In medicine, the golden hour refers to the first 60 minutes immediately following traumatic injury. It is during this golden hour that medical treatment to prevent irreversible damage and optimize the chance of survival is most effective. To increase the portion of the golden hour...
The American Society of Civil Engineers' 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure notes that "one in four of the nation's bridges is either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete ... " and that "33% of America's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition ... .''...
Rural roads are critical links in the Nation's transportation system, providing travel and commerce for the approximately 60 million people living in rural America. About 80 percent of the Nation's roadway miles are rural. Many of these segments are experiencing traffic growth as...
The University Transportation Center for Alabama (UTCA) is conducting a 3-year pilot study to assess the impact of lap/shoulder seat belts on the safety of students in school buses. After a tragic school bus accident in Huntsville, Alabama, Governor Bob Riley appointed a seven...
The value of a Pavement Management System (PMS) and the planning and cost benefit tools it provides for decision making have long been recognized by those responsible for maintaining roadways. But to maximize the potential of a PMS, data revealing the history and condition of each...
Advances in weigh-in-motion systems and their expanding use allow increasing numbers of trucks to cruise past weigh stations, and their long lines, without even slowing down. But a shortcoming of these systems is that other truck data, including safety information, must still be...
Keeping aging transportation infrastructure, such as bridges, in a state of good repair with limited resources is a nationwide challenge. One way to get the most value per dollar is to apply technologies that deliver objective information on the condition of transportation...
As the United States races to put 1 million plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) on the road by 2015, several questions remain unanswered. Where will these vehicles be charged? Can our electrical grid handle the increase in demand? How will these vehicles impact the economy? Partnered with...
During the 2011 session of the Iowa State Assembly, a Midwest Transportation Consortium (MTC) evaluation of camera-based programs to reduce red light running was cited by the Transportation Subcommittee as key to defeating a bill that would have prohibited such programs in the State. The...