http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification 720 https://escholarship.org/uc/ucits_reports/rss Recent eScholarship items from ITS reports Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:17:55 +0000 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1zd2d0zf This study highlights that Inductive Loop Detectors (ILDs), sensors embedded into the pavement for traffic control, are concerningly vulnerable to novel cyber and physical attacks. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1zd2d0zf Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Al Faruque, Mohammad, PhD Moghaddas, Yasmin Kadiyala, Avinash Fakih, Mohamad Habib https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4x06k8ww This report investigates jaywalking laws in connection with traffic safety, racial equity, and street design, focusing on California. It traces the concept of "jaywalking" to an early 20th-century auto industry campaign to shift safety responsibility from drivers to pedestrians. By analyzing national and California pedestrian injury and fatality data (2009–2022) alongside California Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) police stop data (2018–2022), the study describes demographic disparities in both pedestrian crashes and law enforcement of jaywalking. It also documents recent legislative efforts in California and other states and cities to decriminalize or reform jaywalking enforcement. Findings show that pedestrian fatalities reached a 40 year high in 2022, with California’s rates consistently exceeding the national average. Significant racial and economic disparities exist: Black pedestrians experience fatality rates multiple times those of White pedestrians, and lower-income... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4x06k8ww Fri, 5 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Santos, Mike Lutzker, Liza Griswold, Julia, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6ff446dm Transportation access is a significant issue in low-income, rural, and otherwise underserved communities in the US, with few affordable and reliable alternatives to car ownership. Carsharing is one promising alternative to improve access among these communities. This study examined the implementation and outcomes of an electric vehicle carsharing service launched in Richmond, California by Míocar. The findings are based on surveys with members, an interview with senior Míocar staff, and an analysis of service utilization data provided by Míocar. The Richmond service experienced a variety of implementation problems related to limited space for vehicles and chargers, vandalism of vehicles and hubs, and transitions between funding sources that required the service to re-launch new vehicle hubs and interrupted the continuity of service. However, utilization of the service was strong (700 reservation hours, 4,000 reservation miles) given its availability. Outcomes related to transportation... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6ff446dm Wed, 3 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Harold, Brian Rodier, Caroline, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2jp4n9dj California’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs) requires more than additional charger counts. Public charging must be accessible, affordable, and reliable where people actually live and travel. This report presents a geospatial dashboard and time-series toolkit for the nine Bay Area counties that maps public charging stations, tracks price and charging-port status at 10-minute intervals, and identifies disadvantaged community (DAC) census tracts using the joint U.S. Department of Energy/U.S. Department of Transportation/National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (DOE/DOT/NEVI) framework. The tool reports charger availability, utilization, pricing, reliability, and average session cost, and supports equity metrics such as ports per 1,000 residents or renters, travel time to a direct-current fast charger, and tract-levelcomparisons between DAC and non-DAC areas. It also supports early screening of sites for Level-3 fast chargers by identifying locations that appear feasible from... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2jp4n9dj Tue, 2 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Kurzhanskiy, Alex https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5hz2r732 This report analyzes the optimal organization of public transit service in large U.S. metropolitan areas—like Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area—where multiple operators serve overlapping markets. We synthesize over 50 international and U.S. studies of: (1) regional transit governance and coordination, (2) economies of scale and scope in transit operations, and (3) service contracting. We find that regions gain the most from coordinating front-end, customer-facing functions such as marketing, fares, information, and service planning through a regional association or authority, while leaving back-end service-production and delivery decentralized among sub-regional operators. This approach enhances riders’ travel experience, increases ridership, and improves cost efficiency. Conversely, large-scale transit agency mergers rarely save money and often introduce diseconomies of scale due to increased organizational complexity and higher labor costs. For some large agencies,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5hz2r732 Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Ding, Hao, PhD Taylor, Brian D., PhD Gahbauer, John Schank, Max https://escholarship.org/uc/item/03z7t8r1 This report presents analytical review of empirical research on the interactions between housing availability and production, and travel behavior, accessibility, land use policies, and transportation policies. It identifies lessons from this review for California state legislative efforts to improve housing and transportation linkages, and to increase both transportation sustainability and housing affordability. Relevant California state efforts include legislation to influence parking standards; to require up-zoning near transit stations; to influence regional housing and transportation planning goals; and to change environmental review to focus on reducing vehicle miles traveled instead of accommodating road traffic. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/03z7t8r1 Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Chatman, Daniel G., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5475-8544 Barbour, Elisa, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4685-4517 Kerzhner, Tamara https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1241-1070 Manville, Michael, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4218-6427 Reid, Carolina, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1315-6413 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0c67f06m This report presents a comprehensive framework for prioritizing capital investment in urban road infrastructure, with a focus on resilience, safety, and equity. The framework addresses the growing challenges of aging road networks, increased traffic demand, and the risks posed by natural hazards such as landslides and wildfires. Using a multi-dimensional tool, the report evaluates road segments in Los Angeles hillside regions based on their importance within the transportation network, physical condition, and hazard exposure. Additionally, it incorporates demographics to ensure that infrastructure investments prioritize underserved communities. The results are further enhanced through a probabilistic framework designed to assess landslide risks in earthquake-prone regions. By combining structural importance with demographic data and hyperlocal assessments, cities can make more informed and equitable infrastructure investment decisions. Recommendations include prioritizing investments... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0c67f06m Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Jana, Debasish, PhD Malama, Sven Srisan, Tat Narasimhan, Sriram, PhD Bills, Tierra, PhD Taciroglu, Ertugrul, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/83s189q9 This report considers motivations, obstacles, and policies and programs adopted at the state, regional, and local levels in California to support transit-oriented development (TOD). Regulatory policies adopted by the state in recent years to induce TOD are discussed, as well as state-led and regionally-managed funding programs. Findings are presented from two on-line surveys of local planning directors, and 51 interviews with regional and local planners. The findings point to multiple obstacles to achieving TOD, including market factors, resident opposition, and lack of sufficient funding for implementation, such as for necessary infrastructure to support new development. The most commonly adopted local policies to support TOD include streamlining of environmental review requirements, mixed-use zoning and upzoning (permitting higher densities), improving bike and pedestrian facilities, development of Specific Plans for neighborhoods, and mechanisms to ease accessory dwelling units... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/83s189q9 Thu, 9 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Barbour, Elisa, PhD Gordon-Feierabend, Lev Kaeppelin, Francois https://escholarship.org/uc/item/22j2c2wr This study examines whether co-locating stations for light-duty zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) with stations for heavy-duty ZEVs would increase network coverage and improve resiliency to help California achieve its targets for widespread ZEV adoption. The study separately models of siting light-and heavy-duty at the same locations vs. separate locations for (i) electric charging stations and (ii) hydrogen refueling stations. The results indicate electric charging stations in California are being used at only 13% of total capacity. Building out and optimizing the locations of light-duty electric vehicle stations will results in greater demand met and resiliency than will co-locating these at heavy-duty charging stations. On the other hand, co-location of hydrogen refueling stations for light duty vehicles at sites for heavy-duty vehicle stations may increase demand met, network resiliency, and adoption rates of light-and heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles. These adoption rates... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/22j2c2wr Mon, 6 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Forrest, Kate, PhD Hudson, Benjamin Lane, Blake, PhD Samuelson, Scott, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9tk5f1w7 This report presents a set of proposed open data specifications for the development of an Operational Data Portal (ODP) to support customer-oriented “smart” apps for travelers with special needs, particularly seniors and people with disabilities, in Contra Costa County. The ODP would aggregate and organize data from various mobility service providers, individual riders, and community organizations to be accessed by software developers of digital trip planners, trip booking and scheduling services, passenger feedback mechanisms, and service performance evaluation tools. The report concludes that the establishment of an open data platform along with supporting applications will improve the riderexperience and facilitate operating efficiency and coordination among accessible transit providers. It recommends further research to align the proposed data specifications with emerging transportation data standards, enhance the integration of unstructured data, and develop inclusive systems... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9tk5f1w7 Wed, 1 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Meng, Joshua, PhD Kurzhanskiy, Alex, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9s54q7zq Autonomous trucks raise complex and interconnected questions about public safety and the future of labor. This white paper examines this safety and workforce connection through a review of multidisciplinary literature and findings from expert interviews to evaluate three automated trucking pathways: driverless trucks, truck platooning, and automated driving assistance systems (ADAS). A central finding is that human autonomy teams will remain integral across all three trajectories. Humans will co-design, test, supervise, and maintain these systems, playing enduring roles in pre-drive, front-line (including in-vehicle), and remote (off-vehicle) settings. These roles represent durable labor categories whose scope, skill requirements, and job quality will be shaped by regulatory design choices that also influence public safety outcomes. This paper finds that partial automation is likely to expand more rapidly than fully driverless operations, creating near-term opportunities to leverage... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9s54q7zq Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 D'Agostino, Mollie C. Fuller, Samuel, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23m942p3 In October 2021, the Los Angeles Count Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), in collaboration with other regional transit operators and multiple school districts across the county, launched the GoPass pilot program to offer free transit passes to K-14 students, which became permanent in early 2024. Students in a high school district in the Greater Los Angeles area were surveyed to determine the reasons students decided to participate in GoPass and how the students subjectively valued their travel preference. Students were less likely to participate in the GoPass program if they had the use of a car for trips to school but more likely if they had the option to take transit for trips leaving school. Student demographics did not play a large role in whether they participated in GoPass. Students highly value cars and trip amenities, such as onboard Wi-Fi. They subjectively value reduced travel time at $71/hour, similar to other studies among adults, but valued reduced... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23m942p3 Mon, 9 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Bernal, Henry Brownstone, David, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/82g7152f Personal safety concerns continue to be one of the most critical issues among transit riders and women and gender minorities in particular. These safety concerns stem from the experience of sexual harassment that people who identify as women face frequently. While harassment can be a common occurrence, the vast majority of these experiences go unreported to transit agencies, leaving agencies without information about the magnitude of this problem on their system. This report details work with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) in their efforts to understand and address this problem. The SFMTA, working with two UCLA graduate students, designed a survey that drew from previous survey efforts and was tailored to address their interests and needs. This report documents the process of developing and deploying the questionnaire, in an effort to help other agencies take the first steps to better understanding rider safety and harassment. Through breaking down SFMTA’s... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/82g7152f Thu, 5 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Wasserman, Jacob L. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2212-5798 Brozen, Madeline https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4231-8298 Loukaitou-Sideris, Anastasia, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3zs0x4r8 This report synthesizes three primary data sources—credit data, unemployment claims data, and small business loan and grant data—to explore the financial conditions of those who drive for a living before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in California. Automobile debt was high among groups likely to contain professional drivers. The occupational categories in which many drivers fall had high absolute and relative levels of automobile debt compared to other workers. After the onset of the pandemic, unemployment rose dramatically in the transportation industry and in transportation occupations, peaking at rates higher than the national average. However, state unemployment claims data, among transportation employee claimants only, show less of a spike. Contractor drivers lived in areas with more Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims, a special program for self-employed workers like gig drivers. Finally, contractor drivers received unprecedented but uneven federal small business... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3zs0x4r8 Thu, 5 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Wasserman, Jacob L https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2212-5798 Siddiq, Fariba https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0361-6594 Speroni, Samuel https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4364-6162 Blumenberg, Evelyn https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6767-2686 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5fh1v02k This report develops a transportation hydrogen roadmap for California projected to 2045, building on previous UC ITS work, in part for the ARCHES hydrogen hub for trucks and ports. This study adds modes such as airports, aircraft, rail systems, and fuel-cell light-duty vehicles. Based on a scenario of high adoption of hydrogen-fueled transport, these modes and sectors would use 1000 tonnes/day of hydrogen by 2035 and 5000 tonnes/day by 2045. To 2035, about 40% of the expected growth occurs in heavy-duty trucking. Another 20% is used by other truck types, about 20% by light-duty vehicles, and 20% by other modes, notably shipping and aviation. These shares remain similar to 2045. Trucking remains the dominant driver of demand. Shipping, aviation, and rail are not anticipated to account for an increasing share of demand in the scenarios in this study. This hydrogen fuel system would support around 6,000 jobs per year. Hydrogen vehicle adoption will depend on strong policy support,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5fh1v02k Tue, 3 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Fulton, Lewis, PhD Lamichhaine, Madhu Lipman, Timothy, PhD Coffee, Daniel, PhD Kong, David, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6rg2r0cj The Vehicle Weight Safety Study provides supporting analysis for the California Transportation Commission’s study on therelationship between vehicle weight and road user injury and roadway degradation required by Assembly Bill (AB) 251, which was signed by the Governor in October 2023. To inform the work of the CTC, this report summarizes trends of road user injuries and fatalities in California and potential factors contributing to these trends (Chapter 2); summarizes trends in vehicle weight, size, and height for registered vehicles in California (Chapter 3); documents the landscape of policy solutions focused on vehicle size that might address California’s road user injuries and fatality challenge (Chapter 4); analyzes the impact of potential weight-based fees on consumer vehicle purchasing behavior (Chapter 5); and, analyzes the relationship between shifts in passenger vehicle weight and degradation of road infrastructure (Chapter 6). https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6rg2r0cj Mon, 2 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Raifman, Matthew, PhD Griswold, Julia, PhD Brownstone, David, PhD Harvey, John, PhD Stahl, Amalia, MA Atkins, Jon Johnson, Celia Anderson, Michael, PhD Vaco, Federico, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7zh8h44h Traditional data collection approaches present significant drawbacks in computational costs and limited privacy protection. This research evaluates the bathtub traffic flow model as a privacy-preserving alternative to traditional methods that require detailed network layouts and individual trip data. The study assesses the feasibility of the bathtub model through calibration and validation using Bluebikes data from Metro Boston, focusing on three key components: the unified relative space paradigm, conservation equations, and the generalized bathtub model. Results demonstrate that the unified relative space paradigm successfully integrates network trips by considering remaining trip distances, though the trip distance distribution exhibited a log-normal pattern rather than the time-independent negative exponential distribution in Vickrey's original bathtub model. Conservation equations for total trips and trip-miles traveled showed high accuracy, and the generalized bathtub model... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7zh8h44h Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Jin, Wen-Long, PhD Lo, Jospeh H.F. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7k9796xb The CA-LCA-H2 tool performs a cost and greenhouse gas and criteria air pollutant emissions assessment for a hydrogen project in California by selecting the operating region and mode of production and distribution of the hydrogen through to a fuel cell trucking use case. The cost of clean hydrogen production can change significantly from the choice of production method due to the respective energy and capital costs, and in the case of electrolysis, the electricity source. The regional variations in the electricity mix can significantly affect the carbon intensity of the hydrogen produced. These components then contribute to the potential effectiveness of hydrogen as a low-carbon fuel for the use case assessment. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7k9796xb Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Collins, Stephanie Lipman, Timoth, PhD Horvath, Arpad, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0jm16498 Public direct current fast charging (DCFC) infrastructure is in an early stage of development, depends on public funding,may not be profitable, and its locations may not provide the amenities that consumers want to use while charging. This report explores topics related to these issues: what activities battery electric vehicle (BEV) drivers participate in, BEV drivers’ spending on charging and other items while at a DCFC, drivers’ self-reported preferences for amenities at DCFC, and drivers’ reported experiences using DCFC. The results reveal most drivers do something other than using DCFC while charging their BEV; close to half of respondents purchase something other than electricity for their BEV, and this expenditure is higher than the average cost of a charging session. The results highlight the potential for charging providers to explore new ways of generating revenue directly by developing stations with revenue-generating amenities attached, or through symbiotic relationships... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0jm16498 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Hardman, Scott, PhD Senthil, Sonali Li, Jiewei (Grant) Jenn, Alan, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4q539746 This study addresses the persistent challenge of delivering cost-effective, high-quality on-demand transit in low-density communities. Traditional microtransit services often struggle in such areas due to high fixed costs and limited opportunities to consolidate trips, while community partnerships with transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft are typically avoided due to concerns over data transparency and limited community control. To bridge this gap, we propose a new business plan for cooperative TNC partnerships, in which a community-appointed service manager coordinates trip requests, distributes financial incentives to attract drivers to the community from nearby high-demand areas, and leverages the TNC’s existing digital infrastructure for driver dispatch and routing. We evaluate this business plan through case studies of three Northern California communities presently served by microtransit, comparing microtransit’s measured performance against the predicted... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4q539746 Mon, 2 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Darling, Wesley, PhD Cassidy, Michael J., PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4qk0182c California has set an ambitious target to transition 100% of off-road vehicles and equipment to zero-emission (ZE) alternatives by 2035 “where feasible,” as outlined in Executive Order N-79-20. Interviews were conducted with 16 stakeholders—contractors, manufacturers, rental firms, researchers, nonprofits, and public agencies. Intervieweesacknowledged positive attributes of ZE equipment, but barriers were more numerous and included inadequate charging infrastructure, limited grid access at job sites, high upfront equipment costs, limited ZE model availability, and complications with rental-based procurement models. Social and organizational barriers such as operator resistance, climate skepticism, and inequities faced by smaller firms were also noted. Most interviewees expressed skepticism that the 2035 ZE off-road goal is realistically achievable without significant policy and infrastructure support. Commonly recommended interventions included strengthening site-level grid capacity,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4qk0182c Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Hardman, Scott, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0476-7909 Karanam, Vaishnavi, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4647-5250 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0p9928s8 The secondary market for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) will play a critical role in decarbonizing transportation and in bringing ZEVs to lower income populations. Yet research into this market remains limited. Thus, in this study, the characteristics of the used ZEV market, its buyers, and the sources and destinations of used ZEVs were explored. The flows of secondhand, pre-owned, or “used” ZEVs in California were quantified by analyzing vehicle registration and transfer information from the Department of Motor Vehicles from 2016 to 2020. Descriptive statistics were used to examine this market, and the sources and destinations of used ZEVs were modeled using linear regression. Several key trends became evident. First, plug-in hybrids appear to be entering the used market at higher rates than battery electric vehicles. Second, there was a net gain of used ZEVs into disadvantaged communities over the study period. Finally, the number of households in the highest income brackets... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0p9928s8 Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Tal, Gil, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7843-3664 Ramadoss, Trisha https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5863-5840 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3h1589mq An Equitable and Integrated Approach to Paying for Roads in a Time of Rapid Change https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3h1589mq Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Bayen, Alexandre, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6697-222X Shaheen, Susan, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3350-856X Forscher, Edward Lazarus, Jessica https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1645-2530 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/22g653xp A growing number of U.S. transit agencies are adding transit ambassadors to their systems to improve the customer service and safety experience for passengers. These personnel can play a variety of different roles, including providing wayfinding, system navigation, fare payment support, and other passenger support roles that enhance the customer experience. This research examines the Los Angeles Metro’s transit ambassador program, which began as a pilot in 2022 and is moving in-house in 2025 as a permanent program. Ambassadors provide key customer service functions that are not filled elsewhere. Ambassadors spend most of their time with vital, basic tasks of orienting and aiding riders; they also assist with the first level of homelessness response, with crisis de-escalation, and by administering Narcan to prevent overdoses. Broadly, they provide more eyes on the system and offer a highly visible presence to riders. Training during the pilot period was customer-service oriented... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/22g653xp Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Wasserman, Jacob L. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2212-5798 Brozen, Madeline https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4231-8298 Chiu, Phoebe https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5689-3422 Lugo, Adonia, PhD https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6806-219X Koohian, Arman https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1828-1594 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0wc135vt The transition to a decarbonized energy system is creating significant changes in the electricity distribution grid, particularly with the rapid uptake of electric vehicles (EVs). This study explores the equity implications of these changes by analyzing needed distribution grid upgrades across various communities in California. Utilizing real-world distribution grid data and detailed simulations of light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty EV charging behavior, we assess the spatial disparities in grid resource upgrade needs and utilization. Our findings show that by 2035, with the growth in EV charging demand, high-density residential areas are expected to have a higher fraction of feeders (neighborhood electric lines and transformers) that will need an upgrade. Additionally, communities with higher CalEnviroScreen scores (indicating greater pollution and socioeconomic burdens) generally exhibit lower EV adoption rates and are expected to have a higher share of feeders that will... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0wc135vt Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Li, Yanning, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9203-4114 Jenn, Alan, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4232-0697 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7rc1x58z People with low incomes often face difficulties traveling because of a dearth of affordable and reliable transportation modes, and this has profound quality-of-life implications. In this longitudinal partial randomized controlled trial of universal basic mobility wallets, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) provided nearly 1,000 residents with prepaid debit cards loaded with $150 in transportation funds per month for 12 months beginning in May 2023. These could be used to pay for local and regional transit, carsharing, car rentals, ridehailing, bicycle/scooter sharing, and merchandise purchased at local bicycle shops. Analysis of surveys before and during the pilot showed a significant increase in transportation security (0.001), accessible destinations (p = 0.035), and use of ridehailing (0.001) for participants in the pilot compared to people not enrolled in the pilot (control). The study also includes observational analyses for the treatment... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7rc1x58z Mon, 8 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Rodier, Caroline, PhD Zhang, Yunwan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3706-4625 Harold, Brian S. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6893-2267 Drake, Christina, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5154d2hd Top-down transportation planning practices have historically ignored the needs and concerns of low-income communities of color, which can lead to residential and commercial displacement as public investments increase land values and rents. The concept of mobility justice centers the needs of communities that have historically been excluded from transportation planning decisions. We partnered with community groups to examine two transportation planning projects in the Bay Area using collaborative research methods. The first was a retrospective analysis of the East Bay Bus Rapid Transit project in East Oakland that reflects the harms of top-down planning. The second study examined the City of Richmond’s Transformative Climate Communities projects, a more collaborative approach to planning with low-income communities involved at every stage. We find that the top-down planning model employed in the East Oakland case study resulted in significant health, safety, and displacement impacts... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5154d2hd Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Acey, Charisma, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4074-2717 Lin, Margaretta https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7373-7861 Pinigis, Alex Lindheim, Dan, PhD Herbert-Faulkner, Roland Awadagin, PhD https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9441-8603 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4gc0j900 Class 2b-3 vehicles, bridging the gap between light-duty and heavy-duty trucks, represent a critical yet underexplored segment in California’s decarbonization efforts. These medium-duty vehicles, weighing 8,501-14,000 lbs., play diverse roles across personal and commercial sectors but remain behind in electrification compared to other vehicle classes. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of Class 2b-3 vehicle ownership, usage patterns, and electrification potential in California, leveraging county-level registration data, household and commercial vehicle surveys, and qualitative interviews. Findings reveal significant geographic, socio-economic, and operational disparities: rural and lower-income counties exhibit higher concentrations of Class 2b-3 vehicles, while electric vehicle (EV) adoption – driven mainly by lighter vehicle classes – remains concentrated in urban, high-income areas. Commercial vehicles in this class demonstrate higher mileage and lower fuel efficiency... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4gc0j900 Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Steren, Aviv, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9784-7221 Tal, Gil, PhD Robinson, Anya R. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9375t56r This report examines the differences in what drivers would pay with a gasoline tax versus a revenue-neutral road user charge (RUC) and whether these differences are equitably distributed among rural vs. urban and disadvantaged vs. non-disadvantaged communities. The analysis uses vehicle registration data from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, vehicle attribute data from DataOne, and environmental and socioeconomic indicators from CalEnviroScreen. On average, a transition from a gas tax to an RUC would cause drivers in rural areas to pay less per mile and drivers in urban areas to pay more. This difference arises because vehicles registered in rural areas tend to have lower fuel efficiency than those in urban areas. However, the transition from gas tax to RUC would have a similar impact on average cost per mile for vehicles registered in disadvantaged communities (defined as the top 10% of census tracts in CalEnviroScreen) as in other communities.. This study indicates... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9375t56r Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Jenn, Alan, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4232-0697 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1nb7s2jn This study investigates the evolution of shared micromobility vehicle design and safety practices in the San Francisco Bay Area from 2017 to 2024. Shared micromobility includes e-bikes and e-scooters. Stakeholder interviews revealed that limited protected bike lanes, poorly designed or neglected e-bike and e-scooter fleets, deteriorating road infrastructure, and unsafe rider behavior have impeded the widespread adoption of shared micromobility in urban areas. There is a pressing need for consistent design standards for lighting, battery charging, braking systems, vehicle frames, and wheel sizing to further improve safety and vehicle durability. Recommendations include expanding protected bike lanes, improving road maintenance, offering e-bike riding lessons, promoting helmet use, and encouraging substance-free riding. Enhancing vehicle security and implementing battery safety protocols are also critical for improving charging accessibility and reducing theft and fire risks. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1nb7s2jn Thu, 6 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ferguson, Beth https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7319-2590 Blandino, Jordan Scott https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9cg0f4pk The California Air Resources Board (CARB) offers several benefit programs that support residents with the transition to electric vehicles. The Clean Vehicle Assistance Program (CVAP) provided grants and financing to help low-income households purchase or lease electric vehicles from 2018–2024. The Access Clean California (ACC) program streamlines access to clean transportation incentives through a network of community outreach partners. This study examines procedural equity in these two programs through interviews with CARB staff, program administrators, community partners, and program participants. We conclude CVAP fell short in several ways, including insufficient community engagement and a lack of targeted outreach, funding instability resulting in frequent program closures, and challenges insuccessfully distributing low-interest loans, while the ACC program has not fully simplified incentive access. We recommend improved transparency in program reporting, regular third-party... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9cg0f4pk Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Connolly, Rachel, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0728-1779 Pierce, Gregory, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8164-5825 Morales, Viviana https://escholarship.org/uc/item/96s4w10p This study develops guidance for public transit agencies in Los Angeles, California to better prepare for hazards and address challenges, including climate and safety concerns. Using a community-based participatory research methodology in partnership with the local non-profit organization Climate Resolve, we conducted three listening sessions with 26community members involved with the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, a community-serving resilience hub that supports residents in accessing resources both during everyday conditions and extreme events, to explore theirexperiences related to public transit and how it could be better integrated with existing social systems to increase systems’ resilience to extreme weather disruptions. Based on several recurring themes drawn from the participants’ statements, we developed a framework named Cascading Vulnerabilities, Ascending Strengths to explore the connections between infrastructure systems’ vulnerabilities and strengths. We conclude... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/96s4w10p Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Pearce, Jeannine Marie https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0741-5359 Borowski, Elisa, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8365-7849 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6kc382jf Diesel fuel powered off-road vehicles and equipment used in agriculture, construction, mining, and industry have significant air quality and public health impacts due to high levels of pollutant emissions. Replacing these with zero emission powertrains represents a key strategy for reducing the harmful environmental impacts. However, the air quality impacts of zero emission off-road vehicles have not been assessed. Using the CMAQ model, we find that fully converting the off-road sector to zero emission equipment can decrease annual PM2.5 up to 0.9 μg/m3 and reduce daily maximum 8-hr average (MDA8) ozone as much as 6 ppb in Southern California. Statewide, these improvements yield benefits to public health potentially ranging up to $22.0 billion annually. The results further demonstrate the ability of zero emission off-road equipment to achieve health benefits within socially and economically disadvantaged communities. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6kc382jf Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 MacKinnon, Michael, PhD Wu, Kai, PhD Samuelsen, Scott, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0420-3951 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8g57g791 This study provides a method to quantify the benefits of reducing the costs from flight delays by shifting air passenger traffic to high-speed rail (HSR). We first estimate the number of flight reductions by each quarter hour for airport origin and destination pairs based on HSR ridership forecasts in the California High-Speed Rail 2020 Business Plan. Lasso models are then applied to estimate the impact of the reduced queuing delay at SFO, LAX and SAN airports on arrival delays at national Core 29 airports. Finally, these delay reductions are monetized using aircraft operating costs per hour and the value of passenger time per hour. We apply several different variations of this approach, for example, considering delay at all 29 Core airports or just major California airports, different scenarios for future airport capacity and flight schedules, and different forecasts for future HSR ridership. We estimate mid-range delay cost savings of $51-88 million (2018 dollars) in 2029 and... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8g57g791 Wed, 8 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ding, Kaijing Hansen, Mark, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5118-6867 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2kk0g5w1 Little is known about plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) ownership, charging behavior, and vehicle characteristics in rural California. As the state works toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2045, understanding the current state of PEV adoption in rural areas is essential for identifying where targeted support may be needed to meet electrification objectives. Existing definitions of “rural” may also obscure important variation within these regions. This study proposes a passenger-vehicle-based classification of rural areas in the state using k-means clustering, incorporating data on land use, travel behavior, vehicle characteristics, and housing attributes. Five distinct clusters were identified, three of which - Rural Remote, Farm Rural, and Small Town - were classified as rural. Survey data from PEV and conventional vehicle (CV) owners were analyzed to compare sociodemographic characteristics, vehicle attributes, and charging access and behavior. Across all clusters, PEVs were... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2kk0g5w1 Thu, 11 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Robinson, Anya Konstantinou, Theodora, PhD Tal, Gil, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7843-3664 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3cr711sz This report explores how local DOTs can leverage advanced traffic modeling software to narrow the gap between their network management authority and their analytical capacity. Limited computational and analytical capacity among local DOTs has historically made detailed on-demand analytics inaccessible. Using the Mobiliti traffic simulation platform, we examine the City of San José's Safer Streets program to determine the operational and social impacts of the city’s traffic management strategies. We find that imposing a 20 mph speed limit cap on residential streets in San José’s Equity Priority Communities leads to a 39% reduction in passthrough traffic on those streets, but a 76% increase in traffic on streets in the surrounding network. Using this analytical approach, instead of relying on technical assistance from MPOs network managers can more quickly gain quantified insights into the response of network dynamics to localized interventions. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3cr711sz Mon, 8 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Herbert-Faulkner, Rowland A., PhD https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9441-8603 Macfarlane, Jane, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4683-5447 Frick, Karen T., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8104-7254 Walker, Joan L., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4407-0823 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1cc649wh Onboard eco-driving systems provide drivers with real-time information about their driving behavior and road conditions, encouraging them to optimize their driving speed and consequently reduce fuel consumption and emissions. However, there are barriers to making eco-driving a habit. To determine the elements that influence drivers’ intentions to practice eco-driving and their acceptance of eco-driving technology, we developed a theoretical model based on established theories on planned behavior, technology acceptance, and personal goals. The findings showed that drivers’ intention to practice eco-driving has an indirect effect on their intention to use the system via the factor of perceived ease of use. We also explored how cognitive distraction while using an eco-driving system can be a potential barrier to acceptance. The intent is to put forward a solution to improve drivers’ usage eco-driving by turning off guidance when the system detects that the driver is experience from... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1cc649wh Thu, 4 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Lin, Rui, PhD Wang, Pei, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1892-5955 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3zj473g8 This report investigates whether the implementation in 2015 of California Assembly Bill 60 (AB 60) which requires the California Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a driver's license to applicants who can prove California residency even if they are not legal US residents was responsible for subsequent declines in Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) bus ridership. Changing socioeconomic conditions, poor connectivity, poor service quality, and increased competition from TNCs are possible reasons behind this negative trend. Another potential cause is the implementation in 2015 of AB 60. In this context, this study examines the association between changes in OCTA bus ridership and the inception of AB 60 while controlling for differences in transit supply, socioeconomic variables, gas prices, multi-family rent, and single-family home value. To explain changes in monthly average weekday ridership, we estimated four route-level fixed-effect panel regression models different... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3zj473g8 Wed, 3 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Khatun, Farzana, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6333-3406 Saphores, Jean-Daniel, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9514-0994 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0px979jj Transportation access is a significant issue in low-income, rural, and otherwise underserved communities in the US, with few affordable and reliable alternatives to car ownership. Carsharing is one promising alternative to improve access among marginalized communities. Grant programs in California have funded pilot electric carshare services. But little is known about the long-term financial sustainability of these services and how their costs and revenues compare those of transit. In this study, a financial model was used to estimate the net operating income (fare revenue minus costs) for Míocar, an electric carsharing service in marginalized suburban and rural communities. The estimated net operating income per month was −$1561, under current operating conditions, and ranged from −$1255 to −$1623 depending on simulated changes to fleet size, pricing, and usage rates. These negative net operating incomes correspond to a shortfall (or need for subsidies) of 68% to 92% of operational... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0px979jj Tue, 2 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Harold, Brian https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6893-2267 Rodier, Caroline, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9107-5547 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6w91s8n4 Expanding participation of historically disenfranchised groups within decision-making processes is an important strategy to increase equity within transportation planning but traditional engagement practices (e.g., public meetings, focus groups) have historically done little to address the needs of disadvantaged communities. This study evaluates the opportunities and barriers to using a community steering committee participation model within transportation planning to advance equity and environmental justice. It utilizes interview and case study analysis to examine the experiences of residents and community leaders in prioritizing community-identified strategies to mitigate roadway hazards in three AB 617 communities in California’s San Joaquin Valley – Stockton, South Central Fresno, and Arvin/Lamont. It investigates the role resident and CBO members played in the prioritization, approval, and implementation of three strategies to transform roadways and mitigate air pollution,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6w91s8n4 Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Houston, Douglas, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3901-6072 Macey, Gregg P., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1712-0565 Pearce, Jeannine M. https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0741-5359 Garoupa, Catherine, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3gd0f00q Since the turn of the millennium, daily travel per person in the U.S. has been declining. Leading up to the pandemic, travel by older teens and young adults declined even more steeply than among older adults. After collapsing early in the pandemic, per capita travel by all ages has rebounded, but remains below pre-pandemic levels. To explore changes in personal travel, particularly among younger travelers, we examine National Household Travel Survey data from 2001, 2009, 2017, and 2022 to compare measures of everyday travel by youth (aged 15 to 29) with middle-aged adults (aged 30 to 59). The data presented in this report point to even lower levels of youth travel compared to pre-pandemic levels. Trips for all purposes have declined in absolute terms, especially for shopping/errands and, for youth in particular, social/recreational purposes. In relative terms, private vehicle use has increased, and travel by public transit and active modes has decreased. These shifts in personal... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3gd0f00q Mon, 4 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Fung, Andy https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3350-856X Siddiq, Fariba, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0361-6594 Hwang, Yu Hong Taylor, Brian D., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1037-2751 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/58w5v9x1 Researchers at UC Berkeley conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 visually impaired individuals. They exploredtheir perspectives regarding current travel behavior and transportation experience, and the potential of Shared Automated Vehicles (SAVs) to enhance their travel experiences and address existing transportation challenges. The results revealed a range of expectations and concerns related to SAVs, particularly in the areas of accessibility, safety, communication, and affordability. Most participants expressed enthusiasm for the potential benefits of SAVs to increase independence and access to underserved areas. They also highlighted critical accessibility needs, such as reliable vehicle identification, accurate drop-off locations, clear communication channels, and accessible interfaces. Affordability emerged as a key factor influencing potential SAV adoption, with many participants indicating a preference for SAVs if they were priced competitively with existing transportation... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/58w5v9x1 Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Wang, Peggy, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5fb6b6x2 To guide databases that track progress on the uptake and use of zero emission trucks and buses, this project identified types of data that should be collected on a regular basis and compiled in a repository, preferably with public access. Funding will need to be identified to support this effort on an on-going basis. Data recommended for collection include those related to vehicles, infrastructure, projections, funding, the spatial location of charging power demand as a function of time, and exemptions from regulations that require fleets to purchase zero-emissions trucks and buses. These data recommendations were developed in part from conversations with staff at California agencies, such as the California Energy Commission and Air Resources Board, and with individuals working on the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) hydrogen hub. The recommendations are evolving and could continue to evolve once data collection has begun. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5fb6b6x2 Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Miller, Marshall R., PhD Fulton, Lewis M., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8292-3420 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5nn570fd Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), including both battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are crucial forreducing emissions and meeting sustainability targets, yet their adoption has been limited primarily to higher-income and new car buyers, leaving most low-income households without access. To help inform policies that will accelerate access to used BEVs in particular, this study explored car buying behavior, costs, and usage within and between groups defined by vehicle condition (new vs. used), fuel type(battery-electric vehicles [BEVs] vs. internal combustion engine vehicles [ICEVs], and income level. BEV owning, new-car buying, andhaving higher incomewere each associated with one another. On average the proportion of total income spent on vehicle-relatedexpenses is at least six times higher for householdswith incomes less than $75,000 than householdswith incomes of $250,000 or more.While BEVs offer savings in maintenance and fuel cost... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5nn570fd Mon, 2 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Hoogland, Kelly, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5791-0767 Hardman, Scott, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0476-7909 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9r24358s This study assesses the impact of high-speed rail on accessibility to employment and educational opportunities for the census tracts in the California Central Valley. The accessibility is assessed for driving only mode and transit only mode for the baseline scenario and driving plus HSR mode and transit plus HSR mode for the scenario after HSR start operation. We plot the accessibility distribution for census tracts and calculate the spatial equality index of accessibility distribution to compare the accessibility before and after HSR starts operation, as well as the accessibility for communities of concern (CoCs). Our findings include multiple aspects. Most importantly, we find that HSR yields the greatest accessibility gains to the most vulnerable communities, which we term CoC Level 2 and Level 3 communities. This improvement is attained for both employment and education accessibility, and whether HSR access/egress is by driving or transit. Second, it is also the case that... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9r24358s Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ding, Kaijing Hansen, Mark, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5118-6867 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7sd5c485 This project showcased how advanced infrastructure data supports connected automated driving systems in perceivingtheir surroundings cooperatively. The UCLA Mobility Lab established a smart intersection on the UCLA main campus, collecting infrastructure LiDAR data and combining it with sensor and global navigation satellite system data for research on cooperative perception. We also examined the system's resilience to data spoofing attacks via the V2X channel from a compromised onboard unit (OBU), evaluating different attack scenarios to understand emerging security risks in V2X-based cooperative perception technologies. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7sd5c485 Mon, 5 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Xia, Xin, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5108-7578 Gao, Letian, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4446-1047 Chen, Qi Alfred, PhD Ma, Jiaqi, PhD https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0541-0580 Zheng, Zhaoliang https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8736-2551 Luo, Yunpeng https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5407-5161 Alshammari, Fayzah https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2245-564X Xiang, Xao, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/32v3x9mw Public transit ridership has declined in major US cities over the past decade. Integrating traditional fixed-route transit with flexible microtransit has been proposed to enhance ridership, mobility, accessibility, and sustainability. This project surveyed California transit agencies on their microtransit services to identify challenges to integrating them with fixed-route services. An agent-based model combining the two modes of transit was developed to evaluate different operational designs. FleetPy, an open-source simulation tool, modeled microtransit dynamics. The study examined design impacts, such as fixed route headways and microtransit fleet size, in downtown San Diego and Lemon Grove, California. Results showed that while microtransit reduces fixed-route ridership and requires higher subsidies, it significantly boosts job accessibility. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/32v3x9mw Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Hyland, Michael F., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8394-8064 Pike, Susan, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6558-3479 Hu, Siwei Berkel, Jacob Julius Xing, Yan, PhD Saha, Ritun https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3030-9622 Vander Veen, Geoffrey Hans https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9983-3930 Yang, Dingtong, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7377-4531 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8z22q4tj Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS) is an innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging station model that allows customers access to EV chargers through a contract with a provider responsible for design, deployment, operations, and maintenance. Little is known about the motivations and experiences of stakeholders involved in CaaS operations, including providers, electric utilities, and customers. A grey literature review identified CaaS services, provider-described benefits, and utility-provided CaaS and charging services. Then, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 stakeholders to identify critical themes on interactions between stakeholders and the perceptions, challenges, and opportunities of the CaaS business model in addressing charging station needs in California. CaaS may have structural benefits to customer-owned chargers and could improve charger reliability, provide scalable solutions, and reduce customer fatigue with EV charging deployment. However, CaaS faces the same... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8z22q4tj Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Dean, Matthew D., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0346-4316 Yun, Angela R., PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4tj8w8s4 Post-collision travel behavior and effects on road safety perception are not well-understood. To quantify the ways thatcrash-related experiences shape the way individuals think about travel, we conducted four focus group discussions with people who had been involved in a crash or near miss or whose relatives or friends experienced one. Several themes emerged from the discussions. Participants changed their travel behavior after experiencing a collision by modifying their travel mode, travel frequency, trip purposes, or vehicle types. Participants developed an enhanced awareness about potentially unsafe behaviors of other road users and road environments and adopted more cautious attitudes toward their own travel. Many participants experienced long-term stress as a result of the incidents, including fear, behavior modification, or travel avoidance. Participants offered several recommendations, including the need for safer infrastructure, improved road user visibility, a shift in... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4tj8w8s4 Thu, 27 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Rahman Bhuiya, Md Musfiqur https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8530-119X Barajas, Jesus M., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8966-5778 Venkataram, Prashanth S., PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8910f379 In California, transportation plays a key role in community college access because many community college districts have satellite campuses, have limited transportation options, and tend to not have on-campus housing. To better understand the mobility challenges students face accessing community colleges and provide potential policy strategies to overcome these challenges, the researchers interviewed local transportation agencies, community college administrators, and students at five California community colleges between September 2022 and October 2023. Participants were asked about available transportation options for community college students, typical student travel patterns, and the resources needed to support improved community college transportation access. Small group discussions with students focused on student travel patterns, mobility challenges, and opinions on potential strategies to improve access. In addition, we reviewed state legislation on student transportation... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8910f379 Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Shaheen, Susan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3350-856X Broader, Jacquelyn Cohen, Adam Wolfe, Brooke https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9429-4992 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/19n0s7np Recent studies suggest that there could be significant value to electric vehicle (EV) drivers and power companies from incorporating EVs into the state’s electrical power grids, known as Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI). However, the benefits could be highly variable depending on the location of the utility territory, vehicle type and battery capacity, the relevant timeframe, and whether the connection involves only managed charging or includes bidirectional charging permitting vehicle to grid (V2G) power transfer, and other factors. Various studies conducted to date generally conclude that the opportunities for V2G could have two to three times the value of managed (or “smart”) charging. However, there are considerable additional complications for grid integration, including variable and site-specific implementation costs. Some savings such as deferring distribution system upgrades can be very significant but are also site-specific and depend on the level of curren and projected... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/19n0s7np Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Lipman, Timothy, PhD Yuan, Yuhao https://escholarship.org/uc/item/00d6591g Traffic signals, while serving an important function to coordinate vehicle movements through intersections, also cause frequent stops and delays, particularly when they are not properly timed. Such stops and delays contribute to significant amount of fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The recent development of connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology provides new opportunities to enable better control of vehicles and intersections, that in turn reduces fuel consumption and emissions. In this paper, we propose platoon-trajectory-optimization (PTO) to minimize the total fuel consumption of a CAV platoon through a signalized intersection. In this approach, all CAVs in one platoon are considered as a whole, that is, all other CAVs follow the trajectory of the leading one with a time delay and minimum safety gap, which is enabled by vehicle to vehicle communication. Moreover, the leading CAV in the platoon learns of the signal timing plan just after it enters the... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/00d6591g Fri, 7 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Han, Xiao, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8110-9977 Ma, Rui, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8568-6707 Zhang, H. Michael, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1nm5c9gp The processes in the pavement life cycle can be defined as: material extraction and production; construction; transport of materials and demolition; the use stage, where the pavement interacts with other systems; the materials, construction, and transport associated with maintenance and rehabilitation; and end-of-life. Local governments are increasingly being asked to quantify greenhouse gas emissions from their operations and identify changes to reduce emissions. There are many possible strategies that local governments can choose to reduce their emissions, however, prioritization and selection of which to implement can be difficult if emissions cannot be quantified. Pavement life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used by local governments to achieve the same goals as state government. The web-based software environmental Life Cycle Assessment for Pavements, also known as eLCAP has been developed a project-level LCA tool. The goal of eLCAP is to permit local governments to perform... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1nm5c9gp Wed, 5 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Lea, Jon https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0999-469X Harvey, John T. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6125-0041 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1rs358h4 The COVID-19 pandemic forced transit agencies to quickly adapt to new challenges, with service reductions as part of the response to reduced ridership, rising fiscal pressures, and staffing shortages. However, approaches to service adjustment varied significantly across agencies. While pandemic research often focuses on ridership impacts, less attention has been given to how transit service changes affected accessibility and equity. This study examines the impacts of pandemic service adjustments made by three major San Francisco Bay Area transit agencies on accessibility and equity, which is important to address given the absence of formal requirements for equity evaluation of temporary service changes. Using publicly available transit schedule and census data, metrics for transit service levels, job accessibility, and accessibility inequality were developed and used to trace changes from 2020 to 2023. The findings reveal distinct approaches to service reduction and restoration,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1rs358h4 Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ho, Phoebe https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9770-0884 Zmud, Johanna, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4972-6449 Walker, Joan, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4407-0823 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/12c0670r The aviation sector in California is facing increased pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, leading to a growing interest in alternative fuel aviation (AFA) technologies such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as well as electric- and hydrogen- powered aircraft. The report develops a California Aviation Energy Model (CAVEM), examining various AFA technologies and analyzing possible policy options. The analysis emphasizes the importance of SAF in the short term, with projections indicating sufficient supply for intrastate flights and capped vegetable oil-based fuel consumption. Long-term efforts are focused on electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft, which remain in the early stages of development. Electrification of intrastate flights is deemed feasible, with estimated electricity consumption amounting to a small percentage of overall electricity generation. The report highlights the necessity for additional policy incentives (such as tax exemptions) and a comprehensive policy... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/12c0670r Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Liu, Yati https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6460-4995 Hansen, Mark, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5118-6867 Ro, Jin Wook, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3854-4604 Murphy, Colin W., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8615-9466 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6gd9s0bf Bicycle level of service (BLOS) is an essential performance measure for transportation agencies to monitor and prioritize improvements to infrastructure, but existing measures do not capture the nuance of facility differences on the state highway system. However, with the advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology, a VR bicycle simulator is an ideal tool to safely gather user feedback on a variety of bicycling environments and conditions. This research explored the benefits and limitations of using a VR environment to assess individuals’ bike infrastructure preferences. We conducted a bicyclist user experience survey in person on SafeTREC’s VR bicycle simulator and online and compared the results. The online survey consisted of showing participants pairs of VR videos of biking scenarios and asking them to choose the one that they preferred. To validate the online survey responses, we conducted in-person experiments with a VR bike simulator using the same pairs of videos.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6gd9s0bf Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Griswold, Julia B., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1125-3316 Aguilar, Edna Wang, Han Miah, Md Mintu, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6073-3896 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/180452jz Reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is a central plank of climate policy in California. VMT, however, has proved stubbornly resistant to policies to reduce it. While urban growth has become more compact and public transit service levels have been maintained or increased, these positive trends have not translated into less driving. This report argues that substantial reductions in vehicle travel in congested urban regions can only be achieved through reducing road capacity. It may be difficult to achieve substantial reductions in vehicle travel by relying solely on public transit, walking and cycling, and land use planning for compact, mixed-use development without an equal emphasis on limiting road capacity expansions, and even reducing current capacity. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/180452jz Thu, 20 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Millard-Ball, Adam https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2353-8730 Rosen, Michael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/98x6z26j As online shopping nears its third decade, it is clear that its impacts on urban goods flow are profound. Increased freight traffic and related negative externalities such as greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution can impede sustainability goals. In response, e-retailers are exploring innovative distribution strategies to enhance last-mile delivery sustainability and efficiency. They use urban consolidation centers with light-duty vehicles like electric vans and cargo bikes, establish alternative customer pickup points, and deploy crowdsourced delivery networks. Advanced technologies that may streamline deliveries, such as autonomous delivery robots and unmanned aerial vehicles, are being tested. University of California Davis and Irvine researchers have investigated these strategies under economic viability, environmental efficiency, and social equity frameworks. Different modeling approaches were implemented to evaluate last-mile network designs and the potential for... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/98x6z26j Fri, 14 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Jaller, Miguel, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4053-750X Pahwa, Anmol, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9431-3168 Saphores, Jean-Daniel, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9514-0994 Hyland, Michael, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8394-8064 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/32k226jc This study examines the spatial distribution of Low-income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units to understand whether geographic patterns and trends are consistent with climate change and equity goals. The analysis compares the location of LIHTC units in 2012 and net changes from 2012 to 2019 with a number of transportation, environmental, and racial and economic equity metrics. Unit locations are, at best, somewhat more sustainable than the state overall, with slightly lower-skewing vehicle miles traveled and better walkability, though low transit accessibility. What environmental gains there were, though, come at the cost of higher exposure to pollution. LIHTC units are also concentrated in disproportionately low-income neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color, with worse access to economic opportunity. The findings reveal an inherent structural dilemma in whether the LIHTC program is able to simultaneously achieve climate and equity goals. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/32k226jc Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Ong, Paul https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4358-6297 Pech, Chhandara Green, Tiffany Padgett, Allie Yoon, Anne Wasserman, Jacob L. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2102b2zq This report summarizes the findings from ten sets of analyses that investigated ways the COVID-19 pandemic transformed people's activity-travel patterns. Data were collected through three waves of surveys in Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Summer 2021 in California and the rest of the US. We found that there was a substantial shift among California workers from physical commuting to exclusive remote work in 2020, followed by a transition to hybrid working schedules by Summer 2021. The adoption of remote work and hybrid work varied significantly among population subgroups, with higher income, more educated individuals, and urban residents showing the greatest shift to these arrangements. In terms of mode use and vehicle ownership, increased concerns about the use of shared modes of travel correlated with an increasing desire to own a car. We observed a major decrease in walking for commuting purposes and a significant increase in walking and biking for non-work trips. The study also... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2102b2zq Wed, 12 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Circella, Giovanni, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1832-396X Iogansen, Xiatian https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4851-1323 Matson, Grant https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4856-2200 Makino, Keita https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5080-2843 Malik, Jai K., PhD Lee, Youngsung, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1980-1225 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6r54s37t Critical nodes in transportation networks, such as major transit tunnels and interchange stations, are vital for maintaining system functionality following a disruptive event such as a large earthquake. This project focuses on evaluating the seismic resilience of BART’s Berkeley Hills Tunnel that intersects the Hayward Fault, one of California's most active seismic zones. The Hayward Fault poses a significant risk, with the potential for a magnitude 7+ earthquake that could severely impact the tunnel, potentially disrupting BART service and affecting the broader transit network. This study employs the latest fault displacement hazard data and models to estimate the probability of fault rupture displacements and assesses the resulting damage. It then evaluates the likelihood of service interruptions caused by potential Hayward Fault events. Theresults suggest that the tunnels may experience minor to significant damage depending on the amplitude of the faultdisplacement, which can... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6r54s37t Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Zengin, Ersa, PhD Bozorgnia, Yousef, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8108-1161 Stewart, Jonathan P., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3602-3629 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/71c5248r In 2017, California passed Senate Bill 1 (SB1) to bolster transportation infrastructure funding. Using data primarily from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)’s official SB1 progress reports, we analyze the severity of cost overruns, delays, and cancellations across SB1 Transportation Projects. Although events such as the COVID-19 pandemic likely caused some of these negative outcomes, our statistical models show consistent patterns of overruns associated with fiscal periods, programs, and geographic locations. Our results indicate that the common 20% contingency is generally insufficient, indicating the need for better risk estimation in project planning. We also suggest amplifying data transparency on project performance and re-evaluating project selection criteria to avoid rewarding underestimation of project costs and duration and penalizing accurate estimation. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/71c5248r Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Yu, Jiangbo, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4525-4640 Bahk, Younghun, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5233-1563 Hyland, Michael F., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8394-8064 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6j66v8kc Pilot programs in California and beyond are exploring universal basic mobility (UBM), which calls upon government actors to ensure that everyone can access transportation services for basic needs. UBM addresses the problem of transport poverty, which is defined in various ways but is generally when transportation spending puts one below the poverty line or transportation is exceedingly time-consuming, unsafe, or unavailable. This research evaluated UBM-inspired pilot programs in Oakland and Bakersfield, via pre- and post-pilot surveys and interviews during the programs. Both pilots provided free-fare transportation services (shared micromobility in both cities and public transit services in Oakland) to populations vulnerable to transport poverty (residents of a low-income, minority-majority community in East Oakland and current and former foster youth in Bakersfield). Participants replaced car trips and/or walking with shared mobility and/or public transportation and reported... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6j66v8kc Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Sanguinetti, Angela, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9008-7175 Alston-Stepnitz, Eli https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9675-4445 Nelson, Leslie Searl, Emily https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9352-1985 DePew, Ashley https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8398-7319 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/53k5x2nj Crash modification factor (CMF) is an effectiveness measure of safety countermeasures. It is widely used by state agencies to evaluate and prioritize various safety improvement projects. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) CMF Clearinghouse provides CMFs for a broad range of countermeasures, but still, the existing CMFs often cannot meet the needs for characterizing the safety impacts of countermeasures in new scenarios. Developing CMFs, meanwhile, is costly, time-consuming, and requires extensive data collection. A more cost-effective way to provide preliminary CMF estimations is needed. To address this need, this study develops a low-cost and easily extendable data-driven framework for CMF predictions. This framework performs data mining on existing CMF records in the FHWA CMF Clearinghouse. To tackle the heterogeneity of data, interdisciplinary techniques to maintain model compatibility were created and used. The project also integrates multiple machine-learning models... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/53k5x2nj Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Qi, Yanlin Li, Jia Zhang, H. Michael, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4647-3888 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3jb779n1 Public electric vehicle (EV) chargers are unevenly distributed in California with respect to income, race and education-levels. This creates inequitable access to electric mobility especially for low-income communities of color, which. are less likely to have access to home charging stations. These vulnerable communities are also more likely to be located in areas with poor air quality and would therefore benefit from EV adoption. Currently programs exist in California that fund incentives for public EV chargers in “Disadvantaged Communities” but the process for identifying these communities does not consider key characteristics such as housing type, potential for local emission reduction, and the degree of access to private chargers that would maximize economic benefits to these areas and the state. This study develops a model-based tool that incorporates key additional information to predict economic benefits and health impacts to local communities to guide the location of public... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3jb779n1 Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Clark, Callie Ozturk, Ayse Tugba https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5585-0536 Hong, Preston Gonzalez, Marta C., PhD Moura, Scott J., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6393-4375 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2r66k788 To understand the extent to which micromobility services such as bike-share and scooter-share are enabling car-light lifestyles by replacing driving, we explore the trip-chaining patterns of micromobility users. We use travel diary data collected from micromobility users in 48 cities across the US. Our analysis incorporated 15,985 trip chains from 1,157 survey participants who provided at least seven days of travel diary data, and an imputed dataset of 35,623 trip chains from 1,838 participants from the same survey. Our analysis of both datasets shows that a considerable portion of car owners are leaving their cars at home when using micromobility. This suggests that, for a subset of users, micromobility can form part of a car-free or car-light day of travel, despite having a car available. Trip chains with less frequent car use are composed of a variety of different modes in combination with micromobility. Micromobility services are supportive of complex trip chains that include... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2r66k788 Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Mohiuddin, Hossain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6842-2424 Fitch-Polse, Dillon T., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3760-322X https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qn422qg While transportation infrastructure and efficiency should inform where to build more housing, little is known about how housing allocation and development processes can be coordinated more systematically with transportation. To date, transportation-housing coordination has often relied on the densification of areas near rail transit stations, putting heavy burdens on these locations and their residents. Much less attention has been paid to how densification can be achieved in a more equitable manner by encompassing other sites. This report directs attention to non-rail locations, specifically low vehicle miles traveled (VMT) areas and bus corridors, and examines the challenges that can arise in promoting densification more broadly. It shows that data uncertainties can make it challenging to identify low VMT locations and that prioritizing only low VMT locations for residential development may have limited effectiveness in expanding housing opportunities in high opportunity areas.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3qn422qg Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Kim, Jae Hong, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9365-4326 Barajas, Jesus M., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8966-5778 Marantz, Nicholas J., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2565-6885 Houston, Douglas, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3901-6072 Herrera, Veronica https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2393-9024 Okashita, Alex https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7810-5804 Cabello, Maxwell B. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8927-3627 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6j24896n The Sidewalking toolkit supports youth mobility and youth agency by sharing effective, design-based strategies for engaging young people in envisioning their own mobility futures. We created this guide to help planners, designers, policymakers, and advocates who are already invested in supporting safe, social mobility options for youth, and who are looking for effective strategies to involve young people directly in planning and design decisions regarding their urban mobility. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6j24896n Tue, 8 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Nelischer, Claire https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9496-9178 Cuff, Dana https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2587-0523 Wu, Jane https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1v3227km The State of California has increasingly urged construction of affordable housing development in transit-rich areas (California Department of Housing and Community Development 2024) but so far transit-oriented development has generally not reduced vehicle miles traveled for low-income renters (Chatman et al. 2019; Lund, Cervero, and Willson 2004). This report quantifies the cost of daily travel needs for affordable housing residents in San Diego, California, especially seniors aged 62 and older, in two ways. First, it analyzes their trip travel time for the entire San Diego region using activity-based model (ABM) data. Second, it summarizes results from surveys of residents in six affordable housing buildings, three of which provide supportive housing to seniors. Overall, it finds that affordable housing residents use public transit more often than those who have access to a car. But traveling by public transit takes much longer on public transit than traveling by personal vehicle.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1v3227km Tue, 8 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Nations, Jennifer, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7068-7296 Sun, Feiyang, PhD Newton, Joshua, PhD Fu, Yao Lo, Haven https://escholarship.org/uc/item/07b5s42c The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on public transit ridership in the United States, especially for rail transit. Land use, development density, and the pedestrian environment are strongly associated with station-level transit ridership. This study examines how these characteristics affect transit ridership pre- and post-COVID and how they differ across station types based on longitudinal data for 242 rail stations belonging to Bay Area Rapid Transit, San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, Sacramento Regional Transit, and LA Metro between 2019 and 2021. We found overall a 72% decrease in station-level ridership, but changes were not uniform. Station areas with a higher number of low-income workers and more retail or entertainment jobs tend to have lower ridership declines, while areas with a large number of high-income workers, high-wage jobs, and higher job accessibility by transit had more ridership losses. When comparing station area ridership and activity changes... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/07b5s42c Tue, 8 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Li, Meiqing https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8860-1174 Rodríguez, Daniel A., PhD Pike, Susie, PhD McNally, Michael, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5jz35792 The historical impacts of transportation planning and investment have left lasting scars on communities of color and low-income communities. This research evaluates online equity tools that exist as spatial dashboards —i.e., interactive maps in which the parameters of interaction are controlled. Twelve tools ranging from the national to the local level were identified and qualitatively assessed for their ability to address conditions related to transportation equity. The evaluation focused on how each tool defines disadvantaged communities, the outcomes they measure (benefits, burdens, or other), their ease of use, and their ability to guide decisions about equity. The findings show a diversity of methods and metrics in defining disadvantage, with most relying on composite demographic indexes and comparative population thresholds. Tools most commonly provided accessibility metrics to assess transportation benefits, while incorporating a range of environmental and health indicators... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5jz35792 Wed, 25 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000 McGinnis, Claire https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5478-8672 Barajas, Jesus M., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8966-5778 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8c20q0rf The widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EV) is a centerpiece of California’s strategy to reach net-zero carbon emissions, but it is not fully known how and where EVs are being used, and how and where they are being charged. This report provides the first at-scale estimate of EV home charging. Previous estimates were based on conflicting surveys or extrapolated from a small, unrepresentative sample of households with dedicated EV meters. We combined billions of hourly electricity meter measurements with address-level EV registration records from California households, including roughly 40,000 EV owners. The average EV increases overall household load by 2.9 kilowatt-hours per day, well under half the amount assumed by state regulators. Results imply that EVs travel less than expected on electric power, raising questions about transportation electrification for climate policy. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8c20q0rf Fri, 30 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Burlig, Fiona, PhD Bushnell, James, PhD Rapson, David, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8711-7030 Wolfram, Catherine, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0310t8kx There is growing interest in the use of hydrogen as a transportation fuel but the environmental benefits of using hydrogen depend critically on how it is produced and distributed. Leading alternatives to using fossil natural gas to make hydrogen through the conventional method of steam methane reforming include using electrolyzers to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, and the use of biogas as an alternative feedstock to fossil natural gas. This report examines the latest carbon intensity (CI) estimates for these and various other hydrogen production processes, adding important nuances to the general “colors of hydrogen” scheme that has been used in recent years. CI values for hydrogen production can vary widely both within and across hydrogen production pathways. The lowest CI pathways use biomass or biogas as a feedstock, and solar or wind power. The report also analyses jobs creation from new hydrogen production facilities and shows that these benefits can be significant... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0310t8kx Wed, 28 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Lipman, Timothy, PhD Busch, Pablo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9069-1401 Collins, Stephanie https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6569-183X Horvath, Arpad, PhD Kendall, Alissa, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1964-9080 Coffee, Daniel Kong, David https://escholarship.org/uc/item/64h2s9cj The escalating number of injuries and fatalities among cyclists is a pressing safety concern. In the United States, communities are actively seeking strategies to boost cyclist safety, with some states implementing bike-specific policies, such as stop-as-yield laws, to support cyclists. Stop-as-yield laws allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs. The laws are not yet widely implemented, and their potential safety impact is a subject of debate among transportation experts and advocates. This study investigates how stop-as-yield laws can positively or negatively affect safety and provides insights and guidelines for California policymakers and safety practitioners if the law passes in California. We collected cyclist data from five states that have enacted stop-as-yield laws—Idaho, Arkansas, Oregon, Washington and Delaware—and data from some of their contiguous states without such legislation. Using an observational before-after study with comparison groups at the state... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/64h2s9cj Fri, 9 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Mahdinia, Iman, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1199-7398 Griswold, Julia B., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1125-3316 Unda, Rafael https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8072-9843 Sohrabi, Soheil, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6298-5365 Grembek, Offer, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1869-9457 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/59x3z9zb During the early months of the pandemic, stay-at-home orders and concerns about infection catalyzed a shift toward online activities, such as remote work and e-shopping, resulting in a significant decrease in conventional travel. However, as the effects of the pandemic diminished, the pandemic-induced online activities began to subside, and conventional travel started to rebound. The challenge among transportation planners and policymakers is to determine the lasting effects of the pandemic and adjust the policies accordingly. In the same efforts to understand the evolving travel-related activities and inform policymaking, the 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program at the University of California, Davis, conducted four waves of mobility surveys between Spring 2020 and Fall 2023. Key findings from the analysis of these data reveal that remote work and a combination of remote work and physical commuting (i.e., hybrid work) emerge as an enduring outcome of the pandemic. The pandemic... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/59x3z9zb Mon, 5 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Ozbilen, Basar https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9419-4341 Gulhare, Siddhartha https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2377-5717 Makino, Keita https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5080-2843 Jena, Aurojeet https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3113-520X Iogansen, Xiatian https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4851-1323 Loa, Patrick https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8606-6283 Lee, Yongsung https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1980-1225 Malik, Jai Circella, Giovanni https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1832-396X https://escholarship.org/uc/item/133538gw To achieve California’s ambitious climate goals, a shift to hydrogen fuel for some transportation sectors may be essential.In this report, we explore the build-out of a hydrogen fuel distribution system including uptake of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles. Our analysis of Base and High Case scenarios includes costs of building and operating a hydrogen vehicle and fuel system and estimates workforce impacts. We consider scenarios with about 125,000 vehicles by 2030 in the Base Case and 250,000 in the high case. This increases by an order of magnitude to 2045. Vehicle and station investment costs associated with the Base Case reach anywhere from $4 to 12 billion USD by 2030 and increase by a factor of eight by 2045. Costs per kg of hydrogen, including fuel transmission to stations and station costs delivered to vehicles, could be in the range of $4 to 8 per kg. This becomes $6 to 10/kg as a final delivered cost, if production of hydrogen were to cost $2/kg.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/133538gw Wed, 31 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Fulton, Lew https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8292-3420 Yang, Chris https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7958-7267 Burke, Andrew https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4245-0056 Acharya, Tri Dev https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0886-4201 Bourne, Beth Coffee, Daniel Kong, David https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5rk148nr This project convened a series of meetings and workshops to prioritize listening to multi-sector stakeholders from local government, advocacy, and industry in US cities where autonomous vehicles are operating. The objective was to listen and learn from all stakeholders, raise issues surrounding accessibility and equity, and to solicit responses. Key findings from the workshops include a consensus across the three sectors on the need for good channels of multi-stakeholder communication, and voices across all sectors agreed on the importance of disability access and serving diverse populations. Many parties, representing voices from all sectors, recognized that federal regulatory activities appear to be moving too slowly. Preventing any roadway incidents is a priority for many stakeholders, and some suggest a playbook for handling day-to-day roadway issues and common standards for first-responder interactions. Disability access is a high priority across all sectors, and there many... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5rk148nr Fri, 12 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 D'Agostino, Mollie C. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3689-9471 Michael, Cooper E. Venkataram, Prashanth S., PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1pd4x9wr Congestion pricing (CP) is widely considered to have significant potential for effectively reducing vehicle miles traveled, reducing emissions, and providing a reliable revenue source for transportation investments. This study evaluated cities interested in CP—five in the U.S. (Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle) and two in other countries (Vancouver, Canada, and Auckland, New Zealand). This study examines the following features of a CP system for each of these cities: 1) duration of CP investigations, 2) equity mitigations, 3) range of alternatives considered, 4) public engagement, and 5) importance of emissions reductions. Timelines are impossible to predict with certainty, but New York and Auckland appear closest to implementation. Vancouver, San Francisco, and Seattle are well into the process; and Boston and Los Angeles are early in the process. Other key findings include that most of the cities start considering a range of options before narrowing down... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1pd4x9wr Fri, 12 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Colner, Jonathan P. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8633-2839 D’Agostino, Mollie C. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3689-9471 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/17h3k4db Congestion pricing can be an equitable policy strategy. This project consisted of a review of case studies of existing and planned congestion pricing strategies in North America (Vancouver, Seattle, and New York) and elsewhere (Singapore, London, Stockholm, and Gothenberg). The analysis shows that the most equitable congestion pricing systems include 1) a meaningful community-engagement processes to help policymakers identify equitable priorities; 2) pricing structures that strike a balance between efficiency and equity, while encouraging multi-modal travel; 3) clear plans for investing CP revenues to equalize the costs and benefits of congestion relief; and lastly, 4) a comprehensive data reporting plan to ensure equity goals are achieved. This project was developed to support the San Francisco County Transportation Authority in its efforts to conduct the Downtown Congestion Project. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/17h3k4db Fri, 12 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 D’Agostino, Mollie C. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3689-9471 Pellaton, Paige https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9960-1927 White, Brittany https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1490-3991 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9t95p3gk Under the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) rule, California must move to 100% zero emission vehicle (ZEV) sales by 2035. Tomake this transition equitable, it is important to understand how we can support ZEV adoption in all communities–including rural communities. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences and perceptions of current rural plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) owners, identify barriers to charging and ownership, and suggest factors to guide the development of infrastructure in rural areas. (PEVs include battery-electric vehicles [BEVs] and plug-in hybrid vehicles.) Semi-structured interviews were conducted with rural PEV owners and included questions related to travel behavior, at-home and public charging experiences, and motivation for household vehicle purchase. Major themes were extracted from the interviews including that PHEV owners tend to have minimal at-home and public charging requirements, while BEV owners require access to Level 2 charging at home and... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9t95p3gk Tue, 9 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Robinson, Anya R. Hardman, Scott, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0476-7909 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/71d0h6hz Managing traffic flow in high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes is a tough balancing act and current tolling schemes often lead to either under- or over-utilization of HOT lane capacity. The inherent linear/nonlinear relationship between flow and tolls in HOT lanes suggest that recent advances in machine learning and the use of a data-driven model may help set toll rates for optimal flow and lane use. In this research project, a data-driven model was developed, using long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks to capture the underlying flow-toll pattern on both HOT and general-purpose lanes. Then, a dynamic control strategy, using linear quadratic regulator (LQR) feedback controller was implemented to fully utilize the HOT lane capacity while maintaining congestion-free conditions. A case study of the I-580 freeway in Alameda County, California was carried out. The control system was evaluated in terms of vehicle hours traveled and person hours traveled for solo drivers and carpoolers.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/71d0h6hz Tue, 9 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Zhang, Michael, PhD Gao, Hang, PhD Chen, Di Qi, Yanlin https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2ph025sf Drawing on the California Household Travel Survey, we demonstrate strong associations between choosing to drive and having free parking at work or home. We find that the median household vehicle in California spends 22 hours a day parked, and that households with parking included in the rent or purchase price of their homes are more likely to drive,and less likely to use transit. We further find that employees with free parking at work are more likely to drive for their commutes. We estimate regressions that analyze the decision to work from home. Largely for data reasons, these regressions are less conclusive. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2ph025sf Tue, 9 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Ding, Hao https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5286-3367 Manville, Michael https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4218-6427 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1787r6m1 The recent technological advances in Automated Driving Systems (ADS) have fueled interest in the use and impact of vehicle fleetsinvolved in driverless passenger transport services. This research identifies key safety risks associated Level 4 ADS-equipped vehicleoperation for fleets employed for Mobility as a Service (MaaS) applications. The study goes beyond assessing the functional safety ofthe ADS-equipped vehicles to explore the role of fleet operators in ensuring the operational safety of the vehicle fleets through remote driving assistance functions. This work identifies key responsibilities of the fleet operators in implementing risk reductionmeasures related to organizational management of change, training remote supervisors, ensuring suitable working conditions, enforcing vehicle connectivity and dispatching requirements, and coordinating incident mitigation procedures, training, tools, and work conditions. The study employs a hazard identification methodology that combines... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1787r6m1 Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Ma, Jiaqi https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0541-0580 Correa Jullian, Camila https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4622-4064 Ramos, Marilia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5039-5747 Xia, Xin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5108-7578 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9s73f674 Located within the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, California's transportation infrastructure, especially in the Bay Area, is susceptible to earthquakes. A review of current research and stakeholder interviews revealed a growing awareness of emergency preparedness among local jurisdictions and transit agencies in recent years. However, many have yet to formalize and publish their recovery plans. This study introduces an agent-based multimodal transportation simulation tool to enhance post-earthquake transportation resilience. Integrating a road network simulator with a metro system simulator, the tool employs an optimized Dijkstra-based algorithm to calculate optimal routes, travel times, and fares. A case study is conducted for the East Bay, using the simulator to gauge the impact of a compromised Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. The results suggested that original BART passengers could face either longer commute times or higher costs during the recovery phase of... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9s73f674 Mon, 24 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Soga, Kenichi, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5418-7892 Comfort, Louise, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4411-1354 Zhao, Bingyu, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2369-7731 Tang, Yili (Kelly), PhD Han, Tianyu https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4142-1668 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2gv2h5vr Suburban areas have lower density development than urban areas, which may make them less accessible for the growingpopulation of low- and moderate-income suburban residents, particularly those without a personal vehicle. This research examines factors that lead these households to move to suburban areas and identifies accessibility barriers they face. We use a mixed-methods approach with Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data from the U.S. Census, online/in-person surveys (n=208), and interviews conducted in English and Spanish (n=25) with households in Contra Costa County with an income of less than $75,000. To understand key differences in housing and transportation choices between urban and suburban residents, these data were compared to survey and interview data from low-income Oakland residents from 2020-2021. We found that low- and moderate-income households choose to live in suburbs due to rising rents and otherrequirements (e.g., credit score, rental history) in urban... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2gv2h5vr Fri, 21 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Pan, Alexandra Deakin, Elizabeth, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5297-4374 Shaheen, Susan, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3350-856X https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9zd4w15w Our goal is to reduce the negative impacts of bicycle theft by better understanding patterns in bicycle theft and recovery. We analyzed data from 1823 responses to a North American survey on bicycle theft conditions, recovery circumstances, and demographics. Survey recruitment was done in partnership with BikeIndex, a non-profit bicycling registration service. Most bikes were stolen from inside a shed or garage (28%) or from outdoor bicycle racks (18%) and most thefts occur overnight (41%). 15% of stolen bicycles were recovered. Key factors in recovery include police involvement, bike registration, and reporting the theft through multiple channels. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9zd4w15w Tue, 4 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Cohen, Achituv https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1357-8296 Nelson, Trisalyn https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2537-6971 Schattle, Lizzy Zanotto, Moreno Herr, Seth Fitch-Polse, Dillon https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3760-322X Winters, Meghan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0sk24033 Lack of a strong reduction in ambient ozone (O3) concentrations during reduced traffic periods associated with COVID-19 calls into question the conventional wisdom that mobile sources dominate air pollution in California. Fossil-fueledmmotor vehicles emit oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are precursors to O3 formation, but the chemical reaction system that forms O3 is complex. The ratio of NOx/VOCs determines if the O3 formation regime is NOx-limited (reducing NOx reduces O3) or NOx-rich (reducing NOx increases O3). This project developed new methods to directly measure O3 chemistry in the atmosphere and applied them over long-term campaigns in multiple California cities to quantify traffic contributions to O3 formation. A seasonal-cycle was observed of NOx-rich O3 chemistry during cooler months trending toward NOx-limited chemistry in warmer months. Superimposed on this seasonal cycle was a spatial pattern of NOx-rich chemistry in dense urban... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0sk24033 Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Kleeman, Michael J., PhD Wu, Shenglun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2156-7968 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7vf362bp The increasing use of transportation network companies and delivery services has transformed the utilization of curb space, resulting in a lack of parking and contributing to congestion. No systematic method exists for identifying curb usage patterns, but emerging machine learning technologies and low-tech data sources, such as dashboard cameras mounted on vehicles that routinely travel the area, have the potential of monitoring curb usage. To demonstrate how video data can be used to recognize usage patterns, we conducted a case study on Bancroft Way in Berkeley, CA. The project collected video footage with GPS data from a dashboard camera installed on a shuttle bus that circles the area. We trained a machine learning model to recognize different types of delivery vehicles in the data images, and then used the model to visualize curbside usage trends. The findings include identifying hot spots, analyzing arrival patterns by delivery vehicle type, detecting bus lane blockage,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7vf362bp Mon, 20 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Arcak, Murat, PhD Kurzhanskiy, Alexander A., PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5s93r8wb This study discusses the potential economic and development impacts that high-speed rail (HSR) may bring to California. The research reviews the reported impacts of HSR implementation in various countries, particularly in Europe, and case studies of selected HSR station-cities in France, Spain, and Italy. The analysis suggests that HSR could bring economic development to the state and stimulate population growth but might eventually lead to gentrification in certainlocations. Not all station-cities experience the same impacts, and certain conditions may foster greater economic development. Station location and connectivity to downtown areas would be particularly important in influencing these impacts, while peripheral stations would be less able to attract land use development and relocation of activities. The availability of rail service to larger cities (and connections to other major markets) and the coordination with urban planning and policy are key to determining the development... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5s93r8wb Fri, 17 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Loukaitou-Sideris, Anastasia, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0186-4751 Circella, Giovanni, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1832-396X Lecompte, Maria Carolina, MSc Rossignol, Lucia Ozbilen, Basar https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9419-4341 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/726964qq This report explores opportunities for employing autonomous driving technology to dampen stop-and-go waves on freeways. If successful, it could reduce fuel consumption and emissions. This technology was tested in an on-road experiment with 100 vehicles over one week. Public stakeholders were engaged to assess the planning effort and feasibility of taking the technology to the next level: a pilot involving 1000+ vehicles over several months. Considerations included the possible geographical boundaries, target fleets of vehicles, and suitable facilities such as bridges or managed lanes. Flow smoothing technology may improve the user experience and operations of managed lanes or bridges, however it may require external incentives such as reduced tolls to entice the traveling public to use it. This must be matched with other goals such as verifying vehicle occupancy. It might be possible for some hybrid solution that addresses both challenges to provide a way forward. A concept of... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/726964qq Fri, 10 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Patire, Anthony D., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3109-4164 Dion, Francois, PhD Bayen, Alexandre M., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6697-222X https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6g34r2mx Dynamic toll pricing based on demand can increase transportation revenue while also incentivizing travelers to avoid peak traffic periods. However, given the unpredictable nature of traffic, travelers lack the information necessary to accurately predict congestion, so dynamic pricing has minimal effect on demand. Dynamic toll pricing also poses equity concerns for those who lack other travel options. This research explores a potential remedy to these concerns by using a simple “futures market” pricing mechanism in which travelers can lock in a toll price for expected trips by prepaying for future tolls, with the future price increasing as more travelers book an overlapping time slot. This approach encourages travelers to avoid driving during the peak periods when pricing increases toward capacity or to purchase trips in advance when the price remains low or discounted, thus using infrastructure capacity more efficiently. Travelers that do not prepurchase their trip are subject... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6g34r2mx Fri, 10 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Fournier, Nicholas, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4722-4138 Patire, Anthony, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3109-4164 Skabardonis, Alexander, PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4mt0j4zw We ask how place-based transportation plans are being evaluated, and what insights from the broader policy and plan evaluation research literature might inform evaluation design. We complement a review of the evaluation literature with six expert interviews with 15 people. We find that California agencies and their community partners have high expectations for evaluations of place-based transportation plans. So far, however, those evaluations have been less successful in providing detailed information on outcomes and the causal impact of interventions. This does not reflect the shortcomings of the evaluation teams, but rather the inherent challenges in holistically assessing a diverse set of projects on different implementation timelines in a project area with porous boundaries. There is also a fundamental difficulty with the evaluation scale. California’s place-based transportation plans have often been evaluated individually. But in general, evaluations, particularly quantitative... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4mt0j4zw Fri, 10 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Ng, Melody https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4111-3364 Karpman, Jason Millard-Ball, Adam https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2353-8730 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0jh1b6t4 Autonomous vehicles (AVs) heavily rely on machine learning-based perception models to accurately interpret their surroundings. However, these crucial perception components are vulnerable to a range of malicious attacks. Even though individual attacks can be highly successful, the actual security risks such attacks can pose to our daily life are unclear. Various factors, such as lack of stealthiness, cost-effectiveness, and ease of deployment, can deter potential attackers from employing certain attacks, thereby reducing the actual risk. This research report presents the first quantitative risk assessment for physical adversarial attacks on AVs. The specific focus is on attacks on AV’s perception components due to their highly critical function and representation in existing research. The report defines the daily-life risk as the likelihood that a given type of attack will be employed in real life and the authors develop a problem-specific risk scoring system and accompanying metrics.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0jh1b6t4 Fri, 10 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Chakraborty, Trishna Chen, Qi Alfred, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0316-9285 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2gf1409z We interviewed eight subject-matter experts in California in 2023 tounderstand how travel behavior and priorities may change in response to direct experience with road collisions. Expertsrepresented a variety of perspectives, including medical doctors, advocates for active transportation safety, and advocates for people with disabilities. Their diverse specialties enabled us to capture a variety of concerns without triggering emotionally sensitive areas for people who have directly experienced road collisions. These experts identified common themes, including mental stress from the prospect of returning to driving—especially on freeways, lesser incidence of long-term changes in travel modes after experiencing a collision, dependence on others for rides in private vehicles, and changing routes or times of day of travel when traveling independently. These experts also explained how people’s mode choices are also affected by general concerns about collisions in the news more than... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2gf1409z Thu, 9 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Bhuiya, Md. Musfiqur Rahman https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8530-119X Barajas, Jesus M., PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8966-5778 Venkataram, Prashanth S., PhD https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9w05v56t Between 2017 and 2018, California experienced four devastating fires, including the Camp and Carr Fires. After fires, road infrastructure is crucial for safe removal of hazardous materials and waste to landfills and recycling facilities. Despite the critical role of pavements in this process, there has been little quantitative evaluation of the potential damage to pavements from truck traffic for debris removal. To address this knowledge gap, data on truck trip numbers and debris tonnage following the Camp and Carr Fires were used to calculate changes in equivalent single axle loads and traffic index over the pavement’s design life (the age at which reconstruction would be considered). Simulations were conducted on existing pavement structures to assess potential additional damage based on increased traffic indices. Pavement structural design simulations showed that out of the nine studied highways, one exhibited a reduction in cracking life of about two years from debris removal... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9w05v56t Thu, 2 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Nassiri, Somayeh, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5367-2167 Butt, Ali Azhar, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4270-8993 Zarei, Ali https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0729-3905 Kim, Changmo, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9652-8675 Wu, Rongzong, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7364-7583 Lea, Jeremy David https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3445-8661 Erdahl, Jessica https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8dt5b2q6 This project provides a literature review of research on zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) which includes fuel cell vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and plug-on hybrid electric vehicles, the latter are referred to as plug-in electric vehicles (PEV). In the review we focus on PEVs due to a lack of literature on fuel cell vehicles. We consider buyer and consumer perceptions of PEVs including perceived barriers to PEV adoption, consumer knowledge of PEVs, issues associated with incentives, and issues associated with infrastructure. The aim is to understand potential barriers to higher PEV sales and future research needs relating to PEV adoption. The PEV market shows many signs of becoming more robust. This includes PEV buyer demographics shifting toward the demographics of buyers of all types of new cars and improvements in PEV technology. Some challenges may remain, however. These include understanding the needs of households without home charging, engaging female car buyers in... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8dt5b2q6 Thu, 2 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Hardman, Scott, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0476-7909 Chakraborty, Amrita, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8048-7282 Hoogland, Kelly https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5791-0767 Sugihara, Claire https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7238-2974 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3jh4f34x The primary metric for measuring electric vehicle (EV) adoption growth is new car sales. However, to enable mass market penetration, EV adoption in the used car market will play a crucial role. The used vehicle market is relatively under-studied or has been studied mostly for specific regions. This project analyzed US national consumer expenditure survey data that tracks households' expenditure on vehicle acquisition and operation. The study aim is to understand new versus used vehicle choice behavior and the consequent cost of vehicle ownership, with the larger aim of determining how much households who generally buy used vehicles can gain or lose if they transition from a used internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) to a used EV. A choice model and cluster analysis showed that ownership of used vehicles is influenced by family size, income, housing tenure, and age. For lower-income renters, current vehicle ownership and purchase costs tend to constitute a high fraction of... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3jh4f34x Wed, 1 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Chakraborty, Debapriya, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9898-4068 Konstantinou, Theodora, PhD Gutierrez Lopez, Julia Beatriz, MSc Tal, Gil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7843-3664 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/78n6n8rf In the event of a wildfire, government agencies need to make quick, well-informed decisions to safely evacuate people. Small communities, such as in Marin County, with a mix of residences and flammable vegetation in Wildland-Urban Interface zones tend to lack resources to conduct evacuation studies. Consequently, this study uses a framework of wildfire and traffic simulations to test the performance of potential evacuation strategies, including reducing the volume of evacuating vehicles through car-pooling, phasing evacuations by staggering evacuation times by zone, and prohibiting street parking in four representative areas of Marin County. Results show that reducing vehicle numbers lowers the average travel time by 20%-70% and average exposure time to wildfire by 27%-60% from the baseline. Phased evacuations with suitable time intervals lower the average travel time by 13.5%-70%, but may expose more vehicles to fire in some situations. Prohibiting street parking yields varying... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/78n6n8rf Wed, 24 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Soga, Kenichi, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5418-7892 Comfort, Louise, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4411-1354 Li, Pengshun https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1831-5153 Zhao, Bingyu, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2369-7731 Lorusso, Paola https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5276-1763 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9q08w58z A lack of reliable and affordable transportation exacerbates socioeconomic inequities for low-income individuals, especially people of color. Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) pilots or programs are a relatively new approach to addressing financial barriers to travel among the transport-disadvantaged. UBMs provide individuals with funds for various mobilityoptions, including transit and shared modes. This study reviews the UBM programs and pilots implemented in the United States. It also reviews international applications of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platforms. These platforms may reduce the administrative cost of implementing UBMs and help users identify and compare available travel options. In addition, the review describes critical program design tradeoffs to consider when developing a UBM program or pilot. Finally, key UBM elements and lessons learned are summarized to assist other communities considering UBMs. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9q08w58z Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Rodier, Caroline, PhD Tovar, Angelly J. Fuller, Sam https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9670-1092 D'Agostino, Mollie C. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3689-9471 Harold, Brian S. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6893-2267 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9937d817 We explore how rail transit’s first- and last-mile issue might be addressed by partnering with transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft. The goal is to lure high-income commuters to shift from cars to TNCs and rail. We also explore how rail and TNC partnerships can improve travel for low-income commuters who currently rely on low-frequency bus service. We parametrically test subsidizing TNC fares for feeder services in the San Francisco Bay Area in an idealized fashion. Inputs such as the residents’ value of time and vehicle ownership were taken from various local data sources. The communities that were selected for our study are served to different degrees by the BART rail system. We found that the optimal policy must be tailored to the characteristics of the community it serves. In dense, walkable communities with strong bus service near rail stations, TNC subsidies should be targeted to less-accessible neighborhoods and low-income commuters to not compete... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9937d817 Wed, 20 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000 Darling, Wesley Cassidy, Michal J., PhD