Evaluating Opportunities to Enhance Hoosier State Train Ridership through a Survey of Riders’ Opinions and an Assessment of Access to the Line

Passenger rail is an integral part of intercity transportation networks, especially in areas where residents do not have access to a car or there are not any other options for intercity travel. The Hoosier State Train (HST) line connects five stations in Indiana with Illinois. Since 2013, the HST line faced the probability of discontinuation many times. In 2015, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) reached an agreement with Iowa Pacific Holdings, forming a very unique public-private partnership, with a shared vision to improve on-time performance, improve speed and maintain a reliable schedule, increase ridership, and provide better on-board amenities. This study conducted an on-board survey of HST riders’ opinions in October and November 2016. A total of 908 responses were collected (response rate of 85%). The results showed that HST impacts not only counties in Indiana with a station but also counties without a station; approximately one out of five respondents reported that they traveled more than 30 miles to reach a station. A stronger intention to ride the train in the short and long run since 2015 was also reported. Additionally, safety, amenities, and cost were ranked as the most important attributes when choosing to travel on an intercity rail, while reliability, flexibility, and convenience were ranked lower for intercity rail. Recommendations and best practices on addressing a possible gap into the first and last mile travel options for intercity rail riders as well as making parking enhancements around the stations were shared with INDOT to enhance ridership

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH GROUP: Ongoing and Past Activities

This presentation describes the ongoing and past activities of the Sustainable Transportation Systems Research (STSR) group at Purdue University (https://engineering.purdue.edu/STSRG). The STSR group aims to achieve green, safe, efficient, and equitable transportation systems by studying and modeling transportation externalities, using state of the art statistical, econometric, and economic analysis tools

Future cities and autonomous vehicles: analysis of the barriers to full adoption

The inevitable upcoming technology of autonomous vehicles (AVs) will affect our cities and several aspects of our lives. The widespread adoption of AVs repose at crossing distinct barriers that prevent their full adoption. This paper presents a critical review of recent debates about AVs and analyse the key barriers to their full adoption. This study has employed a mixed research methodology on a selected database of recently published research works. Thus, the outcomes of this review integrate the barriers into two main categories; (1) User/Government perspectives that include (i) Users' acceptance and behaviour, (ii) Safety, and (iii) Legislation. (2) Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) which include (i) Computer software and hardware, (ii) Communication systems V2X, and (iii) accurate positioning and mapping. Furthermore, a framework of barriers and their relations to AVs system architecture has been suggested to support future research and technology development

Culture and low-carbon energy transitions

How does culture influence low-carbon energy transitions? How can insights about cultural influences guide energy planners and policymakers trying to stimulate transitions, particularly at a time of rapid technological change? This Review examines the influence of culture on a selection of low-carbon technologies and behavioural practices that reflect different dimensions of sustainability. Based on a typology of low-carbon technology and behaviour, we explore the cultural dimensions of four specific cases: eco-driving, ridesharing, automated vehicles and whole-house retrofits. We conclude with recommendations for those seeking to analyse, understand, develop, demonstrate and deploy low-carbon innovations for sustainable energy transitions

A Stated Preference Study for Assessing Public Acceptance Towards Autonomous Vehicles

Technology is rapidly transforming both vehicles and transportation systems. The nature of this transformation will depend on how fast the technology resulting from three related revolutions, those in automated, electric, and shared vehicles, will diffuse. At the same time, the ‘sharing’ economy is growing and affecting mobility in urban areas that includes additional travel alternatives, such as car-sharing services, ride-hailing services, bike-sharing services, and other micro-transit services. It is evident that to prepare for these large-scale operations involving autonomous vehicles (AVs), researchers and transportation professionals need the useful insights on people’s attitudes toward and on acceptance of AVs that can be gained through behavioral experiments. In addition to this, it is also important to understand how the deployment of AVs will impact vehicle ownership and mode choice decisions. The goal of this dissertation is to assess the public acceptance of AVs and shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) via a behavioral experiment (stated preference survey) and offer insights on the potential implications of AVs and SAVs on mode choices. The following four overarching research objectives were formulated: (a) identifying the factors influencing the behavioral intention to ride in AVs; (b) identifying the characteristics of the AV market segments; (c) evaluating the attributes impacting personal vehicle ownership decisions (i.e., decisions to postpone the purchase of a non-AV due to the emergence of AVs); and (d) assessing the factors affecting mode choice decisions after the emergence of autonomous ride-sharing services operated through AVs, and evaluating the corresponding value of travel time savings. The results of each part of the research framework are integrated in the last chapter of the dissertation in order to provide the final conclusions and recommendations of the study. To achieve these research objectives, a survey of the general population was distributed online in a major urban area with an advanced multimodal transportation system and captive users of ride-sharing users (Chicago, Illinois) and in an urban area with a more automobile-oriented culture (Indianapolis, Indiana). The survey sample included 400 responses of adults, representative of age and gender on each area. One of the contributions of this dissertation is a theoretical model to assess the behavioral intention to ride in AVs that includes components of the theory of Planned Behavior, the theory of Diffusion of Innovation and additional factors derived from the literature while evaluating possible interrelationships between these components. A more holistic approach along these lines can help explain whether the emerging AV technology can diffuse by identifying the factors and key determinants that influence the behavioral intention to ride in AVs. The market segmentation analysis can further provide knowledge of the socio-demographic characteristics of potential AV users and an accurate classification of these groups of potential users in terms of their willingness to ride in AVs. The findings can provide insights into perceptions of and attitudes toward AVs that can help transportation and urban planners, as well as original equipment manufacturers, to prepare for the deployment of AVs by designing marketing strategies to improve people’s perceptions of AVs and increase market penetration

Keratoconus with Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Rare Combination

Keratoconus and central serous chorioretinopathy are two rare diseases. They can occur together in some individuals. We report a case of a 48-year-old man, who presented to our clinic with decreased visual acuity on his left eye. Physical examination, biomicroscopy, corneal topography, and optical coherence tomography revealed keratoconus and central serous chorioretinopathy. We discuss the possible connection between these two conditions