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Projects

The National Center for Sustainable Transportation funds a variety of research grants, organized by our three research themes (Infrastructure Provision; Travel Demand; and Vehicle Technology), and by project type (applied research projects, white papers / research synthesis, seed grants, translational projects, dissertation grants, and graduate student-led research). 

The Active Transportation Resource Center Administration

  • Principal Investigator Dillon Fitch, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This project will enhance and expand the Active Transportation Resource Center (ATRC) for planners to use to plan, develop, apply for, and implement projects and programs that support active transportation. The project will focus on expanding the ATRC's reach, addressing structural transportation inequities, and strengthening the ATRC's ties to transport research.
Project Status
In Progress

Environmental Policies from Ambition to Action: A Multi-aspect Policy Evaluation of SB 743 and Its Impact on Land Use and Transportation Network

  • Principal Investigator Reyhane Hosseinzade
  • University of California, Davis
This three-chapter dissertation will study the reasons behind the decisions of local jurisdictions, including cities and counties, about VMT reduction levels in their environmental reviews and how local planners view equity in the process of implementing VMT-reducing strategies in the CEQA process.
Project Status
In Progress

A Deep Dive Into Corridor DC Fast Chargers in California

  • Principal Investigator Tisura Gamage
  • University of California, Davis
This research will study the challenges of installation and operation of a reliable network of public DC fast charging stations. While existing studies show costs ranging from $20,000 - $150,000, the researchers find costs range anywhere between $122,000 and $440,000.
Project Status
In Progress

Implementing and Evaluating Machine Learning Algorithms for Bikeshare System Demand Prediction

  • Principal Investigator Mehdi Azimi, Ph.D.
  • Texas Southern University
This research project will develop models for Houston bikeshare system demand prediction at the station level by leveraging data on station activities. Accurate prediction of bikeshare demand has the potential to transform the way these systems are managed and integrated into urban transportation networks, leading to improved efficiency, customer satisfaction, and sustainability.
Project Status
In Progress

Comparing REAP and AHSC: State-defined versus regionally-defined funding strategies for affordable housing linked to multi-modal transport

  • Principal Investigator Elisa Barbour, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This research project will compare key elements of program design, administration, and projected benefits from the Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) and Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) programs, with the aim of considering how and whether a state-led strategy (AHSC) differs from regionally-designed strategies (through REAP), in furthering SB 375 goals through funding that allocated for similar specific purposes.
Project Status
In Progress

Understanding Real-World Brake Activity: A Key to Assessing Non-Tailpipe Emission Sources for Sustainable Transportation and Communities

  • Principal Investigator Guoyuan Wu
  • University of California, Riverside
In this study, the research team will: 1) measure real-world brake activities of a large volume of vehicles traversing major roadway segments (e.g., near signalized intersections) by leveraging advanced roadside sensing technologies, e.g., Light Detection and Ranging and/or high-definition camera, as well as deep learning-based computer vision algorithms; and 2) construct the real-world brake activity database and supplement for the non-tailpipe emissions inventory.
Project Status
In Progress

Youth Cruz Free: Bus Ridership Behavior Among Santa Cruz County Teens

  • Principal Investigator Susan Pike, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This project will investigate the effectiveness of the Youth Cruz Free pilot fare-free program by Santa Cruz Metro through a longitudinal study of travel behavior among high school age teenagers. The outcomes of this study will provide Santa Cruz Metro with a direct understanding of the impacts of the pilot program, and will be useful for transit agencies and policy makers considering larger scale free transit for youth and other groups.
Project Status
In Progress

Incorporating Infrastructure and Vehicle Technology Requirements, Changes in Demand, and Decarbonization Policies Considerations into Freight Planning

  • Principal Investigator Miguel Jaller, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This research aims to develop an equitable and sustainable freight‐oriented land use methodology to support future planning activities, facilitate the integration of freight activity across urban, suburban, and rural areas, and facilitate the transition of heavy‐ and medium‐duty vehicles toward zero‐emission. The project will analyze freight distribution patterns considering supply and demand and estimate social, environmental, and labor impacts in different communities.
Project Status
In Progress

Understanding Consumer Unawareness, Resistance, and Discontinuance vis-à-vis Electric Vehicles

  • Principal Investigator Kenneth Kurani, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This research examines both passive and active consumer resistance to EVs. Passive resistance may be characterized as never entering a consideration and purchase process, i.e., unawareness. Active resistance is a decision made as the result of evaluation—up to and including the experience of owning and driving an EV.
Project Status
In Progress

Impacts of Remote/Hybrid Work and Remote Services on Activity and Transportation Patterns

  • Principal Investigator Giovanni Circella, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This project will greatly improve the understanding of the impacts of remote/hybrid work and other remote services and inform State and planning agencies by shedding light on the complex ways remote activities affect short‐term daily routines (e.g., telecommuting vs. commuting trips, travel mode choice, and spatial/ temporal trip distributions) and long‐term choices (vehicle choice, residential location and real estate development), and will help understand the impacts on vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and transportation‐based greenhouse gas (GHG) emission impacts. 
Project Status
In Progress

Investigating Transportation Decarbonization through Transit and Rideshare Electrification: A Scenario Analysis with Large-Scale Models

  • Principal Investigator Mehdi Azimi, Ph.D.
  • Texas Southern University
This project utilizes the Department of Energy's Systems and Modeling for Accelerated Research in Transportation (SMART) workflow to evaluate potential outcomes of electrification policies, specifically for transit and rideshare systems. This will be accomplished by harnessing a large-scale agent-based activity-based transportation modeling tool designed for the Houston Metropolitan Area.
Project Status
In Progress

Electric Truck Fleet Management Under Limited and Uncertain Charging Infrastructure Availability

  • Principal Investigator Petros Ioannou, Ph.D.
  • University of Southern California
This project will address the issues of freight decarbonization and supply chain resiliency by designing electric truck fleet management strategies that consider limited charging availability for electric vehicles, respond to electricity grid uncertainties, and analyze the constraints of long-haul and short-haul operations with electric trucks.
Project Status
In Progress

A National Assessment of the Air Quality and Health Impacts of Vehicle Travel and Electrification: Phase 1 Near Roadway Impacts and Equity Analysis

  • Principal Investigator Gregory Rowangould, Ph.D.
  • University of Vermont
This project will address limitations in the current literature surrounding air quality impacts of vehicle traffic, especially in underserved communities. The team will employ a refined near-roadway emission exposure surrogate that balances spatial precision and computational burden to estimate changes in exposure levels and health risks and the distribution of these burdens over time as EV adoption increases.
Project Status
In Progress

Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Measurement Methods and Pilot Test for Collecting Odometer Readings

  • Principal Investigator Siddhartha Gulhare, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This project will develop a framework to collect pictures of odometer readings from participants via instant messaging services APIs and test it through a pilot deployment. This methodology has the potential to be more cost-effective, less intrusive, and more accurate than other measuring approaches.
Project Status
In Progress

Electrifying Multi-Unit Dwellings: A Study of Electric Vehicle Charger Adoption Among California Landlords

  • Principal Investigator Alan Jenn, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Davis
This project will investigate the unique challenges and barriers faced by landlords and management of Multi-Unit Dwellings in deploying EV charging infrastructure, with a focus on equity considerations and community engagement. By addressing these barriers, the study has the potential to significantly impact EV adoption rates, aligning with California's ambitious goals and setting a precedent for nationwide implementation.
Project Status
In Progress