“CTS cultivates improvements and innovation in transportation through research, engagement, and education.” This is our mission statement, refined last year as part of a strategic planning process with the CTS Executive Committee.
Our new 2022 Impacts Report illustrates what this mission looks like in practice—and what it means for you.
Continue reading What We Do for You: 2022 CTS Impacts ReportThis article was originally published in Catalyst, August 2022.
Ongoing research is looking into the possibility of using local industrial waste for roadside stormwater construction projects. This would help reduce material and transportation costs and put otherwise wasted materials to use.
Continue reading Treating Stormwater with Local By-Products Reduces Road Construction Costs, Minimizes WasteThis article was originally published in Catalyst, August 2022.
Register to join us at the annual CTS Transportation Research Conference, scheduled for November 3, 2022, at the Graduate Minneapolis Hotel on the east bank of the U of M’s Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis.
Continue reading Register for the 2022 CTS Transportation Research ConferenceThis article was originally published in Catalyst, August 2022.
Connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology is moving forward, with three pilot shuttle projects on tap in Minnesota this year alone. Rapid developments are leaving little time for planners and policymakers to prepare for the mainstreaming of technology and the evolution of the current transportation system—all while ensuring that transportation equity has a seat in the vehicle.
Continue reading Automated Vehicles Could Increase Accessibility for Twin Cities East MetroThis article was originally published in Catalyst, August 2022.
A new technology combining nearly autonomous vehicles with remote “tele-operators” has the potential to overcome both the technological and societal hurdles posed by driverless vehicles. Ride-hailing providers will be an important application for remote-driving technology, and U of M researchers found it offers clear advantages for companies and their customers.
Continue reading Could remote drivers be the future of ride-hailing?Transportation has the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, and trucks make up a significant proportion of that. Most states and local governments have plans to significantly reduce air pollution caused by transportation. The widespread use of electric vehicles is a primary means to achieve that goal. While personal electric vehicles have found their way to the automobile market and charging infrastructures are becoming more available in urban areas, electric trucks would have a bumpy road to being adopted en masse. This is due to the lack of widespread charging infrastructure and incentivizing policies, as well as technical and operational challenges confronting the trucking industries.
Continue reading CTS Webinar: Electrification of the Freight System in Minnesota—Barriers, Opportunities, and a Multicriteria Planning ToolTransportation is a crucial contributor to health: it not only directly shapes the social and physical environments in myriad ways, but it also determines the types of places where people can live, learn, work, and play in their everyday life.
Continue reading CTS Webinar: The Health and Transportation Nexus—A Unified Model Integrating Multiple Mechanisms for Collaborative PlanningJoin the Center for Transportation Studies for a day of discovery and innovation at this year’s Transportation Research Conference, scheduled for November 4, 2021, at the Graduate Minneapolis Hotel. The annual event will convene researchers and practitioners to explore the latest innovations in transportation research, implementation efforts, and engagement activities.
Continue reading Save The Date: 2021 CTS Transportation Research ConferenceIt’s back to school at the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
University of Minnesota Professor Greg Lindsey was recently appointed as MnDOT’s first Scholar-in-Residence.
Lindsey, who is spending his sabbatical on bicycle and pedestrian counting research projects, will be working in the Office of Transit’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Section until June 2016.
Since Lindsey was going to be spending much time at MnDOT anyway conducting his research, the agency invited him to be a Scholar-In-Residence and also office at MnDOT part-time.
“We’ll be working on institutionalizing bicycle and pedestrian counting — so local engineers and planners have evidence for planning and investing in new facilities and establishing priorities for investments to increase safety,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey will help MnDOT develop a district-based plan for permanent and long-term bicycle and pedestrian monitoring following new guidance in the Federal Highway Administration’s Traffic Monitoring Guide.
Lindsey’s appointment expands on MnDOT’s existing partnership with the University of Minnesota’s Center of Transportation Studies and builds on his work for the Minnesota Bicycle and Pedestrian Counting Initiative, a collaborative effort between MnDOT and the university (see Final Report (PDF) ) .
“We are excited about this new collaboration with the University and believe it establishes an important precedent for the future,” MnDOT Commissioner Charles Zelle stated in a letter to Lindsey.
This is believed to be the first time MnDOT has appointed an in-house scholar.
A former Humphrey School of Public Affairs associate dean, Lindsey specializes in environmental and transportation planning, policy, and management. His current research involves non-motorized transportation systems. Partners in his research include the MnDOT, the Minneapolis Department of Public Works, Transit for Livable Communities and the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board.
“[Lindsey’s] work to institutionalize bicycle and pedestrian monitoring throughout Minnesota, is central to our efforts to establish the evidence we need to maximize the efficiency of our investments in infrastructure and the safety of our transportation facilities,” Zelle wrote.
The 25th Annual CTS Transportation Research Conference successfully concluded earlier today, wrapping up a two-day whirlwind of more than two-dozen sessions showcasing a wide range of transportation research results and innovations.
Presentations and materials from the conference, including video of the keynote speakers, will be made available on the CTS website in coming weeks. In the meantime, here are a few photos from the conference.
Crossroads 