Group Projects: Tp. Data Collection and Analysis
Fall 2010
Assigned: Mon. 30 August 2010
Group members and topic by Fri. 17 Sep 2010
Progress report due Fri. 15 October 2010
Final Report due Tue. 23 November 2010
No later than Fri. 17 September 2010, form teams of 4-5 students and adopt a project topic. Submit the names of the team members and a brief description of the topic your team will study by start of class that day. You may choose from the list provided below, or develop a topic of your own, which must be approved by the instructor. In any case, the activity must demonstrate the importance of good data collection and data analysis in transportation engineering. A topic may not be chosen by more than two groups, unless the topic can be studied at different locations or times of day. So submit your requests as soon before 17 September as possible.
For each topic listed below, the number in parentheses indicates the lesson in the CE361 textbook that is most closely related to the topic. This means you will have to browse through the textbook to familiarize yourself with the subject material. If you develop your own topic, indicate the lesson(s) in the textbook that relate to your topic.
A one-sheet progress report will be required on Fri. 15 October 2010. It should focus on how you collected your data or, if not yet collected, what your data collection plan is.
Your group’s final report (worth a double HW) is due 5PM, Tues. 23 November 2010. The report can take the form of a narrated PowerPoint presentation, a written report, or a combination of the two. Your report will be evaluated on its conciseness and how well it addresses the following elements:
1. Objective(s). Reason for project
2. Methodology. How data collected.
3. Analysis. How data were used.
4. Conclusions and possible implementation.
If you need equipment, I may be able to get it for you. If you have questions, please ask me.
CE361 Group Project Ideas
(The number in parentheses indicates the lesson in the CE361 textbook that is most closely related to the topic.)
1. (1.2) On 7 May 2010, the City of West Lafayette announced possible changes in parking space requirements. (See saved clipping.) Do some sort of parking survey. Use of off-street spaces? Use of curb spaces? Analysis?
2. (2.2) How much do speed humps affect vehicle speeds? The case of University Street.
3. (2.2) Speed table on Greenbush. Speed profile on Greenbush vs. Union?
4. (2.2) Conduct a speed study at the crosswalks between MSEE and PGNW. Do speeds vary by Time of Day? Any correlation with number of pedestrians present? Sample size in accordance with Ex 6.15.
5. (2.2) Does lane width affect vehicle speeds? Possible cases: N. Salisbury north of Leslie Ave. and Carlisle St. between Anthrop and Windsor.
6. (3.3) Ordering a product by phone. After series of “if ___, press ___”, I heard “Expect wait of 30:24.” How was this time determined? Actual time waiting was 25:50.
7. (4.3) Cell phone use in moving vehicles.
· Motivation: If cell phones can be tracked to estimate an OD matrix, what biases in the sample may be present?
· Observe at least 100 vehicles at a given location.
· How many vehicles have occupants using a cell phone?
· For these users, record sex and approx. age.
· Repeat at four other locations. Try to vary time of day.
· Does cell phone use vary by sex, age, location, and time of day?
8. (4.4) Observe mode choice to/from campus? Data collection methods. Survey of CE361 students? Bicycle rack counts? Parking use studies? Bus on/off data? Split project into smaller projects by mode?
9. (4.5) Auto occupancy (persons per vehicle)
· Observe at ….which locations?
· Build distribution
· Varies by Time of Day?
10. (6.1) Pedestrians crossing a busy street. On Tuesday 4 May 2010, a 49 year old woman was struck by a SB car as she crossed Northwestern Avenue in front of the MSEE building.
A. How many pedestrian crossings are there at this location on an average weekday? Direct observations? Peak hour?
B. How many times is the subwalk used on an average weekday? Peak hour?
C. What is the ADT on Northwestern Ave.? Peak hour?
D. Use exposure rates for pedestrians like “per MEV” at intersections?
11. (6.2) Visual acuity data for tp-related “targets”
12. (6.2) Use of driving simulator or video games to assess driver abilities under ______conditions
13. (6.4) Dilemma Zone. Upstream detector loop vs. when Yellow phase starts? Observe approaching vehicles and shortest stopping distances.
14. (6.4) Solid white lane markers at an intersection approach. The operations manager for a public bus agency tells his drivers that they should attempt to stop when the signal ahead turns yellow if they have not yet reached the start of the solid white lane marker. Is this good advice?
A. According to the MUTCD, what is the proper use of the solid white lane marker at an intersection approach?
B. Visit a sample of intersections.
1. Various approach speeds, number of lanes
2. DZ calcs
3. Length of solid white lane markers
4. Is operations manager’s guidance valid? If not, could it work if coordinated w/ city traffic engineers who “paint” the solid white lines?
15. (8.1) Observe roundabout at Cumberland and Kent.
· Look for any operational problems.
· Speed in roundabout. Speeds at exit? Get speed gun?
· Pedestrian issues?
16. (8.2) Red light running
· Establish definition of “red light running” for use in data collection. Use published refs.
· Observe at least 100 vehicles on a given approach.
· How many vehicles violate the red light rule?
· For these violators, record sex and approx. age.
· Repeat on four other approaches.
· Do red light violations vary by sex, age, approach direction, and time of day?
17. (8.3.4) Intersection delay. Observe (videotape?) vehicle arrivals at Salisbury Street and Lindberg Ave. during PM peak
· Compute delay IAW FTE Fig 8.18
· Estimate delay if intersection had a roundabout.
18. (10.3) Mentor Bus Pax Info Service (MyRide?)
· ETA (ETD?) for buses at BEER(?) on MyRide, 0, 2, …, 15 minutes before scheduled time. Kiosk and/or online?
· Actual arrival (departure?) time for each bus.
· Ask waiting pax if they used MyRide, esp. if no kiosk info provided at bus stop.
19. (10.3) Bus pax vs. weather.
· Measures to use to describe weather
· Pax counts
· Direct observation or data from GLPTC and on-line weather service?
20. (13.1) Data for bicycle route choice research
· For off-campus origins, where are streets and sidewalks used?