Model helps analyze EV system impacts, evaluate policies for subsidies and charging
Electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to capture a substantial portion of the future vehicle market. In the short term, however, technology and infrastructure limitations—such as driving range and charging availability—will prevent transition on a large scale. Because EVs will share the road network with gasoline vehicles (GVs), says Alireza Khani, “it’s crucial to understand how EVs and GVs will coexist.”
Thousand-mile trek collects data on Minnesota’s readiness for automated vehicles
How ready is Minnesota for connected and automated vehicles (CAVs)? Last August, researchers took a four-day, 1,086-mile trip around the state to find out. A newly published report details the team’s findings for transportation professionals and agencies as they consider how to make improvements to our transportation infrastructure for automated vehicles and driving.
Article originally published in Catalyst, February 6, 2023.
Supply chains aren’t normally at the top of the news, but pandemic-related disruptions and empty shelves have put them there. What does the future hold for freight and supply chain resilience? Speakers at the 25th Annual Freight and Logistics Symposium reviewed recent challenges and discussed how to make supply chains more cooperative, connected, and resilient.
Overservice—the act of serving alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person—contributes to motor vehicle crashes and violence, and it’s illegal in 48 out of 50 states. Still, U of M researchers say overservice tends to be understudied and underenforced.
Originally published inCatalyst, February 13, 2023.
Public transit services are vital for community health and connectivity, yet the transit solutions found in urban areas—such as frequent bus service and light rail—don’t exist in rural areas. As a result, mobility may be limited in rural communities because of the high costs and low availability of affordable, reliable transportation options.
This article was originally posted on Catalyst, January 2023.
Wearable technology could improve work-zone safety, but are highway workers on board?
Despite ongoing safety efforts, highway maintenance and operations workers have dangerous jobs. According to the Federal Highway Administration, an average of 135 highway workers loses their lives each year because of traffic incursions and limited space for maneuvering. Wearable technology embedded in work gear offers the promise of preventing injuries and deaths—and is already being used successfully in other construction fields. The big question: Would highway workers accept this technology?
This article was originally posted on Catalyst, January 2023.
There’s been a lot of progress toward self-driving cars in recent years, but we still have a long way to go before the system runs like a well-oiled machine. Even with all the advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, automated vehicles (AVs) are still not well-equipped to handle crashes, bad weather, poor visibility, and other unexpected situations on the road.
This article was originally posted on Catalyst, January 2023.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in both the US and the Twin Cities, and commuting trips are a major contributor to these emissions. To meet its emission-reduction mandates, Minnesota needs strategies to reduce auto trips—especially driver-only trips without passengers.
A recent U of M project aimed to leverage existing transportation infrastructure and systems to provide more flexible, multimodal transportation options for parking contract holders at Minneapolis’ ABC Ramps—thereby reducing the number of solo trips.
What’s next in transportation? CTS’s new Future of Mobility series collects the perspectives of top University of Minnesota researchers and other national experts.
In 17 articles, the authors scan the horizon and reflect on critical transportation topics ranging from rural transportation to automated vehicles to equity for users. The future of transportation will be a complex, interconnected set of practices and technologies, and this series brings bold thinking together in one place.
This article was originally posted on Catalyst, November 2022.
Snow fences are a useful tool for controlling snow and ice on Minnesota’s roads. However, installing them relies on the cooperation of landowners. An ongoing collaboration between U of M researchers and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) aims to develop outreach tools that can be used to attract more landowners to the MnDOT snow fence program.
Crossroads 