Drs. Mattingly and Ardekani received a TxDOT grant to examine the use of existing public right-of-ways for high-speed rail construction in Texas. The primary purpose of this research is to determine if and how existing TxDOT right-of-way (ROW) in conjunction with current public, utility and freight rail ROW can potentially accommodate high-speed intercity passenger rail (HSIPR) and/or dedicated freight transportation systems. To answer the research question for Texas, all potential ROW routes in Texas will be identified and their key characteristics (technical, political, and legal feasibility) considered for utilization by a spectrum of HSIPR and dedicated freight systems. For those four case studies, the study will develop potential solutions to engineering challenges encountered in the ROW, such as highway interchanges and narrow ROW width. Finally, the study will produce a guidebook for the use of TxDOT ROW for HSIPR and dedicated freight systems.

Dr. Ardekani received a NCTCOG grant to develop a transportation sustainability index for urban developments in Texas. This project entails development of a methodology to characterize and quantify the degree of sustainability of the transportation system in a city or an urban development. The project objectives are to identify key indicators of transportation sustainability and to integrate them into an overall transportation sustainability index. If successful, such an in index may then be used to compare one urban development to another in terms of their degrees of sustainability or be utilized as a means of conducting a sustainability audit for a given development.