OTREC's Past Events

January 2014


Pedestrian Crossings, Bicycling and Transit Stop Removal: 3 TRB annual meeting student presentations

January 10, 2014 12:00 pm - January 10, 2014 1:00 pm

Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center at PSU
Speaker: Nick Foster, Christopher Muhs and Zef Wagner, Portland State University
Topic: Pedestrian Crossings, Bicycling and Transit Stop Removal: 3 Transportation Research Board annual meeting student presentations
Summaries: Evaluating Driver and Pedestrian Behaviors at Enhanced Multilane Midblock Pedestrian Crossings: Case Study in Portland, Oregon This study examines driver and pedestrian behaviors at two enhanced midblock pedestrian crossings in Portland, Oregon. One crossing is on a five-lane arterial with a posted speed of 35/45 miles-per-hour (MPH) and features six rectangular rapid flash beacon (RRFB) assemblies and a narrow median refuge. The other crossing is on a suburban arterial with four travel lanes and a two-way left-turn lane. The crossing is enhanced with four RRFB assemblies and a median island with a “Z” crossing, or Danish offset, designed to encourage pedestrians to face oncoming traffic before completing the second stage of their crossing. Approximately 62 hours of video have been collected at the two locations. A total of 351 pedestrian crossings are analyzed for driver compliance (yielding) rates, pedestrian activation rates, pedestrian delay, and conflict avoidance maneuvers. The suburban arterial crossing is also evaluated to determine its effectiveness at diverting pedestrians to cross at it instead of away from a crosswalk, as well as pedestrian compliance with the Z-crossing. This study finds that average driver yield rates at both sites are just over 90% when the RRFB is activated, which is consistent with previous studies. RRFB actuation rates range from 83% to over 90%. The results also show that approximately 52% of all crossings at the marked crosswalk at the second location are from diverted pedestrians and that the enhanced crossing captures about 82% of all crossings near the crosswalk. Finally, approximately 52%, of the pedestrians using the crosswalk follow the Z-crossing pattern through the median.

Bicycling Is Different: Built Environment Relationships to Nonwork Travel There is growing investment in infrastructure to support non-motorized travel modes in the United States, in particular for bicycling. However, there remains a dearth of knowledge on the relationships between built environments and bicycling for non-work transportation. This issue is exacerbated by researchers and practitioners continuing to combine walking and bicycling into the category “non-motorized modes,” despite the two having many differences. This paper addresses these shortcomings through a segmented analysis of mode choice and mode share for walking, bicycling, and automobile travel. The data used are from a 2011 establishment intercept survey in the Portland, Oregon region and are destination-based. Results show pronounced differences in the empirical relationships between walking and bicycling and the built environment, when controlling for aspects of the individual, site, and trip. Models for mode choice and mode share indicate that the built environment attributes that influence automobile and walk travel are similar; yet, their influence is in the opposite direction. Empirical relationships with the built environment are altogether different for bicycling trips. Socio-demographic variable results are consistent with much of the non-work mode choice literature, but trip distance is not. Trip distance has the expected relationship with walking, but does not have a significant relationship with bicycling. The findings on the built environment relationships with travel modes support a move away from combining walking and bicycling together as non-motorized transportation for analysis and planning. They also lend insight into additional considerations for future work in non-work transportation research and policy.

Benefit-Cost Evaluation Method for Transit Stop Removal The introduction of wider stop spacing through the removal or consolidation of existing stops is one method transit agencies can use to reduce travel time and reliability on many transit lines. A great deal of research has been done to provide tools for determining optimal stop spacing, but tools are still needed to help service planners determine the optimal stops to remove. Stop-level bus performance data provide the information needed to develop a method for assessing the total benefits and costs to riders of removing individual stops. This tool compares the benefit to through-riders in terms of travel time savings with the additional access cost to riders using the stop. The tool was applied to a bus route in Portland, Oregon, using stop-level ridership data from TriMet, the regional transit agency. The case study identifies three stops with very high benefit-cost ratios and discusses the effects of removing those stops. A sensitivity analysis is performed to show the effect of changing the value of time factor or the assumed time savings from each stop removal. Further research needs are identified and tradeoffs are discussed regarding the use of this tool. Overall, the assessment tool provides a relatively simple way for transit service planners to identify ideal stops for removal or consolidation.

Stream the seminar live, or watch an archived video, when made available, through the link here.
 
Add this event to your calendar:

Pedestrian Crossings, Bicycling and Transit Stop Removal: 3 TRB annual meeting student presentations

December 2013


Peak Pedaling: Has Portland Bicycling reached the Top of the Logistic Curve?

December 6, 2013 12:00 pm - December 6, 2013 1:00 pm

Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center at PSU
Speaker: Robert McCullough, McCullough Research
Topic: Peak Pedaling: Has Portland Bicycling reached the Top of the Logistic Curve?

Summary: The recent City Club report on bicycling provided an opportunity to collect and analyze a number of data sets including the new Hawthorne Bridge data. One question is where Portland bicycling is on the logistic curve -- a common tool used for judging the maturity of a developing product or activity. Logistic curves are used for marketing, for epidemiology, and even for visits to Indian-owned casinos. The preliminary evidence is that we are reaching the horizontal area of the curve. Our further research into future policies indicates a shift to bicycle boulevards in order to attract more risk averse riders.
 
*image by Greg Raisman
 
Stream the seminar live, or watch an archived video, when made available, through the link here.
 
Add this event to your calendar:

Peak Pedaling: Has Portland Bicycling reached the Top of the Logistic Curve?

November 2013


Piloting Portland’s MultiModal Arterial Performance System

November 22, 2013 12:00 pm - November 22, 2013 1:00 pm

Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center at PSU
Speaker: Shaun Quayle, Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
Topic: Piloting Portland's MultiModal Arterial Performance System

Summary: Shaun will present on the recently completed pilot demonstration of multimodal arterial performance measures for the Portland metro region, as part of the larger regional concept of operations. Treatments include a permanent bike count station on the Springwater Trail, permanent truck classification stations, Bluetooth travel time stations, as well as leveraging existing transit and signal controller data to paint a picture of the collective modal transportation system.  
 
*image by Greg Raisman

Stream the seminar live, or watch an archived video, when made available, through the link here.

Add this event to your calendar:

Piloting Portland’s MultiModal Arterial Performance System

Special Seminar: An Analytical Derivation of the Capacity at Weaving Sections

November 20, 2013 11:00 am - November 20, 2013 12:30 pm

Where: ITS Lab, Room 315, PSU Engineering Building
Speaker: Florian Marczak, LICIT, IFSTTAR/ENTPE, University of Lyon

Summary: Weaving sections are discontinuities of the highway network formed when merge segments are closely followed by diverge segments. Because of their geometrical configuration, weaving areas generate numerous lane changes. Those lane changes lead to a reduction of the capacity and affect therefore the operation of weaving sections. 
 
This contribution aims at investigating empirically the lane changing behavior at a weaving section located in Grenoble (France). The data have been collected at a microscopic level, describing the position of every vehicle at every time step (trajectories of each individual vehicle). The data have been measured with a high-resolution camera mounted underneath a helicopter. 
 
From the empirical results, we develop an analytical formulation of the capacity of weaving sections. We consider a theoretical weaving section as the superposition of two merges and two diverges. We assume moreover that the accelerations and slowdowns of weaving vehicles create voids in the traffic stream that reduce the total capacity. The analytical estimation of the capacity is compared with field macroscopic data measured in Grenoble and micro-simulated results.
 
The specification of the needed data sample to extrapolate the results obtained in Grenoble is presented in the last part of the talk. To test the analytical model to other weaving sections and increase its predictive power a key step is to gather individual data from loop detectors. The last part of the talk presents therefore some typical detection configuration to this aim. 
 
Add this event to your calendar:


Transportation: From Here to There; How and Who Pays

November 19, 2013 7:00 pm - November 19, 2013 9:00 pm

Where: Multnomah County Building Board Room 501 SE Hawthorne Boulevard

Speakers: George Beard, Alliance Manager, Office of Research and Strategic Partnerships, PSU

Mark Frohnmayer, Oregon Transportation Commission, President, Arcimoto Co.

Carlotta Collette, Metro Councilor, Chair of Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT)

Tobias Read, Oregon State Representative, Chair of House Committee on Transportation and Economic Development

Topic: Transportation: From Here to There; How and Who Pays

Summary: The Portland and Oregon ground transportation system is funded and managed by an overlapping, complex series of intergovernmental arrangements including the federal government, state government, local governments and the Metro regional government. What do these intergovernmental arrangements look like? Who’s the leader? When and Why? Do these arrangements impede or facilitate transportation problem solving? What are some ideas for the future? Listen, learn and question these experts, representing our state transportation management and legislative infrastructure, our Metro government and a view of the future.

For more information contact: Ann Mulroney, League of Women Voters of Portland: [email protected]

Add this event to your calendar:

Cyclist Compliance at Signalized Intersections

November 15, 2013 12:00 pm - November 15, 2013 1:00 pm

Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center on the Portland State University campus
Speaker(s): Sam Thompson, PSU Graduate Student
Topic: Cyclist Compliance at Signalized Intersections
 
Summary: Although the running of red lights is perceived by motorists as a commonplace behavior for cyclists, little research has been done on the actual rates of cyclist compliance at signalized intersections. Furthermore, little is known about the factors that influence cyclist non-compliance. This research seeks to illuminate the rates of and reasons for infringement against red lights using video footage and survey data from cyclists in Oregon. 
 
Stream the seminar live or watch an archived video, when made available, through the link here.

Add this event to your calendar:

Cyclist Compliance at Signalized Intersections

Why doesn’t that traffic signal ever turn green? An evaluation of roadway markings for cyclists

November 8, 2013 12:00 pm - November 8, 2013 1:00 pm

Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center on the Portland State University campus
Speaker: Stefan Bussey, PSU CEUG Honors Student
Topic: Why doesn’t that traffic signal ever turn green? An evaluation of roadway markings for cyclists 

Summary: Signalized intersections often rely on vehicle detection to determine when to give a green light. The 2009 Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) includes an on-pavement marking and curbside sign that public agencies can use to indicate where cyclists should position themselves while waiting at an intersection. This presentation reviews the effectiveness of current markings, signs, and other methods used to help cyclists properly position themselves over detection.

 

*image by Greg Raisman

Stream the seminar live or watch an archived video, when made available, through the link here.

 

Add this event to your calendar:

Why doesn’t that traffic signal ever turn green? An evaluation of roadway markings for cyclists

Clouds, Crowds, and Traffic: What 10 emerging Megatrends mean for the future of transportation

November 1, 2013 12:00 pm - November 1, 2013 1:00 pm

Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center on the Portland State University campus
Speaker: Ted Trepanier, INRIX, Inc.
Topic: Clouds, Crowds, and Traffic: What 10 emerging Megatrends mean for the future of transportation

Summary: Ten new megatrends will be presented with a discussion on the resulting shifts on the transportation industry. Details will include a look on broken trends and the new challenges introduced for transportation planning. Thoughts will also be presented introducing a pivot to the current model being pursued by the Connected Vehicle program. Finally, planners will be challenged to consider a new question for the future of our connected communities, you have to come to hear it.
 
Stream the seminar live or watch an archived video, when made available, through the link here.
 
Add this event to your calendar:

Clouds, Crowds, and Traffic: What 10 emerging Megatrends mean for the future of transportation

October 2013


Congestion Modeling and Mitigation in the National Airspace System

October 25, 2013 12:00 pm - October 25, 2013 1:00 pm

Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center on the Portland State University campus
Speaker: David Lovell, Associate Professor, University of Maryland
Topic: Congestion Modeling and Mitigation in the National Airspace System

Summary: Dr. Lovell will talk about three projects funded by NASA and the FAA, addressing congestion in the National Airspace System. Dr. Lovell's team developed diffusion-based queuing models of individual airports that could support better building blocks for network-wide congestion models. The advantage of the new models is their flexibility with respect to input distributions. In a study for the FAA, Dr. Lovell's team developed day-of-operations collaboration "languages" suitable for the FAA and individual carriers in order to collectively manage expected airspace disruptions. Finally, he will discuss a study on predictability in the airspace, with a focus on scheduled block times.
 
*image by Simon_sees
 
Stream the seminar live or watch an archived video, when made available, through the link here.

Add this event to your calendar:

Congestion Modeling and Mitigation in the National Airspace System

E-Bikes in the United States

October 18, 2013 12:00 pm - October 18, 2013 1:00 pm

Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center on the Portland State University campus
Speaker: John MacArthur, Sustainable Transportation Program Manager, OTREC at PSU
Topic: E-Bikes in the United States

Summary: Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are well established in China and other Asian and European countries but have yet to realize their potential in the United States, although recently the number of e-bikes has been growing. Research on the economic, operational, and safety issues of e-bikes in the U.S. is limited. This research aims in part to understand if different bicycling technology, in this case electric assist bicycles or e-bikes, can reduce barriers to bicycling and encourage more bike trips and longer bike trips, and increase the diversity of people bicycling, including people with a disability or chronic injury to bicycle. Some of these barriers include trip distance, topography, time, and rider effort. E-bikes typically resemble a standard pedal bicycle with the addition of a rechargeable battery and electric motor to assist the rider with propulsion. To answer these questions, we conducted an online survey of existing e-bike users on their purchase and use decisions. Results from 553 e-bike users across North America are analyzed here. Results suggest that e-bikes are enabling users to bike more often, to more distant locations, and to carry more cargo with them. Additionally, e-bikes allow people who would otherwise not be able to bike because of physical limitations or proximity to locations, the ability to bike with electric assist.
 
Stream the seminar live or watch an archived video, when made available, through the link here.
 
Add this event to your calendar:

E-Bikes in the United States

Transportation Analysis Informing Transportation Planning and Policy at ODOT

October 11, 2013 12:00 pm - October 11, 2013 1:00 pm

Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center on the Portland State University campus
Speaker: Alexander Bettinardi, Oregon Department of Transportation
Topic: Transportation Analysis Informing Transportation Planning and Policy at ODOT

Summary: The Transportation Planning Analysis Unit (TPAU) at ODOT helps to provide information to a large variety of transportation plans, projects, and policy questions.  This allows customers to make better informed decisions and to maximize limited resources.  In order to fill this role TPAU and the Oregon modeling community have a fairly large "toolbox" of models and analysis tools and procedures.  This transportation seminar will give an overview of the role and services that TPAU provides and the different tools and processes used to fulfill that role.
 
Stream the seminar live or watch an archived video, when made available, through the link here.
 
Add this event to your calendar:

Transportation Analysis Informing Transportation Planning and Policy at ODOT

Using empirical (real-world) transportation data to extend travel demand model capabilities

October 4, 2013 12:00 pm - October 4, 2013 1:00 pm

Where: Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center on the Portland State University campus
Speaker: Michael Mauch, Ph.D., Senior Data Analyst, Project Manager, DKS Associates
Topic: Using Empirical (real-world) Transportation Data to Extend Travel Demand Model Capabilities

Summary: Real-world traffic trends observed in PORTAL and INRIX traffic data are used to expand the performance measures that can be obtained from Portland Metro's travel demand model to include the number of hours of congestion that can be expected during a typical weekday and travel time reliability measures for congested freeway corridors.  
 
Stream the seminar live or watch an archived video, when made available, through the link here.
 
Add this event to your calendar:

Using empirical (real-world) transportation data to extend travel demand model capabilities

August 2013


Growing a World-Class Cycling Culture: Lessons from Quebec (Ann Niles Transportation Lecture)

August 26, 2013 6:30 pm - August 26, 2013 7:30 pm

Where: Lincoln Recital Hall, Lincoln Hall, Portland State University, 1620 S.W. Park Ave.

Admission: Free, but space is limited to 240 people.

Sponsors: Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI) and Portland State University School of Music

IBPI is pleased to welcome Jean-François Pronovost for the inaugural Ann Niles Transportation Lecture. Pronovost is vice president, development and public affairs for Vélo Québec, where he works on the focus, strategy and development of new projects and partnerships.
 
From 1989 to 2010, he was the executive director of the association division of Vélo Québec. In 1992, he acted as Chief Organizer of the first world-wide conference on bicycling, the Conférence Vélo Mondiale Pro Bike•Velo City, in Montréal. The Technical Handbook of Bikeway Design is among the many technical publications he has edited. Since 1995, he has been involved with the development of the Route Verte, a 5,000-kilometer bike route across Québec, and with the launch of several active transportation initiatives in collaboration with municipalities and the school network.
 
IBPI is a program of OTREC at Portland State. More information on the Niles endowment is here. More information on the lecture and the speaker is here.
 
Add this event to your calendar:

Growing a World-Class Cycling Culture: Lessons from Quebec (Ann Niles Transportation Lecture)

Transportation 2.0

August 26, 2013 8:00 am - September 6, 2013 11:59 pm

Where: Online

Presenter: Joshua Skov, Principal and Co-Founder of Good Company

How can we meet our transportation needs more sustainably? What changes are already taking place as a result of markets and technology? Where do we need policy to foster better outcomes? And, what are the sustainable transportation opportunities for businesses, the public sector, and households?

This online workshop, offered by the UO Sustainability Leadership Program, reviews the evolution of transportation from technological, social and public policy perspectives. The content will explore sustainability issues and opportunities related to the transformation underway, in how we provide, plan, and deliver transportation services and systems.

MetroMile is sponsoring full and partial scholarships for this workshop. Contact Jake Pollack, UO Sustainability Leadership Program Manager, [email protected] for an application by August 12.

MetroMile, a San Francisco startup which markets and sells auto insurance priced according to how much customers drive,raised $10 million this spring, following a previous $4 million fundraising round. The company, which launched service in Oregon in December, provides drivers with a proprietary device called the Metronome. Once plugged into a vehicle's telematics system underneath the dashboard, the Metronome counts miles and also provides data useful in planning trips and improving gas mileage.

For more information, Transportation 2.0 course content and registration visit: http://sustain.uoregon.edu/workshops/course_desc.php?CourseKey=670950

Add this event to your calendar:

Transportation 2.0

Comprehensive Bicycle Planning & Design Course (IBPI)

August 26, 2013 7:30 am - August 30, 2013 5:00 pm

The field of bikeway planning is rapidly evolving. This course will bring you up to speed on the cutting edge in practice and research, offering valuable skills for your professional life. It will cover the fundamentals of bikeway planning and design through an intensive week of interactive classroom and field experience. Instructors will integrate transit access and connections, bridges, trail crossings, and other special features into discussions, while using project examples to highlight practical applications of the principles and techniques covered. Effective education and encouragement programs, including public involvement strategies, will also be discussed.

Classroom sessions will include instruction, discussion and application of course content through problem-solving and case studies. Topics will focus on best practices to integrate bicycle and pedestrian facilities into existing transportation networks through planning and design, with an emphasis on safety and user needs.
 
Daily field tours will explore Portland’s “living laboratory” of bicycle and pedestrian facilities to provide first-hand experience of design and operations of facilities and projects discussed in the classroom. There is nothing like actually seeing and riding on a variety of bicycle facility types to facilitate your understanding of their operations and make it easier for you to describe to colleagues and stakeholders back home. Week-long bike rentals are available for an additional fee. Please request the bike rental when registering for the workshop.
 
Our course faculty provides access to some of the nation’s best expertise built up over a 20-year timeframe. Our instructors work together to present and explain issues from different angles.
 
Who should attend? Transportation planners, designers, and engineers responsible for integrating bicycle facilities into community transportation systems, including public roadways and trails.
 
This course is sponsored by the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (ibpi) at Portland State University. IBPI promotes pedestrian and bicycle travel through research, education and outreach. Co-Sponsors are Alta Planning + Design, and the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation.
 
The fee for this professional development course is $995. This includes continental breakfast, snacks, lunch, and course materials. The fee does not include travel, lodging or other meals while in Portland.
 
To register, go to commerce.cashnet.com/pdxibpi. Registration deadline is July 31, 2013.
Comprehensive Bicycle Planning & Design Course (IBPI)

Page 3 of 10 pages  < 1 2 3 4 5 >  Last ›

Upcoming Events Snapshot

Add to your calendar

Click here to add the OTREC calendar to your Google Calendar.

Filter by Category

Filter By University