Research & Development
CR2C2 will develop flexible and adaptable solutions for adopting emerging technologies in rural areas through three intertwined, multi-university Major Research Initiatives (MRIs):
MRI 1 promotes the engagement of rural communities through participatory planning to enable methodological and analytical breakthroughs that can be used to develop, calibrate, and apply new planning paradigms in these contexts.
MRI 1 will also analyze and quantify the benefits and costs of deploying CAVs and CAV-enabling infrastructure in rural areas and the impacts on improving healthcare access in rural areas.
MRI 2 will examine the development of sensing, communication, and computing solutions and the use of connected vehicles and infrastructure in providing safer, more reliable transportation services for rural and underserved communities.
MRI 2 will also explore the development of autonomous micro-transit vehicles as effective and flexible solutions for providing mobility services in response to infrequent demand. It will also investigate challenges associated with EV adoption to achieve more sustainable and equitable transportation in rural areas.
MRI 3: Equitable Mobility Services for Goods and People in Rural and Underserved Communities
MRI 3 focuses on improving rural mobility through the provision of affordable transportation services. This will be achieved by evaluating the reliability of our regional freight network and developing novel approaches for improving the performance of the freight system.
MRI 3 will also develop innovative tools to study and optimize multimodal transportation network connectivity to enhance system performance, advance economic development, and support businesses in Region 4. Furthermore, we will pioneer new data analytics for decision support tools to enhance equitable mobility services in rural areas.