New Research Projects
In its sixth year of operation under the FAST Act, the STRIDE Center has selected a total of 15 projects during the latest round of submitted proposals. All projects are currently underway and listed below. For a complete list of all projects, visit https://stride.ce.ufl.edu/stride-research/active-research-projects/

Demand for Travel and Equity Assessment of Emerging Mobility Services for Transportation Disadvantaged Populations (Project A6)
PI: Dr. Eleni Bardaka, North Carolina State University

Optimal Charging Station Planning to Adapt Mass Adoption of Electric Vehicles under Both Normal and Evacuation Scenarios (Project B6)
PI: Dr. Lili Du, University of Florida

A Centralized Repository on Workforce Development in the Southeast (Project D6)
PI: Dr. Ruth Steiner, University of Florida

State DOT Policies Affecting Adaptive Street Use: Learning from COVID-19 Experiences (Project E6)
PI: Dr. Tabitha Combs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Simulating a Shift to E-Delivery: Impacts on Vehicle Miles Traveled (Project F6)
PI: Dr. Matthew Bhagat-Conway, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Evaluating Signal Timing Planning Options in Terms of Coordination between Successive Signals at Continuous Flow Intersections - Phase 2 (Project G6)
PI: Chris Cunningham, MSCE, PE     

Utilization of Connectivity and Automation in Support of Transportation Agencies’ Decision Making – Phase 2 (Project H6)
PI: Dr. Mohammed Hadi, Florida International University

Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram Estimation using Loop-Detector
Data (Project I6)
PI: Dr. Jorge Laval, Georgia Institute of Technology

Planning for Urban Freight: Putting it into Practice (Project J6)
PI: Dr. Noreen McDonald, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Promoting Transportation Equity (TE) through Curriculum Interventions (Project K6)
PI: Dr. Mehri Mohebbi, University of Florida

Locating and Costing Congestion for School Buses and Public Transportation, Phase II (Project L6)
PI: Kai Monast, MRP, North Carolina State University/ITRE

Analysis of Impacts of Pavement Quality Deterioration on Recurring Traffic Congestion (Project M6)
PI: Dr. Muhammad M. Sherif, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Real-time Safety Diagnosis System for Connected Vehicles with Parallel Computing Architecture (Project 06)
PI: Dr. Shuang Tu, Jackson State University

Promoting Equitable Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applications in Transportation (Project P6)
PI: Dr. Xiang 'Jacob' Yan, University of Florida

STRIDE K-12 Curriculum on Transportation Planning and Technology
(WKF-Project R6)
PI: Dr. Dimitra Michalaka, The Citadel
STRIDE Innovative & Cutting-Edge Products
STRIDE researchers have produced a variety of innovative and cutting-edge products, which can be found at https://stride.ce.ufl.edu/technology-transfer/products/.

Also, if you missed it, we invite you to check out the videos highlighting the various products discussed during the STRIDE Center's 3-day virtual showcase in November 2021. Visit the STRIDE Products Showcase event page at https://stride.ce.ufl.edu/2021/09/2021-stride-products-showcase/.

Below are the latest products generated by STRIDE researchers.
Product: A questionnaire that evaluates travel behavior among different population cohorts. The travel behavior data provide important insights for policy making and planning. [View]
Product: Improvements to traffic simulation models of freeway work zones. More accurate modeling of traffic conditions in freeway work zones can inform agencies on how best to reduce congestion when planning lane closures. [View]
Products: 1) Hybrid machine learning and fuzzy logic model for signal timing selection under non-recurrent conditions; and
2) Multi-objective optimization methods to select signal timing plans under congested conditions. Agencies can use the products to design and implement signal timing plans for activation during non-recurrent conditions. [View]
Product: A web mapping tool that calculates delay time and the relative costs of delays school and public transit buses experience due to congestion. Practitioners can use the tool to develop cost-effective solutions.
Workforce Development
New Course: Careers in Transportation
Under the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) New Initiatives program, Dr. Lily Elefteriadou, Ondine Wells, and Ines Aviles-Spadoni, have been awarded a grant to develop a 1-credit course to encourage students to consider transportation as a career. The course is scheduled for Fall 2022 and is designed for freshmen and sophomore students from all discipline areas within and outside engineering. Each week, professionals from around the country will share with students their own experiences in the transportation industry. A wide range of topics will be covered including autonomous vehicle technology, data analytics, and climate change.
STRIDE Researchers Create a Framework for the Development of a Diverse Transportation Workforce in the Southeast Region
To build a foundation for a thriving transportation workforce, Dr. Ruth Steiner, a professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Florida, and her colleagues at five universities across the southeast, embarked on a research project to understand how transportation workforce development (WKF) in the southeastern United States is defined, the challenges that need to be addressed, and the current state of workforce development practice. The findings yielded a set of recommendations as a foundation to create a healthy transportation workforce in the southeastern U.S. [Read more]
Engineering Club Mentored by STRIDE Wins First Place in Regional Future City Competition

The Engineering Club at Howard Bishop Middle school in Gainesville, Florida has a lot to cheer about this year. The team finished first place this year in the Tampa Bay regional Future City CompetitionTM. Ondine Wells, STRIDE K-12 Coordinator at UF, has mentored the club since its inception.
Researcher Spotlight
Researcher Spotlight
Dr. Xiang 'Jacob Yan, UF

Public transportation is what Xiang ‘Jacob’ Yan, an assistant professor in civil engineering at the University of Florida, would like the U.S. to have more of, and improving public transportation in the U.S. is what he was motivated to focus on during his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan. [Read more]
Researcher Spotlight
Dr. Tabitha Combs, UNC

Tabitha Combs is a research associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research activities focus on transportation and land use planning, and works to address the barriers to safe, affordable, and sustainable mobility.  Her recent research activities focus on understanding why some cities were quicker than others to provide residents with safe spaces for engaging in enriching activities such as walking and bicycling during an unprecedented global pandemic. [Read more]
Researcher Spotlight
Dr. Muhammad Sherif, UAB

Muhammad Sherif is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). His research program is dedicated for the development of novel multifunctional materials and smart infrastructural systems. [Read more]
Education
Student Spotlight - JSU
Di Wu, Doctoral Student

Di Wu, a doctoral student in transportation engineering at Jackson State University, is exploring ways to automate the plethora of data generated by transportation infrastructure as it relates to CAVs and safety.
Student Spotlight - UF
Ehsan Amini, Ph.D. (UF 2022)

When Ehsan Amini was an undergraduate student in Iran, a close family member died as a result of a traffic accident. To better understand what had transpired, he set off on a journey that took him to the site of the accident. Read more]
Student Spotlight - NCSU
Subid Ghimire, Doctoral Student

Subid Ghimire is a doctoral student at North Carolina State University working under the guidance of Dr. Eleni Bardaka. He is specializing in transportation planning, and his research focuses on studying the determinants of travel behavior of the disadvantaged. [Read more]
Awards
Mithila Hasan of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is the recipient of the inaugural 2022-2023 Civil Engineering Graduate Recruitment Initiative (CE-GRI) Fellowship. She joined UAB in the Spring 2022 to pursue an MSCE degree in transportation under the direction of Dr. Virginia P. Sisiopiku. She is a graduate research assistant in the UAB TREND Lab and a member of the UAB Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Student Chapter.
Mostafa Jafarzadehfadaki, a doctoral student in civil engineering at UAB, is the recipient of the 2021-2022 Outstanding International Ph.D. Student Award for the School of Engineering. Jafarzadehfadaki is a graduate trainee in the UAB TREND Lab, where he works under the supervision of Dr. Virginia P. Sisiopiku. His research is sponsored by STRIDE and focuses on the role of micromobility in the changing urban mobility landscape. He is the recipient of the UAB BlazerBest Graduate Research Fellow Award and currently serves as President of the UAB Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Student Chapter.
Technology Transfer/Webinars
This spring, STRIDE has hosted several monthly webinars on completed and ongoing research projects. The webinars are free and recordings are available at https://stride.ce.ufl.edu/technology-transfer/workshops-webinars-conferences/
Using Big Data to Spot Incident-Induced Congestion and Anticipate Demand-Induced Congestion
Micro-Mobility as a Solution to Reduce Urban Traffic Congestion

What do Drivers Really Think about Autonomous Vehicles? Quantifying Drivers' Perceptions before and after Exposure to Autonomous Vehicle Technology


The Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development & Education Center (STRIDE) is the
2016 Region 4 (Southeast) U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Center headquartered at the University of Florida Transportation Institute.
STRIDE Partners
University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI)
Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development & Education Center (STRIDE)