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Previous studies have shown that the optimal speed trajectories for vehicles with different engine types (e.g., gasoline versus electric vehicles) are very different under certain conditions. This study aims to solve this issue by developing a general speed control algorithm that calculates a compromised solution across different vehicle engine types while optimizing the entire mixed […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is an evolving and important tool, enabling technology to augment human tasks and perform tasks humans cannot or would not. In the field of transportation, automated vehicles (AVs) are perhaps the best-known application of AI. However, there are other examples of AI which can improve safety, operational performance, data collection and analytics, […]
Strength loss in high plasticity clay soils is a common occurrence along roadways in western and central Alabama and has considerable impact on pavement distress and slope failures. Approximately $16 million was spent to repair slope failures in western and central Alabama between 2005 and 2015 with many of these failures occurring in areas with […]
The number and rate of traffic fatalities in the U.S. surged starting in 2020, even as the rate of vehicle travel plunged while the nation grappled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend of increasing traffic fatalities continued in 2021, as vehicle travel returned to near pre-pandemic levels. From 2021 to 2022 the […]
This report provides a primer on location-based service (LBS) data and its uses in public transportation. It defines LBS data, describes the techniques for collecting and processing the data, and the key parties involved. The report highlights opportunities, limitations, and potential risks of using LBS data, based on the literature and interviews with transit agencies, […]
Pull up to a fast-charging station with a low charge and it’ll be 20-60 minutes until you’re back on the road with a nearly full battery. Plug in at home on a lower-voltage connection and you’re looking at a charging time of multiple hours. Electric-vehicle startup Fisker has an ingenious solution to ease that pain. Rather […]
Drivers 15 to 20 years old—many of whom were novice drivers—represented 8.5 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes but only 5.1 percent of all licensed drivers in 2020. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws are the most effective behavioral countermeasure for young drivers. However, although an increasing proportion of young people are delaying licensure until […]
Transportation has historically not been a variable of interest in studying homelessness. Transportation planning has often failed to meet the needs of many low-income populations, including people experiencing homelessness (PEH), those who have been justice-involved, and other environmental justice (EJ) populations. PEH frequently rely on public transit systems and facilities as more than a mode […]
Distracted driving is a major contributor to crashes. In 2020, there were 3,142 lives lost to crashes involving distracted driving (Stewart, 2022). Countermeasures that aim to reduce distracted driving exist, such as laws, enforcement campaigns, outreach, and programs for adult and teen drivers (Venkatraman et al., 2021). However, these typically target the drivers themselves; few […]
The COVID-19 pandemic, mitigation efforts such as stay-at-home orders, and ensuing trends such as the rise in working from home, have had substantial impacts on traffic. In March, NHTSA reported that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) decreased 11% from 2019 to 2020, while police-reported crashes decreased 22%. However, fatalities per 100 million VMT increased 21% from […]