TRB Webinar, "Communicating the Value of Research" on Wednesday, January 27th at 11am in Room 315 ("ITS Lab") of the Engineering Building at PSU (1930 SW 4th Avenue).

2010 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting

The Transportation Research Board will hold its Annual Meeting from January 10-15, 2010 in Washington, DC. OTREC faculty, students and Board members are involved in over 30 sessions, including lectures, posters, and workshops.

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