Leaders at the Nick J. Rahall II Appalachian Transportation Institute in Huntington are looking to improve and further develop all areas of transportation in West Virginia.

Director Sen. Bob Plymale, D-Wayne, said the institute's main focus is bringing new innovations and ideas to the region that will transform the transportation industry in West Virginia.

To make improvements ot that state's various transportation systems, Plymale said the institute heavily invests in research and fosters research cooperation between state colleges and universities.

Promoting transportation research

Plymale said the institute's research covers a wide spectrum of transportation-related fields. Its main focus in transportation research, Plymale said, is making the state's transportation systems more efficient.

Whether it's looking at the development of bike trails, improving surrounding waterways or creating a new highway, Plymale said every aspect of transportation is researched by members of the institute.

"We've got a vast expertise in fields that we can add value to through research," Plymale said.

With a major airport, railroad, highway system and waterway located in close proximity to Huntington, Plymale said the institute is at the intersection of multi-modal transportation in the Tri-State.

For research and the development of new transportation technology, Plymale said the institute utilizes surrounding colleges and universities.

Developing transportation education and development

Richard Begley, associate institute director, said the institute regularly partners with Marshall University and other West Virginia colleges to develop new programs and projects. Because transportation technology falls under a broad range of disciplines, Begley said they develop college programs in a variety of fields, including structural engineering, science and economics.

"We work with schools and utilize their facilities to support the research," Plymale said.

Courses such as traffic management, transportation law and public policy, traffic engineering and accident investigation are only a few of the undergraduate courses developed by the institute. In its K-12 Outreach Program, the institute's mission is to nurture a new generation of transportation professionals. Introducing transportation technologies and hands-on learning early, Plymale said, increases the likelihood that students will consider transportation-related careers.

Begley said the institute plans to promote the establishment of new high tech companies and safety and efficiency equipment manufacturers in the region. The more transportation-related companies that come to the region, Begley said, the more opportunities transportation technology students have to work in their chosen fields.

Though it works with colleges in and outside of West Virginia, Begley said the institute has been able to develop a data archive that is shared with other transportation institutes throughout the country. This way, he said, institutes can share their data on transportation issues and aid others in problem solving.

Transportation information sharing

Begley noted that sharing information with other transportation institutes and centers throughout the country is an important aspect of growing. Although West Virginia has its own geographical challenges, Begley said the institute has been able to apply other technologies from various states.

The institute has done research in all 13 Appalachian states.

"It has been a unique investment to partner with other institutes on a research basis," he said.

Developing intelligent transportation systems

Plymale said one of the most important aspects of the transportation field is to constantly ask questions such as "How can we make traveling more productive?" and "How does transportation affect productivity, shipping?" Constantly looking to improve every mode of transportation, he said, is one of the institute's main purposes.

"We look at every mode of transportation and see how to make more efficient," Plymale said.

Plymale said the institute is really focusing on making West Virginia's highways safer for commuters. Currently, the institute is developing and researching the effectiveness of "smart boards" on state highways.

Smart boards, Plymale said, are electronic boards on the roadsides that notify drivers of various conditions coming up on the road.

The boards, already implemented in several states, notify drivers of accidents, weather conditions and their traveling time.

Plymale said he hopes to implement smart boards in the next year.

Begley said they are also looking into the implementation of traffic cameras, EZ Pass toll booths and automatic vehicle locators.

Developing new transportation technologies for better traveling efficiency and making the roads, rails and rivers safe is their main concern for West Virginia, Begley and Plymale said.

"Our institute has been instrumental in helping federal highways implement ITS technology to West Virginia highways," Plymale said.

"It's important to us that our research is contributing to crash avoidance. Developments in the field of transportation safety is limitless, and we want to continue bettering our intelligent transportation systems," Begley said.