U of MNUniversity of Minnesota
Center for Transportation Studies

Programs & Labs

2003 Annual Report

A report of research, education, and technology transfer activities, fiscal year 2002/2003, of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute at the University of Minnesota.

Research

Technologies for Modeling, Managing, and Operating Transportation Systems

Featured Research Projects

Development of Dynamic Route Clearance Strategies for Emergency Vehicle Operations

For a heart attack victim, a few minutes of delay in receiving medical attention can mean the difference between life and death. The nationwide 911 system saves thousands of lives by reducing the response time of emergency vehicles. But after being dispatched, even highly skilled emergency response personnel can be slowed down by red lights or, worse, find themselves stuck in traffic as motorists struggle to clear the roadway. Go to article >>

Simulating Snowplow Scheduling in District 1

For cities and counties in northern Minnesota, few maintenance operations are as critical—or as unpredictable—as snow removal. Differences in snow conditions, temperature, wind, and snowfall duration call for different snowplowing and deicing techniques, which makes keeping the roads open a challenge for plow drivers as well as for the managers who schedule and direct the plows. Go to article >>

2003 Research Updates

Gary Davis, Dept. of Civil Engineering

Eil Kwon, Center for Transportation Studies

David Levinson, Dept. of Civil Engineering; Kathleen Harder, College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture

David Levinson, Civil Engineering

Panos Michalopoulos, Dept. of Civil Engineering