Thursday, November 5, 2026
8:00–8:45 a.m. • Registration and Buffet Breakfast (Memorial Hall)
Check in at the registration desk, enjoy a buffet breakfast, and network with other attendees.
8:45–10:15 a.m. • Welcome and Opening Keynote: Addressing Transportation Challenges Through University–Agency Collaboration (Memorial Hall)
Moderator
Kyle Shelton, Director, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Panelists
Karen Philbrick, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University
Gregory Winfree, Director, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Di Yang, Assistant Professor of Transportation & Urban Infrastructure Studies, Morgan State University
Description
CTS has been pleased to celebrate its 40th anniversary throughout 2026, reflecting on the work, partnerships, and impact of the last four decades. In this session, held in conjunction with this CTS milestone, Director Kyle Shelton will be joined by three leaders from peer research institutions across the country. The group will explore the ways that university-based transportation research has helped advance foundational knowledge and informed the practice of many public agency partners.
10:15–10:30 a.m. • Break (Memorial Hall)
Enjoy refreshments and network with other attendees.
10:30–11:45 a.m. • Concurrent Session 1: Multimodal Safety (Heritage Gallery)
Session moderator: Joe Gustafson, Washington County
Safety Beyond Crashes: Pathways for Advancing Transportation and Human Safety
Presenter: Rounaq Basu, School of City and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology
Significant Crash Characteristics Associated with E-scooter and E-bike Crashes
Presenter: Aimee Jefferson, MnDOT
Additional author: Janice Daniel, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Stop Arm Camera Deployment in Greater Minnesota
Presenter: Chris Webb, Southwest Regional Development Commission
10:30–11:45 a.m. • Concurrent Session 2: Structures and Materials (Minnesota Room)
Session moderator: Beth Engum, Bolton & Menk
Proactive Pays: Quantifying the Life-Cycle Benefits of Bridge Maintenance Using MnDOT Data
Presenters: Basak Betkas, Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Minnesota State University, Mankato; and Sarah Sondag, MnDOT
A Lab-to-Plant Evaluation of Non-Proprietary Ultra-High-Performance Concrete for Use in Minnesota and Wisconsin Bridge Girders
Presenter: Katherine McCabe, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Minnesota Duluth
Additional authors: Mary Christiansen, Abdullah Haroon, and Brock Hedegaard, University of Minnesota Duluth; and Steve Barbachyn, Cathy French, Ben Worsfold, and Ximena Gomez Churnside, University of Minnesota
Understanding the Effect of Asphalt Lift Thickness on Compaction, Density Uniformity, and Ride Quality
Presenter: Zifeng Zhao, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Jia-Liang Le, Mihai Marasteanu, and Mugurel Turos, University of Minnesota; and Tianhao Yan, Auburn University
10:30–11:45 a.m. • Concurrent Session 3: Transit (Johnson Great Room)
Session moderator: Meredith Klekotka, Metro Transit
Feet and Inches: Making Accessible Bus Stops
Presenter: Jenny Ackerson, Metro Transit
Safety in Numbers: Evaluating the Transit Rider Investment Program's Presence and Impact on Riders
Presenter: Sadixa Sanjel, Metro Transit
Coverage Versus Ridership: Identifying Connections Between the Built Environment and User Preferences for Bus Network Redesigns
Presenter: Claire Trettin, School of Planning and Public Affairs, University of Iowa
Additional author: Bogdan Kapatsila, University of Iowa
10:30–11:45 a.m. • Concurrent Session 4: Agency Approaches to Modeling and Impact Assessment (Ski-U-Mah Room)
Session moderator: Tony Fischer, Metropolitan Council
Evaluation of Long-Range Traffic Forecast Accuracy in 2010–2020
Presenter: Charles Gorugantula, Metropolitan Council
Work Zone Regional and Local Travel Impacts: I-94 Construction Case Study
Presenters: Jim Henricksen, MnDOT; and Liz Roten, Metropolitan Council
Assessing Emissions Impacts of Expansion Projects and Induced Demand
Presenter: Maurice Roers, MnDOT
11:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m. • Luncheon and Keynote: What Does a Safer System Look Like? Actions to Make Meaningful Progress Toward Vision Zero in the U.S. (Memorial Hall)
Opening Remarks
Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Transportation
Keynote Speaker
Robert J. Schneider, Professor and Co-Chair, Department of Urban Planning, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Description
The U.S. transportation system has resulted in approximately 40,000 deaths and 2.5 million injuries every year for the last two decades. Compared to other high-income countries, the U.S. has made little progress improving traffic safety during this time.
In this presentation, drawing from a decade of multimodal safety research, Robert Schneider will share a framework for understanding why some communities have lower fatality and serious injury rates than others. He will also provide insights about why U.S. fatality rates have remained stubbornly high despite important policy goals like Vision Zero.
A growing number of communities have redesigned roadways to improve traffic safety over the last 20 years, but making substantial progress toward Vision Zero will also require sustained partnerships with urban planning, public transportation, automobile manufacturing and insurance, and law enforcement. This presentation will challenge audience members to adopt new strategies to complement multimodal street redesign projects and change the traffic safety status quo. These strategies include increasing development density, adopting safer vehicle technologies and designs, investing in public transit, implementing automated traffic safety enforcement, and increasing safety resources for low-income communities.
1:30–1:45 p.m. • Break (Memorial Hall)
Network with other attendees.
1:45–3:00 p.m. • Concurrent Session 5: Mobility and Integrating Demand, Access, and Community (Heritage Gallery)
Session moderator: Kendle Bjelland, ICF
Integration of Transportation Demand Management for Highway Projects
Presenter: Kaitlyn Denten, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Frank Douma, Camila Fonseca-Sarmiento, and Owen Knight, University of Minnesota
Crossing the Road: Using Destination Access for Active Transportation Planning and Pre-scoping
Presenters: Joe Lehman and Sonja Piper, MnDOT
From Evidence to Action: Living with the Twin Cities Regional Highway System and Prioritizing Responses for People, Programs, and Places
Presenter: Haila Maze, Bolton & Menk
1:45–3:00 p.m. • Concurrent Session 6: Reimagining Transit for Persons with Disabilities — Public Input as Creative Force (Johnson Great Room)
Session moderator: Katelyn Magney-Miller, PAVE
Presenters: Michael Walk, Texas A&M; and Charles Carlson, Sheila Holbrook-White, and Andy Streasick, Metropolitan Council
1:45–3:00 p.m. • Concurrent Session 7: Intelligent Vehicles (Ski-U-Mah Room)
Session moderator: Tara Olds, MnDOT
Road Usage Charge System Using OEM-Embedded Vehicle Technology: Insights from Minnesota's MnRUC Demo
Presenters: Camila Fonseca, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota; and Peter Olson, MnDOT
Additional authors: Kaitlyn Denten and Frank Douma, University of Minnesota; Markell Moffett, CDM Smith; and Peter Wajda, Via
Bridging the Gap to Full Autonomy: Remote Driving for Accelerated Mobility Deployment
Presenter: Ajay Kumar, Department of Computer Science, University of Minnesota
Understanding Work-Zone Delineation for Lane-Keeping Systems
Presenter: Erik Minge, SRF
Additional authors: Jon Jackels and Uthej Vattipalli, SRF; and Scott Meier and Adam Wellner, MnDOT
1:45–3:00 p.m. • Concurrent Session 8: Data Use (Minnesota Room)
Session moderator: Ann Johnson, University of Minnesota
Effective Uses of Individual Vehicle Record Traffic Data
Presenter: Steven Jessberger, SRF
Statewide Foresight: Leveraging Predictive Analytics to Make Roads Safer for All Users
Presenter: Katy Kressin, Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths Program
Moisture-Driven Seasonal Capacity and Thaw Weakening at MnROAD: A Sensor-Informed, Field-Validated Pipeline
Presenter: Joseph Podolsky, MnDOT
Additional authors: Ceren Aydin and Raul Velasquez, MnDOT
3:00–3:15 p.m. • Break
Enjoy refreshments and network with other attendees.
3:15–4:30 p.m. • Concurrent Session 9: The Intersection of Rural Transportation and Public Health (Johnson Great Room)
Session moderator: Paul Morris, MnDOT
Rural Transit Assessment in East Central Minnesota: An Empowering Small Minnesota Communities Project
Presenters: Frank Douma, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota; and Alireza Khani, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Kwangho Baek, Michael Darger, and Theodore Jessup, University of Minnesota
Exploring Needs for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation in Rural Northeast Minnesota
Presenters: Gavin Bukovich and Beverly Sidlo-Tolliver, Arrowhead Regional Development Commission
Additional author: David Beard, University of Minnesota Duluth
Evaluating Pharmacy Access and Criticality for Minnesota Residents
Presenter: Elise Moore, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Andrew Owen and Lindsay Sorge, University of Minnesota
3:15–4:30 p.m. • Concurrent Session 10: Urban Infrastructure (Heritage Gallery)
Session moderator: Mike Samuelson, MnDOT
Data-Driven Analytics for Scaling Up Community Car Share: Bringing Affordable, Reliable, and Clean Car Share to More People
Presenter: Saif Benjaafar, Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan
Additional authors: Gunnar Aas and Noah Velick, HOURCAR; Elisabeth Gerber, Ben Rosenblad, and Yafeng Yin, University of Michigan; and Yishun Luo, Jingyuan Wan, and Martin Zubeldia, University of Minnesota
What Drives Microtransit Ridership? The Influences of Demographic and Built Environment Characteristics on On-demand Service
Presenter: Cameron Kolbeck, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Additional author: Jason Cao, University of Minnesota
Can People Really Walk There? Evaluating Stress-Informed Pedestrian Access to Destinations at a Metropolitan Scale
Presenter: Shirley Liu, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Eric Lind and Andrew Owen, University of Minnesota
3:15–4:30 p.m. • Concurrent Session 11: Electric Vehicles (Minnesota Room)
Session moderator: Ross Bintner
Pedal to the Metal: Accelerating Local EV Investment
Presenter: Becky Alper, SRF
Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in Minnesota
Presenter: Camila Fonseca-Sarmiento, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Additional authors: Kaitlyn Denten, Anna Edmunds, and Grace Foss, University of Minnesota; and Jerry Zhao, Zhejiang University
Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled by Riding an E-bike
Presenters: Eugene StandingCloud, Oshkiimaajitahdah, Red Lake Nation; and Tim Lutz, Red Lake School District
Additional author: Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota
3:15–4:30 p.m. • Concurrent Session 12: Workforce (Ski-U-Mah Room)
Session moderator: Gabin Kundwa, HR Green
From Diagnostics to Digital Systems: Preparing the Transportation Technician for ADAS, EV, and Autonomous Technologies
Presenter: Shawn Haag, Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence
Co-Designing Workforce Systems: Lessons for Transit Workforce Planning
Presenter: Nichola Lowe, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Driving and Flying Toward the Future: Momentum’s Model for Industry-Integrated Education
Presenters: Scott Schaffer and Brent Veninga, Minnetonka Public Schools
4:30–5:30 p.m. • Reception (Memorial Hall)
Join us for hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.