Oregon State University
3D Virtual Sight Distance Analysis Using Mobile LIDAR Data
PI: Michael Olsen (OSU), michael.olsen@oregonstate.edu
Co-Investigators: David Hurwitz (OSU), Alireza Kashani (OSU)
Dates: 01/16/2015 – 06/15/2016
Status: Completed
UTC Project Sheet
Final Technical Report
This research explores the feasibility, benefits and challenges of a safety analysis for sight distances based on DOT Mobile Laser Scanning (MLS) data. This research will also develop a systematic MLS data analysis framework to evaluate sight distances in different practical scenarios. The use of high density MLS data for sight distance analysis provides a data driven solution to aid decision making for safe transportation, directly aligning with the PacTrans FY2014-2015 theme. Further, it fits directly within Topic Area #3 Technological Impacts on Safety. Read More
Development of Low-Cost Wireless Sensors for Real-Time Lifeline Condition Assessment
PI: Daniel Borello (OSU), daniel.borello@oregonstate.edu
Dates: 01/16/2015 – 06/15/2016
Status: Completed
UTC Project Sheet
Final Technical Report
This research proposes to develop a low-cost wireless sensor to assess the condition of the lifeline bridges following a natural hazard. The primary goal of the sensor will be to minimize cost and increase the ease of installation. Off-the-shelf hardware will be adopted to meet the design criteria, emphasizing multiple year autonomous operation. The sensors will be configured to measure individual member demands, calculated locally at the node, eliminating the challenge of time-synchronization. Structural models will be developed to predict the loss of the structure based on these measurements. The sensors will be paired with a wide-area network, allowing real-time analysis of the entire transportation system following an event. Therefore, this project will deliver a low-cost sensor that can be widely deployed throughout the Pacific Northwest transportation network to provide first responders with an overview of the current state, and route appropriately. Read More
Bicycle Safety Analysis: Crowdsourcing Bicycle Travel Data to Estimate Risk Exposure and Create Safety Performance Functions
PI: Haizhong Wang (OSU), Haizhong.Wang@oregonstate.edu
Co-Investigators: Yinhai Wang (UW), Michael Lowry (UI)
Dates: 01/16/2015 – 06/15/2016
Status: Completed
UTC Project Sheet
Final Technical Report
Engineers and planners face challenges like insufficient data and lacking of proper tools when conducting safety analysis for bicyclists. This project will create tools, guidelines, and repeatable processes that engineers and planners can use to analyze crowdsourced bicycle data, calculate bicycle exposure to dangerous situations, and create and analyze safety performance functions for bicyclists. Read More
Geospatial Analysis of Bicycle Network “Level of Stress”, Bicycle Crashes and the Geo-coded Pavement Conditions for Risk Factors
PI: Haizhong Wang (OSU), Haizhong.Wang@oregonstate.edu
Dates: 07/01/2013 – 8/31/2015
Final Project Report: PacTrans-35-OSU-Wang
Safety remains a problem on U.S. roadways, with more than 32,000 fatalities, 2.2 million injuries and 6 million crashes each year. Less than two percent of motor vehicle crashes deaths are bicyclists. The loss of 677 lives in bicycle/motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. in 2011, although lower than the 830 fatalities in 1995, is still on the rise just a few years ago. Cities and counties in the United States have made small progress promoting bicycling by developing painted bike lanes, separate bicycle-only highways, bike share programs and incentives for businesses that encourage employees to bike to work. Recent research proposes evaluating urban bicycle treatments of this kind by how to reduce bicycle crashes and the stress-level for cyclists on road networks (Mekuria, Furth and Nixon 2012). Read More
Assessing the Capacity of the Pacific Northwest as an Intermodal Freight Transportation Hub
PI: Hectro Vergara (OSU), hector.vergara@oregonstate.edu
Dates: 07/01/2013 – 8/31/2015
Final Project Report: PacTrans-36-OSU-Vergara
The economic health of the Pacific Northwest greatly depends on domestic and international trade markets and the efficient performance of freight transportation systems and their interconnections across the region. Very important industries in the region such as manufacturing, agriculture, retail and construction are heavily dependent on freight transportation. In the state of Oregon only, $16 million worth of cargo was moved on roads each hour of every day during 2008. Intermodal transportation refers to the use of two or more transportation modes to move goods from origin to destination to take advantage of economies of scale (for example, containers that are moved from a ship to a truck or to a train). Read More
