The Infrastructure Technology Resources Consortium (ITRC) Seminar Series on “Resilience and Sustainability of Urban Transportation Infrastructure” occurs every 2nd Friday.
Abstract
Urban transportation is experiencing rapid changes with the growing popularity of new micromobility options. Within this mix of new modes, pedestrians and other non-motorists face substantial and growing risks on streets where the majority of roads cater to drivers and automobiles. At Rutgers, a multidisciplinary team from urban planning, civil engineering, and computer science is working on this safety problem. Its focus is on the range of emerging urban transportation options including shared e-scooters, sit-down scooters, e-bikes, and similar technologies, especially as they interact with pedestrians and automobiles. Objectives are to (a) develop new methods to gather better data on the determinants of pedestrian and micro-mobility risk, (b) create tools that deliver much more integrated solutions in collaboration with industry partners, and (c) test the tools in the service of the needs of real communities in New Jersey. Methods include fielding tactical urbanism experiments, capturing data with video cameras and scooter-based GPS, analyzing the data using computer vision algorithms that detect trajectories and near misses, developing trajectory prediction tools, creating virtual reality simulation models, and using these simulations and the field experiments to engage with community members. Findings highlight the importance of integrating interventions across riders, micromobility technologies, and contextual street characteristics to achieve a safer, more user-friendly experience. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #1951890.
Clinton J Andrews
Clinton J. Andrews is a professor, center director, and associate dean for research at the E.J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University. He was educated at Brown and MIT in engineering and planning, and worked previously in the private sector and at Princeton University. He teaches public informatics and planning courses, and performs research on how people use the built environment. He publishes both scholarly and popular articles and his books include Humble Analysis: The Practice of Joint Fact-finding, Regulating Regional Power Systems, and Industrial Ecology and Global Change. He recently completed service as co-editor of the Journal of Planning Education and Research, and he remains a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Industrial Ecology. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a licensed Professional Engineer. Andrews is a Fellow of AAAS, a winner of IEEE’s 3rd Millennium Medal, and current president of the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology.