NSF Org:	CMMI Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation
Recipient:	VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE & STATE UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date:	August 13, 2009
Latest Amendment Date:	August 13, 2009
Award Number:	0958144
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Dennis Wenger CMMI  Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation ENG  Directorate for Engineering
Start Date:	August 15, 2009
End Date:	July 31, 2010 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$34,857.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$34,857.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2009 = $34,857.00
History of Investigator:	Pamela Murray-Tuite (Principal Investigator) pmmurra@clemson.edu Kris Wernstedt (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 300 TURNER ST NW BLACKSBURG VA  US  24060-3359 (540)231-5281
Sponsor Congressional District:	09
Primary Place of Performance:	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 300 TURNER ST NW BLACKSBURG VA  US  24060-3359
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	09
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	QDE5UHE5XD16
Parent UEI:	X6KEFGLHSJX7
NSF Program(s):	CIS-Civil Infrastructure Syst
Primary Program Source:	01000910DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s):	036E, 041E, 042E, 1057, 1576, 7914, 9102, CVIS
Program Element Code(s):	163100
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.041

ABSTRACT

This Grant for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funds the collection of important, perishable data on how risk perceptions after a vivid event that received widespread media coverage 1) influence travelers' selection of transportation mode in the near, medium, and long term; 2) change the tradeoffs transit users are willing to make among safety, speed, frequency of service, cost, and reliability after such an incident; and 3) attenuate or sharpen over time and geographic distance from the accident. This grant allows a small team to collect shifting traveler perception and decision data through three waves of a survey of Metrorail and Park-and-Ride bus commuters. Our hypotheses are that in the aftermath of the accident, changes in risk perceptions over time and space?the amount of time since the June 22nd accident and the distance of commuters from both the accident site and the line on which it occurred?influence mode and route choices, as well as preferences for different characteristics of transit. We will administer a set of choice experiments in each wave to test these hypotheses.

To the best of our knowledge, studies of mode choice and system preferences in the aftermath of a major disruptive event do not exist. The data will allow (1) consideration of safety in mode choice models and (2) systematic examination of the attenuation of intense feelings (resulting from the crash) over space and time and their role in decision making. This study also provides attitudinal and preference data in the context of major incidents and allows analysis that policy makers and transit agencies can use to plan appropriate alternative transit-based modes for captive riders. Such planning will help minimize personal economic impacts associated with the event and psychological impacts of temporary loss of connectivity. Furthermore, this research will improve the partnership between social science and engineering.

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