Research at Utah State University provides a roadmap for standardizing connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) crash reporting practices across the United States.
Jeremy Mattson and Dilip Mistry Public transportation plays a fundamental role in the livability of communities of all sizes. The Rural Transit Fact Book provides information on transit service availability and cost to help the transit industry in the United States provide efficient and effective service to meet rural community mobility needs.
Research at North Dakota State University’s Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute shows that a parent advisory letter can be an effective tool for improving teen driver safety.
Jeremy Mattson and Jill Hough This study examines rural transit needs for Jaunt. The objective is to quantify the need for transit services in each of Jaunt's partner jurisdictions. Recommendations and cost estimates are provided.
Safe + Sound Week is a nationwide event held each August that recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America's workers safe. This year Safe + Sound Week will provide resources for businesses on Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). These materials will be posted before the start of Safe + Sound Week. Please check back soon!
Blind spots behind and around vehicles are not immediately obvious to employees on foot. By training employees on where those blind spots are and how to avoid being in them, employers can prevent some back over incidents.
On July 15, Dr. Chris Pantelides discussed research related to using FRP composites in new bridge structures. Capacity degradation in RC components of existing bridges occurs in harsh weather conditions when corroded steel reinforcement expands, which causes subsequent strength losses in concrete through the development of cracking and spalling.
UGPTI recently partnered with WDAY radio to produce a series of truck safety public service announcements to be broadcast on WDAY affiliates, including its American Ag Network stations, across North Dakota.
The benefits of autonomous trucking to the state and the challenges faced in implementing the technology will be key topics of the North Dakota Autonomous Trucking Conference to be held in Bismarck, October 16-17.
The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (UGPTI) has built a web-based traffic data analysis tool. This traffic analysis tool uses existing traffic signal control devices to collect data 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and 365 days per year. The primary purpose of this pilot project was to develop the agency-to-UGPTI connections and build a compatible traffic analysis tool database for the Bismarck-Mandan MPO to collect data from intersections operated / maintained by City of Bismarck.
A new bridge beam design performed well in tests conducted by researchers at Colorado State University. The analysis they used can be applied to design and assess other similar bridge beam designs.
The project, led by UGPTI Director Denver Tolliver, focuses on accelerating the deployment of autonomous trucks in rural areas and also supported by funding from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The project was recently featured in outreach by NDSU’s Office of Research and Creative Activity.
Researchers at Utah State University are using data collected during a 2020 earthquake near Salt Lake City to help improve models used to design earthquake resistant transportation infrastructure.
Monday, July 15, 2024: 10-11 a.m. Central Time. This research is related to using FRP composites in new bridge structures. Capacity degradation in RC components of existing bridges occurs in harsh weather conditions when corroded steel reinforcement expands, which causes subsequent strength losses in concrete through the development of cracking and spalling.
An extreme heat event is a series of hot days, much hotter than average for a particular time and place. Extreme heat is deadly and kills more people than any other weather event. Climate change is making extreme heat events more frequent, more severe and last longer. But we can take action to prepare. Prepare now to protect yourself and your employees.
On June 12, 2024, Molly Wagner and Manish Skirgaokar, Ph.D. conducted a webinar discussing their findings from MPC research. One objective is to understand how attributes of transportation infrastructure impact the daily mobility of people with disabilities. A second is to understand how the implementation and management of transportation assets impact the accessibility of travel for people with disabilities.
In this issue of the North Dakota Impaired Driving Newsletter we say hello to the state’s new Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor (TSRP) Peter Halbach. Also, preview of the upcoming summer ND Impaired Driving
Conference and include a list of upcoming training and events along with a training resource listing.
In this issue of the newsletter you
will find information on oral fluid detection and the pilot program in our state. There is some information
on DRE detection and an update on the famous Olenowski case out of New Jersey dealing with DRE testimony. Finally, the crash board, case law, and resources listings are found toward the end.
Research at the University of Utah will help transportation planners and designers make design choices based on long-term maintenance costs as well as up-front construction and installation costs.
Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 395 of the 1069 construction fatalities recorded in 2022 (BLS data). Those deaths were preventable. The National Safety Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.
The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute invites applications for an Administrative Technician position in our Bismarck, ND office. The UGPTI offers an exciting opportunity to pursue administrative and event-coordinating activities that revolve around transportation professionals. The candidate seeking to join us for this position will be involved in a wide range of administrative and program management duties for our Bismarck office. The individual will have the opportunity to utilize his/her strengths in contributing to a growing organization that focuses on providing workforce development through our local technical assistance program to transportation professionals who work in North Dakota.
Researchers at Colorado State University have developed an uncertainty-based bridge inspection planning framework that offers a multitude of advantages. It provides flexibility to adapt inspection schedules, optimizes resource allocation, mitigates risks, and leads to cost savings.
Researchers at Utah State University studied bicyclists’ safety perceptions of and preferences for roundabouts with different characteristics. Their research could lead to updated roundabout design guidelines, resulting in safer roundabouts for bicyclists.
Research at the University of Colorado Denver has the potential to help practitioners in the transportation sector reassess how they plan, design, and implement infrastructure for individuals of all abilities, including children, older adults, and people with disabilities.
MPC researcher and CSU civil and environmental engineering assistant Professor Yanlin Guo was recently awarded a five-year National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award of $542,000 to develop new methodologies for assessing wind damage risks to building exteriors.
The University of Utah was awarded approximately $600,000 by the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) Deep Technology Talent Initiative to introduce a pioneering Transportation Infrastructure Electrification Joint Certificate Program.
MPC researcher Cathy Liu was honored with the Outstanding Educator Award presented by the Mountain District of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). The award recognizes Liu's passion for transportation education and her dedication to her students.
The survey, to be completed in April 2024, is designed to better understand views regarding this emerging technology held by motor carriers and others in related industries.
Researchers at the University of Utah developed a web-based platform, named the Utah Advanced Air Mobility Simulator (UAAMS) to enable researchers, planners, and practitioners to record and update assumptions about the distribution of vertiports, traffic, population, and other requirements that may affect the operation of the transportation network.
A journal paper based on MPC research, "Seismic Column-To-Footing Connections Reinforced with Steel/GFRP Bars and GFRP Spirals," was recently published in the April issue of Engineering Structures. The paper was co-authored by Ph.D. student Duc Tran and MPC researcher Chris P. Pantelides at the University of Utah.
MPC researcher and Utah State University Professor Brady Cox is this year's recipient of the American Society of Civil Engineers Prakash Lecturer Award for outstanding research or professional practice contributions in the area of geotechnical engineering or soil dynamics. Only one person is selected annually.
MPC researcher Pedro Romero received the Friend of Industry Award from the Utah Asphalt Paving Association at its annual Utah Asphalt Conference February 27-28.
National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is an annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones. NWZAW is April 15-19, hosted by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). Learn all about the 2024 theme and poster, find the schedule of events, access event and promo guides, and more.
This inaugural event, May 14 – 16, will bring together Tribal road maintenance practitioners and staff from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Transportation and BIA Regional Tribal Transportation Program. The event will provide essential support for Tribal transportation directors, supervisors, planners, office staff, equipment operators, project managers, and others. Registration is open and there are opportunities for sponsors and vendors.
Asphalt is a petroleum product used extensively in some construction work. When asphalt is heated for use, it releases fumes that can be harmful to workers.
Carbon monoxide is an invisible gas with no taste or smell. It is especially dangerous if it builds up indoors. It is slightly lighter than air, so it can hang around in enclosed spaces.
Trucks are an important mode of economic connectivity in rural states like North Dakota. The size/mass difference between 80,000-pound trucks and 4,000-pound passenger vehicles, along with operational differences such as acceleration/deceleration times and turning radiuses, heighten risk for crash events.
UGPTI State Judicial Outreach Liaison and retired judge John Grinsteiner has recently been named as a faculty member for All Rise (formerly the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP). As faculty, Judge Grinsteiner will join the All Rise staff on the road as a facilitator or specialized presenter and subject matter expert.
Researchers at North Dakota State University’s Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute are using data from autonomous and connected vehicles to learn how to improve evacuation in the event of disasters like wildfire.
Kimberly Vachal, Jaclyn Andersen, and Doug Benson This report represents a continuation of analysis concerned with the patterns and methods of distributing grains and oilseeds from North Dakota.
Kimberly Vachal, Jaclyn Andersen, and Doug Benson The objective of this report is to provide a benchmark for elevator managers in assessing performance, and supply a source for recognizing trends in the characteristics of North Dakota elevators.
Thanks to University of Utah research, traffic cameras coupled with the power of artificial intelligence tools like deep learning and computer vision are giving traffic managers more reliable tools for managing traffic flow on interstate highways.
Ranjit Godavarthy and Jill Hough
Technology-enabled, emerging, shared-use mobility services have significantly transformed the transportation ecosystem in urban communities and are beginning to enter more and more rural communities.
Jeremy Mattson and Bright Quayson This research examines the many ways that public transportation affects health, with a focus on rural and small urban areas. The study examines transportation to health care services in rural and small urban areas, the role of public transportation in improving access to care, and the effects of missed or delayed health care trips.
Aleks Paskett, a master's degree student in civil engineering at Utah State University, has been named the 2023 Student of the Year for the Mountain-Plains Consortium. He will be honored with other award winners from across the country during an awards ceremony January 6 in Washington, D.C.
The North Dakota Department of Transportation, in partnership with Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, is pleased to announce the 2024 ND Transportation Conference. The conference theme is Moving North Dakota Forward and will be held March 5-6 at the Bismarck Event Center. Register Now!
Alan Dybing and Raj Bridgelall received the awards from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program. The researchers were nominated by Seguy Tchakounte-Wakem, a research specialist at UGPTI and a captain in the Minnesota Army Reserve.
The latest issue of the North Dakota Impaired Driving Newsletter touches on a summary of the 2023 top four major trends in impaired driving. Also included are a list of upcoming training and events along with a training resource listing.
Mark Wolter, UGPTI’s truck industry liaison, joined other volunteers from the North Dakota Motor Carriers Association to teach students at the event about the “No-Zone,” the areas behind and beside a commercial truck where the truck driver has limited or zero visibility.
Research at North Dakota State University’s Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute offers a roadmap for companies and agencies looking to profitably implement the use of autonomous aircraft.
In this issue, Judge Grinsteiner discusses the current status of cannabis (legalization, derivatives, and
cannabis use disorder). Including resources and links of interest.
Researchers at Colorado State University developed a system for evaluating the risk of critical infrastructure system disruption from tree damage during windstorms. The research findings can potentially to be applied in future risk assessment and mitigation of urban trees before windstorms.
Researchers at Colorado State University are studying new traffic control strategies for signalized intersections that may improve traffic safety, reduce congestion, and cut wait times for motorists at intersections impacted by crashes and other traffic disruptions.
Potential implementation of autonomous trucks in North Dakota and the northern Great Plains is the focus of a new UGPTI research project. The two-year project is funded by a grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and will explore various deployment options, routes, and practices and quantify the safety, regulatory, energy, environmental, and economic impacts of autonomous trucking.
Brenda Lantz, associate director of UGPTI and director of its Commercial Vehicle Safety Center was recently named to the board of directors of Heartland Express, a trucking company based in North Liberty, IA.
Researchers at the University of Utah studied a section of roadway that deteriorated prematurely to learn how to improve road construction where soft subgrades are involved. The researchers studied a geogrid-reinforced pavement system on the section of Utah State Route 10 between Muddy Creek and Emery.
Researchers with the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute at NDSU surveyed local road managers across North Dakota and with a special emphasis on the oil-producing region of North Dakota to learn about road safety activities.
The survey is designed to collect the data needed for the gravel road needs assessment. The survey form contains questions about component costs, road maintenance practices and other techniques that are being used. The responses to the survey are important as the data collected will be directly used to estimate the roadway needs in your county. Please submit the survey by November 20, 2023.
We are all bound to slip and fall at some point in our lives. You can chalk it up to just being clumsy, or there may be more environmental factors at play. In regards to the latter, this is more pertinent during the winter season. Trying to traverse surfaces that have been frozen solid by ice is a delicate process.
UGPTI researcher Pan Lu was recently named to rail-related committees with the Transportation Research Board and the American Society of Civil Engineers. As a member of the committees, Lu will help identify research needs and set priorities for rail researchers across the country.
Kimberly Vachal, Andrew Kubas, and Jaclyn Andersen The statewide driver traffic safety survey provides baseline metrics for the North Dakota Department of Transportation Safety Division and others to use in understanding perceptions and self-reported behaviors related to focus issues.
Researchers at the University of Utah are improving analytical and numerical methods to estimate the amount of permanent ground displacement associated with liquefaction-induced lateral spread.
Researchers at North Dakota State University and the University of Utah studied traffic in the Salt Lake City area to learn more about how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted traffic and traffic safety. Most transportation research to date has focused on the early stages of the pandemic, but this study examined traffic patterns and crash trends throughout the pandemic.
Teamwork keeps works safety and production high on any job. Teamwork prevents accidents. All we have to do is think of the other person's safety as well as our own.
Congratulations to MPC researcher Ying Huang on being named the 2023 winner of the NDSU College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award. Huang is professor and Welch Faculty Fellow of civil, construction and environmental engineering. Her teaching focus covers surveying, materials and transportation infrastructure design. She has developed two new courses at NDSU, broadening the offerings in transportation engineering available to students.
Brad Wentz, director of UGPTI's Department of Transportation Support Center and Advanced Traffic Analysis Center has been named to the Transportation Research Board's Low Volume Roads Committee.
