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David Noyce

David Noyce

Executive Associate Dean
Arthur F. Hawnn Professor of Transportation Engineering

Consider all the different ways transportation affects our daily life. Whether we take a personal vehicle or transit to work, take a public transit to school, consume goods shipped by truck, train, ship, or pipeline, travel internationally by plane, ride a bicycle, or simply walk, the efficiency and safety of our transportation system has a dramatic impact on how successful each mode will be. And now we welcome the era of connected and automated vehicles.

My research is focused on the operational and behavioral aspects of transportation safety and operations. Recent research activities have considered advanced traffic control devices, left-turn signalization, smart cooridors, intelligent intersection and artierials with V2V and V2I communication, and applications of advanced technologies. Improving the operational and safety aspects of protected/permissive left-turns at signalized intersections has been an interest area of mine for the past 25 years. We are currently working on improving permissive left-turn modelling and using real-time information to optimize intersection traffic operations. The national implementation of the flashing yellow arrow permissive left-turn indication is part of the outcome of this research. I am also very interested in crash data recording (black box) technology and vehicle crash analysis. Reconstructing crashes with automated vehicles wil open a new door door to safety analysis. I have worked with state and fedral agencies on a wide array of research topics related to all modes of transportation, including pedestrian and bicyclists.

Current, I am the Executive Director of the Traffic Operations and Safety (TOPS) Laboratory and the Wisconsin Driving Simulator Laboratory. We have also created the Wisconsin Connected and Automated Transportation Consortium to coordinate and advance our research in these mutli-modal technologies. The TOPS Laboratory conducts research in the local, state, national, and international markets. Since inception in 2003, the TOPS Lab has completed over $35 million in research activities and has become recognized as a leading transportation research institution in the country. I am also an Associate Director of Safety Research Using Simulation (SaferSIM) Center, one of the University Transportation Centers (UTC) in the U.S. Our consortium includes the University of Iowa, University of Central Florida, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaquez. Research focus is on collaborative simulation research, which I further describe below.

I have spent the last 25 years working with full-scale driving simulation and studying driver comprehension and behavior related to various traffic control devices, geometric designs, operational conditions, and new technologies. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is home to a full-scale driving simulator that provides a state-of-the art research tool. We have used the simulator to study regulatory signs, traffic signal displays, rumble strips, young and old drivers, distraction, in-vehicle warning devices, driver distractions, and the effects of low Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) on driver performance. We are currently looking at new technologies to improve the realism of the simulated environment.

I am also associated with the Construction Engineering and Management Program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, given my M.S. degree is this field. My intersts include both transportation and building construction in the areas of productivity, efficiency (schedule compression), work zone management and safety and leadership. My research team has worked for the last few years with the Federal Highway Administration in developing new understanding in safe and efficient roadway construction work zones.

Finally, I maintain an active traffic operations, geometric design, and safety cirriculum. We have redeveloping our transportation laboratory to include a fully signalized intersection to study advanced traffic signal operation methods. We also provide a means of testing new equipment and technologies as they enter the market. Our complete array of traffic data collection equipment allows us to move this lab into the field to incorporate real-time traffic.

The undergraduate and graduate students working with me form a research team directed at improving the design, operations, construction, and safety of all elements of transportation.

Department

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Contact

2630B, Engineering Hall
1415 Engineering Dr
Madison, WI

  • PhD 1999, Texas A&M University
  • MS 1995, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
  • MBA 1994, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
  • BS 1984, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison

  • Advanced Traffic Operations
  • Vehicle-to-Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Communication Technology
  • Transportation and Construction Safety
  • Pedestrian and Bicycle Operations and Safety
  • Driver Behavior and Driving Simulation
  • Protected/Permissive Left-turn Displays and Operations
  • Transportation and Building Construction Productivity, Schedule Compression, and Leadership
  • Crash reconstruction

  • 2019 Institute of Transportation Engineers, Fellow
  • 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers, Fellow
  • 2016 College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Leaders in Engineering Excellence & Diversity Faculty Recognition Award
  • 2015 College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Arthur F. Hawnn Professorship of Transportation Engineering
  • 2014 Transportation Research Board, Outstanding Paper Award, Committee on Safety Data Analysis and Evaluation
  • 2014 Transportation Research Board, Patricia F. Waller Award, Best Paper in Highway Safety
  • 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers, Outstanding Reviewer Award
  • 2010 Transportation Research Board, Best Paper Award, Roundabout Task Force
  • 2010 American Society of Civil Engineers, Outstanding Reviewer Award
  • 2010 College of Engineering, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Ragnar E. Onstad Service to Society Award
  • 2005 Transportation Research Board, Outstanding Paper Award, Committee on Pedestrians
  • 2004 Quixote Corporation, Philip E. Rollhaus, Jr. Transportation Safety Best Paper Award
  • 2003 Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Coordinating Council Award
  • 2002 Transportation Research Board, D. Grant Mickle Award, best paper in Operations, Safety and Maintenance
  • 2002 American Society of Civil Engineers, Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) Fellowship
  • 2001 University of Massachusetts, Distinguished Teaching Award Nominee
  • 1998 National Science Foundation, Engineering Education Scholars Program
  • 1998 U.S. Department of Transportation, Robert Herman Award, Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Southwest University Transportation Center, District VI
  • 1997 Eno Foundation, Center for Transportation Leadership Fellow
  • 1993 Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers, Young Engineer of the Year

  • Claros, B., Andriola, C., Chitturi, M., Bill, A., & Noyce, D. (2024). Winter Maintenance Multispectral Performance Evaluation: Salt Brine versus Solid Salt Applications. Journal of Cold Regions Engineering, 38(4) https://doi.org/10.1061/JCRGEI.CRENG-834
  • Claros, B., Chitturi, M., Bill, A., Tainter, F., Knodler, M., Hurwitz, D., & Noyce, D. (2024). Field Evaluation of Yellow Change and Red Clearance Intervals with Subsequent Permissive Left-Turn Flashing Yellow Arrow Indication. Transportation Research Record, 2678(10), 1379-1394 https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241236790
  • Claros, B., Chitturi, M., Vorhes, G., Bill, A., & Noyce, D. (2024). Horizontal Curve Safety Performance Evaluation Based on Naturalistic Vehicle Lane Position Data. Transportation Research Record, 2678(10), 1484-1496 https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241238229
  • Li, P., Chen, S., Yue, L., Xu, Y., & Noyce, D. (2024). Analyzing relationships between latent topics in autonomous vehicle crash narratives and crash severity using natural language processing techniques and explainable XGBoost. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 203 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2024.107605
  • Claros, B., Chitturi, M., Bill, A., & Noyce, D. (2024). Naturalistic study of vehicle-bicycle lateral passing distance on high-speed rural two-lane roadways with paved shoulders. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 102, 316-334 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2024.03.006
  • Nassereddine, H., Santiago-Chaparro, K. R., & Noyce, D. (2024). Evaluating Right-Turn Flashing Yellow Arrow for Vehicle–Pedestrian Interactions Using a Non-Probabilistic Regression Approach. Transportation Research Record, 2678(2), 212-222 https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231173645
  • Andriola, C., Chitturi, M., Cheng, Y., & Noyce, D. (2024). The impact of COVID-19 on speed behavior in Wisconsin. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 101, 340-353 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2024.01.009
  • Li, P., Parker, S. T., & Noyce, D. (2024). Automated Vehicles vs. Human Drivers: Modeling Driving Behavior Using Data from Field Experiments. In International Conference on Transportation and Development 2024: Transportation Safety and Emerging Technologies - Selected Papers from the International Conference on Transportation and Development 2024 (p. 560-572). ISBN/ISSN: [9780784485514]
  • Li, P., Wu, K., Cheng, Y., Parker, S. T., & Noyce, D. (2024). How Does C-V2X Perform in Urban Environments? Results from Real-World Experiments on Urban Arterials. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles, 9(1), 2520-2530 https://doi.org/10.1109/TIV.2023.3326735
  • Huang, Z., Chen, S., Pian, Y., Sheng, Z., Ahn, S., & Noyce, D. (2024). Toward C-V2X Enabled Connected Transportation System: RSU-Based Cooperative Localization Framework for Autonomous Vehicles. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 25(10), 13417-13431 https://doi.org/10.1109/TITS.2024.3410185

  • CIV ENGR 573 - Geometric Design of Transport Facilities (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • CIV ENGR 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Summer 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Summer 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Summer 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 573 - Geometric Design of Transport Facilities (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Fall 2023)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Fall 2023)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Fall 2023)
  • CIV ENGR 790 - Master's Research or Thesis (Summer 2023)
  • CIV ENGR 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research (Summer 2023)
  • CIV ENGR 990 - Thesis (Summer 2023)