This year’s project, entitled “Local Effects of Gas Price Hikes on Transportation Systems”, was a focused analysis examining the relationship between gas prices and the number of freeway vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Selected freeway sections were analyzed for 2005 and 2008 are showed that traffic volumes have varied throughout the analysis period and that the impact of significant increases in gas price in summer 2008 translated into a relative decrease in VMT. Other factors considered included unemployment rates and further analysis is on-going.

The Annual Project was presented to the joint meeting of the ITE Southern California section and OCTEC at the annual Student Night on May 20th, 2009. The UCI project, presented by Chris Long, Paul Harer, and Giancarlo Ganddini, was awarded "Most Imaginative and Thought-Provoking" project in the Southern California Section's Student Chapter competition.

2008-2009 Annual Project Results: