Douma, Frank

In fall 2022, a first-of-its-kind connected and automated vehicle (CAV) pilot program called goMARTI (Minnesota’s Autonomous Rural Transit Initiative) was launched as a collaborative effort between numerous partners. The 18-month pilot offers free, on-demand rides to area residents and visitors using five autonomous shuttle vans (including three wheelchair-accessible vans) at 70 drop-off and pick-up points within a 17-square-mile area. In this project, researchers documented lessons learned from the pilot, which included exploring the recent history of institutional and community engagement efforts regarding transportation in Itasca County and Grand Rapids, as well as the innovations and collaborations that took place to make the pilot’s implementation possible.

This Minnesota Department of Transportation-sponsored research effort examined innovative right-of-way projects nationwide, focusing on how new and innovative practices for redeveloping transportation assets can meet ambitious goals such as mitigating environmental impacts, encouraging placemaking, and enhancing economic opportunity while continuing to meet their transportation purpose. The team explored case studies from across the nation and identified best practices and lessons learned to inform future agencies and planners of new trends in transportation right-of-way projects.

This Minnesota Department of Transportation-sponsored research effort examined innovative right-of-way projects nationwide, focusing on how new and innovative practices for redeveloping transportation assets can meet ambitious goals such as mitigating environmental impacts, encouraging placemaking, and enhancing economic opportunity while continuing to meet their transportation purpose. The team explored case studies from across the nation and identified best practices and lessons learned to inform future agencies and planners of new trends in transportation right-of-way projects.

Planning and environmental studies involving managed lanes still have difficulty determining how to effectively evaluate project alternatives from an equity perspective. To most people, “equity” is ubiquitous with income, but this is a narrow focus that limits the scope of what can be considered equity, and indeed this can be true when it comes to managed lanes. As the Minnesota Department of Transportation analyzes the expansion of E-ZPass corridors, it is imperative it evaluates project alternatives from an equity perspective. The results of this study suggest that E-ZPass lane users are more racially diverse than users in the travelsheds. In two out of the four E-ZPass lane corridors, a higher proportion of E-ZPass lane users have household incomes below $100,000 compared to the travelsheds. Overall, there is a lower percentage of people with disabilities among E-ZPass lane users than those in the travelsheds. These results are driven by the makeup of E-ZPass lane users. In addition, this research project demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating quantitative and qualitative equity measures into the alternatives analysis process. The demonstration shows that the quantitative measures are all feasible with existing tools, provide meaningful information to the alternatives analysis process, and can be put into practice immediately.

This report examines Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) as they apply to carsharing and transit. Two modes that provide mobility to those who do not own a car. In the first study, researchers developed and administered a survey to members of HOURCAR, a local not-for-profit carsharing organization (CSO), and a randomly selected control group. The data reveals that (1) each HOURCAR removes 2.5 other vehicles; (2) HOURCAR members demonstrate an interest in deciding whether a car is their most efficient option for their trip, (3) HOURCAR respondents were not significantly different from the control group in terms of household size, income, age or housing type; and (4) most members indicated convenience and financial considerations were key to joining. The second study seeks to understand how citizen perceptions of trust and confidence in an agency, and its services, are impacted by the use of advanced traveler information systems (ATIS), specifically, an online trip planner developed and maintained by MetroTransit. A survey and focus group indicate connections between online use and perceptions about the agency. Notably, a strong positive view of the trip planner was associated with trust in the agency to perform the service.

In 1992 the ABC Ramps were completed in downtown Minneapolis as part of the I-394 construction project. The purpose of the ramps is to have programs that support efforts to reduce congestion and improve air quality by reducing SOV trips from the I-394 corridor. At the time the ramps were built; the ramp goals were aligned with the city of Minneapolis' parking system goals and the I-394 Corridor Management Plan. Since that time; however; the transportation modes; technologies; and plans surrounding the ramps have changed as well as the travel behaviors of the users. As the ramps reach the midpoint of their design life; this study examined the programs; policies; and goals developed for the ramps to ensure they continue to address current transportation challenges and align with regional stakeholder's goals and emerging trends; behaviors; and technology. The project culminated in a series of recommendations with implementation strategies for the ABC ramp management to improve its practice towards reducing congestion and improving air quality in downtown Minneapolis through innovative programming and marketing.

This research expands on a 2005 study that examined how the addition of bicycling facilities in the 1990s influenced commuting rates in the Twin Cities. The researchers applied the same methodology used in the 2005 study to six other cities that had also added bicycling facilities in the 1990s to see if the results would be similar to those of the earlier study and conclude that the "build it and they will come theory" is not universally applicable.

In 2003, the State and Local Policy Program (SLPP) at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs began research into how Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies can be used to deliver transportation services to an increasingly diverse population in Minnesota. The research objective was to identify the nature of the gap between the emerging needs and existing services, and to propose ways of using technology to bridge the gap, both in terms of providing better transportation options and in reducing the cost of these options. Using the information obtained from emerging demographic data, the 2003 study focused on identifying transportation challenges and opportunities for several different populations, with a particular focus on those that do not or cannot drive. This project continues this general theme through a series of analyses of ITS applications that appear most promising to improve mobility and access for Minnesota's increasingly diverse population. These applications include technologically advanced Community-Based Transit, Car Sharing, use of ITS to implement Value Pricing through conversion of an HOV lane to a High-Occupancy/Toll (HOT) lane, and evaluation of web-based Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS).

Report #1 in the Series: Local and Regional Planning, Management, Design and Evaluation of Advanced Transportation Technologies.

This paper begins to examine the potential demand for Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies in Minnesota's populace, both in the Twin Cities and statewide, with a focus on those attracted to services that do not require owning a single occupant vehicle to serve as the primary mode of transportation. The primary objective of the paper is to better understand how the needs of travelers are changing and how ITS can be used to provide better transportation services to meet those changing needs. The research identified three populations that would benefit from ITS solutions. As travel behavior has become much more diverse, corresponding groups of diverse travelers are emerging. Car sharing, flexible transit and telecommuting / Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) are ITS solutions for these diverse groups that can be tailored to meet the assorted travel needs of these groups. The research problem is to identify the nature of the gap between the emerging needs and existing services, and to propose ways to use technology to bridge the gap, both in terms of providing better transportation options and in reducing the cost of these options.