Publications

This paper investigates the factors contributing to payment preferences of transit travelers when considering an open-loop payments system.

This study investigates whether hybrid workers, in the post-pandemic era, participate in out-of-home activities differently on their telework days than on their in-person workdays.

In this study, to fulfill the gap between current data collection strategies, the authors introduce a WhatsApp-based VMT data collection framework that lets study participants submit photos of their odometer, communicates with them for administrative events, manages submitted images and other information of the participants, and displays that data on the web UI for the study administrator.

This project examines who is resistant to zero emission vehicles and why, by using survey data from repeated cross-sectional samples of all-car buying households in California in the years 2017, 2019, and 2021.

This study examines a Youth Cruz Free program launched by the Santa Cruz METRO in March 2023, allowing kids and teenagers of school age to use the service for free. The researchers were interested in understanding how the program has changed the travel behavior of teenagers, whether it encourages adolescents to use the service after they turn 18, and what factors influence their overall ridership of Santa Cruz METRO.

This project employs the outputs from MOVES-Matrix 4.0 to generate a data set that can be employed by users of the 2018 Fuel and Emissions Calculator (Version 3.0) to update energy use and emission rates to reflect the latest outputs from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s MOVES 4.0 energy use and emission rate model for the Atlanta, Georgia summer scenario.

This study introduces MOVES-Matrix 4.0, an innovative high-performance implementation of MOVES 4.0.1 that generates exactly the same energy and emission rate results as the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest version of MOVES 4.0.1, but allows users to deploy the MOVES model in complex and dynamic analyses.

This report develops an equitable and sustainable freight-oriented land use (LU) methodology to support future planning activities, enabling the integration of freight activity across urban, suburban, and rural areas and facilitating the transition of heavy- and medium-duty vehicles toward zero-emission.

This study develops a comprehensive optimization framework for electric truck fleet management, addressing the interplay between infrastructure limitations, operational uncertainties, and energy cost fluctuations. This research will also provide scalable insights for policymakers and industry leaders, supporting the broader transition to sustainable freight transportation.

The authors investigated the equity effects of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) mitigation measures, developed a framework for evaluating those effects at the project level, and then applied the framework to two highway expansion case studies in California.

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is a crucial step toward decarbonizing the transportation sector. However, integrating this new technology disrupts existing supply chains and introduces complex challenges related to vehicle supply, material circularity, and life cycle environmental impacts. This dissertation examines the EV transition in North America amid longstanding regional trade integration, focusing on how cross-border dynamics influence the allocation of economic opportunities and environmental risks across the region.

This white paper evaluates the feasibility of solar-powered bike paths in California, integrating renewable energy generation with sustainable transportation. Drawing on global case studies—including Germany’s solar cycle path roofing project, the Netherlands’ SolaRoad, and South Korea’s solar-integrated bike path—the study highlights the environmental, economic, and technical benefits of these systems.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of active transportation projects in increasing active transportation in California.

Based on a review of studies across freight, intercity passenger, and urban transit rail systems, metrics for resilience are identified, categorized, and analyzed along the disruption and recovery timeline (from before disruption occurrence to long after system recovery) in this report.

This study investigates the impact of vehicle brake activity on mobile-source particulate matter (PM) emissions at signalized intersections using a multi-modal data collection approach. The research integrates LiDAR-based trajectory detection, roadside camera monitoring, drone surveillance, and in-vehicle sensor data to analyze braking behaviors and their associated emissions.

Because of their position in the center of the traveled right-of-way, median barriers could affect wildlife movement across the right-of-way, decreasing wildlife connectivity. This project team coordinated and met with staff from several Caltrans Districts to gain understanding of their issues related to median barriers and wildlife permeability.

UC Davis researchers examined local option sales tax measures and regional transportation plans in California to determine whether and how such measures influence transportation planning priorities.

This report introduces a structured evaluation framework, “Lab2Slab2Practice,” aimed at accelerating the adoption of new transportation infrastructure materials and technologies.

This report presents a survey of the latest advancements in battery technologies, primarily focusing on Class 7 and Class 8 heavy-duty vehicles due to their critical role in freight transport.

In this report, the authors propose an online and large-scale rideshare system that can dynamically match passenger requests with drivers and provide efficient routes to the drivers.