Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Hyung Jin Kim / A significant decline of mental and physical health exists within college students today (ACHA, 2014; Gallagher, 2006). Recently, to promote mental health, restorative landscapes have emerged as a trend in healthcare environments by formalizing the healing properties of nature within a designed environment. Humans have been shown to undergo a measurable relief of stress, improved attention, and an improved overall sense of well-being when exposed to a restorative landscape setting. Opportunities exist for university campuses to more advantageously employ the mental health benefits of restorative landscapes. Furthermore, to address physical health, the university campus holds unique opportunities to increase students’ physical activity through promotion of active lifestyles using active modes of transportation. Campus streets, based on their lack of affordances to promote mental and physical health as well as their inherent connectivity to key campus buildings and spaces are investigated as a site for a designed solution. A recent trend of campus street conversions to pedestrian malls is identified and explored as a tool to facilitate creation of a restorative and active campus. The project, based in two fundamental research questions, investigates how campus street design can improve the collective mental health of college students, and how campus street design can promote physical health. Literature review analysis reveals theories and principles of restorative landscape and campus design. The project unites these findings with case study analysis to form a framework to facilitate the design of restorative environments within a university campus. Pragmatic evidence of built environment interventions has been synthesized from literature review and case study analysis into an additional framework to increase physical activity through active transportation. Kansas State University’s campus has been identified as a suitable case for a design proposal. Planning and design decisions at three nested scales are made to illustrate how the frameworks may be applied to reclaim a campus street as an active and restorative “garden street.” In the context of declining mental and physical health among college students, the synthesis of principles related to restorative landscape design and active transportation presents a valuable structure to mitigate declining mental and physical health of students.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Michael W. Babcock / Today’s rail industry is the outcome of years of regulatory and technological change. Since the passage of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 the industry has seen consolidation through mergers and acquisitions. The rail industry in Montana has a rich rail history that includes the completion of a northern east-west route over 100 years ago that provided a commerce route from the interior of the US heartland to the ocean ports in the Pacific Northwest. In those hundred years the rail traffic across Montana has seen dramatic change. In the past, those routes have provided access for Montana freight; today those routes primarily serve the needs of consumers and industries far beyond Montana. While the state’s economy is primarily agricultural, the largest user of rail transportation is the energy industry. This leaves the agriculture industry with a lower priority for access, providing a quandary for rail service for the grain industry in the state. In a state where more than eight national and regional rail carriers once operated, Montana is now only serviced by a small handful, one of which operates over 80% of the rail miles within its borders. Furthermore that carrier provides service through those regions that are almost strictly agricultural, needing the greatest access to the most cost effective means of transportation for the bulk movement of grain. The objectives of this thesis are to develop a model to measure railroad costs and competition; determine the principal cost determinants and measure intramodal competition by comparing the rates in a captive market (Montana) to one with more intramodal competition (Kansas).

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Vincent R. Amanor-Boadu / Over the last few years there have been many changes to the container export industry. There are a variety of reasons for these changes including exchange rate fluctuations, fuel and energy price fluctuations and their effects on bulk freight rates. The pressure to enhance and remain competitive has also increased amid these rapid changes. An effective strategy is for companies to focus attentions on costs they can control. In the container freight industry, one of these costs is reducing the “paper” aspects of operations and increasing its “electronic” aspects. This thesis focuses specifically on evaluating FileBound®, document management software, for the purpose of going “paperless” in a Container Freight, Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) and freight forwarding company. Going paperless has many advantages: increased efficiency, paper and printing cost savings, time savings, storage cost savings, environmental benefits, efficient file retrieval, and enhanced customer service. By adopting the FileBound® technology, the case study company hopes to achieve most of these benefits, allowing it to reduce overall costs, and especially, reduce the number of employees managing physical documents and move people into sales and marketing. The critical assumption of the study was that the electronic processes contributed to time savings and it is from these time savings that most of the other benefits emanated. Therefore, a time study was conducted to determine the time savings resulting from using FileBound® in comparison to the current method in the file completion process. The data collected was analyzed using regression analysis to determine the factors that influenced time savings, if any, and their statistical significance. There are three specific activities involved with the process of completing a transaction in the container freight business: booking, instruction and bill of lading. The analysis was conducted for each of these steps in the process. The results show that the different methods, FileBound® or manual, were not statistically significant on determining the time it took to complete the file. That being said, this thesis recommends that a mixture of both the FileBound® and manual method be used to take advantage of the potential cost savings.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / John W. Keller / The purpose of this document is to use an existing transit system as the standard by which another community can model their own. It begins with the discussion of a brief history of mass transit in the United States—focusing on the detail that competing automobile manufacturers began the demise of transit ridership in this nation. As the 1950s came to a close, the nation’s transit systems saw the peak of ridership. However, the post-war era brought about massive suburbanization and more automobiles per household. The American no longer needed to ride transit, except for those still living in the dense urban cores of cities like New York City. The document moves into the discussion of the fundamentals of mass transit. It explains the importance of population base, ridership, and funding. Depending on the type of system, a minimum population base is recommended in order to support the proper system. Ridership is a key focus of transit, for without it, a community is just wasting resources. Finally, funding is very important. No transit system can support itself on fares alone and still remain a viable alternative to the automobile. Transit systems must procure funding from a variety of sources including all levels of government in order to obtain sufficient revenue to operate successfully. The heart of the document focuses on the CyRide bus system in Ames, Iowa—serving the Ames community and Iowa State University since 1976. CyRide is a special system in that it serves a total population of only 54,000, but sees an annual ridership of 5 million. Their success is based on a longstanding relationship with the community complimented by staff that posses the passion to ensure the highest quality service day-in and day-out. This report discusses the fine details of how that system functions on all levels. The document concludes with the discussion of Manhattan, Kansas—a city with approximately the same population as Ames, and is home to Kansas State University, which as approximately the same student enrollment as Iowa State. Manhattan currently does not have a transit system, but is seeking to implement one in the coming years. The overall intent of this report is to draw conclusions based on the performance of CyRide and provide recommendations to the City of Manhattan regarding the implementation and operation of a transit system.

Master of Science / Department of Civil Engineering / Mustaque A. Hossain / Preventive maintenance strategies are applied to pavement to bring it back to appropriate serviceability when it starts to deteriorate soon after construction due to several factors, e.g., traffic loading, deterioration of pavement materials, and climatic effects. In recent years, more and more highway agencies are adopting preventive maintenance strategies and moving away from rehabilitation actions since rehabilitating pavements at near failure is not a cost-effective pavement management technique. A variety of preventive maintenance treatments or thin surface treatments are available to bring pavements back to appropriate serviceability for road users. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has adopted several preventive maintenance treatments including thin overlay, ultra-thin bonded asphalt surface (Nova Chip), chip seal, and slurry seal. This thesis discusses the effectiveness of thin surface or preventive maintenance treatments applied in 2007 on 16 highway sections in Kansas. Three types of thin surface treatments, 25-mm Hot-Mix-Asphalt (1” HMA) overlay, ultra-thin bonded asphalt surface (Nova Chip), and chip seal, were examined in this study. These treatments were applied on three types of surface preparation, namely, bare surface, 25-mm surface recycle (1” SR), and 50-mm surface recycle (2” SR). Effectiveness of the thin surface or preventive maintenance treatments for mitigating typical distresses and enhancing pavement performance was evaluated by conducting before-and-after (BAA) comparisons. All data required for this study were extracted from the Pavement Management Information System (PMIS) database of KDOT. It was observed that transverse and fatigue cracking significantly decreased and rutting conditions were improved after the thin surface treatments were applied. Roughness conditions were observed to be better on the highway test sections treated with 25-mm (1”) HMA and Nova Chip, while the effects of chip seals on reducing roughness were not as obvious. Benefit and performance levels of the pavements were observed to rise after the thin surface treatments were applied. The Hamburg Wheel-Tracking Device (HWTD) test was conducted on core samples taken from the highway sections under this study. Laboratory test results showed that most projects exceeded the maximum rut-depth limit (20 mm) specified for 20,000 wheel passes, and the number of wheel passes to failure varied significantly among the projects. Cores from only three projects, two treated with Nova Chip and one with 25-mm (1”) HMA, carried 20,000 wheel passes without exceeding the maximum rut limit of 20 mm (0.8 inch). Pair-wise comparisons or contrasts among the treatments were also performed with the statistical analysis software, SAS. Air void of the HWTD test cores was found to be a significant factor affecting performance of thin surface treatments. The results also revealed that performance was significantly affected by the type of treatment and surface preparation.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Allen Featherstone / The thesis assesses the viability of investing in a new grain discharge terminal at the port of Santos, located in the Brazilian southern region, used mostly for wheat but also for malt and malting barley operations. ABC Intl suffered losses of more than USD 1.0 million in 2006 due to demurrage costs at berth 39, used by ABC Intl to export and import grains, sugar and soybean. Congestion tends to increase with the growth of Brazilian soybean and sugar cane production and exports (average 5.0% per year) and 2.0% growth of wheat imports. Demurrage losses are expected to amount to USD 3.0 million by the year 2011 if no investments are made. A brief summary of Brazilian wheat supply and demand for the last five years is presented. Brazil is a net importer between 6.0 and 8.0 million metric tons of wheat per year, to supply the 10.0 million metric ton internal demand. Brazilian wheat imports through the port of Santos average 1.6 million metric tons per year from 2000 to 2006. Sao Paulo is the most populated Brazilian city with more than 18.0 million inhabitants. Its wheat consumption amounts to a third of the total Brazilian consumption and represents around 3.0 million metric tons per year. The thesis analyzes data related to berth 39 activities in the past seven years. A 56-day lineup in 2006 represented more than USD 1.0 million demurrage costs. The thesis forecasts the activity of berth 39 for next five years with and without investment at the new terminal. The new terminal will result in an average of USD 1.8 million savings on demurrage costs over five years. Codesp, Companhia Docas de Sao Paulo, the governmental authority in the port of Santos, is offering a unique opportunity for ABC Intl to invest in a new terminal for grain imports granting the land at no cost. The new terminal would be located at the middle of the port (berth 13/14) close to the railroad and the main avenue in the port of Santos, allowing discharging, storing and loading grain to trucks and wagons. ABC Intl needs to invest USD 5.0 million in the new terminal. It comprises the dismantling and rebuilding of all the grain discharge equipment that will be moved from shed 39 to the new terminal, including two suckers and conveyor belts. The thesis analyzes four different wheat import scenarios for the next five years. In addition, the same scenarios are analyzed for a 10-year period for comparison purposes. The weighted average of the Net Present Value of the four different investment scenarios, considering the probability of each occurring, is a positive USD 78,908 with 13.1% Internal Rate of Return, compared to 9.0 % ABC Intl opportunity cost of capital. It must be considered that the Net Present Value is a conservative figure since it does not take into account the savings on demurrage at berth 39, forecasted to be more than USD 3.0 million in the year 2011 if the company does not invest in the new terminal construction. It is recommended the ABC Intl invest in the new terminal to improve the overall logistics of the port and the quality of the service. This will avoid unnecessary demurrage costs and improving shareholders wealth by investing in a project with positive Net Present Value.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Civil Engineering / Sunanda Dissanayake / Young drivers have elevated motor vehicle crash rates compared to other drivers. This dissertation investigated characteristics, contributory causes, and factors which increase the injury severity of young driver crashes in Kansas by comparing them with more experienced drivers. Crash data were obtained from the Kansas Department of Transportation. Young drivers were divided into two groups: 15-19 years (teen) and 20-24 years (young adult) for a detailed investigation. Using data from 2006 to 2009, frequencies, percentages, and crash rates were calculated for each characteristic and contributory cause. Contingency table analysis and odds ratios (OR) analysis were carried out to identify overly represented factors of young-driver crashes compared to experienced drivers. Young drivers were more likely to be involved in crashes due to failure to yield-right-of way, disregarding traffic signs/signals, turning, or lane changing, compared to experienced drivers. Ordered logistic regression models were developed to identify severity affecting factors in young driver crashes. According to model results, factors that decreased injury severity of the driver were seat belt use, driving at low speeds, driving newer vehicles, and driving with an adult passenger. The models also showed that alcohol involvement, driving on high-posted-speed-limit roadways, ejection at the time of crash, and trapping at the time of crash can increase young drivers’ injury severity. Based on identified critical factors, countermeasure ideas were suggested to improve the safety of young drivers. It is important for teen drivers and parents/guardians to gain better understanding about these critical factors that are helpful in preventing crashes and minimizing driving risk. Parents/guardians can consider high-risk conditions such as driving during dark, during weekends, on rural roads, on wet road surfaces, and on roadways with high speed limits, for planning teen driving. Protective devices, crash-worthy cars, and safer road infrastructures, such as rumble strips, and forgiving roadsides, will particularly reduce young drivers’ risk. Predictable traffic situations and low complexity resulting from improved road infrastructure are beneficial for young drivers. The effectiveness of Kansas Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system needs to be investigated in the future.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Huston Gibson / Rural communities across America are working to strengthen their economies, provide better quality of life to residents, and build on assets such as traditional main streets, transportation initiatives, and natural amenities and resources. Today, rural communities face an array of challenges. Small communities are vulnerable to the impacts of expensive commutes, lack of mobility, financial resources, and other services. According to the USDA, “Some small communities, have limited local government staff, experience, or funding, which can mean few resources dedicated to providing sustainable amenities, regional collaboration, and other efforts to identify shared community goals and visions that can help shape growth and development” (USDA, 2011). Small communities must work hard to compete with larger cities and other communities to sustain economically and become prominent. This is often noticeable when there is a lack of investment and economic prosperity. Many rural communities have limited transportation options. Most small communities are not fit to support multiple modes of transportation, which limits access to jobs, medical care, and educational opportunities. For those who do drive, commutes to distant employment centers can be time consuming and require a large percentage of the family budget to be spent on transportation (USDA, 2011). In addition, intercity and regional mobility are drivers of economic growth in rural communities and bring tourists and other consumers to community businesses. Rural communities and small towns should be valued for their distinctive and historic features. Communities that conserve and build upon these resources, such as historic downtowns and main streets, will be better positioned to enhance quality of life for their residents. Without revitalizing main streets we would not see the places of shared memory where people are suppose to come together to live, work, and play.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Huston John Gibson / Informed and robust stakeholder participation in the transit-planning process gives residents and communities a remarkable opportunity to take ownership of the shaping of their city’s future form and function, and allows planners to design transit networks that serve the full range of citizen needs. Therefore, the degree to which citizens are permitted to participate in the formation of a city’s transit plan has a significant influence on both its final design and its subsequent adoption by civic and political leaders. Concurrent with the influence of citizen input is the role of political strategy, since many urban transit plans must meet voter approval and a poorly-run political campaign can sink even the most substantial of transit plans. In seeking to analyze both the role of public participation and the role of campaign strategy, this study employs descriptive historical research and stakeholder surveys to assess the impact and perceived importance of inclusive design practices, as well as the political impact of a transit campaign’s general strategy, on the voter approval of transit-related ballot initiatives in Kansas City, Missouri. There are two central implications of this project. One is that the failure of transportation planners and civic activists in Kansas City to accommodate the wishes and input of diverse groups of residents and community leaders in the planning process has led to repeated defeats whenever said plans are presented to Kansas City voters for approval. The other is that urban politics and campaign strategies play a larger role in selling transit proposals than many leading figures in Kansas City have realized, and that the city’s unique political and geographic structure requires a more nuanced and technologically-diverse approach to voter persuasion than has been applied thus far. It can be theorized that reversing both of these trends will increase the likelihood of future voter approval of transportation initiatives. In addition to a political and historical analysis of transit in Kansas City, this study seeks to examine whether deliberate public participation in the transportation planning process has a direct impact on citizen support for transportation-related ballot initiatives in Kansas City.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Richard L. Hoag / Abstract On October 6, 2006 President Bush signed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS Act, Pub. Law No. 109-308). The Act ensures that state and local emergency preparedness operational plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency (The Library of Congress, 109:H.R. 3858, 2006). This thesis identifies nineteen indicators to be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the PETS program in the areas of economics and public health. This report gives specific examples of how each indicator can be used to measure, assess, guide, and monitor the outcomes of evacuating pets in state or local emergency preparedness operational plans.