Hurricane Sandy struck the New York City-New Jersey region on October 29, 2012, with severe consequences to the transportation network, including both the road network and the transit system. This study used survey data from nearly 400 commuters in the New York City Metropolitan Area to determine the transportation disruptions and socio-demographic characteristics associated with travel changes and their duration for the home-to-work commute after Hurricane Sandy. Multi-variable binary logit modeling was used to examine mode shifting, cancelling the trip to work, route changing, and modifying departure time. Transit commuters were more likely to change modes, cancel the trip, and depart earlier. Women were less likely to change modes or depart later. Carpool restrictions encouraged mode changing and earlier departures. Delays/crowding increased the probability of route changes, canceled trips, and earlier departures. Durations of commute travel changes were modeled with accelerated failure time approaches (Weibull distribution). New Jersey Transit disruptions prolonged the time to return to the normal working schedule, telecommuting time, and the time of commuting patterns alterations. Gasoline purchase restrictions extended commuting delays and the duration of alteration of normal commute patterns but decreased the duration of the change of working schedule and location. The mode used under normal commute conditions did not have an impact on the duration of the changes, even though it has a significant impact on the selected changes. The results underline the need for policy makers to account for mode-specific populations and lower income commuters during post-disaster recovery periods. / Master of Science

The dissertation analyzes the history of tourism at Shaker communities from their foundation to the present. Tourism is presented as an interaction between the host Shakers and the visitors. The culture, expectations, and activities of both parties affect their relationship to each other. Historically, tourists and other visitors have gradually dominated the relationship, shifting from hostility based on religion to acceptance based on a romantic view of the Shakers. This relationship has spilled over into related cultural phenomena, notably fiction and antique collecting. Overall, the analysis extends contemporary tourism theory and integrates Shaker history with the broader course of American history.

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The sprawl of U.S. cities has attracted criticism from many sources in recent years. Among the greatest of the cited harms of sprawl is the alleged travel time burden that it imposes on its residents. Previous research has tested the relationship between the sprawl of business activity and travel times by examining only its effects on commuting times and has concluded that people do not choosing housing and work locations to minimize commutes. This research takes a more comprehensive approach by analyzing the relationship between household travel times and sprawl by testing the relationship between access to economic centers and daily household travel time. The relatively minor increase in household travel times with decrease in access to economic centers found by the analysis shows that people logically reduce trips to centers when choosing housing locations with less access to centers. The ability of people to make these reductions in travel is clearly increased by the dispersal of activity from the central business district and other centers. Comparison of predicted household travel times with an estimated rent gradient show that the increase in housing prices with improved access to subcenters is far less than would be expected given the predicted household travel times, contradicting the relationship between household travel time and housing prices embodied in central place theory and its limited polycentric extensions. An analysis of joined trips suggests that households with less access to economic centers used joined trips, in which multiple destinations are visited on a single trip from the home, to reduce household travel. All of the results suggest that auto use enables households throughout the metropolitan area to reduce travel time. The car has greater flexibility and speed than other modes, particularly in areas of lower density. The travel time savings and flexibility that are provided by the dispersal of economic activity have allowed people to choosing housing that they prefer at lower prices with little added transportation cost. Given these benefits we should carefully consider the manner and method we choose to reduce any negative externalities of sprawl and auto use. / Ph. D.

The Wilderness Road, starting in Big Lick (Roanoke today) was a primary route over the Allegheny mountains for travelers migrating to the Kentucky frontier. Ordinaries and taverns (referred to as public houses) were known to offer food and lodgings to travelers in the state capital city of Richmond, but little is known about what, if any, accommodations were available to these settlers headed westward through southwest Virginia. With the first stops along the Wilderness Road being in Montgomery County, this study sought to determine if public houses existed in this county between the years 1773-1823, and if so, where were they located and who operated them. Further, what was the typical design or plan of public houses and how would they have been furnished. What comparisons could be made between public houses in Richmond and on in southwest Virginia. County court records, including wills, appraisals, licensing records, and court order books revealed that public houses not only existed, but also there were often as many as 5 or 6 operating at one. A license had to be purchased each year from the court and names of proprietors were recorded. These listings also helped to identify structures standing today that once served as a public house. On site observations along with WPA (Work Projects Administration) reports and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources surveys documentation of historic houses in the county offered notable similarities in design and plan among five former houses selected for this study. Wills and appraisals provided some clues about furnishings. The result of this study adds an important chapter to the story of public houses in early Virginia history. / Master of Science

This dissertation centers on amateur films produced by Americans traveling to Asia in the mid-twentieth century. I examine the style and content of these films and place them in conversation with industrially produced media to elucidate their distinct aesthetic and means of production. Examining the amateur travel films of both tourists and soldiers, I investigate to what extent American filmmakers absorbed commercial cinema's racialized construction of Asia and how, if at all, their films depart from or even undermine such constructions. I posit that while these films certainly reflect Hollywood's orientalism, their unpolished, unguided nature also offers limited space for historically underrepresented Asian communities to (re)present themselves. Further, these amateur travel films prove powerful artifacts for exploring contemporaneous American social relations, including early-twentieth century gender roles, the sexual identification and desire of wartime soldiers, and the disillusionment of the Vietnam era. Filmmakers under discussion include an American diplomat serving in China, several women educators, and a number of soldiers who served in WWII or the Korean War or the Vietnam War. Engaging with anthropologists, film scholars (particularly those interested in amateur and ethnographic filmmaking), and cultural historians, I seek to demonstrate the scholarly value of the amateur travel film, suggesting that its polysemy and distinctive style merit further analysis for us to deepen our historical understanding of these films and their makers, but also of the film form at issue and of the cultural image the U.S. held of Asia and the Pacific during the time under investigation. / 2026-09-06T00:00:00Z

Active travel can provide short-term and long-term health benefits and has the ability to reduce the negative externalities of vehicular traffic, for example, congestion, land consumption, and air pollution. However, exposure to air pollution is higher for pedestrians and cyclists than other road users when considering inhalation rate and travel distance. Route choice for active travel is a potential strategy to reduce the adverse impact of exposure to air pollution. Multi-use trails could be an effective way to reduce health impacts as the pollutant concentration is typically lower on trails, however, proximity to nearby roadways can deteriorate the air quality in multi-use trails. The goal of this study is to investigate the air pollutant concentrations on multi-use trails adjacent to different roadway classification and identify the factors that influence air quality in multi-use trails. I collected pollutant concentrations of PM2.5, particle number, and black carbon using mobile monitoring on an e-bike. I identified five trail routes that run parallel to an interstate highway, principal arterial, and local roads for this study and collected pollutant concentrations during morning, afternoon, and weekend afternoon peak hours. The average concentration of PM2.5, particle number, and black carbon was 15.62 µg/m3, 9,857 pt/cc, and 595.36 ng/m3 respectively among all the trail routes used for this study. I observed higher pollutant concentrations during morning peak hours than afternoon peak hours. Also, concentrations were lower on weekends than weekdays. The pollutant concentrations were different among multi-use trails based on their proximity and characteristics of nearby roadways. The pollutant concentrations significantly declined when the trail segment was 50-100 meters away as compared to segments within 50 meters of nearby interstates, freeways, or collectors. Concentrations increased significantly for trail segments having a nearby road Annual Average Daily Travel (AADT) of more than 32,000. The regression models explain 65%, 59%, and 52% of variability in the PM2.5, particle number, and black carbon concentrations respectively. Nearby road AADT and road density were found to be significant for PM2.5, particle number, and black carbon concentrations. Cooking place (rest areas with barbeque grills) and construction sites were significant and positively associated with PM2.5 concentrations. Airport and construction sites near trails showed a positive relation to the particle number concentration. Parking spaces near trails increase the concentration of black carbon along trails. This study shows the impact of roadway proximity on the air quality of trails which should be considered by municipalities while planning for multi-use trail network to mitigate health risks of pedestrians and bicyclists on trails. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning / Traffic related pollutants such as PM2.5, particle number, and black carbon can cause short and long terms health impacts. Exposure to these pollutants varies by travel mode, duration, route selection, etc. People who bike or walk have higher exposure than other users when taking the inhalation rate and travel duration into account. Hence, route choice is important in active travel. Multi-use trails could be effective to reduce exposure as the pollutant concentrations are typically lower on multi-use trails. However, multi-use trails are often in close proximity to pollution sources (i.e. roadways). This study focuses on identifying the impacts of road proximity and other determinants of air quality along multi-use trails. I selected five multi-use trails based on the classification of adjacent roadway and collected air quality data. I found that air quality differs along trails based on the proximity of nearby roadway and the trail route along interstate highway had the highest concentration of pollutants. The concentrations of pollutants were higher during morning than afternoon and also, it was higher during the weekdays than weekends. Trail segments within 0-50m distance of a nearby interstate or freeway had the highest concentration which decreased as the distance from the interstate or freeway increased. Construction site, airport, and BBQ place along trails also worsened air quality on multi-use trails. This study demonstrates the importance of selecting trail locations when planning for the trail network to improve the air quality on multi-use trails that will further improve the benefits of active travel.