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Sustainable Transportation Systems Research Group

Ongoing Projects

INDIANA MD-HD ZEV INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING WITH FOCUS ON I-80 CORRIDOR IN IN-IL-OH

Sponsored by the Department of Energy (DoE) and Cummins Inc.

This project aims to develop an extensive MD-HD EV Charging and H2 Fueling Plan for Indiana which considers a plan for near-term (2025) deployment of MD-HD EV charging along with future evolution using several baseline vehicle and infrastructure technology scenarios, multiple market adoption assumptions, and wide range of MD-HD truck fleet duty cycles (classes 2b-8 with focus on regional and long-haul class 8). Three, evolved (future), infrastructure build-out scenarios will be considered in addition to the near-term MD-HD EV Charging Plan. The near-term EV Charging Plan, and evolution, will focus on the I-80 corridor in IN-IL-OH, however, top-level planning will be done for all major transportation corridors in the state.

Start Date - 12/01/2023

UPDATING COST ALLOCATION AND REVENUE ATTRIBUTION

Sponsored by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). PIs: Samuel Labi , Kumares Sinha , Nadia Gkritza

Indiana’s road expenditures are financed primarily by highway user fees. The basic principles of highway financing are user-fee equity and statewide revenue adequacy. It is only through analysis of past costs and revenues that Indiana can develop an equitable pricing structure for its road users and an efficient revenue generation system to cover expenditures. Such studies are needed periodically to ensure user equity and revenue efficiency keep pace with changing travel demand and distributions, construction technology and materials, and above all, new/emerging vehicle technologies including electrification. This proposal is based on a request made to INDOT by Indiana’s Legislature, to update Indiana’s 2016 Cost Allocation Study. The goal is to measure/predict/address the impacts of alternative-fuel technology (particularly, electric vehicles) on Indiana’s highway revenue adequacy and equity.

Start Date - 12/01/2023

RECEIVER, VEHICLE, AND ROADWAY SYSTEMS FOR A DYNAMIC WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER ROADWAY TESTBED

Sponsored by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). PIs: John Haddock , Dionysios Aliprantis , Aaron Brovont , Nadia Gkritza , Steven Pekarek

This project will support the installation of a one-quarter mile long dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) testbed on northbound US-231 in West Lafayette. At the end of this project, INDOT will have a fully functional pilot DWPT constructed and key testing of the performance of the system will be performed.

Start Date - 09/01/2023

THE BUSINESS CASE FOR SUSTAINABLE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

Sponsored by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). PIs: Samuel Labi, Kumares Sinha, Nadia Gkritza

This study will identify sustainable development (SD) opportunities at each phase of infrastructure development; identify/demonstrate exposure metrics for sustainability assessment; document/evaluate trends in SD metrics in Indiana’s transportation; identify carbon credit markets that Indiana could partake; develop SD business-case framework; assess SD impacts on other sectors; and identify ways to integrate SD into INDOT’s culture.

Start Date - 09/01/2023

SIMULATING CURRENT AND FUTURE EV GROWTH SCENARIOS IN INDIANA

Sponsored by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). PI: Satish Ukkusuri

The current project is a parallel expansion of SPR 4706 where the research team will use the demand data collected from the project to simulate the network-level impacts of the EV demand and quantify metrics of interest for EV planning and operations. Key activities and deliverables include (i) forecast of EV travel patterns, (ii) which corridors are likely to see significant EV usage, (iii) guidance on using the trip data to understand charging station locations based on current and future trips, (iv) potential demand at the charging stations, (v) return on investment (ROI) on charging stations based on visits, (vi) the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by EVs on various roadways categorized by urban and rural trips for various future scenarios, (vii) the impacts of EV VMT on gas tax reduction. The research team will evaluate the impact of different adoption scenarios for the future years and will provide city and county level analysis and guidance for INDOT on their EV strategy.

Project period: 10/16/2023 to 10/15/2025

ADDRESSING ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MEASURES OF INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES IN INDIANA

Sponsored by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)

The main objective of this project is to develop accessibility and equity measures for Indiana that will be visualized for different regions, time periods, and socioeconomic groups of Indiana. This will be achieved by the analysis and modeling of high-resolution spatiotemporal data pertaining to travelers, land use, transportation infrastructure, and economic opportunities. Based on the analysis, we will prepare an equity assessment for the state based on preliminary work of the research team. This project will also leverage past and ongoing efforts on developing appropriate accessibility and environmental justice (EJ) metrics (statewide as well as for select cities) based on publicly available data and tools. Finally, a set of accessibility maps will be prepared which will then be integrated with INDOT’s Equity Atlas and EPA’s EJ Screening Tool to help improve decision-making. These measures will help fill the gaps in one of the four core focus areas of the USDOT Equity Action Plan – ‘Expanding Access’.

Ongoing - Est. Completion Date Dec. 2024

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS, EXPECTATIONS, AND WILLINGNESS-TO-PAY ACROSS HIGHWAY USER GROUPS (VEHICLE CLASSES)

Sponsored by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)

The main objective of this proposed research is to enhance the current understanding of the perspectives of all users in Indiana for EVs and obtaining quantitative data for EV demand in Indiana. This will be achieved through survey data analysis, demand generation, and EV trip analysis. The study aims to offer guidance regarding ways to promote EV adoption across highway user groups and planning for policy decisions, charging pricing and schemes. The outcomes of this research can be used to inform policy making and help with educational campaigns for EVs in Indiana. They can also shed light into a publicly acceptable EV fee/tax for using charging infrastructure, inform INDOT and related private partners (utilities, charging infrastructure providers, etc.) on an appropriate charging scheme and enhance charging infrastructure preparedness in response to the growing EV demand. The implementation of the research outcomes will benefit the state by placing it in a better position to understand and plan for this growing technology. This can help Indiana achieve goals regarding economic growth and being at the forefront of innovation in transportation, as well as alleviating the impact the transportation sector.

Ongoing – Est. Completion Date Jul. 2024

INCREASING AFFORDABILITY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND RIDERSHIP OF TRANSIT BUS SYSTEMS THROUGH LARGE-SCALE ELECTRIFICATION

Sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE)

This project will develop a set of innovative planning and operation tools and identify improvement strategies to help transit agencies gradually and effectively deploy and operate electric buses. As electric vehicle technology advances, a key area to electrify within the US vehicle fleet is transit buses. Thus, it is crucial to develop strategies that transit agencies can use to facilitate the transition to electric buses.

Work on this project involves two user studies to be conducted in both Salt Lake City, UT, and Portland, OR. These studies aim to determine transit agency approaches that can be deployed to better satisfy user needs. The first study will analyze the decision-making processes of transit users and non-users along with their attitudes towards electric buses. This will help to identify how the bus electrification may impact satisfaction with a given transit system. The second study aims to analyze current modes of first mile/last mile (FM/LM) transportation in these cities and how transit users may perceive improvements these modes. Such FM/LM modes include traditional options such as walking and biking as well as more recent innovations such as electromobility options and bike-sharing. This study will help transit agencies identify strategies for effective integration between transit bus systems and FM/LM mobility options.

Est. Completion Date Nov. 2023