WTI and the Moscow State University for Transport Engineering (MIIT) in Russia received Contract Funding from the Eurasia Foundation’s University Partnership Program for collaborative activities aimed at establishing resource sharing mechanisms and a joint course. Shared resources and coursework will focus on enhancing mobility and equitable access to transportation services for persons with disabilities. (Susan Gallagher and David Kack)
Month: October 2015
Using Wool to Control Roadside Erosion
20 Things You Didn’t Know About……Wool. It hates liquid, loves vapor, and is fire –resistant. And, according to number 12, Montanans use it on the roadside for erosion control! See Rob Ament’s fun shout out in the October 1 issue of Discover Magazine.
http://discovermagazine.com/2015/nov/19-20-things-you-didnt-know-about-wool
Marcel Huijser continues his road ecology outreach activities in Brazil.
Marcel recently gave a seminar at DERSA (Sao Paulo state road administration agency). The seminar was reported on in the September 2014 issue of O EMPREITEIRO, a widely circulated Brazilian engineering magazine. If you are feeling confident in your Portuguese, see the full article at: http://www.oempreiteiro.com.br/Publicacoes/15240/o_fator_animal.aspx
Prefer to read in English? Check out Marcel’s latest blog entry, which provides an update on the course he is teaching at the University of Sao Paulo, and all the students with whom he has been working: http://www.marcelhuijserphotography.com/blog/2014/10/road-ecology-blog-group-picture-at-the-end-of-the-course-esalq-brazil
Rob Ament to Speak in Crucial Habitat Webinar
WTI’s Rob Ament will be a featured speaker and panelist for an upcoming webinar, Crucial Habitat Assessment Tools (CHAT) and Wildlife Data. The program is part of the Eco-Logical Webinar Series presented by the GHWA Office of Project Development and Environmental Review. Tuesday, November 12, 2015 1:00pm MT. To register, please visit
Utah DOT Research Newsletter highlights WTI work
The Summer 2015 issue of the Utah DOT Research Newsletter highlights the valuable research made possible by Clear Roads, the Pooled Fund Project led by the Minnesota DOT. Several important and practical Clear Roads research projects are featured, including WTI’s Corrosion Manual and the Environmental Best Practices Manual. http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=23151524841540947
WTI to work with City of Bozeman
WTI will be working with the City of Bozeman on the development of a Travel Demand Forecast Model (TDM) as the City has just begun working on an update to their Transportation Master Plan (TMP). WTI will develop a TDM that the City of Bozeman can utilize to more frequently evaluate transportation investments and will parallel the work being done for the City by Robert Peccia and Associates and MDT. The goal is to develop a model and methodology that will enable the city to incorporate the use of a TDM into development review, as well as annual capital planning for transportation. This project with the City of Bozeman complements other work that Pat McGowen and Kerry Pederson (undergraduate researcher working on livability metrics in TDM) are conducting.
The City of Bozeman is looking for input on the Transportation Plan and has an interactive map that allows the public to identify locations, corridors, or connections of importance to them for consideration in planning the transportation system in Bozeman. Visit www.bozemantmp.com and click on the Public Engagement button to provide your input.
Center for Health and Safety Culture Hosts Traffic Safety Culture Training
The Center for Health and Safety Culture (CHSC) hosted the annual in-person meeting for the Traffic Safety Culture Transportation Pooled Fund at WTI on September 28th and 29th. The meeting is part of a 5 year pooled fund program for which the Center is the principal research entity and management support. There are 11 states involved in this pooled fund and they have obligated over $1 million in funds. CHSC is currently leading two research projects for the pooled fund, an assessment of traffic safety culture regarding driving after using cannabis and an assessment of traffic safety culture: exploring traffic safety citizenship. The Center provided the pooled fund board members with updates on the progress of each project and coordinated meeting assistance throughout the two days.
Center for Health and Safety Culture Provides Training to 60 Professionals.
Jay Otto and Katie Dively of the Center for Health and Safety Culture trained 60 professionals on the new Positive Culture Framework designed to serve communities and organizations in their efforts to improve health and safety. The 2.5 day training held in Portland, Oregon last week hosted attendees from Canada, Palau, and thirteen states across the nation. The Positive Culture Framework training uses a seven step process grounded in social ecology and the complex relationships between individuals and their social environment, and seeks to cultivate transformation within these cultures using an approach that grows healthy values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.