Paper

Processing Commercial GPS Data to Develop Web-Based Truck Performance Measure Program

Publication: Transportation Research Record

Volume: 2011

Pages: 92–100

Publication Date: 2011

Summary:

Although trucks move larger volumes of goods than other modes of transportation, public agencies know little about their travel patterns and how the roadway network performs for trucks. Trucking companies use data from the Global Positioning System (GPS) provided by commercial vendors to dispatch and track their equipment. This research collected GPS data from approximately 2,500 trucks in the Puget Sound, Washington, region and evaluated the feasibility of processing these data to support a statewide network performance measures program. The program monitors truck travel time and system reliability and will guide freight investment decisions by public agencies. While other studies have used a limited number of project-specific GPS devices to collect frequent location readings, which permit a fine-grained analysis of specific roadway segments, this study used data that involved less frequent readings but that were collected from a larger number of trucks for more than a year. Automated processing was used to clean and format the data, which encompassed millions of data points. Because a performance measurement program ultimately monitored trips generated by trucks as they travel between origins and destinations, an algorithm was developed to extract this information and geocode each truck’s location to the roadway network and to traffic analysis zones. Measures were developed to quantify truck travel characteristics and performance between zones. To simplify the process and provide a better communications platform for the analysis, the researchers developed a Google Maps-based online system to compute the measures and show the trucks’ routes graphically.

Authors: Dr. Ed McCormack, Xiaolei Ma, Yinhai Wang

Recommended Citation:
Ma, Xiaolei, Edward D. McCormack, and Yinhai Wang. "Processing commercial global positioning system data to develop a web-based truck performance measures program." Transportation Research Record 2246, no. 1 (2011): 92-100.

Paper

A Description of Commercial Cross Border Trips in the Cascade Gateway and Trade Corridor

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3328/TL.2009.01.03.213-225

Publication: Transportation Letters: The International Journal of Transportation Research

Volume: 1(3)

Pages: 213-225

Publication Date: 2009

Summary:

This paper describes commercial vehicle delay, transportation patterns and the commodity profile at the Western Cascade Gateway, the main border crossing between Southwest British Columbia, Canada, and Northwestern Washington, United States. Using five data sources for comparison—a probe vehicle border crossing time data set, a detailed border operations survey data set, loop detector volume counts, manifest sampling, and data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the transportation, trade, and delay patterns can be synthesized to provide a more complete description of regional freight transportation. This context can be used to consider the impact delay has on regional supply chains, and in developing appropriate freight transportation policy solutions for the border.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Susan Albrecht, Li Leung

Recommended Citation:
Goodchild, Anne & Albrecht, Susan & Leung, Li. (2009). A description of commercial cross border trips in the Cascade Gateway and trade corridor. Transportation Letters: The International Journal of Transportation Research. 1. 213-225. 10.3328/TL.2009.01.03.213-225.

Paper

An Empirical Taxonomy of Common Curb Zoning Configurations in Seattle

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URL: https://doi.org/10.32866/001c.32446

Publication: Findings

Publication Date: 2022

Summary:

We utilize an unsupervised learning algorithm called-modes clustering (Huang 1998), which is similar to the better-known-means method (Hartigan and Wong 1979), but with a dissimilarity measure designed for categorical variables (Cao et al. 2012), originally developed for analyzing sequential categorical data such as gene sequences (Goodall 1966), but also amenable to curb zoning types. For a specified, the-modes algorithm finds the top vectors that minimize a distance to all sample vectors in the training dataset. The resulting top modes are representative of distinct clusters of sample vectors, with cluster membership determined by the closest mode. The parameter is chosen through cross-validation by holding out portions of the available training data and finding the smallest that largely minimizes the within-cluster variation in this hold-out set (also called the “elbow method”). We utilize basic matching dissimilarity, as implemented in (Vos 2015). For two vectors and of length, where each element attains categorical values, matching dissimilarity is defined as, where denotes the indicator vector, with value 1 where the bracketed condition is true and 0 otherwise. We’ve chosen this measure of dissimilarity between two sets of categorical variables for a number of reasons: 1) its simplicity, 2) successful use in categorical data clustering (Goodall 1966), and 3) its sensitivity to the ordering of values when vectors and are ordered, specific to how we have chosen to represent curb zoning data.

Authors: Thomas MaxnerDr. Andisheh Ranjbari, Chase Dowling

Recommended Citation:
Dowling, Chase P., Thomas Maxner, and Andisheh Ranjbari. 2022. “An Empirical Taxonomy of Common Curb Zoning Configurations in Seattle.” Findings, February. https://doi.org/10.32866/001c.32446

Paper

Curbspace Management Challenges and Opportunities from Public and Private Sector Perspectives

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URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03611981211027156

Publication: Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

Publication Date: 2021

Summary:

Through structured interviews with public agency and private company staff and a review of existing pilot project evaluations and curb management guidelines, this study surveys contemporary approaches to curb space management in 14 U.S. cities and documents the challenges and opportunities associated with them. A total of 17 public agencies (including public works departments, transportation agencies, and metropolitan planning organizations) in every census region of the U.S. and 10 technology companies were interviewed.

The results show that the top curb management concerns among public officials are enforcement and communication, data collection and management, and interagency coordination. Interviewees reported success with policies such as allocating zones for passenger pick-ups and drop-offs, incentives for off-peak delivery, and requiring data sharing in exchange for reservable or additional curb spaces. Technology company representatives discussed new tools and technologies for curb management, including smart parking reservation systems, occupancy sensors and cameras, and automated enforcement. Both public and private sector staff expressed a desire for citywide policy goals around curb management, more consistent curb regulations across jurisdictions, and a common data standard for encoding curb information.

Authors: Caleb DiehlDr. Andisheh RanjbariDr. Anne Goodchild

Recommended Citation:
Diehl, C., Ranjbari, A., & Goodchild, A. (2021). Curbspace Management Challenges and Opportunities from Public and Private Sector Perspectives. Transportation Research Record. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981211027156

Paper

Lessons from Tests of Electronic Container Door Seals

URL: https://trid.trb.org/view/880858

Publication: Transportation Research Board 88th Annual Meeting

Publication Date: 2009

Summary:

A series of field operational tests completed by Washington State over a 10-year period has shown that electronic container door seals (E-seals) can increase the efficiency and improve the security of containerized cargo movement. Universal use of E-seals, along with the associated infrastructure, could provide notable improvements in security, container tracking, and transaction cost reductions. Testing in ports, border facilities, and on roadways proved that E-Seal technology works: E-Seals can accurately and automatically report on container status at choke points, and the records can be accessed online to verify seal location, status (tampered or untampered), date, and time. However, a number of institutional barriers are likely to delay or even forestall the adoption of E-seals. A lack of standards is a major issue, since the E-seals available today use many different frequencies, hindering their applicability to international trade flows. A further barrier is the acceptability and cost of E-seals to the container industry. Routine use of seals would require new software linkages and container sealing procedures, which could slow acceptance. Disposable seals, which eliminate the need to recycle E-seals, are not common because they need to be produced in large quantities to be low cost. E-seals acceptable to the industry also need to be proved in a real world trade environment and need to be functionally simple to reduce routine operational problems. Compatibility with existing highway transponders systems might also promote E-seal acceptance, since containers could be tracked on the roadway system.

Authors: Dr. Ed McCormack, Mark Jensen, Al Hovde

Recommended Citation:
McCormack, E., Jensen, M., & Hovde, A. (2009). Lessons from Tests of Electronic Container Door Seals (No. 09-0821).

Paper

Rails-Next-to-Trails: A Methodology for Selecting Appropriate Safety Treatments at Complex Multimodal Intersections

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URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0361198118792763

Publication: Transportation Research Record

Volume: 2672 (10)

Pages: 27-Dec

Publication Date: 2018

Summary:

There are more than 212,000 at-grade railroad crossings in the United States. Several feature paths running adjacent to the railroad tracks, and crossing a highway; they serve urban areas, recreational activities, light rail station access, and a variety of other purposes. Some of these crossings see a disproportionate number of violations and conflicts between rail, vehicles, and pedestrians and bikes. This research focuses on developing a methodology for appropriately addressing the question of treatments in these complex, multimodal intersections. The methodology is designed to be able to balance a predetermined, prescriptive approach with the professional judgment of the agency carrying out the investigation. Using knowledge and data from the literature, field studies, and video observations, a framework for selecting treatments based on primary issues at a given location is developed. Using such a framework allows the agency to streamline their crossing improvement efforts; to easily communicate and inform the public of the decisions made and their reasons for doing so; to secure stakeholder buy-in prior to starting a project or investigation; to make sure that approach and selected treatments are more standardized; and to ensure transparency in the organization to make at-grade crossings safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, without negatively impacting trains or vehicles.

Authors: Anna Bovbjerg AlligoodManali ShethDr. Anne GoodchildDr. Ed McCormackPolina Butrina

Paper

Delivery by Drone: An Evaluation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology in Reducing CO2 Emissions in the Delivery Service Industry

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URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2017.02.017

Publication: Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

Volume: 61

Pages: 58-67

Publication Date: 2018

Summary:

This research paper estimates carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) levels of two delivery models, one by trucks and the other by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or “drones.”

Using several ArcGIS tools and emission standards within a framework of logistical and operational assumptions, it has been found that emission results vary greatly and are highly dependent on the energy requirements of the drone, as well as the distance it must travel and the number of recipients it serves.

Still, general conditions are identified under which drones are likely to provide a CO2 benefit – when service zones are close to the depot, have small numbers of stops, or both. Additionally, measures of VMT for both modes were found to be relatively consistent with existing literature that compares traditional passenger travel with truck delivery.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Jordan Toy

Recommended Citation:
Goodchild, Anne, and Jordan Toy. "Delivery by Drone: An Evaluation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology in Reducing CO2 Emissions in the Delivery Service Industry" Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 61 (2018): 58-67.

Paper

Evaluating CO2 Emissions, Cost, and Service Quality Trade-Offs in an Urban Delivery System Case Study

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URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iatssr.2011.05.001

Publication: International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences (IATSS)

Volume: 35 (1)

Pages: 15-Jul

Publication Date: 2011

Summary:

Growing pressure to limit greenhouse gas emissions is changing the way businesses operate. This paper presents the trade-offs between cost, service quality (represented by time window guarantees), and emissions of an urban pickup and delivery system under these changing pressures. A model, developed by the authors in ArcGIS, is used to evaluate these trade-offs for a specific case study involving a real fleet with specific operational characteristics. The problem is modeled as an emissions minimization vehicle routing problem with time windows. Analyses of different external policies and internal operational changes provide insight into the impact of these changes on cost, service quality, and emissions. Specific consideration of the influence of time windows, customer density, and vehicle choice are included.

The results show a stable relationship between monetary cost and kilograms of CO2, with each kilogram of CO2 associated with a $3.50 increase in cost, illustrating the influence of fuel use on both cost and emissions. In addition, customer density and time window length are strongly correlated with monetary cost and kilograms of CO2 per order. The addition of 80 customers or extending the time window 100 minutes would save approximately $3.50 and 1 kilogram of CO2 per order. Lastly, the evaluation of four different fleets illustrates significant environmental and monetary gains can be achieved through the use of hybrid vehicles.

The results demonstrate there is not a trade-off between CO2 emissions and cost, but that these two metrics trend together. This suggests the most effective way to encourage fleet operators to limit emissions is to increase the cost of fuel or CO2 production, as this is consistent with current incentives that exist to reduce cost, and therefore emissions.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Erica Wygonik

Recommended Citation:
Wygonik, Erica, and Anne Goodchild. "Evaluating CO2 Emissions, Cost, and Service Quality Trade-Offs in an Urban Delivery System Case Study." IATSS Research 35, No. 1 (2011): 7-15.

Paper

Using Truck Probe GPS Data to Identify and Rank Roadway Bottlenecks

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URL: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000444

Publication: American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Transportation Engineering

Volume: 139(1)

Pages: 7-Jan

Publication Date: 2013

Summary:

This paper describes the development of a systematic methodology for identifying and ranking bottlenecks using probe data collected by commercial global positioning system fleet management devices mounted on trucks. These data are processed in a geographic information system and assigned to a roadway network to provide performance measures for individual segments. The authors hypothesized that truck speed distributions on these segments can be represented by either a unimodal or bimodal probability density function and proposed a new reliability measure for evaluating roadway performance. Travel performance was classified into three categories: unreliable, reliably fast, and reliably slow. A mixture of two Gaussian distributions was identified as the best fit for the overall distribution of truck speed data. Roadway bottlenecks were ranked on the basis of both the reliability and congestion measurements. The method was used to evaluate the performance of Washington state roadway segments, and proved efficient at identifying and ranking truck bottlenecks.

Authors: Dr. Ed McCormack, Wenjuan Zhao, Daniel J. Dailey, Eric Scharnhorst

Recommended Citation:
Zhao, Wenjuan, Edward McCormack, Daniel J. Dailey, and Eric Scharnhorst. "Using truck probe GPS data to identify and rank roadway bottlenecks." Journal of Transportation Engineering 139, no. 1 (2012): 1-7.

Paper

Free and Secure Trade Commercial Vehicle Crossing Times at the Pacific Highway Port of Entry

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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)TE.1943-5436.0000159

Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering

Volume: 136(10)

Pages: 932-935

Publication Date: 2010

Summary:

At the Pacific Highway port of entry between the United States and Canada, typical delays are known to regional carriers and internalized into schedules. Due to their relative infrequency, the largest crossing times are not internalized into schedules and cause significant disruptions to regional supply chains. This technical note describes the recent patterns of very long crossing times (defined as more than 2 h or the largest 1% of crossing times) and explores the relationship between arrival volume and crossing time. To do so, this study uses commercial vehicle crossing time data from GPS technology and volume data from the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation. Results show a weak correlation between border crossing time and arrival volume when considering individual observations, but a stronger correlation when data are aggregated. Results show a high percentage of crossing time can be attributed to sources other than primary booth delay, particularly for the most disruptive, very long crossing times.

Authors: Dr. Anne Goodchild, Li Leung, Susan Albrecht

Recommended Citation:
Goodchild, Anne, Li Leung, and Susan Albrecht. "Free and secure trade commercial vehicle crossing times at the Pacific Highway port of entry." Journal of Transportation Engineering 136, no. 10 (2010): 932-935.