General research posts.
This article was originally published by Clear Roads, July 2022.
Each spring, the Clear Roads Technical Advisory Committee meets to review research proposals and select new projects for funding. This year, the committee selected five projects:
Continue reading Clear Roads Selects 2022 Research ProjectsMnDOT’s existing and future assets will become increasingly stressed by extreme weather patterns due to climate change. Minnesota’s assets are particularly vulnerable to projected precipitation increases and larger and more frequent extreme storm events.
Continue reading Webinar Recording: Extreme Flood Vulnerability Assessment ToolFrom a competitive pool of over 75 proposals, MnDOT and the Minnesota Local Road Research Board have funded 25 new research projects and are seeking volunteers to serve as Technical Advisory Panel members and help guide the research.
Continue reading State Research Program Funds Projects to Address Transportation ChallengesThe National Road Research Alliance (NRRA) is hosting “Performance Benefits of Fiber-Reinforced Thin Concrete Pavement and Overlays” on September 21 at 10 a.m. CST, presented by Manik Barman, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Continue reading Research Pays Off Webinar Series: Performance Benefits of Fiber-Reinforced Thin Concrete Pavement and OverlaysMnDOT and the Minnesota Local Road Research Board have funded 26 new research projects and are seeking volunteers to serve as Technical Advisory Panel members and help guide the research.
Continue reading MnDOT & LRRB Award Funding to Innovative ResearchThis article was originally published in Catalyst, November 2020.
Electric scooters let riders move quickly between the roadway and the sidewalk, but these sometimes-unpredictable travel patterns can pose risk for riders and the people around them. Making scooters smarter is the goal of a new U of M research project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Under the $1.2 million Cyber-Physical Systems grant, a cross-disciplinary team will study smart tracking systems on scooters for ensuring safe and smooth interaction with other vehicles and pedestrians.
Continue reading Team Receives NSF Grant to Study ‘Smart e-Scooters’This article was originally published in Catalyst, August 2020.
More than five years ago, U of M researchers studied a group of new teen drivers to gauge the effects of real-time, in-vehicle coaching with their innovative Teen Driver Support System (TDSS) smartphone application. Now, a follow-up study offers new understanding about the system’s long-term effectiveness in reducing risky driving behavior.
Continue reading Smartphone-Based Coaching for New Teen Drivers May Offer Long-Term BenefitsThis article was originally published in Catalyst, August 2020.
By connecting measures of happiness to transportation, researchers are developing new metrics that can help cities prioritize infrastructure investments. In a new study, a research team that included Humphrey School of Public Affairs professor Yingling Fan found that air quality appears to be linked with a variety of emotional well-being (EWB) outcomes.
Continue reading Link Between Air Quality, Happiness Could Guide Infrastructure DecisionsA new research study has shown that few landowners know about MnDOT’s snow fence program, its benefits to community safety and mobility, and incentives to install snow fences. Following community meetings and surveys in four regions of Minnesota, researchers identified promising promotional methods for the snow fence program, the constraints landowners face in adopting snow fences, and incentives and assistance to improve snow fence adoption. Project results will guide MnDOT’s efforts to expand the use of snow fences around the state
Continue reading Promoting Snow Fence Adoption in MinnesotaA new study sponsored by the Minnesota Local Road Research Board has identified 1,000 feet as an optimal sight distance for allowing drivers to make better crossing decisions at rural intersections. Researchers used a state-of the-art driving simulator to examine drivers’ ability to judge traffic speed and gaps between cars at unsignalized intersections with varying sight distances.
Continue reading Optimal Sight Distances at Rural Intersections
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