PacTrans

2019 PacTrans | CSET Regional Transportation Conference
2019-10-11

Sustainable Transportation: A Conversation with Regional Leaders
2019-05-22 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | UW Intellectual House, 4249 Whitman Ct NE, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States

Region 10 UTC Reception during TRB Annual Meeting
2019-01-15 18:00 - 21:00 | Babe Wale, 1124 9th St NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
PacTrans cordially invites you to the Region 10 UTC Reception during the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting this January.

PacTrans Regional Transportation Seminar
2018-10-31 13:30 - 14:30 | Husky Union Building (HUB) Room 332, 4001 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
This seminar will be featuring guest speaker Ram Pendyala!

PacTrans Region 10 Student Conference
2018-10-13

2018 PacTrans Region 10 Transportation Conference
2018-10-12 08:00 - 17:00 | University of Alaska Fairbanks
Please join us this year as we co-host the Region 10 Transportation Conference with the Center for Safety and Equity in Transportation (CSET) Tier 1 University Transportation Center.

PacTrans Advisory Board Meeting
2018-10-11

UAS in Transportation Expo
2018-07-30 08:30 - 2018-07-31 16:30 | Kearney Hall, Room 312, 1491 SW Campus Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, United States
Oregon State University welcomes you to join them at the UAS in Transportation Expo, where you’ll get the opportunity to explore UAS applications in transportation, learn how to initiate and manage a UAS program within transportation agencies and organizations, participate in demo flights, and partake in relevant discussions and networking!

ASCE International Conference on Transportation and Development
2018-07-15 - 2018-07-18 | Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown Hotel, 600 Commonwealth Place, Pittsburg, PA, 15222, United States
ASCE International Conference on Transportation & Development (ICTD 2018) is organized by the Transportation & Development Institute (T& DI) of ASCE to facilitate exchange of information, knowledge, and best practices among transportation and development practitioners and researchers, public infrastructure owners, policy makers, government engineers and planners, operations managers and leading academics from around the world.

PacTrans Seminar Series: Making transportation analysis count: Bridging the gap between politics & planning
2014-05-30 15:30 - 16:20 | HUB 334, UW Husky Union Building, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
Download the flier PacTrans_SpringSeminar_JoeSchofer_May 30 2014

PacTrans Seminar Series: School Siting and Children's Travel - Planning to Support Active Transportation
2014-02-05 10:30 - 11:20 | HUB 334, UW Seattle Campus, Seattle, 98195, United States
Download the flier PacTrans_WinterSeminar_RuthSteiner_February-5-2014.pdf.

PacTrans Seminar Series: What is the Level of Volatility in Instantaneous Driving Decisions?
2013-11-13 14:30 - 16:30 | HUB 334, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-2700, United States
Organized by The Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans)
Speaker: Dr. Asad J. Khattak
Dr. Asad J. Khattak is Beaman Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Director of Safety Programs-Center for Transportation Research at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he teaches and conducts research in transportation. Dr. Khattak’s research focuses on various types of innovations related to 1) intelligent transportation systems, 2) transportation safety, and 3) sustainable transportation. During 2006-2013, he was Frank Batten endowed chair Professor of Civil Engineering at Old Dominion University where he developed and directed ODU’s transportation research initiatives and educational programs. Dr. Khattak is: 1) Editor of Science Citation Indexed Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems, 2) Associate Editor of SCI-indexed International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, and 3) Editorial Advisory Board Member of Transportation Research, Part C, and Analytic Methods in Accident Research.
Abstract:
Instantaneous driving decisions are part of incessant human behavior during driving, strongly affecting safety outcomes, energy consumption and tailpipe emissions. To accommodate changes in surrounding
environment, drivers make instantaneous decisions, such as maintaining speed, accelerating, braking, maintaining acceleration or deceleration, or increasing the rate of acceleration or deceleration (referred to as jerk, which is the decision to change the marginal rate of acceleration and deceleration). These instantaneous decisions and their combinations result in driving volatility. This paper develops a framework for understanding instantaneous decisions and explores volatility in such decisions with the aim of developing a fundamental understanding of instantaneous decisions. Empirical analysis is based on a large scale (big-data) travel behavior survey database, with 51,337 trips and their associated second-by-second
(total 33 million seconds) Global Positioning System (GPS) data collected in 2011 in Atlanta, GA. Various measures are used to quantify volatility in instantaneous driving decisions and exploring correlates of volatility in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Statistical analysis revealed that volatility in instantaneous decisions varies significantly between groups of drivers based on gender, age, trips of varying lengths, and peak hours. The implications of the findings are discussed.
PacTrans_Seminar_Asad_Khattak_Nov 13 2013

PacTrans-Sponsored Transportation Seminar: Signal Control and Operational Analysis for Diverging Diamond Interchanges
2013-11-01 13:30 - 15:00 | More 116, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195-2700, United States
PacTrans-Sponsored Transportation Seminar: Signal Control and Operational Analysis for Diverging Diamond Interchanges
Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, 1:30 – 3 p.m., More 116
Speaker: Zong Tian, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Professor, University of Nevada, Reno
Abstract: Diverging diamond interchange (DDI) is an emerging interchange type. More than 20 DDIs are in operation in the United States, the majority of which are converted from conventional diamond interchanges. While research and field studies have demonstrated proven efficiency compared to conventional diamond interchanges, there is a lack of analytical tools for analyzing DDI operations. There are also many different signal phasing options to operate a DDI, but yet no best practice on signal control has been identified. This presentation starts with some signal control basics and what control strategies are used for conventional diamond interchanges. Built upon this knowledge, DDI is introduced for its analytical procedure and signal phasing schemes. A case study based on a DDI location in Reno, NV will be used to demonstrate the analytical procedure and the signal control scheme.

Region 10 Student Conference
2013-10-19 | HUB, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195-2700
Save the Date: PacTrans is organizing a Region 10 Student Transportation Conference on Saturday, October 19th on the UW campus in Seattle, Washington.
PacTrans-ITE Region 10 2013 Student Conference Flier

Region 10 Transportation Conference: “Transportation Decision Making in the Big Data World”
2013-10-18 08:30 - 17:00 | HUB, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195-2900, United States
The PacTrans Region 10 Transportation Conference brings together the Pacific Northwest’s transportation community to network and to share current research results and ideas for future collaboration. This year’s conference focuses on how transportation agencies and companies can improve transportation decision making by using modern technology for less costly data collection, improved methods for data sharing, and better decision support tools.
The conference will start with a dynamic plenary session featuring public and private sector views of the benefits offered by open public databases, along with the lessons learned from agencies’ experiences with open data efforts. A lunchtime poster session will include a presentation of current PacTrans research. Afternoon sessions will focus on the changing educational needs of the transportation workforce and the secrets for moving research into practice, whether starting a company, successfully applying for a patent, or simply incorporating research findings into standard agency practice.
For more information, download the flier here.

PacTrans-sponsored Transportation Talk
2013-06-07 10:30 - 11:20 | Dept. of Civil and Env. Eng. – More 225, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195-2700, United States
Title of Talk: Washington State Transportation Improvement Board
Speaker: Stevan Gorcester, Director of Washington State Transportation Improvement Board
[Abstract] Steve Gorcester, Executive Director, Washington State Transportation Improvement Board, will talk about the board’s transportation grant programs and the role LEAN business process improvement has played in program development. Using the online TIB Dashboard, Steve will show how large and small process improvements translated into measurable progress for local street systems.

[Speaker Biography] Steve Gorcester serves as the Executive Director of the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board where he is responsible for managing over $400 million in grant obligations to city and county transportation projects. His nationally recognized performance management program helped gain legislative support for new funding and programs. Steve is a graduate of the University of Washington and has spent 33 years in the specialized field of transportation finance.

PacTrans-sponsored Transportation Talk
2013-05-31 10:30 - 11:20 | Dept. of Civil and Env. Eng. – More 225, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195-2700
Title of Seminar: Sound Transit Projects and Plans for a Potential ST3 Public Vote
Speaker: Michael Williams, Deputy Executive Director of Capital Project Development Planning, Environment & Project Development at SoundTransit
[Short Biography] Michael Williams has over 30 years of experience in the field of transportation planning and engineering. He has been with Sound Transit since January 1998, and is currently the Deputy Executive Director for the Office of Capital Project Development where he is responsible for the planning, environmental analysis and preliminary engineering for 27 miles and $6 Billion worth of light rail extensions and other capital projects. Michael also served as the Rail Activation Manager for the start-up of the Central Link Light Rail line.
Before joining Sound Transit he worked in both the public and private sectors in the field of transportation planning and engineering. He spent 11 years as the Manager of Transportation Systems at the University of Washington where he implemented the Husky Stadium Transportation program and the U-PASS program. His education includes a master’s degree in Urban Planning and Transportation from the University of Washington.
[Presentation Outline]

Sound Transit Plans & Background

Sound Move
ST2

Projects currently in construction

University Link
Angle Lake Extension

ST2 Projects

Northgate Link
East Link
Lynnwood Link
Federal Way Transit Extension
Sounder and Regional Express

ST3 Planning

PacTrans-Sponsored Transportation Talk
2013-05-24 10:30 - 11:20 | Dept. of Civil and Env. Eng. – More 225, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-2700, United States
Title: Integrated Transportation Conformity Analysis
Speaker: Heng Wei, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Professor, The University of Cincinnati

[Abstract] Alleviating highway congestion and traffic-source environmental impacts has been viewed as one of strategies to address issues related to transportation greenhouse gases (GHGs) and sustainability. One essential challenge lies in the capability to quantitatively assess the effect of the advanced planning and traffic management and control strategies on reduction of relevant carbon footprint. It is desired to enable the “what-if” scenario-based analysis to identify adaptive changes in land use and social economy that are aimed to reduce or minimize the impact of the transportation activities on road emission and air quality. The speaker will present a framework to fill in the gap through developing a Geographical Information System (GIS)-based Roadway Air Impact Analysis (RAIA) system with user-friendly functions for developing planning scenarios and leveraging predominant traffic data sources available at regional or state level. The RAIA system involves systematic integration of travel demand forecasting, vehicle emission, and vehicle powered energy consumption models with a friendly-heuristic data flow interfaces. The air quality measures, such as AQI and NAAQS, are embedded into the RAIA system. Such an integration effort will be greatly beneficial to identifying strategic solutions to design and operate transportation systems in an attempt to satisfy the transportation conformity requirements, and provide supportive information for measuring and assessing sustainability of transportation systems.
[Short Biography] Dr. Heng Wei is an Associate Professor of Transportation Systems and Engineering at The University of Cincinnati (UC). He has a wide spectrum of research interests and expertise in transportation systems, including ITS, traffic operation and management, safety and control, transportation source air environmental analysis, artificial intelligent techniques and computing technologies in transportation, traffic flow theory and microscopic traffic simulation modeling, travel demand forecasting, and GIS application in transportation. Since his faculty appointment at UC, he has secured 29 research projects (including 7 Co-PI projects) from ODOT, FHWA, NSF, OTC, EPA, and UC URC/FDC. His research has resulted in 146 peer-reviewed papers and 9 professional books/chapters. He is a member of numerous outstanding professional committees, such as TRB ABE90 and ABJ70 Committees, ASCE T&DI Committees on Advanced Technology Committee and Transportation Safety and on Sustainability and Environment. He is the Chair of IEEE ITSS Travel Information and Traffic Management Committee and President of Chinese Overseas Transportation Association (COTA). In addition, he has successfully organized and/or chaired 14 international conferences/sessions and symposiums.

PacTrans Seminar Series: Sustainable Mobility, Place-making, and Economic Competitiveness - Striking a Balance
2013-04-19 10:30 - 12:00 | UW Husky Union Building (HUB) Room 334, Seattle, WA, 98195-2700, United States
Organized by The Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans)
Speaker: Dr. Robert Cervero, Carmel P. Friesen Chair of Urban Studies and Professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley and Director of the Institute of Urban and Regional Development (IURD) and Director of the University of California Transportation Center (UCTC)
Abstract:
Transport infrastructure is critical to the competitiveness of cities and regions in the global marketplace. With knowledge- and service-based industries driving economic growth in many sectors of the modern economy, creating functional yet highly livable and socially vibrant and inclusive cities is essential to global competitiveness and economic well-being. This lecture addresses the challenges of striking an appropriate balance between transport infrastructure as an economic conduit and broader place-making and community-building objectives, drawing lessons from Asian, European, and American contexts. Emphasis is given to striking a balance between building transportation infrastructure for mobility purposes and advancing sustainable urbanism as an economic development strategy. Specific case contexts include freeway-to-boulevard conversions, new-towns/in-town, green transit-oriented development, edge-city retrofits, and pedestrian-friendly bus rapid transit and high-speed rail systems. Suggestions on how to best strike a balance between planning for mobility and livability will be given.
PacTrans_Spring2013Seminar_Robert Cervero_April 19_2013

PacTrans-Sponsored Transportation Talk
2013-04-12 10:30 - 11:20 | Dept. of Civil and Env. Eng. – More 225, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195-2700, United States
Title: Confessions of a Traffic Engineer: The Misuse of Level of Service and its Impact on Active Transportation
Speaker: Peter Koonce, City of Portland Bureau of Transportation
[Abstract] The transportation engineering community is advancing methodologies to encourage active transportation. Adoption of new methodologies and standards has not been widely accepted because there remain gaps in the standards by which we determine facilities are adequate, particularly in the development review process. This is highlighted in the vocabulary we use on a daily basis, we continue to consider auto traffic congestion as something that should be reduced, when in reality it can support the encouragement of active transportation. This session will describe these challenges and identify technical procedures that would allow the development of a more balanced transportation system supportive of the local policies of the community. The case study of Portland will be used to describe specific actions where the City has acted consistent with the local policy rather than blindly accepting the national Level of Service thresholds identified in the Highway Capacity Manual.

[Short Biography] Peter Koonce, P.E., is Division Manager for the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Signals, Street Lighting, & ITS Division. Prior to serving with the City, he worked with Kittelson & Associates, Inc. He has served as an adjunct professor at Portland State University teaching graduate level courses in transportation engineering. Last year, he established a study abroad course in the Netherlands with Northeastern University and the Technical University in Delft. He is currently past president of the Oregon Chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and was recently appointed Chair of the Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Traffic Signal Systems.

PacTrans Seminar: Electric Vehicles and Life Cycle Assessment
2013-02-27 16:00 - 17:45 | UW Campus, Electrical Eng. Bldg. 105, Seattle, WA, WA, 98195-2700, United States
Jointly Organized by PacTrans and the Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the UW
Speaker: Dr. Chris T. Hendrickson, Duquesne Light Campany University Professor of Engineering and Co-Director of the Green Design Institute at Carnegie Mellon University
Abstract: With an increasing number of states mandating the sale of zero emissions vehicles, manufacturers are responding in part by developing electric or battery hybrid vehicles. While widespread use of electric vehicles has the potential to reduce tailpipe emissions, the full environmental cost of producing and operating battery powered vehicles must be considered. This talk discusses the potential environmental impacts of battery powered motor vehicles, including earlier lead acid battery versions and new battery chemistries. Barries to widespread adoption are also discussed.
PacTrans_Feb. 27 2013 Seminar (Details)

PacTrans-sponsored Transportation Talk
2013-02-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Dept. of Civil & Env. Eng. – UW STAR Lab – More Hall 101, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195-2700
Title: Modeling of the Heteroscedastic Traffic Speed Variance Using Virtual Loop Detector Data
Speaker: Haizhong Wang, assistant professor, Oregon State University
[Abstract] Traffic speed variance is defined as a measure of the dispersion of space mean speeds among drivers. Empirical speed-density observations exhibit a structured traffic speed variance which has been found to be associated to the road accident rate, the fatality rate, and travel time variability. The objective of this talk is to share the empirical findings from the GA400 and propose a generalized traffic speed variance function to describe this structured variance. In nature, the proposed speed variance function is a response of the speed-density curve with two additional parameters. A series of logistic speed-density curve with varying parameters is used in the proposed traffic speed variance function with varying performances. This traffic speed variance model can be potentially used to quantify the safety risk in a more rigorous manner.

[Short Biography] Dr. Haizhong Wang joins OSU from the Trine University in Angola, Indiana where he worked as assistant professor with the Reiners Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Before joining Trine University, he spent a short time as a research associate with Institute for Multimodal Transportation at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. His experience in the operation, planning, modeling, and simulation of multimodal transportation system serves as the foundation for his current research and teaching interests. Dr. Wang’s research interests include the mathematical modeling and simulation of the multimodal transportation system at varying levels (macroscopic, mesoscopic, and microscopic), stochastic modeling and probabilistic predictions, traffic flow theory and optimization, transportation system analysis and planning, emergency management and disaster response.

PacTrans-sponsored Transportation Talk
2013-02-15 11:00 - 12:00 | Dept. of Civil & Env. Eng. – UW STAR Lab – More Hall 101, University of Washington, Seattle, 98195-2700, United States
Title: Using Street Topology and Network Analysis to Estimate Traffic Volumes
Speaker: Mike Lowry, Assistant Professor, University of Idaho
[Abstract] This presentation introduces tools developed at the University of Idaho to estimate traffic volumes. One tool estimates peak-hour bicycle and pedestrian volumes, another tool estimates automobile annual average daily traffic (AADT), and the third tool estimates automobile turn movements at an intersection. The new tools use a specialized measure of network connectivity and street importance called centrality. This novel approach is advantageous because it uses commonly available geographic information system (GIS) data and does not require elaborate model building and calibration. The tools are modifiable Python scripts for ArcGIS Toolbox. We present the tools with example data and explain the underlying theory of network centrality.
[Short Biography] Dr. Michael Lowry is an assistant professor at the University of Idaho. He holds a joint appointment in the departments of Civil Engineering and Bioregional Planning. He is an affiliate researcher for the National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology (NIATT). His research focuses on capital investment decision-making and transportation planning for bicyclists and pedestrians. Dr. Lowry teaches courses related to geographic information systems, sustainable transportation, engineering statistics, and economic analysis. He received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Washington in 2008.

Region 10 Transportation Consortium Reception at the TRB
2013-01-15 17:30 - 19:30 | Marriott Wardman Park Hotel: Stones Throw Restaurant and Bar, 2660 Woodley Road Northwest, Washington, DC, United States
The Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans), in partnership with AUTC, TranLIVE and OTREC, invites you to a reception for friends and alumni during the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 92nd Annual Meeting.
View the PDF here
For more information, please contact: pactrans@uw.edu

TRB Research Subcommittee Meeting, AHB40(1.1)
2013-01-13 16:30 - 17:45 | Marriott Wardman Park – Park Tower Suite 8222, Washington, DC, United States
Prof. Yinhai Wang, University of Washington presiding.
Sponsored by: Highway Capacity and Quality of Service (AHB40)

Workshop #59: How Do You Turn This Driving Simulator On? Tutorial for Traffic Engineering and Roadway Design Research Using Driving Simulation
2013-01-13 13:30 - 16:30 | Marriott Wardman Park – Balcony B, Washington, DC, United States
Workshop Design, Operations and Traffic Management, Safety and Human Factors
Susan T. Chrysler, University of Iowa, presiding
Linda Ng Boyle, University of Washington, presiding

Sponsored By:
Statistical Methods (ABJ80)
Vehicle User Characteristics (AND10)
Simulation and Measurement of Vehicle and Operator Performance (AND30)
This workshop is aimed at novice users of driving simulators who are not familiar with driving behavior research methods and data analysis techniques. The workshop covers driving simulator hardware and software issues, research topic selection, design and conduct of research, and data analysis methods. Examples of research from traffic operations, traffic control device evaluations, and roadway design will be used to illustrate concepts. This workshop is aimed at novice users of driving simulators who are not familiar with driving behavior research methods and data analysis techniques. As driving simulation technology has become more affordable, an increasing number of universities are purchasing driving simulators for research in traffic operations and roadway design. These users are often new to the field of simulation and driver behavior and have limited knowledge to properly design, execute, and analyze a simulator study. The workhsop will cover driving simulator hardware and software issues, research topic selection, design and conduct of research, and data analysis methods. Examples of research from traffic operations, traffic control device evaluations, and roadway design will be used to illustrate concepts.

Annual Transportation Research Board (TRB) Meeting
2013-01-13 - 2013-01-17 | Marriott Wardman Park, Omni Shoreham, and Hilton Washington Hotels, Washington, DC, United States
The Annual TRB Meeting is an information packed program that attracts approximately 10,000 transportation professionals from around the world. The meeting is held in January each year in Washington, D.C. at the Marriott Wardman Park, Omni Shoreham, and Hilton Washington Hotels.
The meeting program covers all transportation modes, with more than 2,800 presentations in 500 sessions addressing topics of interest to all attendees—policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions.
Every year, PacTrans honors the center’s Student of the Year by sponsoring full travel costs and awarding $1,000. The Student of the Year is nominated by transportation faculty for excellence in academic achievement and over all contribution to the transportation community. The Student of the Year is officially recognized by CUTC at the awards banquet held in conjunction with the TRB meeting.
PacTrans reimburses a portion of students’ travel expenses for attending the conference provided students are the primary presenter/author of a paper accepted for presentation at the meeting. At the upcoming 92nd Annual Meeting of the TRB (this January 13-17, 2013), PacTrans has a number of graduate students presenting papers as primary authors.

Presentations at the TRB by PacTrans-affiliated Graduate Students and Researchers
A MODELING FRAMEWORK FOR LONG DISTANCE PLEASURE TRAVEL SUPPLY ANALYSIS
Sa Xiao, Runze Yu, and Yinhai Wang
UNDERSTANDING REGULARITY AND IRREGULARITY
Xiaolei Ma Sunday, January 13, 2013 9AM-12PM, Hilton, Jefferson West
TRANSIT SMART CARD DATA MINING FOR PASSENGER ORIGIN INFORMATION EXTRACTION
Xiaolei Ma
COHERENT APPROACH FOR MODELING AND NOWCASTING HOURLY NEAR-ROAD BLACK CARBON CONCENTRATIONS IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Runze Yu, Xiaoyue Cathy Liu, Yinhai Wang Tuesday, January 15, 2013 10:45AM – 12:30PM Hilton, International Center
SAFETY DISTANCE MODELING ON THE BASIS OF VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE COMMUNICATION
Hua Wang, Wei Quan, Yinhai Wang, Xiaoyue Cathy LiuTuesday, January 15, 2013 7:30PM – 9:30PM Marriott, Salon 2
A TWIN CELL MODELING APPROACH FOR PARALLEL FREEWAY FACILITIES – A MANAGED LANE EXAMPLE
Xiaoyue Cathy Liu, Guohui Zhang, Yinhai WangMonday, January 14, 2013 4:15PM – 6:00PM Marriott, Salon 2
SIMULATION-BASED SCENARIO-DRIVEN INTEGRATED CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ANALYSIS
Xiaoyue Cathy Liu, Guohui Zhang, Carmen Kwan, Yinhai Wang, Brian KemperMonday, January 14, 2013 4:15PM – 6:00PM Marriott, Salon 2
OPTIMIZING MULTIPLE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS LOCATION UNDER FUZZY ENVIRONMENT
Yong Wang and Xiaolei Ma
VEHICLE ROUTING PROBLEM: SIMULTANEOUS DELIVERIES AND PICKUPS WITH SPLIT LOADS AND TIME WINDOWS
Yong Wang and Xiaolei Ma

PacTrans Seminar Series: Discrete Choice Analysis for Travelers: A Semi-parametric Approach
2012-12-21 14:30 - 16:00 | More 234
Professor Baibing Li from Loughborough University of UK will visit the University of Washington and deliver a seminar talk on campus. You are cordially invited to join his seminar.
Discrete choice modelling is a widely used econometric approach to analyse the behaviour of travellers. The multinomial logit model is one of the most commonly used models in discrete choice analysis. This research develops a new model, semi-parametric multinomial logit model. The developed model links travellers’ attributes and alternatives to the choice probabilities via a sensitivity function. This sensitivity function reflects the degree of travellers’ sensitivity to the changes in the travelling costs. A Bayesian approach is investigated to draw statistical inference for the semi-parametric logit model. An empirical study on travellers’ value of time that involves stated preferences about two train-related alternatives and two bus-related alternatives is conducted to illustrate the developed model.
Short Bio of Professor Li:
Baibing Li is a professor in business statistics & management science at Loughborough University, U.K. He received the Ph.D. degree from the Management School, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. He was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, and a Research Associate with Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K. In 2001, he was appointed as a Lecturer in statistics at School of Mathematics & Statistics, Newcastle University. In 2004, he moved to the School of Business and Economics, Loughborough University, Loughborough, U.K., as a Lecturer, where he was subsequently appointed as a Reader and a Professor. His current research interests are Bayesian statistical modelling and forecasting for Gaussian and non-Gaussian dynamic problems in various management areas. In recent years, much of his work has also involved transport and traffic management such as transportation demand analysis, travel behaviour modelling, and intelligent transportation systems. Professor Li is a member of the Royal Statistical Society.

PacTrans Seminar Series: Calibration of Micro-Simulation Models Using ITS Data: Lessons Learned
2012-11-14 14:30 - 16:30 | UW Seattle Campus – HUB 332, Seattle, WA, United States
View the PDF here
In order for a traffic micro-simulation model to be effective, it must be able to replicate both supply and demand characteristics, as well as their interaction. That is, the simulation model must be properly calibrated. The recent widespread deployment of ITS in North America has provided an opportunity to obtain significant amounts of traffic related data on a point, link, and trip basis. In addition, there has been a corresponding increase in the quality and quantity of micro-simulation models that can be used to model transportation systems. A methodology for calibrating traffic micro-simulation models so that the simulation results, such as travel time, represent the observed distributions obtained from the field will be presented. The focus of the talk will be on lessons learned from various calibration-related research projects over the past ten years. The seminar will conclude with a discussion of current and future research initiatives in this area.

PacTrans External Advisory Board Meets
2012-10-29 08:00 - 17:00
The PacTrans External Advisory Board (EAB) met on the UW campus on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012 for the very first time. The EAB, which will meet twice a year, will help review PacTrans activities and provide advice and vision on strategic directions. Members of the EAB include directors from the research office of the state DOTs in Region 10 and representatives from other transportation agencies, private industries, and communities.
