Transportation Seminar Reflective Journal Engineering Assignment

Transportation Summary Reflective Journal
(Student’s name)
Engineering
(Institutional affiliation)
Transportation Seminar Reflective Journal
Seminar 1:
The seminar talks about the cyclist hospital admission because in the course of 5 years there is an increase of 5% in Portland. The research done is very useful and serves as a warning to cyclists. In addition, the increase is alarming because it should be a decline to prove that there are lesser cyclist accidents.
I think the seminar should be heard by everyone, especially those who use bicycles as means of transportation. Their awareness will keep them alert and prepared for what they may encounter on the road. Based on the data given by the speaker, the increase was 1.2% in 2010, 4.5% in 2012 and 4.3% in 2015. Even if there is a decrease in percentage when 2015 came, it is very minimal and the numbers could still easily go up again.
In the evaluation of events shown, the motorists are not able to easily comply with the rules because there is no bike lane even if they want to give them room. They said that the roads should be wider and then allocate a lane for bicycle riders. When this happens, there will be lesser cyclist accidents and motorists will not be uncomfortable giving room to riders.
Another concern raised in the seminar is the use if helmets because not all cyclists wear them. If all of them will follow this rule, the number of hospital admissions every year will decline and close to none in the next years to come. There are older riders that move slower, and a bicycle lane will benefit them even more because they can ride at their own pace without disrupting traffic.
Seminar 2:
The Tilikum crossing east side of the Bridge is being discussed in the seminar regarding the speed of vehicles in that area and the increased or decrease of travel times. It can be observed that the speed varies depending on the time of the day. West bound’s increase is more evident compared to East bound and it is the same even in the morning. At night, the 10% of motorists experience a change in the travel time.
The seminar is helpful especially to commuters and bus riders because they will know the best time of the day to leave so they can arrive at their destination faster. Furthermore, the statistics show that deviation is consistent in any time. This proves that the chance of congestion is very slim in these areas making it convenient for everyone.
The seminar is very informative and it will be very helpful to those who travel every day, especially those who work an 8 to 5 shift because they are following a schedule. Despite the number of motorists in the streets, the travel time could be consistent or non-consistent at certain times. People will know what time to leave to reach their destination on time without having to hurry or worry about running late.
Commuters and drivers will find the seminar useful so they can also take note of the perfect routes to take in case they need an alternative if traffic is too congested. The good thing about it is that the east and west bound both have a traffic flow no matter what time of the day it is.
Seminar 3:
The seminar is about the cost-effectiveness of pedestrian crossing enhancements which is about the multimodal safety in the Oregon. It takes into consideration the geometry, enhancement, land uses, and pedestrian exposure. By doing this research, it will help set a solid foundation for analyzing the cost/benefit of PCEs.
The urban areas have more people biking compared to rural areas which is why the effectiveness of pedestrian crossing can be tested here. There are enhancements that will be made at midblock locations for crash modification factors. In addition, the safety of people and the drivers are also considered every time they do an improvement or enhancement.
The urban areas need more enhancement because there are more people crossing here compared to rural areas. More pedestrians will benefit from the crossing enhancements they will do. The safety of the citizens in that area will be secure if all roads have proper enhancements for the safety of the pedestrians because more motorists are also passing that area.
There is a “walk score” which is a metric used to count the crosswalk location walkability to give guidance about the volumes of pedestrians in that area. The score gathered is based on the distance coming from the location to amenities, density of population, block length, and intersection density. After the walk scores are extracted, it will be used for pedestrian crossing enhancements so that they will be done perfectly. The safety of the pedestrians is being well-thought out by doing this and it is excellent that they are considerate of the walkability in urban areas because they know it is more compared to rural areas. The research is indeed helpful to urban and rural areas.
Seminar 4:
The seminar is about the advisory bike lanes in North America which is an emerging facility. The idea originated in Europe but Americans have been using it as an effective way for communities to allocate bike lanes on the streets because sometimes there is not enough space for them. The talk introduces the concept and operation of how bike lanes are used. Furthermore, there are a lot of lessons learned from installing this kind of facility in Canada and the USA.
The accidents because of bike lanes that are too narrow has been increasing over the years because more people are using bikes for economic purposes, but at the same time more motorists are getting cars. If the bike lanes are not addressed, it is going to be a problem that will continue on for a long time. There is also a possibility t...