Staff members from NDSU’s Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute participated in the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting Jan. 12-16 in Washington, D.C. The 93rd annual meeting attracted nearly 12,000 transportation professionals from around the world with more than 4,500 presentations in nearly 800 sessions and workshops focusing on all modes of transportation. The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council.
Brenda Lantz, associate director of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, serves as chair of the board’s Truck and Bus Safety Committee and presided at several meetings and sessions.
Kim Vachal, director of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute’s Rural Transportation Safety and Security Center, presented "Calibration of Highway Safety Manual Predictive Methods for Rural Local Roads" along with Xiao Qin and Chen Zhi of South Dakota State University. Their poster was part of a session on highway safety performance. Their research focused on an approach to more accurately calibrate the Highway Safety Manual for use with rural local two-lane, two-way highway segments.
Vachal, Qin and Zhi also presented "Evaluating Local and Tribal Rural Road Design with Interactive Safety Design Model." Their poster was part of a session on case studies in performance-based analysis of geometric design. The research addressed two key goals relating to improving traffic safety in the region: first, to examine public perceptions of traffic safety issues and priorities; and, second, to address crash trends and possible intervention strategies with a focus on large truck/passenger vehicle interaction.
Researcher Andrew Kubas and Vachal presented "Oil County Traffic Safety: Perspective of Western North Dakota Residents" as part of a session on data-driven decision making in highway safety management. The paper examines public perceptions of traffic safety issues and priorities, and addresses crash trends and possible intervention strategies with a focus on large truck/passenger vehicle interactions.
Researcher Jeremy Mattson presented "Evaluating the state of Mobility Management and Human Service Transportation Coordination" as part of a poster session on achievements and future solutions in accessible transportation and mobility.
Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute director Denver Tolliver presented "Freight System Effects of the Bakken Shale Boom as part of a session on energy development and the transportation system.
Others attending the meeting were researchers Nimish Dharmadhikari, Ranjit Godavarthy and Diomo Motuba, Jill Hough, director of Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute’s Small Urban and Rural Transit Center and Brad Wentz, director of the institute’s Advanced Traffic Analysis Center and Department of Transportation Support Center.
The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute is a research and education center at NDSU that provides outreach promoting the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. For more information, visit http://www.ugpti.org.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.