U of MNUniversity of Minnesota
Center for Transportation Studies

Programs & Labs

ITS Institute Media Coverage

This page includes news articles, television or radio spots, and other media coverage of University of Minnesota transportation-related research, education, and outreach activities.

2009

U of M, Mn/DOT develop new snowplow
KSTP - TV, October 14, 2009
A smart new snowplow under development by the University of Minnesota and Mn/DOT may make roads safer while using less salt, which saves money and in turn helps the environment. U of M mechanical engineering professor Rajesh Rajamani, the developer of the plow, says the plow's sensor technology allows for a more targeted attack on snow and ice.

Drivers and their toys: Unsafe at any speed?
Star Tribune, September 30, 2009
Federal officials, transportation experts, and academics are convening in Washington, D.C., for a first-ever summit on how to combat distracted driving.... "This is not a new topic," said Michael Manser, who's attending the Washington summit in his role as director of the HumanFIRST program at the U's Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute.

VMT Tax Data System Is Technologically Feasible, University Study Finds
AASHTO Journal, August 28, 2009
A system drawing heavily on existing technology could be implemented in the near future to determine the distance traveled by a vehicle and use that information as the basis for charging a fee that reflects road use.

Technology Enabling Near-Term Nationwide Implementation of Distance-Based Road User Fees
TRB Transportation Research E-Newsletter, August 25, 2009
The Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute at the University of Minnesota has released a report that examines a system that directly determines the distance traveled by a vehicle and uses this as a basis for charging a fee that reflects road use.

'Gridlock Buster' gives kids a chance to play traffic manager
The ITS Institute and Web Courseworks have developed a new traffic control online game for high school students that lets them try their hand at working in the engineering and transportation field.

Near-term approach to VMT charging
Surface Transportation Innovations, July 16, 2009
What Max Donath and his engineering colleagues have proposed is an on-board unit that would plug directly into the vehicle data bus that has been standard on all vehicles sold in the United States since 1996.

Existing vehicle data bus, cellphone SMS proposed for near-term VMT charge
TollRoadsNews, July 10, 2009
Institute researchers have proposed a system that uses a plug-in device and existing technology to measure miles traveled by a vehicle as a basis for charging a road-use fee.

Experimental safety sign to go up on Highway 53
KUWS Radio (Wisconsin), May 17, 2009
Wisconsin is installing traffic safety equipment in Minong to stop rural car crashes.... Engineers and psychologists at the University of Minnesota developed the new traffic sign.

2008

First-of-its-kind high tech sign to improve safety on Highway 53
Superior Telegram, December 25, 2008 (Registration Required)

Transportation Institute on the Move
UMNews, October 1, 2008
Researchers at ITS Institute are out to improve all kinds of transportation.

Good Question: Can Tire Pressure Solve Oil Crisis?
WCCO - TV, August 5, 2008
Do we need more air in our tires or less hot air from politicians? ... "It'll have some effect," said Dr. Craig Shankwitz, mechanical engineer with the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota.

New technology can track teens who speed
Star Tribune, June 30, 2008

U of M leads national effort to make rural roads safer
KARE-11 News, June 30, 2008

U.S. DOT Names Univ. of Minnesota National Info Hub on Rural Road Safety
KMSP-TV Fox 9 News, June 30, 2008

Sleepy driver takes a test drive
KMSP-TV Fox 9 News, May 21, 2008
Using the University of Minnesota HumanFIRST virtual driving simulator, researchers can monitor how a sleepy driver isn't able to drive safely.

In-depth: 'merge madness'
Fox 9 News, May 1, 2008
John Hourdos, director of the Minnesota Traffic Observatory, contributes to an analysis of merging behavior among Twin Cities drivers

2007

Study: Rural Minnesota Drivers Take More Risks Than Urban Drivers
Fox 9 News, December 18, 2007
Rural drivers -- especially pickup drivers -- have more relaxed attitudes toward safety on the road, according to a new University of Minnesota study.

MnDOT studies new interactive road signs, smart cars
KSTP, November 14, 2007

I-394: Interstate bottleneck explained
KARE-11 News, November 13, 2007

Newspaper cites U of M expert
Star Tribune, May 1, 2007 (as covered in the CTS Report, August 2007)

U of M testimony before MN Senate Transportation Committee
Minnesota Senate, Finance Transportation Budget and Policy Division Committee Hearing, January 30, 2007

2006

Drawing a new line against I-94 crashes
Star Tribune, October 16, 2006

Interview with U professor Rajesh Rajamani on the new federal mandate for electronic stability control for all passenger vehicles
KARE-11 News, Sept. 14, 2006 (view video)

Minnesota Medicine article on reducing fatal crashes features ITS Institute experts, technology
Minnesota Medicine, May 2006

Teen driving research featured on Fox 9 News
KMSP Fox 9 News, February 27, 2006

2005

Inside ITS article highlights Minnesota's Toward Zero Deaths program
Inside ITS, 2005

'U' research on driving hits new gear
Star Tribune, September 10, 2005

Driver distraction and cell phone research featured in news media
April 2005

2003

History Channel features Intelligent Vehicle Initiative
The TechnoBus, SAFEPLOW, and a State Patrol squad car were featured in the first episode of the History Channel's "Tactical to Practical" series, September 9, 2003