VTRC Home About VTRC Staff Michael Fontaine

Michael D. Fontaine, Ph.D., P.E.

Associate Director for Safety, Operations, and Traffic Engineering

Research Interests:

Traffic operations
Traffic engineering
Highway safety analysis
Intelligent transportation systems
Traffic monitoring systems
Work zone traffic control and safety

Education:

Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Virginia
M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Virginia
B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Virginia

Registration:

Registered Professional Engineer, Commonwealth of Virginia

Selected Memberships:

TRB Urban Transportation Data and Information Systems Committee (AED20), member (2007 – present), Chair (2020-present)
Eastern Transportation Coalition Traffic Data Marketplace Validation Committee, Chair (2022-present)
Texas A&M Transportation Institute Support for Urban Mobility Analyses Pooled Fund Study, Panel Member (2005-Present)

Selected Awards:

Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research Tilton E. Shelburne Award for National Leadership (2010)
Wallace T. McKeel Award for Embodiment of the Spirit of Leadership through Dedication to the VTRC's Mission and People (2016)
VDOT Commissioner’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Innovation (2017, 2023)
AASHTO “Sweet Sixteen” High Value Research Award for the project Impact of the I-77 Variable Speed Limit System on Speed and Crash Characteristics During Low Visibility Conditions (2022)
Best Technical Paper Award for “Development of a Performance Evaluation Application for the I-95 Variable Speed Limit System in VA ", (with Cho and Robartes), Southern District Institute of Transportation Engineer Annual Meeting 2023

Current Projects

Reports

Highway Safety Corridors: National Experiences and a Possible Framework for Virginia
Report No: 03-TAR12
Engineering and Technology Measures to Improve Large Truck Safety: State of the Practice in Virginia
Report No: 03-TAR13
Survey of Statewide Multimodal Transportation Planning Practices
Report No: 03-TAR9
Development of Left-turn Lane Guidelines for Signalized and Unsignalized Intersections
Report No: 04-R11
Improving the Effectiveness of Traffic Monitoring Based on Wireless Location Technology
Report No: 05-R17
Evaluation of the Late Merge Work Zone Traffic Control Strategy
Report No: 05-R6
Development and Evaluation of Virginia's Highway Safety Corridor Program
Report No: 06-R30
Evaluation of Truck Lane Restrictions in Virginia
Report No: 07-CR11
Probe Sampling Strategies for Traffic Monitoring Systems Based on Wireless Location Technology
Report No: 07-CR12
Synthesis of Benefits and Costs of Alternative Lane Marking Strategies
Report No: 09-R24
Evaluation of Truck Lane Restrictions in Virginia: Phase II
Report No: 10-R12
Work Zone Variable Speed Limit Systems: Effectiveness and System Design Issues
Report No: 10-R20
A Planning-Level Methodology for Identifying High-Crash Sections of Virginia’s Primary System
Report No: 11-R4
Planning for Active Traffic Management in Virginia: International Best Practices and Implementation Strategies
Report No: 13-R1
Considerations for the Development of Work Zone Mobility Performance Measures and Thresholds for Virginia Freeways
Report No: 14-R6
Evaluation of the Virginia Department of Transportation Adaptive Signal Control Technology Pilot Project
Report No: 15-R24
Work Zone Safety Performance Measures for Virginia
Report No: 16-R10
Investigation of Driver Speed Choice and Crash Characteristics During Low Visibility Events
Report No: 17-R4
Evaluation of the Impact of the I-66 Active Traffic Management System
Report No: 17-R5
Safety and Operations Guidance for Using Time-of-Day Protected-Permissive Left-Turn Phasing Using Flashing Yellow Arrows
Report No: 19-R10
Impacts of the I-77 Variable Speed Limit System on Speed and Crash Characteristics During Low Visibility Conditions
Report No: 19-R6
Evaluation of the Impact of the I-66 Active Traffic Management System: Phase II
Report No: 19-R7
Improving Freeway Crash Prediction Models Using Disaggregate Flow State Information
Report No: 20-R15
Methods to Analyze and Predict Interstate Travel Time Reliability
Report No: 22-R2
Operational and Safety Effects of the I–95 Variable Speed Limit System in Fredericksburg, Virginia
Report No: 25-R9
Guidelines for Preliminary Selection of the Optimum Interchange Type for a Specific Location
Report No: 99-R15

Michael D. Fontaine, Ph.D., P.E.

Michael.Fontaine@VDOT.Virginia.gov

(434) 293-1980

Team Membership

Safety, Operations, and Traffic Engineering

Last updated: January 16, 2025