Intelligent Transportation Systems

Synthesis Report: Findings and Lessons Learned from the Independent Evaluation of the Mobility on Demand (MOD) Sandbox Demonstrations

Elliot Martin, Adam Cohen, Susan Shaheen
2023

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Mobility on Demand (MOD) Sandbox effort developed around a vision of a multimodal, integrated, automated, accessible, and connected transportation system in which personalized mobility is a key feature. FTA selected 11 MOD Sandbox demonstration projects that tested strategies intended to advance the MOD vision. An independent evaluation (IE) is required by federal public transportation law 49 U.S.C. § 5312(e)(4) for demonstration projects receiving FTA Public Transportation Innovation funding.


This report provides a synthesis of findings...

California Transportation Foundation Announces Board of Directors

January 21, 2022

A screenshot of the announcement reading "CTF Board of Directors" with two headshots below

The California Transportation Foundation names Susan Shaheen, co-director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center, to the 2022 Board of Directors.

Read the press release here and view...

Experts Stress Teamwork in Response to Natural Disasters

A truck is stopped near an I-10 sign in Lake Charles, La., on Aug. 27 after Hurricane Laura passed through.

Eleanor Lamb, August 27, 2020

As Hurricane Laura was bearing down on the Gulf Coast, disaster preparedness...

Intelligent Transportation Technology Elements and Operational Methodologies for Shared-Use Vehicle Systems

Matthew Barth
Michael Todd
Susan Shaheen, PhD
2003

There has been significant interest and activity in shared-use vehicle systems as an innovative mobility solution. Shared-use vehicle systems, that is, carsharing and station cars, consist of a fleet of vehicles used by several different individuals throughout the day. Shared-use vehicles offer the convenience of a private automobile and more flexibility than public transportation alone. From the 1990s to today, varying degrees of intelligent transportation system technologies have been applied to shared-used systems, providing better manageability and customer service. Many shared-...

Integrating Vehicle Design and Human Factors: Minimizing Elderly Driving Constraints

Susan Shaheen, PhD and Debbie Niemeier
2001

With a projected rise in the number of elderly, most of whom have also relied primarily on the private automobile for their mobility, it is likely that future adaptations in vehicle design will be linked in some part to the physical infirmities often faced by the elderly. This paper offers a bridge between medical research on the physical impairments of the elderly and automobile design and driving safety. The authors describe recent findings on the driving-related physical and cognitive impairments faced by the elderly. They then propose two major types of vehicle design and...

Virtual Commercial Vehicle Compliance Stations: A Review of Legal and Institutional Issues

Caroline Rodier, PhD, Susan Shaheen, PhD, and Ellen Cavanagh
2006

In the past five years, commercial vehicle travel has increased 60 percent on California’s highways, without a corresponding increase in compliance inspection station capacity or enforcement officers. Commercial vehicles that do not comply with regulations impose significant public costs including, for example, pavement and structural damage to roads and catastrophic crashes. In response to these problems, the California Department of Transportation is investigating the potential application of detection and communication technology in virtual compliance stations (VCS) to cost...

Reducing Greenhouse Emissions and Fuel Consumption: Sustainable Approaches for Surface Transportation

Susan Shaheen, PhD and Timothy Lipman, PhD
2007

Climated change is rapidly becoming known as a tangible issue that must be addressed to avoid major environmental consequences in the future. Recent change in public opinion has been caused by the physical signs of climate change–melting glaciers, rising sea levels, more severe storm and drought events, and hotter average global temperatures annually. Transportation is a major contributor of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, accounting for approximately 14 percent of total anthropogenic emissions globally and about 27 percent in the U.S....

Innovative Mobility Services & Technologies: A Pathway Towards Transit Flexibility, Convenience, and Choice

Susan Shaheen
2012

The number of senior citizens is expected to double by the year 2020, representing 18% of the nation’s population. After age 75, driving performance begins to decline due to changes in health and medication effects. Indeed, one quarter of seniors over 75 are expected to require alternative transportation services in the future. This chapter examines transit and innovative mobility options to better meet the needs of the growing older population in the near (2011) and more distant (2021) future. Barriers to transit use among older adults include anxiety and confusion about using...

How Public Education on Ecodriving Can Reduce Both Fuel Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Elliot Martin, Ph.D.; Nelson Chan; Susan Shaheen, Ph.D.
2012

Ecodriving, the concept of changing driving behavior and vehicle maintenance to affect fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in existing vehicles, has recently gained prominence in North America. One ecodriving strategy involves public education with information disseminated on the Internet. This paper presents the results of a study conducted from June to December 2010 that assessed the effectiveness of static, web-based information on ecodriving with controlled stated responses from approximately 100 faculty, staff, and students at the University of California, Berkeley. A...

Exploring the Future of Integrated Transportation Systems in the United States from 2030 to 2050: Application of a Scenario Planning Tool

Susan Shaheen, PhD
Madonna Camel
Kunik Lee
2013

Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) have primarily focused on systems management. To further improve connectivity and safety in the future, ITS might embrace a more holistic planning approach. While the future of ITS remains an open question, its evolution is closely linked to how the world evolves on many dimensions¾social, political, economic, legal, and environmental. In this paper, the authors present results from four expert workshops. These consisted of an initial steering committee workshop (February 2011), two expert scenario-planning workshops (June 2011), and a final...