SECOND PHASE OF NUTI RESEARCH PROJECTS UNDER WAY
In 1991, a consortium lead by CUTR and comprised of the University of South Florida (USF), Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), Florida International University (FIU), and Florida State University (FSU) was designated by Congress as a National Urban Transit Institute in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). Consortium members recently began research on the second phase of projects associated with the Institute.
Work on the first group of 12 research projects began in the summer of 1993 and is nearing completion, with numerous reports and research products scheduled for dissemination in 1995. Efforts on the second group of projects began with the release of the second year funding in late October 1994.
Year One Research
Working under the Institute's theme of "combining academic research, educational programs, and real world experience to develop innovative, pragmatic approaches that will enable public transportation to better meet the evolving needs of our citizens," the Institute's research melds the respective missions of the consortium members with the goals of USDOT's University Research Institutes Program, the mobility needs of the public, and the research and training needs of the public transportation industry.
As detailed in an earlier issue of CUTRlines, 12 studies were selected for the Institute's first-year work plan, each of which has resulted or will result in publication of a final report.
Studies conducted by Florida A&M University include:
- Urban Transportation Model Evaluation for Small to Medium Size Systems
- Decision Support System for Urban Transit Systems Management
The study conducted by Florida International University includes:
- Evaluation of the Impact of the National Demographic and Technological Trends on Future Transit Efficiency
Studies conducted by Florida State University include:
- Assessing the Environmental Effects of Urban Transit Systems
- Evaluation of Financing Strategies for High Speed Rail and Magnetic Levitation Systems in Europe and Asia
- The Florida Institute for Marketing Alternative Transportation
- Evaluation Land Use Methods for Altering Travel Behavior
- Projects being conducted by CUTR/USF include:
- Commute Alternatives Educational Outreach Review
- Paratransit and Land Use: Facility Siting Considerations
- Analysis of Minority and Elderly Travel Behavior
- Commuting Alternatives in the United States
- Economics and Policy Considerations of IVHS Transit Applications
CUTR also is developing and will produce the Journal of Public Transportation as part of the Institute.
Year Two Research Projects
Twelve projects were selected to be undertaken as part of the second year's work program. Five of these are continued Year One projects, and seven are new projects.
As part of the second year work program, Florida International University will conduct:
- Evaluation of the Level of Service and Capacity Relationship of the Rail Rapid Transit Systems (Dr. David Shen, principal investigator), which is a study of the relationship between the rail rapid transit capacity and level of service to enable transit agencies to provide better service planning and operations.
Two new projects will be conducted by Florida State University:
- Assessment of Transportation, Economic, and Environmental and Energy Benefits and Costs of the Metro-Dade Electric Station Car Project (Dr. Thomas Lynch, principal investigator), which provides technical assistance to the Metro-Dade pilot program by evaluating the benefits and costs of urban commuters using electric vehicles for commuting to and from transit stations.
- Determinants of Transit Usage and Mode Choice (Dr. Greg Thompson, principal investigator), which is investigating the effectiveness of various transit network configurations for serving an urban area's transit needs.
CUTR projects include:
- African-Americans, Other Minorities, and Women in Transit (Eric Hill, principal investigator), which is examining the effect that changes in the transit industry and society have had on minority and women's employment.
- Improving Paratransit Productivity: Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) Applications (Rosemary Mathias & Mike Pietrzyk, principal investigators), which is investigating the application of AVL to the improvement of paratransit productivity.
- National Conference on GIS and Transit (Dr. Ronald Sheck & William Ball, principal investigators), which will bring together transit professionals to discuss the potential for more effective application of geographic information systems (GIS) to transit.
- African-American Mobility Symposium (Fredalyn Frasier, Eric Hill & Beverly Ward, principal investigators), which supports the second annual conference focusing on transportation policy and research critical to the African-American community.
For further information, contact Steve Polzin, CUTR Deputy Director for Policy Analysis.
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