UGPTI Staff Are Presenters at Transportation Research ForumPosted: Mar 23, 2005 Four researchers from the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute presented papers at the Transportation Research Forum's annual meeting March 6-8 at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Denver Tolliver, associate director of the institute, was part of a panel that discussed the track condition and future of U.S. small railroads. The presentation drew on his extensive research background in railroad trends and operations. Three of the researchers were from the institute's Small Urban & Rural Transit Center. Gary Hegland outlined a SURTC study that identified ways to increase coordination of North Dakota transportation services among traditional transit providers as well as human service agencies and other organizations that provide transportation for their clients. The study was commissioned by the North Dakota Department of Transportation. Del Peterson presented a study analyzing transit trends in Jamestown, N.D. The local transit provider, James River Transit, is using the study to evaluate changes to its services including the possible addition of fixed-route service. David Ripplinger described his preliminary work on improving school bus routing software to better account for uncertainties such as bad weather and road conditions, absent students and other factors. The Transportation Research Forum is a professional transportation organization dedicated to providing an impartial forum for the exchange of ideas among practitioners, researchers and government officials regarding all aspects of logistics. The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute is the administrative home of the forum and its journal. Published in NDSU's staff newsletter |