RESEARCH INTERESTS
Driver behaviors. Much is assumed about rational and predictable decision making in traffic; much less is known about actual behaviors that are irrational, are known to exist, but are not represented in existing gap-acceptance or car-following models.
Roundabout simulation and modeling. Calibration and validation of models based on data collected in the United States is lacking. As a result, there exist planning barriers for more widespread implementation of roundabouts which may benefit safety, energy, and emissions.
Sustainable transportation planning and GIS spatial analysis. Using disaggregate data for the planning of transportation systems and finding unique ways to leverage the use of large, existing, and publicly-available datasets for issues relating to livability, accessibility, and mobility in rural and small-urban areas.
PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
Belz,
N.P., Lee, B.H.Y. (2012). Composition
of Vehicle Occupancy for Journey-to-Work Trips:
Evidence of Ridesharing from the 2009 National Household
Travel Survey
Vermont Add-on Sample, Transportation
Research Record No. 2322,
Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington
D.C. Received the Fred Burggraf Paper Award PDF
Belz, N.P., Aultman-Hall,
L. (2011).
Analyzing the Effect of Driver Age on Operating Speed and Acceleration
Noise Using On-board Second-by-Second Driving Data, Transportation
Research Record No. 2265, Transportation Research Board of the National
Academies, Washington D.C. PDF
JOURNAL PAPERS in PREPARATION
Belz, N.P., Aultman-Hall, L., Troy, A. The Role of Geography in the Successful Implementation of Roundabouts in Northern New England, in preparation for submission to Journal of Transport Geography.
Belz, N.P., Aultman-Hall, L., Lee, B.H.Y., Garder, P.E., Driver Behavior Typologies at Single-Lane Roundabouts using an Event-Based Approach, in preparation for submission to Transportation Research: Part A - Policy and Practice
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
with FULL REFEREE
Belz, N.P.,
Aultman-Hall,
L. (January 2011).
Analyzing the Effect of Driver Age on
Operating Speed and Acceleration Noise Using On-board Second-by-Second
Driving Data, 90th Annual Meeting of the
Transportation Research Board of the National
Academies, Session 471 – Safe Mobility of Older Persons
Research, Paper #11-3551, Washington DC.
Sullivan, J.L.,
Aultman-Hall, L.,
Belz, N.P.
(January 2011),
Spatial Evaluation of a Statewide
Rural Transit Network Spanning Multiple Service Areas, 90th Annual Meeting of the Transportation
Research Board of the National Academies, Session 721 –
Advances in Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation, Paper
#11-1981, Washington DC.
Belz,
N.P.,
Aultman-Hall, L., Patil, G. (January 2010).
Spatial Models for the Statewide
Evaluation of Transit-Supportive Zones, 89thAnnual Meeting
of the Transportation Research Board of the National
Academies, Session 497 – Rural Transportation Research, Paper
#10-2118, Washington DC.
Belz, N.P.,
Garder, P.E. (January
2009). Maine
Statewide Deployment and Integration of Advanced Traveler Information
Systems, 88th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research
Board of the National Academies, Session 598 – ITS Deployment: System Integration and
Maintenance, Paper #09-1565, Washington DC.
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
with ABSTRACT REVIEW
Belz, N.P., (May 2013). Accessibility in a Small-Urban and Rural Context. Northeast Arc Users Group Conference Spring Meeting, Amherst, MA. Accepted for Presentation.
Belz, N.P., (January 2013). Operational and Planning Models for Single-Lane Roundabouts, 92nd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Workshop 103 - Doctoral Student Session in Transportation Operations and Traffic Control, Washingtion, D.C.
Belz, N.P., (November 2012). Spatial Patterns in Attitudes, Values, and Perception of Place: Implications for Measuring Opposition to Roundabouts in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. 27th Annual Northeast Arc Users Group Conference, Rockport, ME.
Belz, N.P., Sullivan, J., Aultman-Hall, L. (April 2012). Transit Network Efficiency and Transit-Supportive Zones in Rural Areas, National Rural Transportation Conference, Using Technology to Improve Transportation Operations, Burlington, VT.
Belz, N.P. (April 2012). Transit-Supportive Zones in the State of Vermont, NEURISA Ignite Spatial Confererence Vermont 2012, Montpelier, VT.
Belz, N.P., Jennings, L.A. (September 2011). Measuring Livability in Small-Urban and Rural Communities with Disaggregate Data, 2011 Conference on Performance Measures for Transportation and Livable Communities, Session 3: Small Urban and Rural Livable Communities, Austin, TX.
Belz, N.P., Lee,
B.H.Y. (June 2011).
Vehicle
Occupancy Composition of Journey-to-Work Trips:
Evidence from the Vermont Add-On Sample of
the 2009 NHTS, 2011 NHTS
Conference – Using National Household Travel
Survey Data for Transportation Decision Making:
A Workshop, Washington
D.C.
Belz, N.P., Aultman-Hall, L. (May 2011).
Roundabout Opposition and the
Built Environment, 3rd International
Conference on Roundabouts, Session 5 – Getting Your Roundabout
Approved, Paper #IRC3-0034, Carmel, IN.
Belz, N.P.,
Aultman-Hall, L. (October 2010).
Transit-Supportive Zones and
Demand Potential in Vermont, 19th
National Conference on Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation,
Special Topics – Census, Transportation Research Board of the National
Academies, Burlington, VT.
REPORTS, TECHNICAL PAPERS and SELECT OTHER
PRESENTATIONS
Sullivan, J.L., Aultman-Hall, L.,
Belz, N.P., Watts, R.
(January 2011), Efficient
Transportation for Vermont: Optimal Statewide Transit
Networks,
Report
#11-002, 45p, University of Vermont Transportation Research Center,
Burlington, VT. PDF
Watts, R., Belz, N.P., Fraker, J., Gandrud, L.,
Jennifer, K., Meece, M. (June 2010).
Increasing Carpooling in Vermont:
Opportunities and Obstacles.
Report #10-010, 25p, University of Vermont Transportation
Research Center, Burlington, VT. PDF