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Seminar on North Dakota’s Changing Demographics: Implications for Transportation
Posted: Mar 8, 2010 by JWM

Dr. Richard Rathge, Director of the State Data Center at North Dakota State University and North Dakota’s State Demographer for the past 28 years, will be giving a presentation on the relationship between demographics and transportation.

The presentation will explore the changing dynamics of North Dakota’s population and the influence that residential shifts have and will have on transportation within the state. The presentation is organized into three main sections. First, a historical perspective is offered of population change within the state. This overview is placed within a regional and national context. Second, the main drivers of population dynamics within the state are discussed. Examples are offered that demonstrate how these drivers have shaped the residential context of the state. Moreover, attention is given to how these drivers will influence the future population profile of the state. Finally, the interface between population and transportation is examined. Particular attention is given to residential commuting patterns and means of transportation to work.

The presentation, part of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute’s Transportation Seminar Series, will be held Thursday, March 11th, at 1 pm in IACC 422.

Posted in: Events

SURTC at the Transportation Research Forum
Posted: Mar 5, 2010 by JWM

Two SURTC researchers will be participating in the 51st Annual Transportation Research Forum (TRF) being held March 11-13 in Arlington, VA.

Jeremy Mattson and David Ripplinger will be presenting papers in a session on transit and paratransit services on March 13 at 8:45 am.  Mattson will present a paper titled “An Assessment of Demand for Rural Intercity Transportation Services in a Changing Environment.” The paper, which is co-authored by Del Peterson, David Ripplinger, William Thomas, and Jill Hough, investigates the impacts of individual, mode, and trip characteristics on mode choice for rural intercity travel, with some attention given to the impacts of changing gasoline prices and changing demographics on mode choices.

Ripplinger will present a paper titled “Modeling Transit Technology Adoption,” which identifies and examines the use of transit technologies by rural transit agencies and investigates the relationship between firm and environmental factors that impact the adoption of these technologies.

Ripplinger is also chairing a session titled “Urban Highway, Transit, and Pedestrian Design” on March 12 at 3:15 pm and a session titled “Highways: Regional Economic Impacts” on March 13 at 10:30 am.

Posted in: Events, Research

Seminar on Dual Mode Vehicles in Transit
Posted: Feb 24, 2010 by DGR

A seminar on the potential of dual mode vehicles for delivery of public transportation services in Alaska will be presented on Thursday, February 25th.  The seminar, presented by Tom Flanagan, graduate student in Transportation & Logistics, will discuss potential efficiencies and organization issues that exist with transit provided by vehicles that can operate on rail and road networks.

Information on the seminar series can be found the Transportation Seminar Series homepage.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Transportation Seminar: An Assessment of Demand for Rural Intercity Transportation Services in a Changing Environment
Posted: Jan 26, 2010 by JWM

A Transportation Seminar titled “An Assessment of Demand for Rural Intercity Transportation Services in a Changing Environment” will be held Jan. 28, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 422 of the IACC building on the North Dakota State University campus.

With higher fuel costs and changing demographics and economic conditions, travel behavior, and the level and allocation of resources in highways, rail, air, and transit service in rural areas, may be changing. SURTC researcher Jeremy Mattson will discuss the results of a study that examined the attitudes of would-be passengers in their choice of mode and the factors determining their choice in rural and small urban areas. A stated preference survey was developed and administered to residents of North Dakota and northwest and west central Minnesota, and a logit model was used to estimate the likelihood that an individual would choose a given mode based on the characteristics of the mode, the characteristics of the individual, and the characteristics of the trip. The results can be used to show how demand for different modes will change with changes in demographics and economic conditions.

Posted in: Events, Research

SURTC Releases Findings from University Transit Study
Posted: Jan 8, 2010 by DGR

The Small Urban & Rural Transit Center (SURTC) recently released the final report from a study on the changing attitudes and travel behaviors of university students.  The study tracked  a cohort of North Dakota State University students during their undergraduate careers.  Over  two-thirds of students used transit, roughly the same amount that expect to use transit at least occasionally in the future.  Among students in the cohort, 64% stated that they would at least consider voting for increased funding of transit in the future.

The report, The Changing Attitudes and Behaviors of University Students Toward Public Transportation, also investigates the impacts of individual and mode attributes on mode choice.  The analysis finds that students prefer walking and transit to travel by automobile.  However, over long distances, the short travel times provided by travel by automobile result in it being the dominant mode.  This finding supports continuing the redevelop of near-campus areas as well as investigation into express service between campus and off-campus locations with high student residency rates.

Click here to view the full report. Questions related to the research should be directed to David Ripplinger, who can be reached by email at david.ripplinger@ndsu.edu.

Posted in: Research

House Passes Jobs Bill with Funding for Transit
Posted: Dec 17, 2009 by JWM

The U.S. House passed a jobs bill yesterday that includes $36 billion for transportation projects. Of this, $27.5 billion is for highway projects and $8.4 billion will go to transit. The bill allows states to use 10% of their transit money on operating expenses. The legislation would also extend the current transportation law through the end of September 2010, and it transfers $20 billion into the Highway Trust Fund.

The Senate is expected to consider the bill early next year.

Posted in: Transit Industry News

FTA Annouces $32 Million for 100 Tribal Transit Projects
Posted: Dec 11, 2009 by JWM

The FTA today awarded $32 million of funding for 100 tribal transit projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for the Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program (Tribal Transit Program) and Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations for the Tribal Transit Program. A total of $17 million was made available for the Tribal Transit program under ARRA and $15 million from 2009 appropriation dollars.

A full list of funded projects can be found here.

Posted in: Transit Industry News

“Ready-to-Go” Transportation Projects Identified for Potential Jobs Bill
Posted: Dec 3, 2009 by JWM

Congress may soon be considering a second stimulus package to spur job creation. House Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar on Wednesday called for at least $69 billion in new federal spending on highway and transit projects as part of this bill to address a looming shortfall in transportation funding.

This came the same day that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) identified thousands of “ready-to-go” projects that could be funded under such legislation. AASHTO identified 9,500 highway, bridge, transit, port, rail, and aviation projects worth more than $69 billion, including $9.8 billion for transit projects. By surveying transit agencies nationwide, APTA identified more than $15 billion in public transportation capital projects that can be started in 90 days.

The Transport Politic and Streetsblog Capital Hill provide some analysis.

Posted in: Transit Industry News

Transportation Workforce Development Seminar Rescheduled
Posted: Dec 2, 2009 by JWM

The Transportation Seminar titled “Transportation Workforce Development – Are We Ready?” has been rescheduled for Dec. 8, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 422 of the IACC building on the North Dakota State University campus.

Posted in: Events

Transportation Seminar: Transportation Workforce Development – Are We Ready?
Posted: Nov 25, 2009 by JWM

A Transportation Seminar titled “Transportation Workforce Development – Are We Ready?” will be held Dec. 1, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 422 of the IACC building on the North Dakota State University campus. Workforce Development is a popular term these days, particularly given the changing demographics as ‘baby-boomers’ enter retirement. Much attention is being given to understanding the transportation workforce needs as well as attracting and preparing the next generations of transportation personnel. Join us to hear about and participate in discussions regarding educating, attracting, and retaining workforce within the transportation industry.

Posted in: Events

Transit and Small Urban Sprawl
Posted: Nov 19, 2009 by DAP

The Small Urban & Rural Transit Center has released a report pertaining to transit issues resulting from small urban sprawl. Sprawl has traditionally been studied from a large metropolitan area perspective, but small urban areas throughout the country have been affected as well. The report, entitled Transit and Small Urban Sprawl, highlights steps small urban transit providers are currently taking to integrate transit service into sprawling communities, and helps determine what can be done to improve relationships with local governments during the land development planning process.

Questions related to the report or the research as a whole should be directed to Del Peterson who can be reached by email at del.peterson@ndsu.edu.

Posted in: Research

Ford and Azure Dynamics to Introduce Battery Electric Transit Van
Posted: Oct 30, 2009 by DAP

Ford and Azure Dynamics are partnering to introduce a battery electric transit van to the market in 2010. Nancy Gioia, Ford’s Director of Global Electrification stated:

“We recognize an increasing interest in electrified vehicles and have an aggressive strategy to bring these vehilces to the marketplace.”

Click here to view the entire article from Reuters.

Posted in: Transit Industry News

Transportation Seminar: Developing a Long-Range Transportation Plan
Posted: Oct 19, 2009 by DGR

A Transportation Seminar on developing long-range transportation plans will be held Oct. 20, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. in Room 422 of the IACC building on the North Dakota State University campus.  The seminar will discuss the role of long-range transportation plans, the planning process, and their role in ensuring the efficient and effective expenditure of public dollars.

Posted in: Training

Tool for Rural Transit Agency Peer Comparison Developed
Posted: Oct 8, 2009 by DGR

The Small Urban & Rural Transit Center recently released a report that classifies rural and small urban transit agencies.  Using data from the Rural National Transit Database, each subrecipient of  Section 5311 funding that reported adequate information was classified by type of service, vehicle-miles, vehicle hours, and fleet size.   Rural and small urban transit agencies can use this information to compare their to performance with that of their peers.  Findings from the report, entitled Classifying Rural and Small Urban Transit Agencies, can also be used for other advanced analysis.

Questions on the report and its use in peer comparison should be directed to David Ripplinger, author of the report, who can be reached by phone at 701-231-5265 or by email at david.ripplinger@ndsu.edu.

Posted in: Research

Senate Votes to Extend Transportation Funding
Posted: Oct 2, 2009 by DGR

The U.S. Senate has voted to extend funding for surface transportation programs until the end of October.  The bill would maintain most agency spending at current levels.  The House passed a three-month extension of the transportation funding last week.  Read more about the story in an article in Logistics Management.

Posted in: Transit Industry News

Small Urban and Rural Transit Roundup
Posted: Sep 25, 2009 by JWM

The Leader Times newspaper of Kittanning, Pennsylvania recently chronicled the financial difficulties of Town and Country Transit, a rural Pennsylvania transit system.  The story provides some lessons for those who want to avoid similar problems. (Leader Times)

A free transit service in northern Idaho is thriving under a unique partnership between the local tribe and local governments. (Spokesman-Review)

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced $4 million in economic development funding for Native American communities, including funding for rural transportation improvements. (USDA)

Public transportation workers are taking steps to try to control the spread of the H1N1 virus. (WMUR)

Local leaders discussed possibilities for funding improvements in rural transit in Arizona. (Sierra Vista Herald)

Posted in: Transit Industry News

Funding Announced for Transit Projects to Reduce Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Posted: Sep 22, 2009 by JWM

The U.S. DOT announced $100 million in Economic Recovery Act funding for 43 transit agencies on Sept. 21.  Transit providers nationwide competed for the $100 million in stimulus funding under the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) program.  The criteria for choosing the winning proposals included reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, return on investment, readiness to implement, applicant capacity, degree of innovation, and national applicability.

Much of the funding went to urban transit agencies, but some went to small urban and rural areas as well.  For example, Productive Alternatives/Transit Alternatives of Fergus Falls, MN received $845,000 for a variety of building energy-efficiency upgrades, hybrid vehicle upgrades, wind generator power systems, and the equipment needed to convert cooking oil to a blend with vehicle fuel to operate some of their buses. The Thunder Bay Transportation Authority in Alpena, MI received $2.59 million to replace 4 diesel buses with 4 series plug-in hybrid buses. Data on operating hybrid buses in a non-urban/rural area will also be collected over a two-year span.

A few other small urban areas also received funding.  The full list of winning proposals can be seen here.

Posted in: Transit Industry News

Transportation Seminar on Generating Public Involvement in Transportation Decision Making
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 by JWM

A Transportation Seminar titled “Generating Public Involvement in Transportation Decision Making” will be held Sept. 22, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 422 of the IACC building on the North Dakota State University campus.

Despite the critical role that transportation plays in our economy and quality of life, the public often chooses not to be involved in public policy decisions related to planning and financing. This seminar presentation will discuss a recent initiative undertaken by the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute to generate public involvement in transportation decision making and subsequent efforts to share research findings with key elected officials.

Posted in: Events

SURTC Conducting Transportation Surveys of Older Adults and People with Disabilities
Posted: Sep 17, 2009 by JWM

The AARP’s North Dakota State Office conducted a survey last fall of its members to explore their views on important topics such as health care, economic security, and transportation.  They released a report in February summarizing the findings.  SURTC collaborated with AARP in formulating the transportation questions and has conducted a more in depth analysis of this section of the survey.  SURTC’s findings will be published later this fall.

One of the major findings is that people with disabilities have greater transportation concerns.  Seventeen percent of the 1,042 respondents age 50 or older identified themselves as having a disability. These people were less likely to think that they have adequate transportation options and were substantially more likely to report problems using public transportation.  Many of these people with disabilities do currently drive, but they are more likely to forego driving during certain conditions such as poor weather or darkness, and they are more likely than others to desire more trips, with transportation more often being a limiting factor.

These results tie into a recently launched SURTC study titled Assessing Existing and Needed Community Transportation for People with Disabilities in North Dakota, which will include a survey of people with disabilities in the state.  Using information obtained from this study, state, regional, county and local public and private transportation and human service agencies will be able to assess their existing transportation services, identify gaps and needs, and plan improvements.   One of the goals of the study is to create a survey instrument that could be used by communities and states beyond North Dakota for collecting similar information.

Posted in: Research

Funding for Rural Transit Down in Minnesota while Demand is on the Rise
Posted: Sep 15, 2009 by JWM

Minnesota Public Radio reporter Dan Olson recently chronicled the struggles being faced by rural transit providers.  The story is specific to Minnesota, but likely familiar to others across the country.  He reports that demand for service has been increasing due to an aging population and an increase in the number of people unable to afford a personal vehicle.  At the same time, however, funding for rural transit services is down.  He writes:

No shortage of demand but a definite shortage of money. Already Mn/DOT has cut $400,000 to rural transit providers. Another cut of a million and half dollars is on the horizon.

The cuts take a toll on public transit providers and also some private nonprofits who get state transportation grants.

Posted in: Transit Industry News

Rural Transit Technology Course to be Held in Sacramento
Posted: Sep 11, 2009 by DGR

SURTC and the National Transit Institute are hosting the course Implementing Rural Transit Technology Sept. 29-30 in Sacramento, CA.

Posted in: Training