PacTrans | News & Events

DID YOU KNOW

Commuting to Work: In 2010, a reported 77.75% of Idaho drivers drove alone to work, while 9.92% used car pools and 0.81% used public transit.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics

MEET THE TEAM

Melissa Amrhein

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PacTrans News

March 25, 2024
City of Kenmore Internship
The City of Kenmore is hiring a Part-Time Traffic Engineering Intern and more!
- Type: Part Time
- Salary/Pay Rate: $21.90 – $32.40
- Posted Date: 03/20/2024
- Deadline to Apply: 04/05/2024
Read More
March 20, 2024
Automating Data Processing of 3D Point Cloud Data with Vo-Norvana

Lidar and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) technology have been widely used for collecting 3D point cloud data at high resolution and accuracy for various transportation applications, including infrastructure modeling and lane marking quality assessments.

Professors Erzhuo Che and Michael Olsen from Oregon State University (OSU) developed and implemented a framework named Vo-Norvana as part of a National Science Foundation-funded research project. This framework automates a significant portion of data processing by organizing the point cloud into individual segments/surfaces (Figure 1). Despite the extensive use of point cloud data in transportation applications, its complexity and volume present challenges in effective utilization.

(a)

(b)

Figure 1. Example of Vo-Norvana point cloud segmentation: (a) raw mobile lidar point cloud data; (b) segmentation result where each color represents a segment.

Through the PacTrans Success Story Tech Transfer funding, the team worked to make the technology more accessible. They produced an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) for Vo-Norvana, featuring functions such as point cloud file management, downsampling, and segmentation parameter adjustments. Additionally, the software was made compatible with both Windows and Linux environments.

Vo-Norvana has been presented and demonstrated to industry partners and transportation agencies, including the Oregon Department of Transportation. In 2020, the software was licensed to an OSU spinout company, EZDataMD LLC, for sustainable development and expanded use such as asset management, pavement crack mapping, road marking extraction and evaluation, and rockfall hazard analysis.
March 19, 2024
Thank you for joining our Preparing Future Transportation Leaders for a Sustainable Tomorrow Seminar

On March 4, 2024, PacTrans and the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) collaborated to provide students with valuable face-to-face engagement with transportation professionals. During the event, the Secretary of Transportation, Roger Millar, and ASCE President, Dennis Truax, imparted insights on the future of civil engineering, opportunities in the intersectionality of transportation and sustainability, and their own career journeys. Watch the full seminar above.
February 20, 2024
FEBRUARY 27: UW Seminar featuring Professor Zhanping You
February 12, 2024
Collaboration Opportunities Between PacTrans Workforce Development Institute and the Washington State Local Technical Assistance Program

On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, PacTrans Workforce Development Institute (WDI), the Northwest Tribal Technical Assistance Center (NW TTAP), and the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), met to discuss collaboration opportunities between WDI and the Washington State Local Technical Assistance Program.

The meeting kicked off highlighting the immense demand for civil engineers and the significant opportunities the WDI presents for the community’s future. There was an emphasis on early recruitment (particularly from underrepresented groups) and practical experience, sparking discussions on the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) and the Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP), and thus the development of a Washington State Road Scholars Program, similar to programs already established in other states. This program aims to ensure streets are safe and properly constructed and maintained by providing high-quality training for transportation workers.

The WDI, founded in 2017, seeks to assist the transportation industry in the Pacific Northwest by (1) attracting more students to pursue careers in the transportation field, and (2) ensuring working professionals have opportunities for continued learning so that they have the tools they need in a rapidly evolving industry. We are excited to continue down the path toward partnerships on these efforts.