Summer SAVY, Session 6 Day 2, Urban Transportation and Data Analytics (7th – 8th)
Today, we had an extensive discussion on urban transportation, particularly focusing on the interplay between land use and transportation. Our conversation delved into the nuanced relationship between transportation and mobility, emphasizing the crucial role of urban mobility and its far-reaching societal implications. Additionally, we explored various sources of transportation revenue and the distribution of funds across different transportation modes. We also examined the intricate framework of highway trust funds, analyzing their allocation in Tennessee, California, and New York. Moreover, our session included a forward-looking analysis of the future of urban mobility, contemplating potential shifts in urban transportation trends such as reduced driving, increased usage of bicycles, growing prevalence of shared mobility solutions, and the emerging significance of autonomous and electric vehicles.
Based on the graphic novel, we transitioned from counting cars to counting people and had a productive conversation about trip count. We delved into the traditional methods of counting vehicles and the necessity of including trip counts for all modes of transportation. During our discussion, we noted that even the traditional vehicular count stations are not optimally placed to provide accurate counts. You can access a map of all permanent count stations in the US (also known as continuous count stations, CCS) via the following link (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/tables/trafficmonitoring/ ). We also explored other temporary counting programs and highlighted the potential of leveraging technology and sensors to conduct counts for all modes of transportation.
In our class, we discussed the ASCE Report Card (https://infrastructurereportcard.org ), which is compiled every four years. This report card assesses the condition and investment needs of the American infrastructure and assigns a grade accordingly. The link to the website was shared during the class, and we were encouraged to choose a specific state. We selected Tennessee, and then students were asked to compare the highway and transit grades for that state with the overall grades for the country. It was a thought-provoking exercise that really highlighted the state of our nation’s infrastructure.
During the afternoon session, we made progress by uploading the Metro Nashville Traffic Crash Data and delving deeper into the steps of data analysis. Our focus was on data cleaning, and we accomplished several tasks such as renaming column names and streamlining the dataset by removing unnecessary columns for traffic crash data analytics. We also cleaned up some data, such as properly formatting the property damage field, and handled missing datasets by replacing them with appropriate values.
Additionally, we addressed missing latitude and longitude data by removing rows with incomplete information and generating new columns from the datetime column. Progressing further, we initiated the data visualization phase for the Nashville Traffic Crash dataset. We utilized bar graphs and heatmaps to examine traffic crash trends on an annual, monthly, and weekly basis, discussing potential reasons for the variations.
Moreover, we created visual representations of traffic crashes per month and hour for each year using bar graphs and heatmaps, delving into the possible causes of these incidents. We also discussed the utility of using heatmaps and explored alternative visualizations for the graphs and heatmaps. Lastly, students took the initiative to develop hourly crash trends and adjust the visual representation for the graphs and heatmaps based on our discussions.
Tomorrow’s agenda includes addressing critical transportation issues and delving into further data analysis.
Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the valuable resources provided below. These videos offer a great opportunity to enhance your comprehension and interest in specific concepts and technological progress. The videos will delve into important questions, such as:
- Can adding more lanes reduce traffic congestion?
- What exactly is induced demand?
- How environmentally friendly are electric vehicles really?
- Are autonomous vehicles a realistic possibility or a far-off dream?”
https://youtu.be/2z7o3sRxA5g?si=u7nuaX2YVggFcNd2
https://youtu.be/Chp9VlSs25c?si=3qBMSjs8jb4ESLEs
https://youtu.be/ruKJCiAOmfg?si=QEwAvEZ5XXxUk_3Z