Research News
Making SMART Signals Even Smarter
MnDOT-funded research has helped develop the SMART Signal system, which not only collects traffic and signal-phase data automatically, but also identifies under-performing traffic signals and generates optimal signal timing plans with minimal human intervention.
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(Posted 2/23/2015)
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Study Shows Drivers Are Spending Less Time Traveling
In a new series of research reports sponsored by MnDOT and the Metropolitan Council, University of Minnesota researchers are delving into a set of rich data encompassing more than four decades of travel behavior surveys to enable the region’s transportation planners to better understand how its residents make decisions about whether, when, where, and why to travel.
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(Posted 2/13/2015)
Reveals How Minnesota Industries Rely on Transportation
Results of a newly released MnDOT research report shed new light on the role transportation plays in our state’s economic competitiveness, and highlight the unique challenges faced by some of the state’s major industry clusters.
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(Posted 2/6/2015)
Using History To Predict Bridge Deck Deterioration
Just how long will it be before a bridge deck needs to be rehabilitated? Why not look to history to find out?
Researchers have put several decades of MnDOT bridge inspection records to good use by analyzing old bridge deck condition reports to calculate how quickly similar bridge decks will deteriorate.
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(Posted 2/11/2015)
MnDOT, Alabama Center Team Up For National Pavement Research
The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Road Research Facility (MnROAD) and the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) began discussing a formal partnership last year and have now asked states to join a pair of three-year research projects that will begin this summer.
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(Posted 2/5/2015)
New Tool Measures Impact of Heavy Trucks
A new tool developed by the Local Road Research Board helps cities and counties assess how much increased heavy vehicle traffic affects local roads.
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(Posted 2/3/2015)