MARCH 2021
METRANS Transportation Consortium
METRANS is excited to announce a change to our official name. We are now the METRANS Transportation Consortium. The word Consortium better reflects our role as convener and leader of many partnerships across universities, research institutes, public agencies and industry. The METRANS Transportation Consortium will continue to grow, generating leading edge and impactful research, informing policy, producing tomorrow’s transportation leaders, and training the current and next generation workforce. We look forward to continuing to engage with our collaborators and stakeholders under our new banner!
Giuliano and Lu Present Analyzing Impacts of Major Events:
A Case Study of the LA Coliseum Seminar
On February 18, METRANS, the Pacific Southwest University Transportation Center (PSR), and special partner University of Southern California Associated Students of Planning and Development (USC ASPD) launched their first transportation research webinar for the Spring 2021. USC ASPD is a student group representing Master of Urban Planning students dedicated to exploring and promoting academic and professional development issues related to the field of urban planning. “We are lucky to have access to the innovative, impactful faculty and researchers at METRANS,” noted ASPD Co-Chair and USC Master of Urban and Regional Planning student, Reaghan Murphy. “Through our partnership with METRANS as co-host of the seminar, we've been able to greatly expand our professional development offerings for our students.”
METRANS Students Produce Award-Winning Traffic Safety Video
Congratulations to the METRANS Student Team for winning second place in the Post Secondary, Transportation Safety category of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) 2020 Student Video Contest. ARTBA hosts this annual contest to engage K-12 and post-secondary students in the creation of short videos in the categories of General Transportation and Transportation Safety highlighting the crucial nature of transportation in the U.S. as well as to inform those looking to learn more about these disciplines.

The award-winning METRANS video emphasizes the importance of traffic safety initiatives, with emphasis on Vision Zero, a global initiative which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities worldwide. METRANS Media Team member and University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts student Ben Ephraim led the creation and produced of the METRANS student submission.
PSR Practitioner Speaker Series:
Wulf Grote Shares the Tempe Streetcar Project
On February 4th, the Arizona Laboratory for Applied Transportation Research (AZTrans), the METRANS Consortium, the Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center (PSR), ITS Arizona, the Northern Arizona University Student Chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), and the University of Southern California Student Chapter of ITE joined together to host a webinar for students to hear firsthand about the new and groundbreaking Tempe Streetcar Project. “We are thrilled to kick off this Spring PSR practitioner speaker series together with AZ Trans, ITS, and ITE,” said METRANS Associate Director, Education and Professional Development, Victoria Deguzman. “Events like these serve such an important role in a student’s college experience--bridging the gap between campus and practice, and paving the way for success in the real world.” 
RESEARCH
PSR Scholar Evaluates Ridesharing and Ridehail Programs for Alternative Access to the Davis Amtrak Station
Ridership throughout the transit sector has been on the decline for years, with the ongoing pandemic further exacerbating the issue. The City of Davis’ Amtrak Station, which has the third highest passenger usage along the Capital Corridor line and a ridership that continued to rise until early 2020, had served as an exception to this trend. While the station continues to enjoy high ridership rates, the use of private vehicles by the majority of riders has led to parking shortages, creating access challenges. Alternatives to personal vehicle use, such as public transit and biking, have drawbacks. For example, transit service is limited at peak times for train use, and bicycle parking is impacted almost as much as vehicle parking. These access challenges have compelled the City of Davis to launch new access programs. To facilitate growing ridership and address access challenges to the station, the City of Davis plans to launch three programs that encourage ridesharing and the use of ride hailing services. UC Davis’ Institute of Transportation Studies Research Faculty Susan Pike’s report, “Davis Amtrak Station Pilot Project Evaluation: Informing Long Term Solutions to the Davis Amtrak Station Access Barriers,” identifies the conditions that current riders face during the pandemic and their impact on ridership to assist the city’s future programs that seek to increase station access with on-demand alternatives.
PSR Researchers Identify Zoning Policy Adjustments to Improve Job Access and Quality of Life in Southern California
Southern California provides a unique environment for research with its spectrum of zoning, density, and transportation policy environments. Zoning policy, in particular, is a significant area of focus within urban planning due to its ability to impact residents’ quality of life. Changes in zoning density policy can improve urban congestion and physical property value and serve as a blueprint to positively impact the quality of life for other urban populations. In the PSR-funded report, “Zoning and the Density of Urban Development,” USC Assistant Professor of Finance and Business Economics, Andrii Parkhomenko, Claremont McKenna College Assistant Professor of Economics, Matthew Delventhal, and USC Doctoral Candidate in Economics, Eunjee Kwon, develop a quantitative equilibrium model to identify zoning policy adjustments the city could enact to improve job accessibility and ease of transportation for residents of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties.
Recently Completed Research Projects
METRANS researchers from our member institutions have recently completed the following project in the three topical areas of: integrated management of freight and passenger systems, sustainable and efficient urban freight transportation, and urban mobility. To learn more about specific projects, please click on the title to access the research briefs and reports.
Genevieve Giuliano (USC), Maged Dessouky (USC), Tom O'Brien (CSULB), Seiji Steimetz (CSULB), Marshall Miller (UCD), and Lewis Fulton (UCD),Developing Markets for Zero Emission Vehicles in Short Haul Goods Movement | NCST-416
UPCOMING EVENTS
METRANS Webinar:
Emerging Scholars Symposium

Tuesday, March 2nd & Wednesday, March 3rd, 9 am PT
METRANS Speaker Series:
Congestion Reduction via Personalized Incentives

Thursday, March 11th at 12 pm PT
METRANS Speaker Series:
Improving Shared-ride Mobility Service through Bi-Criterion Path-finding

Wednesday, March 17th at 12 pm PT
METRANS Speaker Series:
Understanding Mobility Changes in Response to COVID-19:
A Los Angeles Case Study

Thursday, March 25th at 12 pm PT
SAVE THE DATE
The METRANS Transportation Consortium was established in 1998 as the first University Transportation Center in Southern California. METRANS is a joint partnership of the University of Southern California (USC) and California State University, Long Beach (CSULB).

METRANS' mission is to solve transportation problems of large metropolitan regions through interdisciplinary research, education and outreach. Its three primary objectives are: (1) fostering independent, high quality research to solve the nation's transportation problems; (2) training the next generation transportation workforce; and (3) disseminating information, best practices, and technology to the professional community