“This is an extraordinary honor, and I commend Barbara on this well-deserved award,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Thibault, PE. “Barbara’s advanced research incorporating big data into traffic forecasting ultimately helps FDOT and the Turnpike to provide a safe, innovative transportation system and moves the department forward in its mission.”
The AASHTO award for Research is based on exemplary service that furthers transportation activities and impacts transportation nationwide or regionally.
One of Davis’ focus areas is using big data within the current traffic forecasting process to provide detailed insight into existing travel patterns on local roadways, including origin and destination data, which help to determine future projects. In addition to using big data, Davis is also advancing traffic forecasting to incorporate the impacts of connected and automated vehicles on future travel demand and the roadway capacity on Florida’s highway network.