2025 CTS Transportation Research Conference Program

Moderator

Kyle Shelton, Director, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota

Keynote Speaker

Alison Conway, Herbert G. Kayser Professor of Civil Engineering, The City College of New York

Panelists

Robin Hutcheson, Senior Fellow, Center for Transportation Studies (moderator) 
Leah Shaver, President and CEO, The National Transportation Institute

Description

Over the last two decades, rapid evolution in e-commerce and omnichannel retail models have required continuous supply chain innovations. New facility types, vehicles, and distribution strategies have emerged, challenging existing land-use policies and transportation infrastructure—and influencing both freight and personal travel behaviors.

Drawing on research studies conducted in New York City, Pennsylvania, and the U.S. national context, Alison Conway explored broad trends in e-commerce supply chain organization. She also discussed recent research findings, implications for freight and passenger travel demand, needed updates to planning and design practice, and remaining areas of research need.

Following the presentation, Conway was joined by Leah Shaver for a discussion moderated by CTS Senior Fellow Robin Hutcheson.

Materials

• Watch the presentation recording
• Summary article: How e-commerce is rewriting the rules of freight transportation

Opening Comments

Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Transportation

Keynote Speaker

Robert Hampshire, Executive Director, Research Development Office, University of Minnesota

Description

In this presentation, Robert Hampshire explored how the nexus of research, innovation, and implementation in academia, agencies, and the private sector can transform transportation. Drawing on his experiences at the USDOT, Hampshire will highlight lessons learned from partnerships with universities and practitioners across the country. He will also share his perspectives on the impact and importance of transportation research informing practice.

Materials

• Watch the presentation recording
• Summary article: Social capital can bridge gap between transportation research and real-world impact

Session moderator: Krysten Foster, Stonebrooke Engineering

Examining Rural Intersection Design and Signage on Driver Performance Via a Driving Simulation Study

Presenter: Bradley Drahos, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota

What Did We Just Pass? Modern Dissemination of Highway Interpretive Markers

Presenter: Natalie Villwock-Witte, Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University 
Additional authors: Karalyn Clouser, Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University, and the Montana Department of Transportation

Rural Mobility and Access: Leveraging Big Data Analytics and Context-Aware Computing

Presenter: Xiaohuan Zeng, Department of Geography, Environment and Society, University of Minnesota 
Additional authors: Ying Song, Meicheng Xiong, and Di Zhu, Department of Geography, Environmental and Society, University of Minnesota

Session moderator: Dan Pfeiffer, Zan Associates

Presenters: Jason Craig, CH Robinson; Dan Pfeiffer, Zan Associates; John Tompkins, Minnesota Freight Advisory Committee; and Mark Wegner, TC & W Railroad

Session moderator: Beth Engum, Bolton & Menk

Investigation of Winter Tenting of Transverse Cracks in Asphalt Pavement

Presenter: Chrysogonus Asante, Civil Engineering Department, University of Minnesota Duluth

Development of Non-Proprietary Ultra-High-Performance Concrete for Use in Minnesota and Wisconsin Bridge Girders

Presenter: Jensen Rice, Civil Engineering Department, University of Minnesota Duluth
Additional authors: Mary Christiansen, Abdullah Haroon, and Kate McCabe, Civil Engineering Department, University of Minnesota Duluth

Experimental Investigation on Compaction Properties of Asphalt Mixtures with High RAP Content

Presenter: Zifeng Zhao, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota 
Additional authors: Shambhavi Khanal, Jia-Liang Le, Mihai Marasteanu, and Mugur Turos, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota

Session Moderator: Ross Bintner, City of Edina 

MnDOT Aeronautics's Minnesota Electric Aviation Network Study Findings and Results

Presenter: Joseph Block, MnDOT

Driving Change: Minnesota Case Study in Public Fleet Electrification

Presenter: Anna Pierce, MnDOT

Costs, Benefits, and Policy Lessons from the First Three Years of the EV Spot Network 

Presenter: Will Schroeer, East Metro Strong

Session moderator: Lisa Austin, MnDOT

Presenters: Jeff Metcalf and Jessica Oh, MnDOT

Session moderator: Amber Cameron, Office for Public Engagement, University of Minnesota

Pay and Working Conditions in the Long-Distance Truck and Bus Industries: Assessing for Effects on Driver Safety and Retention

Presenter: Stephen Burks, Division of Social Science, University of Minnesota Morris 
Additional authors: Bradford Chaney, Committee on National Statistics; Stephen Godwin, Thomas Menzies, and Noel Popwell, Transportation Research Board; and the Committee for a Study of the Impacts of Alternative Compensation Methods on Truck Driver Retention and Safety Performance

Minnesota Freight Network Optimization Tool Use Cases

Presenter: Ben Zietlow, Quetica, and Andrew Andrusko, MnDOT
Additional authors: Minnesota Department of Transportation, Minnesota IT Services, and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

Assessment of Sustainable Last-Mile Delivery Strategies with Urban Transit and Crowdsourced Bikes

Presenter: Nastaran Tork, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Alireza Khani, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota

Session moderator: Paul Morris, SRF

Driving Through History: The Evolution of the Twin Cities Regional Highway System and Its Impacts on Surrounding Communities

Presenter: Haila Maze, Bolton & Menk

Mitigating Community Harms of Dense Highway Infrastructure ‘Spaghetti Junctions’

Presenter: Robin Phinney, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota 
Additional authors: Frank Douma and Camila Fonseca-Sarmiento, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota; Jerry Zhao, Zhejiang University

Advancing Equity in Capital Investment Decision Making

Presenter: Alan Roy, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Yuan Cheng, Frank Douma, and Camila Fonseca-Sarmiento, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

Session moderator: Mauricio Leon, University of Minnesota

NO-HEAT: A Research Agenda Integrating Urban Microclimate Modeling and Transportation Modeling for Resilient Multimodal Transportation Planning

Presenter: Rounaq Basu, School of City and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology

Risks of Tire-Derived Microplastics to Butterflies and Other Pollinators Using Roadside Habitat

Presenter: Emilie Snell-Rood, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota 
Additional authors: Jenna Duncan, Thea Evans, Leta Landucci, and Elin Wellmann, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota

Evaluating Transport of Stockpiled Mississippi River System Sand for Beach Nourishment and Other Uses

Presenter: Breann Popkin, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Session moderator: Melissa Barnes, MnDOT

Presenter: Tony Boun, Nerdery 
Additional author: Sarah Mixdorf, Google Cloud Public Sector

Session moderator: Kristina Heggedal, MnDOT

Counting Carbon: Implementing GHG Impact Legislation to Achieve Minnesota's Carbon and VMT Reduction Goals

Presenters: Chris Berrens, MnDOT

Powering Mode Shift Through Transportation Demand Management

Presenters: Kaitlyn Denten, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, and Caroline Ketcham, MnDOT

Session moderator: Joe Gustafson, Washington County

Property-Damage-Only Crash Reporting Time Burdens and Requirements

Presenter: William Kessler, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota

Establishing a Methodology of Onboard Data Collection for Transit System Safety Analysis

Presenter: Marshall Mabry, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Curtis Craig, Brian Davis, and Nichole Morris, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota

The Road to Resolution: Analyzing Outcomes of Traffic Safety Violations

Presenter: Nichole Morris, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota 
Additional authors: Frank Douma and Grace Foss, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota; Stephanie Malinoff, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota; and Andrew Ryan, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota

Session moderator: Katie Caskey, HDR

Can an Identified Environmental Correlate of Car Ownership Serve as a Practical Planning Tool?

Presenter: Jason Cao, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Additional author: Tao Tao, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

Transportation Changes Land Use: How the St. Croix Bridge Shaped Accessibility, Housing Construction, and Travel Behavior

Presenter: Matthew Hockert, Accessibility Observatory, University of Minnesota
Additional author: Eric Lind, Accessibility Observatory, University of Minnesota

Competing or Complementary? Assessing the Benefits of Demand-Responsive Transit Service in a Small US Urban Region

Presenter: Bogdan Kapatsila, School of Planning and Public Affairs, University of Iowa

Elements of Access Change: Travel Times and Land Use

Presenter: Andrew Owen, Accessibility Observatory, University of Minnesota