Browsing by Subject "Analysis"
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Item Expanding and Streamlining of RTMC Freeway Network Performance Reporting Methodologies and Tools(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2014-01) Hourdos, John; Zitzow, StephenThe Twin Cities freeway network is a densely instrumented and growing transportation system. As the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) pursues a performance-based management strategy to monitor the health of the network and make planning and management decisions, the data from this vast network is being examined using a variety of methods. To provide MnDOT with timely performance information regarding the Twin Cities freeway network, a streamlined program was developed based on existing and new methodologies. The Highway Automated Reporting Tool (HART) utilizes a user-friendly interface for corridor, date, time, and report selection. Selected data are automatically examined to identify and correct errors and produce 'cleaned' data for use within each report. Using interpolation and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) techniques, small errors are corrected in place while preserving as much useful data as possible. Larger issues are corrected using an imputation algorithm that uses nearby sensors and historical data to create representative replacement data. In this first version of HART, four reports are included: Speed-Based Congestion, Congestion Intensity, Lost and Available Capacity, and Maximum and Total Throughput. The Speed-Based Congestion report matches the existing methodology used to generate the annual Congestion Report.Item ITS Personal Data Needs: How Much Do We Really Need to Know?(Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2012-07) Douma, Frank; Garry, Thomas; Simon, StephenThe recent spread of geolocation technology in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) raises difficult and important policy questions about locational privacy. However, much of the current public discussion on locational privacy and ITS appears at risk of becoming increasingly disconnected. In one camp are privacy advocates and others who oppose the spread of ITS locational technology on privacy grounds. In the other camp are technologists and the ITS industry who generally view privacy issues as a secondary matter. The net result is that the ITS privacy debate often involves two sides talking past each other, with too little energy spent on finding potential common ground. This disconnect in part results from a lack of basic clarity, on both sides, about just what the needs and interests of those involved in the ITS privacy issue are and how they relate to the betterment of the transportation system. This report sheds new light on the ITS privacy debate by identifying just who is involved in the ITS privacy problem and what their goals are with respect to privacy and ITS data. The analysis identifies the types of locational data and the methods for obtaining it that create privacy conflicts and, in turn, recommends general approaches for both policymakers and industry practitioners to better manage these conflicts. The report represents a first effort in mapping the interests of participants in the ITS privacy debate.Item Measuring Change: Evaluating Impact for Sustainable Programs(2015-04) Wilson, NatalieThis academic paper addresses the necessity and complexity of program evaluation, utilizing the comprehensive evaluation of the Illusion Theater’s “Keepin It Real” Program as a case study. I demonstrate how the “Keepin It Real” Program is pertinent to the conversation about the necessity of evaluation tools, and the results they can produce. The increase in demand for results-driven reporting has served as a catalyst to field-wide thinking about alternative ways to measure and report impact as a method for sustaining and improving programmatic activity.Item Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study: Environmental Study of Airborne Particulate Matter in Mesabi Iron Range Communities and Taconite Processing Plants - Development of Standard Operating Procedures for Particulate Collection and Gravimetric Analysis(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2019-12) Monson Geerts, Stephen D; Hudak, George J; Marple, Virgil; Lundgren, Dale; Olson, Bernard; Zanko, Lawrence M; Bandli, Bryan; Brecke, Devon MThe Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study (MTWHS) was initiated in 2008 and included a multicomponent study to further understand taconite worker health issues on the Mesabi Iron Range (MIR) in northeastern Minnesota. Approximately $4.9 million funding was provided by the Minnesota Legislature to conduct five separate studies related to this initiative, including: An Occupational Exposure Assessment, conducted by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH); A Mortality (Cause of Death) study, conducted by the University of Minnesota SPH; Incidence studies, conducted by the University of Minnesota SPH; A Respiratory Survey of Taconite Workers and Spouses, conducted by the University of Minnesota SPH; and An Environmental Study of Airborne Particulate Matter, conducted by the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). NRRI’s “Environmental Study of Airborne Particulate Matter” comprises a multi-faceted characterization of size-fractionated airborne particulate matter (PM) from MIR community “rooftop” locations, background sites, and all taconite processing facilities active between 2008 and 2014. Characterization includes gravimetric determinations, chemical characterization, mineralogical characterization, and morphological characterization. This report discusses the standard operating procedures for particle collection and gravimetric analysis. The methodology and practices that have been developed and performed have been completed in conjunction with NRRI’s Science Advisory Board and in collaboration with aerosol scientists at the University of Minnesota Department of Mechanical Engineering and University of Florida-Gainesville. As well, this report outlines the development of the sampling methodology and the history of in-house experiments conducted throughout the project to strengthen the sampling design that ultimately resulted in the development of the standard operating procedures adopted by, and practiced in, this portion of the study. Definitions for specific terms used in this document are consistent with terminology described in Appendix G.Item Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program Evaluation Study, Phase 2(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2011-05) Götschi, Thomas; Krizek, Kevin J.; McGinnis, Laurie; Lucke, Jan; Barbeau, JoeThe Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP) is a congressionally mandated program (SAFETEA-LU Section 1807) that, since 2006, has provided roughly $25 million each to four communities—Columbia, Missouri; Marin County, California; Minneapolis area, Minnesota; Sheboygan County, Wisconsin—to spur levels of walking and cycling via a variety of planning measures. The University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies is leading the community-wide population surveys for the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP), specifically in phase 2, to measure changes in levels of walking and bicycling as a result of the enhanced conditions for walking and bicycling. To evaluate impacts of the program, two community-wide surveys were conducted before (phase 1: 2006) and after (phase 2: 2010) the pilot program. This report describes the evaluation efforts based on community-wide population surveys. In contrast to project-specific evaluations, community-wide surveys serve the purpose of representatively assessing community-wide levels of nonmotorized travel behavior, which serve as the foundation for subsequent benefit calculations. The survey in phase 1 consisted of a short mail-out questionnaire and a computer assisted telephone interview (CATI) among respondents to the short questionnaire. In phase 2 the short questionnaire was integrated in the CATI. The final sample in phase 1 consisted of 1279 complete records and in phase 2 of 1807 complete records. Statistical analysis focused on evaluating differences between phase 1 and phase 2 in the core variables on nonmotorized travel behavior. The detailed analysis did not reveal any consistent or statistically significant differences between phases 1 and 2. It is important to point out that the inability to detect significant patterns of change is not synonymous to no change occurring. The report discusses some of the factors that make this type of research challenging.Item Parametric Evaluation of Performance Behavior in Hierarchical Storage Architecture(1997) Won, Youjip; Srivastava, JaideepIn this article, we investigate lhe performance behavior of a hierarchical storage architecture. Considering both the size of video files and the skewed file access patterns over the available files, it is not cost-effective to store all video files on secondary storage such as disk arrays, since most users may access only a small subset of the available video files. Using tertiary storage, such as a tape library, is a promising solution for achieving the desired cost effectiveness. Though a hierarchical storage structure is desirable, an unbalanced configuration of the storage hierarchy may result in waste of resources and thus degrade overall server throughput. Our effort is focused on investigating the effect of the various system parameters to obtain an optimal configuration of the hierarchical storage. Throughput of the server is defined along with two orthogonal performance metrics, namely expected service rime and system congestion and blocking probability. We establish an analytical formulation for the given performance metrics. Hierarchical storage performance is governed by several factors such as user-access pattern, number of tape drives, capacity of secondary storage, transfer rate of tape drives, and transfer rate of disks. It is observed that speeding up the rate of data transfer may in some cases increase the blocking probability and hence degrade overall server performance. We use a queuing model to obtain an analytical formulation of the server's performance. This enables us to investigate the effects of different configurations of the storage hierarchy and different data access patterns; it also provides a framework to determine the optimal configuration of storage hierarchies. The results of a simulation-based performance evaluation are also presented.Item Sound and semantics: topics in the music of Arnold Schoenberg(2013-08) Narum, JessicaArnold Schoenberg's music consistently invites criticism and analysis, much of which has used the tools of pitch-class set theory to focus on issues of structure and coherence rather than considerations of musical meaning. Because these approaches emphasize Schoenberg's break with tonality they fail to recognize the continuity of this repertory with its cultural and historical precursors, and thus minimize the extent to which we perceive Schoenberg as influenced by or in dialogue with earlier composers. Furthermore, because of their focus on pitch content, they tend to neglect the expressive potential of this music. By approaching Schoenberg's music with the tools of musical topic theory, the connections between this music and its historical and cultural contexts can be demonstrated and issues of musical meaning can be explored. Part I: Historical Background explores the historical context necessary for the analysis of Schoenberg's music. Chapter 1 surveys the analytical trends applied to Schoenberg's music through their approach to musical meaning; Chapter 2 provides a literature review of topic theory, addresses critiques thereof, and explores issues pertaining to our understanding of new topics. Part II: Analytical Approaches demonstrates four different applications of topical analysis. Chapter 3 considers the intersection of topics and leitmotiv in Schoenberg's Pelleas und Melisande to demonstrate how the topics and structure of the various leitmotivs convey and create associations between characters and ideas in the drama. Chapter 4 compares the use of the pianto and the chorale topic in all periods of Schoenberg's career, arguing that their presence in the atonal and twelve-tone works is increasingly motivated by issues of program and text. Chapter 5 features an in-depth analysis of the second of the Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11, using the unfolding of the topics to create a narrative that accounts for the tonal and atonal elements in the piece. Chapter 6 provides a lexicon of the topics in Schoenberg's atonal music which includes descriptions of the musical signifier and the cultural signifieds, multiple examples of the topic, and both earlier and later instances of similar passages from Schoenberg's work.Item Using Truck GPS Data for Freight Performance Analysis in the Twin Cities Metro Area(Minnesota Department of Transportation Research Services & Library, 2014-03) Chen-Fu, LiaoBuilding on our previous efforts to study freight mobility and reliability, a GPS-based data analysis methodology was developed to study the freight performance of heavy commercial trucks along 38 key freight corridors in the Twin Cities metropolitan area (TCMA). One year of truck GPS data collected in 2012 was obtained from American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) to study freight mobility and reliability. Several performance measures, such as truck mobility, delay, and reliability index, were computed and analyzed by route, roadway segment, and time of day. For data quality and reliability verification, average truck speed and hourly volume percentage computed from the truck GPS data were validated with weigh-in-motion (WIM) and automatic traffic recorders (ATR) data at selected locations. The GPS based freight analysis methodology offers potential opportunities for freight planners and managers to generate reliable measures in a timely manner. The resulting performance measures indicate that these measures derived from truck GPS data can be used to support the USDOT performance measure initiative and support regional surface freight planner in identifying freight bottlenecks, infrastructure improvement needs, and operational strategies to promote efficient freight movement. FHWA recently announced the National Performance Measurement Research Data Set (NPMRDS) to support its Freight Performance Measurement (FPM). The NPMRDS includes probe vehicle based travel time data in every 5-minute interval. This report also explored the feasibility of using one month of NPMRDS data in Minnesota to compute freight mobility and speed variations along the National Highway System (NHS) during AM and PM peak periods.Item Vehicle Automation and Transportability of Crash Modification Factors(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2019-07) Davis, Gary A; Gao, JingruAlthough the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) now provides empirical tools for predicting the safety consequences of highway engineering decisions, these tools represent the prevailing driver and vehicle conditions in the United States during the last few decades. As automated vehicles improve in capability and increase in market share, these conditions will change, possibly affecting the accuracy of HSM predictions. This report investigates the feasibility of using “transportability” analyses, developed by Judea Pearl and Elias Bareinboim, to assess the “transferability” of crash modification factors (CMF) to new situations. An overview in Chapter 2 concludes that transportability analysis is, in principle, possible provided one can describe a causal mechanism that explains how a CMF works. Chapter 3 then describes developing such an explanation for pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHB). In Chapter 4 the explanatory model developed in Chapter 3 is used to assess the transportability of existing estimates of PHB CMFs to a hypothetical situation where vehicles with autonomous braking are present.