Research News

Characterization of Seattle’s Commercial Traffic Patterns: A Greater Downtown Area and Ballard/Interbay Vehicle Count and Evaluation

This project was designed to deliver crucial granular baseline data on commercial vehicle movements in key areas of Seattle to help city transportation professionals plan for increasing goods movement and service activities. It produced Seattle’s first complete estimate of Greater Downtown area traffic volumes, and it offered a detailed analysis of commercial vehicle traffic in and around one of the city’s major industrial centers, the Ballard-Interbay Northern Manufacturing Industrial Center. In doing so, it produced a critical snapshot of the detailed data needed for effective policy and planning, potentially informing everything from road maintenance and traffic signals to electric vehicle charging station sites and possible proposals for congestion pricing.

The Impact of Shared Mobility Options on Travel Demand

The increasing availability of shared mobility options is affecting travel behavior and travel demand. Smartphone-based technology has permitted the rapid spread of shared mobility options, which has affected how people use traditional travel modes. Although transportation policies need to consider these changes, a lack of data impedes the development of programs and policies that could address both the positive and negative aspects of the new travel options. This project aimed to provide much needed information about how app-based shared mobility options affect the demand for traditional private individual and public transit travel.

Evaluation of the Use and Performance of Via to Transit in the Puget Sound Region

The Via to Transit service in the Puget Sound region was a pilot implementation of an on-demand transit access service that connected riders going to or from five Sound Transit Link light rail stations with their trip origins/destinations. This project demonstrated the viability of a public agency partnership with a private sector transportation network company and evaluated the results of providing the pilot Via to Transit on-demand, first-mile/last-mile access to transit services.

Development of a Protocol to Maintain the Winter Mobility of Different Classes of Pervious Concrete Pavement Based on Porosity

Municipalities in the Pacific Northwest are increasingly using pervious concrete pavements (PCP). While this class of pavements offers significant ecological advantages, transportation departments must ensure that the pavements are safe for drivers and pedestrians in the region’s typical adverse winter conditions. To assist transportation departments in implementing more effective winter operations, this study aimed to develop a simple, image-based method to characterize the porosity of PCP.

A Construction Project Classification Framework: Mapping the Dimensions for Classification of Pacific Northwest Highway Project Types

Although construction projects differ in terms of size, materials, location, construction methods, and complexity, a proper classification system for project types does not exist. To help administrators of highway projects find consistency in data gathering and reporting, and validity in their analyses of contract performance, this project developed a framework for classifying project types.

If You Provide, Will They Ride? Motivators and Deterrents to Shared Micro-Mobility

Bike share, e-bike share, and e-scooter systems (collectively known as shared micro-mobility) are gaining popularity throughout the United States and internationally, but no one has yet determined the optimal system design. This study investigated motivators for and deterrents to the use of such systems in the Pacific Northwest.

Dynamic Metering in Connected Urban Street Networks: Improving Mobility

As traffic congestion increases on urban street networks, a network’s ability to process vehicles decreases because of queue spillovers and gridlock. Traffic metering can help regulate the flow of vehicles entering congested areas to allow the network to operate at its optimum level. This study sought to develop a traffic metering method for urban street networks and to study the effects of metering on traffic operations.

Washington State School Walk Score

Walking and biking to school help children be healthy. They also reduce air pollution, local noise, and traffic congestion. Poor walkability environments pose barriers for children to walk to school. This project developed two school walkability scores that can help parents and school staff assess walkability levels around individual schools and that can also guide jurisdictions in selecting strategies that will increase walkability and safety around schools.

Freight and Transit Lane Case Study

In January 2019 the City of Seattle opened a local freight and transit (FAT) lane to explore ways to address the challenges of freight mobility. This study evaluated the performance and utilization of the FAT lane. Analysis included the percentages of buses and freight vehicles that chose the FAT lane, violation rates of the FAT lane, and factors that most influenced lane choice. The city will be able to use these findings to guide the development of future FAT lane projects.

Cargo E-Bike Delivery Pilot Test in Seattle

This study evaluated the pilot test of a cargo e-bike delivery system in Seattle, Washington. Researchers compared the performance of an electric-assisted tricycle with a removable cargo container used to perform last-mile deliveries and pick-ups in downtown Seattle with that of a traditional, truck-only delivery system. In evaluating and comparing both systems, the researchers looked at delivery area, number of delivery locations, number of packages delivered, and failed first delivery rate. The results are intended to provide information to help the city in developing future urban freight policies.

Washington State Transportation Center