Traffic Operations and Management

The magazine features 10 stories that highlight the breadth and impact of the Resilient and Innovative Mobility Initiative's (RIMI's) work across the University of California Institute of Transportation Studies (UC ITS) campuses— Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, and UCLA. It also draws on related research funded through the UC ITS SB1 program, established by California’s Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, along with additional studies by UC ITS scholars and the broader research literature. Together, these efforts demonstrate how targeted research can achieve a 10x impact— shaping...

Transportation systems contribute significantly to air pollution and ∼15% globally and ∼25% in the United States to emissions climate-changing gases. In the United States, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for motor vehicles were significantly raised in 2012 for the first time in almost three decades. The standards now call for an average across manufacturers of 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) for new passenger cars by 2025, or 163 grams per mile (g/mi) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and of 47 mpg (196 g/mi) by 2021. The light truck standards, which include minivans and...

A large number of heavy-duty trucks idle a significant amount. Heavy-duty line-haul truck engines idle about 20–40% of the time the engine is running, depending on season and operation. Drivers idle engines to power climate control devices (e.g., heaters and air conditioners) and sleeper compartment accessories (e.g., refrigerators, microwave ovens, and televisions) and to avoid start-up problems in cold weather. Idling increases air pollution and energy use, as well as wear and tear on engines. Efforts to reduce truck idling in the US have been sporadic, in part because it is widely...

As the number of electric vehicles is increasing, there is a pervasive call for research and new strategies in the field of vehicle grid integration. Using electric vehicle real-time data, drivers' spatial behavior and patterns can be derived for their morning and evening commute. These patterns combined with dynamic electricity costs, wholesale and retail, and variable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, lead to significant outcomes on savings and environmental impact. In this study, electric vehicle charging management is analyzed for the case of north California, using real world data. The...