Author: Alphonse Vial and Giulia Reggiani

WHAT SUMMER SCHOOL?

This August we organized two full days of active mode research for 18 Bachelors and Masters students from the University of South Florida. Together with Prof. Robert Bertini, the organizer of the trip, the students were visiting TU Delft and the Netherlands as part of a two-week summer school on sustainable transportation.

PROGRAM SNEAK PEEK:

While the first day focused on Bicycle Queue Density and Discharge, the second-day program was built around Dutch Cycling Infrastructure and Perceptions. We had an excellent Allegro-lineup, and each of the two days included theory, experiments, data collection, data processing, analyses, discussions, and eventually barbecue & sports. Experiments and data collection were performed at the Green Village (a living lab for sustainable innovation on TU Delft campus), as well as on Delft’s cycle tracks.

COOL, AND HOW WAS IT?

The feedback we received from the students was excellent. We experienced them as being interested, energetic and always looking for interaction. They became active mode researchers for 2 days, by learning how to design their own experiments and data collection plans in order to answer research questions. In fact, they all collected their own data, processed and analyzed it and finally presented the results. The experiments and data analysis were not only for educational purposes, but the students actually were at the frontier of new science. In both their experiments as well as in their analyses, they contributed to the state-of-the-art research. But most of all, they had a GOOD TIME.

ALRIGHT, AND WHO DID ALL OF THIS?

Thanks to Professor Rober Bertini for designing the summer school and for initiating the cooperation with the Allegro group. Recognitions, to the fantastic team that made it all happen: Giulia Reggiani, Lara Zomer and Alphonse Vial for the entire organization, and for leading the day on Physical and Perceived Networks. Victor Knoop, Marie-Jette Wierbos and Martijn Sparnaaij, thank you for contributing to the whole first day of research at the Green Village with insight on Densities of Active Mode Users. Finally, the students benefited from the guidance of Tim van Oijen during the data analysis and presentation session.