TAC Transportation Intelligence

Education
Study of Professional and Technical Transportation Training in Canada
This project examined the state of professional and technical transportation training in Canada. It focused primarily on post-secondary institutions through surveys and interviews. Some technically specific training such as truck drivers and pilots were also surveyed to determine trends in these areas. Our baseline was Research and Traffic Group's 1999 Inventory of Professional Training in Transportation to see how the academic trends for transportation have changed in the past few years. (Transport Canada Report, 2004, 105 p.)

Planning
Guidelines for Removal of Traffic Control Devices in Rural Areas
The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the Institute of Transportation Engineer’s (ITE) Traffic Control Devices Handbook provide guidance for the implementation of STOP signs based on several factors. No guidance exists for the removal of STOP signs at two-way stop-controlled intersections. The scope of this research is ultra-low-volume (< 150 daily entering vehicles) unpaved intersections in rural agricultural areas of Iowa. (Iowa Highway Research Board Project TR-527, October 2005, 77 p.)

Structures
Évaluation de la performance de systèmes anticorrosion pour tabliers de ponts en béton armé (Evaluation of the performance of anti-corrosion systems for bridge decks constructed of reinforced concrete)
This article summarizes the findings of research on the in situ performance of corrosion protection systems applied to parapets on two different concrete bridges. On Autoroute 13 in Laval, Quebec, nine corrosion prevention systems, installed in 1996 during the reconstruction of a concrete bridge parapet, were evaluated for more than five years. This in situ evaluation included annual measurement of potentials and of corrosion rates. (L'Institut de recherche en construction (IRC) du CNRC Rapport NRCC-48370 , 30 novembre 2005, 12 p.)

Structures

Dynamic Load Environment of Bridge Mounted Sign Support Structures
A bridge-mounted welded aluminum sign support structure suffered a fatigue failure on Interstate Route 77, just south of Cleveland, OH. Bridge-type sign structures typically have a high enough natural frequency that wind induced vibrations are not a major design concern. For that reason an investigation was undertaken to arrive at an explanation of the fatigue failure. This investigation involved a combination of finite element analysis, field testing under actual truck loading, and laboratory fatigue testing of remnants of the actual failed structure. (Ohio Department of Transportation Report 134153, September 2005, 67 p.)

Development of Smart Bridge Bearings System - A Feasibility Study
The goal of this project has been achieved through three tasks. The main goal of Task I has been to identify appropriate sensors that have potential for bridge bearings applications. This has been achieved through the following subtasks and has been presented in this chapter: (a) An extensive literature review of behavior of elastomeric bearings and state-of-the-art on the smart bearings; (b) Objective criteria for selection of sensors; (c) Information, specifications and reliability of commercially advanced sensors. The focus of Task II has been to develop possible instrumentation schemes for implementing smart bearings, as presented in Chapter 2. In Task III, costs associated with feasibility of smart bearings have been investigated. This work has been reported in Chapter 3. (University Transportation Research Center Region 2 (New York) Report C-02-02, December 2005, 57 p.)

Safety

Safe Road Design - A Practical Manual
This manual has been created during the project “Safe Road Design”, funded by the World Bank and in cooperation with the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management as part of their ‘Partners for Roads’ programme. This manual seeks to assist planners when developing national roads outside urban areas. The three core aims are: 1. to provide an overview of relevant safe road design practices; 2. to provide material for future training courses; 3. to guide experts in applying safer road design measures in different countries. (World Bank and Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management Report, September 2005)

Safety and Cost Effectiveness of Bridge Approach Guardrail on Minnesota County State Aid Highways
Installing bridge-approach guardrail is a common safety improvement to mitigate the effects of fixed objects like bridge railings, piers and abutments in the roadside clear zone. But the installation of guardrails comes with its own set of issues, specifically, determining when the fixed costs of installation and the long-term costs of maintenance outweigh any safety benefits realized. The purpose of this research was to determine the appropriate threshold, based on average daily traffic, at which installing bridge-approach guardrail provides a positive return on investment for CSAH bridges in Minnesota. (Minnesota Department of Transportation Research Report 2005-39, October 2005, 209 p.)

Placement and design of milled rumble strips on centre line and shoulder - A driving simulator study
A driving simulator experiment was carried out in order to investigate the effects on fatigued drivers of rumble strips on narrow roads (less than or equal to 9 meters) on both shoulder and centre lines. Four different physical designs of milled rumble strips and two placements on shoulder were used in the experiment. (Swedish Road Administration Report 523A, August 2005, 120 p.)

Reducing Urban Arterial Intersection Crashes Through Crash Type Analysis: A Case Study
Many crashes at specific locations on urban arterial streets occur in clusters of a particular type, and these often can be mitigated through traffic engineering countermeasures. To target engineering resources, it is important to identify locations where particular types of crashes frequently occur and where countermeasures likely to reduce them can be implemented. In the present study, the frequency of specific crash types were identified along an urban arterial in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. (US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Report,June 2005, 9 p.) (Request this item from the TIS.)

The effect of cognitive impairment on older pedestrian behaviour and crash risk
This report assesses the current state of knowledge in regard to the key issues affecting older pedestrian safety, particularly the effect of cognitive impairment on behaviour and crash risk. A distinction is made between normal age-related cognitive decline and cognitive impairment associated with medical conditions. (Monash University Accident Research Centre - Report #244, December 2005, 63 p.)

Administration

Performance Measures to Improve Transportation Systems: Summary of the Second National Conference
TRB’s Conference Proceedings 36, Performance Measures to Improve Transportation Systems: Summary of the Second National Conference are the proceedings from a conference held on August 22-24, 2004, in Irvine, California. The purpose of the conference was to explore the implementation and use of performance measures and to discuss how to monitor the impact of performance measures on the delivery and quality of transportation services. (Transportation Research Board Proceedings 36, 2005, 154 p.)

Implementing a Standard Evaluation Approach and Standard Measures in 511 Customer Satisfaction Surveys
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released a report that describes the standard evaluation approach and standard measures (core questions) that were developed to measure customer satisfaction with 511. The report also includes a set of lessons learned based on the experience in Arizona on testing the standard evaluation approach and standard measures. The objective of the report is to provide state deployers of 511 with information on conducting their own user evaluations. (US Federal Highway Administration Report, December 2005, 131 p.)

Analysis of Capital Cost Elements and Their Effect on Operating Costs
Rising light rail capital costs are a significant concern for the Federal Transit Administration and for its partner agencies at the local level. The report discusses three distinct types of cost growth: cost overruns, unit cost escalation, and project escalation. The study suggests that training, peer reviews, less restrictive procurement requirements, and improved understanding of lifecycle costs and standards could help mitigate future cost growth. (US Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Report FTA-NY-26-7000, 2005, 196 p.)

Value Engineering Applications in Transportation
TRB’s NCHRP Synthesis 352 examines the current value engineering (VE) practices of highway transportation agencies in the United States and Canada. Value engineering (VE) is the systematic review of a project, product, or process to improve performance, quality, and/or life-cycle cost by an independent multidisciplinary team of specialists. The report identifies the reported best practices, key strengths, and challenges of current VE study processes and agency programs, and offers guidance on applying and improving the effectiveness of VE in projects and programs. (Transportation Research Board NCHRP Synthesis 352, 2005, 134 p.)

Urban

Guidebook for Developing and Sharing Transit Bus Maintenance Practices
This report provides guidance on how to develop effective transit bus maintenance practices tailored to the local operating environment. It provides seven sample practices developed using the guidance. Complementing the report is an on-line Web Board (see http://webboard.trb.org/~A1E16/guests) sponsored by the Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Transit Fleet Maintenance (TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 109, 2005, 123 p.)

The Cost of Congestion to the Portland Region
This study included analysis of the Portland region's economic clusters, the economic depedence on traded industries and transportation connections, and the economic role of the region's port/gateway and hub transportation facilities. (Economic Development Research Group Report, December 2005, 72 p.)

Tools for Predicting Usage and Benefits of Urban Bicycle Network Improvements
This report gives a brief overview of four related small research projects. The full papers resulting from the projects are included as appendices. The four projects were related by the theme of bicycling preferences and behavior with regard to bicycling facilities. The studies were also connected by the fact that they were all based on information from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The four reports are: Effect of Trails on Cycling; Value of Bicycle Facilities to Commuters; Effect of Facilities on Commute Mode Share; Cycling Behavior Near Facilities. (Minnesota Department of Transportation Research Report 2005-50, December 2005, 92 p.)

Transportation Intelligence

Volume 4 Number 1

February 2006

Environment

Structures

Winter Maintenance

Safety

Administration

Urban

Feedback

Environment

Structures

Winter Maintenance

Safety

Administration

Urban