cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2225659
title: Development of Environmentally-Friendly Stabilization Methods for Transportation Infrastructure Based on Geopolymers

description: Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17GTTAM02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference: "Geopolymers (GPs) have received much attention as an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional chemical additives, since they can be processed at room temperatures from aqueous solutions by utilizing waste materials (e.g. fly ash) or abundant natural sources (e.g. clay). A collaborative research study is carried out by teams from Texas A&M University (TAMU) and University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) to investigate the effectiveness of GPs for stabilizing base and subgrade materials by considering the strength and shrink-swell characteristics. Two types of clay, obtained from the North Dallas area, were mixed with a potassium-based GP synthesized from metakaolin and silica fume, at a ratio of 8 wt% of dry geopolymer to dry soil, and cured for a period of 7 days. Moisture-density relationship tests conducted show that treated soils have a higher optimum moisture content and lower maximum dry density as compared to untreated soils. Treated soils exhibited significant reduction in shrinkage and swell properties as compared to untreated soils. Additionally, unconfined compression strength tests also show an increase in strength of treated soils."
description: Tran-SET Project No. 17GTTAM02
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2225660
title: Development of Environmentally-Friendly Stabilization Methods for Transportation Infrastructure Based on Geopolymers

description: Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17GTTAM02. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference: "Geopolymers (GPs) have received much attention as an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional chemical additives, since they can be processed at room temperatures from aqueous solutions by utilizing waste materials (e.g. fly ash) or abundant natural sources (e.g. clay). A collaborative research study is carried out by teams from Texas A&M University (TAMU) and University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) to investigate the effectiveness of GPs for stabilizing base and subgrade materials by considering the strength and shrink-swell characteristics. Two types of clay, obtained from the North Dallas area, were mixed with a potassium-based GP synthesized from metakaolin and silica fume, at a ratio of 8 wt% of dry geopolymer to dry soil, and cured for a period of 7 days. Moisture-density relationship tests conducted show that treated soils have a higher optimum moisture content and lower maximum dry density as compared to untreated soils. Treated soils exhibited significant reduction in shrinkage and swell properties as compared to untreated soils. Additionally, unconfined compression strength tests also show an increase in strength of treated soils."
description: Tran-SET Project No. 17GTTAM02
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2225712
title: Relationship between Road Network Characteristics and Traffic Safety

description: Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17ITSTSA01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference: "The Transportation and Capital Improvement of the City of San Antonio, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other related agencies often make several efforts based on traffic data to improve safety at intersections, but the number of intersection crashes is still on the high side. There is no one size fits all solution for intersections and the City is often usually confronted with doing best value option analysis on different solutions to choose the least expensive yet more advancements. The goal of this project was to obtain the relationship between road network characteristics and public safety with a focus on intersections; perform a thorough analysis of critical intersections with high crash incidents and crash rates within the city of San Antonio, Texas, and analyze key factors that lead to crashes and recommend effective safety countermeasures. Researchers conducted the following tasks: literature review, crash data analysis, factors affecting crashes at intersections, and the development of possible solutions to some of the identified challenges. Several variables and factors were analyzed, including driver characteristics, like age and gender, road-related factors and environmental factors such as weather conditions and time of day ArcGIS was used to analyze crash frequency at different intersections, and hotspot analysis was carried out to identify high-risk intersections. The crash rates were also calculated for some intersections. The research outcome shows that there are more male drivers than female drivers involved in crashes, even though we have more licensed female drivers than male drivers. The highest number of crashes involved drivers within the age range of 15 – 34 years; this is an indication that intersection crash is one of the top threats to the young generation. The study also shows that the most common crash type is the angle crash which represents over 23% of the intersection crashes. Driver’s inattention ranked first among all the contributing factors recorded. The highrisk intersections based on crash frequency and crash rate show that the intersection along the Bandera Road and Loop 1604 is the worst in the city, with 399 crashes and 8.5 crashes per million entering vehicles. The research concluded with some suggested countermeasures, which include public enlightenment and road safety audit as a proactive means of identifying high-risk intersections."
description: Tran-SET Project No. 17ITSTSA01
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2225948
title: Recruiting, Retaining, and Promoting for Careers at Transportation Agencies

description: Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17PPLSU07. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference: "State transportation agencies currently face complex challenges in recruiting and retaining the workforce necessary to function effectively. The situation exacerbates due to the number of employees from different generations that have to coexist with varying values, expectations, and principles. These agencies are primarily comprised of two generational groups: the baby-boomers, who are approaching retirement and occupy many managerial positions; and the millennials, who are demonstrating their interest in technology and demanding dynamism in their careers. This multiplicity of interest represents a challenge for human resources (HR) in addressing workforce issues and providing the necessary means to recruit and retain qualified employees within a transportation agency. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to examine the practices in recruiting, training, and retaining qualified employees at state departments of transportation (DOTs) primarily from Region 6 DOTs of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. A comprehensive literature review, including journal articles, books, and District 6 DOT documents, reports, and training manuals provided the basis to discuss current practices in recruitment and retention with Region 6 DOT human resources (HR) staff. A total of nine HR professionals were interviewed for this study. These interviews identified the most difficult to fill positions as engineers and engineer technicians. These positions also have high turnover rates within DOTs. The primary difficulty in retaining and recruiting staff in these positions was ascribed to the wage differences between the public and the private sector. The results of the HR interviews were used to compile a questionnaire that was distributed to current DOT District 6 employees. A total of 1,109 employee surveys were collected and reviewed to develop a recommended list of best practices for recruiting and retaining DOT employees. The list of best practices includes increased social media presence, quantification of overall benefit packages, implementation of flexible work schedules and telecommuting, clarification and restructuring of the promotions and incentives process, and increased communication and feedback between staff and management."
description: Tran-SET Project No. 17PPLSU07
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2225949
title: Recruiting, Retaining, and Promoting for Careers at Transportation Agencies

description: Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17PPLSU07. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference: "State transportation agencies currently face complex challenges in recruiting and retaining the workforce necessary to function effectively. The situation exacerbates due to the number of employees from different generations that have to coexist with varying values, expectations, and principles. These agencies are primarily comprised of two generational groups: the baby-boomers, who are approaching retirement and occupy many managerial positions; and the millennials, who are demonstrating their interest in technology and demanding dynamism in their careers. This multiplicity of interest represents a challenge for human resources (HR) in addressing workforce issues and providing the necessary means to recruit and retain qualified employees within a transportation agency. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to examine the practices in recruiting, training, and retaining qualified employees at state departments of transportation (DOTs) primarily from Region 6 DOTs of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. A comprehensive literature review, including journal articles, books, and District 6 DOT documents, reports, and training manuals provided the basis to discuss current practices in recruitment and retention with Region 6 DOT human resources (HR) staff. A total of nine HR professionals were interviewed for this study. These interviews identified the most difficult to fill positions as engineers and engineer technicians. These positions also have high turnover rates within DOTs. The primary difficulty in retaining and recruiting staff in these positions was ascribed to the wage differences between the public and the private sector. The results of the HR interviews were used to compile a questionnaire that was distributed to current DOT District 6 employees. A total of 1,109 employee surveys were collected and reviewed to develop a recommended list of best practices for recruiting and retaining DOT employees. The list of best practices includes increased social media presence, quantification of overall benefit packages, implementation of flexible work schedules and telecommuting, clarification and restructuring of the promotions and incentives process, and increased communication and feedback between staff and management."
description: Tran-SET Project No. 17PPLSU07
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2226032
title: Research Incentive Programs for Closures of Public and Private Grade Crossings

description: Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17PPLSU13. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference: "Vehicle-train crashes that occur at highway-rail crossings result in injuries, fatalities, and damage to equipment. In order to reduce the number of vehicle-train crashes, Federal Railroad Administration requires states which have challenges with crossing safety, including Louisiana, to develop a State Action Plan to improve grade crossing safety. Consequently, identification of specific solutions for improving safety at crossings was included in the 2015 Louisiana Transportation Plan as one of its objectives. This study seeks to identify and evaluate current and new incentive programs that encourage closure of at-grade railroad crossings to reduce the number of potential vehicle-train collision points, and hence improve safety. To accomplish this, a survey was designed and was distributed to personnel of state and railroad agencies. Survey responses from the DOTs revealed that currently, 16 states had no incentive programs for consolidation or closure of highway-rail crossings. Analysis of the survey data revealed that states without any incentive program had the least proportion of highway-rail crossing closures. The study revealed that cash incentives, while popular are not effective because although the Federal Government contributes to a state’s effort in offering cash incentives for closure of public grade crossings, the amount is not substantial enough to be considered a significant incentive by most local governments. Also, track relocation, while effective is mostly impractical due to the high costs involved. A literature review revealed that having a mathematical model to guide on the selection of crossings for consolidation or closure provides sound scientific basis and are usually welcomed by the community. The research team identified three potential new incentives that could work well for Louisiana namely crime rate reduction incentives, greenness improvement programs, and the development of a grade crossing consolidation model that considers safety, among a plethora of other factors, to be used to prioritize crossings to be closed. However, additional work is required to validate these programs for statewide deployment."
description: Tran-SET Project No. 17PPLSU13
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2226033
title: Research Incentive Programs for Closures of Public and Private Grade Crossings

description: Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17PPLSU13. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference: "Vehicle-train crashes that occur at highway-rail crossings result in injuries, fatalities, and damage to equipment. In order to reduce the number of vehicle-train crashes, Federal Railroad Administration requires states which have challenges with crossing safety, including Louisiana, to develop a State Action Plan to improve grade crossing safety. Consequently, identification of specific solutions for improving safety at crossings was included in the 2015 Louisiana Transportation Plan as one of its objectives. This study seeks to identify and evaluate current and new incentive programs that encourage closure of at-grade railroad crossings to reduce the number of potential vehicle-train collision points, and hence improve safety. To accomplish this, a survey was designed and was distributed to personnel of state and railroad agencies. Survey responses from the DOTs revealed that currently, 16 states had no incentive programs for consolidation or closure of highway-rail crossings. Analysis of the survey data revealed that states without any incentive program had the least proportion of highway-rail crossing closures. The study revealed that cash incentives, while popular are not effective because although the Federal Government contributes to a state’s effort in offering cash incentives for closure of public grade crossings, the amount is not substantial enough to be considered a significant incentive by most local governments. Also, track relocation, while effective is mostly impractical due to the high costs involved. A literature review revealed that having a mathematical model to guide on the selection of crossings for consolidation or closure provides sound scientific basis and are usually welcomed by the community. The research team identified three potential new incentives that could work well for Louisiana namely crime rate reduction incentives, greenness improvement programs, and the development of a grade crossing consolidation model that considers safety, among a plethora of other factors, to be used to prioritize crossings to be closed. However, additional work is required to validate these programs for statewide deployment."
description: Tran-SET Project No. 17PPLSU13
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2226138
title: Sustainable and Equitable Financing for Pedestrian Infrastructure Maintenance

description: Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17PPUNM01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference: "In many communities, pedestrian infrastructure is discontinuous, inaccessible to those with physical disabilities, and poorly maintained. Correcting these problems would be a first step in providing infrastructure to achieve the active travel and related transportation goals of many communities. One nearly universal challenge to maintaining sidewalks in a state of good repair and addressing environmental justice concerns is an adequate, sustainable, and equitable source of funding. Municipal governments across the country maintain and repair their streets and roadways; however, most require residents to maintain and repair public sidewalks adjacent to their property. These policies are difficult to enforce and may be at least partly responsible for the poor condition of many sidewalks. They may also place a relatively high cost on low-income households. We evaluate three alternative options for financing the maintenance of public sidewalks in Albuquerque, New Mexico: increasing the gross receipts tax (GRT), the gasoline excise tax, or the property tax. These are broad-based taxes that many municipalities already levy to pay for public infrastructure, including streets. We conclude that any of the alternatives would perform better than policies that require adjacent property owners to maintain public sidewalks. They are generally less regressive, cost less on average, and would allow municipalities to more effectively manage sidewalk assets. The differences between the alternatives are relatively minor compared to their benefits. Additional considerations should include how the revenue from each tax may change over time."
description: Tran-SET Project No. 17PPUNM01
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.2226139
title: Sustainable and Equitable Financing for Pedestrian Infrastructure Maintenance

description: Corresponding data set for Tran-SET Project No. 17PPUNM01. Abstract of the final report is stated below for reference: "In many communities, pedestrian infrastructure is discontinuous, inaccessible to those with physical disabilities, and poorly maintained. Correcting these problems would be a first step in providing infrastructure to achieve the active travel and related transportation goals of many communities. One nearly universal challenge to maintaining sidewalks in a state of good repair and addressing environmental justice concerns is an adequate, sustainable, and equitable source of funding. Municipal governments across the country maintain and repair their streets and roadways; however, most require residents to maintain and repair public sidewalks adjacent to their property. These policies are difficult to enforce and may be at least partly responsible for the poor condition of many sidewalks. They may also place a relatively high cost on low-income households. We evaluate three alternative options for financing the maintenance of public sidewalks in Albuquerque, New Mexico: increasing the gross receipts tax (GRT), the gasoline excise tax, or the property tax. These are broad-based taxes that many municipalities already levy to pay for public infrastructure, including streets. We conclude that any of the alternatives would perform better than policies that require adjacent property owners to maintain public sidewalks. They are generally less regressive, cost less on average, and would allow municipalities to more effectively manage sidewalk assets. The differences between the alternatives are relatively minor compared to their benefits. Additional considerations should include how the revenue from each tax may change over time."
description: Tran-SET Project No. 17PPUNM01
DOI: 10.5066/p9g2v5lz
title: Geomorphic Change-Sediment Transport Data for the Little Colorado River, Arizona, USA

description: These data were compiled to accompany flow modeling work on Little Colorado river above the mouth (USGS gage 09402300). The data include topographic data collected by LIDAR and total station in June 2017, high water marks from nine historic floods, and control points and gage structures. Topographic data include ground topography collected by LIDAR and channel bathymetry collected by total station survey of a 2500 meter reach of the Little Colorado River ending near the confluence with the Colorado River. High water mark data were collected by USGS personnel using total station surveys and are divided into nine distinct sets based on elevation profile.
DOI: 10.5066/p9ptj0po
title: The Relative Impacts of Climate and Land-use Change on Conterminous United States Bird Species from 2001 to 2075

description: Species distribution models often use climate data to assess contemporary and/or future ranges for animal or plant species. Land use and land cover (LULC) data are important predictor variables for determining species range, yet are rarely used when modeling future distributions. In this study, maximum entropy modeling was used to construct species distribution maps for 50 North American bird species to determine relative contributions of climate and LULC for contemporary (2001) and future (2075) time periods. Results indicate species-specific response to climate and LULC variables; however, both climate and LULC variables clearly are important for modeling both contemporary and potential future species ranges. This data release provides summary data for each of the 50 species. Four types of files are included in a ZIP file distributed for each species, including 1) GeoTIFF files that represent species distributions for 2001 and 2075 (including model runs with and without climate or land use), 2) PDF files summarizing MaxENT model runs for 2001, demonstrating sensitivity of the models to climate and land use, 3) lambda values for each model run that contain variables used in that run and constants that can be used to compute values for the fitted model, and 4) a JPG file depicting a summary map of modeled species range in 2001, and panel maps depicting changes in species probability as land use and/or climate change by 2075. A summary Excel spreadsheet summarizes and compares results across the 50 species.
DOI: 10.5066/p9wrsui6
title: Data Release for Geologic Map of the Pagosa Springs 7.5-minute quadrangle, Archuleta County, Colorado

description: The Pagosa Springs geologic map is of the 7.5-minute quadrangle of the same name. It is located in southwestern Colorado, USA and shows the town of Pagosa Springs. The mapped area is southwest of the San Juan volcanic mountains (Oligocene) and north of the San Juan Basin. All bedrock units exposed in the map area are Upper Cretaceous in age except a minor canyon outcrop of Upper Jurassic rock. Pre-Holocene Quaternary age deposits are mainly alluvial gravels and outwash on terraces. Structure is simple: shale and sandstone beds dip at low angles east to northeast as a broad limb of the north-northwest striking Archuleta Anticline. Three geologic cross sections controlled by drill holes are included and depict Mesozoic bedrock and faults down to and including shallow Precambrian basement rock. A brief geologic history of the region is described. These geospatial data files support the following pulication: Moore, D.W., and Lidke, D.J., 2018, Geologic map of the Pagosa Springs 7.5' quadrangle, Archuletta County, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3419, pamphlet 24 p., scale 1:24,000, https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3419