Using an Interactive Display to Demonstrate Transportation Planning and Design Issues

An ongoing challenge worldwide has been to attract sufficient numbers of new people into transportation careers. When trying to understand what transportation engineering is about, many people often find that examples of practical applications are particularly useful. In this way, people acquire initial interest in a problem and then realize its real-world application to a career in transportation. Recently, funds donated to the University of Canterbury in New Zealand were used to develop an interactive transportation display board for both existing and prospective students. The display represents a landscape on which a new road route would be determined. The display surface is subdivided into hexagonal sections, each with a “cost” reflecting the relative difficulty of road construction in that location (e.g., due to mountains, rivers, or development). Magnetic road elements (each with a value reflecting the costs to road users) are then placed on the display to create a connection between the chosen endpoints. The intention is that the display's users determine the most optimal road alignment for minimizing construction costs, road user costs, or both. Since its creation, the display has been used at various sites, both on campus and at career expos, and has proven to be immensely popular with visitors. The display's potential as an educational tool for use in math, science, or geography classes has also been identified. This paper outlines the development of the display, its applications to date, and the transportation lessons the display can highlight.