Fall 2012 (Vol. 51, No. 3)
Stopping Behavior of Drivers at Stop-Controlled Intersections: Compositional and Contextual Analysis Abstract This research examines how drivers conduct themselves at stop signs by looking at the effect of different compositional variables (socio-demographic attributes) and ecological variables (physical attributes that affect people’s behavior) on drivers’ decisions to make a complete stop, as required by law. Observational study was designed […]
Fall 2012 (Vol. 51, No. 3)
Productivity Improvements in the U.S. Rail Freight Industry, 1980-2010 Abstract Between 1980 and 2008, extensive productivity improvements and changes in traffic mix allowed railroads to become more profitable despite declining prices and stronger competition from motor carriers. These productivity improvements enabled the Class I railroads to halve their real costs per ton-mile, even though costs for fuel and […]
Fall 2012 (Vol. 51, No. 3)
Pavement Pre- and Post-Treatment Performance Models Using LTPP Data Abstract This paper determines that pavement performance in International Roughness Index (IRI) is affected by exogenous interventions such as pavement age, precipitation level, freeze-thaw level, and lower level preservation maintenance strategies. An exponential function of pavement age was used to represent pavement IRI performance curves. Moreover, this paper demonstrates […]
Fall 2012 (Vol. 51, No. 3)
A Dynamic Programming Optimization Approach for Budget Allocation to Early Right-of-Way Acquisitions Abstract Construction of bypass lanes at rural intersections has typically been considered a low-cost highway safety improvement by the transportation community. However, this needs to be quantitatively evaluated so that the decisions could be made on whether to continue with adding bypass lanes. Highway safety analyses […]
Fall 2012 (Vol. 51, No. 3)
Predicting Block Time: An Application of Quantile Regression Abstract Airlines face three types of delay that make it difficult to build robust schedules and to support block time predictability. Block time is the time elapsed from gate departure to gate arrival and refers to the time when blocks are off the wheels at the departure airport to […]
Fall 2012 (Vol. 51, No. 3)
Applying the Highway Safety Manual to Two-Lane Road Curves Abstract This paper evaluates the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) crash prediction model using data on twolane rural horizontal curves in North Carolina. An analysis of the local conditions calibration factor for the HSM predictive model in North Carolina found that a large number of sites (approximately 300) are required […]
Fall 2012 (Vol. 51, No. 3)
Assessment of Sustainable Infrastructure: The Case of Exurban Dallas Abstract Construction of bypass lanes at rural intersections has typically been considered a low-cost highway safety improvement by the transportation community. However, this needs to be quantitatively evaluated so that the decisions could be made on whether to continue with adding bypass lanes. Highway safety analyses utilize two common […]
Spring 2012 (Vol.51, No.2)
Evaluating the Efficacy of Shared-use Vehicles for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A U.S. Case Study of Grocery Delivery Abstract This paper compares the CO2 emissions from the use of personal vehicles to shared-use vehicles for grocery shopping in Seattle, Washington. The research builds on existing literature by considering the importance of modeling the logistical details of routing […]
Spring 2012 (Vol.51, No.2)
A Comprehensive Rail Rate Index for Grain Abstract There are several annual rail rate indices commonly used to depict changes in the prices paid for rail service. While accurate for general analyses, each of these indices falls short in capturing the three major components of total railroad grain rates – tariff rates, fuel surcharges, and secondary railcar market […]
Spring 2012 (Vol.51, No.2)
Microsimulating Automobile Markets: Evolution of Vehicle Holdings and Vehicle Pricing Dynamics Abstract Vehicle ownership decisions are central to estimates of emissions, gas tax revenues, energy security, pavement management, and other concerns. This work combines an auction-style microsimulation of vehicle prices and random-utility-maximizing choices, producing a market model for the evolution of new and used personal-vehicle fleets. All available […]
