NCRST – Environment (NCRST-E) focuses research on the goal of providing cost effective corridor assessment and planning tools. The NCRST-E research partners apply remote sensing imagery of increased spatial, radiometric, and temporal resolution to the analysis of transportation impacts on the environment, both natural and man-made. Transportation, Development, and Land Cover Change For the Mississippi Gulf Coast I-10 and Coastal Corridor and for an area in the Appalachian Region, the NCRST-E’s land cover classification and change detections efforts are producing significant results and will assist current corridor planning efforts in Mississippi for the CSX railroad and I-10. Technology outreach between researchers, “on-the-ground” practitioners, and regulators is critical to the development of enhanced approaches for wetland identification. Cost- effective, acceptable approaches for the use of remotely sensed data in wetlands identification, mapping, and mitigation planning will provide improved screening and selection of transportation alignments. Wetland Assessment in Transportation Projects Needs, Air Quality, and GeoLibraries NCRST-E’s research, technology application, and education programs respond to the evaluated environmental assessment geospatial information needs of transportation stakeholders. Needs assessment studies, evaluations of air quality related to transportation, and all other investigation point to the need for improved data resources for transportation assessment. Digital GeoSpatial Data Libraries (GeoLibraries) are a high priority area of research and development for NCRST-E Technology Application Projects NCRST-E efforts are linked to technology application projects (TAPs) that demonstrate how information products derived from remote sensing and related technology can be used by transportation professionals. Partners TRANSPORTATION ASSESSMENT

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE Data modeling Access management Pavement assessment Roads Comms tower location Bridges Airports Centerline geometry Cut & fill calculation Hydrological modeling Intersection safety Bridge location Bridge clearance Flight path obstructions Digital airport layout Asset inventory & location University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Florida LIDAR produces dense and precise elevation models (± 30 cm) This is useful for Digital Airport Layout Plans (DALPs) 3-D Airport Approach Plans (3DALP) examining obstructions to airport approaches Integration with digital photography extends the capability of the technology 3D Airport Planning Technology Application Partners TetraTech Inc Orbital Imaging Corporation Florida Department of Transportation University of Massachusetts University of Wisconsin-Madison Bridge Location National Bridge Inventory (FHWA Mandate) requires accurate bridge locations BridgeView — an ArcView® extension to view linearly referenced location overlaid on imagery or photography Variable resolution image overlays Can be extended to other infrastructure items: terminals, etc. University of Wisconsin-Madison Network analysis identifies critical infrastructure elements Monitoring and communications equipment optimally located by viewshed analysis and modeling Simulated evacuation evaluates adequacy of infrastructure capacity University of California, Santa Barbara Critical Infrastructure Protection Roads distinguished from other urban materials in hyperspectral imagery — and concrete easily distinguished from asphalt. Linear filters trace road centerlines. Most applicable to extensive remote areas where field methods are infeasible. GPS methods offer an alternative for urban areas, and a cost benchmark. Data model (UNETRANS) offers quick- start database development. University of California, Santa Barbara; Iowa State University Pavement Composition and Centerline Extraction Ask about our learning resources Evacuation capacity

Protecting the nation’s transportation infrastructure against terrorist attacks has become a top priority, and will be an evolving industry as advanced technology enables more sophisticated, real-time, continuous monitoring. Protecting the Aviation Infrastructure LiDAR, high-resolution satellite, and airborne imagery provide current spatial information on airport facilities and help to identify obstructions in the surrounding airspace. These technologies enhance airfield protection, security, and safety by allowing airport managers to visualize a broad range of spatial information in three dimensions. Safety has always been an important issue for pipeline operators. Pipelines are one of the vulnerable critical infrastructures that can be monitored and protected using chemical detectors and remote sensing technology. Protecting the Pipeline Infrastructure National Consortium on Remote Sensing in Transportation Safety, Hazards, and Disaster Assessment Protecting the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure TRANSPORTATION HAZARDS

Traffic management Traffic parameter estimation Image processing RMS relative error in AADT estimates against network coverage cycle time in yrs RMS relative error in VMT estimates against network coverage cycle time in yrs Adding vehicle counts from satellite imagery to ground counts improves the quality of ADDT & VMT estimates while requiring fewer on-ground personnel. Vehicle matching Original frame Detection of vehicles Distance measurement Frame 950 warped & overlain on frame 930 Velocity calculated from combined frames NCRST – Flows focuses research on applying remote sensing technology to improve the efficiency of regional traffic flow, intermodal freight, and passage at border crossings & beyond. Aerial view of the study networkNetwork representation Intersection 1 Intersection 3 Intersection 2 A mounted video camera is used to test a procedure to automatically detect & match vehicles. Effective real-time/near-real-time traffic management depends on the accuracy of current traffic flow information. Remote sensing can aid in the detection & estimation of queue formation, platoon progression & turning fractions. Distance & speed are calculated from helicopters using video cameras. Use of spectral signatures to automatically track vehicles makes the calculations possible. LIDAR data is proving to be a useful addition to our sensor capabilities producing minute variations in surface elevations. LIDAR data Ikonos 1 mIkonos 4 m + = Fused Ikonos imagery Aerial photo for comparison UA parking garage Satellite sensor fusion helps in managing parking ramp utilization. TRANSPORTATION FLOWS