TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH FORUM

Dedicated to the exchange of ideas among
researchers, professionals, and students and
an informed citizenry since 1958.

Summer 2014 (Vol. 53, No. 2)

Determining Cost-Effective Policy for Visibility of Overhead Guide Signs on Highways Abstract Overhead guide sign visibility on highway, can be achieved either by illumination or by using retroreflective sheeting. Two surveys were sent to all U.S. departments of transportation, to determine the states’ policies for increasing overhead guide sign visibility. Results showed that 57% of states currently illuminate […]

Fall 2014 (Vol. 53, No. 3)

Optimizing Strategic Allocation of Vehicles for One-Way Car-sharing Systems Under Demand Uncertainty Abstract Car-sharing offers an environmentally sustainable, socially responsible and economically feasible mobility form in which a fleet of shared-use vehicles in a number of locations can be accessed and used by many people on as-needed basis at an hourly or mileage rate. To […]

Fall 2014 (Vol. 53, No. 3)

Determinants of Per Capita Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT): The Case of California Abstract This study uses multivariate regression to isolate determinants of per capita VMT in California from the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), as well as a Chow Test to identify structural change between the 2001 and 2009 NHTS. Results across the 2001 and […]

Fall 2014 (Vol. 53, No. 3)

Measuring Performance at a Large Metropolitan Area: The Case of the DC (District of Columbia) Metroplex Abstract Hierarchical linear models improve the measurement of performance when applied to a construct such as a metroplex. It compares the outcomes of a hierarchical linear model with those of a multiple regression model to evaluate whether meteorological conditions […]

Spring 2014 (Vol. 53, No. 1)

Identifying Traffic Safety Practices and Needs of Local Transportation and Law Enforcement Agencies Abstract As part of the effort to implement the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), state departments of transportation are looking to reach out to local and law enforcement agencies. This paper presents a study by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to identify the […]

Spring 2014 (Vol. 53, No. 1)

Specifying and Estimating a Regional Agricultural Railroad Demand Model Abstract In recent years there have been few railroad demand studies. Also, no study has investigated the possibility of regional differences in railroad demand. The objective of the paper is to estimate railroad demand functions for wheat, corn, sorghum, and soybeans for the United States as well as the […]

Summer 2014 (Vol. 53, No. 2)

Comprehensive Equity Analysis of Mileage-Based User Fees: Taxation and Expenditures for Roadways and Transit Abstract Using National Household Travel Survey data and information collected from over 100 agencies, transportation-related taxation and expenditures were assigned to individual households in the Houston Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA). Using Gini Coefficients and Theil Indices, the research demonstrated that implementation of a […]

Summer 2014 (Vol. 53, No. 2)

Modeling Through Traffic Speed at Roundabouts Along Urban and Suburban Street Arterials Abstract A total of 30 roundabouts with different dimensions and characteristics were selected from three cities in Jordan. The collected data included the approaching road free flow speed (FFS), area type, entry width, circulating roadway width, exit width, roundabout internal and external circle diameters, circulating roadway […]

Spring 2014 (Vol. 53, No. 1)

An Optimization Approach Applied to Fair Division Transportation Funding Allocation Models Abstract The problem of multiple necessities and limited funds is common in the transportation field. Funding allocation for a transportation agency often involves prioritizing the allocation of funds across a number of participants who have their own needs and preferences. If a participant believes that the final […]

Spring 2014 (Vol. 53, No. 1)

Dynamics of Transport Infrastructure, Exports and Economic Growth in the United States Abstract This paper focuses on the dynamic relationships among transport infrastructure, exports and economic growth in the United States using a multivariate time-series analysis. Results suggest that the formation of highways and streets affects economic growth indirectly through enhancing the capital stock of non-transport infrastructure and […]