Evaluating and Communicating the Value of Research

(c) 1049673In FY2022, the MnDOT Office of Research and Innovation managed a total of 215 active and completed projects, of which 75 received partial or full funding from the Local Road Research Board (LRRB). Evaluating the benefits of this research and effectively communicating the benefits to diverse audiences serves several important purposes. It helps both MnDOT and LRRB gain insights into the outcomes of their investments in research and innovation. It also promotes continued exploration and implementation of new knowledge and technology within the field of transportation and aids in prioritizing future research implementation projects. This project involved a comprehensive review of the existing tools and processes used by MnDOT and LRRB for research benefit evaluation and communication and proposed a versatile multi-stage framework that can be adapted for various project types. This framework not only allows for long-term tracking of benefits but can also be integrated into the current research cycle. Furthermore, it incorporates and builds on existing tools, making it a valuable addition to the research and innovation process

Other title: Truck parking Request for Information (RFI)

Final report; "June 2024."; "Project ID number: 118089."; "Author(s) ... Erika Witzke, PE, Alex Marach, Sarah Morgan"--Page 1; Additional project information provided in email: SJN 136676; "Prepared in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration"--Page 2; "The University of Akron"; Sponsored by Ohio Department of Transportation, Office of Statewide Planning & Research; Contract or grant no. 39169Through the Ohio Truck Parking Study, it was determined that Ohio has a lack of adequate truck parking in certain areas of the State, such as near urban centers. As a lack of truck parking has health, safety, and economic impacts on both truck drivers and those in the surrounding vicinity, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) therefore is interested in determining what, if any, opportunities exist to expand the availability of truck parking facilities through public-private partnerships (P3) between ODOT and private parking operators or freight-generating businesses. Through a review of ODOT's existing P3 authority, consultations with internal and external stakeholders, and the distribution of a Request for Information (RFI), this research found that there are opportunities for ODOT to engage with the private sector via a P3 to further develop truck parking in Ohio. This research serves as a guide for ODOT to take the next steps in advancing a P3 truck parking projec

Creatively Playful with Wilson: Using Play Therapy in the Academic Setting

This training provides participants with a different lens and perspective when considering clients across the lifespan, and interested in adding additional techniques to their tool kit in an effort to connect with children in their learning environment

Play Therapy 101: Welcome to the World of Play

This workshop will provide attendees with a brief overview of the field of Play Therapy. Participants will be provided with the rationale for play therapy intervention, opportunity for skill building, application of technique, and use of the sand tray, as a means to connect with families

Short Sea Shipping Network and Finance Model for the Caribbean

n analysis was carried out to provide policy and investment recommendations for improving the quality and frequency of short sea shipping (SSS) networks in the Caribbean. The methodology used a combination of stakeholder consultations; data-gathering on port infrastructure, trade, and shipping route patterns in the region; investigation of case studies of SSS experiences; identification of intervention scenarios; and formulation of a financial model to select the scenarios with the greatest potential for implementation, based in inter-island connectivity and time performance. Finally, the study presents governance and organizational considerations, as well as an action plan and schedule for the implementation of the selected networks. It is recommended that a “Direction Reversal Scenario” and a “Port Handling Tariff Reductions for Less-than-Container-Load (LCL) Containers” Scenario should be developed, preferably to a Ferry Service model

Comparison of Passenger Rail Energy Consumption with Competing Modes

NCRRP Report 3: Comparison of Passenger Rail Energy Consumption with Competing Modes provides a comprehensive model that allows the user to compare the energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of intercity and commuter passenger rail with those of competing travel modes along a designated travel corridor. This report summarizes the research used to develop the model and presents a set of case study applications. A Technical Document and User Guide for the Multi-Modal Passenger Simulation Model (MMPASSIM) and the spreadsheet tool for using and customizing the model are provided as a CD attached to this report. The Technical Document and User Guide also are available online as NCRRP Web Only Document 1

Document and User Guide for the Multi-Modal Passenger Simulation Model for Comparing Passenger Rail Energy Consumption with Competing Modes

The objective of NCRRP Project 02-01, “Comparison of Passenger Rail Energy Consumption with Competing Modes,” is to provide like-for-like comparisons of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of commuter and intercity passenger rail operations with competing modes of travel. In the context of this research, “passenger rail” includes higher speed, high speed, intercity, and commuter rail operations - those rail systems that are operated under the jurisdiction of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). “Competing modes of travel” include passenger automobiles, light-duty trucks used for personal transportation, suburban commuter bus services, intercity bus services, and air transportation

Post-Disaster Reconstruction Models: The Governance of Urban Disasters in China, Iran and Myanmar

A preponderance of the world’s population is expected to live in urban environments by 2050 (ADB, Asia 2050: realizing the Asian century. ADB, Manila, 2011). Cities as sites of vulnerability for disasters originating from both natural and man-made causes are attracting considerable research on understanding the crosscultural and governance dynamics associated with large-scale mortalities (Paton and Jang, Disaster resilience: exploring all-hazards and cross-cultural perspectives. In: Miller D, Rivera J (eds) Community disaster recovery ad resiliency: exploring global opportunities and challenges (pp 81–100). Taylor and Francis, Oxford, 2011;Paton and Violanti, Working in high risk environments: developing sustained resilience . Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 2012; Pelling, Vulnerability of cities: natural disasters and social resilience. Earthscan, London, 2003, Adaptation to climate change: from resilience to transformation. Routledge, London/New York, 2011). Disaster risk reduction policies of various Asian regional governments are currently exploring pragmatic approaches to recover and reconstruct lives, families and livelihoods of those affected. Examination of adaptation to trauma arising from large-scale losses in various cross-cultural contexts and different governance regimes presents the possibility of deriving new insights into practical disaster reconstruction models and policies. As such, this paper highlights the fundamental contributions of specific sociocultural and governance frameworks in disaster reconstruction policy. In so doing, the chapter investigates various urban disaster sites—namely, Bam and Tabriz (Iran), Pyapon, Bogale and Labutta (Myanmar) and Beichuan and Yingxue (People’s Republic of China, PRC)—where large-scale mortalities arising from earthquakes and a cyclone warrant attention by those researching on disaster resilience, recovery and reconstruction. Based on the fieldwork in the aforementioned disaster sites, this chapter suggests that while the physical reconstruction of a livable habitat is important, the sociocultural factors in enabling disaster-impacted communities to reconstruct peoples’ daily lives are of greater importance in the long-term recovery. Through the lens of civil society, difficulties in adapting to new realities around an engaged future are highlighted