Announcements

EAR Program Initiates Research in Emerging Field of Experimental Economics
As a result of a Broad Agency Announcement for Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Proposals issued in December 2008, FHWA entered into a cooperative agreement with the University of Central Florida that will help determine fundamental behavioral characteristics of drivers. The research could lead to improved highway revenue collection. The approach— focused on characterizing drivers in terms of their value of time, risk attitude, accuracy of risk perception, and discount rate—uses experimentation to validate economic models of behavior.

Highlighted Activities

Estimating Travel Flows
The Federal Highway Administration Office of Highway Policy Information is leading an Exploratory Advanced Research Program project, which tests the feasibility of using existing data to estimate long-distance travel flows in the United States. Measures of multimodal, interregional travel by U.S. households are nonexistent in the transportation data arena. This is because information on long-distance travel between States and regions in the United States is difficult and expensive to collect.

For the last 30 years, both research and applications in travel demand modeling have been focused on local and metropolitan area movements, but these models do not work for understanding and forecasting intercity/interregional movement which involves a significantly different mix of trip purposes, modes, and other characteristics that affect travel behavior. There is currently no knowledge of the level and type of travel made by households across the Nation’s cities, States, and regions. This project will lay the groundwork for estimates of mode specific travel demand, supporting new policies and decisionmaking in the areas of fuel use, air quality, mobility, and congestion.

For more information, please contact David Jones (david.jones@dot.gov) or Heather Contrino (heather.contrino@dot.gov).

Nanoscale Workshop Hosted by FHWA
On March 5-6, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) hosted a workshop to identify interests and capabilities for nanoscale research that can be applied to highway industry subject matters. The workshop brought together FHWA technical experts with those from University Transportation Centers, Federal laboratories, and other organizations, which are conducting relevant nanoscale research. The information and thoughts shared at the workshop will shape the scope of FHWA's further investment in nanoscale research through an open solicitation, interagency agreement, or other appropriate mechanisms. The workshop supports the development of strategic roadmaps and outlines funding needs for nanoscale work that could lead to enhanced capabilities and longer term partnerships along specific lines of nanoscale investigations relevant to highway research. The FHWA Exploratory Advanced Research Program coordinated the workshop. For more information, contact: David Kuehn, david.kuehn@dot.gov, 202-493-3414.