Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Renatus N. Mussa, Florida State University, Dept. of Civil Engineering. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Mar. 8, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Renatus Mussa, Florida State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Civil Engineering. Title and description from dissertation home page (Jan. 13, 2005). Includes bibliographical references.

ix, 123 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / From its inception, the Oregon State Highway Department and Portland's political leaders repeatedly failed to address the city's automobile traffic problems. However, in 1955 the Highway Department published a comprehensive freeway plan that anticipated new federal funding and initiated an era of unprecedented road construction in the growing city. In the early 1960s, localized opposition to the city's Interstate system failed to halt the completion of three major routes. Yet, politically savvy grassroots activists and a new generation of local leaders used the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 to successfully stop the construction of two freeways in the mid 1970s. Though favorable legislation and the efforts of local politicians were instrumental in thwarting the Highway Department's plans, this study will focus on the crucial role played by the citizens who waged an ideological battle against recalcitrant highway engineers for Portland's future. / Committee in Charge: Ellen Herman, Chair; Jeffrey Ostler; Matthew Dennis

This thesis explores how the campaign for the The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways was a product of the 1950s military-industrial complex, which developed from a nationalist project seeking to confirm American exceptionalism during the early Cold War.

Previous studies show that pavement condition properties are significant factors to enhance road safety and riding experience, and pavements with low quality might have inadequate performance in terms of safety and riding experience. Pavement Management System (PMS) databases include pavement properties for each segment of the road collected by the agencies. Understanding the impact of road characteristics on crash frequency is a key step to prevent crashes. Whereas other studies analyzed the effect of different characteristics such as International Roughness Index (IRI), Rutting Depth (RD), Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT), this thesis analyzed the effect of Critical Condition Index (CCI) on crash frequency, in addition to the other factors identified in previous studies. Other characteristics such as Percentage of Heavy Vehicles, Road Surface Condition, Road Lighting Condition, and Driver Conditions are taken into the consideration. The scope of the study is the interstate highway system in Fairfax County, Virginia. Negative Binomial, Least Square and Nominal Logistic Models were developed, showing that the CCI value is a significant factor to predict the number of crashes, and that it has different effect for different values of AADT. The result of this study is a substantial step towards developing an integrated transportation control and infrastructure management framework. / Master of Science / Many factors cause crashes in the roads. Although there is a common sense that road characteristics such as asphalt quality are important in terms of road safety, there are few studies that scientifically prove that statement. In addition, asphalt maintenance decisions making process is mainly based on cost benefit optimization, and traffic safety is not considered at the process. The purpose of this study is to analyze crashes and road characteristics related to each crash to understand the effect of those characteristics on crash frequency, and eventually, to build a model to predict the number of crashes at each part of the road. The model can help transportation agencies to have a better understanding in terms of safety consequences of their infrastructure management plans. The scope of this study is the highway interstate system in Northern Virginia. Results suggest that pavement condition has a significant impact on crash frequency.