Thursday, November 7, 2024
Welcome and Opening Keynote: Rural Research Matters
Moderator
Kyle Shelton, Director, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Keynote Speaker
Natalie Villwock-Witte, Assistant Research Professor and Research Engineer, Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University
Panelists
Ryan Daniel, Chief Executive Officer/MPTA President, St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission
Kathryn Draeger, Statewide Director, Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, University of Minnesota Extension
In this presentation, Natalie Villwock-Witte discussed four multidisciplinary research projects she has led in the areas of safety, bicycle and pedestrian travel, and rural transit. The projects' objectives included implementing a transportation voucher program, documenting bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in 15 US communities, implementing an active transportation workshop in rural Pennsylvania, and counting bicyclists and pedestrians in rural Florida.
Through these project examples, Villwock-Witte highlighted common transportation challenges in rural areas and recommendations for addressing them. She also shared lessons learned that may help guide other rural communities in their efforts—and provided resources for working with local agencies and accessing project funding.
Following the presentation, a panel discussion focused on engaging with communities and agencies
Luncheon and Keynote: Innovation and Experimentation in Urban Freight
Opening Comments
Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Keynote Speaker
Anne Goodchild, Founding Director, Urban Freight Lab, University of Washington
The Urban Freight Lab works collaboratively with industry and public agencies to define and study contemporary freight challenges and opportunities that can lead to viable, livable solutions. What does a more equitable and sustainable freight system look like that meets growing consumer demands and business models?
In this presentation, Anne Goodchild discussed the most contemporary research challenges in urban freight and share related insights and results from the Urban Freight Lab. This included results from pilots and experiments with proximity-based last-mile solutions, advanced real-time data collection and distribution, and novel infrastructure concepts. She also compared and contrasted her lab's work with that of living labs conducting innovative freight research internationally,
Concurrent Session 1: Rural Opportunities
Session Moderator: James De Sota, Center for Transportation Studies
Leveraging MnDOT Rights-of-Way for the Clean Energy Transition
Presenter: Jessica Oh, MnDOT
Harnessing Solar Energy through Solar Snow Fences
Presenter: Mijia Yang, Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University
Additional author: Daniel Gullickson, MnDOT
Identifying the Gap: Measuring Accessibility to Essential Destinations in Rural Minnesota
Presenter: Saumya Jain, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Matthew Hockert, Eric Lind, Shirley Shiqin Liu, and Andrew Owen, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Concurrent Session 2: Transit Design and Evaluation
Session Moderator: Beth Engum, Bolton & Menk
Value of Dedicated Right-of-Way: Transit Service Reliability and User Impacts
Presenter: Ying Song, Department of Geography, Environment, and Society, University of Minnesota
Bus-Only Lane Compliance: Design and Enforcement
Presenter: Galen Ryan, Kimley-Horn
A New Model to Guide Regional Transit Investment in a New Era
Presenter: Joseph Reid, Metro Transit
Additional author: Bradley Bobbitt, Metropolitan Council
Concurrent Session 3: Innovations in High-Injury Networks
Session Moderator: Jessica Schoner, Safe Streets Research & Consulting
Innovations in Developing and Using High-Injury Networks at Regional and Statewide Scale
Presenters: Nicole Bitzan, SRF; Sonja Piper, MnDOT; and Heidi Schallberg, Metropolitan Council
Additional authors: Brian Almdale and Rebecca Sanders, Safe Streets Research & Consulting
Concurrent Session 4: Equity Evaluation of Transportation Investment Processes
Session Moderator: Mauricio Leon Mendez, Hennepin County
The Metropolitan Council's Equity Evaluation of Transportation Investment Processes
Presenters: Husniyah Bradley and Edna McKenzie, Equity Policy Group; Ashley Hudson and Marcell Walker, Bolton & Menk; Rebecca Lieser, Bellwether Consulting; and Amy Vennewitz, Metropolitan Council
Concurrent Session 5: The Future of Urban Freight
Session Moderator: Gina Baas, Center for Transportation Studies
Mobile Parcel Locker Location Under Uncertain Demand
Presenter: Can Yin, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Minnesota
Additional author: Yiling Zhang, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Minnesota
Delivering Justice: Toward Equity in Urban Freight Planning
Presenter: Travis Fried, Urban Freight Lab, University of Washington
From Trucks to Trikes: A Case Study of Civilized Cycles' Commercial E-Bikes
Presenter: Marc Liu, Civilized Cycles
Additional author: Zachary Schieffelin, Civilized Cycles
Concurrent Session 6: The Role of Rural Infrastructure
Session Moderator: Joe Gustafson, Washington County
Assessment of Transverse Rumble Strip Patterns at Rural Stop-Controlled Intersections in Minnesota
Presenter: Shauna Hallmark, Institute for Transportation, Iowa State University
Additional authors: Victor Lund, St. Louis County Public Works; Hossein Naraghi, Iowa Department of Transportation; and Nicole Oneyear and David Veneziano, Institute for Transportation, Iowa State University
Investigating the Roles and Impacts of Minnesota's Local Airports
Presenter: Frank Douma, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Joseph Block, Ryan Gaug, and Rylan Juran, MnDOT; and Audrey Clark and Barbara Rhode, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Wastewater Characterization of Septage at Minnesota Rest Areas
Presenter: Jack Gorman, Water Resources Center Onsite Sewage Treatment Program, University of Minnesota
Additional author: Sara Heger, Water Resources Center, University of Minnesota
Concurrent Session 7: Building Skills and Capitalizing on Opportunities for Engagement
Session Moderator: Maddie Huempfner, HDR
Equity Engagement to Shape Regional Transportation
Presenters: Bethany Brandt-Sargent and Cole Hiniker, Metropolitan Council; and Stephanie Devitt, SDK
The Heart of Community Engagement: Listening
Presenter: Brigitte Bjorklund, Zan Associates
Concurrent Session 8: Examining Worker and Public Safety
Session Moderator: Stephanie Malinoff, Center for Transportation Studies
Applied Ergonomics
Presenter: Xingzhou Guo, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth
Additional authors: Yunfeng Chen and Jiansong Zhang, Construction Management Technology, Purdue University
An Examination of Driver Interpretation and Response to Snowplow Rear-End Lighting Configurations
Presenter: Bradley Drahos, Human Factors Safety Lab, University of Minnesota
Additional author: Katelyn Schweiters, Human Factors Safety Lab, University of Minnesota
You Shall Not Pass! Examining Reporting and Enforcement of School Bus Arm Violations in Minnesota
Presenter: Nichole Morris, Human Factors Safety Lab, University of Minnesota
Concurrent Session 9: How Are People Thinking about Modal Shift?
Session Moderator: Lisa Austin, MnDOT
Mode Shift: Shifting Gears or Tailpipe Dreams?
Presenter: Rounaq Basu, Boston Region MPO
Additional authors: Kyle Casiglio and Rebecca Morgan, Boston Region MPO
Are Minnesota Drivers Willing to Drive Less? Connecting Market Research and Travel Behavior Analyses to Meet the State's VMT Reduction Target
Presenter: Kristina Heggedal, MnDOT
Building a Bicycle Network for All: Defining, Expanding, and Connecting a Low-Stress Regional Bike Network
Presenter: Matthew Krause, Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, IL
Additional authors: Benet Haller, Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, IL; and Shirley Shiqin Liu and Andrew Owen, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Concurrent Session 11: The Journey to Zero—Implementing GHG Impact Legislation
Session Moderator: Jon Solberg, MnDOT
The Journey to Zero: Implementing GHG Impact Legislation on Minnesota Highways to Meet Carbon and VMT Reduction Goals
Presenters: Jeffrey Ang-Olson, ICF; Chris Berrens, MnDOT; Eric Lind, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota; and Paul Morris, SRF
Concurrent Session 12: Strategies for Workforce Development
Session Moderator: Stephanie Sisco, University of Minnesota
Becoming an Employer of Choice: A Case Study of Workforce Management Strategies for Public Transportation Agencies
Presenters: Kenneth Bartlett, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, University of Minnesota; and Cynthia Gross and Jay Hietpas, MnDOT
Additional authors: Alexandre Ardichvili, Hyerim Cho, Ana Carolina Rodriguez, and Dadang Sunandar, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development, University of Minnesota
What Works in Building Workforce? Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluations of Metro Transit Bus Operator Hiring Practices
Presenter: Shanta Hejmadi, Metro Transit