Research and Projects

Here you can find the most recent research and projects conducted in C-TIER

Center for Electrified and Automated Trucking (CEAT)

Potential topics that CEAT will investigate for the business world include (i) electrification of long-haul trucking and public transit vehicles with highly durable fuel cells and optimal deployment of charging stations; (ii) CEAT adoption models and business cases; (iii) operational strategies such as platooning and caravanning; (iv) vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems for efficient CEAT operation; and (v) strategies for addressing the workforce deficit in the logistics industry. CEAT will integrate knowledge from various disciplines, including engineering analysis, behavioral sciences, and business analytics, to tackle the technological and operational challenges associated with deploying electric and automated freight and public transportation systems. CEAT will provide technical and business training to the nation's next generation of engineers, researchers, and managers, while simultaneously promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion by collaborating with prominent local organizations and launching outreach programs targeting women and underrepresented minorities. CEAT plans to engage high and middle schools by introducing an automated electric vehicle racing competition. Undergraduates will have access to leadership and innovation opportunities through industry internships and involvement in CEAT research projects. CEAT will scale up the application of CEAT technologies, transforming mobility and supply chains and enhancing e-commerce efficiency.

• Sponsored by: National Science Foundation, PI- Mishra. 2024-2029.

Rural Transit Solutions for Enhancing Access & Connectivity for the Blue Oval City Hub (REACH)

This Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) Stage 1 project will perform research that attempts to address transportation challenges faced by residents and workers in rural areas around industrial hubs. Rapid economic growth in these areas demands efficient public transit systems that can serve a geographically dispersed workforce with strict arrival times. However, existing solutions often struggle with these unique requirements, leading to traffic congestion, pollution, and limited access to essential services for residents. This research project will develop and deploy a novel multi-modal transit system for Blue Oval City (BOC), a new rural industrial hub in Stanton, Tennessee. The system will combine fixed-line buses with on-demand micro-transit services, addressing the challenges posed by the geographically dispersed workforce and strict arrival times. Further, the project will design equitable fare structures to ensure that the system is sustainable for all stakeholders. If successful, the research will benefit communities around BOC by enhancing their access to employment opportunities, essential resources, and services, ultimately improving quality of life and community resilience. Furthermore, developing efficient and reliable transit can promote the growth of businesses in the surrounding areas and offer more affordable living options. The research findings and deliverables will be transferable to other rural industrial hubs across the nation, fostering economic development and improving public transportation infrastructure.

• • • • • • • • • Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, PI- Mishra. 2023-2024.

Influencing Mode Shift Through Behavioral Change Strategies Phase 2

The goal of this project, "Influencing Mode Shift through Behavioral Change Strategies as Phase II," is to facilitate a meaningful shift in commuters' mode of transportation from single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs) to more sustainable alternatives. By integrating behavioral nudging techniques into a mobile application, the project aims to influence commuter behavior and promote the adoption of eco-friendly transportation options. Building on Phase 1 analysis of nudging messages' impact on stated travel preferences, this project will implement and evaluate behavioral nudges within a real-world pilot study conducted within Tennessee.

• Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, PI- Mishra. 2024-2026.

Public Messaging and Behavior Change Systems for Circular Economies

Roadside litter makes the roads visually unpleasant and is associated with social, economic, and environmental issues. It can cause safety and operational issues, such as traffic flow interruptions and safety hazards to road users. Littering has been a concern in the United States since the 1950s, and many federal, state, local, and volunteer efforts have been taken to address this problem. Even with a number of efforts, no substantial reduction in the pounds of litter removed was found. It is unclear what programs are effective, what organizational structure works, and what strategies are successful. This research would deliver a detailed appraisal of the effective strategies and programs to change people's littering behavior and curtail roadside littering. In addition to littering, another problem is the recycling of roadside litter. What approaches to recycling are effective, what is currently being done, and how effective circular economies can be accomplished are investigated in this project.

• • • • • • • • • • Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, PI- Mishra. 2023-2024.

Applying Induced Travel Study in Urban Areas in Tennessee

Transportation planning practices have primarily focused on highway capacity improvement projects (new roads or lanes) to tackle such issues. However, despite generating undeniable economic benefits, such projects are costly and likely to generate induced travel in terms of increased distribution of (spatial and temporal) volume and vehicular travel speed, contributing to a rise in existing VMT levels. Specifically, induced travel can increase commercial or personal driving because of diversions from other roadways and shifts to single-occupant vehicles (SOV) from public transit or non-motorized transport. For instance, from 1993 to 2017 in Nashville, despite an almost equal growth in population and freeway lane-miles (101% and 107%), the congestion grew by 330%. In 2015, California DOT (Caltrans), in response to Senate Bill (SB) 743, selected VMT over the traditional method of the level of service (LOS) for determining travel impacts and evaluating induced travel in transportation projects. Established methods and best practice case studies to incorporate induced travel in transportation planning practices are getting attention but are yet to be fully explored. In this project, we aim to address the importance of induced demand by (i) applying the best strategies to quantify induced travel; (ii) developing user-friendly tools for preliminary identification of induced travel in any transportation project; (iii) encouraging stakeholder engagement by understanding their perceptions towards the concept of induced travel; and (iv) developing a state-of-the-art playbook delineating best TDM strategies to influence driver behavior to reduce induced travel generated due to highway capacity improvement projects at both local and regional levels.

• Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, PI- Prof. Angela Antipova, Co-PI - Mishra. 2023-2024.

Transit Asset Management Using Vehicle Telematics Data and Electric Fleet

Transit agency is often challenged with developing an optimal plan for asset procurement, operation, and maintenance. A strategic Transit Asset Management (TAM) plan would benefit an agency greatly in terms of keeping its assets in a state of good condition while simultaneously not exceeding the available budget at any given point in time during the planning horizon. The scope of this project includes 1) the development of a Decision Support Tool on finding the Optimal Asset Maintenance Plan for every Investment Scenarios, 2) analysis of risk impacts on asset state of good repair, 3) updating the TAM plan to involve safety, and security in the development process to make sure the prioritization of the TAM plan and the programing and expenditure of funds is prioritized with safety considerations for keeping assets in a state of good repair, 4) integrate predictive maintenance process into TAM plan using vehicle component telematics and diagnostic data, and 5) prepare a roadmap of how different activities (fleet planning, PTASP, new asset procurement processes, etc.) occurring at MATA are cross-linked along with reporting timelines so that all efforts can be coordinated.

• • • • • • • • • Sponsored by: Memphis Area Transit Authority, PI-Mishra, Co-PI - Prof. Mihalis Golais. 2023-2024.

E-scooter crash information from TITAN

This study aims to bridge that gap by investigating associations between crash locations, maneuvers, and severities. Moreover, the objective of the current study is to uncover previously unknown variable associations or quantify known variable associations with practical implications. The findings provide valuable insights into e-scooter crashes and will help to develop mitigating strategies that improve safety for motorists and non-motorists. To achieve the research objectives, the current study utilized the Enhanced Tennessee Roadway Information Management System (ETRIMS) and TITAN to identify and collect e-scooter crash data. In addition, PBCAT was used to obtain crash typologies based on maneuvers and facility type. Finally, conclusions were drawn through analysis using descriptive statistics and visualizations. The stepwise procedure followed for this study is outlined in the next section.

• Sponsored by: Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, and Toyota Mobility Foundation, PI. 2022-2023.

Advancing technology-enabled mobility solutions (TEAM-TN)

Our goal is to create a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem in which advanced industries and Tennessee communities thrive, including a large and diverse array of innovation assets (capital, advanced industries, colleges and universities, STEM professional and skilled technical workforce talent, research institutions, etc.). TEAM Engine will leverage NSF funding and funding from the State of Tennessee and from other federal agencies with complementary interests. During the development phase, TEAM Engine will assemble a Sustainability Working Group charged with exploring sustainability strategies that include, for example, leveraging other sources of state and federal funding, tiered membership models, incentive models that return a portion of TEAM Engine-enabled revenues to the coalition and others. The working group will produce a set of recommendations to be considered by the CEO and his Leadership Team and, ultimately, the Governance Board.

• Sponsored by: National Science Foundation (NSF), PI: Dr. Kevin Heaslip (UTK), Co-PI: Mishra, 2023-2025.

IUCRC Planning Grant The University of Memphis: Center for Electrified and Autonomous Transportation in Agile Freight Supply-Chains (CEATAFS)

CEATAFS will be planned to advance research in freight management, supply chain planning, agile logistics, platooning/caravanning, remotely driven and driverless trucks, long-haul electrification, geofenced and smart infrastructure, and last-mile services. CEATAFS research will help scale up the application of connected, electrified, and autonomous vehicles in the logistics and trucking industries, transforming digitally enabled supply chains and increasing e-commerce efficiency. A two-day planning workshop will be held to engage and attract industry members to further refine the research concepts, establish value propositions, and develop a multidisciplinary research agenda aligned with industry members' innovation and technology interests. Potential topics that CEATAFS may investigate include (i) autonomous vehicle adoption models and business cases; (ii) operational strategies such as platooning and caravanning; (iii) vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems for efficient autonomous operation; (iv) electrification of long-haul trucking with highly durable fuel-cells and optimal deployment of charging stations; and (v) strategies for overcoming the transportation workforce deficit. Conceptual and operational challenges of deploying electric and autonomous freight transportation systems will be explored by converging knowledge in engineering analysis, behavioral sciences, and business analytics.

• Sponsored by: National Science Foundation, PI, 2022-2023.

FW-HTF-P: Building Human-Technology Safety Partnerships in Roadside Work Zones

In the past two decades, more than 22,000 highway construction and maintenance workers have died due to work-related accidents, which translates to a societal cost of $55 million/year. Nevertheless, alerting a worker to an emergency in real-time is extremely difficult, as the work environment is noisy and chaotic, filled with visual distractions, heavy vibrations, and loud noises. Identifying threats and taking appropriate action is very challenging, especially when the time available to respond is very brief. This project explores the concept of using connected wearable technology to create smart work zones that would enhance workers' safety & comfort. This wearable device would assist workers in identifying and warning of potential threats/hazardous situations, give initial preemptive guidance and help them find a way to safety. The research team aims 1) to provide virtual reality (VR)-based tools for training workers and 2) to provide agencies and contractors with guidelines for best practices for worker safety in the emerging sociotechnical landscape.

Sponsored by: National Science Foundation, PI, co.PI. Dr. Lopes (U Chicago), 2022-2023.

Informed Safety, Mobility, & Driver Comfort Enhancement Practices for Work Zones: Learnings from High-Fidelity Data

In the past two decades, more than 22,000 highway construction and maintenance workers have died due to work-related accidents, which translates to a societal cost of $55 million/year. Nevertheless, alerting a worker to an emergency in real-time is extremely difficult, as the work environment is noisy and chaotic, filled with visual distractions, heavy vibrations, and loud noises. Identifying threats and taking appropriate action is very challenging, especially when the time available to respond is very brief. This project explores the concept of using connected wearable technology to create smart work zones that would enhance workers' safety & comfort. This wearable device would assist workers in identifying and warning of potential threats/hazardous situations, give initial preemptive guidance, and help them find a way to safety. The research team aims 1) to provide virtual reality (VR)-based tools for training workers and 2) to provide agencies and contractors with guidelines for best practices for worker safety in the emerging sociotechnical landscape.

Sponsored by: National Science Foundation, PI, co.PI. Dr. Lopes (U Chicago), 2022-2023.

Strategies for Improved Driver Behavior within Work Zones

This project consists of two stages. The first stage is a closed-course study where all the obstacles of pilot research and data collection will be determined. A WZ with different control and enforcement measures will be set up in a closed course setting, and test drives will be made with recruited drivers. From the experience of the closed-course pilot study, a detailed plan for the on-site pilot study (stage 2) will be developed.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, PI. Dr. Saby Mishra, co.PI. Dr. Golias, 2022-2024.

Influencing Mode Shift Through Behavioral Change Strategies 

This project will 1) investigate strategies that have successfully nudged travelers towards SOV alternatives through behavioral change, 2) gather detailed information on the current state of TDM practices in the state and provide recommendations, 3) survey travel behavior and preferences of commuters concerning TDM implementations for potential interventions, and 4) assess the impact of different TDM measures on congestion and traffic. The research team will develop survey and visualization tools to accomplish these aims.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, PI. Dr. Saby Mishra, co.PI. Dr. Golias, 2022-2024.

Identification of Simulation Calibration Parameters using Urban Freeway Data

The current TDOT user manual uses calibration parameters based on best practices obtained from manuals developed by other state DOTs, and limited field data from VISSIM based projects in Tennessee. However, it is critical to determine various calibration parameters to develop calibrated models for local conditions that could provide reliable simulation results. In these contexts, data-driven and Tennessee-specific calibration parameter development would be beneficial in enhancing TDOT’s model development and reliability of microsimulation-based traffic analysis. State-specific calibration parameters could provide a more accurate representation of actual traffic flow, and reliable traffic analysis results will assist the traffic operational decision-making process by balancing needs and resources.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, PI Dr. Golias, co.PI. Dr. Saby Mishra, 2022-2024.

More Effective Use of Tennessee Waterways to Account for Competing Uses and Address Freight Congestion

The goal of the project is to develop a set of recommended strategic objectives for the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) that support safe, reliable, and resilient use of TNs IWS and, at the same time, maximize economic impact, support investment decisions, and foster workforce preservation and development. To achieve this goal, this research has the objectives to develop a knowledge bank on best practices on inland waterway programs, web-based and desktop Data Analytics, and Decision Support (DADS) tools that analyze and synthesize the available data on TNs IWS and its assets (e.g., ports, terminals, locks, etc) into a set of performance stressors, metrics, and indices.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, PI Dr. Golias, co.PI. Dr. Saby Mishra, 2022-2024.

Evaluating Transit Accessibility to Food, Education, Recreation, and Other Essential Services in Tennessee

Although providing access to jobs is an important function of public transit, other travelers use transit to get to grocery stores, healthcare facilities, schools, or outdoor recreational areas, which are not typically considered in transit accessibility analyses. These critical destinations are essential for independence, health, and quality of life. Research is needed to evaluate the transit accessibility to food, healthcare, education, recreation, and other essential services for low-income populations in Tennessee in helping to better determine the value of transit for riders.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, Joint project with UTK PI Dr. Brakewood, 2022-2024.

Modeling Household E-commerce Delivery Rates and Assessing their Equity and Freight Travel Impacts

This research project offers multiple benefits to the freight mobility sector. Quantifying the disaggregated demand of delivery packages will provide data inputs for evaluating the traffic congestion and emissions due to reduced drive-alone shopping trips and increased last-mile delivery trips. The outcomes are expected to complement the implementation of equity-based delivery services (prioritizing the areas with high demand). Fromthe  consumers' perspective, the research outcomes can further analyze the travel time reduction due to foregone shopping trips.

Sponsored by: Freight Mobility Research Institute, US DOT Tier-1 Center, Joint project with PSU and FAU, PI. Dr. Sabya Mishra, 2022-2023.

Accelerating Innovative Mobility

The project consists of two phases. The first amalgamates the current planning and implementation processes in Memphis and through their direct connection and web links posted on the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) website provides communication and information to customers and communities at one location. In so doing, it establishes the MATA website as the go-to place for not only information but to learn about all the mobility opportunities and partnerships that are developing in Memphis. Further, it creates a Mobility Coordinator role for MATA as either the direct provider or facilitator of mobility services or the virtual communicator of all other mobility opportunities. The second phase would emphasize the Incubator potential in Memphis looking outwards to adding partners, updating technology and communications, building more linkages from rural areas, etc. MATA would also reconsider its organizational plan and strategies to best facilitate mobility in Memphis.

Sponsored by: Federal Transit Administration and Memphis Area Transit Authority, 2021-2023. (P.I)

Modeling the adoption, distribution, and utilization of autonomous delivery robots and delivery lockers in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the need for contactless deliveries that avoid the risk of person-to-person infection have made it clear that autonomous robot deliveries have many advantages. In addition, complementary systems like self-serve lockers are appealing since they reduce human contact but also increase last-mile delivery efficiency. The key objectives of this proposal are related to the adoption, distribution, and utilization of autonomous delivery robots and delivery lockers in the US in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sponsored by: Freight Mobility Research Institute, US DOT Tier-1 Center, Joint project with PSU and FAU, PI, 2019-2022. (P.I)

Quantitative Evaluation of Truck Caravanning

Truck caravanning is defined as a hybrid platooning with only one truck driver per platoon, the leader. Truck caravanning, capitalizing on the availability of SAS Level 5 automated trucks, has the potential to extend the profit and service quality for freight business beyond and in addition to benefits achieved by truck platooning. To date, an extremely limited number of research efforts have reported/explored the truck caravanning potential for monetary savings from the use of a smaller number of truck drivers. Research in Truck platooning operational models, in general, has solely focused on savings from fuel consumption and emissions reduction, which numbers found in the literature vary greatly and are questioned among researchers. The goal of this research is not to evaluate the technical feasibility of truck caravanning, but rather to develop and use mathematical models and sensitivity analysis to evaluate and estimate cost savings from freight operations employing truck caravanning. In this project, and unlike research published for truck platooning or caravanning to date, cost savings are easily verifiable as only driver compensation is considered. Any cost savings from fuel and/or emissions reduction are considered only at the general implementation level of the proposed operational model for completeness as well as to allow comparison of the different elements involved in the overall cost/benefit calculation.

Sponsored by: Freight Mobility Research Institute, US DOT Tier-1 Center, Joint project with UMN and FAU, PI, 2019-2022. (Co-P. I), PI - Dr. Golias

Optimal Refueling Gas Station Locations in Post-evacuation Conditions

The objective of this research is to minimize the time and limited homogeneous fleet of multi-compartment trucks that need to distribute the available fuel to the customers, using time windows. The main difference of this problem from the classic gas station replenishment problem (GSRP) is that a part of the customers will be satisfied since the available fuel and the fleet of trucks provided by the company are limited. The main purpose of this research is to satisfy the petrol stations in different areas, prioritizing the ones with the highest demand. To tackle this problem, the research team plans to develop a mathematical model that will optimize fuel distribution after evacuation. In order to formulate the problem, the combination of the PSRPTW and the MCVRP has been proposed. The objective of this problem is to minimize the transportation time needed to transfer the fuel from the fuel tank to the petrol stations, using time windows. To solve the resulting problem exact and heuristic approaches will be investigated and will be selected (most likely a hybrid heuristic to improve or remove completely the stochastic search step of commonly used/built heuristics for these types of problems).

Sponsored by: Freight Mobility Research Institute, US DOT Tier-1 Center, Joint project with FAU, PI, 2019-2022. (Co-P.I), PI - Dr. Golias

Evaluating the Adoption and Impact of Autonomous Delivery Modern Technologies

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the need for contactless deliveries that avoid the risk of person-to-person infection have made it clear that autonomous robot deliveries have many advantages. Consumers, businesses, and governments have switched from cautious beta testers to eager early adopters. Despite this unprecedented requirement necessitated by the pandemic, SADRs and RADRs need to be deployed by logistics service providers and Government agencies in a way that is generally accepted by the public. In fact, if not widely accepted by the public, the development and introduction of autonomous delivery vehicles can be a substantial waste of resources for logistics service providers and vehicle developers alike. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct micro-level behavioral research on user acceptance early in the deployment roadmap of delivery robots to be able to design, develop, and promote them as an accepted alternative to conventional delivery practices (i.e., van-based human delivery). One of the contributions of the proposed project is to address this urgent research gap by investigating the psychological factors that determine public acceptance of ADRs (Autonomous Delivery Robots) from an end-consumer perspective.

Sponsored by: Freight Mobility Research Institute, US DOT Tier-1 Center, Joint project with PSU and FAU, PI, 2019-2020.

 Towards Sustainable Tourism Transportation Systems and Services in Tennessee

The tourism industry is the second-largest economic sector in TN. Recognizing the contribution and growth potentials of the tourism industry and the importance of associated transportation systems and services, states with the highest tourist traffic volume have been integrating tourism aspects in all forms of transportation planning, investment decision-making, and management. This project develops policy guidelines for TDOT considering multimodal and sustainable transportation systems and services that promote the tourism industry to maintain a competitive advantage to TN tourism industry compared to other states. The primary benefits and deliverables of this research study are(i) Sustainable transportation systems and services planning and management- best practices; (ii) Tourism specific travel demand model that can be integrated with statewide travel demand model; (iii) Evaluation of existing multimodal transportation services in TN for tourism; (iv) Analysis of alternative sustainable transportation systems and services policies; and (v) Policy guidelines, indicators and standards on sustainable transportation systems and services for TDOT.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2020-2022.

Connecting Demand Response Transit with Fixed Service Transit

FRT and DRT when operated independently result in less coverage and high operating costs respectively. This TDOT research proposal will provide a methodological framework for connecting FRT and DRT together. With this research, transit agencies will be able to benefit in the following aspects: 1) Connecting DRT with FRT will provide transit accessibility to a larger population and hence will result in an increase in ridership which in turn will boost the transit revenue. 2) DRT will also be able to provide mobility to the elderly and disabled population which in turn will reduce the high operating costs associated with paratransit services, 3) The proposed concept will also provide a framework to convert underutilized FRT routes to DRT which in turn will result in optimal use of transit fleet and will result in cost savings as only the existing operating FRT route vehicle will be used to complete demand-responsive trips.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2020-2022.

Understanding Freight Impact on Tennessee Communities

The proposed research will provide TDOT personnel as well as local transportation agencies with a ready and easy-to-use guidebook supported by a GIS tool that streamlines the tasks of identifying, taxonomizing, and ranking strategies (based on cost, benefits, and barriers to implementation) to improve freight transportation and minimize/mitigate the externalities they cause. The developed guidebook and tool will support planning, tactical, and operational freight improvements at the state and local level that simultaneously optimize freight movements and minimize their externalities (e.g., environmental, congestion, health) to the communities they serve.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2020-2022.

Wrong-way Driving Crashes in Tennessee and Prevention Technology

Wrong-way driving (WWD) events occur when a driver enters against the right traffic-flow direction of a divided highway (e.g., freeways). The most frequent WWD incident location is a freeway ramp and according to the National Transportation Safety Board, 360 wrong-way driving-related fatalities occurred annually between 2004 and 2011 in the US. While a small percentage of total crashes (approximately 3%) WWD severity level was much higher than non-WWD crashes. Tennessee is one of the top 10 states with the highest number of WWD-involved fatalities in the U.S. The leading contributing factors of WWD crashes are traffic violation due to driving under the influence, inattention due to fatigue and distractions, impaired judgment due to physical and age-related issues, unfamiliarity with roadways, and any infrastructure deficiencies such as poor lighting, limited line of sight, and heavy vegetation. This project first aims to analyze the statistics of wrong-way crashes in TN and determine the main contributing factors. Next several wrong-way prevention technologies are suggested, tested, and deployed and selected testing sites. Therefore, the performance of each technology can be assessed, and along with the life cycle cost analysis and administration opinion, we can recommend the three best technologies for implementation at selected sites.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2019-2021.

Work Zone Alert Systems

Work zones have significant impacts on traffic conditions as well as on motorists and agency/contractor personnel safety. The growth of travel on the roadway system in the United States and recent adverse weather conditions have accelerated the deterioration of pavement, leading to constant pavement repairs and roadway rehabilitation. Based on how severe a work zone crash can be, the associated fatalities, injuries, and property damage will lead to moderate to high costs, not to mention costs associated with damage in high-value goods transported, and higher travel delays and relative cost impacts. As a result, many states are paying special attention to work zone crashes caused by civilian vehicles erroneously entering work zones. Of particular interest to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) are work zone intrusion alert systems (WZIAs). This class of safety devices is intended to recognize when a work zone intrusion is occurring and to alert the driver and nearby workers of the intrusion so that they can respond appropriately. The proposed research aims to study the literature to hypothesize best practices and most valuable WZIA products and will test those hypotheses to provide a recommendation to TDOT for WZIA implementation based on low cost, low rate of false alerts, ease of use, and ability to live-track work zone intrusions across the state.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2018-2020.

The Impacts and Adoption of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles in Tennessee

Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) have the potential to revolutionize daily travel modes, in terms of personal, public, or shared mobility, because of their potential of technology-assisted driving and hence minimizing errors caused by humans In addition to safety, CAVs will provide additional benefits in terms of ability to multitask during travel, flexibility in travel (relocating the house to farther and more convenient location), reduced parking and running costs, travel time savings due to the reduction in congestion and accessibility to elder and non-license holder individuals. However, such benefits will also come at the cost of numerous anticipated barriers like accident liabilities, data safety concerns, the addition of new infrastructure, and increased emissions because of an increase in vehicle miles traveled. In the US, 22 states including Tennessee have already passed legislation for operating CAVs on public roads. However, until the CAVs meet the perceptions, demands, beliefs, and needs of end-users at a justified cost, their adoption is uncertain. Adoption research from non-transportation-related innovation suggests that social network plays a pivotal role in deciding whether to adopt, defer, or not to adopt. The objective of this research is to understand, model, and predict CAV market penetration in Tennessee over time-based on the residential social network.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2018-2020.

 Identification of stationary and wireless charging stations for battery-operated electric vehicles in smart cities

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) provide a more energy-efficient way of traveling than internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) and the consumer adoption of BEVs is on the rise. Despite BEV's outstanding energy efficiency and the potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, there are constraints, and because of this BEVs are unable to compete with ICEVs. These constraints include extended recharging time, limited driving range, and an insufficient number of charging facilities. To overcome these constraints, dynamic wireless charging (DWC) prompts as a plausible solution. DWC technology allows BEV to be charged while in motion. This raises a traditional question often encountered in practice for infrastructure investment: how to determine optimal locations of DWC infrastructure in a network. In this paper, we propose a sequential two-level planning approach considering the objectives of both the public infrastructure planning agency and the BEV users.

Sponsored by: FedEx Institute of Technology, 2019-2020.

Next Generation of Freight Planning and Operation Models To Incorporate Emerging Innovative Technologies

This project leverages expertise from three universities (FAU, PSU, UofM) and attempts to accomplish the project objectives to (1) quantify adoption of connected and autonomous trucks by freight organizations, (2) incorporate truck platooning in transportation planning and operation models, (3) analyze the emissions impacts of last-mile deliveries by delivery robots, (4) study how disruptive technologies are affecting intermodal transportation, and (5) outline future research necessary to address the opportunities and challenges created by disruptive technologies.

Sponsored by: Freight Mobility Research Institute, US DOT Tier-1 Center, Joint project with PSU and FAU, PI, 2019-2020.

Developing a Methodology to Predict the Adoption Rate of Connected Autonomous Trucks in Transportation Organizations Using Peer Effects

Our research presents a methodology for predicting the adoption rate of Connected Autonomous Trucks (CATs) in transportation organizations using peer effects. There are a number of different factors that must be considered when developing innovation adoption models for organizations, including relative advantage, perceived risk, organizational size, public opinion, compatibility with the organization's needs, and competition. We describe each of the relevant variables and combine them into a discrete choice model for predicting the adoption rate of CATs by a hypothetical sample of transportation organizations. The model incorporates new peer effect modeling techniques to simulate the competition and informal communication network. Organizations are placed in a 4-dimensional space, and the peer effects on organizational adoption decisions are simulated using a graph theory model. Preliminary results suggest that organizations that are larger are less likely to change their decisions due to the decisions of other, competing organizations, whereas smaller organizations are more easily influenced by the decisions of larger organizations. The methodology developed from our research produces reasonable and useful results using a hypothetical dataset, and the methodology has been designed to be transferrable to any number of organizational innovations.

Sponsored by: Federal Highway Administration, and Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2018-2020.

Development of Statewide Land Use Forecasting Model and Integrate with TDOT's Statewide Travel Demand Model

Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) developed a new statewide travel demand model in 2015. While the current travel demand model uses 2010 and 2040 as the base and future year of analysis, no land-use model currently exists to provide additional future year data or ability to scenario planning. To strengthen scenario analysis and policy planning the travel demand model will need adequate land use inputs. However, currently, there is no statewide land-use model in TN that can be used to generate inputs for the travel demand model. This research is to develop a statewide land-use model to obtain (1) accuracy of future year land use forecast that represents long-range transportation improvements and planned zoning, (2) cumulative and indirect effects of transportation projects, (3) evaluation of economic effects of various state and regional policies, (4) land-use changes because of rapid changes in travel behavior owing to emerging technologies, (5) accurate choices of residential locations because of emerging greener and tech-savvy lifestyle choices, and finally (6) facilitation of the land-use model to be integrated with the travel demand model.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2018-2020.

Development of a Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Readiness Index

Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) are about to hit the roads but an important question is how ready are our cities with respect to policies and infrastructure elements required to accommodate CAVs? By developing a holistic index for evaluating readiness for CAVs, this paper establishes the foundation for readiness analysis. The index ranks the readiness of cities based on their soft and cyberinfrastructure, pro-CAV policies, hard infrastructure, and other transportation supply and demand measures. We first identify 32 variables, segmented into four categories, that can plausibly foster CAV market penetration. The variables are then combined to develop a single index.

Sponsored by: University of Memphis Research Investment Fund, 2018-2020.

Truck Parking Needs in TN

The objectives of this research are to provide TDOT with important guidance on truck parking issues and opportunities, by identifying parking needs (i.e., the addition of capacity and/or construction of new facilities); developing truck parking violation rates (i.e., truck parking on the on- and off-ramps) and developing/applying a methodology to identify candidate locations for new truck parking facilities in the State of TN. This study extends the work done by Mishra et al. (2016), Golias et al. (2017), and Cherry et al. (2017) who used truck GPS and survey data to evaluate the performance of truck parking in TN.

Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation and US DOT, 2018-2020.

 Other Recent Projects

1. Identifying critical and vulnerable freight routes in roadway networks: A game theory framework and application in the State of Florida. Sponsored by: US-DOT/FMRI 2020-21.

2. Asset management optimization. Memphis Area Transit Authority. 2017-20

3. Incorporating Freight in Regional Land Use Planning Models. FMRI/USDOT 2020-21 [Report PDF].

4. Value of Transitways Comparative Multi-Destination Accessibility Analysis. University of Minnesota (sub-award). 2019.

5. Transit Academy Education Partnership. Innovate Memphis. 2018-20.

6. Planning Guidebook for Commodity and Freight Movement in TN. T-DOT/FMRI 2018-19.

7. Truck parking models for TN. T-DOT/FMRI 2018-19.

8. Game theory applications for seaport cooperation, competition, and co-opetition. USDOT/FMRI 2017-18.

9. Smartphone-Based Interventions for Sustainable Travel Behavior. Metropolitan Council. 2017-18.

10. Multimodal Connections with Transitways: Ridership, Access Mode and Route Choice Implications. Center for Transportation Studies. 2017-18.

11. Modeling autonomous vehicle technologies adoption by freight organizations. USDOT/FMRI 2017-18.

12. Smart city innovation hub: Phase I-Development of a readiness index. Research Investment Fund, University of Memphis, Division of Research and Sponsored Research Programs 2017-18.

13. USDOT TIER 1: Freight Mobility Research Institute. USDOT (PI from UoM) 2016-22.

14. SHRP2 Implementation assistance program: Work zone impacts and strategies estimator (WISE) software (R11). FHWA 2016-18. 

15. Identifying cost-effective, high-return, and quickly implementable improvements to address freight congestion and mobility constraints in Tennessee. TDOT 2016-17. [Report PDF]

16. SHRP2 Implementation Assistance Program: Integrating freight considerations into the highway capacity planning process (C15). FHWA 2016-17.

17. SHRP2 Round 7 (Planworks): I-40 in Tennessee- A corridor of national significance in moving freight and linking multistate communities [Report PDF]

18. Assessment of Mobility and Transit Access to Captive Riders in Suburban and Rural Area. Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2016-2017. [Report PDF]
19. Workzone Crash Performance Data Management. Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2016-2017. [Report PDF]
20. SmartPark-Pilot Study. Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2016-2017. [Report PDF]

21. Those who Need it Most: Maximizing Transit Accessibility and Removing Barriers to Employment in Areas of Concentrated Poverty. Hennepin County, MN and the Metropolitan Council. 2015-16.

22. Simulating the INDY FedEx Hub: Phase I & II. Federal Express 2015-16.

23. Discovering the vulnerable physical routes in a network. Central Intelligence Agency/Intelligence Community 2014-16.

24. Specific Strategies for Achieving Transit-Oriented Economic Development: Applying National Lessons to the Twin Cities. Metropolitan Council. 2014-16.

25. Economic Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit. Hennepin County, MN and the Metropolitan Council. 2014-15.

26. Feasibility of public investment in short-line railroads. T-DOT 2014-15.

27. Re-shoring and its impact on transportation infrastructure & US economy. CFIRE/US DOT 2014-15.

28. Addressing MAP-21 freight objectives using GPS data. CFIRE 2014-15.

29. Evaluation of the Hennepin County Community Works Program. Hennepin County, MN. 2014.

30. Somerville Downtown Redevelopment Plan. Town of Somerville, TN. 2018.

31. Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan. The city of Memphis. 2018.

32. MATA Service Project. Memphis Area Transit Authority. 2017.

33. Housing Code Enforcement and Health Outcomes in Memphis. The Urban Institute. 2017.

34. Meeman Shelby Forest CCC Camp Restoration Plan. Mississippi River Corridor-Tennessee, Inc. 2015.

35. Planning to Capitalize on the Regional Greenprint: West Memphis Eco-Park. Shelby County Office of Sustainability. 2014.

36. A guidebook for best practices on integrated land use and travel demand modeling. Sponsored by: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2013-2014. [Report PDF]
37. A guidebook for freight transportation planning using truck GPS data. Sponsored by: U.S Department of Transportation and Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2014-2015. [Report PDF]
38. Effect of Primary and Secondary Crashes: Identification, Visualization and Prediction. Sponsored by: U.S Department of Transportation and Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2014-2015. [Report PDF]