Ripplinger Discusses Demographics, Transit, and Livability at DTA Coordination Summit

David Ripplinger, associate research fellow at the Small Urban and Rural Center, presented population projections and discussed their impacts on transit in the Dakota's as part of the Dakota Transit Association's 2nd Annual Transportation Coordination Summit. The presentation, Changing Demographics: Implications for Transit, also discussed the relationship between transit, livability, and demographics as motivated by data from the American Housing Survey.

SURTC to Participate in Transportation Coordination Summit

David Ripplinger, associate research fellow at the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center, will be speaking on the relationship between demographics and transit at the Dakota Transit Association's 2nd Annual Transportation Coordination Summit on April 21st.  The presentation will cover recent demographic changes in North and South Dakota, the dynamics of population change and its impact on transit, as well as transit's impact on livability.

Rural Transit Technology Course to be Held in Alaska and Virginia

The Small Urban & Rural Transit Center in partnership with the National Transit Institute is presenting the course Implementing Rural Transit Technology May 10-11 in Anchorage, AK, and June 9-10 in Charlottesville, VA.

The course presents a structured approach for planning, implementing, and evaluating rural transit projects to help ensure that agency needs and expectations are met.

SURTC Updates Events Calendar

The updated Events Calendar provides a listing of national and regional conferences of interest to people in the public transportation industry for the upcoming year.

Rural Transit Technology Course to be Held in Alaska and Virginia

Implementing Rural Transit Technology, a joint course of the Small Urban and Rural Transit Center and the National Transit Institute (NTI), will be held May 10-11 in Anchorage, Alaska, and June 9-10 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The course is geared toward transit professionals, state DOT office staff, and regional planners involved in planning and implementing technology-based systems for rural transit operations.

More information on the course and online registration is available on the NTI website.

Seminar on North Dakota's Changing Demographics: Implications for Transportation

Dr. Richard Rathge, Director of the State Data Center at North Dakota State University and North Dakota's State Demographer for the past 28 years, will be giving a presentation on the relationship between demographics and transportation.

The presentation will explore the changing dynamics of North Dakota’s population and the influence that residential shifts have and will have on transportation within the state. The presentation is organized into three main sections. First, a historical perspective is offered of population change within the state. This overview is placed within a regional and national context. Second, the main drivers of population dynamics within the state are discussed. Examples are offered that demonstrate how these drivers have shaped the residential context of the state. Moreover, attention is given to how these drivers will influence the future population profile of the state. Finally, the interface between population and transportation is examined. Particular attention is given to residential commuting patterns and means of transportation to work.

The presentation, part of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute’s Transportation Seminar Series, will be held Thursday, March 11th, at 1 pm in IACC 422.

SURTC at the Transportation Research Forum

Two SURTC researchers will be participating in the 51st Annual Transportation Research Forum (TRF) being held March 11-13 in Arlington, VA.

Jeremy Mattson and David Ripplinger will be presenting papers in a session on transit and paratransit services on March 13 at 8:45 am.  Mattson will present a paper titled "An Assessment of Demand for Rural Intercity Transportation Services in a Changing Environment." The paper, which is co-authored by Del Peterson, David Ripplinger, William Thomas, and Jill Hough, investigates the impacts of individual, mode, and trip characteristics on mode choice for rural intercity travel, with some attention given to the impacts of changing gasoline prices and changing demographics on mode choices.

Ripplinger will present a paper titled "Modeling Transit Technology Adoption," which identifies and examines the use of transit technologies by rural transit agencies and investigates the relationship between firm and environmental factors that impact the adoption of these technologies.

Ripplinger is also chairing a session titled "Urban Highway, Transit, and Pedestrian Design" on March 12 at 3:15 pm and a session titled "Highways: Regional Economic Impacts" on March 13 at 10:30 am.

Transportation Seminar Series: Ride or Relocate

Del Peterson, Associate Research Fellow with the Small Urban and Rural Transit Center (SURTC), will present the results of his investigation into the relative costs of different housing and transportation alternatives. The presentation, part of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute's Transportation Seminar Series, will be held Thursday, March 4, at 1 pm in IACC 422.

Seminar on Dual Mode Vehicles in Transit

A seminar on the potential of dual mode vehicles for delivery of public transportation services in Alaska will be presented on Thursday, February 25th.  The seminar, presented by Tom Flanagan, graduate student in Transportation & Logistics, will discuss potential efficiencies and organization issues that exist with transit provided by vehicles that can operate on rail and road networks.

Information on the seminar series can be found the Transportation Seminar Series homepage.

Transportation Seminar: Regionalizing Public Transportation

A seminar on regionalizing public transportation will be held Thursday, February 4th, at 1 pm in IACC Room 422.   In this seminar, considerations for regionalizing public transportation are presented. Regional public transportation is framed as a complex system. Models of regionalization and an evaluation framework for identifying preferred regionalization alternatives are presented. Also described is the role of the economic characteristics of transit agencies on regionalization alternatives.

Information on future seminars can be at the Transportation Seminar Series homepage.