KSTP-TV News
Researchers at the University of Minnesota are working to help drivers plan routes around traffic on side streets before they even leave the house. SMART Signal logs drivers’ actual wait times at dozens of intersections. The data is then compiled to show real-time traffic information online.
KSTP News, March 5, 2013
To help MnDOT more accurately and reliably estimate the performance of its snow management activities, researchers from the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) have developed a prototype process that uses traffic data to help determine the roadway recovery time.
Business Insider
Congestion takes its toll of the planet as well: Most cars are at their least efficient in stop and go traffic, and the wasted fuel only makes their impact on the atmosphere worse. Fortunately for drivers tired of spending hours in the car, national economies that could use a few extra billion dollars, and everyone hoping for a healthier planet, gridlock can be eliminated. University of Minnesota experts Henry Liu, John Hourdos, and Kathleen Harder offer some solutions.
MinnPost, August 29, 2012
On the other end of the scale, the University of Minnesota occupies eight different fairground locations, from which it hosts a seemingly endless series of events designed to engage an even broader audience. “If you’re interested in transportation, we will have our Center for Transportation Studies experts on hand, [with] a game called Distraction Dodger or Gridlock Buster to better familiarize Minnesotans with the effects of playing with your cell phone in your car or trying to text,” according to Jason Rohloff, special assistant to the president for government and community relations.
WCCO 4 TV News, August 28, 2012
The State Fair is the perfect place to talk about distracted driving. Whether you’re in a golf cart or a car, all of your focus has to be on the road, which is often filled with people. Now the University of Minnesota hopes a new video game will hit the point home to young drivers. To see how the game works, watch the video
MinnPost, July 27, 2012
Last year, there were 368 traffic deaths in Minnesota. MnDOT provided MinnPost with a list of the worst 20 intersections across the state. John Hourdos, director of the Minnesota Traffic Observatory, an engineering lab at the University of Minnesota, offered some ideas about what can be done, if anything, to make them safer.
Continue reading about Minnesota’s most crash-prone intersections
Northwest Community Television, April 20, 2012
Chen-Fu Liao says a simple tap of a touch screen can guide visually impaired walkers across the street. Liao is a researcher at the University of Minnesota and the Center for Transportation Studies. He developed a smart phone app designed to go beyond existing crosswalk aides. His cell phone app is designed to not only request a walk signal and give visually impaired walkers a countdown to cross, but also to give them a layout of the intersection.
Minnesota Daily, April 2, 2012
More than 100 students rallied March 30 in the state Capitol rotunda to show support for the University of Minnesota, focusing on the University’s stake in the state bonding bill and the rising cost of tuition. The Center for Transportation Studies table included an exhibit of the traffic control game Gridlock Buster and a display highlighting the center’s research, educational, and outreach importance to the state of Minnesota.
Read more at the Minnesota Daily
Watch a related story at KARE 11
PhysOrg.com, March 20, 2012
Scientists know that using supercapacitors in conjunction with batteries could greatly increase the fuel economy of hybrid electric vehicles since supercapacitors can recover and supply energy much more quickly than batteries. However, one of the biggest challenges researchers face is finding a place under the hood to fit the bulky devices. To avoid this problem, University of Minnesota mechanical engineering professor Rajesh Rajamani and his colleagues have designed a flexible, solid-state supercapacitor that doesn’t require bulky protective materials.
SF Weekly, March 15, 2012
How is it that a little bit of rain can bring commuters to such a frustrating stand-still? John Hourdos, director of the Minnesota Traffic Observatory at the ITS Institute, says its because drivers on a highway act as a single organism, with each car’s movement dependent upon the movement of the cars around it as well as the cars miles ahead.
