Evaluation of The Effectiveness of Pavement Rumble Strips

This report analyzes the effectiveness of continuous shoulder rumble strips (CSRS) and center line rumble strips (CLRS) on rural two lane roads in Kentucky. This study evaluates the safety benefits, and design details associated with the application of the CSRS and CLRS. The recommended practices proposed as a result of the crash analysis have the potential to reduce both run off the road and opposite direction crashes on rural two lane roads in Kentucky. These recommendations provide benefits for narrow roadways with little to no shoulder as well as larger roadways with wider paved shoulders

Media change – majestic and modest (guest blog)

“I do not think I am exaggerating the possibilities of this invention when I tell you that; it is my firm belief that, one day, there will be a telephone in every major town in America.” Alexander Graham Bell’s words now seem staggering in their understatement

Trust: how to gain it and lose it (summer school guest blog)

‘The BBC is a journalistic organisation that lives or dies on its relationship of trust with its audience. It is the most precious thing we have.’ Helen Boaden, Director, BBC News In an age of scepticism about bankers, politicians and journalists, trust remains the BBC’s core value, according to Matthew Eltringham editor of the BBC College of Journalism website speaking in a talk to Polis Summer School students. But how do you keep it? Polis Summer School student Adam Kirk-Smith reports

DEVELOPMENT OF A DESIGN BASED INTERSECTION SAFETY PERFORMANCE EVALUATION TOOL

The purpose of this research is to develop an intersection safety evaluation tool that is capable of assisting designers and planners in the assessment of alternative intersection designs. A conflict exposure model utilizing design hour volumes, intersection configuration and traffic control measures is proposed to achieve this goal. This approach makes use of data typically available for preliminary intersection design. The research goes beyond existing safety performance models which only examine non-directional average daily traffic (ADT) or practices which only account for the geometric and lane configuration of an intersection, such as conflict point analysis. Conflict prediction models are developed for left-turn angle, right-turn, rear end and sideswipe crashes. These models were developed through the analysis of over 1000 simulation scenarios evaluating a full range of approach and turning volumes, lane configurations and traffic control strategies. The quantifiable metrics provided can be used to inform and improve alternative intersection selection processes by differentiating between alternatives based on a surrogate safety performance. This research may be used in screening of intersection alternatives to select the most beneficial design based on objective safety performance metrics

Multimodal Alternative Evaluation US 60 (Versailles Road) Lexington, KY: Final Report

The Versailles Road corridor is a major arterial into the heart of Lexington, KY, connecting the Bluegrass Airport, Keeneland, and the Bluegrass Parkway with downtown. In addition, the corridor serves as the most heavily used transit route within the city. Heavy pedestrian and bicycle usage also exist on the corridor making it one of the most vibrant and diverse multimodal corridors in the city if not the state. However, few improvements have been made for either automobile or other modes of transportation in recent years leading to a poor condition of some facilities and the need for improved and expanded modal facilities on the corridor. A recent report by the Kentucky Transportation Center titled “Evaluation of Road Diets” identified some alternatives to balance auto and other mode uses on corridors such as Versailles Road, and this study was initiated in order to test the feasibility of road diet options. However, the traffic volumes on the roadway exceed the recommended range for those alternatives. Therefore, there is a distinct need to develop alternatives that can improve multimodal uses on high volume roadways, and the Versailles Road corridor is a prime candidate for the development and evaluation of such measures. The objective of this study is to identify alternative roadway configurations that are capable of balancing multimodal uses including vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle and transit modes. The limits of the study area are from Alexandria Drive to Oliver Lewis Way

Resistant starch and sodium butyrate reduce body fat in rodents

Introduction: Obesity levels in the United States have significantly increased in the last forty years. Lifestyle and pharmacological treatments have been largely ineffective in treating obesity for most people. Both Resistant Starch (RS) and Dietary Sodium Butyrate (SB) are bioactivties which have shown the ability to decrease body fat levels of rodents without increasing physical activity or decreasing energy intake. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) are gut hormones that may be involved in increased energy expenditure at a cellular level with dietary RS and SB. Objective: To discern if SB and RS both work through the increase of plasma GLP-1 and PYY. Also to see if a combination of RS and SB would lead to an increased or even an additive effect on the reduction of body fat levels in rodents. Methods: 60 Sprague Dawley rats were fed isocaloric diets of either control, SB, RS or a combination of RS and SB for 60 days. Measurements included food intake, body weight, abdominal fat, plasma PYY and GLP-1, and gastrointestinal tract weights. Results: There was no difference in caloric consumptions between any groups. According to factorial results, SB and RS both lowered abdominal fat. While the combination of RS and SB showed the lowest levels of abdominal body fat levels by t tests compared to control, there was not an additive effect of SB and RS. GLP-1 and PYY levels were not increased in the SB fed group. Conclusions: SB effects on body fat reduction are not associated with increased plasma GLP-1 and PYY levels as found in RS fed rodents. The combination of SB and RS have a greater effect on body fat than either alone, but the lack of an additive effect suggests a saturation level in a cellular mechanism by which both RS and SB may increase energy expenditure

Traffic Maneuver Problems and Crashes of Young Drivers

While over the past decades the population of younger drivers has been decreasing, their crash rates have increased. Past research has associated their higher crash rates to societal influences and youthful behavior. The objective of this research is to identify the specific driving maneuvers whose unsuccessful undertaking results in specific types of crashes involving these drivers. Four types of crashes were identified as the most prominent for young drivers including crashes at intersections, rear end, crashes resulting from passing maneuvers and single vehicle crashes. The analysis was performed examining the Kentucky crash database for the 1994-1996 period using the quasi-induced exposure method. The results showed that for all crashes there is a general trend of decreasing involvement with increasing age, which indicates that their inexperience is the largest single contributor to their increased crash rates. Of significance is the fact that for all crashes a dramatic decrease of involvement after the first year of driving between the years of 16 and 17 is observed. This may be indicative of a steep learning curve in the first years of driving regarding the ability to control a vehicle. Therefore, very little can be made to improve this phenomenon. Increasing the level of awareness among young drivers about these issues and their likely crash involvement seems to be the only viable approach. However, preliminary efforts from the graduated license show that some of these trends seem to be reduced indicating a possible impact on the crash rates of young drivers

Access Management Best Practices

Research has persistently demonstrated that adopting a systematic access management framework improves highway operations and bolsters safety. Many state transportation agencies have adopted formal access management programs to systematize the application of access management techniques, however, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) been unable to institute such a program due to institutional, regulatory, and political constraints. Recognizing the benefits of judicious access management, the Cabinet asked researchers at the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) to identify access management best practices that are effective, can be easily implemented, and are compatible with existing statutes and regulations. After reviewing national-level and state-level guidance on access management, researchers devised an Access Management Toolbox which contains 14 commonly used access management techniques. Using a rating scale of 1 to 5, personnel at KYTC were then asked to rate each technique in terms of its effectiveness and ease of implementation (1 = ineffective and/or difficult to implement; 5 = highly effective and/or easy to adopt). Six techniques garnered scores of 4 or above for both effectiveness and implementation: 1) maintaining sight distance, 2) setting the maximum number of driveways per lot, 3) installing auxiliary turn lanes, 4) protecting the functional area of intersections, 5) adopting turn restrictions, and 6) conducting traffic impact studies. Consistently incorporating these access management techniques into permitting, planning, and design activities will result in the development of an efficient and safe highway system that equitably balances the needs of motorists and property owners