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Projects Updates for theme: Transportation

  1. Meeting minutes from the March 16th meeting

    Please see attached the meeting minutes from the meeting on March 16th. Also attached are the slides from this meeting.

    Attended by: Yanfeng Ouyang, Shelly Zhang, Morgan White, Stacey DeLorenzo, Sarthak Prasad, Weichen Li, Rui Feng She, Barb Robbins, Paul Jensen, Gina Lee-Olukoya, Dementro Powell.

  2. Bike Month plans for 2020 cancelled

    Associated Project(s): 

    Hi All,

     

    I think we have reached a working consensus: postpone the major events of CU Bike Month 2020 (Bike to Work Day, Bike to School Day, etc.). I think Urbana’s Market at the Square is going to different as well, especially in May.  So likely no Bike to Market, no Spring Bike Rodeos, etc.

     

    I think we can find ways to stay in contact with our participants from the last few years and encourage them that going out on bike rides could be a very healthy and life giving activity this spring. The links below are from a post today by another cycling advocate:

     

    I think the message that cycling can reduce stress is a positive message while we navigate this pandemic.

    We are in unprecedented times. Our thoughts go out to the people who have been affected by this global health crisis, and we are humbled by those on the front lines who are working tirelessly to contain the coronavirus. 

    https://la.streetsblog.org/2020/03/13/bicycling-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

     

    https://www.bicycling.com/news/a31469228/cycling-during-coronavirus/

     


    We have time to look at the fall and think about how to schedule and balance our programs and energies.  So no need to do a lot of that at the moment.

     

     

    So, let’s ponder this decision to cancel the organized parts of CU Bike Month 2020 overnight and touch base again tomorrow in the early afternoon to finalize our decision, or consider an alternative.  Check with your colleagues, read the news, look at your calendars, and either Gabe or I will start a group email after lunch.

     

    Jeff

  3. Survey results from the event

  4. Veo Dec 19, Jan 20, Feb 20 ridership overview

    Associated Project(s): 

    Please see data for the winter months along with heat maps. Only 100 e-bikes in operation.

    Ridership for December:1979

    • Users Added: 84
    • Reports from app: 49 (Repairs and lock issues)
    • Reports from Customer Service: 8 (Bike removal from property)

    Ridership for January: 452

    • Users Added: 60
    • Reports from app: 9
    • Reports from Customer Service: 3 (Bike removal from property)

    Ridership for February:321

    • Users Added: 74
    • Reports from app: 0
    • Reports from Customer Service: 2 (Bike removal from property)
  5. It's Your MTD Too! final event

    Associated Project(s): 

    On March 12, 2020, we held the "It's Your MTD Too!" event at the NCSA conference room 1040 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, there were only 6 attendees and we proceeded with the workshop as planned. The event was very casual because of the low attendance, but it helped us figure out some of the points that we can do better.

    Please see attached the final powerpoint presentation document.

    Click here to see the structure of the workshop.

    Attached Files: 
  6. Weekly Update - Bicycle Safety, Social Hack

    Associated Project(s): 

    All, Truncated week for me as I was out of the shop on Wed – Fri recuperating. On Tuesday night I was hit by a car on my bike ride home. No injuries beyond some scrapes and sore muscles. I was very lucky it wasn’t much worse.
    Ultimately, we  have a long way to go when someone who rides as defensively and as safely as I do can get hit by a car on a quiet residential street.
    This week I’ll be meeting with my newly-hired Program Assistant to work out his schedule and responsibilities. I’ll be picking up more bikes from the warehouse, meeting with a student design group for transportation/climate issues (Design For America’s “Social Hack”), and building/scrapping bikes as needed.

    The numbers:
    Visitors: 63
    Sales: $32

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Manager, Campus Bike Center

  7. E-Update and F&S Announcement for the Workshop

    Associated Project(s): 

    Sarthak worked with Steve Breitwieser from F&S CRC team to publish an e-update and an F&S Announcement for the "It's Your MTD Too!" event.

    Here is the link: https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/264329.html

    Here is the link for the F&S Announcement: https://www.fs.illinois.edu/resources/announcements/2020/03/06/it's-your-mtd-too!

  8. Transportation SWATeam Meeting: 9 March 2020

    Attached are the meeting minutes from the Transportation SWATeam meeting on 9 March 2020. 

    The Agenda is as follows:

    Recommendations Selection

    • Support CMP by increasing pedestrian safety by reevaluating current pedestrian routes and conducting traffic studies.
    • Zip-Car Continuity
    • UI Ride Survey 
    • Teleconferencing Assessment
    • Faculty/Staff Vanpool Survey
    • Identify Campus Intersections and Mid-block Crossings with high potential for crashes, and develop/implement design improvement strategies.

    Future Recommendations

    • Working with MTD to promote better bus service to Research Park and I Hotel
    • Establish a University of Illinois Foundation fund to support campus efforts to reduce and within ~10 years eliminate use of fossil fuel.
    • Sustainable Asphalt Binders
    Attached Files: 
  9. Advertising, e-week, and Digital Signage

    Associated Project(s): 

    Sarthak Prasad reached out to the communication teams at NCSA, Beckman, ECE, CEE, Hydrosystem lab, CSL, and Will Hall to advertize the workshop. Travis Tate at the F&S CRC team forwarded the flyer to signage@illinois.edu to use this flyer as digital advertising for the event. Sarthak also had these posted at the aforementioned departments and their digital screens.

    F&S CRC team also posted the workshop details in the e-week Newsletter on the March 8th edition under events section.

  10. Meeting with Evan and Allison

    Associated Project(s): 

    Sarthak met with Evan Alvarez and Allison Haines from MTD to finalize the powerpoint presentation for the workshop, and to confirm the final destination for the demonstration.

    We also discussed how to structure the workshop - Sarthak will make the introduction, get a pre-workshop survey, then invite Evan and Allison to make the presentation. Following the presentation, we will catch the 22S Illini from Main and Goodwin to Ceramics Building, make a transfer, catch the 13N Silver or 10E Gold/Goldhopper to Lincoln Square, get off the bus, and return via the same route. Following the demonstration, Sarthak will ask the attendees to fill out the post-workshop survey, thank them for joining and end the workshop.

    Evan and Allison agreed with the structure of the workshop. Evan will send Sarthak the final draft of the presentation before the event on March 12.

  11. Weekly Update - Data request form, news article, Mathemetical models

    Dear Stacey, Morgan, and Prasad,

    The CEE research team (including Shelly, Weichen, Ruifeng, and I) has held two weekly meetings and discussed our ongoing project. Below is a summary of the ongoing efforts:​

    • We have filled out the data-request form, and we look forward to hearing back on the data in the near future;
    • We have requested the CEE Department to prepare a news article on our project; we heard that you may be contacted for quotes and comments.​
    • We are in the process of developing suitable mathematical models and solution methods for our project.

    As for the next step, we wonder if there is a good time to schedule a quick interview with you, and/or the stakeholders you mentioned last time? The purpose is to understand the design options and restrictions (i.e., types of barriers, guideways, and/or booth-location choices).​

     

    Thank you.

    Yanfeng

  12. Weekly Update - Happy March!, Fix-a-Flat

    Associated Project(s): 

    All, Happy March! Looks like it’s coming in like a lamb for a change.
    Still slow around here as far as visitors are concerned. On Friday of last week we got 7 bikes donated, all of which will be junked or passed along to Salt & Light (3 kids’ bikes). That’ll give the student staff something easy to do this week. Elsewhere: Our grinder wheel bit the dust so we’ll be all analog on filing housing and cleaning parts until that is replaced. Less electricity use = more sustainable!
    This week I’ve got an interview for a student worker, our Fix-a-Flat class on Thursday and on I’ll be setting up some of my staff to have key-access when I’m away.

    The numbers:
    Visitors: 45
    Sales: $132
    Membership: 1 for $30
    Tires/tubes: 4 for $49

     

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Manager, Campus Bike Center

  13. EPA SmartWay Program presented infirst-year women in engineering class

    Abby Culloton, a freshman in Civil and Environmental Engineering, put together a project proposal for the SmartWay program and presented it on February 28th. This proposal included why being an affiliate of this program would be beneficial to campus, who/ what departments across campus would be involved, proposed objectives, and other facts that needed to be considered. 

    Attached is the full proposal.

  14. Student to lead efforts this spring

    Associated Project(s): 

    Women in Engineering (WIE) Grainger First-Year Experience (GFX) student, Abby Culloton, is working with Morgan White and Sinead Soltis at F&S to lead the integration of SmartWay on campus, pending the completion of the EPA SmartWay Affiliate Agency agreement for campus.  Abby will do this as part of her class project, and in support of campus sustainability.

  15. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 

    All, I only worked Monday and Tuesday last week as I had a family emergency out of town. Those two days were slow. I picked up some bikes from the warehouse to keep everyone busy. Those bikes are coming along.
    This week is business as usual. I’ll look to reschedule some of the meetings I missed in my absence, pick up a couple more bikes, and box some more stuff up for our move.

    The numbers:
    Visitors: 27
    Sales: $106
    Membership: 1 for $30
    Tires/tubes: 4 for $23

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Manager, Campus Bike Center

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