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Faculty, staff and students affiliated with �պ����� Transportation Research Center will be participating in 12 presentations and activities at the 104rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, DC this January. Learn more at the link below about the research we will be presenting at this year's meeting.

Summary of �պ����� TRC Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting Presentations and Activities

Faculty, staff and students affiliated with �պ����� Transportation Research Center will be participating in 23 presentations and activities at the 103rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, DC this January. Learn more at the link below about the research we will be presenting at this year's meeting.

Summary of �պ����� TRC Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting Presentations and Activities

Clare Nelson, Meg Fay, and Parker King have been awarded a grant from the Dwight D Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program.��

For more information on the fellowship check out��https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/careers/ddetfp.cfm.

Dana Rowangould and Louis Merlin from Florida Atlantic University will be giving a webinar focused on their research on pedestrian accessibility. Visit the for more information and to register.

The TRC’s Sarah Grajdura and Dana Rowangould will be starting a new research project focused on the role of mobility, housing, and infrastructure in equitable flood recovery in Vermont. This effort will build upon the research team’s ongoing research on the transportation needs of those with limited access to vehicles in the largely rural Northeast Kingdom region of Vermont. The project will include interviews and surveys of those affected by the July 2023 flood to better understand how floods affect rural Vermonters, particularly those with fewer resources. The objective of this research is to better understand the factors that contribute to peoples’ ability to adapt and recover from natural disasters, which are expected to become more frequent and more severe with climate change. The team is excited to continue their partnership with several organizations who are working to address poverty and improve community resilience in the Northeast Kingdom. Sarah Grajdura, the postdoctoral scholar who will be leading this project, brings experience in post-disaster research from her dissertation research, which evaluated evacuation and post-disaster sheltering following the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California.

Dr. Dana Rowangould, James Sullivan, and �ʲ����������ʱ�����������Ჹ��'s research has been recognized as a 2024 High Value Reaserch (HVR) project.��The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Research Advisory Committee (AASHTO RAC) selects only 16 projects to be selected as High Value Research projects. Our researcher's work on the VTrans project��Effectiveness of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at Mid-Block Crosswalks��has been one of the few selected. For more information on this project, visit our current projects page.

TRC was represented well at the in Orlando, Florida.

This year's conference was titled Smart Growth: Balancing Development, Restoration, and Resiliency. Researchers nationwide shared their findings and solutions surounding this topic through presentations, panels, and posters. Our very own Greg Rowangould, Brittany Antonczak, Harry Schukei, Clare Nelson, and Narges Ahmadnia��presented their research.

Project titles can be found below:

Whose Emissions Are You Breathing? Evaluating the�� Contributions of Urban, Suburban and Rural Households to�� Mobile Source Emission Exposure

Presented by: Mitchell​ Robinson, Gregory Rowangould, Mohammad Tayarani ()

An Updated Census of the US Near Roadway Population and Multiscale Equity Analysis Using Novel Mobile Source Emission Exposure Surrogates ​

Presented by: Gregory Rowangould, Brittany Antonczak, Tammy Thompson (EDF), Mindi W. DePaola (EDF)

A Deeper Look into the Relationships between Travel Behavior and the Built Environment Using Data on Relocated Households in Vermont ​

Presented by: Clare A. Nelson, Gregory Rowangould

Can Smart Growth Reduce Vehicle Travel in Rural�� Communities? ​

Presented by:��Harry Schukei, Dana Rowangould

A Spatial Analysis of the Fuel Economy Rebound Effect�� Focusing on Small and Rural Communities.​

Presented by: Narges Ahmadnia, Gregory Rowangould

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In March, the �պ����� TRC was awarded $20 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as a part of funding for research on sustainable and equitable travel in rural areas. This funding is vital in finding solutions to the evergrowing problems that many of our communities in Vermont and worldwide face regarding trasnportation.

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This January, �պ����� Transportation Research Center (TRC) attended the����in Washington, DC. The TRC was well represented with 12 faculty and students that presented their research on a number of topics surrounding transportation. TRC faculty and students were able to not only present their research, but attended more than 600 workshops, poster sessions, and lectern sessions with thousands of other transportation professionals. This year's spotlight theme of the meeting was��Rejuvenation Out of Disruption: Envisioning a Transportation System for a Dynamic Future.��

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Travel Behavior, Attitudes, and Barriers to Change in Small and Rural Communities

Date & Time

April 1, 2022

1:10 PM

Kalkin 007

Abstract

Travel behavior and its underlying factors in small and rural communities has been historically understudied in transportation research. By understanding these factors and behaviors, a clearer picture of these regions can be drawn so that meaningful change towards greenhouse gas reductions can be realized. My research aims to examine barriers to making sustainable travel behavior changes such as using multi-modal transportation, reducing overall amounts of travel, or moving to locations closer to necessary services. I do this by first evaluating what “rural” means in terms of existing definitions of the term. I then analyze interviews conducted with Vermonters to get first-hand accounts of what types of change people think are possible as well as the barriers to achieving this change. The assessment of rural definitions analyzes vehicle miles traveled (VMT) calculated from statewide inspection and registration data under multiple definitions of urban and rural. Large discrepancies were found to occur in VMT depending on the definition used, and common presuppositions, such as rural areas being those that experience the highest VMT, are directly questioned. The results presented here suggest that multiple ways of defining rurality can conclude differing results, and that the way in which we classify rural areas should be reevaluated. The interviews then employed questions on day-to-day challenges of traveling, suggestions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in their communities, responses to fuel prices, and opinions on electric vehicles were asked. Rural areas struggle most frequently with traveling long distances to reach services, while urban areas are more concerned with traffic, opinions on EV ownership were consistent across the state, with people being likely to consider owning an EV if costs of ownership were to decrease. These two components of my research highlight that rural travel behavior stereotypes may not accurately reflect reality and that while there are barriers, opportunities exist to bring about greenhouse gas emissions reductions from transportation in small and rural communities.

Travel Behavior, Attitudes, and Barriers to Change in Small and Rural Communities

Date & Time

April 1, 2022

1:10 PM

Kalkin 007

Abstract

Travel behavior and its underlying factors in small and rural communities has been historically understudied in transportation research. By understanding these factors and behaviors, a clearer picture of these regions can be drawn so that meaningful change towards greenhouse gas reductions can be realized. My research aims to examine barriers to making sustainable travel behavior changes such as using multi-modal transportation, reducing overall amounts of travel, or moving to locations closer to necessary services. I do this by first evaluating what “rural” means in terms of existing definitions of the term. I then analyze interviews conducted with Vermonters to get first-hand accounts of what types of change people think are possible as well as the barriers to achieving this change. The assessment of rural definitions analyzes vehicle miles traveled (VMT) calculated from statewide inspection and registration data under multiple definitions of urban and rural. Large discrepancies were found to occur in VMT depending on the definition used, and common presuppositions, such as rural areas being those that experience the highest VMT, are directly questioned. The results presented here suggest that multiple ways of defining rurality can conclude differing results, and that the way in which we classify rural areas should be reevaluated. The interviews then employed questions on day-to-day challenges of traveling, suggestions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in their communities, responses to fuel prices, and opinions on electric vehicles were asked. Rural areas struggle most frequently with traveling long distances to reach services, while urban areas are more concerned with traffic, opinions on EV ownership were consistent across the state, with people being likely to consider owning an EV if costs of ownership were to decrease. These two components of my research highlight that rural travel behavior stereotypes may not accurately reflect reality and that while there are barriers, opportunities exist to bring about greenhouse gas emissions reductions from transportation in small and rural communities.

The �պ����� Transportation Research Center is seeking part- and full-time student research assistants for summer 2022!

Research areas include:

• Transportation equity
• Sustainable land use and transportation planning
• Rural transportation
• Pedestrian safety

Who can apply?

• current students
• recent graduates

Applicants with at least one of the following qualifications are encouraged to apply:

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• Experience with qualitative and/or quantitative analysis
• Coursework in engineering, statistics, social sciences, geography, sustainability, community development, or related fields
• Spanish proficiency

Compensation (depends on experience):

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• Current students: $12.55 –16/hr
• Recent graduates: $18 –25/hr

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter describing your interests to Dana.Rowangould@uvm.edu. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis starting on March 31, 2022.

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With Commencement around the corner, the TRC sends off several undergraduate and graduate researchers to start their lives and careers beyond �պ�����.�� Some students are entering the workforce as transportation planners and engineers, while others are continuing their studies at the graduate level. Here are just a few ways our students will bring what they have learned from their research to support more sustainable, equitable, and resilient transportation systems in Vermont and beyond.

FULL STORY>>>

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A Summary of the research TRC faculty and students presented is provided below:

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Eligible Applicants

Awards will be made to individuals or teams of researchers at �պ�����. Applicants must be approved to serve as a Principal Investigator (PI) at �պ����� to apply for an NCST faculty research grant.

Eligible Projects

NCST's goal is to produce research that directly supports the efforts of policy makers and professionals to improve the sustainability of the transportation systems. Proposed projects at �պ����� must fall under one of more of the following NCST research foci:

• Environmentally Responsible Infrastructure and Operations
• Multi-Modal Travel and Sustainable Land Use
• Zero-Emission Vehicle and Fuel Technologies
• Institutional Change

Within the NCST team, �պ����� contributes to the following topics:

• Adaptation planning and resiliency
• Long distance or intercity travel
• Non-motorized transportation
• Vehicle emissions
• Workforce development

Proposals in these areas are particularly encouraged by �պ�����.

Three types of proposals will be considered:

1. Seed grant proposals��for new ideas that are not well developed but address animportant topic with potentially large impact, for a maximum of $23,000 (total costs = direct + indirect costs)
2. White paper proposals��to synthesize existing evidence and identify research gaps for critical policy questions, for a maximum of $37,000 (total costs = direct + indirect costs). White papers are aimed at a broad audience of professionals and policy-makers. The proposal should include a meeting with policy-makers, researchers, and/or practitioners as part of the white paper development process.
3. Research Project proposals��by one or more PIs for a particular project, for $85,000 (total costs = direct and indirect costs) for one year.

Number of Projects Funded

Funding of 3-4 projects using federal fiscal year 2022 funding is expected.

Period of Performance

Click here for the full RFP

Professor Mandar Dewoolkar is leading a team on a new TRC��, supported by the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center, that is investigating how Processed Glass Aggregate may be able to replace sand-based materials in transportation projects in Vermont.

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In February, �պ����� Transportation Research Center Director, Dr. Greg Rowangould, participated in a Capitol Hill briefing on electric vehicle markets hosted by the��. Dr. Rowangould addressed some of the successes, barriers, and policy gaps that Vermont and neighboring states in the northeast face with electric vehicle adoption as largely rural states in cold climates

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