Vermont Transportation Research Collaborative Goal 3
VTrans Strategic Goal #3 – Surfacing Research Questions
Goal #3: Provide Vermonters energy efficient, travel options.
o Minimize traveler delay
o Increase use of walking, biking, transit, rail, and Travel Demand Management
options
o Increase use of state and municipal Park & Ride system
Comments and Ideas generated June 11th:
(The following notes were taken to capture the brainstorming session of the specific goal.
These are meant to inform ongoing conversation and problem statement development among
researchers and staff)
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Application of metrics of interest/manufacturing to minimize traveler delay – actually
minimizing variability in delay
V2V, I2V, V2I communications to reduce crashes / reduce delays
Real-time transportation monitoring of transit options, its impact on usage/ridership CCTA usage of monitoring, more people would take it if they knew where it was
Condition assessment in modelling, lack of indexes of alternate modes of transportation
Bike/ped research in VT – general research – being in VT it is hard to perform, national
research in focused in large municipalities and is community focused, VTrans could be
leaders in this
Long Distance Travel – VT could lead this research as tourism has large impact on the
state – alternate modes also includes air travel
Connecting local-scale communications with state-wide networks, developing a
scalability
Use of big-data to understand bike/ped and even automobile use, STRAVA data has been
purchased, but that is just the beginning, STRAVA is volunteer based, could there be a
data-mining option, where they walk and bike
Use of electric vehicle charging at other parking options (not full-day stays) charging
stations at short-term use sites- most bang for buck for charging stations
Travel options provide resiliency – more options in a corridor provide more resiliency
Assessment of number of all-electric miles, geographic variation, multiple benefits in
having this data
Exploration of less complicated, less expensive transit tracking than what is currently on
the market, being proposed, other real-time transit tracking options
Behavior change in rural and urban communities, measuring convenience – how do you
inspire use of alternative modes of transportation, what causes behavior change to give up
convenience, what the aspects of convenience which contribute to behavior change, what
are the incentives,
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Private parking spaces and leasing options for electric vehicle charging stations, for malls
and grocery chains
Behavioral economics and data-mining options
Where is behavior change possible – are there communities where it is impossible, could
a spatial map be developed to identify which communities will change their behavior
Could current OBD devices be used to back-into all electric miles for hybrid vehicles
(inventory of UVM technology and capability, stimulate research for outside sources)
Leverage existing data to look at congestion and levels of service and then target service
based on that information, understanding tap data sources
Replacement of gas-tax in the long-term, how take advantage of technology to provide
alternate funding, vehicle miles and travel tax
Contribution of climate which deters behavior
Motivation of electric vehicle adoption in rural communities, urban areas – HOV, what
variables are there for rural areas, what’s the break-even point on developing
infrastructure - commuter rail and is it feasible
Rural UBER option, what would the impact be on congestion, what type of mobility
services are there for VT, what is that system is a private-market system or is it statesupported (fewer vehicles on the road, need cellular service for that to work, perceived
convenience)
Partnering with private-sector in transit options, identifying how behavioral change
impacts ridership, analyzing data from employers on commuting behavior to identify
possible route options
Exploration of UAS in their use of assessing highway and bridge infrastructure, tree
health, search-and-rescue options, exploration of FAA certification for the agency to use
them in operations (utilizing UAS to increase safety, efficiency instead of using big
trucks to that)
Convenience of park-and-rides, shelter capacity and the use of solar-paneled shelters at
park-and-rides, car ports to keep snow off the vehicles, could it expand the number of
charging options
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Electric vehicle charging network and the park-and-ride system
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Latent park-and-ride demand - expand the park-and-ride, piggy back or interview the
private sector large employers to see what their commuters go through
Bus shelters at park-and-rides and bus ridership (insufficient infrastructure at current
shelters) – weather and user ship, shelter needs to hold more people
Park-and-ride off the interstate system, other state highways, there are de-facto options,
but could formalized park-and-ride options be looked at
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