pacific nw transportation consortium region 10 Pactrans

Managing Increased Demand for Curb Space in the City of the Future

PI: Kevin Chang (UI), kchang@uidaho.edu, ORCID: 0000-0002-7675-6598

Co PIs: Anne Goodchild (UW), and Ed McCormack (UW)

AMOUNT & MATCH: $180,000 from PacTrans; $180,000 Match

PERFORMANCE PERIOD: 8/16/2019 – 8/15/2021

STATUS: Complete

CATEGORIES: Curb Management

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DESCRIPTION: This research directly addresses the PacTrans topics of System-wide Efficiency by supporting systems integration and optimization and Improved Reliability across Modes by developing innovative methods for managing curb lane function and curb access.

The rapid rise of autonomous vehicles (AV), on-demand transportation, and e-commerce goods deliveries as well as increased cycling rates and transit use is increasing demand for curb space resulting in competition between modes, failed good deliveries, roadway and curbside congestion, and illegal parking. The research findings will improve mobility by increasing our understanding of existing curb usage and provide new solutions to city officials, planners, and engineers responsible for managing this scarce resource in the future.

We will work closely with several cities in the PacTrans region to ensure the study’s relevance to their needs, and that the results will be broadly applicable for other cities. This research will allow for the development of innovative curb space designs and ensure that our urban street system may operate more efficiently, safely, and reliably for both goods and people.