Applied Research in Transportation Program (ART)

Person riding an ebike on a paved trail
The first ART project analyzed a Minnesota e-bike rebate program. 

The Applied Research in Transportation (ART) Program addresses time-sensitive research questions in a 6- to 12-month timeframe.

CTS and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) contributed initial funding to launch this pilot program in 2024, with the Metropolitan Council joining in 2025. To reinforce the applied nature of the program, ART projects must directly address a current process, document, or policy need. The ART program supplements existing longer-term research programs (typically 3-5 years) that continue to be funded by MnDOT, the Minnesota Local Road Research Board, and others. ART projects must be led by University of Minnesota researchers.

Research

ProjectResearcher/sYearStatus

Distribution of the E-Bike Rebate and Data Collection for the Analysis of Travel Behavior Impact

Frank Douma
Camila Fonseca-Sarmiento, Kaitlyn Denten
2025Report published
Modeling Household VMT from AccessibilityEric Lind, Tiansheng Tan, Andrew Owen, Shirley Liu2025Active

Steering Committee

  • Kyle Shelton, CTS Director
  • Gina Baas, CTS Deputy Director
  • Paige Novak, Chair, Environmental Engineering, University of Minnesota
  • Jon Solberg, Assistant Commissioner for Sustainability, Planning, and Program Management, MnDOT
  • Duane Hill, District Engineer, MnDOT District 1
  • Katie Walker, Director, Office of Research & Innovation, MnDOT
  • Amber Dallman, Sustainability and Public Health Director, MnDOT
  • Jonathan Ehrlich, Senior Manager, Transportation Research, Metropolitan Council