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Center for
Transportation Studies
University of Minnesota
200 Transportation & Safety Building
511 Washington Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 612-626-1077
Fax: 612-625-6381
E-mail: cts@umn.edu
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2011 CTS Highlights
Programs & Institutes
Transport and Land Use
CTS sponsors the publication of the Journal of Transport and Land Use, an open-access, peer-reviewed online journal publishing original interdisciplinary papers on the interaction of transport and land use.
Read JTLU
Collision in the making between self-driving cars and how the world works
New York Times, January 23, 2012
The implications of autonomous vehicles were debated by Silicon Valley technologists, legal scholars, and government regulators last week at a daylong symposium sponsored by the Law Review and High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University. University of Minnesota researcher Frank Douma presented at the symposium, where he said that many simple questions—like whether the police should have the right to pull over autonomous vehicles—have yet to be answered.
Read more at the New York Times
Read a related story at Mercury News
Minnesota Traffic Observatory makes transportation smarter
Business @ the U of M, January 12, 2012
To improve your daily commute, the Minnesota Traffic Observatory plays a major role behind the scenes, studying everything from busy intersections to electronic toll lanes. Safety is the lab’s top priority. The observatory, which falls under the umbrella of the University of Minnesota’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute, is a high-tech transportation lab that develops tools for surveying, monitoring and managing traffic systems.
Accessibility matrix used to compare U.S. cities
PLoS ONE, January 12, 2012
A recently published paper by David Levinson, Braun/CTS Chair in Transportation Engineering, outlines the use of an accessibility matrix to compare U.S. cities. The project, part of the Access to Destinations Study coordinated by CTS, examined how network scale and connectivity vary with city size.
U of M startup uses mobile app to monitor and coach teen driving skills
UMNews, January 12, 2012
Using research from the University of Minnesota, the company Drive Power, LLC, aims to change grim statistics for teen drivers involved in crashes by introducing DriveScribe, a revolutionary mobile app that encourages safe driving habits and provides real-time coaching to novice drivers. The technology was developed by University mechanical engineering department researchers through research funded by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the ITS Institute.
Good Question: Are cell phones the most distracting?
WCCO-TV, December 13, 2011
The National Transportation Safety Board wants every state to ban all cell phones used by drivers—no texting, no talking, not even hands-free. But are cell phones more distracting than any of the other distractions inside our cars? According to ITS Institute Director Max Donath, crash statistics indicate that there is a serious problem.
Are streetcars the answer to our transit and environmental needs?
MinnPost, December 12, 2011
Patrick Condon, an urban planner and professor at the University of British Columbia, wants to turn back the clock to the streetcar era. Speaking last week at the CTS Fall Luncheon, Condon said bringing back the streetcar is the best thing cities can do to reduce their emission of greenhouse gases and become more sustainable.
Read more at MinnPost
Watch a recording of Condon's presentation
Jan. 31: ITS seminar examines the visual accessibility of indoor spaces
This ITS Institute seminar will explore how visual accessibility affects the mobility of individuals with low vision. Psychology professor Gordon Legge will also outline the development of a new form of adaptive technology to assist visually impaired individuals with indoor navigation. The seminar will be held Tuesday, January 31, from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., in 1130 Mechanical Engineering.
Feb. 7: Research seminar reviews performance specifications for asphalt
This research seminar, cosponsored by CTS and the Transportation Engineering and Road Research Alliance, will focus on the development of low-temperature performance specifications for asphalt mixtures. Civil engineering associate professor Mihai Marasteanu will also suggest the steps necessary to move towards successful implementation. The seminar will be held Tuesday, February 7, from 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m., in Room 101 at Walter Library.
Feb. 9: Annual TERRA conference highlights pavement innovations
The TERRA Pavement Conference provides practical information to practitioners and others interested in pavement design, construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance. The 2012 conference, held February 9 at the Continuing Education and Conference Center in St. Paul, will include sessions on pavement preservation, MnROAD research results, and low-volume roads.
Feb. 14: Winter luncheon explores how transportation systems shape cities
At the CTS Winter Luncheon, Michel Parent will use the example of the greater Paris region to explore how new transportation technologies can help cities meet the challenges of mobility. The luncheon will be held on February 14 at the University Hotel Minneapolis.
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CTS and its programs offer free webinars on a wide range of transportation topics.
Techplan research uses smartphones to improve safety
An August forum focused on current research by the TechPlan program, a collaboration between the ITS Institute at CTS and the State and Local Policy Program at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Portable weigh station for rural roads debuts at MnROAD
In August, the Minnesota Department of Transportation hosted a demonstration of a portable weigh-in-motion system at the MnROAD pavement research facility near Albertville, Minnesota.