Reflection on the Transportation Discourse Community

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Joel Shaffer
Professor Doyle
ENGW 3302
14 July 2014
Reflection on the Transportation Discourse Community
I have recently conducted research on optimal commuter rail operations protocol, and I am interested in
disseminating my findings among the transportation discourse community in order to foster further
discussion and debate on the topic. My work is highly technical, containing language and knowledge
unique to the specialized railroading industry; however, it remains written in a straightforward manner
so that the general public (commuter rail riders, policy developers, politicians) is still able to digest the
information. Ideally, the journal I choose publishes articles in a similar “specialized but readable” style.
In searching for a journal in which to publish work, I examined five publications, the Journal of
Transportation Engineering, the Journal of Transportation, the Journal of Public Transportation, the
Open Transportation Journal, and the International Railway Journal. These diverse selections are a
representative sample of the wide-ranging transportation discourse community, which spans multiple
disciplines (engineering, planning, and policymaking) in its pursuit of efficient, well designed
transportation systems. I analyzed each journal’s character, content, objectives, and aesthetic form to
determine which best suited my research, and on a deeper level, my personal values and aspirations as
a transportation engineer. This analysis also serves to introduce my peers within the transportation
community to several transportation publications, providing thought-provoking commentary on the
journals and suggesting who specifically within the community may benefit most from each.
I started with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Transportation Engineering.
Despite several searches of the journal site, I was unable to find a mission statement or goals of the
journal. I thought this was odd, as most journals explain their motives. I eventually came to the
conclusion that the journal’s “default” objectives are those of its parent organization, ASCE, which states
that it serves to enhance infrastructure and environmental stewardship, promote engineering
excellence, and develop civil engineering positions on public policy issues. The scope of the Journal of
Transportation Engineering states:
“The Journal of Transportation Engineering contains technical and professional articles on the
planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of air, highway, rail, and urban
transportation. Specific topics include airport and highway pavement maintenance and
performance; management of roads, bridges, and transit systems; traffic management
technology; railway engineering; and economics and environmental aspects of transportation.”
The range of topics is somewhat broad, which I imagine is intentional since ASCE is a major
representative organization of civil engineering in the U.S. In other words, ASCE is looking to prove that
it has authority in all aspects of transportation engineering, and it avoids limiting its scope through a
high-level list of topics covered in the journal. This also helps to increase the breadth of its audience,
since a broad list of topics applies to more transportation professionals. In order to verify that the
journal’s articles match ASCE objectives as well as its stated scope of topics, I viewed a sample article,
“Optimization of a Prestressed Concrete Railroad Crosstie for Heavy-Haul Applications”, written by civil
engineering professor Devin Harris of Michigan Technological University. The abstract states, “In an
effort to maximize [railroad] tie capacity while maintaining tie geometry, fastening systems, and
installation equipment, a parametric study to optimize the existing designs was completed,” (815). As
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evidenced in the excerpt, the piece serves to improve upon existing infrastructure through optimization
of existing designs and quality engineering, thus meeting the ASCE mission statement objectives and
falling within the journal’s stated range of transportation topics. As a civil engineer, I agree with ASCE’s
mission statement; I believe the most important result of my work is the advancement of society.
Furthermore, my work in rail operations optimization fits within the broad scope established for the
journal. Therefore, the ASCE journal is a strong candidate for the publication of my research.
Nevertheless, I only recommend the Journal of Transportation Engineering to my fellow transportation
engineers within the transportation discourse community. Its highly technical subject matter, detailed
articles on design, and engineering slant (as evidenced in the journal’s title) would not be particularly
useful to planners, policymakers, and the other less-technical professions within the community.
Next, I looked at the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Journal of Transportation, where I found
an entirely different mission statement and vibe:
“The Journal of Transportation of ITE adheres to the highest levels of peer review and publishes
basic and applied transportation research findings aimed at advancing transportation
knowledge and practices for the benefit of society. The Journal contains peer-reviewed articles
based on thoroughly researched projects that have been conducted by preeminent
transportation researchers.”
Instead of focusing on a list of topics presented in the journal as done by the ASCE publication, the ITE
journal discusses the quality of submissions and the overall goal of advancing society through these
texts. In other words, the ITE journal has a stated end goal of the works it contains, and it establishes
validity behind its publications. It is implied that the ITE journal covers everything transportationrelated, as ITE is a preeminent transportation organization in the U.S. with name recognition. Like the
ASCE journal, I searched the ITE database for an article to endorse its mission statement’s claims. I read
the article “Using Inductive Loops to Count Bicycles in Mixed Traffic”, by professional engineer Krista
Nordback et al, which claims, “With bicycle use increasing around the world…there is a growing need to
detect bicycles in on-street traffic conditions. This study tests the accuracy of an off-the-shelf inductiveloop technology designed to count bicycles in mixed traffic conditions,” (39). In other words, the
research is aimed at advancing knowledge of bicycle volume data collection methods in order to inform
further analysis and future roadway designs. It is the work of six highly respected individuals in the
transportation sector, thus verifying the journal’s claim of publishing thoroughly-researched projects
conducted by expert researchers. It is a comprehensive article, detailing every facet of estimating
bicycle volumes, but it maintains straightforward diction for the general public, similar to my railroad
operations article. Ultimately, I concluded that the Journal of Transportation of ITE would also be a
great option for my operations work, as I agree with its ideals to advance transportation knowledge for
the advancement of society. While ITE’s journal is published by an engineering organization like the
ASCE journal, it is still relevant to non-technical members of the transportation community. The journal
publishes “basic and applied transportation research findings” that are digestible by the nonengineering professions (for example, city transportation planners and politicians). ITE articles tend to
focus less on detailed design and analysis and more on the overarching implications of a transportation
topic. I believe ITE intentionally left the word “engineering” out of the title of their journal to encourage
engineers and non-engineers alike to read and discuss the articles.
After an examination of the popular ASCE and ITE journals, I looked at lesser-known options. In my
search, I came across the Journal of Public Transportation, published by the National Center for Transit
Research (NCTR), which states:
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“The Journal of Public Transportation is a quarterly, international journal containing original
research and case studies associated with various forms of public transportation and related
transportation and policy issues. Topics are approached from a variety of academic disciplines,
including economics, engineering, planning, and others, and include policy, methodological,
technological, and financial aspects. Emphasis is placed on the identification of innovative
solutions to transportation problems.”
I found it interesting that this journal, similar to ITE’s, does not provide a list of specific issues that it
publishes articles on. Instead, the NCTR journal takes a problem-solution approach aimed at resolving
any issue in the realm of public transport. I was also drawn to NCTR’s interdisciplinary approach to
identify solutions. They state outright that fields other than engineering can help to work towards
solutions in a technical industry, a fact that I feel is easily overlooked by the larger, engineering-based
organizations such as ASCE and ITE. I reviewed Florida State University Department of Urban and
Regional Planning professor Jeffrey Brown’s “The Modern Streetcar in the U.S.: An Examination of Its
Ridership, Performance, and Function as a Public Transportation Mode” and found that its primary
purpose is to analyze streetcar effectiveness through case studies in seven U.S. cities. The research
suggests that streetcars serve equally, if not more so, as urban development tools than a mode of public
transit (45). The article was written by a planner, as opposed to an engineer, providing interesting
perspectives (such as the idea of streetcars as an urban development tool) from which to analyze a
transportation topic. (In fact, I found it easier to read than some engineering articles I’ve read
previously, as the author did not lose his audience in a web of technical jargon or overcomplicated
analysis.) I appreciate the Journal of Public Transportation for its subject matter and variety of expertise
behind its articles, but I would not publish my highly-technical rail operations analysis in this publication
because its narrowly-focused content does not match the interdisciplinary atmosphere of the journal.
However, anyone interested in public transportation, regardless of their concentration, would find
interest in the conversation taking place within the NCTR publication.
Next, I considered The Open Transportation Journal, by Bentham Open, an online open access journal
publisher. I was initially skeptical of this journal because it is not associated with a professional
engineering organization or research center. The Open Transportation Journal aims and scope reads:
“The Open Transportation Journal is an Open Access online journal, which publishes research
articles, reviews, letters and guest edited single topic issues in the field of design and/or analysis
of transportation systems. Areas that are covered include: traffic modeling, transportation
networks, optimization, queuing, control, statistical and other models of transportation systems,
cost models and other works aiming at providing the most complete and reliable source of
information on current developments in the field. The emphasis will be on publishing quality
articles rapidly and freely available worldwide.”
My initial skepticism lessened somewhat after realizing the journal’s primary content consists of highlytechnical modeling and optimization articles written by respected individuals in the transportation
industry. It appears that a main (and unique) goal of this journal is to publish articles on demand, thus
disseminating information much faster than a journal with a more traditional monthly or quarterly
format. I read “Analysis of Pedestrian Accidents in Irbid City, Jordan”, written by professor Bashar AlOmari of Jordan University of Science and Technology, which provided a highly detailed investigation of
pedestrian-vehicle incidents that may inform future pedestrian and vehicle infrastructure on roadways.
As stated in the paper’s introduction, “This research aims at analyzing pedestrian accidents in Irbid City
based on pedestrian characteristics, driver characteristics, accident time, accident location, weather,
road surface condition, illumination condition, vehicle characteristics, speed limit, accident severity,
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pedestrian faults, and driver faults,” (1). As can be seen, a thorough analysis was conducted, verifying
the Open Transportation Journal’s claim of high quality work. However, I still would most likely not
submit to the Open Transportation Journal. The aesthetic form was not attractive to me; it looks more
like a jumbled collection of articles than a well-organized, professional journal (something I believe to be
a direct consequence of being a constantly updated online publication). This makes it appear to be a
more informal, less serious collection of texts, which I believe deters many professionals from using the
site. In other words, at first glance at the site, a transportation professional may conclude that speed is
valued more than quality during publication. Unfortunately, it is the consequence of this conclusion
(lack of interest in the publication) that matters, not the inaccuracy of such a deduction. Transportation
engineers and detail-oriented transportation planners and policymakers interested in informative
analysis could find articles of interest in the Open Transportation Journal, although I imagine that most,
like me, would find the site’s format unattractive. It would not be my top recommendation for any
subset of the transportation community.
The final publication I investigated was the International Railway Journal (IRJ). Whereas the first four
journals had classic “database” designs with past volumes and publications, the IRJ site is set up more as
an aggregator of railroad news, displaying recent articles on a variety of railroading topics (despite its
title as a “journal”). IRJ’s “about us” section states:
“IRJ is written for senior managers and engineers of the world's railways and transit systems,
ministers of transport, manufacturers, railway planners, and consultants. IRJ is produced by a
well-respected team of journalists and correspondents with an intimate working knowledge of
the industry, and IRJ editors travel the world to bring our discerning readers the latest
developments in rail transport. IRJ sets itself a high standard for quality editorial content and
industry-leading design.”
As can be seen, IRJ places heavy emphasis on the audience it is publishing to as well as its quality and
trustworthiness. I read publisher David Briginshaw’s “Can Rail React Fast Enough to New Challenges?”,
which meets IRJ’s claims of knowledge and quality as it discusses railroad and transit funding shortfalls
in the U.S. in contrast to large capital investments in rail in other countries (1). Moreover, it was easy to
discern that the railroad community is the target of the article, as railroading terminology and common
knowledge is used throughout. Nonetheless, I quickly determined that I would not submit work to IRJ
solely because of the content; it is obviously a news aggregator, not a professional journal. Even though
the topics are similar, my work on optimization of rail operations would not fit in with articles discussing
the latest railroading news. This site is appropriate for engineers, planners, and policymakers
specifically interested in railroading issues, albeit solely to keep up with the news.
After my preliminary analysis of the five transportation publications, I determined that the ASCE Journal
of Transportation Engineering and ITE Journal of Transportation would be the most appropriate for my
detailed research in rail operations. The ASCE journal is written by engineers for engineers, and the ITE
journal promotes transportation research aimed at advancing transportation knowledge and practices.
Each publication has professional-grade texts and contributors, objectives that closely align with mine as
a transportation engineer, and articles with content similar to my research. However, my work and that
of my engineer peers is only part of the transportation dialogue. Planners, policymakers, and a handful
of other professions contribute to the complex field of transportation, reflected in the variety of journals
contributing to the conversation on transportation. The ITE Journal of Transportation and NCTR Journal
of Public Transportation are geared towards engineering and non-engineering experts alike through
multidisciplinary conversations led by a variety of professionals, whereas the ASCE Journal of
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Transportation Engineering maintains a highly-detailed and technical engineering standpoint. Other
lesser-known publications like the Open Transportation Journal and International Railway Journal also
provide interesting conversations on transportation, although their formats are less formal and may
consequently be of less interest to experts in the transportation community. Ultimately, this reflection
has helped me to consider all aspects of the transportation discipline as well as what it means to be a
part of the ever-evolving transportation discourse community.
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Works Cited:
Journals (aims/scopes/mission statements):
“About the Journal.” Journal of Transportation of the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Institute of
Transportation Engineers. http://www.ite.org/jot/
“About Us: Editorial.” International Railway Journal. Simmons-Boardman Publishing.
http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/About-Us/editorial.html
“Aim & Scope.” Journal of Public Transportation. National Center for Transit Research.
http://www.nctr.usf.edu/journal/
“Aims & Scope.” Journal of Transportation Engineering. American Society of Civil Engineers.
http://ascelibrary.org/page/jtpedi/editorialboard
“Aims & Scope.” The Open Transportation Journal. Bentham Open.
http://www.benthamscience.com/open/totj/AimsScope.htm
Articles:
Al-Omari, Bashar H. "Analysis of Pedestrian Accidents in Irbid City, Jordan." The Open Transportation
Journal 7.1 (2013): 1-6. Web. 2 July 2014.
Briginshaw, David. "Can Rail React Fast Enough to New Challenges?" International Railway Journal.
Simmons-Boardman Publishing, 6 Dec. 2013. Web. 2 July 2014.
Brown, Jeffrey. "The Modern Streetcar in the U.S.: An Examination of Its Ridership, Performance, and
Function as a Public Transportation Mode." Journal of Public Transportation 16.4 (2013): 4361. Web. 3 July 2014.
Harris, Devin K., Russell H. Lutch, Theresa M. Ahlborn, and Pelle Duong. "Optimization of a Prestressed
Concrete Railroad Crosstie for Heavy-Haul Applications." Journal of Transportation
Engineering 137.11 (2011): 815. Web. 2 July 2014.
Nordback, Krista. "Using Inductive Loops to Count Bicycles in Mixed Traffic." Journal of Transportation of
the Institute of Transportation Engineers 2 (2011): 39-56. Web. 2 July 2014.

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