Through the Academic Initiative, Matthew Roe participated in an internship with NYCDOT, studying “Spatial Analysis and GIS Support for Sustainable Pedestrian Safety in New York City,” under the guidance of Seth Berman and Ann Marie Doherty. Matthew’s study was a GISdriven investigation into the geography of pedestrian safety, especially related to seniors, and the causes of pedestrian-vehicular crashes in New York City.

Brian Ross interned with NYMTC’s staff through the Academic Initiative, researching the Federal Transit Administration’s New Freedom grant program under the guidance of Nancy O’Connell, then Manager of Program Development for NYMTC. The New Freedom Program (Section 5317) is designed to improve transportation services for individuals with disabilities by providing them with alternatives to public transportation outside of what the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires.

Gitakrishnan Ramadurai conducted an independent research project titled “Identification and Modeling of Next Generation Traveler Guidance Systems.” His advisors were Professor Satish Ukkusuri of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (now at Purdue University), and Todd Westhuis of NYSDOT. The objectives of the research were 1) to identify the characteristics and architecture of next generation traveler guidance systems; and 2) to develop modeling and algorithmic techniques to operationalize the identified architecture.

Timon Stasko conducted an independent research project entitled “School Bus Emission Reduction in New York City.” His advisors were Dr. Oliver Gao of Cornell University and Mark Simon of NYCDOT. This project analyzed the cost effectiveness of Diesel Oxidation Catalysts (DOCs), Passive Diesel Particulate Filters (PDPFs) and Active Diesel Particulate Filters (ADPFs) in reducing vehicular emissions, as well as early vehicle retirement.

As her independent research topic, Amit Arora studied parking regulations and supply/ demand issues in and around NYMTC’s planning area. This research topic was proposed by the Metropolitan Mobility Network, an advisory working group which advises NYMTC on transportation demand management (TDM) issues in the New York-NewJersey-Connecticut metropolitan region. Amit examined 22 municipalities to understand how parking requirements and policies vary across the region, and gathered information about innovative practices in the region and around the country.

Through the Academic Initiative, Richard Barone worked with Munnesh Patel and Kuo-Ann Chiao of NYMTC’s Technical Group to develop a five part strategy to formalize data management practices at NYMTC. He analyzed data handling practices and developed recommendations for improvements. The end-goal of this project was to develop a regional transportation data repository that could be used by agencies, civic groups and citizens.

For his independent research topic, Xiaoqiang (Jason) Chen examined the relationship between the built environment and time-of-day ridership patterns at subway stations in New York City. He analyzed how these daily activity patterns vary from station to station, and the relationship between these patterns and land uses surrounding the stations. He then developed a method to forecast the time-of-day ridership patterns for subway stations in New York City. His advisors were Dr. Cynthia Chen of The City College of New York, and James Barry of MTA New York City Transit.

For his independent research topic, Michael Silas conducted research into the effectiveness of policies to shift freight deliveries to the off-peak hours of the day. The objective of his research was to gain a better understanding of how to increase the participation in off-peak deliveries through the use of behavioral simulation and economic incentives.

Through the Academic Initiative, Li Chen worked on the West Side Manhattan Traffic and Transportation Study at NYCDOT, where she was supervised by Michael Griffith. This study examined traffic, pedestrian, bicycle and goods movement, safety, and land use issues in a rapidly evolving area on the edge of the region’s central business district. She was involved in many different aspects of this project, including organizing public outreach meetings and data collection activities, and analyzing changes in the area’s demography, traffic, and land uses.

For her independent research project, Wei Li studied transportation services for the region’s aging population. She gathered data on the characteristics of transit services for seniors in Westchester County through interviews and data analysis. Her research was supervised by her academic advisor, Professor Cynthia Chen, and by Joel Ettinger, Executive Director of NYMTC, who also served as her professional advisor. Her report was titled: “A Typology of Senior Transportation Services in Westchester County.”