Research News

Final 50 Feet: Urban Goods Delivery Systems

The Final 50 Feet Research Program focuses on the “final 50 feet” of the urban goods delivery system, including searching for parking; loading/unloading; maneuvering intersections, curbs, and other obstacles; and delivering goods to customers. Researchers have used a systems engineering approach to investigate solutions to optimizing delivery operations in the final 50 feet of the supply chain. They have analyzed both the street network and the city’s vertical space as one integrated goods delivery system to ultimately reduce carbon emissions and increase curb efficiency for goods delivery.

Utility and Limitations of Using Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) as Roadway Embankment Material

The use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) is a sustainable practice that potentially could help reduce construction costs, preserve the environment, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provided that the engineering performance of the roadways constructed with RAP is not compromised. This project sought to determine the limits for using RAP as a roadway embankment material and to develop draft specifications for the required material and its placement.

Review and Summary of Pre-Wet Methods and Procedures

Pre-wetting is an important part of winter road maintenance operations. This project compiled a summary of pre-wetting practices, including equipment, materials, methods, and application rates, and identified the history of successes and failures that have contributed to current practices.

Snow and Ice Treatment Products Evaluation

The Maintenance Division of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) uses different materials to reduce the negative impacts of snow and ice on state roadways. In addition to plowing, the use of chemicals and abrasives for highway winter maintenance operations is an essential strategy for ensuring a reasonably high level of service. This project addressed information gaps regarding the performance and impacts of these materials.

Design of Living Barriers to Reduce the Impacts of Snowdrifts on Illinois Freeways

Blowing snow accounts for a large part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) total winter maintenance expenditures. This project developed recommendations for the design and placement of living snow fences to minimize snowdrift on Illinois highways. More effective and efficient snow and ice control operations could produce significant economic, environmental, and social benefits for the state.

Flume-Based Design Recommendations for Coarse Bands and Boulder Bars to Improve the Retention of Channel Shape in Stream Simulation Culverts

Fish populations have decreased in the Puget Sound area in part because fish barriers such as culverts have limited the ability of fish to swim upstream to reach their food supplies and spawning grounds. This project looked at better ways to maintain a common replacement for traditional culverts, stream simulation culverts.

Use of a Microwave Method to Prototype Electrically Conductive Concrete

The heavy use of various kinds of deicers has proved to have undesirable effects on the natural and built environments. As an alternative, electrically conductive concrete (ECC) pavements, which contain different types of conductive components, can melt surface ice and snow when an electric current is passed through the slab. This study explored additives that can increase the electrical conductivity of pavement materials as a replacement for traditional deicing approaches and also investigated a method for evaluating conductive mixes.

Hierarchical Priority-Based Control of Signalized Intersections in Semi-Connected Corridors

Connected vehicles, the internet of things, and smart infrastructure technologies support the exchange of real-time, highly granular traffic information among transportation network users, system operators, and the supporting infrastructure. This project worked to harness this emergent connectivity and to improve traffic mobility by optimizing the timing of signalized intersections.

Longitudinal Analyses of Washington State Student Travel Surveys

This project analyzed changes in the rates of active school transport captured in the 2016 and 2019 Washington State Student Travel Surveys and also evaluated the likely impacts of Safe Routes to School projects on rates of active school transport. It was part of a long-term collaboration between the University of Washington and the Washington State Department of Transportation to model the environmental determinants of active school transport (AST) in order to help support and promote AST and to ensure the safety of students traveling to school.

Seattle Obesity Study

This project assessed whether environmental, social, and economic variables could be related to diet, physical activity, and health behaviors. By looking at the built environment and its relationship to food shopping, diet quality, obesity, and related physical activity for residents, researchers sought to provide information to help public decision-makers create healthier environments.

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Washington State Transportation Center