PROJECTS
An Automated System for Large-scale Intersection Marking Data Collection and Condition Assessment
This project aims to develop an AI-powered system to intelligently detect and characterize intersection markings (e.g., lane-use arrows and crosswalks) and to assess their degradation conditions with existing roadway GIS data and aerial images.
Sponsor: National Acadamy of Sciences NCHRP & Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Date: 2021 Jan - 2022 Dec
Incorporating the 10th Edition ITE rates into VDOT Regulations
Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) released the Trip Generation (TG) 10th edition in 2017, which significantly updated its database and some of its trip generation rates were substantially lower than those of earlier editions. This study aims to investigate the applicability of the TG 10th edition in various Virginia contexts and to recommend how to incorporate the TG 10th edition into state regulations.
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Date: 2020 Feb - 2021 Jun
Guidelines for Collecting Transit Ridership Data
The goal of this research project is to develop a set of guidelines for collecting transit ridership data in Virginia. The research team will accomplish this goal by examining existing practices in ridership data collection among agencies in the U.S. as well as in Virginia.
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Date: 2020 Jun - 2021 Dec
What is an Effective Way to Measure Arterial Demand When It Exceeds Capacity?
Quantifying travel demand is an essential element in both transportation planning and operations since key performance measures (e.g., benefit-cost ratios, travel delays, emissions) depend heavily on the demand level. The overall goal of this proposed project is to identify an effective way to estimate demand when it exceeds capacity.
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Date: 2020 Apr - 2021 Dec
Improving Safety Service Patrol Performance
The core services of Safety Service Patrols (SSPs) include detection of incidents disrupting traffic, reducing incident duration, clearing obstructions, setting temporary traffic control for emergency responders, and other types of assistance that improve traffic operations and safety. This project aims to develop a methodology and a tool to assist VDOT to optimize SSP routes, schedules, staging, and personnel needed to serve a given corridor.
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Date: 2021 Jun - 2023 May
Reconsidering the Impact of Access Spacing on Crash Risk
State agencies develop access management regulations that provide systematic control of the location, spacing, design, and operations of access points. The spacing of access points is one of the most critical elements in access management. Closely spaced intersections and driveways would increase the crash risk, despite the accessibility it can offer. The purpose of this proposed research is to determine whether or not and in what direction access spacing affects safety. The findings of this project will ultimately be used to improve VDOT’s current practice of access management.
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Date: 2022 Feb - 2022 Aug
Factors Influencing Pedestrian Decisions to Cross Mid-Block and Potential Countermeasures
Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users. According to the 2017 Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Pedestrian Crash Assessment, pedestrian fatalities in Virginia have increased by 19% since 2012. Pedestrian crashes occurring at midblock raise significant concerns as some pedestrians prefer to cross at mid-blocks even though neighboring signalized intersections provide them a protected crossing phase. The goal of this research is to investigate factors influencing pedestrian decisions to cross mid-blocks and identify potential countermeasures to enhance pedestrian safety. We aim to answer the basic question why do pedestrians cross mid-blocks and to develop safety solutions accordingly.
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Date: 2022 Apr - 2024 Mar
Modeling Human-Autonomy Interactions in Safety-Critical Situations Using a Networked Driving Simulation Platform
Automated vehicle technologies have a great potential for enhancing driving safety. Since automated vehicles can take care of some driving tasks without direct driver input, human drivers will play a completely different role in driving. This project will develop a networked driving simulation platform to study the drivers’ responses to safety-critical events in vehicles with different levels of automation. It will lead to a systematic understanding of human drivers’ role in automated vehicles and can facilitate the development of driving assistance systems to prevent crashes.
Sponsor: ODU Multidisciplinary Research Seed Grant
Date: 2022 Aug - 2023 July
Transportation Systems and Flood Resilience under Dynamic Sea Level Rise: Integrated Modeling to Assess Natural and Nature-Based Solutions for Roadway Flooding in Hampton Roads, Virginia
There are critical gaps in the understanding of how flooding results in surface transportation network degradation, which is needed to be able to assess the performance of flood protection systems. To provide guidance on the effectiveness of different flood mitigation approaches for protecting surface transportation networks from compound flooding, a new dynamic and integrated modeling framework of existing models is proposed. The framework employs hydrodynamic and morphodynamic modeling to calculate recurrent and intense flooding. Subsequent analyses will derive pavement response using a finite-element model, flood-induced mobility loss in surface transportation networks using an agent-based model, and regional economic impacts.
Sponsor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Date: 2022 Sep - 2026 Sep
Engaged Learning Environment for Emerging Transportation Technologies
This project aims to serve the national interest by establishing a novel learning platform, Engaged Learning Environment for Emerging Transportation Technologies (ELET2), to deliver fundamental and up-to-date knowledge on emerging transportation technologies to undergraduate students. Under the Engaged Student Learning track, this Level 1 project will employ advanced simulation, visualization, and modeling techniques to develop the ELET2 platform that promotes vivid, engaging, and realistic learning experiences and critical thinking through integrated active and experiential learning processes.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Date: 2023 Oct - 2026 Sep
Leveraging Connected Car Data for Speed Studies
The goal of this proposed research is to enhance highway safety by utilizing large-scale real-world connected vehicle data to conduct a comprehensive analysis of speeding behavior on Virginia's highways. This study will dissect the multifaceted influences on vehicular speed, encompassing variables such as the posted speed limit, roadway geometry, prevailing weather conditions, traffic density, adjacent land use, the implementation of access controls or traffic signals, and the enforcement of speed limits by law enforcement or technological means. By identifying and understanding these factors, the research seeks to provide insights into the patterns and causes of speeding, thereby informing targeted strategies for reducing speed-related crashes.
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Date: 2023 Oct - 2025 Apr
Developing Improved Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation Tools for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and Automated Driving System Applications
This research is focused on utilizing analysis, modeling, and simulation to explore the advantages of a newly developed Multivariate Piecewise Linear (MPL) Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) model, which is based on thorough field data gathered from vehicles equipped with ACC. The current study builds upon a prior project that introduced a Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) based Speed Harmonization (SH) algorithm, by incorporating truck traffic into the flow and conducting experiments to assess the impact of both the SH and MPL ACC model, either independently or in combination. The MPL ACC model being studied was applied and evaluated using the SUMO simulation.
Sponsor: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Date: 2023 Sep - 2024 Jul