Zachary Hans
About Zachary
Mr. Zachary Hans is the director of the Center for Weather Impacts on Mobility and Safety and a senior research scientist at the Institute for Transportation at Iowa State. Mr. Hans, a professional engineer licensed in Iowa, has 25 years of professional experience in transportation engineering, working primarily in the area of traffic safety. He also conducts research in the areas of maintenance operations, planning, enforcement, traffic engineering and asset management. A key component of many of Mr. Hans’s research activities is the application of information systems, particularly geographic information systems (GIS). He is currently part of the technical support team for United States Road Assessment (usRAP) activities and has supported usRAP development projects in multiple states, including many city, county, and Tribal-level efforts.
Resume
Education
- MS, Civil Engineering (Transportation Engineering), Iowa State University, 1994
- BS, Civil Engineering, Iowa State University, 1993
Certifications
- Professional Engineer (PE) License, State of Iowa
Professional Experience
- Director, Center for Weather Impacts on Mobility and Safety, 2016–present
- Research Scientist, Center for Transportation Research and Education, 1995–present
Selected Research Experience (Traffic Safety)
- Iowa Traffic Safety Data Service (Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau [GTSB], Iowa Department of Transportation [DOT]): 1999–present
- Data Integration and Iowa State Patrol Support (Iowa GTSB): 2021–present
- Iowa Crash Analysis Tools (ICAT) Dashboards, Iowa DOT, 2021 –
- Office of Traffic and Safety Support (Iowa DOT): 2021–present
- Determining the Effectiveness of Combined High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) (Bureau of Transportation Statistics [BTS]): 2021–present
- Support for the Iowa DOT Work Zone GO Team (Iowa DOT): 2021–present
- Wet Reflective Pavement Markings Evaluation, Ohio DOT (sub to University of Akron): 2020–present
- Collection of MIRE FDE on Non-State-Owned Public Roads, Federal Highway Administration (Federal Highway Administration [FHWA]): 2017–present
Selected Research Experience (Weather and Maintenance Operations)
- Aurora Pooled Fund Program Management (Iowa DOT): 2018–present
- Evaluation of Road Weather Messages on DMS Based on Roadside Pavement Sensors (MnDOT): 2021
- Iowa DOT Maintenance Decision Support Tools (Iowa DOT): 2020
- Invasive and Non-Invasive Sensing: Assessing Agreement between Measurement Systems (Aurora Pooled Fund): 2019–present
- Pikalert Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) Demonstration (Iowa DOT): 2019
- Operational Data to Assess Mobility and Crash Experience during Winter Conditions (Iowa DOT and Midwest Transportation Center): 2018
- Safety and Mobility Impacts of Winter Weather, Phases 1–3 (Iowa DOT): 2014
- Analysis of Dynamic Advisory Messaging, Phases 1–2 (Iowa DOT): 2018
Selected Research Experience (Bridges and Railroads)
- Assessing Bridge Characteristics for Use and Importance as Roosting Habitats for Bats, (Iowa DOT): 2018
- Upgrading Bridge Rails on Low Volume Roads in Iowa TR-679 (Iowa Highway Research Board [IHRB]): 2016
- Development of Railroad Highway Grade Crossing Closure Rating Formula (Iowa DOT): 2014
- Analysis of the Safety Benefits of Shielding Bridge Piers (Iowa DOT): 2009
Selected Research Experience (Roadway Data)
- Roadway Data Improvement Program (FHWA): 2021–present
- Technical Support for Roadway Information Database (RID) for Safety Training and Analysis Center (STAC) (FHWA): 2020
- User Training for the SHRP2 RID and NDS Databases (FHWA): 2017
- Roadway Data Improvement Program (RDIP) Assistance (FHWA): 2016
- SHRP2 S04A RID Development and Technical Coordination and Quality Assurance of the Mobile Data Collection Project (S04B) (Second Strategic Highway Research Program [SHRP2]): 2014
- Roadway Data Extraction Technical Assistance Program (FHWA): 2018
- Utilization of Remote Traffic Monitoring Devices for Work Zone Assessment (Smart Work Zone Deployment Initiative [SWZDI]): 2012
Professional Affiliations and Honors
- Member, TRB Geographic Information Science (AED40) Committee
- Iowa Statewide Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (STRCC)
- Member, Iowa Fatality Reduction Task Force
- Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner’s Special Award for Traffic Safety, 2006