Events
11.09.2021
Complete Trip – ITS4US Deployment Program Webinar: Buffalo, NY
RSG Principal Johanna Zmud, PhD, and Senior Director Mark Bradley will both present at the Complete Trip – ITS4US Deployment Program Performance Measurement webinar. The webinar will describe our team's work in Buffalo, New York, as part of the Complete Trip – ITS4US Deployment Program. The goal of the program is to solve the mobility challenges of all travelers in accessing jobs, education, healthcare, and other activities. Buffalo, New York, is one of five deployment sites chosen. The proposed deployment in Buffalo combines accessible trip-planning services, community-based shuttle services, and intersection pedestrian safety technologies. Johanna and Mark will describe our team's work on Phase 1 of the deployment, which included the development of a Performance Measurement and Evaluation Support Plan. Who? Johanna Zmud, PhD, Principal (RSG) and Mark Bradley, Senior Director (RSG) What? Complete Trip – ITS4US Deployment Program Webinar: Buffalo, NY (Webinar 3) hosted by ITS Joint Program Office Where and When? The webinar is virtual. Johanna and Mark are presenting during a session on Tuesday, November 9 at 1:30 p.m. ET. The webinar registration link is below.
10.26.2021
Oregon Modeling Users Group Meeting
RSG Senior Director Mark Bradley will moderate and present at the next Oregon Modeling Users Group (OMUG) meeting, which will discuss COVID-19 travel impacts. OMUG meetings bring together dozens of transportation planning professionals from agencies, universities, and consultancies across the Pacific Northwest.
Mark's presentation will share highlights from RSG's COVID-19 Transportation Insights Survey. Since May 2020, our survey has collected a wealth of data on how the pandemic is reshaping travel and mobility. Mark will present an overview of our findings and discuss observed regional travel behavior impacts seen in the data collected to date.
Who? Mark Bradley (RSG)
What? Oregon Modeling Users Group meeting
Where and When? The meeting is being held virtually this year. Mark is moderating the entire meeting, which begins on Tuesday, October 26 at 9:00 a.m. PT, and presenting during the COVID Panel Surveys portion, which begins at 10:05 a.m. PT. The meeting information is provided below and a recording will be available.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 890 3097 7384
Passcode: 298504
If you need telephone audio: (253) 215-8782
10.19.2021 - 10.20.2021
Advances in Noise Control Engineering: A NAE-Hosted Workshop
RSG Director Dana Lodico, PE, INCE Bd. Cert., will present at the Technology for a Quieter America: Advances in Noise Control Engineering workshop. The event is hosted by the National Academies of Engineering (NAE) and is part of an ongoing series of workshops.
Dana's presentation will describe her work for the Institute of Noise Control Engineering to roll out a new product noise rating (PNR) labeling system in the United States. With a nationwide PNR labeling system in place, consumers will have more information on products' noise levels. This will allow purchasers to compare products across similar categories and improve their indoor noise environment.
Who? Dana Lodico, PE, INCE Bd. Cert. (RSG)
What? Technology for a Quieter America: Advances in Noise Control Engineering workshop
Where and When? The workshop is being held virtually. Dana is presenting on Wednesday, October 20 at 3:40 p.m. ET. The workshop occurs from October 19 to October 20. Registration is free but requires NAE registration.
10.11.2021 - 10.15.2021
ITS World Congress: Experience Future Mobility Now
RSG Principal Johanna Zmud, PhD, will present at the ITS World Congress in Hamburg, Germany. The ITS Congress is the world's premier event that gathers industry experts, policy makers, and the public to discuss smart mobility technologies and transportation.
Johanna's presentation will focus on the equity implications of technology-enabled mobility services. Specifically, she will discuss findings from her previous work as principal investigator for the Transportation Research Board's (TRB’s) Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) B-47: Impact of Transformational Technologies on Underserved Populations. Work on TCRP B-47 will produce an inclusivity-oriented playbook for practitioners seeking to ameliorate some of the negative impacts on transportation equity and mobility inclusion as a result of new and emerging mobility technologies. Research for TCRP B-47 is underway.
Who? Johanna Zmud, PhD, Principal (RSG)
What? Special Interest Session (SIS 75), titled Equity Assessment of New Mobility Technologies: Current Status, during ITS World Congress
Where and When? The ITS Congress is being held in Hamburg, Germany. Johanna is presenting during a session on Thursday, October 14 at 11:00 a.m. CEST (5:00 p.m. GMT-4). The ITS Congress occurs from October 11 to October 15. The program link is below.
10.10.2021 - 10.12.2021
89th Annual IBTTA Meeting & Exhibition
RSG Senior Consultant Tristan Cherry will present at the 89th Annual International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Anaheim, California. The 89th Annual IBTTA Meeting brings together owners and operators of toll facilities and the businesses that support them. Tristan's breakout session presentation is a trend talk about the long-term implications of remote work on the toll industry.
Who? Tristan Cherry, Senior Consultant (RSG)
What? IBTTA Annual Meeting & Exhibition
Where and When? The IBTTA Annual Meeting & Exhibition is being held in Anaheim, California. Tristan is presenting during a breakout session on Sunday, October 10 at 1:30 p.m. PT. The IBTTA Annual Meeting & Exhibition occurs from October 10 to October 12. The registration link is below.
Click here to register for the 89th Annual IBTTA Annual Meeting & Exhibition »
10.05.2021 - 10.06.2021
AASHTO CDMA Annual Virtual Conference
RSG Senior Director Mark Bradley will present at this year's American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Committee on Data Management and Analytics (CDMA) Annual Virtual Conference. The AASHTO CDMA helps state departments of transportation improve transportation data collection, procurement, processing, analysis, reporting, and sharing.
Mark's presentation will share highlights from RSG's COVID-19 Transportation Insights Survey. Since May 2020, this survey has collected a wealth of data on how the pandemic is reshaping travel. Several agencies, including the Michigan Department of Transportation and Vermont Agency of Transportation, have purchased additional add-on samples to help understand travel changes in their regions. Mark will present an overview of our findings from this ongoing survey and discuss their relevance to state departments of transportation.
Who? Mark Bradley, Senior Director (RSG)
What? Committee on Data Management and Analytics (CDMA) Annual Virtual Conference, sponsored by AASHTO
Where and When? The CDMA Annual Conference is entirely virtual this year. Mark is presenting during the research portion on Tuesday, October 5 at 1:00 p.m. ET. The CDMA Annual Virtual Conference occurs from October 5 to October 6. The registration link is below.
Click here to register for the CDMA Annual Virtual Conference »
10.05.2021 - 10.08.2021
AMPO 2021 Annual Conference
RSG Senior Director Joel Freedman will present at the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) conference this year. The AMPO 2021 Annual Conference gathers the nation's largest MPOs to advance the industry conversation around transportation planning.
Joel's presentation will discuss RSG's applications of ActivitySim. As ActivitySim's lead developers, we'll share insights into how this state-of-the-practice, open-source activity-based modeling platform can help clients (particularly MPOs) answer important travel demand questions. Technological and societal shifts require a strategic approach to planning and modeling, which RSG and ActivitySim deliver.
Who? Joel Freedman, Senior Director (RSG)
What? Moderated conversation on activity-based modeling using ActivitySim.
Where and When? The AMPO 2021 Annual Conference is being held in Scottsdale, Arizona. Joel is presenting during a session on Wednesday, October 6 at 1:45 p.m. PT. The conference occurs from October 5 to October 8. The registration link is below.
09.15.2021
Linework, Models, Counters… OH MY: A Utah Story of Multi-Agency Collaboration to Develop Active Transportation Data and Tools
Micromobility encompasses multiple nonmotorized modes of travel, including bicycles and scooters. As the popularity of these modes has grown, so has the data available to planners. However, without active transportation data and tools to understand the data, agencies cannot make informed decisions related to micromobility infrastructure.
Over the past two years, RSG has been part of a multiagency project in Utah seeking to improve active transportation data collection, curation, and distribution. In light of this experience, RSG Senior Director Ben Stabler, GISP, will participate in an upcoming panel conversation describing our team's work creating the region's first bicycle travel demand model. Attendees will hear from several agencies and learn how the team shared priorities, resources, and expertise.
Who? Ben Stabler, GISP, Senior Director (RSG)
What? Panel webinar discussing active transportation data and tools in Utah.
Where and When? This is an online webinar sponsored by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals. It takes place on Wednesday, September 15 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET. The registration link is below.
09.09.2021 - 09.14.2021
Advancing Transportation Equity
Two RSG senior consultants will be presenting at this year's Transportation Research Board (TRB) Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity.
Joann Lynch (Presentation)
On Thursday, September 9 at 11:00 a.m. ET, Joann Lynch will deliver a presentation on methods and actions practitioners can use to increase inclusion in travel surveys. Joann's talk is part of a session titled “Measure It, but Who Will Come? Measuring Equity and including Diverse Travel Populations,” which will describe several RSG-led travel survey efforts in Seattle and Minneapolis in the spring of 2021. Each effort employed a combination of equity and inclusion strategies to boost engagement among populations often underrepresented in travel surveys. Her presentation will outline a multipronged approach to improving representation and obtaining equitable, representative datasets. Importantly, attendees will learn how analysis of these efforts can help inform future survey best practices. This will help survey methodologists reach more respondents, including historically underrepresented groups.
Ted Mansfield, PhD (Poster Session)
On Monday, September 13 at 2:15 p.m. ET, Ted Mansfield, PhD, will present a poster of findings from a comparison of passively collected data (“big data”) with modern transportation survey instruments that emphasize recruitment of hard-to-reach populations across key equity dimensions. Ted's poster session is titled “Measuring Equity, Analysis Approach Metrics.” His poster features a case study on abrupt travel behavior changes measured during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It shows how programs that combine travel surveys and big data could deliver more representative data. This, in turn, would support more equitable transportation decisions by agencies.
Several other RSGers contributed to attendees' presentation/poster abstracts, including Abigail Rosenson, Rachel Schmidt, and Stephen Lawe. The Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity will occur from September 9 to September 14 and begin at 10:00 a.m. ET on each date with several presentations/poster sessions occurring on each day.
08.10.2021
Counting Our Communities: Considering LGBTQ+ Identities in Travel Behavior Data Collection & Modeling (Webinar)
RSG is leading an industry-first webinar on Tuesday, August 10 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET to discuss the value and practicalities of collecting data on LGBTQ+ populations as part of travel behavior data collection and modeling. It will be moderated by RSG and comprises a diverse panel of travel behavior experts, community organizers, and academics. The webinar is free and open to the public. Click here to register.
About the Webinar
According to Gallup, at least 5.6% of all Americans identify as LGBT. Despite the growing political and social visibility of LGBTQ+ communities, the US Census Bureau does not collect data on individuals’ sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Moreover, most state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations do not collect similar information as part of routine surveys. The lack of inclusion in most surveys to date has resulted in a persistent underrepresentation of LGBTQ+ populations that often impedes the evaluation of inequities or differences in travel behaviors through an intersectional equity lens.
This moderated panel conversation will discuss research on travel behavior among LGBTQ+ populations. It will also describe current travel behavior survey and modeling practices for historically underserved populations as a whole and offer agency perspectives on surveying LGBTQ+ populations as part of regional travel surveys. Attendees will hear from several industry experts and come away with insights into the benefits and challenges of collecting SOGI data in the context of transportation planning.
About the Panel
Maren Outwater, PE (she/her) (Panel Moderator) is a Principal at RSG. Maren has over 25 years of experience developing forecasting models and over 20 years of progressive experience in managing complex model development efforts. She has led the development of equity impacts for land-use and travel demand forecasting models. This work helps clients understand how land use and transportation investments and policies affect mobility for low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Michael Smart, PhD (he/him/his) is an Associate Professor of urban planning at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. Michael has investigated the role of “neighborhoods of affinity” (immigrant enclaves, LGBT neighborhoods) in shaping travel choices. He is currently investigating how transportation helps or hinders people's ability to find and keep a job; the role of free parking in travel behavior decisions; and how major life events spur the acquisition or selling of a family's car(s).
Anita Keahilani Yap (she/her/they) is a Principal at MultiCultural Collaborative. She is a community development racial equity practitioner with over 20 years’ experience working with communities of color and intersectional identities. Anita's nationally and locally recognized work includes designing innovative approaches to community engagement and community development.
Brian H. Y. Lee, PhD (he/him/his) is the Data Solutions and Research Manager at the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). He is currently leading data support for the Regional Equity Strategy and is the project manager for the development of a regional equity data dashboard.
Mark Bradley (he/him/his) is a Senior Director at RSG. He has over 35 years of progressive experience developing travel demand forecasting methods and tools for clients around the world. Mark is currently leading the performance evaluation of a major federal “Complete Trip” pilot project to test technologies to improve travel accessibility for people with disabilities.
Weren't able to attend? Click here to watch a recording of our webinar »
07.13.2021 - 07.15.2021
TRB Committee on Noise and Vibration (AEP80) 2021 Summer Meeting
On Tuesday, July 13 at 1:45 p.m. ET, RSG Director Dana Lodico, PE, INCE Bd. Cert. will present findings from research she conducted into the validation of noise measurements at tunnel openings using traditional methods in the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Traffic Noise Model (TNM) Version 2.5. Her presentation will describe the measurement and modeling methods used and summarize the results of the application of methodologies described in the Transportation Research Board's (TRB's) National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 791: Supplemental Guidance on the Application of FHWA’s Traffic Noise Model (TNM).
Dana's presentation is being delivered during TRB's Committee on Noise and Vibration (AEP80) Summer Meeting. This all-virtual event will occur on July 13 and July 15 and begin at 1:30 p.m. ET on each date. Presentations on July 13 will be followed by information about research to be delivered on July 15. There is no cost to participate in the event.
06.21.2021 - 06.24.2021
18th Transportation Research Board (TRB) Conference on Transportation Planning Applications (AppCon 2021)
We're thrilled to join our clients, colleagues, and collaborators at this year's 18th Transportation Research Board (TRB) Conference on Transportation Planning Applications (AppCon 2021)! The all-virtual event will explore practical applications of transportation planning advances.
RSGers will be leading several breakout sessions during AppCon 2021. Session topics will include commercial vehicle modeling, big data, and travel behavior changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees will learn about the application of innovative tools and techniques to address a wide range of planning contexts and challenges.
RSG is a proud silver-level Patron of AppCon 2021.
Click here to learn more about and register for TRB's AppCon 2021 »
06.18.2021
Return to Transit? Surveying Chicago’s Current and Lapsed Transit Riders During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The pandemic drastically reduced transit ridership across the United States. In response, RSG worked with the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) in Chicago on an innovative region-wide survey of current and lapsed transit riders. The findings have been used by RTA, its Service Boards (CTA, Metra, and Pace), and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to better understand their shifting markets throughout the pandemic and to then guide future planning and policymaking as the pandemic recedes.
On Friday, June 18 at 10:00 a.m. ET, RSG Consultant Alexander Levin will present an overview of the current and lapsed rider survey methodology and explore the key findings from the study as part of a webinar hosted by Transport Chicago. Alexander's presentation will spotlight the following:
- Findings we previously saw anecdotally but now have local survey data to confirm (e.g., who relied on transit during the pandemic).
- Findings that tell us where transit use might be going in the Chicago region (e.g., the role of telework).
- Findings that tell us what transit agencies can do to encourage a return to transit (e.g., where riders want future investment targeted).
Transport Chicago is an annual conference dedicated to the mission of improving transportation in the Chicago region and beyond. This year's conference is entirely virtual. It will also feature Donald Shoup as keynote speaker.
Click here to register for the webinar, which is free and open to the public »
05.13.2021
How Ridehailing Companies Affect Airport Revenues and Operations
Just before the pandemic, many airport operators were experiencing the effects of travelers' increased use of transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft. The popularity of TNCs meant that many airports needed to contend with both revenue changes due to decreased parking and increased congestion.
On Thursday, May 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET, RSG President Tom Adler, PhD, will share findings from RSG's research on the role of TNCs within the context of commercial ground transportation policies and programs. The webinar is sponsored by the Transportation Research Board's Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) and will feature research from ACRP Report 215: Transportation Network Companies (TNCs): Impacts to Airport Revenues and Operations—Reference Guide. Tom will share practices and strategies for managing TNC on-airport operations and estimating the effects of TNC growth and pricing policies.
Click here to register for the webinar, which is free and open to the public »
04.08.2021
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Year on Transportation
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed transportation. The initial and dramatic shift to teleworking in the spring of 2020 occurred alongside a steep initial decline in air and rail travel. Understanding the how and why underlying these changes is more important than ever.
On Thursday, April 8 at 10:00 a.m. ET, RSG Senior Director Matthew Coogan will discuss these changes and explore what they mean for the future of transportation during a webinar sponsored by the International Air Rail Organisation. He will present findings on teleworking and vehicle miles traveled from RSG's COVID-19 Transportation Insights Survey. His presentation will also include recent behavioral data collected in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
The webinar, titled “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Year on Transportation,” will also feature information on how the pandemic has affected air passenger numbers and cargo volumes.
Click here to register for the webinar, which is free and open to the public »