October 2010

• Biodiesel Mass Transit Demonstration Final Report (October2010) (PDF) - This report evaluates the extended in-use performance of biodiesel (a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% ultra low sulfur diesel) in an independent engine test and two separate field demonstrations, specifically: a 1,000 hour engine durability test conducted by Southwest Research Institute (SWRI); an over-the-road field test with the St. Louis Metro Bus Transit System; and an over-the-road field test with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.

September 2010

• International Public Transportation Program Program Strategic Plan (September 2010) (PDF) - This document provides a description of the International Public Transportation Program (IPTP) roles and goals for 2011.
• Accessing the Global Marketplace (September 2010) (PDF) - This document serves a resource guide to the transit industry interested in public transportation international markets.

August 2010

• 2009 Annual Research Report (July 2010) (PDF) - This report highlights the significant achievements for the Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation for FY 2009.
• Monterey-Salinas Transit ITS Augmentation Project: Final Phase III Report (December 2009) (PDF) - This report presents the findings from Phase II and Phase III of the Evaluation of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Augmentation Project that was implemented at the Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) in Monterey, California. The goal of the evaluation was to determine the impacts of ITS technologies in functions such as operations, scheduling, service planning, and maintenance, and to gather and document any lessons learned by the MST.
• Using Data from an Electronic Fare Collection System to Identify the Travel Behavior of Seniors and People with Disabilities (August 2010) (PDF) - This research was designed to help transit agencies efficiently use data collected at the farebox and generate information that can be used to improve services for seniors and people with disabilities. The research was sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration and Florida International University, Lehman Center for Transportation Research, Miami, FL.

July 2010

• RTC ITS Evaluation Report (May 2010) (PDF) - This report documents the evaluation of the procurement, implementation, and operation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in Washoe County, Nevada. The purpose of the report is to provide insight and lessons learned to other agencies considering the development of transit ITS to improve system efficiency, customer service, and safety.

June 2010

• Regional Rail Onboard Electronic Payment Project (September 2009) (PDF) - This report presents the findings of The Regional Rail On-board Electronic Payment Project, an investigation by SEPTA and Temple University that tested the feasibility of conducting electronic fare payment on commuter rail service using a system of hand held devices that communicate with contactless smart cards.
• Fuel Cells for Transportation Applications (February 2009) (PDF) - This report presents the findings of a team of scientists from Northern Illinois University working to improve Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Some work on solid-oxide fuel cell cathodes is also presented.
• Development of Air Sterilization System for Chemical and Biological Agents (May 2010) (PDF) - A new air sterilization system was developed and shown to be effective at inactivation of bacterial spores. In the future such systems may be useful for bus and rail vehicle decontamination. The system’s capability to provide effective sterilization and removal of volatile organic compounds, it’s ability to operate 24/7 as part of existing air/gas supply systems without raising temperature of the gas flow or requirements for replacement parts make the system well suited for deployment in bus and rail vehicles for decontamination purposes.

May 2010

• Hurricane Evacuation Planning for Special Needs Populations (PDF) - The report focuses on lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina for special needs populations, those unable to be evacuated from an emergency by themselves. Better coordination methods need to be established between emergency management agencies and institutions, i.e., homeless shelters and nursing homes, to develop evacuation plans and interagency agreements. The study developed a method for assessing the vulnerability of special needs populations and estimating the demand for public assistance during the threat of hurricanes.
• Advanced Technologies for Transportation Research Program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (2009) (PDF) - This report documents the results of technology development and deployment activities that included recommissioning and upgrading a unique Advanced Vehicle Test Facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee; completing a comprehensive campus transit plan; deploying a dynamic message sign system for bus riders in conjunction with the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority; developing, testing and demonstrating a data acquisition system for dynamic measurement of battery power consumption by electric-drive buses; providing technical assistance on electric-drive buses and energy storage systems for a wide range of organizations; and disseminating research results at conferences, seminars and symposia and the World Electric Vehicle Journal.

April 2010

• Transit Operations Decision Support System (TODSS) Core Requirements Prototype Development Case Study And Lessons Learned (PDF) - This report summarizes the TODSS Core Requirements Prototype development and provides lessons learned from the implementation and operation of the system. Specifically, it highlights and discusses Pace's transit service and operating environment, the final TODSS prototype concept of operations, the system's architecture, issues encountered during the prototype development and implementation, the TODSS core requirements evaluation and update recommendations, and the operating experience from the time of implementation.

March 2010

• Evaluation of Ultra-Clean Fischer-Tropsch Diesel Fuel in Transit Bus Applications - This study reports on one particular FTA-sponsored, Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) diesel fuel evaluation program, and it incorporates related findings of other research projects conducted by ICRC/VSE. The type of F-T fuel evaluated can be produced form a variety of US domestic energy resources other than petroleum. The overall technical priorities of these F-T fuel evaluations have been to: 1) Determine whether or not operational problems are likely to occur with F-T diesel fuel over the full spectrum of transit-relevant conditions; 2) Compare directly the fuel consumption of F-T and conventional diesel fuels under well controlled but still realistic on-road conditions in the more severe (than typical transit service) region of the spectrum of heavy-duty, diesel-engine service and 3) Compare the potential environmental impacts, in terms of both engine exhaust emissions and fuel biodegradability, of F-T and conventional diesel fuels under transit-relevant conditions.
• Transit Operations Decision Support System (TODSS) Core Requirements Evaluation and Update Recommendations Report (PDF) - This report documents the evaluation of the Transit Operations Decision Support System (TODSS) demonstration project with respect to the core requirements and impacts of TODSS, and includes recommended changes and lessons learned for the transit industry to better understand the TODSS core requirements for future implementations.
• Attracting Senior Drivers to Public Transportation: Issues and Concerns (PDF) - This research was sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration and Florida International University, Lehman Center for Transportation Research, Miami, FL. The report was written to help transit agencies attract senior drivers to fixed route transit and identifies opportunities and challenges faced by senior s and transportation providers related to the utilization and provision of public transportation services. The research attempts to address ways to attract senior drivers to services other than paratransit. Although paratransit fulfills an important need of the elderly and people with disabilities, it is an expensive service, and occasionally abused by individuals who are able to access fixed route transit.
• Optimization Models for Prioritizing Bus Stop Facility Investments for Riders with Disabilities (PDF) - This research was sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration with Florida International university, Lehman Center for Transportation Research, Miami, Florida, to develop a scientific method to help prioritize bus stops for accessibility improvements for riders with disabilities. Two optimization models were proposed and evaluated. Based on a case study using data from the Broward County Transit in Florida, the models were found to produce a list of bus stops what would extend the greatest benefits to riders with disabilities. This report details the process of identifying the bus stop accessibility requirements identifying the factors affecting accessibility, preparing the required data for model input, formulating the optimization models and evaluating the model performance. It is hoped that the proposed approach provides a more objective method of allocating the often limited resources for bus stop improvements.

January 2010

• Miami Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) Project Phase 1A – Transit Evaluation Report - Evaluation of the transit elements of Phase 1A of the Miami UPA project. Miami is one of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT)’s Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) program sites. The project involved replacing the existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes with ‘95 Express Lanes’ which are based on the High Occupancy Toll (HOT) concept, supported by transit, Travel Demand Management (TDM), and Intelligent Transportation Systems enhancements. Report discusses the impacts of Phase 1A improvements on transit performance, mode shift to transit, and congestion mitigation. Phase 1A was implemented in December 2008 providing new ’95 Express Lanes’ on the northbound direction of I-95 between downtown Miami and Golden Glades Interchange.