Browsing by Author "Carmody, John"
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Item Design Issues Related to Road Tunnels(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 1997-12) Carmody, JohnThis report is the first phase of a multi-year, ongoing research effort to identify and evaluate the impact of roadway design elements on driver behavior. The focus of this work is on road tunnels, but similar questions apply in other roadway environments. The organization of this document reflects the research process employed in this project. First, the background is established indicating the increasing use of road tunnels to solve many planning problems. The next section identifies two groups of potential problems related to road tunnel design from the driver's point of view-those related to the general image of the tunnel, and those related to traffic flow and safety. Then, a case study of the proposed Stockholm tunnel system illustrates some real design responses to tunnel design problems. Based on these strategies and actual design approaches, a list of research questions is compiled. Finally, the two-phase research approach for this project is described. In phase one, computer models are developed and observations are made based on drive through simulations. In the second phase, subjects will be tested using the driving simulations at the Human Factors Research Lab to determine how their driving behavior is influenced by design elements.Item Enhancing Environment and Health in Transportation Project Design(University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 2007-12) Carmody, John; Singh, VirajitaGood transportation design that enhances communities results in positive impacts on the natural environment--the air, water, soil, and biodiversity that are the life support systems for human society on earth. Design of outdoor and indoor environments can also positively influence human health. The issues related to environment and health fall under the concept of sustainability. This research includes a review of environmental assessment methods, rating systems and guidelines that are currently being used to transform sustainable building practices in the United States. In addition, there is an examination of case studies of exemplary transportation projects demonstrating the benefits of sustainable design approaches. The research includes case studies at three scales--large-scale development, buildings, and infrastructure--and identifies the lessons learned from these projects. While environmental sustainability issues are not new in transportation projects, there is a new and growing recognition that problems are more extensive and more urgent than previously recognized and that there must be a deeper understanding of the connection between planning, design, and construction decisions, as well as their resulting impacts. Transportation design can and should address regional and community scale ecological issues. Effective practices include applying an integrated design approach, making environmental outcomes explicit in the design process, and measuring performance outcomes during the life of the project. An emerging set of sustainable guidelines and standards can be effective tools for setting goals and organizing the design process for well-designed transportation projects.Item Investigating the Effects of Roadway Design on Driver Behavior: Applications for Minnesota Highway Design(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 1999-02) Scallen, Stephen; Carmody, JohnThis report details a project to study the relationship between highway design and human behavior as influenced by roadside environments. In a visualization phase, computer simulation modeled an actual segment of urban highway planned for reconstruction in Tofte, MN Using a driving simulator, project design team members test drove the highway reconstruction project and evaluated the planned elements. In an experimentation phase, researchers tested drivers' responses to different design scenarios to identify the architectural and aesthetic elements with the greatest potential for calming or slowing traffic. Results indicated that the visualization phase increased communication among project team members and state agencies, facilitated problem Identification-resolution strategy development, and contributed to decision-making concerning potential design options and design elements. Data also indicated that white pavement treatments produced desirable traffic calming effects. Analyses of drivers' speed patterns indicated a consistent speed profile, characterized by both decreases and increases in speed. The report concludes with recommendations for the expanded use of visualization in general and the implementation of white pavement treatments in the target reconstruction project specifically. It also recommends further consideration of landscape architecture treatments.Item Underground Station Design Issues for Light Rail Transit in the Twin Cities Geology(1992-01) Carmody, John; Sterling, Raymond L.This study is intended to identify and analyze selected design issues for underground transit stations in the Twin Cities geology. The first part of the study consists of six chapters in which key underground station design issues are discussed. The second part includes the development and analysis of conceptual designs for three potential underground station sites: downtown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, and the airport. These designs reveal a number of issues related to specific sites and are intended to establish a range of options to be further evaluated by system planners. The report does not attempt to reproduce all station design provisions in the various applicable codes of practice, but does present many design suggestions culled from the authors' experience with underground building design and from the literature on transit station design and safety. A brief summary of highlights and conclusions, where applicable, follows for each chapter.