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George List

Professor

Fitts-Woolard Hall 3209

Bio

Dr. George F. List, PhD, PE, has 35 years of experience in both academia and consulting and is a nationally recognized scholar for his work in network operations modeling and control, freight network planning, and asset management. He holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University (BSEE, 1971), the University of Delaware (MEE, 1976), and the University of Pennsylvania (PhD, CE, 1984).

A significant part of Dr. List’s research work focuses on highway network operations. Dr. List is the PI on SHRP 2 L02 (http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=2178), which is focused on developing a guidebook for creating travel time reliability monitoring systems. Such systems will eventually become a common element of ATMS applications. He was also Co-PI and lead technical expert on a project sponsored by USDOT and NYSDOT in which a probe-based ATIS system was tested in the field. GPS-equipped PDA route guidance devices were provided to 200 participants who used the system to make route choice decisions based on the travel times being experienced by their cohorts. The system proved to have extraordinary value when incidents arose. Dr. List also focuses on optimal real-time control strategies for congested networks and hardware components and systems that can implement these control strategies.

Dr. List has also led major projects focused on logisitics, especially the use of infrastructure investments to help encourage economic development and job growth. One of these is the North Carolina Statewide Logistics Plan (http://www.ncdot.org/business/committees/statewidelogistics/). The other is the Seven Portals Project (http://rip.trb.org/browse/dproject.asp?n=28802) or (http://www.ncdot.org/business/ committees/statewidelogistics/).

Dr. List is also known for his work in the modeling, simulation, and optimization of transport systems and networks. He was a 1999 Finalist in the Edelman Prize Competition (INFORMS), the 2003 recipient of Rensselaer’s Darrin Counseling Award, the 2007 recipient of the ITS-America “Best of ITS” award in the area of Research and Innovation and thrice a recipient of the project of the year award from ITS-New York.

From 1984 to 2005, Dr. List was a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. While there he served 10 years as Department Chair and eight concurrent years as the Director of the Center for Infrastructure and Transportation Studies. He also held an appointment in the Department of Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems.

During his nearly 25 year academic career he has chaired theses and dissertation committees for 40 graduate students, of which 12 have successfully completed their doctoral degrees. He has published over 40 refereed journal articles, 50 refereed conference papers, made almost 200 conference presentations, and generated over $13.0M in external research support. Funding for Dr. List’s research program has come from a variety of sources including NSF, NCHRP, SHRP-II, FHWA, DOE, USDOT, FTA, NYSDOT, NCDOT. He is presently managing more than $2M in research including projects focused on developing procedures to monitor travel time reliability in urban and rural highway networks and mechanisms to tie statewide transportation investments to economic development. Dr. List is a member of ASCE (Fellow), TRB, IEEE, ITE, and INFORMS.

Education

Ph.D. Civil Engineering University of Pennsylvania 1984

M.S. Electrical Engineering University of Delaware 1976

B.S. Electrical Engineering Carnegie Mellon University 1971

Area(s) of Expertise

Dr. List is interested in transportation system observability, control, and network planning; sensor design and system instrumentation, wireless technologies, traffic management systems, highway capacity and safety modeling, quality of service assessment, network capacity investment planning; modeling, simulation, and optimization of transport systems and networks; freight logistics; railroad system planning design and operation; multi-objective optimization

Publications

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Grants

Date: 01/01/20 - 12/31/23
Amount: $141,842.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Transportation (DOT)

This project aims to help transport agencies use ����������������big data��������������� to help mitigate congestion and manage system performance, for both freeways and arterials (and especially arterials, which have seen less attention). Two investigatory objectives are planned. In the first, we will create and train an algorithm to spot the onset of incidents and recurring congestion, so that system managers can be more responsive. Our hypothesis is that early responses help reduce the impacts (the queues are shorter, disappear quicker, and create less delay). We will 1) fuse data such as real time traditional detector data, CV data, and other online data, to produce a significant and consistent data-stream of high volume and high velocity heterogeneous data; and 2) use deep reinforcement learning to train an AI-based algorithm to spot the onset of these events, distinguish between them, and generate response suggestions based on effective past system responses or modeling of the system with selected strategies. In the second investigatory thread, we will create a performance monitoring algorithm that uses policy-based targets (e.g., speeds of 45 mph or better during congested conditions) and ����������������big data��������������� technologies to help agencies improve the efficacy of their congestion mitigation efforts. We will use condition-based policy travel rates to simplify the inference process and ensure that performance management focuses on situations that have the greatest need. In both these efforts, we will produce analysis tools that practitioners can use (stand-alone, prototype software intended to be integrated into existing system management platforms); as well as guide books for the use of the algorithms; and a project report. In the first year we will develop the analysis procedures (e.g., congestion ����������������alarms��������������� and monitoring ����������������tools���������������); and in the second year, we will fine tune these algorithms and recommend real time strategies that use these tools to address impending or spreading congestion.

Date: 08/01/21 - 9/30/23
Amount: $41,423.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

As part of traffic monitoring programs, state transportation departments are required to provide information about the status of their transportation infrastructure based on traffic data collected through sensors. The Traffic Monitoring Guide (FHWA, 2016) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO, 2009) provide general guidance about how to collect traffic volumes, vehicle classification information, and weight data. Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) systems are the technology most commonly used to collect the datasets used in assessing the impact of vehicles on the infrastructure; increasing the safety of the systems; and assessing road damage and facility lifetimes. The goal of this research is to help NCDOT identify and adopt a new freight monitoring system. To that end, we will document the current and future perceived use of WIM data by different stakeholders in the agency, elsewhere in state, in the country and in global companies. We will build a knowledge base that aids with these deliberations.

Date: 01/07/22 - 7/06/23
Amount: $1,500,000.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Energy (DOE) - Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)

We will develop a full roll-out model, based on validated planning and simulation tools, that is able to model the deployment of a wide range of propulsion and energy storage technologies in the Class 1 Rail Freight sector and that determines associated lifecycle GHG emissions and levelized cost of Mt-km (LCOTKM) values over various time scales (e.g., 10, 20, 30 years). Our work will include: (1) microscale train simulation; (2) network train simulation; (3) identification and characterization of infrastructure requirements; (4) identification and characterization of decarbonized energy pathways; (5) probabilistic cost modeling; (6) freight demand scenarios; (7) technology transfer and outreach; and (8) integrated assessment. The latter will include case studies based on application of the developed, detailed case studies of specific lines, settings, and situations, with extrapolations to the whole network, inclusive of coupling with infrastructure, decarbonized energy pathways, demand scenarios, and cost. We will appoint an advisory board to facilitate technology transfer and outreach.

Date: 02/01/20 - 2/28/23
Amount: $1,000,000.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

The NCDOT is launching a bold and forward-looking effort to establish multi-university transportation centers of excellence to provide broad-based, multidisciplinary research into the applications and impacts of cutting edge technologies and emergent, disruptive trends. The projects included in our center proposal were custom-built to address the research areas spelled out in the request for proposals for the desired Mobility and Congestion center. The three themes are as follows: ��������������� Theme #1: Big Data and Data-Driven Transportation Management and Decision Support ��������������� Theme #2: Active Transportation Management/Integrated Corridor Management ��������������� Theme #3: Transit and Mobility as a Service

Date: 08/01/19 - 12/31/21
Amount: $218,790.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

The North Carolina Ferry Division operates vessels on seven routes along the eastern coast of North Carolina. The routes serve diverse populations, ranging from routes with substantial tourist/visitor customers to routes with primarily daily commuters. Wait times and queue lengths are important considerations of customers. However, measuring and communicating wait times and queues is not simple and not currently available to customers. The Ferry Division would like to implement technology that would measure and track wait times. This project will seek to understand, test, and implement technology solutions that will reliably measure and track wait times. The objectives of the proposed project are 1) review and test options for measuring wait times and 2) recommend the implementation of a system to measure and track wait times for installation at ferry terminals. This research team is well-equipped to perform the work necessary to deliver an implementable solution for the Ferry Division. This team includes experts with extensive knowledge of sensor and technology capabilities, deployment, and testing. Additionally, this team includes members who led a study in North Carolina (on the Hatteras-Ocracoke route) on ferry terminal wait times and queue lengths.

Date: 08/01/18 - 7/31/21
Amount: $338,515.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

Autonomous vehicle (AV) technology is expected to fundamentally change transportation systems. The Transportation Planning Branch at NCDOT, which is responsible for the state������������������s long-range transportation plan, needs state-of-the-art information and predictions on AV technology and its potential impacts on transport to be better prepared for the upcoming changes and maximize the social benefits that this technology will enable. The Transportation Systems group faculty (Drs. Bardaka, List, Rouphail, and Williams) and Dr. Frey (Environmental Engineering) in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at NCSU as well as Dr. Cummings, the Director of the Humans and Autonomy Laboratory at Duke University will work together to leverage existing research in the area of AV technology to evaluate impacts and provide policy and future research recommendations to NCDOT. The study will include a comprehensive literature review on AV technology and its impact on transportation demand, capacity, mobility, traffic safety, emissions, energy use, and land use. The results of previous research will be analyzed and case studies for North Carolina will be developed. The study will also provide recommendations to NCDOT regarding changes in policies and regulations, future test plans and test infrastructure, and research priorities in the area of AV technology. As part of this study, the researchers will work closely with the Transportation Planning Branch to provide guidance on how existing models (such as the statewide demand model) could be adapted to account for the presence of AVs.

Date: 08/01/19 - 12/15/20
Amount: $136,123.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

Unintended consequences of current legislation have established funding vulnerabilities for bridges critical to North Carolina������������������s agricultural industry. Current legislation restricts the use of State bridge funds to Functionally Obsolete or Structurally Deficient bridges. Meanwhile, weight restricted bridges (only allowed to transport vehicles or trucks of limited weights) do not meet the requirements for being categorized as Functionally Obsolete or Structurally Deficient. Additionally, North Carolina funding targeted for improving weight and clearance restrictions is currently limited to higher traffic routes. This combination of occurrences makes it possible for bridges restrictive to heavy load to fail to qualify for State bridge improvement programs and funding targeted for improving weight and clearance restrictions. As a result, bridges that are critical nodes in North Carolina������������������s agricultural freight network are unable to receive dedicated sources of funding for improvements or long-term operative viability. In 2014, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture provided NCDOT with a tiered list, and corresponding map, of bridges that were critical to the agricultural industry. NCDOT has used this list to identify bridges that are an impediment to agriculture, but do not qualify for other programs since they are not Structurally Deficient, Functionally Obsolete, or reside along a high volume route. The purpose of this project is to update the tiered list of bridges vital to North Carolina������������������s agricultural industry and create a repeatable and efficient process by which this list is periodically updated.

Date: 08/01/18 - 8/15/20
Amount: $238,075.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

The rural areas of North Carolina have freight transportation needs that are very different from those of the urban areas. Much of their economic activity is focused around agriculture, forestry, and tourism/retirement. The principal transport mode is highway. Socio-economic conditions are challenging. Moreover, two of the rural areas, in the southwest and northeast, do not have urban areas that naturally serve as economic hubs. In the southwest, the nearest such areas are Atlanta and Chattanooga, both out of state; in the northeast, it is Norfolk which is again out of state.

Date: 08/16/15 - 11/30/19
Amount: $239,994.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

At the conclusion of the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) research phase, the SHRP2 Implementation Assistance Program (IAP) was established by the Federal Highway Administration to ����������������help State departments of transportation (DOTs), metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and other interested organizations deploy SHRP2 Solutions.��������������� The ����������������SHRP2 Solutions��������������� mentioned in this program mission statement consist of implementable tools in each of the SHRP2 focus areas, namely Reliability, Capacity, Safety, and Renewal. As is clear from the project title, the pilot study detailed in this project authorization document involves reliability data and analysis tools. Prior to and concurrent with the SHRP2 research phase, the North Carolina Department of Transportation has been actively and continually engaged in direct support for complementary research in the domain of mobility and reliability. Key NCDOT-sponsored research projects in this effort include completed projects RP 2006-13 Effectiveness of Traveler Information Tools; HWY 2009-05 Assessing Operational, Pricing, and Intelligent Transportation System Strategies for the I-40 Corridor Using DYNASMART-P; and RP 2011-07 Mobility and Reliability Performance Measurement and the ongoing project RP 2013-08 Smartlink ������������������ Baseline for Measurement of Benefits. Engagement in these research efforts has put NCDOT in a strong position to lead the way in implementing. Bolstered by this strong position, the NCDOT submitted a proof of concept pilot study application under round 4 of the IAP in the summer of 2014. NCDOT������������������s application was approved for FHWA implementation assistance funding, and the statement of work included in this project authorization document outlines the research tasks defined in the IAP application. The proof of concept pilot study envisioned by the application covers all the tools in the Reliability Data and Analysis Tools bundle, namely the implementable research products from the following SHRP2 research projects: L02 Establishing Monitoring Programs for Mobility and Travel Time Reliability; L05 Incorporating Reliability Performance Measures into the Transportation Planning and Programming Processes; L07 Evaluation of Cost-Effectiveness of Highway Design Features; L08 Incorporation of Travel Time Reliability into the Highway Capacity Manual; and C11 Development of Improved Economic Analysis Tools Based on Recommendations from Project C03 [Interactions between Transportation Capacity, Economic Systems, and Land Use merged with Integrating Economic Considerations Project Development]. The SHRP2 data and analysis tools implementation supported by this IAP proof of concept pilot study is fully consistent with NCDOT initiatives aimed at providing enhanced system performance monitoring and measurement. These monitoring and measurement capabilities are essential to enabling performance-based decision support and the assessment of the impact of strategic transportation investments. The results, findings, and recommendations arising from this pilot study will help refine that application of the SHRP2 reliability data and analysis tools, solidify NCDOT������������������s leadership position in this emerging area, and disseminate lessons learned to the national transportation management community.

Date: 09/21/16 - 8/28/19
Amount: $120,322.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Transportation (DOT)

Transportation system simulation is the mathematical modeling of transportation systems through the application of computer software to better help plan, design and operate transportation systems. Simulation modeling software is widely used by state, regional and local transportation agencies and their consultants and its use is expected to rise given the growing emphasis on performance management, travel time reliability, multimodal solutions, performance- based design and connected and automated vehicles. Despite the importance of simulation, there is no definitive national guidance document on its use and application. Transportation agencies struggle to provide guidance and oftentimes lack resources to oversee and review its application. State DOTs and other agencies are asking for a national, definitive Transportation System Simulation Manual (TSSM).

Date: 08/28/14 - 3/03/16
Amount: $45,351.00
Funding Agencies: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

ITRE will work with Kittelson to create a Transportation System Simulation Manual in support of the FHWA's Traffic Analysis Tools Program

Date: 09/01/14 - 8/31/15
Amount: $28,566.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

Over the past 2 decades, both urban and intercity highway traffic has continued to grow at rates far in excess of capacity expansion, leading to increasing congestion-related delays and accidents, as well as increasing concerns about congestion implications for air quality, delivery reliability, community security and vehicular incursion into residential areas.

Date: 08/16/12 - 8/15/15
Amount: $193,657.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

The proposed project will be designed and conducted to provide the key components necessary to establish the Smartlink benefits measurement system. First, an appropriate set of supporting and direct measures of systems benefits must be selected and defined. Second, detailed data requirements for calculating the selected performance measures must be identified and specified. Third, a pre-ATMS system deployment (before condition) data set must be assembled based on the specified data requirements. This before condition data set will serve at the baseline benchmark of the transportation system performance. Finally, the project will define and establish a methodology for continual updating of the required system data and benefits measurements and periodic reporting of the resulting (and continually updated) cost-benefit analyses.

Date: 08/19/13 - 3/01/15
Amount: $19,006.00
Funding Agencies: National Academy of Sciences

Under this work assignment, key staff from ITRE will e made available for technical consultation with personnel from the L38 pilot sites and other agencies implementing these products. this support will include providing advice on hoe to prepare inputs, how to operate the product, how to interprets the results and limited software changes to the existing products.

Date: 07/01/08 - 6/30/14
Amount: $2,766,873.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS)

The dynamic evolution of landforms under stress can lead to catastrophic loss of either functionality or of mass itself. This project will examine the dynamics of landforms undergoing a transition from one state to another (e.g., barrier island collapse, wetland loss, dune erosion) in order to determine critical defining features of the resilient natural and developed landforms. This descriptive dynamic will be translated into design parameters for restoration of protective or beneficial landforms (e.g., beaches, dunes, barrier islands, wetlands). In addition, this analysis will be used to provide improved metrics for communicating hazard and risk as well as incorporating hazard and risk into land use plans. This project lies at the interface between Coastal Hazards Science and Planning for Resilience focus areas and has the potential to provide insights to the Hazards, Human Behavior and Economic Resilience focus area.

Date: 03/30/12 - 3/30/14
Amount: $140,081.00
Funding Agencies: Transportation Research Board

Provide significant research and data support in Task 1 (Literature Review), Task 5 (Conceptual Framework), and Task 7 (Data Collection), along with ancillary support to the other tasks of the project for Dowling and Associates

Date: 02/24/14 - 3/21/14
Amount: $5,780.00
Funding Agencies: Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Development of webinar material in support of Cambridge Systematics prime contract 008806

Date: 09/30/09 - 9/30/13
Amount: $390,000.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS)

The purpose of this proposal is to establish a graduate research fellowship program to train students to be future leaders in the area of engineering of resilient civil infrastructure systems for coastal regions considering natural hazards. This program will be conducted in coordination with the ongoing DHS Center of Excellence on Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure and Emergency Management.

Date: 03/18/09 - 3/31/13
Amount: $1,800,000.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Transportation (DOT)

The Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE), in conjunction with Kittelson & Associates, Inc. (KAI), Berkeley Transportation Systems (BTS), the National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS), the University of Utah, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is pleased to submit this research proposal in response to SHRP 2 Project L02: Establishing Monitoring Programs for Travel Time Reliability. ITRE will be the overall lead institution and take responsibility for Phase I, developing the methodologies by which travel time reliability is monitored and assessed; KAI will lead Phase II, developing the Guidebook; and BTS will lead Phase III, spearheading the validation effort. As part of the SHRP 2 program, this project focuses on travel time reliability, helping operating agencies to develop systems ? hardware, software, and tactical strategies ? that enable them to better monitor travel time reliability and convey their findings to their customers and other data users. As the Request for Proposals (RFP) indicates, travel time reliability refers to the fact that travel times vary. For people or goods making similar trips within a specific time period between two points, there is an underlying distribution of travel time. People making trips respond to this variation in different ways as do those involved in shipping freight. For example, important trips like doctor visits and just-in-time freight deliveries require punctuality, so the driver (or freight dispatcher) needs to build extra time into the trip to ensure a high probability of arrival within an acceptable time window, for example being early or on-time 95% of the time (or on 19 out of 20 days).

Date: 03/12/13 - 3/29/13
Amount: $11,717.00
Funding Agencies: National Academy of Sciences

This project is designed to have researchers at NC State work with technical stakeholders from Florida, California and Washington State on the implementation of the SHRP-2, L02 and SHRP-2, L08 products in test sites in those three states. The initial effort in this project is a training workshop to be held in Washington, DC on March 20-21 for the stakeholders. The products were developed at ITRE. It is expected that additional supplements yet to be determined will be added to this original SOW. These would include additional research to improve the final products,

Date: 06/01/12 - 11/30/12
Amount: $144,137.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

As demographic patterns change and rail services are updated, rail ridership patterns change. Periodically, the ridership estimates need to be updated; especially the characteristics of the trips being made ? frequency, purpose, group size, demographics ? as well as the changes in ridership that might arise if the service characteristics were changed. NCDOT is about to begin updating its ridership estimates. AECOM will be leading the effort. ITRE has been asked to conduct the surveys upon which the update will be based. Groups of ITRE staff and students will go to rest areas along the major freeways, ride selected trains, and visit several airports, conduct interviews, and distribute survey forms. Some surveys will be done with PDAs; others will use paper forms. AECOM will provide electronic instruments and paper surveys, as appropriate, for all surveys. ITRE will deliver the completed surveys to AECOM. NC State University and University of North Carolina?Charlotte students and ITRE staff will be used to conduct the surveys. Undergraduate and graduate students will be the primary data collectors. Thomas Cook of ITRE will be the project manager (principle investigator). George List and a research associate will assist. Anne Holzem, a graduate student, will oversee the day-to-day activities and coordinate the student schedules. Yi Chen, another graduate student, will help Anne. All four of these people will help with the surveys. A small group of additional, responsible students will complete the team.

Date: 07/01/11 - 4/30/12
Amount: $135,029.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Commerce

Planning is underway to create offshore wind farms in North Carolina based around the larger class of turbines available today - from 5 to 8Mw. This project will help develop a clearer sense of what is required to create offshore wind farms, including the land-side staging support required, and the likely reception of this new technology by the public. If the ports are not currently capable of meeting the needs of the offshore wind industry for installation then the study will identify the modifications or new infrastructure that would be required. Another important element in the study is to provide an educational outreach to key stakeholders and gage their attitudes and economic valuation of offshore wind energy in the State. In addition to the above and a review of the European offshore wind experience, this effort will provide a complete summary of all studies under the ARRA conducted by the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

Date: 07/01/10 - 3/31/12
Amount: $509,971.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

This ?Seven Portals? study is an investigation into the feasibility of developing business hubs in the seven commerce economic development regions across North Carolina based around a 7,000 ft (or longer) runway having Class III instrumentation for all-weather landings and departures. This concept was initially presented in the ?Statewide Logistics Plan for North Carolina? and further refined by the Governor?s Logistics Task Force. These hubs would be located in each of the seven commerce economic development regions. The concept is similar to creating a business hub like the Global TransPark and the efforts underway through the Piedmont Triad Partnership. Part of the study will be to determine how many hubs could fit the criteria established for future success.

Date: 02/01/10 - 1/31/11
Amount: $198,913.00
Funding Agencies: NC State Ports Authority

The purpose of this project is to examine the contribution of the North Carolina State Ports on North Carolina's economy at the regional, statewide, and county levels. The primary goal of this project is to conduct an economic contribution assessment of the existing North Carolina Ports. The secondary goal is to help communicate what the economic contributions mean overall to North Carolina. The Ports Authority would use these communication tools to educate key audiences and stakeholders on the economic contributions and value of the NC Ports. These groups could include the NC General Assembly, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Board of Transportation, industries located in North Carolina, and industries that could potentially locate to North Carolina. Research efforts will also include a critical review of existing port related documents and a summary of opinions and outlook from port related fields through a focus group session. Findings from these efforts will supplement the expertise of the project team, allowing the team to develop potential scenarios and strategic initiatives the ports should consider exploring. A thorough examination of the economic contribution values and characteristics will likely be utilized to guide future initiatives at the ports.

Date: 07/01/07 - 8/15/10
Amount: $339,030.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

NCDOT has adopted the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide. The implementation of this new pavement design process requires traffic data resources to provide the vehicle traffic load spectra needed for each pavement design. Load spectra derive from historical seasonal truck volume patterns and axle loading patterns and load spectra forecasts over the service life of a design. The expected results of the research will describe what detailed base year traffic data to collect (i.e., the data most sensitive to the MEPDG process), how and where to collect the traffic data in North Carolina, and how to develop forecasts.

Date: 10/01/05 - 2/01/10
Amount: $150,000.00
Funding Agencies: New York, State of

This project is focused on two efforts: 1) introduction of computer aided dispatching into a traffic incident management system, and 2) development of a wireless, solar-powered EZ-pass tag reader. The first of these will merge Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) into the traffic incident management ?system? presently used by the New York State Police to respond to incidents within portions of the capital district. The second will develop a wireless, solar-powered EZ-pass tag reader that can be installed and tested in a testbed area and then develop a methodology for the fusion of point, link and path data sources.

Date: 07/01/06 - 8/15/09
Amount: $134,035.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

High-speed, signalized intersections require special attention to ensure safe operation. One crucial element is the placement of detectors, especially those that detect the approach of vehicles on the mainline when a change interval is about to commence. Research has indicated that well-placed detectors and carefully chosen signal timing parameters, such as yellow and all-red times, can reduce the likelihood of both right-angle and rear-end collisions as drivers on the main road deal with dilemma zone issues ? whether to slow down and stop or continue through the intersection. The placement of the detectors is strongly tied to the speed limits of the intersecting roadways and the allowable movements. Therefore, the authors of this proposal address the need to determine the best distances to place detectors on the approaches to high-speed signalized intersections through a comprehensive research program of modeling and field testing alternative configurations. A final report will be prepared itemizing recommended practices to be followed by design engineers with benefit-cost tradeoffs highlighted.

Date: 01/21/08 - 12/31/08
Amount: $707,450.00
Funding Agencies: NC Office of State Budget and Management

This project will investigate and develop a statewide transportation logistics plan for North Carolina, looking at the movement of people and freight using water, air, rail, and highway transportation, as a visioning plan for the future and how best to prepare for anticipated demands on these systems.

Date: 07/01/06 - 9/30/08
Amount: $128,287.00
Funding Agencies: NC Department of Transportation

The principle objective of the research is to improve NCDOT?s understanding of the manner in which trucks are using the state highway system, overall and on a regional basis. Better truck trip profiles are needed to understand the extent to which heavy trucks in particular are using the state?s various categories of highway, from rural secondary roads to urban interstates. Current profiles provide only a coarse sense of the annual truck traffic by vehicle class. Pavement and bridge engineers need a better sense of truck weights and axle spacings. Investment decision makers and planners need a better picture of truck volumes, trip distances and weight distributions by highway class and route category. To help meet these needs, this project aims to create better truck trip flow profiles, especially for heavy vehicles, particularly those that need permits, by analyzing data that has been or is being collected.

Date: 07/01/05 - 3/31/07
Amount: $26,623.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Transportation (DOT)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Polytechnic University, Rutgers University, and City College of New York are pleased to provide this updated work scope for project C-01-29: Quantifying Non-recurring Delay on New York City?s Arterial Highways. This project is well suited to the capabilities of the research team. The project PI will be Professor John Falcocchio (Polytechnic). The purpose/objective of the project is to help NYSDOT and NYCDOT better quantify and predict non-recurring delay (NRD) for the City?s highway network. Non-recurring delay is that delay which is not anticipated to occur from normal congestion. It includes delay due to accidents, incidents, and construction. Typically, it constitutes 40-50% of all delay that occurs in an urban network. If NYSDOT and NYCDOT can better predict NRD and trace it to the causing factors, they can take actions to reduce it. Those actions range from TSM and ITS measures to geometric changes and capacity investments. The main product from the project is to be a tool by which NYSDOT and NYCDOT can quantify NRD, for specific locations and corridors and for the City in total. The tool has to predict NRD in a way that tracks to the causal factors: for example, the type of incident, location, weather conditions, v/c (volume-to-capacity) ratio, LOS (level of service), vehicle speeds, number of lanes and ramps involved, etc. The RFP says the intent is to develop improved, enhanced ?look-up tables? that better calibrate CNAM?s predictions to the kinds of impacts that can be observed from field data. CNAM is the Congestion Needs Analysis Model currently being used by NYSDOT to predict both recurring and non-recurring delay for urban networks statewide. That enhanced model is to be tested on several case study conditions. These objectives will be met. The RFP also asks that the study team review the merits of creating a model that can interface with other traffic analysis models. That effort is part of the work scope. Moreover, the RFP asks that the study team consider model enhancements that go beyond simply improving the look-up tables in CNAM. That effort is also part of the work scope. Development of the enhanced ?look-up? tables and improved models is being supported by data obtained from TRANSCOM/TRANSMIT and the IIMS project. The IIMS (Integrated Incident Management System) data is potentially very valuable because it captures incident delay by Non-Recurring Delay ? Work Scope ? Revised - 5-10-05 1 location (shoulders, left, middle, right lanes, exit/entrance lanes, egress/ ingress ramps), lane blockage, and traffic impacts by the initial incident and the 1st and 2nd response vehicles / teams. Put another way, the study is focused on: 1) Identifying and evaluating the alternate tools for predicting NRD that now exist. 2) Adopting/adapting one of these tools for NYC conditions, given the data available (e.g., from the IIMS project) and the delay models now in use (e.g., CNAM). 3) Developing a set of input tables (NRD as a function of causal factors) that support the use of the chosen tool. 4) Using the adopted/adapted tool to quantify the NRD that now occurs and predict what it will be six (6) years into the future.

Date: 03/04/05 - 3/31/07
Amount: $200,000.00
Funding Agencies: NCSU Institute for Transportation Research & Education

The Department of Transportation has already conducted studies to assess domestic trends in goods movement. We are interested in further assessment of the environmental impacts of such trends beginning with a focus on congested freight hubs (ports or urban areas). While there is an understanding of the US International trade and freight transportation trends, our understanding of domestic trends and related policy implications is incomplete. Such international trade and freight trends include increased volumes of trade through our seaports of containerized and non-containerized goods, significant increases in overall U.S. imports, increased traffic at NAFTA border crossings, significant concentrations of truck freight on certain heavily trafficked freight corridors, e-commerce, just-in-time delivery and overall changes in the economic landscape due to an increasingly global marketplace. In addition, the volume of trade is conservatively projected to increase by approximately 50% by the year 2020. Already U.S. ports and the intermodal freight transportation system are being operated in many areas at the limits of the system?s maximum capacity.

Date: 10/01/05 - 9/30/06
Amount: $25,735.00
Funding Agencies: US Dept. of Energy (DOE)

Sandia National Laboratories is involved in projects requiring the implementation of the System of Systems (SoS) architecture. A significant compliment to this approach is in optimizing system components. The Center for Systems Reliability at Sandia would like to contractually engage Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for their expertise in the area of Optimization and Simulation Modeling


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