The Way2Go mission is to transform our community's culture of transportation among users, providers and decision makers, so that everyone can meet their transportation needs in an equitable and environmentally sustainable way. Jonathan’s position requires him to operate as a hub among diverse stakeholders from health, transportation, human services, education, etc.  With such an expansive scope Maddision credits the foundation of knowledge he gained at the TRC and at the Master of Public Administration program to help him hit the ground running.

When he was hired at Way2Go in June 2012 he was tasked with creating a network of human service agencies with the goal of professionalizing travel training services for individuals with disabilities, older adults and people with limited English proficiency. Travel training is an emerging service typically provided by transit providers, schools, or disability service agencies in larger urban areas and supporting a vision of a more inclusive and accessible transportation system. Jonathan worked with this network to submit a proposal to fund a 2-year pilot travel training program in Tompkins County which is currently being reviewed by the New York State Department of Transportation.

Meanwhile, he has taken the initiative to start offering travel training to community members. Jonathan reflected that “this experience has led me to become much more aware of the transportation barriers that are present in all communities that prevent people with low vision, people who use mobility aides or people with mobility impairments from fully participating and accessing communities.”

His other role at Way2Go is to encourage community members to adopt environmentally friendly modes of transportation. The program does this through media outreach and talking with community members at workshops and community events.

Most recently he participated in organizing a community-wide event called Streets Alive.   More than 12 blocks in downtown Ithaca were closed to cars in order to celebrate walking, cycling and other forms of active transportation.  

Moving forward, Jonathan plans to continue working directly with community members and, local agencies to help create an inclusive and environmentally sustainable transportation system.  This year he hopes to fully fund, and implement a two year travel training pilot program in Tompkins County.

Two TRC Faculty Associates, David Novak (Business Adm) and Luis Vivanco (Anthropology) were recently recognized as recipients of UVM REACH grants through the Graduate College, a new initiative that seeks to identify and promote promising research, scholarship and creative arts in all areas of the University and to encourage faculty members to envision ambitious, long-term projects that will have a substantial impact.  Novak, working with TRC research analyst Jim Sullivan, will work to further develop an accessibility measure for rural areas identifying transportation network links that are most important in facilitating system-wide access to essential services.  Vivanco will be advancing research to examine the intersections of culture, politics of sustainability and bicycle transportation in Bogota, Columbia, looking at the conditions under which cities can redevelop transportation systems around the principles of equity and sustainability.

This is the first year of the REACH competitive grant program.  It was designed to foster conditions of possibility in which more ambitious projects, like those proposed by Vivanco and Novak, can grow with the University providing seed money, exploratory funding, leveraging capability, and similar options.  It seeks to advance research with broad societal, scholarly and/or creative impact that extends beyond UVM into the community and the world.

 Photos: David Novak (left) and Jim Sullivan

Novak and Sullivan’s proposal “Evaluating how Disruptions in the Roadway System Affect Accessibility to Essential Services in Vermont” builds on previous research related to rural accessibility and seeks to develop and implement a link-based accessibility measure called critical closeness accessibility (CCA). CCA is derived from concepts in network science, location science, and transportation accessibility and is used to identify the roadway links in a transportation network that are the most important in facilitating system-wide access to essential services such as hospitals and fire/rescue services. The approach is implemented using geographic information system (GIS) mapping and travel-demand modeling software and the state of Vermont’s road network. The specific areas of the state that are highly vulnerable to disruptions in the network due to events such as heavy rain, flooding, snow/ice, traffic accidents, and roadway maintenance projects are identified. Vulnerable areas include regions of the state and the surrounding populations that are at risk of becoming isolated from essential services as the result of a disruptive event. 

Vivanco's research,  “Culture, Politics and Sustainability of Bicycle Transportation in Bogota, Colombia,”                    Photo: Luis Vivanco

advances understanding of the conditions under which cities can redevelop transportation systems around principles of equity and sustainability. REACH funding leverages a Fulbright Teaching/Research Award that Vivanco secured, which will take place January-April 2014, supporting a period of initial fieldwork during summer 2013 and the ability to stay beyond the Fulbright to continue fieldwork. The work is set in Bogotá, a city recognized globally for its investments in accessible and environmentally-sustainable urban transportation initiatives, urban bicycle advocates, and everyday cyclists.  The goal of this project is to track in qualitative terms how deeply, in what ways, and for whom bicycles have been woven into the fabric of everyday life; to detail how everyday bicycle use and car-free events shape individuals’ perceptions of their city and urban mobility; and to understand the role that a new political actor- the civil society bicycle advocacy group- is playing in city politics. 

 Visit the UVM REACH Grant webpage here

Lisa was on a Utah and Arizona vacation during her research leave at the University of California Davis.  She was very interested to learn how Pete was putting skills honed at the RSENR Park Studies Lab and the TRC into his strategic planning work for the National Park Service.  In particular, Pete is striving for data-driven outdoor recreation planning and has been using infrared counters to measure pedestrian activity on trails in the park. Pete’s research will help inform Grand Canyon’s backcountry management plan which includes over 400 miles of trails as well as primitive road networks and remote car-camping destinations.  Pete maintains research interests in measuring and managing the quality of transportation and has recently been appointed an adjunct faculty member at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. 

Photo left: Dr. Peter Pettengill with Dr. Lisa Aultman-Hall 

Lisa's tour included numerous National Parks giving her even more appreciation for Dr. Manning and the Park Studies Lab and their efforts to measure carrying capacity and levels of experiential quality in recreation.  She observed several examples of NPS transit, biking and walking systems.  Grand Canyon Village and other National Park gateway communities shared common landscapes and transportation challenges with rural America including Vermont. 

 Pete and his wife Anna, a utility regulatory consultant, live in the remote Grand Canyon Village within the park.

How do we make sure that our communities are safe, sustainable, vibrant places that are accessible to all? While we must all work together in our individual roles to contribute to the health of our neighborhoods, local government plays a key role in planning and implementing the ideas that strengthen the livability of our communities. The issues that fall to local government to tackle are numerous, and one of them is transportation planning and infrastructure. 

Image Right:Diana Colangelo, TRC Alum and Economic Development Specialist at CEDO, with Paul Budnitz of Budnitz Bicycles

As an Economic Development Specialist at Burlington’s Community & Economic Development Office (CEDO), Diana Colangelo has the opportunity to work on transportation-related initiatives in the City of Burlington. As a Graduate Research Assistant at the TRC during the 2009-2010 academic year, she worked with Dr. Asim Zia to analyze national commuting patterns using data from the American Housing Survey’s Journey to Work section. Although her work is no longer in the realm of research, she regularly uses the skills she developed at the TRC and in her Master of Public Administration program in her work for the city.

Tasked with fostering economic growth in Burlington and helping small businesses startup, grow, and expand here, the range of activities that Diana is involved with that relate to transportation and infrastructure is broad. Activities range from providing technical assistance to help small bike- related businesses startup, find space, and market themselves, to working with other City departments on long-term plans for infrastructure improvements. One example is the City’s Public Investment Action Plan, which will determine how tens of millions of dollars in waterfront and downtown public infrastructure investments will be made. The City has put out a Request for Concepts, and the deadline is approaching. That is the first step in a year-long process that will culminate in a public vote on a slate of infrastructure investment projects in March of 2014. Diana and other CEDO and City staff will be intimately involved with this project over the course of the next year. Many concepts will deal with transportation-related infrastructure on the waterfront as well as better physical connections between the downtown and the waterfront.

Image Right: A CEDO poster promoting a bike-related business that located in Burlington

On a smaller scale, in addition to providing assistance to bike-related businesses, Diana has been involved with initiatives to highlight the contributions these businesses make to the community. CEDO’s “They Chose Burlington” poster series offers businesses the chance to market themselves and show the public why they chose to locate their business in Burlington. The posters in the series have featured Terry Bicycles and more recently Maglianero Café, a haven for bicyclists whose owner is a bicycling advocate and major part of the modern mobility movement. The images appear at the waterfront information kiosk, in City Hall, and at Burlington International Airport, bringing featured businesses in front of a wide audience.

Another example of small scale economic development that highlights the importance of our bike-related businesses is a “Welcome Budnitz Bicycles” ride that Diana helped to coordinate. Starting on the steps of City Hall, the Mayor welcomed Paul Budnitz to our community and riders biked down to Budnitz’s new headquarters at Maglianero Café, where the Mayor offered more remarks and attendees got a tour of the new store.

Diana also works with the Department of Public Works and area businesses on locating bike racks in front of commercial properties, as well as issues that come up for businesses related to parking and parking signage. Resolving parking issues for businesses can help drive more customers to their stores as well as create more effective and efficient parking in general for visitors to the downtown. Stay tuned for more on parking, which is a critical issue that Diana and other CEDO staff will be working on in the coming year.

Working at the TRC not only helped Diana hone both quantitative and qualitative skills, but it gave her countless opportunities to learn about the complexities of making transportation decisions in communities. From attending lectures and research expos to collaborating with other scholars, Diana’s experience at the TRC informed her perspectives and helps her to be a better and more knowledgeable public servant when it comes to transportation issues in the City of Burlington.

   In his lecture, Dr. Landis highlighted the complexity of determining the type of growth model a city or region should use based on what their growth strategy is, ranging from providing more affordable housing, to more public space, to more transit options, etc.  He explained that every city is different in that they all have a unique set of goals.  Once you understand what the goals are, then you can choose the best growth model for that city.  He also discussed the policies that shape this growth, such as zoning, growth boundaries, and fees or incentives. 

Dr. Landis followed this discussion with some statistics about how cities have been growing across the country, highlighting that suburban growth far outpaced core city growth in the 1990’s.  Some metros, however, did increase average density during this time, such as New York, Phoenix-Mesa, and Las Vegas.  After this overview, Dr. Landis went into detail about the different types of models that are used for growth modeling.  He used Vermont’s Chittenden County as an example to show how growth may occur using the various models and assuming certain growth strategies for the region. 

   Forty years after the oil embargo, Jonathan Rubin delivered a lecture on his approach to reduce petroleum dependence and carbon emissions in the transportation sector.  He believes this is a critical task, not only for the bipartisan goal of energy security, but also to prevent the economic costs of high fuel prices.  Rubin’s solution does not pick a certain fuel to replace oil.  “We’ve been searching for a magic technology for a long time”, he notes, citing the options that held the most promise at certain points over the years, such as hydrogen, ethanol, and natural gas. 

     Rubin instead proposes a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCSFS) to gradually lower the emissions and fuel consumption by setting a gradually decreasing cap on carbon intensity.  With this process, transportation emissions could be reduced 10 percent by 2030, reaching a cost of $.37 per gallon.  He proposes this LCFS approach rather than a tax, which he notes would be ineffective due to inelastic demand.  In other words, people would continue to drive even with the price increase from a tax, as seen already with the large variations in gas prices.   While cars have gotten more efficient, Rubin noted, fuels have increased in emissions, due to energy intensive processes such as mining oil sands and deep water drilling.  As Dr. Rubin noted grimly, the concern should not be that fossil fuels are running out, but that they are still in large supply as technology increases access, thus making switching to alternatives more difficult.  Low Carbon Fuel Standard, however, may be an effective step in the path to wide adoption of alternative fuel vehicles in transportation.

  “Drive Like a Local!” proclaims the research poster by Kristine Harootunian, a master’s student in civil and environmental engineering, at the TRC Research Expo.  This year’s poster competition featured 19 student posters, showcasing research from across the disciplines.  Harootunian’s research included the examination of 5 years of the Vermont State Crash Database, with a major finding that out-of-state drivers have double the odds of being at fault for a single vehicle crash.   Crashes with two vehicles, however, were not significantly different.  Her poster earned first place in the poster contest and the headline in the Burlington Free Press coverage of the Expo (“Beware of out-of-state drivers, on main roads at least”). 

Image Right: TRC Expo '13 Poster Competition winner, created by Kristine Harootunian

The many posters at the Expo covered a wide range of topics, demonstrating the huge breadth of research, education and programs active within the transportation field at UVM; from biodiesel emissions, to pervious pavement, to transportation workforce development (See abstracts here).  An independent judging team looked for the posters that displayed the greatest potential for societal impact and influence; advanced overall bodies of scholarly knowledge; embodied innovative and creative explorations; exhibited high levels of collaboration or interdisciplinarity in the research design and execution.

Geoffrey Battista, a master’s student in Community Development and Applied Economics, won second place for his research, “Estimating the Effect of Mobility and Food Choice on Obesity”.  A major factor, according to Battista’s study of the literature, in determining choice of food and mobility is the built environment, which in turn could impact obesity.  Studying survey data covering Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine from 2008 and 2009, Battista is developing final models to determine the connection, with prior results showing rural residents less likely to benefit from the calorie burn of an active commute.

Image Right: Geoffrey Battista with his poster, which won second place (Photo courtesy Richard Watts)

Isaac Lawrence, a master’s student in the Rubenstein School, utilized the UrbanSim modeling tool to assess flooding and stream health due to impervious surface, testing his constructed model on Chittenden County, Vermont.  His research tied for third place with Nathan Belz, a doctoral student in civil and environmental engineering.  Belz was also featured in the Free Press article for his project, “That’s Not How You’re Supposed to Drive through a Roundabout!!  His research observed improper use of roundabouts, such as stopping without reason, entering unsafely, or yielding to drivers entering and not only found that they occur, but that some happen frequently.

 While only four prizewinners were formally recognized, multiple speakers at the Expo gave high praise for the value of the many posters and the tremendous breadth in research that they represented for efforts of the university and the Transportation Research Center.  Michael Lewis, AASHTO President and Expo Keynote Speaker, placed a large emphasis on research as a key component for solving our issues in transportation in his Expo presentation.  Sue Minter, Deputy Secretary at VTrans, echoed that in her opening comments, citing the value to the state of having a Transportation Research Center at UVM, especially one that works in close partnership with the state agency and other transportation sector organizations working in the state.  The posters presented at this year’s expo are important indicators of the value of interdisciplinary research and collaboration at UVM and in how the TRC will continue to play a significant role in advancing new solutions to the transport challenges of the future. 

Image Right: Nathan Belz presents his poster to Tim Johnson of the Burlington Free Press (Photo courtesy Richard Watts)

AASHTO President Michael Lewis speaks at the TRC Expo

“We have a massive amount of infrastructure to take care of”, according to AASHTO President Michael Lewis, and whatever the transport options of the future are it will still be essential for the foreseeable future.  Lewis, also the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and UVM alum, was the keynote speaker at Wednesday’s TRC Research Expo.  He focused on the present issue of under-investment in transportation, while highlighting a larger time scale, from the beginnings of transportation to its future nearly a century from now.   Lewis believes the future holds the potential for innovation, such as connected, smaller vehicles and improved transit, but there will still be a need to move freight across our nation’s roadways. 

Despite the future technologies that may improve transportation in the long-term, he likened the current time to standing at a cliff edge, due to the vastly inadequate support for maintenance of our transportation system.  Damages from increasingly powerful and frequent storms, such as Tropical Storm Irene and Hurricane Sandy, have only worsened the problem.  While Lewis believes the nation is largely finished with building more highways, it is now time to bring the focus to maintaining what we have, an issue that he is working to convey in Rhode Island as well, where soon 40 percent of bridges will be structurally deficient.  Despite this current challenge, Lewis finds great potential in research to support innovative solutions for transportation in the years and decades ahead, such as that on display at the Expo, which took over the entire first floor of Billings Library.

The Expo highlighted transportation innovation and research from the University and around the state with a student and professional poster session and competition.  Vermont Deputy Secretary of Transportation Sue Minter joined Michael Lewis in highlighting the importance of the research conducted at UVM that stretches across disciplines to meet the many challenges we face in the present and future.  Topics on display at the Expo ranged from pervious pavement to emissions testing to land use modeling to bicycling.   See abstracts here. 

Student Research Poster Competition

Attendees at the Expo Poster session

TRC Graduate Scholar Kristine Harootunian (CEMS) took first place in the poster competition with her entry, “Drive Like a Local! Findings from the Vermont State Crash Database”.  The study drew from reported crashes statewide and among the findings determined that out-of-state drivers had twice the chances of being in a single vehicle crash.  Other prizes included Geoffrey Battista’s (CDAE) examination of the effect of food choice and mobility’s impact on obesity, Nathan Belz’s (CEMS) examination of roundabout non-compliance, and Isaac Lawrence’s (RSENR) modeling with UrbanSim.

A series of presentations and discussions were also organized to parallel the research poster session.  These included:

·      Rubenstein School Prof. Bob Manning presenting his new book, Walking Distance

·      Regina Mahony, Michele Boomhower and Charile Barker from the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission discussing the ECOS project, an new approach to combined regional land-use, economic development and transportation planning

·      Sue Minter, Deputy Secretary of VTrans, and Leon Heyward, Deputy Commissioner of NYC Department of Transportation, reviewing lessons learned from the recent natural disasters (Irene and Sandy) faced by their respective regions.

The TRC Transportation Research Expo seeks to highlight innovative research in the transportation field from UVM faculty and students, as well as partners from around the state.  It organizes key speakers and discussions to continue to advance dialogue for future research and action between UVM and its partners in the state and community.  This year’s Expo once more demonstrated the vibrancy and breadth of the research and project work contributing to the transportation field.

For more on the event, check out the new article in the Burlington Free Press

Larry Beaulieu, UPS East Region Automotive Manager, left, with VTCCC Coordinator Tom McGrath

On February 28, the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition held a stakeholder meeting titled “Clean Fleet Solutions,” with several speakers discussing the pursuit of fleet efficiency and alternative fuels. 

 Keynote speaker Larry Beaulieu, UPS East Region Automotive Manager, presented a fascinating overview of national and international UPS fleets. Highlights of the presentation included everything from the company’s ranking in the top 20 nationally for airline fleet size to their use of bicycle transportation in remote tropical locations. Beaulieu also described the many efforts of the company in improving their efficiency and fuel consumption, from alternative fuel use, anti-idling efforts, safety measures, and use of telematics, which provide extensive data. These and other efforts by the company have led to annual petroleum fuel consumption reduction of 3 million gallons and 30 million miles reduced from vehicle miles traveled. The presentation made it very clear that UPS is constantly evaluating, at the national and local level, how they can improve efficiency. UPS is a member of the Clean Cities National Clean Fleet Partners.

 Also presenting at the event was James Mullowney of Vermont Gas Systems. He profiled the Vermont Gas vehicle fleet. Mullowney shared information on their successful implementation of natural gas vehicles (NGV) for service vans and passenger cars. 

 Peter Bourne of Bourne’s Energy spoke about his company’s new biodiesel initiative, detailing the implementation of a new biodiesel blending facility in Morrisville, VT.  With the new facility, customers now have access to biodiesel blends ranging from B5 to B-99 (5 to 99 percent biodiesel, blended with petro-diesel) for both home heating and on-road use. 

 VTCCC Coordinator Tom McGrath gave an update detailing the coalitions inclusion in the Northeast Clean Cities Coalitions’ Project: “Removing Barriers, Implementing Policies, and Advancing Alternative Fuel Markets in New England.”  The project includes barrier reduction initiatives, market development and outreach initiatives, drafting model policy language, working with MPO’s, and safety and training workshops. 

For more information, please contact VTCCC coordinator Tom McGrath.

 “Transportation at a Cross Roads – MAP 21 and Beyond” at TRC Expo ‘13

 Michael P. Lewis, Director of Rhode Island Department of Transportation and President of the American Association of   State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming TRC Expo on  March 27^th at UVM (2pm at Billings Library).  Lewis, a UVM alumnus, will focus on the future of planning and maintaining  transportation systems given the new norms of limited funding and climate change.  He will also speak to new directions in transportation towards multimodalism, livability, resiliency, and sustainability.   Leading AASHTO, the nation’s most prestigious surface transportation organization, Lewis has a broad view of the national transportation picture, but also brings a very grounded perspective through his experience leading a small state transportation department in Rhode Island.  Brian Searles, Vermont Secretary of Transportation and UVM alumnus, will introduce the lecture.

The TRC Sustainable Expo includes a full day of programs and activities highlighting the diversity and depth of UVM research and programs to support sustainable transportation as well as work by partners from throughout the state.  The agenda includes a seminar by Prof. Bob Manning, author of Walking Distance; a seminar describing the Environment. Community. Opportunity. Sustainability. (ECOS) program by the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC); and a seminar discussing the recent disasters of Sandy and Irene with NYC Deputy Commissioner Leon Heyward (also a UVM alumnus) and Sue Minter, Deputy Secretary at VTrans.  From 8am to 2pm a wide range of posters will be displayed highlighting research and program work in the transportation field by UVM faculty, students, and other transportation professionals.

To see all details on the Expo, visit our event site

Next Thursday, February 28th, the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition (VTCCC) will hold a stakeholder meeting at the University of Vermont (Full agenda here).  After an opening remarks and a Clean Cities update by VTCCC coordinator Tom McGrath, there will be several speakers on fleet efficiency and alternative fuels, which will be the focus of the morning.

UPS East Region Automotive Manager Larry Beaulieu is the event’s featured speaker, discussing the efficiency measures the company has successfully taken to reduce energy use.   In their 2011 Sustainability Report, the company puts forward a focus on advanced logistics, maximized efficiency, and reduced emissions.  The company’s website also notes that UPS was awarded the top score for the third consecutive year for consumer shipping by Climate Counts and ranked 11th overall.

Peter Bourne of Bourne’s Energy will provide an update on the availability of biodiesel and share experience using the fuel.  Bourne’s operates a new biodiesel blending plant that opened this past fall in Morrisville. The plant gets its biodiesel from sources such as used cooking oil from nearby restaurants.  The facility blends the biodiesel with petroleum diesel in many ratios from 99% biodiesel (B-99) to 95% petroleum (B-5), with stated benefits of reduced carbon emissions and a recycled source of fuel without changes required to diesel engines. See the Clean Cities fact sheet on biodiesel here.

James Mullowney of Vermont Gas Systems will discuss the company’s fleet of vehicles, including their use of compressed natural gas (CNG), and their experience with alternative fuel and fleet efficiency.  CNG vehicles are currently in use in several fleets in the state, including vehicles owned by Burlington, South Burlington, Casella Waste, and the University of Vermont.  

For more information and to pre-register, click here

Photo (from left): Tom McGrath, Vermont Clean Cities Coordinator; Allie Evarts, Clean Cities Intern; and Jim Barr, Director of Transportation and Parking Services at UVM stand in front of a UVM Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) bus.

Clean Fleets Program

The Vermont Clean Cities Coalition (VTCCC) will be leading the creation a New England Clean Fleets program and certification, which will rate fleets as a way to recognize the efforts of organizations who actively strive to reduce petroleum fuel consumption.  The certification is not aimed just at local fleets, but also larger operations that run through the New England region.  This project is part of a larger grant award from the US Department of Energy to the New England Regional Clean Cities Coalition, a group including coalitions from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont.  The grant award is for “Removing Barriers, Implementing Policies and Advancing Alternative Fuel Markets in New England.”  This covers several projects beyond the clean fleets program, including a fleet manager’s survey, co-led by VTCCC, and projects led by others, such as CNG workshops, biodiesel workshops, safety and training initiatives, and research on barriers to alternative fuels.  View the press release here

Re-designation

VTCCC has officially been re-designated for another three years by the US Department of Energy.  The DOE cited outreach efforts and awareness building around alternative fuels in their announcement, as well as the coalition’s programs, such as the Campus Transportation Toolkit and Eco-Driving. 

Clean Cities Coordinator Council

VTCCC Coordinator Tom McGrath was elected as Northeast Representative to the national Clean Cities Council by his peers.  This will involve participation in various council activities, such as progress reports, goal setting, and communication with coalitions around the region.  McGrath’s specific assignment on the council will be managing the Clean Cities Buddy System, which partners new coordinators with experienced peers for assistance and support in their new role. 

Upcoming Clean Cities Event:

VT Clean Cities Coalition Stakeholder Meeting, Sugar Maple Ballroom, Davis Center, UVM

Featured Speaker: Larry Beaulieu, UPS East Region Automotive Manager. Full agenda here. Register here.

Campoli recently traveled around the country, but her travels weren’t traditional tourism.  She searched out the neighborhoods that fit her key criteria, including dense, beautiful, safe, transit accessible, etc.  She looked not just for areas that were technically “walkable”, but more specifically tried to answer the question, “Where can you live happily without a car in America?”.

 Traveling with a foldable bike, Campoli took incredible photographs while biking around neighborhoods nationwide and in some cases spliced consecutive images together to show the neighborhoods with beauty that stretched for blocks.  Campoli believes the nation is changing in favor of the types of neighborhoods she photographed, citing in particular the shift in the Millennial Generation away from cars and toward urban cores. 

Photo: "Historic and infill buildings along High Street in Columbus, OH."

Campoli highlighted in particular the cities that are headed in the right direction, from New York City’s reclaiming streets for pedestrian areas to bikepaths in Washington, DC.  In her presentation she highlighted Lancaster, California, where a busy strip was turned into a beautiful boulevard with an investment that was matched tenfold by private investors, making a place where people want to spend time, not just pass through. 

 Throughout the lecture, Campoli highlighted her main point that “setting a really high standard for public spaces” is essential in rejuvenating areas, such as was done in redesigning New York City’s parks, now attracting not just residents, but tourists to visit them. 

 The mixed crowd that turned out to hear Campoli, in addition to UVM faculty and students, included a number of residents from surrounding communities, who quickly turned the conversation to issues they are facing. Campoli offered suggestions from tree planting, to increased downtown housing, to setting higher standards for design in local ordinances.  Campoli takes a strong stand on the steps needed to improve our cities and neighborhoods, offering up her own standard of livability for communities that is both provocative and inspiring.

Julie Campoli was recently featured in an article on the website, "This Big City".  To read that story click here.  For more about Julie Campoli and her books, visit her website here.  If you are interested in more about assessing the walkability of communities with many criteria, you may want to visit Walkonomics.com.

The Trinity parking lot on the UVM Campus is first of its kind in Vermont. It is half traditional asphalt and half pervious concrete, and the pervious concrete portion is comprised of removable slabs made by Porous Technologies, LLC. These slabs can be lifted and cleaned, and replaced if desired, as part of maintenance.  

In order to monitor the functioning of pervious concrete, a variety of instrumentation has been placed around and under the parking lot. The pervious concrete pavement is supposed to allow the stormwater to infiltrate through the soils underneath as if there was no pavement. The embedded instrumentation is expected to examine this desired performance. Lysimeters are being used to collect water samples to allow assessment of water quality. The moisture probes measure electrical conductivity which is an indicator of changes in moisture content, salt concentration and temperature fluctuations.  The pore pressure transducers measure fluctuations in groundwater below different portions of the pavements and nearby. In addition to the embedded instrumentation, a rain gauge and temperature sensors are installed outside to capture all the rain events and monitor temperature fluctuations. In addition, the infiltration capacity of the pervious concrete will also be monitored using a falling head infiltrometer over the next two years and the goal is to relate the measured infiltration to maintenance and cleaning practices. 

The research is being conducted in collaboration with the School of Engineering. The sensor measurements and their analysis will be incorporated in some civil and environmental engineering courses at UVM. In fact, a preliminary plan for the instrumentation was developed by a team of civil and environmental engineering seniors as part of their capstone project, which also included preliminary design of this parking lot. The entire study is funded by UVM's Transportation & Parking and the United States Department of Transportation through UVM's Transportation Research Center. The research team is comprised of Prof. Mandar Dewoolkar [Mandar.Dewoolkar@uvm.edu], Dr. Lalita Oka and Ian Anderson.

Above: TRC Graduate Scholar Tyler Feralio (top right) explains his work in the TAQ Lab

Are biodiesel vehicle emissions less damaging to human health than burning petroleum-based diesel?  Do hybrid vehicles have lower tailpipe emissions compared to traditional gas-fueled vehicles?  These are the types of questions that students in UVM’s Transportation Air Quality (TAQ) Laboratory are taking big strides to answer.  As part of an ongoing effort of the TRC Graduate Scholars to learn about each other’s work and find opportunities to utilize the expertise and experience of their peers, on December 7, 2012, the scholars took a peer-guided tour of UVM’s TAQ Lab.  The TAQ Lab is supervised by Associate Professor Britt Holmén in the School of Engineering (environmental engineering) who specializes in measurement and modeling real-time, real-world vehicle emissions from alternative vehicles and fuels.

TRC Graduate scholar Tyler Feralio, a PhD candidate in civil and environmental engineering and this year’s UVM TRC Student of the Year, and Karen Sentoff, M.S. candidate, also in civil and environmental engineering, led the group through their respective work in the TAQ lab.  Using advanced particle and gas pollutant sampling equipment, the TAQ lab researchers focus on quantifying transient emissions from alternative vehicle types under real-world operating conditions.   Two types of vehicles are studied - a gasoline-powered hybrid-electric vehicle and a light-duty diesel engine running different blends and feedstocks of biodiesel.   

As part of the TAQ Lab team, Sentoff’s research measured tailpipe emissions from a model year 2010 Toyota Camry hybrid electric vehicle and its conventional counterpart.   Over an 18-month campaign, she drove the vehicles along the same real-world route while instrumented with state-of-the-art equipment measuring gas- and particle-phase emissions every second.  The results of this research will provide needed information on tailpipe emissions contributions of the hybrid vehicle to air quality over broader ranges of road grade and temperature encountered in regions like Vermont with steeper terrain and wider seasonal temperature fluctuations than current data sources.

 Above: (Left) TAQ Lab sampling equipment utilized in light-duty diesel engine emissions testing

(Right) Particle spectrometer for high-speed (1 Hz) tracking of exhaust particle size distributions

Feralio’s ongoing research in the TAQ Lab includes the comparison of transient tailpipe emissions from a light-duty diesel engine resulting from the combustion of both petroleum-based diesel fuel and blends of different feedstock (soy and waste grease) biodiesel fuels.  Feralio has developed a system to accurately collect transient tailpipe emissions data from a 1.9L Volkswagen diesel engine coupled to an eddy current dynamometer.  He is currently preparing to embark on a 20-week data collection campaign to compare the particulate emissions generated by the engine running on petroleum based diesel and multiple blends of both used cooking oil (UCO) and soybean oil methyl ester (SME) biodiesels.  Using the data collected during this period, Tyler will build and test an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict the size and abundance of ultrafine particles emitted based on standard onboard diagnostics (OBD-II) parameters that the engine’s computer monitors.  This model is expected to be capable of running in real time.  If this is realized, such a model could be utilized for more advanced pollution control and engine management systems.

Above: John Kasumba, PhD candidate in environmental engineering, explains his work in testing emissions

The tour group next visited a nearby laboratory, where Feralio’s work meets with that of John Kasumba, a PhD candidate in environmental engineering.  Kasumba works as a graduate research assistant with Professor Holmén to characterize the specific organic compounds created by engines burning petro-diesel versus vegetable oil-based biodiesel. He is particularly interested in testing for compounds that may have negative effects on human health and examining their levels in combustion products from biodiesel fuel blends. Kasumba looks to expand on limited research on potential harmful emissions from biodiesel, such as carbonyls, which may be produced in higher quantities from biodiesel than petro-diesel.  His work has included developing methods for some of these testing procedures and will soon proceed to testing particle samples generated by Feralio.

Through their efforts, these TAQ Lab graduate students contribute to research on vehicle emissions, creating critical knowledge in this area, covering the use of biodiesel and petro-diesel fuels, as well as hybrid and conventional gasoline vehicles.

For more information about the TAQ Lab research, contact Professor Britt Holmén at bholmen@uvm.edu.

Above: The panel (clockwise from top left) Assistant/MPO Director for the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) Michele Boomhower, FHWA VT District Administrator Matthew Hake, Burlington City Council President Joan Shannon, and VT Secretary of Transportation Brian Searles

 Below: Sec. Brian Searles answers a question during “The Future of Transportation Funding in Vermont” panel

From the federal to local level, the funding of our transportation system is critical to supporting infrastructure, economic development and social goals, but serious funding shortages are forecast in the coming years.  On Tuesday, December 4^th, the Transportation Research Center convened a panel of officials to discuss this problem and take questions at a public event for the last meeting of the TRC graduate course “Critical Issues in Transportation”.  Panelists included City Council President Joan Shannon, Assistant/MPO Director for the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) Michele Boomhower, Vermont Secretary of Transportation Brian Searles, and Administrator for the Vermont Division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Matthew Hake.  With questions from TRC-associated Assistant Professor Brian Lee, the class of graduate students, and the public, panelists offered perspectives based on a range in experience, position, and outlook on the future of  funding for our transportation systems. 

FHWA Division Administrator Hake explained his work as helping the state follow the guidelines associated with federal funds, while allowing the state freedom of where it spends funds within those guidelines.  At the federal level, there are major concerns about the viability of the Highway Trust Fund to continue funding transportation as gas tax revenues decline. In addition, there is uncertainty over what legislation will follow MAP-21, the most recent transportation authorization act, which lasts only two years, compared to other acts of six years, which allowed for plans with a longer horizon. 

Assistant/MPO Director for the CCRPC Boomhower focused on understanding the long-term prospects as her organization is finishing producing a regional transportation plan for 2035.  The group expects maintenance costs to be around $750 million in 25 years, while funds available would total $1.1 billion.  This would leave $310 million for new projects, but the demand for new projects, totaling $850 million, greatly exceeds that amount.  New prioritization criteria is needed to ensure the most essential projects are covered. City Council President Shannon, meanwhile, offered the most optimism when viewing the situation from the very local level, noting that Burlington voters recently approved measures to provide bike path funding for repair and future maintenance.  She also indicated that, looking to the future through a political lens, it was heartening to see what she called a political “alignment” between the politics of the Mayor, Governor, and President that she sees as critical to moving forward on stalled projects.  She noted, however, that increasing funds for improvements requires new revenue and new major projects, even with significant federal contribution, are difficult for the city to afford.

Secretary Searles, who oversees the state transportation system and its 1,300 employees, focused on how the state must make the most of a transportation system with limited funds.  He explained that the work in coming years will come from the direction of local communities, who must decide what we want from our transportation system and how much we are willing to pay for it.  The state agency is currently focused on preparing for the future by improving public transit and rail and advancing strategies to decrease vehicle miles traveled (VMT), particularly with single occupancy vehicles (SOV).  Searles noted, however, that while new options are being examined for state revenue, Vermont does not have the ability to make up the $200 million annual funding gap it now faces and if the gap is to be closed, this will require federal solutions. 

Panelists offered great insight into the future of transportation funding at all levels and provided input on means of addressing this issue that faces so much future uncertainty and many challenges.  This event was filmed by Channel 17 TV.  

Mayor Weinberger at a roundtable discussion at the TRC

What is Mayor Miro Weinberger’s vision for the future of transportation in Burlington?  On November 13, the Burlington Mayor visited the TRC for a roundtable discussion with faculty and staff followed by a public lecture at Billings North Lounge, which was attended by many transportation stakeholders in the community.  While Weinberger’s top priority remains achieving financial stability for the city, he still sees many options open for improving transportation as well.  Highlights from the Mayor included:

·Progress on the plan to create a downtown transportation center, an indoor location to improve the transit experience for the many individuals who stop at or pass through the downtown area.

·Weinberger sees the Champlain Parkway as a means of reducing congestion by providing another route out of the city and   encouraging development along Pine Street

·The Mayor’s campaign promise of an interconnected bike network is one of his top priorities, to provide bike users with continuity in routes around the city.

· Investment in the waterfront area will total $20 to $30 million over the next 2.5 to 3.5 years, due to funding from Tax Increment Financing (TIF).

·The Mayor also believes it is important to increase the availability of housing downtown to encourage individuals to live in the city, which he notes will require regulation overhauls to improve conditions for investment.

The TRC greatly appreciates the Mayor taking the time to visit, share his plans, and take questions and comments from the public.  The discussion also provided many future opportunities for the TRC to coordinate with the city, from research studies to emissions reductions.  To watch the public lecture click here

Above: Chris Cole (second from left) discusses transportation issues with TRC 312

The most critical issue facing our state and national transportation system is arguably, "How will we fund it?"  This was the topic of discussion with Chris Cole,Director of Policy, Planning, and Intermodal Development Division at the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), who was a guest at the TRC's graduate seminar, Critical Issues in Transportation, taught by Brian Lee.  Cole laid out the key concerns that the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) was attempting to address in planning for the future design, operation and maintenance of the state's infrastructure.  These included:

• Due to the growing costs of transportation and declining revenues, a study committee determined that the state will be underfunding the system $250 million per year.  Low cost solutions for infrastructure were also examined, as well as best practices for infrastructure.

• A vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) fee has become much discussed as a solution to the declining revenues from the gas tax.  Cole noted that the option would only be feasible if implemented nationally due to the loss of payment from visitors.  He also mentioned, however, that there are already agreements for commercial vehicles to pay by use of roads to states on a miles driven basis, so this type of fee has proven that it can function nationally.

• The agency has prioritized investment in rail and public transit to prepare for a future of high fuel costs.  Public transit investment has more than doubled from $12 to $27 million over the last 12 years, mainly focusing on commuters as a way to reduce miles traveled.

• Cooperation between VTrans and the Agency of Natural Resources has greatly improved.  Post-Irene, the agencies were forced to cooperate due to the damaged roadways and altered rivers.  The agencies now meet weekly, discussing issues such as water quality standards for gravel roads.

• Cole suggests forming an alliance between rural states and educating legislators to ensure adequate future funding from the federal government.  While Vermont is guaranteed level funding for two years through the recent legislation, MAP-21, the prior funding formula has been eliminated.  Without this funding guarantee, rural communities may see reduced funds as the federal government focuses on federal priority projects in the near future.  

Critical Issues in Transportation, a core course in the TRC Certificate in Sustainable Transportation, is offered every fall.  Students in the course currently have a wide range of backgrounds, including land-use planning, communications, workforce development, and agriculture.  Taught by Prof. Brian Lee, a TRC Associated Faculty member, the course covers the most important topics in transportation over the course of the semester, discussing issues such as transportation modeling and planning, funding, fuel sources, and access and mobility.  The class has already visited Burlington International Airport to talk with planning and development director Bob McEwing, traveled to Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Office to speak with staff, as well as hosted guest speakers Owen Brady of Vermont Natural Gas, Inc. and Tom McGrath of the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition, and attended a lecture by Brown University Professor and “Carjacked” author Dr. Catherine Lutz.

Managing the statewide model includes keeping it up to date with the most recent population, employment, and travel behavior information.  Recently, the model has been updated from a base year of 2000 to 2010, meaning the model now contains data from the 2010 Census and the 2009 National Household Travel Survey.  Adjusting the population in the model to reflect the most current information increases the accuracy of modeling done in the future by better reflecting the number and behavior of travelers in different parts of the state. 

Research Analyst Jim Sullivan (left) and Researcher Matt Conger with the Vermont Travel Model

TRC Researcher Matt Conger will also begin working on the model after recently returning from visiting Caliper, the developer of TransCAD, in Newton, Massachusetts.   At Caliper, he took part in an intensive training seminar in preparation to join Sullivan as part of the TRC Team working on the statewide model.  Conger’s training will allow him to work on improving the model, as well as applying changes in the transportation system to estimate the implications for projected land and road use.  Conger looks forward to using his training in Discrete Choice Modeling (DCM) in future projects at the TRC.  Conger explains, “Discrete choice modeling (DCM) allows the user to predict the travel mode choice of each trip purpose undertaken based upon the estimated 'utility' of each of the available modes - passenger vehicle, carpool, transit, bicycling and walking, for example.” Further, Conger’s training in Transit Routing allows the modeling of public transit travel in a host of TRC projects to be improved. As Conger notes, “These two TransCAD modules offer important tools in forecasting the effects of changes in infrastructure and land use patterns upon travel behaviors.”  

Recently, the statewide model was used to examine the impacts of a bypass around Morrisville, VT to move traffic from the north and south around the congested Village Corridor.  An analysis was originally conducted in 2002 using the statewide model, but that analysis needed to be updated in 2011 before the project could move forward. The updated analysis examined the results of building vs. not building the bypass, forecasting the impacts of each scenario 20 years into the future.  Several of the 2002 results were revised due to the improvement of the updated model.  The study found that traffic would be reduced almost 80 percent in the village center due to use of the by-pass route, an area which currently faces significant congestion issues.  For the 20-year forecast, the construction of the bypass is expected to increase future settlement near the route, but growth would be lower elsewhere in the town.  Without the change, the downtown corridor may reach its capacity in the evening peak for travel, as the already congested area faces increasing traffic.

 Image: Travel Model for Morrisville Village

These findings were of particular interest to Amanda Holland, a land-use     planner at the Lamoille County Planning Commission who worked on this project.  Holland is also currently pursuing the Sustainable Transportation Graduate Certificate from the TRC and enrolled in the course “Critical Issues in Transportation in the 21st Century”.  “The model was useful in showing the potential flow of traffic after the truck route is built”, said Holland, “and the expected reduction in volumes that could potentially allow for some design changes along the existing route”. Holland noted the seriousness of the current and forecasted congestion, which is especially troublesome for businesses that rely on freight traveling to and from the interstate efficiently.  The modeling results also contributed to the Morristown North End Business District Circulation Study by Resource Systems Group, Inc. (RSG), which showed that several intersections had a level of service (LOS) of D or F, which would improve due to the reduction in traffic if the bypass is built.

This partnership with VTrans also has involved other work, such as examining whether national studies are relevant to Vermont.  For example, a recent national study by Frontier Group for the U.S. PIRG Education Fund noted many new trends among younger drivers, between 16 and 34 years of age.  Using the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data from 2001 and 2009, Sullivan found that only some of these national trends (6 of 16) held true for younger Vermonters. These included changes such as reduced vehicle miles traveled and trips, as well as more use of travel options.  While 7 of the trends could not be fully assessed due to data constraints, 3 of the topics showed the reverse of the national report’s findings.  Vermonters are taking fewer walking and transit trips, rather than more, and overall length of trips has grown, rather than shrunk.   This research provides essential information to policy makers in Vermont, providing accurate data on transportation patterns over time in the state.  Policy and action can be informed through the use of these data sources to examine national findings and their assumptions to accurately determine the conditions in Vermont.

The potential opportunities for applying the statewide model in the future are numerous, as this model can examine the impacts of new transportation projects as well as growth and decline in population and employment around the state.  The newly proposed development in the Northeast Kingdom, for example, provides an opportunity to use the model to examine the effects of these large changes to the area.  The Northeast Kingdom Economic Development Initiative (NKEDI) will create many opportunities and many challenges, including the major issue of transportation, from building sufficient infrastructure to ensuring that the new systems promote development that is consistent with regional plans. The statewide model could prove especially useful for these challenges by evaluating and comparing various scenarios for development, new road construction, capacity expansion, and the effects of disruptions to the road network like heavy snowfall.  This type of evaluation could allow the best planning decisions for the project moving forward with these major investments.  

The TRC looks forward to opportunities to continue to work with VTrans, developers, Regional Planning Commissions, and Vermont communities on the many challenging issues facing the state.   The TRC anticipates being involved in analyses of transit suitability, roadway vulnerability, freight movement efficiency and positioning of the transportation workforce.

In small rural states like Vermont, does the built food environment impact where people purchase food and obesity rates, or do meal patterns and obesity simply come down to individual food choice? While pursuing an M.S. in Community Development and Applied Economics, Transportation Research Center Scholar Faye Conte was able to take an interdisciplinary look at these questions. With the support of Professors Jane Kolodinsky, Brian Lee, and Austin Troy, Faye used data from the Transportation in your Life Survey, funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and led by the Center for Rural Studies and Transportation Research Center, to explore the impact that the built food environment and food choice have on meal patterns in northern New England, and to identify how these three factors influence obesity.

 To illustrate the built food environment and food access, the location of food venues, including grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants, were mapped using GIS, and the distance from survey respondents’ homes to food stores were measured.  Two conceptual models were created to predict meal patterns and obesity using multivariate logistic regression. The first examines how the built food environment and food choice impact meal patterns, or where people eat meals. The second model looks at how meal patterns, the built food environment, and food choice influence BMI, or if respondents were not overweight, overweight, or obese.

Results of this study suggest that unlike regions of the United States with large food deserts, the built food environment in rural northern New England provides adequate access to food for most respondents and does not determine where consumers eat meals, though it has a small impact on obesity. The most significant finding of this study is that individual food choice has a substantial direct influence on both meal patterns and obesity; those who say they choose a healthy diet are more likely to eat meals at home and not be overweight or obese. Policies increasing access to affordable healthy food and encouraging healthy food choices at any food venue may be effective in combating obesity.

Results of the work of the team that Faye’s research was part of can be seen in the TRC Research Report #12-002

http://www.uvm.edu/~transctr/research/trc_reports/UVM-TRC-12-002.pdf

Faye graduated from UVM in the spring of 2012, and works at Hunger Free Vermont, a statewide education and advocacy organization dedicated to ending the injustice of malnutrition and hunger for all Vermonters. Through her work on senior hunger issues and advocacy and outreach for the 3SquaresVT program (formerly food stamps), she is able to use the insight gained from her interdisciplinary graduate work to help all Vermonters access and afford nutritious food.

The TRC welcomes a new team of student researchers this year with specialties from land use
planning to qualitative research.

of Forested Landscapes (Neher, Asmussen, Williams) TRC # 12-012

- Environmental Concern, Social Capital and the Social Context of Tailpipe Emissions-

Related Knowledge in Northern Climates (Watts, Maddison, Macias, Witham) TRC # 12-011

- The Social Construction and Framing of Tailpipe Emissions in the Media (Macias,

Nelson, Watts) TRC # 12-010

- Social Network Analysis of Sustainable Transportation Organizations (Watts, Witham)

TRC # 12-008

- Spatial Analysis of Travel Demand and Accessibility in Vermont: Where will EVs

work? (Aultman-Hall, Sears, Dowds, Hines) TRC 12-007

- Weather Factor Impacts on Commuting to Work by Bicycle (Flynn, Dana, Sears,

Aultman-Hall) TRC # 12-006

- Identifying Network Representation Issues with the Network Trip (Sullivan, Novak,

Aultman-Hall) TRC # 12-004

- Integrated Land-Use, Transportation and Environmental Modeling the Vermont

Integrated Land-Use and Transportation Carbon Estimator (Sullivan, Mika, Fraker,
Hershey, Hathaway, Lawe) TRC # 12-003

The TRC received funding for the next edition of the Vermont Transportation Energy Profile from the

Vermont Agency of Transportation. The TRC team will be working with a state government

working group to align the report with the objectives of the Vermont Comprehensive Energy

Plan's transportation objectives and benchmarks.

The USDOT Commercial Remote Sensing Division has awarded a grant to Austin Troy and

the Transportation Research Center, entitled Rapid Exploitation of Commercial Remotely

Sensed Imagery for Disaster Response & Recovery, which includes several hundred thousand

dollars in private-sector cost-share.

Lisa Aultman-Hall is settling in as a visiting scholar at the University of California

Davis. She is hosted by three former UVM TRC Burack lecturers: Susan Handy, Deb

Niemeier and Dan Sperling. Her cross-country trip included representing the TRC at

the Consortium of University Transportation Centers annual meeting in Houghton,

Michigan. After working with the UVM team on several TRB papers that were submitted

August 1, she has turned her attention to studying accessibility using existing Vermont and

New England data, and designing a web-based collection of a new overnight travel dataset

for Vermont, Alabama and California.

Austin Troy had a paper accepted in the journal Transportation Planning and Technology,

entitled "Integrating a Traffic Router and Microsimulator into a Land Use and Travel

Demand Model." The article, co-authored with former TRC Scholar Dale Azaria (now part-

time TRC staff), post-doctoral researcher Brian Voigt, and former TRC-affiliate faculty Adel

Sadek (now at SUNY Buffalo), was based on research from Troy’s TRC signature project.

The article should appear in the October issue.

Brian Lee, facilitated a conference panel entitled "Guidance for Designing, Mapping

and Financing Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure" at TRB Tools of the Trade:

Transportation Planning in Small and Medium Sized Communities in September in Big Sky,

Montana. He was a member of the conference organizing committee and is part of a team

planning the conference for 2014 in Vermont. Read about the conference here.

Austin Troy’s recent article on the environmental determinants of street crime, published

in Landscape and Urban Planning, received wide media coverage in outlets including the

Boston Globe, Atlantic Monthly’s Atlantic Cities Magazine, The Vancouver Sun, The

Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal, Grist, Smart Planet, Planetizen, and others (click here for

an example).

Lisa Aultman-Hall presented an interactive workshop with Dr. Jennifer Dill (Portland State

University) at the ProWalk ProBike conference in Long Beach California on Sept 11. They

were seeking input from the non-motoirzed transportation community on data needs

especially for the future National Household Travel Survey.

A team of UVM researchers has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant to

acquire a 3D terrestrial laser scanner for the temporal-morphological study of built and natural

structures. The applications may include surveying of manmade structures such as seen

in the upper two frames. In these instances, historical structures are being imaged for both

cataloging and preservation purposes. In regards to the latter, scans over time quantify

structural changes due to natural disasters or restoration efforts.  Read more here

The TRC began a developmental evaluation of the four year Transportation Education Development
Pilot Program as it moves through the final implementation phase of testing new approaches to
workforce development in northern New England. This effort will identify opportunities to expand
the program regionally and possibly nationally.

Four Transportation Systems Academies will be launched in the coming year in partnership with
Career and Technical Centers, the Community High School of Vermont and The Vermont Agency
of Transportation. Working with Veterans counselors at the Vermont Department of Labor the
TRC is moving ahead to develop a program to translate Transportation careers into a framework
tailored for Veterans to identify bridging opportunities into the field with a special partnership with
public transit agencies. Outreach Manager Glenn McRae attended the meetings of the National

Transportation Training Directors in October (see agenda here) where he made a presentation on the

Transportation Workforce Development Framework that emerged from the National Summit last

spring where he was a member of the organizing team. See the summit website here

Sponsored by the Center for Research on Vermont and the Transportation Research Center of the University of Vermont.