Posts categorized under "Research"
Webinar Recording: Transit, Technology & Public Participation
The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) has posted a recording online of a webinar conducted by SURTC researchers Del Peterson and Jeremy Mattson on using technologies, such as smartphones, webcasts, online surveys, and social media, for increasing public participation in transportation planning. The presentation was conducted as part of CUTR's webcast series. The webinar can be viewed at the link below, using the required recording ID. Visit the CUTR Webcast page to view other recordings as well as upcoming webinars.
Webinar recording: Transit, Technology & Public Participation
Recording ID: Transit-Tech
Webinar Recording Posted Online: Tribal Transit & Prospects for Future Funding
On March 28, 2012, SURTC partnered with CTAA and the Northern Plains Tribal Technical Assistance program to present a webinar on Tribal Transit & Prospects for Future Funding.
SURTC researcher Jon Mielke presented the findings of a recent study regarding the impacts of the 5311(c) tribal transit program that was created in 2005 by the SAFETEA-LU federal highway and transit funding bill. The study also identified future funding requirements based on varying levels of tribal participation and the availability of funding from other sources.
Jim Glaze, a tribal transit attorney and partner with the Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson, & Perry, LLP, law firm briefed participants on the status of various versions of pending federal reauthorization. The timing of Mr. Glaze’s presentation was especially timely given legislation that is currently pending before Congress.
SURTC to Conduct Webcast of Metro COG Public Input Meeting
SURTC will conduct a webcast of a public input meeting hosted by the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments (Metro COG) on March 27. The meeting is regarding a current study of the Trunk Highway 75/Trunk Highway 10/Center Avenue corridor in Moorhead and Dilworth. The meeting and the webcast will run from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Click here to attend the live webcast.
SURTC is conducting the webcast as part of a project to test the use of technologies such as webcasts, smartphones, online surveys, and social media for increasing public participation in transportation planning.
CUTR Webcast Series: SURTC Presenting Transit, Technology & Public Participation
SURTC researchers Jeremy Mattson and Del Peterson will be presenting findings from their Transit, Technology & Public Participation Study during a webcast Thursday April 5 at 11am CDT.
The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) will be hosting the presentation as part of their online webcast series.
The objective of this project was to evaluate the benefits of employing an integrated system of technologies and practices to improve public participation in the public transportation planning process. A demonstration project was developed in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area addressing the issues of limited agency resources, individual participation barriers, and the technology divide, among others. A combination of on-vehicle rider surveys, transit-oriented social networks, electronic transportation surveys, and public meeting webcasts were designed to mitigate these issues. For more information, view the project posts.
SURTC Participating at TRF
SURTC will be represented at the upcoming 53rd Annual Transportation Research Forum in Tampa, FL. Del Peterson will present his Ride or Relocate study which highlighted senior transportation and housing options in North Dakota.
Presentation Recordings Posted Online
Presentation recordings for three recent SURTC research projects are available online. The recordings summarize the research methods and major findings from each of the studies. These presentations were also given recently at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting. Click on the links below to view the recordings.
- Marginal Cost Pricing and Subsidy of Transit in Small Urban Areas
- Travel Behavior of the Lone Rangers: An Application of Attitudinal Structural Equation Modeling to Intercity Transportation Market Segmentation
- Transportation, Distance, and Health Care Utilization for Older Adults in Rural and Small Urban Areas
Categories: Research
NDSU is partner in U.S. Department of Transportation grant to study transit
North Dakota State University is one of four universities that will cooperatively conduct research and provide training and outreach related to public transit under a $3.5 million grant awarded this week by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
NDSU is a partner with the University of Illinois at Chicago and Florida International University in Miami. The University of South Florida in Tampa will lead the effort. The Small Urban & Rural Transit Center, a part of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Research Institute at NDSU, will provide expertise in rural and small urban transportation. NDSU will receive about $500,000 from the grant.
The grant was one of 22 awarded in the University Transportation Centers Program administered by the DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration and was one of two grants specifically targeted to consortiums that will study public transportation.
“NDSU has developed expertise in transit management and coordination, among other areas specifically related to transit providers in rural and small urban areas,” notes Jill Hough, director of the Small Urban & Rural Transit Center. “Our participation in this effort brings added knowledge and awareness to assure that the issues faced by rural and small urban transit providers are addressed.”
Overall, the partnership will focus on the following topic areas:
- Enhancing transit safety
- Developing procedures and approaches to help agencies better care for their fleets and facilities
- Exploring how transit can enhance economic competitiveness of business, regions or communities
- Enhancing the livability of regions or communities through transit
- Improving environmental sustainability of transportation systems and transit operations.
“In each of these areas we will bring a rural or small community focus,” Hough noted. “We will also gain ideas from our partners that may be transferable to the smaller transit providers that we serve. Each of the four partner universities brings unique strengths and accomplishments to this consortium, but by working together we will enhance our overall collective contribution to the transit industry.” Hough said.
SURTC to Participate at TRB
SURTC will be active in the upcoming Transportation Research Board's 91st Annual Meeting, January 22-26 in Washington, DC. Director Jill Hough will be involved in the Rural and Intercity Bus Public Transportation Committee and the Rural and Intercity Bus Conference Planning Subcommittee, and researcher Jeremy Mattson will be giving three presentations at the conference, as shown here:
Effortless Passenger Identification System to be Studied
A new SURTC study will evaluate the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track transit passengers. The technology is referred to as the Effortless Passenger Identification System (EPIS).
The RFID tags used by EPIS can be read at longer distances than the contactless or proximity cards currently used in the industry. This characteristic allows passengers to be identified and counted as they board and alight vehicles without requiring them to physically present their card within a short distance of an on-vehicle reader. Use of the technology, which has already found a market in pupil transportation, will improve the accuracy of ridership data collection while making it easier and less time consuming for riders to pay the fare. Many transit agencies, applications, and rider segments are expected to benefit from deployment of EPIS.
The technical feasibility of the system will be tested in Southern California and North Dakota where EPIS will be evaluated under real-world and controlled conditions for different transit rider segments. A full-scale field test will be conducted with university students. Controlled testing will be done to investigate EPIS effectiveness when used by different transit rider segments. The economic feasibility of EPIS will also be evaluated by conducting a thorough cost-benefit analysis for various agency and ridership scenarios.
For more details, contact Del Peterson at del.peterson@ndsu.edu.
Coordination Pilot Projects Proceed in North Dakota
In early October, the North Dakota Department of Transportation gave SURTC the go-ahead to proceed with a 15-month project aimed at implementing coordination-related recommendations in two North Dakota pilot regions. The project's task list centers around recommendations developed by SURTC in response to a mandate enacted during North Dakota's 2009 legislative session. Tasks include the provision of responsive transit services within individual communities and counties, increasing coordination among the regions' transit service providers, increasing public awareness regarding the availability of local transit services, and promoting overall operator effectiveness and efficiency. Jon Mielke will serve as the regional coordinator for the 7-county west central region, and Keven Anderson will serve as the coordinator for the 12-county south central region. The project's final work product will be a corresponding report for the 2013 Legislature.