Master of Science / Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Malgorzata J. Rys / Centerline rumble strips (CLRS) are raised or indented patterns installed in the center of undivided rural two-lane highways. Their main function is to alert drivers who are encroaching or leaving the intended travel lane, by producing vibration and noise when crossed by vehicles’ tires. CLRS have been demonstrated to be an effective way in reducing head on and opposite direction sideswipe on two-lane highways (cross-over accidents). However, there are some disadvantages in their utilization, such as the exterior noise created by the strips, which may disturb residents in the highway vicinity. The objective of this study was to verify if the amount of noise created by CLRS is enough to impact negatively on residences and businesses, and to discover if the mean level of noise created by CLRS is statistically different than the noise generated by vehicles driving over smooth pavement. Two types of vehicles were driven over two different patterns of milled-in CLRS (rectangular and football-shaped) and over smooth asphalt pavement, at two different speeds. Researchers collected the noise levels at three distances 50, 100, and 150 feet, measured orthogonally from the center line, in 8 different open space locations. Results indicate that vehicle type, vehicle speed, pavement type, location and distances affect the levels of noise. In addition, both football and rectangular CLRS produced significantly higher levels of noise as compared to the smooth asphalt pavement. A 15 passenger van produced higher levels of noise in comparison with a sedan. Moreover, lower the vehicle speed, noise levels were lower. At every 50 feet of distance, the noise levels dropped significantly. CLRS do increase levels of noise relative to smooth pavement at distances up to 150 feet.

Master of Science / Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Malgorzata J. Rys / The community of Manhattan, Kansas was recently chosen as the future site of the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). At this site, research of agricultural and animal diseases and pathogens will take place. Due to the fact that the site will be in close proximity to a university, as well as many residents, a risk assessment must be completed to determine whether or not the current road infrastructure would be sufficient for evacuating the city in the event of an emergency. It should be noted that while NBAF is a large concern for this report, risk management is important in other scenarios as well, such as natural disasters or chemical spills, and this information can be applied to such events. This paper discusses the creation and analysis of a discrete-event simulation using ARENA software. The simulation described several scenarios. They were a base case scenario with only campus traffic evacuating; a scenario in which campus and outside traffic evacuate; a case with increased outside traffic; a case in which a vehicle breaks down; a case which includes guardians of children attending campus childcare are re-routed to pick up their children before evacuating; a case which accounts for reduced traveling speeds due to cell phone usage; and a case which closes a direction outside of Manhattan due to wind direction. Such simulations are an ideal performance measure of traffic flow under certain conditions due to the fact that physical resources are not needed to make a realistic comparison between each of them. Each of the situations described above were compared based on percentage of traffic leaving Manhattan and arriving at a defined safe zone each hour. Based on the findings, those involved with disaster management planning can determine if the percentages of vehicles leaving the system per hour are acceptable. They should be evaluated against potential spread rates of diseases to ensure that all residents may evacuate without the danger of becoming infected. For applications outside of NBAF, the results give insight into the degree of change in evacuation percentage that changes within the system may cause, and change any routing accordingly.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Civil Engineering / Eugene Russell / It has been well documented that roundabouts can offer several safety and operational benefits over signalized and stop controlled intersection alternatives. However the growing use of roundabouts and their benefits could be greatly diminished because they may not be well designed for large trucks, or to accommodate oversize/overweight (OSOW) vehicles which may be essential to a state’s industry and economy. This dissertation addresses concepts to better design roundabouts for use by owners/operators of typical large trucks, and that will also accommodate OSOW vehicles where appropriate. Roundabout safety generally decreases with increased roundabout size, wider lanes and larger radii, the geometric parameters that benefit large trucks and OSOW, thus a better balance is needed. This study accomplishes this balance by initially reviewing and incorporating those portions of the study “Accommodating Oversize Overweight Vehicles at Roundabouts” that were researched, completed and written by the author of this dissertation, and which compiled current practice, research and concerns by various U.S. states and concerns of the trucking industry, by conducting four different surveys. Then to meet these concerns expressed by survey respondents, a great number of possible accommodation, strategies and design templates were developed by using existing design software. An evaluation method was also developed. Two additional, needed studies, not previously reported in any published literature, addressed : 1. a vertical, ground clearance analysis, and 2. a study of the use of roundabouts in urban freight networks to incorporate their inherent benefits ,such as, reducing congestion, delay and pollution. The first analysis described above was conducted by using software with 3D analysis capabilities to check and recommend critical vertical grades and maximum dimensions for a range of large truck types and OSOW vehicle configurations. Guidelines were developed to avoid problems of low, ground clearance vehicles scraping roundabout surfaces (“hanging up”). The second study used existing software that relates intersection types to intersection traffic flow efficiency and related pollution, on a number of routing scenarios to test the hypothesis that integration of roundabouts in these freight networks improves traffic flow, and decreases delay, congestion and pollution. The results were mixed but the procedure is sound and should be beneficial for future use by researchers and decision makers.

Master of Arts / Department of Economics / Michael W. Babcock / Many of the railroad demand studies are out-dated, lacking the most recent data. We felt that it is time to re-evaluate the rail markets to determine if changes have occurred in the determinants of railroad demand. This paper examines the effects of industrial production and revenue per ton of railroads on the demand for railroad service for selected manufactured goods. Also there appears to be a fundamental shift in railroad pricing after 2004. Thus a dummy variable for the 2005-2010 period was included in the model. Although there is variation in the price elasticity of demand across the manufactured goods markets, all are price inelastic.

Master of Science / Department of Civil Engineering / Mustaque Hossain / The AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures is the primary document used by the state highway agencies to design new and rehabilitated highway pavements. Currently the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) uses the 1993 edition of the AASHTO pavement design guide, based on empirical performance equations, for the design of Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCP). However, the newly released Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) provides methodologies for mechanistic-empirical pavement design while accounting for local materials, environmental conditions, and actual highway traffic load distribution by means of axle load spectra. The major objective of this study was to predict pavement distresses from the MEPDG design analysis for selected in-service JPCP projects in Kansas. Five roadway sections designed by KDOT and three long term pavement performance (LTPP) sections in Kansas were analyzed. Project-specific construction, materials, climatic, and traffic data were also generated in the study. Typical examples of axle load spectra calculations from the existing Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) data were provided. Vehicle class and hourly truck traffic distributions were also derived from Automatic Vehicle Classification (AVC) data provided by KDOT. The predicted output variables, IRI, percent slabs cracked, and faulting values, were compared with those obtained during annual pavement management system (PMS) condition survey done by KDOT. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to determine the sensitivity of the output variables due to variations in the key input parameters used in the design process. Finally, the interaction of selected significant factors through statistical analysis was identified to find the effect on current KDOT specifications for rigid pavement construction. The results showed that IRI was the most sensitive output. For most projects in this study, the predicted IRI was similar to the measured values. MEPDG analysis showed minimal or no faulting and was confirmed by visual observation. Only a few projects showed some cracking. It was also observed that the MEPDG outputs were very sensitive to some specific traffic, material, and construction input parameters such as, average daily truck traffic, truck percentages, dowel diameter, tied concrete shoulder, widened lane, slab thickness, coefficient of thermal expansion, compressive strength, base type, etc. Statistical analysis results showed that the current KDOT Percent Within Limits (PWL) specifications for concrete pavement construction are more sensitive to the concrete strength than to the slab thickness. Concrete slab thickness, strength, and truck traffic significantly influence the distresses predicted by MEPDG in most cases. The interactions among these factors are also almost always evident.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Mary C. Kingery-Page / People often move through public transit space only recognizing the functional qualities. In such an environment we become faceless bodies moving through the landscape. As our environments become increasingly functional, so do humans—we cycle anonymously between work and home with little spontaneous interaction occurring in between. The daily routine is executed in nonplace: “Where once there were places we now find nonplaces. In real places the human being is a person. He or she is an individual, unique and possessing a character. In nonplaces, individuality disappears. In nonplaces, character is irrelevant and one is only the customer or shopper, client or patients, a body to be seated, and address to be billed, a car to be parked” (Oldenburg 1989, 205). The Maplewood light rail station in St. Louis County, Missouri is an example of nonplace. Although functional, the landscape lacks character. In order to combat nonplace sociologist Ray Oldenburg suggests that we cultivate third places—liminal spheres between home and work that facilitate informal social interaction. A major component of third place is user accessibility. Therefore, the ability to physically and mentally access public transit space will be investigated as a design dilemma. Through the reframing of physical and mental accessibility the Maplewood MetroLink station will evolve into a third place capable of supporting informal social interaction. In order to understand the factors influencing social interaction in public transit space, five precedents were examined using the Project for Public Spaces definition of “place.” Characteristics found to promote social activity include linkages, flexibility, imageability and social infrastructure. The factors were further defined as ‘mental’ or ‘physical’ accessibility which were then used to analyze the Maplewood MetroLink station. After examining physical and mental accessibility at the Maplewood MetroLink station, a design solution was proposed. The design encourages users to pause and interact with each other and the landscape in a highly mobile environment.

Master of Science / Department of Civil Engineering / Mustaque A. Hossain / Over the lifetime of an asphalt concrete (AC) pavement, the roadway requires periodic resurfacing and rehabilitation to provide acceptable performance. The most popular resurfacing method is an asphalt overlay over the existing roadway. In the design of asphalt overlays, the thickness is related to the structural capacity of the existing pavement. As the layers are overlaid, their structural characteristics change due to aging of asphalt. However, currently there is no method to determine the effect of aging on the structural capacity of an existing pavement. This study examined structural characteristics of six test roadways in Kansas using three different test methods: Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), Portable Seismic Property Analyzer (PSPA), and Indirect Tensile (IDT) test. The results were analyzed to determine how the modulus of an AC pavement layer changes over time. The results indicate that as the AC pavement ages, its modulus decreases due to pavement deterioration, especially stripping. Two test roadways that showed little signs of stripping had a minimal reduction or even an increase in AC moduli. Thus, the stripping issue needs to be addressed to ensure longevity of AC pavements. While the correlation between test methods studied was mostly consistent for each roadway, no universal correlation was found. The structural coefficient of each AC layer was determined based on the resilient modulus of the layer. It was found the structural layer coefficients do not typically decrease with age at the same rate, and the rate of decrease is a function of the distresses observed.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Huston Gibson / Studies have shown that, since the early 1980s, the prevalence of overweight children and youth in the U.S. has tripled from approximately five to 16 percent of the population. Simultaneously, fewer and fewer children have been walking and cycling to school. Children—especially those aged 10 to 15 years—have some of the highest per capita traffic-related bicycle fatality and injury rates. While bicycle organizations, states and communities across the country have developed a variety of education programs independently and cooperatively with the National Safe Routes to School program, there is a lack of evaluation of the impact on bicycle safety, of different programs in different contexts, and of whether educational interventions reduce the risk of crashes and injuries. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Safe Routes to School programs with in-school bicycle education at reducing the crash rate and improving the safety of children and youth cyclists. The causal-comparative research design utilized bicycle mode share data collected from the National Center for Safe Routes to School for five existing programs—Boulder Valley School District Safe Routes to School, Eugene-Springfield Safe Routes to School, Safe Routes Philly, Portland Safe Routes to School, and Marin County Safe Routes to School—and crash data before and after program implementation for those respective communities. The crash assessment revealed a decreasing trend in crashes involving children and youth cyclists around treatment schools in the Eugene, OR and Philadelphia, PA program study areas, and at the aggregate level across program areas; but, this trend was not statistically significant when compared to the change in crashes around control schools in a quasi-experimental analysis. Nevertheless, the increase in students cycling to and from school reported by all but one of the programs, and the increase in exposure to crash risk as a result, indicated that the Safe Routes to School programs did not cause a decrease in the safety of student cyclists. Additional rigorous evaluations are needed utilizing randomized controlled design to maximize the reliability of reported findings and to aid decisions about where to invest resources in community-based approaches to injury prevention for cyclists.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Hyung Jin Kim / Walkability is a challenge for most suburban metropolitan areas. Specifically, the Kansas City suburban cities of Overland Park, Olathe, Leawood, and South KCMO have sprawled and disconnected urban patterns and a low average walkability score of 37 out of 100 (Walk Score, 2013, https://www.redfin.com/how-walk-score-works/). The Indian Creek Trail, an existing recreational trail that extends throughout the southern Kansas City neighborhoods, has the potential to improve walkability. It connects major destinations, including residential communities, businesses, and commercial districts throughout the suburban neighborhoods. Many studies have analyzed suburban sprawl and walkability, but few studies have identified the possibility of enhancing existing trail systems to provide for greater mobility, connectivity, and activity. The study examines the feasibility of reusing an existing trail system to act as a catalyst to promote walkability in the Kansas City suburbs. The goal of the project to create a paradigm shift in the way people think about transport and development. The purpose is to identify how centering walkable strategies around an active transportation network can promote walkability in sprawled suburban areas. The question: How can focusing improvement around existing trail infrastructure enhance walkability in suburban areas? has guided the project and helped define strategies for improvement. This project identifies the Indian Creek Trail’s current and potential uses from an in depth community and spatial analysis. Surveys, interviews, and observations were conducted within 13 major destination areas along the Indian Creek Trail. The results were then analyzed to create an evidence‐based design framework that will address walkable concerns. The project results showed there were three primary causes for walkable limitations along the trail network: current transportation trends, suburban development patterns, and social perceptions. Understanding these important aspects of walkability helped identify a framework for improvement. The findings from the analysis determined the site restrictions and prospects of creating a walkable environment along the Indian Creek Trail. The results identified primary locations of needed intervention and revealed major opportunities for connection. The design then applied walkable components based on analysis findings to create nodes of complete communities. Design decisions were tailored to amend community needs and alter traditional transport perceptions. The objective of the designs was to address specific walkable limitations to create reasonable solutions in suburban areas. The project identifies 5 primary components of walkability that can be used to create a walkable plan. Future studies would revolve around implementing the designs and analyzing the effectiveness to create a model that can be applied to enhance walkability for other suburban areas. Ultimately, the results could establish how improved walkability can promote multi‐modal transportation opportunities where population, density, diversity, and funding do not allow for typical transportation or development enhancements.

Master of Science / Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering / Christopher L. Lewis / This thesis describes the development of an automated computer vision system that identifies and inventories road signs from imagery acquired from the Kansas Department of Transportation's road profiling system that takes images every 26.4 feet on highways through out the state. Statistical models characterizing the typical size, color, and physical location of signs are used to help identify signs from the imagery. First, two phases of a computationally efficient K-Means clustering algorithm are applied to the images to achieve over-segmentation. The novel second phase ensures over-segmentation without excessive computation. Extremely large and very small segments are rejected. The remaining segments are then classified based on color. Finally, the frame to frame trajectories of sign colored segments are analyzed using triangulation and Bundle adjustment to determine their physical location relative to the road video log system. Objects having the appropriate color, and physical placement are entered into a sign database. To develop the statistical models used for classification, a representative set of images was segmented and manually labeled determining the joint probabilistic models characterizing the color and location typical to that of road signs. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were generated and analyzed to adjust the thresholds for the class identification. This system was tested and its performance characteristics are presented.