OTREC's Past Events

OTREC Welcomes Dale Bracewell: Free Seminar/Webinar

January 27, 2012 12:00 pm - January 27, 2012 1:00 pm

OTREC is please to welcome Dale Bracewell, the manager of Active Transportation in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mr. Bracewell is also notable for serving as the City's Director of Olympic Transportation during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Dale will be visiting Portland on January 26th and 27th to meet with faculty, students and practitioners. The focus of his visit is a seminar at Portland State University on Friday, January 27th from Noon to 1:00 p.m. that is free and open to the public. It is also available to watch online live (or later through our archive).

OTREC at TRB 2012, Wednesday

January 25, 2012 8:30 am - January 25, 2012 6:00 pm

Faculty and students affiliated with OTREC's four universities are involved in the following TRB sessions on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. Each entry lists the session name as well as the title of the paper(s) authored or co-authored by OTREC affiliates. For complete details, please download OTREC's TRB Guide, 2012 Edition.

8:30-10:15

• Session 711: Innovations in Activity and Travel Behavior features “Traveling in Comfort: Investigating Weather Ranges for Travel.” Hilton, International Center.

10:15-12:00

• Session 738: Freeway and Arterial Analysis and Performance Measurement features “Do Mobility-Based Performance Measures Reflect Emissions Trends?” Hilton, Georgetown East.

4:30-6:00

• Session 797: Transit Capacity and Quality of Service: Exploring Reliability and Dwell Time features “Definition and Properties of Alternative Bus Service Reliability Measures at the Stop Level.” Hilton, Lincoln East

OTREC at TRB 2012, Tuesday

January 24, 2012 8:00 am - January 24, 2012 9:30 pm

Faculty and students affiliated with OTREC's four universities are involved in the following TRB sessions on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Each entry lists the session name as well as the title of the paper(s) authored or co-authored by OTREC affiliates. For complete details, please download OTREC's TRB Guide, 2012 Edition.

8:00-9:45

• Session 465: Improving Roadway Safety Programs Through University-Agency Partnerships   features “Actions for Universities to Improve Collaboration.” Marriott, Delaware A.
• Session 474: Modeling Theories and Practices in Freight Planning and Logistics, Part 1 features “ Electric Commercial Vehicles: Study of Economic and Technological Factors Affecting Their Competitiveness.” Shoreham, Executive.
• Session 487: Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program Research Showcase features “Competitiveness of Commercial Electric Vehicles in the Less-Than-Truckload Delivery Industry: Model and Application.” Hilton, International West.

8:30-10:15 (Poster Sessions)

• Session 489: Design and Assessment of Traffic Signal Priority for Transit (P) features “A Study of the Factors that Influence Transit Signal Priority Effectiveness and Late Bus Recovery at the Signalized Intersection Level.” Marriott, Salon 2.
• Session 493: Research in Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics, Part 4 (P) features “Traffic Speed Variance Modeling with Application in Travel Time Variability Estimation.” Marriott, Salon 2.
• Session 498: Improved Safety Through Better Design for All Users (P) features “Risk Rating Procedure for Assessing Driveway Configurations.” Shoreham, Blue Room Foyer.
• Session 499: Current Environmental Issues in Transportation (P) features “An Empirical Study of the Impact of Freeway Traffic on in-Vehicle Exposure to Ultrafine Particulate Matter.” Hilton, International Center.

10:15-12:00

• Session 523: Big Ideas for Smaller Cities: Planning in Small and Medium-Sized Communities features “Planning of Secondary Road Network for Low-Speed Vehicles in Small or Medium-Sized City: Using Google Earth.” Hilton, Georgetown East.

10:45-12:30 (Poster Sessions)

• Session 539: Bicycle Planning and the Built Environment  (P) features two affiliated papers. Hilton, International Center.
  • “E-bikes and Transportation Policy: Insights from Early Adopters” 
  • “Commuter Cyclists' Sensitivity to Changes in Weather: Insight from Two Cities with Different Climatic Conditions” 
• Session 541: Current Issues in Energy, Climate Change, and Alternative Fuels in Transportation (P) features two affiliated papers. Hilton, International Center.
  • “Modeling the Effects of Congestion on Fuel Economy for Advanced Powertrain Vehicles” 
  • “Controversies and Policy Considerations Regarding the Promotion of New Energy Vehicles in China” 

2:00-3:45

• Session 575: Better Foundations Through Better Analysis and Design (P) features “Comprehensive Recalibration for WEAP of Load and Resistance Factor Design Pile Resistance Factor Under Initial and Restrike Conditions.” Marriott, Salon 2.
• Session 576: Investigation and Management of Geologic Hazards (P) features “Investigation of Straw Wattle Influence on Slope Stability.” Marriott, Salon 2.
• Session 600: Taking Urban Data to New Heights: New Sources, New Techniques,and New Applications features “The Development of a Decision Tool for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategies: The Role of NHTS Data in GreenSTEP Model Development.” Hilton, International Center.

3:45-5:30

• Session 604: Current Issues in School Transportation Safety features “ Integrating Parental Attitudes in Research on Children’s Active School Commuting: Evidence from a Community School Travel Survey.” Marriott, Maryland C.
• Session 628: New Technologies in Collecting and Archiving Nonmotorized Travel Data features two affiliated papers. Hilton, Georgetown West.
  • “Preliminary Development of Methods to Automatically Gather Bicycle Counts and Pedestrian Delay at Signalized Intersections”
  • “A Framework for Multimodal Arterial Data Archiving” 

7:30-9:30 (Poster Sessions)

• Session 646: Bicycle Safety and Infrastructure from a Multiuser Perspective (P) features “Multiuser Perspectives on Separated, On-street Bicycle Infrastructure.” Marriott, Thurgood Marshall West.
• Session 648: Highway Safety Performance  (P) features “ Comparing Highway Safety Manual Predictive Method to Traditional Ranking Methods: Case Study of Intersections in Corvallis, Oregon.” Marriott, Salon 2.
• Session 652: Pedestrian Safety and Operations  (P) features “Impact Analysis of Luggage-Carrying on Pedestrian Traffic.” Marriott, Salon 2.
• Session 653: Planning for Pedestrians (P) features two affiliated papers. Marriott, Salon 2.
  • “Mode Choice and Consumer Spending: Examination of Grocery Store Trips”
  • “Review of Walkability Measures and Proposal of Standardized Classification Scheme” 

OTREC at TRB 2012, Monday

January 23, 2012 8:00 am - January 23, 2012 9:30 pm

Friday Transportation Seminar: Sight Distance and Stopping Sight Distance

October 28, 2011 12:00 pm

Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center on the Portland State University campus. 12pm-1pm.

Speaker: Shane Brown, Washington State University

Topic: Student, Practitioner, and Faculty Context and Understanding of Sight Distance and Stopping Sight Distance

An extensive line of research on conceptual change in cognitive science and engineering education have shown that students do not possess fundamental understandings of engineering, science and mathematics concepts. Conceptual change is a particular kind of learning where the knowledge being learned interacts in a meaningful way with existing knowledge.  A barrier to learning concepts is the presence of misconceptions, or robust misunderstandings that are not easily changed by instruction.  A parallel line of research in situated cognition suggests that knowledge is embedded in a context and the tools and artifacts that are available at the time of knowledge application.  Additionally, for learning to be optimized, content should be taught in the context (e.g. engineering design) in which it will be applied.  Conceptual change and situated cognition combined suggest that current educational practice is not effective in preparing students to have deep understandings of concepts and how they are applied in engineering practice.   Extensive data was gathered on students, engineering practitioners, and faculty understanding of SD and SSD using clinical demonstration interview methods.  Textbooks were analyzed for their context and coverage of SD and SSD.  Students were found to have rich stories from personal experience that related to SD and SSD, but were generally unable to understand the concepts as they related to course material.  Engineer and faculty definitions and applications of SD and SSD were different, mostly in the amount of contextually rich descriptions included.  Textbook presentations of SD and SSD tended to lack the contexts described by the engineers and instead focus on equations and variables.  Results suggest that students are not learning the concepts of SD and SSD in a long-lasting and meaningful way and that the context in which these concepts are learned is much different than the way in which they are used in practice.

Friday Transportation Seminar: ‘Gasless and Cashless Take a Toll’

October 14, 2011 12:00 pm - October 14, 2011 1:00 pm

Room 204 of the Distance Learning Center Wing of the Urban Center on the Portland State University campus. 12pm-1pm.

Speaker: Christopher R Garlick, P.E., PMP, CSEP, Atkins North America, Toll Operations Program

Topic: “Gasless and Cashless take a Toll” – Sustainable and Non-stop mobility through User Fees

With the advent of the alternative fuels, it’s very appropriate that gasoline is based on fossil fuels and becoming ancient history. As the gas tax becomes less and less pertinent to adequately funding infrastructure, electronic cashless non-stop tolling options are a more viable solution to financing new projects and providing mobility to existing infrastructure. There are a number of technologies being evaluated for the future; including global position systems (GPS), existing proprietary radio frequency (RF) systems, open standard dedicated open standard dedicated short range communications (DSRC) systems, or the existing cellular networks are also being considered. This presentation will focus on what technologies are available and what emerging technologies are the most likely to emerge as an effective and affordable approach to funding user fees and infrastructure needs. This presentation will also describe how user fees and tolling systems can help the environment, reduce congestion, and provide effective cashless transportation systems based on equitable user fees.

2011 Oregon Transportation Summit

OTREC is pleased to present the 3rd Annual Oregon Transportation Summit on Friday, Sept. 9 at Portland State University. Produced in partnership with local chapters of the Women's Transportation Seminar, American Planning Association and Institute of Transportation Engineers, this unique conference seeks to bring together academic and practicing transportation professionals for a day of professional development. 

In addition to a dozen researchers from Oregon universities and an equal number of local experts, we are pleased to welcome a select group of out-of-town speakers, including:

• Linda Boyle (Seattle, Wash.): Linda is the director of the Human Factors and Statistical Modeling Lab at the University of Washington where she studies distracted driving.
• Tom Creasey (Knoxville, Tenn.): Tom is the transportation planning manager for ENTRAN. He is the lead speaker in a session on the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual. The session will examine how the new HCM can aid the development of livable communities.
• Jay Primus (San Francisco, Cal.): Jay is the manager of San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority's SFPark initiative, which uses technology and dynamic pricing to improve parking.
• Craig Stone (Olympia, Wash.): Craig is the director of Washington DOT's Tolling Division and he oversees the department's tolling and "Smarter Highways" efforts.

The Summit begins with a plenary address by Johanna Zmud (RAND) on the transportation implications of the census; Metro Council President Tom Hughes will serve as discussant. The luncheon will feature a keynote speech by author Mark Ovenden who has followed up his popular Transit Maps of the World (2007) this year with Railway Maps of the World. Read OTREC's August 2011 interview with Mark.

For more information:

• Conference details
• Online registration

Looking to double-down on your professional development? Check out Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation's workshop on public engagement that will be held the afternoon before the Summit!

After the summit, for a unique blend of art and infrastructure, visit the Hidden Life of Bridges project, part of Portland's annual Time-Based Art festival.

Innovative Public Engagement for Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning

What: Innovative Public Engagement for Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning Building Consensus, Using New Technologies and Sustaining Momentum

When: Thursday, September 8th, 1 - 5 p.m.

Where: Portland State University

Registration: $75

Who: The course will be taught by Jaime Parks (Kittelson and Associates) and Jessica Roberts (ALTA Planning + Design). It is intended for professionals who are involved with developing and implementing bicycle, pedestrian plans and trail plans, and those who are responsible for community education and engagement around these modes of travel.

For more information, visit the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation.

World Symposium on Transport and Land Use Research

The inaugural meeting of the World Symposium on Transport and Land Use Research will be held in Whistler, British Columbia, July 28-30, 2011. The conference will bring together academics and practitioners at the intersection of economics, planning, and engineering in the fields of transport and land use.

In addition to presentations based on rigorously peer-reviewed papers, the conference program will include confirmed plenary presentations from:

• Ed Glaeser (Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Harvard University), Keynote Address
• Robert Cervero (Professor of City & Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley), Featured Luncheon Speaker
• David Banister (Professor of Transport Studies, Oxford University), Featured Luncheon Speaker

Submission of Papers

Join this initiative by presenting original and interdisciplinary research papers on topics that address the interaction of transport and land use. Welcome domains include: engineering, planning, modeling, behavior, economics, geography, regional science, sociology, architecture and design, network science, and complex systems.

Papers will be categorized and ranked by peer reviewers. Theoretical, empirical, case-study, and policy-oriented contributions are welcome. All papers will be considered for publication in the Journal of Transportation and Land Use.

Papers must be submitted electronically by December 31, 2010 for consideration. See the WSTLUR paper submission Web page for detailed instructions.

Expansive Reactions in Cement-Based Materials workshop, July 27-29, 2011

The goal of this workshop is to stimulate discussions related to expansive behavior in cement‐based materials.

While much is understood about the outward manifestations of expansive reactions, still questions remain about why many of these reactions result in expansion and    damage to concrete materials. The format of the workshop will be five sessions where three relatively brief technical talks related to the theme will present new theories, explanations, observations and controversial findings to foster discussion among participants. Speakers are encouraged to keep their talks brief, yet engaging. At the end of the technical talks approximately 30‐45 minutes will be devoted to discussion. A poster session will allow participants to showcase latest research results and findings which will further enhance the interactive nature of this workshop.

Important Dates:

Early registration deadline: March 15, 2011

Registration deadline: June 15, 2011

For more information, and to register, visit the conference website at http://web.engr.oregonstate.edu/~idekerj/expcem

Council of University Transportation Centers National Summer Meeting

OTREC is pleased to host the annual summer meeting of the Council of University Transportation Centers at Portland State University. Over 100 representatives of university-based transportation research centers are expect to attend this 2-1/2 day conference to receive updates on national policy and to share and compare experiences. For more details, please visit the conference website.

OSU Seminar: Clearing the Air by Promoting Hybrids?

Oregon State University is pleased to welcome Dr. Antonio Bento, a professor of Applied Economics at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. His talk is entitled, "Clearing the Air by Promoting Hybrids? The Unintended Consequences of Allowing Solo-Hybrid Drives in High Occupancy Lanes."

When: Friday, May 20, 2011 - 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Where: Oregon State University, 200C Ballard Extension Hall
Who: Free and open to the public

Abstract:
This paper examines the overall welfare effects and distributional impacts of the Clean Air Stickers program in California. In an attempt to promote the penetration of hybrids in the vehicle fleet and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this program allowed solo drivers of 85,000 low-emission vehicles, predominately hybrid-electric vehicles, to access to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Using a regression discontinuity design, we estimate the effect of the Clean Air Stickers program on HOV lane congestion, mainline congestion, and hybrid vehicle registration. We show that across specifications, travel time in the HOV lane increased significantly, while mainline travel times remained steady. Furthermore, we find no evidence that this policy stimulated registration of hybrid vehicles, and as a consequence, greenhouse gas emissions may have actually increased. Finally, we find that regardless of the effect of the program on new hybrid registration, because congestion costs dominate potential GHG emissions savings, the policy fails to pass a simple benefit-cost test. Even under our most
optimistic scenario, the cost per ton of GHG emissions reduction, is substantially larger that the most costly available options to the regulator. Further, by promoting the penetration of the hybrid technology at the expense of increased travel time for carpoolers, this program was highly regressive. We estimate that it costs 9 dollars to transfer one dollar to hybrid owners.

IBPI Professional Development Course: Bike Boulevard Fundamentals

Bicycle boulevards are low-speed, low-volume bikeways that are becoming increasingly popular in communities seeking to enhance their bicycle network and boost ridership. This one-day course will cover the fundamentals of bicycle boulevard planning and design process through lecture, discussion, in-class exercises and a bicycle field tour. The course is intended for professionals who are planning, designing or advocating for bicycle and pedestrian networks at the community or regional level.

Instructor: Roger Geller, City of Portland

Registration: $295 plus $25 if you need to rent a bicycle for the tours. The fee covers morning coffee, snacks, lunch and course materials but not travel, lodging and other meals. Registration deadline is May 5, 2011. Also: save $90 when you register for both the "Trail Design" and "Bicycle Boulevard Fundamentals" courses together.

For more information, visit the course website or contact IBPI at ibpi@pdx.edu or 503-725-4024.

LiveMove Speaker Series Presents Jeff Mapes: Pedal Politics

LiveMove (UO Student Group) is proud to present a public lecture by Jeff Mapes, author of Pedaling Revolution, a seasoned political journalist and a long-time bike commuter. He will speak about the bike movement and its political power. Mapes will also announce the winner of LiveMove's Bike Rack Design Competition.

Where: Cozmic Pizza at The Strand (199 West 8th Avenue, Eugene)
When: Thursday, May 19th: Social at 5:30, lecture at 6:30

There will be opportunity to buy a signed copy of Pedaling Revolution, to view designs submitted for the Bike Rack Design Competition and to learn about bicycle transportation research conducted by UO students.

For more information, contact LiveMove speaker series coordinator, Cortney Mild.

IBPI Professional Development Course: Trail Design

This is a highly interactive course that includes a classroom overview, and a bicycle field tour of some of the biggest challenges and best trail solutions in Portland. The classroom overview will include discussions of trail widths, surfacing, road crossings, safety, user types, trail types, including rails with trails, and more using examples from the best trails around the country. The field tour will be along the banks of the Willamette River and include discussion of the development of the Eastbank Esplanade. Participants are encouraged to bring examples of challenges to be met in their communities, we’ll work as a group to examine issues, find precedents and sketch solutions. The course is intended for professionals who are planning, designing, or advocating for bicycle and pedestrian networks at the community or regional level.

Instructors: Steve Durrant and Mike Rose, ALTA Planning + Design

Registration: $295 plus $25 if you need to rent a bicycle for the tours. The fee covers morning coffee, snacks, lunch and course materials but not travel, lodging and other meals. Registration deadline is May 5, 2011. Also: save $90 when you register for both the "Trail Design" and "Bicycle Boulevard Fundamentals" courses together.

For more information, visit the course website or contact IBPI at ibpi@pdx.edu or 503-725-4024.

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