Student Spotlight:
Robert Binder
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Meet Robert Binder — a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California and the NCST's 2023 Outstanding Student of the Year!
His dissertation, "Brushing Shoulders: In-Transit Social Interactions and Intersecting Identities in Los Angeles & Detroit," is an investigation into how public transit can function as public space and provide a mechanism for social mixing. Robert's novel blend of quantitative and qualitative analyses highlights the unique perspective he brings to the field of transportation planning:
“I’m riding buses and train routes, I’m sitting there doing ethnography, I’m watching what’s happening for other people, I’m writing about what I’m experiencing…but what I am really looking for is another way that we can value public transit. Between the technology and built environment that we’ve created over the last 100 years in this country, we have very separated, very segregated lives. We don’t really step outside of our bubbles. My hope is that we can start to consider transit, among other things, as a tool to bring us back together as people.”
Congratulations on all your accomplishments, Robert!
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FISTS 2024: Forum for Innovative Sustainable Transportation Systems
February 26-28, 2024 | Bourns Technology Center, Riverside, CA
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The Forum for Innovative Sustainable Transportation Systems (FISTS) is a prestigious platform proudly sponsored by the Intelligent Transportation Systems Society (ITSS). The goal of FISTS is to bring together world leaders in Intelligent Transportation Systems with a focus on the environment and sustainability. Papers will cover technological solutions, demonstrations, and policy. A variety of transportation modes will be addressed, including on-road vehicles, transit systems, shared mobility, and freight systems. The NCST is proud to support FISTS 2024.
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Webinar: How Can You Address Mileage Fee Concerns: Evidence from Three Studies
March 20, 2024 @ 10:00 - 11:00 AM PT | Online
Dr. Gregory Rowangould | Director of the Transportation Research Center & Associate Professor at the University of Vermont
Clare Nelson | Graduate Research Assistant at the Transportation Research Center and MS Student at the University of Vermont
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Alternatives to motor fuels taxes (colloquially, “gas taxes”) are necessary to supplement declining state and federal transportation revenue. Distance-based fees, like mileage fees, have been suggested, but public support is low. Perceptions of fairness, cost, and privacy are key reasons. In this webinar, we will discuss existing support for mileage fees at a national scale, factors affecting low support, and key leverage points for policy makers and DOTs looking to gain support at local, state, and federal scales. This includes preferred mileage fee rate structures and mileage collection options, as well as critical knowledge gaps that can be addressed using public outreach. Additionally, we will report on a recently published paper discussing mileage fee equity using DMV data for over 360,000 real vehicles across the state of Vermont. This study directly addresses the widespread misconception that rural and low-income drivers will be disproportionately impacted by replacing motor fuel taxes with mileage fees. | |
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7th International Conference on Women and Gender in Transportation
September 9-11, 2024 | Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center, Irvine, CA
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Since 1978, the International Conference on Women and Gender in Transportation (formerly known as the International Conference on Women's Issues in Transportation) has served as a forum to highlight how gender considerations can be incorporated into the traditionally male-dominated transport sector. In 2024, the conference theme is "Progress and Possibilities: Bridging Perspectives.” It highlights how far recognition of gendered issues in transport have come, while also noting the important work ahead to bridge inequities. Participants and speakers will represent transportation practitioners, researchers, educators, consultants, businesses, advocacy groups and other stakeholders from around the world. Local, tribal, state, and national government agencies will also be represented. The NCST is proud to once again support the conference in 2024. | |
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10th Annual NCST Capitol Hill Research Briefing
Lew Fulton | Director of the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways program
Gil Tal | Director of the EV Research Center; Professor at the University of California, Davis
Aditya Ramji | Director of the India ZEV Research Centre
Meg Slattery | Ph.D. Candidate at the University of California, Davis
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On January 9, the NCST hosted its 10th Annual Capitol Hill Research Briefing in the Rayburn House of Representatives Office Building in Washington, DC. ITS-Davis researchers Lew Fulton, Gil Tal, Aditya Ramji, and Meg Slattery presented on “Sustaining EV Transitions: Regulations, Batteries, and Supply Chains” to more than 60 congressional staffers, academics, and members of the public and private sector.
| | 2024 NCST Congressional Meetings | |
NCST and ITS-Davis policy staff, students, postdocs, researchers, and faculty participated in a whirlwind of meetings with congressional offices over the course of the TRB week. Meetings were held with the offices of Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL), Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), Senator Alex Padilla (CA), Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02), Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), and Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04). These meetings provide an opportunity for the NCST community to share policy-relevant research findings and hear about sustainable transportation priorities directly from legislative offices. | |
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Uncovering the Impacts of the Federal Tax Credit on EV Leasing and Purchasing
Kelly Hoogland | Ph.D. Student at the University of California, Davis
Dr. Gil Tal | Director of the EV Research Center; Professor at the University of California, Davis
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In this webinar, Kelly Hoogland, UC Davis Ph.D. candidate, and Dr. Gil Tal of the Electric Vehicle (EV) Research Center discussed findings from a survey of 7,000 California plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) drivers. Survey participants’ responses provided insight into how financial incentives affect consumer decisions surrounding PEVs. Notably, this webinar highlights the effect of incentives on leasing PEVs, which has unique characteristics when compared to purchasing PEVs. | |
Featured Project
Analysis of the Decision to Lease and Electric Vehicle and the Impact of Incentives on the Electric Vehicle Lease Market
PEVs play an important role in meeting greenhouse gas emission goals as well as human health and economic resilience targets. As such, the federal government provides a tax credit to incentivize ownership of PEVs. In the context of changes in incentive design, this project analyzed the survey results of approximately 7,000 California PEV drivers to understand the federal tax credit’s impact on consumers’ decisions to adopt a PEV, whether through purchasing or leasing. The researchers used two logistic regression models to study the survey responses to answer the question of what consumers would do in the absence of a federal tax credit. Findings suggest that financial incentives may be more influential in lessees’ decisions to adopt a PEV compared to purchasers, that the lack of financial incentives can lead to lower rates of non zero-emission vehicle retirements, and that renters are more likely than homeowners to lease a conventional vehicle rather than a PEV in the absence of the tax credit.
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UC Riverside CE-CERT Hosts STEPCon 2023
On October 5, 2023, UC Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) hosted the highly anticipated STEPCon 2023, the Inland Empire's premier student STEM conference. STEPCon brings together innovation, education, and inspiration for young minds. This annual event immerses students with hands-on experiences, interactive exhibits, discussions, and presentations, making STEM fields come alive for participants ranging from 4th to 12th grade.
Event highlights for the 40 high school student attendees included the Atmospheric Processes Laboratory, Emissions and Fuels Research Group’s Testing Facilities, Transportation Systems Research Laboratory, Sustainable Integrated Grid Initiative’s microgrid, and EcoCAR EV exhibit.
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New NCST Research Projects Kicking Off this Winter | |
Recently Completed Research | |
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Mode Share Changes in California: An Exploratory Analysis of Factors Affecting Decreases in Walking, Biking and Transit Use from 2012 to 2017
Dr. Susan Pike and Dr. Susan Handy | University of California, Davis
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Between 2012 and 2017, biking, walking, and transit use decreased in California. Building from a study previously conducted by the researchers, this white paper examines the behaviors within demographic groups and the extent these behaviors remain stable over time in contributing to this shift. For this period, the researchers found individuals in disadvantaged groups were more likely to change their walking, biking, and transit use patterns and, in turn, may have been more likely to use or purchase household vehicles in 2017 compared to 2012. | |
Emissions and Health Impact of Electric Vehicle Adoption on Disadvantaged Communities
Dr. Alan Jenn and Dr. Xinwei Li | University of California, Davis
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Vehicle electrification is an important policy initiative to achieve climate and air-quality benefits. However, it is essential to understand how these benefits are distributed across disadvantaged communities (DACs). The researchers used CalEnviroScreen, an environmental justice screening tool, to analyze the impact of electric vehicle adoption on DACs in California. This research found that while all communities in California will benefit from the addition of EVs, the average per capita per year air pollution benefit was $1.60 less in DACs compared to the 10% least vulnerable populations in 2020. This disparity is projected to increase to more than $31 per capita per year in 2045, emphasizing the necessity of developing an equitable EV policy framework.
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Coordinated Traffic Flow Control in a Connected Environment
Tianchen Yuan and Dr. Petros A. Ioannou | University of Southern California
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Traffic intersections at arterial streets and ramps to freeways mostly operate as open loop dynamical systems, which depend on limited sensor data to improve traffic congestion and sustainability. This research investigates connectivity through communication technologies with the potential to increase mobility, safety, and efficiency in traffic control systems. The researchers propose a coordinated traffic control system, including a traffic-response traffic controller for arterial streets, and utilize a simulated segment of the I-710 freeway and adjacent arterial intersections. For road networks affected by traffic incidents and congestion, it was found that compared to individual control, coordinated traffic control reduces traffic time and emissions within the affected region. | |
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If Pooling with a Discount were Available for the Last Solo-Ridehailing Trip, How Much Additional Travel Time Would Users Have Accepted and for Which Types of Trips?
Dr, Yongsung Lee | Georgia Institute of Technology & University of Hong Kong
Dr. Giovanni Circella | Georgia Institute of Technology & University of California, Davis
Grace Chen | Fehr & Peers
Ilsu Kim | Georgia Institute of Technology
Dr. Patricia L. Mokhtarian | Georgia Institute of Technology
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Despite the environmental benefits and monetary incentives, pooled rides are only about 20% of ridesharing requests in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. This research utilized a transportation survey distributed to four metropolitan areas in Southern U.S. cities and considered trip attitudes and rider characteristics to evaluate preferences for and against pooled ridehailing. The researchers found taste heterogeneity between choosy and non-selective poolers and provide policy recommendations to encourage pooled ridehailing from this data collection. | |
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Integrated Modeling of Electric Vehicle Energy Demand and Regional Electricity Demand
Jonathan Dowds, Sarah Howerter, and Dr. Paul Hines | University of Vermont
Dr. Lisa Aultman-Hall | University of Waterloo
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To minimize power generation emissions from rising plug-in electric vehicle use, it is essential to consider the deployment of renewable electrical energy. This research describes the application of a model using highly resolved, time-of-day specific electric vehicle demand profiles for alternative scenarios from travel survey data. The researchers used a typical regional economic dispatch model with dynamic solar and wind generation, and considered four electric vehicle supply equipment scenarios to evaluate timing of charging. The research found that in order to influence charging decisions, incentive-based mechanisms are necessary to lower emissions. | |
The National Center for Sustainable Transportation is a consortium of leading universities committed to advancing an environmentally sustainable transportation system through cutting-edge research, direct policy engagement, and education of our future leaders. Consortium members: University of California, Davis; California State University, Long Beach; Georgia Institute of Technology; Texas Southern University; University of California, Riverside; University of Southern California; and University of Vermont. | | | | |
