Travel Behavior

Evaluation of an Urban Travel Training for Older Adults

Babka, Rhinna Jolris
Cooper, Jill F.
Ragland, David R.
2008

The size of the aging population in the United States is increasing, and transportation is critical to maintaining older adults mobility, independence, and quality of life. Travel training programs designed to increase individual knowledge are one way to encourage older adult use of fixed- route transit and improve the transportation options for older adults. The analysis conducted in this paper explores characteristics of travel-training participants in Alameda County, California in 2007-2008 and their knowledge and concerns regarding public transit. Specific issues addressed include...

Driver/Pedestrian Understanding and Behavior at Marked and Unmarked Crosswalks

Mitman, Meghan F.
Ragland, David R
2008

Pedestrian injuries at crosswalk locations represent a significant problem. In 2002, 22.7 percent of US pedestrians involved in collisions were in a crosswalk at the time of the collision, and over 96% of these occurred at an intersection. Almost all crosswalk collisions resulted in pedestrian injury or fatality (98.6 percent), and about one-third resulted in severe or fatal injury (National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) and General Estimates System (GES) 2002).As the owner of the California State Highway System, Caltrans is responsible for providing access to safe and convenient...

Comparison of collisions on HOV facilities with limited and continuous access

Jang, Kitae
Chung, Koohong
Ragland, David R.
Chan, Ching-Yao
2008

This paper describes comparisons of traffic safety during the morning and afternoon peak hours in extended stretches of eight High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes with two different types of access – four corridors with continuous access and the others with limited access. Traffic collision patterns in two different types of HOV lanes were investigated by evaluating 1) the differences in collision distribution, severity, types of collisions and per lane traffic utilization, 2) spatial distribution of collision concentrations by using Continuous Risk Profile (CRP) approach, and 3) collision...

Analysis of Wet Weather Related Collision Concentration Locations: Empirical Assessment of Continuous Risk Profile

Oh, Soonmi
Chung, Koohong
Ragland, David R
Chan, Ching-Yao
2009

The objective of the study described in this paper is to identify common site features that may contribute to high collision rates under wet pavement conditions. To minimize falsely identified high collision concentration locations (HCCL) in evaluating factors contributing to high collision rate, this study accessed the magnitude of false positives (i.e., identifying sites for safety improvements that should not have been selected) by comparing HCCLs identified by the existing conventional sliding moving window approach with the ones identified by the Continuous Risk Profile (CRP) approach...

Limitations of Data on Cell Phone Involvement in Collisions: A Case Study of California

Griswold, Julia B.
Grembek, Offer
2014

With the increasing prevalence of mobile technology and high-profile crashes bringing attention to distracted driving, data on cell phone involvement in collisions is critical for understanding the extent of the problem, examining the effectiveness of policies, and developing interventions to improve safety. Some limitations of existing data have been previously identified, but this paper examines the specific case of California’s collision data. Temporal, geographic, and jurisdictional trends are analyzed to identify the source and type of inconsistencies in the cell phone involvement...

Pre-Intervention Assessment: UC Davis Medical Center and California Health Care Safety Net Institute Child Passenger Safety Initiative

Cooper, Jill
Ragland, David R
MacLeod, Kara E
Jameson, Wendy
2002

Proper use of child passenger safety (CPS) systems is highly effective in reducing injury and fatality in traffic crashes. While use of CPS systems is increasing, use is not universal, and there is a high level of improper use. The Child Passenger Safety Initiative is an innovative program to provide education and training in proper CPS system use to adults with children attending public hospitals and clinics. The initiative will provide education and resources to these adults. A pre-intervention baseline study with a sample of adults and children at four participating hospitals and...

The Association Between Health Problems and Driver Status Among Older Adults

MacLeod, Kara E.
Geyer, Judy A.
Satariano, William A.
Ragland, David R.
2004

Many health problems, especially those associated with older age, can have an impact on an individual’s mobility. This paper addresses how specific functional limitations and medical conditions may be associated with driving status, while controlling for age and gender. This paper uses baseline data (N=2025) from a longitudinal survey of adults, ages 55 and older, the Study of Physical Performance and Age-Related Changes in Sonomans (SPPARCS). For the 35 selected medical conditions and functional limitations, this report presents the prevalence, the relative “risk” ratio (i.e., the risk...

Understanding Evacuee Behavior: A Case Study of Hurricane Irma

Wong, Stephen
Shaheen, Susan, PhD
Walker, Joan, PhD
2018

In September 2017, Hurricane Irma prompted one of the largest evacuations in U.S. history of over six million people. This mass movement of people, particularly in Florida, required considerable amounts of public resources and infrastructure to ensure the safety of all evacuees in both transportation and sheltering. Given the extent of the disaster and the evacuation, Hurricane Irma is an opportunity to add to the growing knowledge of evacuee behavior and the factors that influence a number of complex choices that individuals make before, during, and after a disaster. At the same time,...

Impacts of Transportation Network Companies on Vehicle Miles Traveled, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Travel Behavior Analysis from the Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco Markets

Martin, Elliot, PhD
Shaheen, Susan, PhD
Stocker, Adam
2021

Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Lyft, Uber, and their global counterparts have expanded around the world over the past decade and have changed the way that people travel around cities and regions. The individual mobility benefits provided by TNCs have been clear. Passengers can summon a vehicle quickly via smartphone from almost anywhere to take them almost anywhere, with advance communication on estimated wait time, travel time, and cost. TNCs may also provide users with added mobility benefits, especially for those living in areas where public transit service is infrequent...

Shared Mobility in Low- and High-Income Regions

2022

Although shared and informal transport are not new concepts in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), a variety of economic, environmental, and social forces are contributing to the growth of shared mobility in LMICs around the world. Shared mobility—the shared use of a vehicle, motorcycle, autorickshaw, minibus, scooter, bicycle, or other travel mode—is an innovative transportation strategy that enables users to have short-term access to a transportation mode. This paper documents key shared mobility and informal transport concepts, terms, and definitions around the world. The paper...