Applications for the Environment: Real-Time
Information Synthesis (AERIS) Program

AERIS Fall-Winter Webinar Series Presentations

AERIS Broad Agency Announcement Foundational Research: Webinar #1
Wednesday, September 14, 2011

The U.S. DOT selected seven research projects in response to a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) that will expand the ability of ITS applications to improve environmental performance. The objectives of the BAA projects were to: (1) foster innovative research on ITS applications that improve environmental performance; (2) promote capture and management of real-time data; and (3) support development and enhancement of evaluation techniques, performance measurement, and technologies. This is the first of three webinars on the BAA projects. Overviews of the BAA projects presented during this webinar are provided below:

• Introduction – William Wiggins, FTA [PDF 2.22MB]

• Engaging the International Community: Research on ITS Applications to Improve Environmental Performance (California Partners for Advanced Transportation TecHnology) – The goal of this project was to collaborate with the international community through direct interactions. Activities included attending the International Symposium on Evaluation of CO2 Emission Reduction with ITS Applications and developing a technical report and action plan based on U.S., European, and Japanese experiences. [PDF 49KB]

• Preliminary System Development Plan for an AERIS Data Capture and Management System(Mixon Hill) – This project examined the relevance of FHWA’s Clarus System data and the Michigan DOT’s Data Use Analysis and Processing (DUAP) data, and their core system designs, to the needs of the AERIS program, and resulted in a recommended Preliminary System Development Plan for an AERIS data capture and management system. [PDF 363KB]

• Assessment, Fusion, and Modeling of Commercial Vehicle Engine Control Unit (ECU) Data (Calmar Telematics and University of California-Riverside) – This project investigated how data from a vehicle’s data bus might be collected and what value these data types might have in a connected vehicle environment. An emphasis was placed on investigating methodologies for integrating the University of California at Riverside’s Comprehensive Modal Emissions Model (CMEM) with ECU data of heavy vehicles to result in a real-time emissions modeling and reporting system. [PDF 570KB]

AERIS State-of-the-Practice Modeling Assessments
Wednesday, October 5, 2011

• Introduction – Marcia Pincus, AERIS Program Manager

• Summary of findings from three state-of-the-practice (SOP) assessmentsconducted for the AERIS program by Booz Allen Hamilton. The first assessment provided a SOP scan of behavioral and activity-based models that can be used to assess how traveler behaviors may be influenced to reduce negative environmental impacts on the transportation system. The second assessment examined existing environmental models and assessed the sensitivity and validity of the models in representing various environmental measures for evaluating ITS strategies. Included in the assessment is a technical review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) motor vehicle emission simulator (MOVES) model discussing its suitability in evaluating ITS strategies. The third assessment provided a SOP scan of technologies that allow for the capture of environmental data and data needed to measure environmental impacts. [PDF 2.64MB]

AERIS Broad Agency Announcement Foundational Research: Webinar #2
Wednesday, November 16, 2011

• Introduction – Marcia Pincus, AERIS Program Manager [PDF 2.21MB]

• Eco-Intelligent Transportation Systems (University of California-Riverside) – Previous University of California-Riverside research developed a microscopic Comprehensive Modal Emissions Model (CMEM). This project built upon previous research to synthesize results including: data collection methods; environmental analysis methods; integration of simulation and environmental modeling tools; and suggestions for environmental ITS applications. [PDF 729KB]

• An Evaluation of Likely Environmental Benefits of Lowest Fuel Consumption Route Guidance in the Buffalo-Niagara Metropolitan Area (University at Buffalo) – This project conducted an assessment of the likely environmental benefits of a new application for an environmentally-optimized route guidance system for the Buffalo, New York Metropolitan Area. The project team used TRANSIMS-MOVES2010 modeling to estimate environmental benefits to be expected from implementing low fuel consumption routing and assessed the impact of market penetration. [PDF 6.15MB]

AERIS Broad Agency Announcement Foundational Research: Webinar #3
Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The final webinar of this series presented the following overviews of two BAA projects:

• Introduction – Marcia Pincus, AERIS Program Manager [PDF 2.21]
• Developing and Evaluating Intelligent Eco-Drive Application (Virginia Tech) – This project built on previous research efforts to develop an algorithm for an eco-cruise control application. Various simulation tests were conducted to investigate how this application would operate within a transportation network while interacting with other vehicles not equipped with such applications. [PDF 1.23]
• Developing Eco-Signalized Intersection Algorithm (Virginia Tech) – This project developed and evaluated an innovative application for eco-signal control using traffic simulation tools. The system was modeled using traffic simulation software and tested for different roadway configurations (local streets and signalized arterials). [PDF 907KB]