The Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development & Education (STRIDE)  Center is the 2016 USDOT Regional (Southeast) University Transportation Center (UTC) housed at the University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI). STRIDE focuses on developing novel strategies for Reducing Congestion.
RESEARCH
STRIDE Final Report
Transit in the Era of Shared Mobility

The objective of this study was to analyze the changes in transit ridership in the United States with the introduction of on-demand ridesourcing options, also known as Transportation Network Companies (TNCs). This study provides a development of transit agency peer groups using cluster analysis, an analysis of ridership change in three cities, an analysis of healthcare transportation services under the influence of Shared Mobility, and the future of Shared Mobility technology.

Researchers:
Dr. Kari Watkins, GaTech (Lead)
Dr. Noreen McDonald, UNC Chapel Hill
Dr. Ruth Steiner, UF
Dr. Billy Williams, NCSU
STRIDE Project Spotlight:
Discovering a Potential Market for the Integration of Public Transportation and Emerging Shared-Mobility Services

Researchers:
Dr. Lili Du, University of Florida
Dr. Xia Jin, Florida International University
The advancement of communication and information technology enables travelers to conveniently request, track and pay for trips via mobile devices. It promotes emerging travel modes such as shared-mobility services, which include car-sharing, bike-sharing, etc. As these advanced travel modes emerge, there is a pressing need to understand how they may reshape the way people travel and how these shared-mobility modes and the current public transit system may work together to find new opportunities for serving mobility needs. Although many have discussed the future of transit in light of emerging technologies, as well as their potential cooperation, very little is known on how to capture and quantify potential passengers and where and how we can integrate this emerging mobility and public transit service.
Dr. Lili Du, lead researcher on the study.
Dr. Huaguo Zhou is the lead researcher on the work zone study.
STRIDE Project Spotlight:
Evaluation of Work Zone Mobility by Utilizing Naturalistic Driving Study Data

Researchers:
Dr. Huaguo Hugo Zhou, Auburn University
Dr. Rod Turochy, Auburn University
As maintenance and construction work increase, work zone mobility has become a major concern for transportation agencies. However, the reduced operating speed, narrowed lane width and shoulder clearance, and other construction activities, not only results in crashes but also causes excessive delays. Most work zone mobility studies have mainly applied simulation-based, non-parametric methods to estimate and predict work zone capacities without considering the driver characteristics. In order to understand how actual work zone layouts, traffic conditions and driver behaviors affect work zone capacity, this study aims to evaluate work zone mobility by utilizing the naturalistic driving study data.
EDUCATION
STRIDE Student of the Year
M. Shoaib Samandar
We'd like to once again congratulate doctoral student M. Shoaib Samandar of North Carolina State University for being selected as the 2018 STRIDE Center's Student of the Year. Shoaib received the award during the Council of University Transportation Centers Banquet on January 12, 2019, in Washington, D.C., which was held in conjunction with the 96th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB). This award is given to a student at each University Transportation Center who demonstrates strength in areas such as technical merit and research, academic performance, professionalism, and leadership.
Shoaib Samandar at the Marriott Marquis with his award.
Congratulations to the STRIDE Student Poster Winners
Pictured from left to right: Dr. Lily Elefteriadou, Leila Azizi, Abhilasha Jairam Saroj and Mary Wolfe
1st Place:
Mary Wolfe, UNC
Poster: Healthcare Transportation Services: Policy Shifts and the Influence of Shared Mobility

2nd Place:
Abhilasha Jairam Saroj, GaTech

3rd Place:
Leila Azizi, FIU
Poster: Use of Connected Vehicle Data for the Estimation of Safety Performance Considering Emerging Technology Adoption
Student Highlights
Ghazaleh Azimi
Ph.D. student, Civil Engineering
Florida International University

Ghazaleh is working on a STRIDE project titled Discovering Potential Market for the Integration of Public Transportation & Emerging Shared-Mobility Services with Dr. Lili Du of UF and Dr. Xia Jin of FIU.

Natcha Luechakiettisak
Undergraduate student, Civil Engineering
Auburn University

Natcha is working on a STRIDE project titled Evaluation of Work Zone Mobility by Utilizing Naturalistic Driving Study Data  with Dr. Huaguo Zhou and Dr. Rod Turochy of Auburn University.

UAB Student Wins First Place in SDITE Technical Paper Contest
Sahila Sarjana won first place in the Southern District ITE (SDITE) graduate student technical paper contest. Her paper was titled: Identifying Micro-Level Determinants that Influence the Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) Growth through Analysis of Transportation Users’ Preferences and Attitudes. The paper was based on research funded by STRIDE and the Alabama Department of Transportation. The award was presented at the SDITE/ MCSITE Joint Meeting in Arlington, VA in April 2019. Sahila is a graduate research assistant at the UAB TREND Lab pursuing a master's degree in transportation engineering under Dr. Virginia Sisiopiku's supervision. Sahila is active in UAB's university community serving as a graduate student senator, president of the Association of Bangladeshis and treasurer of the UAB ITE Student Chapter.
Sahila Sarjana (left) with her graduate adviser, Dr. Virginia Sisiopiku (right).
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
Dr. Kari Watkins, Frederick Law Olmsted Associate Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Upcoming Webinar

Wednesday, June 12, 2019
12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) 

Comparing Transit Agency Peer Groups Using Cluster Analysis

Speaker: Dr. Kari Watkins, GaTech

This webinar features research from a STRIDE project titled Transit in the Era of Shared Mobility. For the abstract and to register, click on the link below.
STRIDE to Host Poster Sessions at Automated Vehicles Symposium
T he STRIDE Center will be hosting two poster sessions to showcase transportation research in Southeastern region. Poster sessions will take place on Tuesday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 17 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm in the exhibit floor area of the Orlando World Center Marriott. For more on the Automated Vehicles Symposium click here .
The AVS will take place July 15-18, 2019, at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida.
I-STREET Webinar Recording Now Available


If you missed Dr. Clark Letter's I-STREET webinar on Implementing Advanced Transportation Technologies through a Multi-modal Testbed , you can now view the full recording by clicking on the green button below. I-STREET (Implementing Solutions from Transportation Research and Evaluation of Emerging Technologies) is a multi-modal testbed born out of the partnership between the University of Florida (UF), the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and the City of Gainesville (CoG).
Pictured at left: Dr. Clark Letter
STRIDE Co-Sponsors TransportationCampSouth at GaTech
The sixth annual TransportationCamp South was held at Georgia Tech in February 2019. TransportationCamp is an “unconference," where sessions are proposed and led by attendees with the purpose of bringing together thinkers and doers in the fields of transportation and technology for a day of learning, debating, connecting and creating. About 200 people spent their Saturday attending three sessions and a networking lunch in the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons at GaTech. Session topics ranged from transit advocacy tips to big data for safety analysis and complete streets design to the future of micromobility. The event was organized by Dr. Kari Watkins, the transportation technology firm Conveyal, and the Citizens for Progressive Transit advocacy group with support from a host of local partners including the MARTA Army, Young Professionals in Transportation, Atlanta Streetcar, Georgia Bikes, and Route and Peds. STRIDE was a sponsor along with MARTA and the Georgia Transportation Institute.
Attendees during one of the "unconference" sessions at TransportationCamp South.
A board showing topic ideas for each session during the "unconference."
Dr. Justin Mason is the paper's lead author and is a post-doctoral associate in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Florida.
STRIDE Project on Older Drivers' Experiences with Autonomous Vehicles to be Presented at the Road Safety & Simulation Conference
Older drivers are the fastest growing segment of the driving population in the US. They experience age-related declines which are associated with higher crash risk and increased mortality rates. Crash mitigation strategies emerge as a critical factor in making the roads safer for all users and allowing older adults to stay active in their community. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) may provide a safe and equitable transportation opportunity for individuals who are no longer able to drive. However, little is known about adoption practices of older adults relayed to AVs. The aim of this study is to assess the perceptions, values, beliefs, and attitudes of older drivers before and after interacting with AV technology. To learn more about the study, click here.
K-12 ACTIVITIES
These two teachers are testing out their bridge after creating it from three sheets of paper, one folded to create triangles, a concept of bridge building and load distribution.
STRIDE Center at UF Hosts Teacher Workshop on Exploring Transportation & STEM
Ten teachers from Alachua County in Florida attended a one-day workshop at the University of Florida on June 6, 2019 that focused on science and technology concepts for grades levels 4 th through 7 th and explored transportation as a career option. Read about how the program was structured, the standards-based activities shown to teachers, and the visit to the county's Traffic Management Center. A video of presentations by faculty and students is also available.

AWARDS & OTHER NEWS
Dr. Lily Elefteriadou was recognized for her outstanding service as past president of the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) during the CUTC Awards Banquet in Washington, D.C. in January 2019. Dr. Elefteriadou was elected as president of the organization in 2017, serving for one year until June 2018. Congratulations!
Congratulations to Dr. Mohammed Hadi of Florida International University for receiving the Outstanding Service to the Engineering Profession Award from the Miami Chapter of the Florida Engineering Society in April 2019.
Dr. Kari Watkins of GaTech (at center) teaching a group of students during the Japan Summer Program in Sustainable Development in Tokyo. 
Congratulations to Dr. Kari Watkins of GaTech for being named among the top 100 Influential Women in the State of Georgia. [read more]

Dr. Watkins was also a guest on Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast, where she spoke about her research in the role of technology in transit. To listen to the podcast, click here.

And in March 2019, Dr. Watkins gave a talk at the Technical University of Delft in The Netherlands, which focused on maintaining and increasing transit ridership. [read more]
STRIDE Partners
University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI)
Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development & Education Center (STRIDE)