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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) Phase 5</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2683017</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) pooled fund began in 2006 to support collaboration, innovation, and development in freight planning, freight policy, and operations across the 10-state Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin). The Coalition’s operations are founded and guided by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Board of Directors of MAASTO and the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison.
The MAFC’s major emphasis areas support advances in multimodal freight planning practices, freight operations and technology, and freight policy, all in a collaborative framework. Importantly, the emphasis areas are determined by the participating state professionals. The work is completed in service to both the states and the region, as well as towards advancing national freight planning priorities throughout the MAASTO region. The projects and activities of the MAFC support critical linkages between freight movement and services, as well as economic and community development. The freight coordination of the MAASTO region can provide guidance and identify best practices at a national level relating to multistate coordination of freight activities and in support of goals within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
This solicitation is for the fifth iteration of the MAFC pooled fund. Previous iterations were TPF-5 (156), TPF-5 (293), TPF-5 (396), and TPF-5 (509).
OBJECTIVES: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) seeks to continue leadership of a pooled fund that will: Provide guidance and solutions for state-defined freight-related research; Support the IIJA’s goals through multistate collaboration in freight policy, facility development, and operations harmonization; Improve cross-state freight-related coordination and facility development; Increase awareness of the importance of freight transportation to support state, regional, and national economies; Serve as a freight-oriented professional resource to the states; Provide freight-oriented professional development resources and peer to peer networking; Maintain and expand the region’s reputation as freight friendly.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:48:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2683017</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Regional Disparities in Work Zone Crashes: Understanding Factors and Predictive Modeling for Targeted Safety Measures
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627354</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Roadway work zones play a vital role in maintaining and improving infrastructure, yet they often expose workers and drivers to dangerous situations, leading to concerning frequencies of occupational and traffic accidents in the United States. With over 700 fatalities and thousands of injuries annually attributed to work zone crashes, efforts to enhance safety have been hindered by the complexity and variability of contributing factors. The escalating fatalities, coupled with growing infrastructure demands in U.S. Department of Transportation Region 7—encompassing Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas—underscore the imperative to address underlying causes and improve work zone safety. This study aims to address this persistent issue by analyzing work zone crash data in Region 7 and comparing it with other regions to identify influential factors. By leveraging recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to develop region-specific predictive models, the research seeks to forecast crash occurrences and provide targeted insights for policymakers and transportation authorities. Ultimately, the research aims to deepen understanding of regional disparities in work zone crash dynamics, enabling effective resource prioritization and implementation of tailored safety measures. The development of predictive models using RNNs holds promise for enhancing proactive safety planning and resource allocation, ultimately contributing to a nationwide reduction in work zone crashes and advancing the overarching goal of improving road safety for workers and motorists.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:35:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627354</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Investing in Talent for Next-Generation Transportation Engineering
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627155</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Recent federal investments in infrastructure necessitate a surge in transportation engineering graduates, yet recruitment and retention pose challenges due to mismatches between job supply and degree pursuits, compensation, benefits, and work-life balance. Research by the Northeast Transportation Workforce Center and National Transportation Career Pathways Initiative highlights these issues, but gaps remain in state department of transportation (DOT) strategies. Moreover, there is a pressing need for diversity in the engineering workforce to reflect the United States demographics. This research aligns with the Mid-America Transportation Center (MATC) focus on education and workforce development, aiming to enhance workforce diversity, which is crucial for inclusive transportation planning and safety. The purpose of this study is to explore the age gap within state transportation engineering jobs. The following research question will be addressed: In what ways do state departments of transportation in the midwestern United States attract or detract new engineers to state transportation engineering jobs based on current policy structures?
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 14:58:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627155</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Protecting People in Midwest Road and Transport Systems During Periods of Extreme Heat</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2553660</link>
      <description><![CDATA[US transportation infrastructure requires significant increases in resilience to periods of extreme heat. Periods of extreme heat (as well as the related conditions of higher dew points and higher solar insolation) are increasing. This increase is clear in the observational record, and is one of the most certain climate impact predictions. Retrofits, operational adaptations, and changes to new construction are all needed to prevent economic disruption from road and rail transport problems related to extreme heat. This proposal moves beyond this first-order engineering problem of designing for extreme heat, and considers two critical second order problems: (a) the protection of people during extreme heat transportation emergencies; and (b) the compound effects of extreme heat and power outage. The research team will consider how operators, repair crews, the public, and public safety personnel can be kept safe on and around road and rail systems during extreme heat events. The team will consider extreme heat events on their own and compounded with power outage. The specific objectives include: create state and decade-specific (2020s, 2030s, 2040s, & 2050s) probabilities for extreme conditions, including geophysical variables (air temperature, winds, precipitation, soil moisture, solar insolation, and humidity); these will be coupled with existing models to derive human heat stress indices and infrastructure surface temperatures. Fault tree analyses will be conducted to assess critical factors that influence mortality of people during a “simple” extreme heat event, and during extreme heat combined with power outage.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 15 May 2025 15:02:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2553660</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>CAV Pilot Development and Deployment in Midwest Winter</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2425178</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The project centers on the deployment of a connected and automated vehicle (CAV) system equipped with innovative large language vision models (LLVMs) to navigate complex winter scenarios in the Midwest. This approach aims to improve safety by reducing weather-related incidents, enhance mobility through shorter travel time, and promote equity by improving human-autonomy teaming effectiveness for diverse populations, particularly in extreme weather conditions. Real-world demonstrations will be conducted by a fully equipped CAV on a professional test track, generating vital data and experience to inform future CAV development and deployment in the Midwest.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:12:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2425178</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>MAASTO Connected Automated Vehicle (CAV) Steering Committee</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2404186</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology and Cooperative and Automated Transportation (CAT) sectors advance, several states have established programs or designated staff to plan and prepare for the changes these technologies bring to transportation. The Mid-America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) Board unanimously nominated the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to lead an initiative to coordinate and facilitate the creation of a pooled fund study project.  
The intended purpose of the proposed Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) study is to support a collaborative research and project consortium on the topic of CAV technology. There is a need for establishing a common strategic direction for advancing CAV’s deployments amongst its member states. This proposed pooled fund project will focus on movement toward resolution of a common direction for the body of ten (10) states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin) in the Region.
 
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this TPF study is to provide as needed engineering and/or technical support services for the research, development, and deployment of CAV technology and assist/support advancing various CAV related initiatives.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 18 Jul 2024 15:43:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2404186</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of a Real-Time Flood Forecasting System for Railroad Crossings in the Midwest</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2342030</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Due to its characteristics, the railroad transportation system is highly susceptible to floods occurring in channels of different sizes. Historically, floods have caused operational delays and cost increments affecting rail lines and bridges. A significant portion of the described flood alterations take place in crossings of relatively small rivers, usually not included or not well represented in the national flood forecast system hampering logistics and increasing costs. Therefore, the system requires a flood forecast system able to represent most of the rivers allowing to make better-informed decisions.      ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2024 16:52:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2342030</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Impact of Extreme Weather in Midwest on Highway Infrastructure Condition and Safety</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2341573</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Extreme weather events such as hurricane, flooding, and overheat are increasing in intensity and frequency under climate change in mid-west region. Extreme precipitation can lead to intensified and/or more frequent inundation, catastrophic or shorter-term losses in the structural integrity of the soil, a higher probability of complete washout of roadways or other hydraulic structures, and higher probabilities of landslides; meanwhile, extreme temperatures in the form of heatwaves can cause the pavement structure to deteriorate at a faster rate. Observations of real roadways during heatwaves also suggest that the heatwaves can result in multiple distresses such as blow-ups, stripping, bleeding, permanent deformations. As designing using historical records for the future may introduce analysis error because of those catastrophic weather events, this study will evaluate impact of the extreme weather events on the structural resilience and the safety of highway infrastructures in the Midwest using numerical simulations based on mechanistical analyses and multiple computational tools. The intended outcomes will include recommendations for refining or modifying current infrastructure design specifications and expansion of current asset management system considering the extreme weather events.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Feb 2024 16:01:46 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2341573</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Methodologies for Monitoring Work Zone Performance Measures across State Border Highways using Connected Vehicle Data</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2329130</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Systematic monitoring of work zone queuing, and associated safety impacts, is a challenge for nearly all states, but particularly acute in the Midwest with the large volume of commercial vehicles. A few states are starting to evaluate work zone queuing on Interstates and associated safety implications within their own borders. However, it is particularly challenging to monitor the occurrence of queuing that extends across state lines. It is commonly observed that construction queues and unfortunately crash incidents occurring in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan due to construction activity in adjacent states. This project will identify connected vehicle data sources (cars and trucks) and develop scalable methodologies for effective monitoring of work zones that have impact beyond state borders. These “work zone analytics” will be used as framework for state agencies to develop objective, scalable and systematic methods for coordinating work zones whose impact extends across state borders.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 28 Jan 2024 13:11:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2329130</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Optimizing Investments in Design, Maintenance, and Operations of Transportation Infrastructure to Capitalize on the Promise of Connected Automated Vehicles</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2329132</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The project involves optimization of investments in the design, maintenance, and operation of transportation infrastructure to leverage the potential of Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs). CAVs are expected to significantly impact travel behavior and infrastructure use, influencing billions of dollars invested annually. The proposal aims to develop a comprehensive framework to evaluate the lifecycle and supply-chain effects of infrastructure investments in light of CAV adoption. By considering various scenarios and applications in the Midwestern Region, the proposal seeks to address the direct and indirect economic, social, and environmental consequences of these investments. This research lies at the intersection of economics and operations, focusing on refining infrastructure strategies to capitalize on CAV benefits while contributing to safety, congestion reduction, and economic strength goals outlined by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT).
The project aligns with USDOT requirements by emphasizing the importance of coordinated infrastructure investments to maximize the potential of CAVs and enhance traffic flow. It addresses USDOT strategic goals by integrating data-driven frameworks to estimate the impact of CAVs on safety and by updating traditional evaluation approaches for infrastructure investments. The proposal also includes practical application through case studies, partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation and engaging policymakers and engineers to provide insight into adapting infrastructure to shifting travel behaviors and promoting CAV adoption. The technical approach involves integrating input-output analysis and user cost models to capture both direct and indirect impacts of CAV adoption and related investments, addressing problems of capacity management and intervention planning. The project's tasks encompass literature review, model formulation, case study development, agency outreach, and report preparation to document findings and support informed decision-making.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 28 Jan 2024 12:45:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2329132</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Autonomous Vehicle Challenges for the US Rural Midwest</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2325915</link>
      <description><![CDATA[While major global companies such as Google, Uber, Tesla and General Motors are intensively focused on developing Level 3 and higher self-driving autonomous vehicles, their research is focused on driving in good weather on clean well-equipped roads. A majority of their development and testing has occurred in warm weather states such as California and Arizona. States in the US Midwest and rural locations pose additional challenges for autonomous driving that could significantly delay the arrival of self-driving technology to these regions.
The use of cameras is the most common approach for determining a vehicle’s position in the lane and measuring its lateral distance to the lane markers. This lateral distance to lane markers is used as the feedback variable for automatic steering control. The presence of snow on the ground, including even a thin layer of frost covering the lane markers, makes the engagement of steering control infeasible. Data gathered by the University of Minnesota team shows that snow remains on lane markers for a significantly longer duration, compared to snow in the interior of the lane where the tire-paths of cars enable faster snow removal. This prevents the engagement of autonomous steering for a significant period of time after the end of snowfall. Further, low volume rural roads present special challenges in all seasons. Such rural roads can be narrow, often will not have right-side lane markers, may not even have center lines, may not be plowed for snow removal, and can have trees and other objects close to the side of the road. Rural traffic intersections can have missing delineation and signage that are normally provided on higher volume roadways. All of these issues pose major challenges to autonomous driving, since AVs depend critically on such markings and signage. This project will study the challenges for autonomous vehicles in the Midwest, including winter driving in cities and all-season driving in rural areas. It will evaluate potential solutions to these challenges.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jan 2024 17:18:33 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2325915</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) Phase 4</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2138249</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) pooled fund began in 2006 to support collaboration, innovation and development in freight planning, freight policy and operations across the 10-state Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) region. The Coalition’s operations are founded and guided by the MOU signed by the Board of Directors of MAASTO and the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

MAFC’s major emphasis areas support advances in multimodal freight planning practices, freight operations and technology, and freight policy, all in a collaborative framework. Importantly, the emphasis areas are determined by the participating state professionals, and the work is completed in service to both the states and the region, as well as advancing national freight planning priorities throughout the MAASTO region. The projects and activities of the Coalition support the critical linkages between freight movement and services, and economic and community development. The freight coordination of the MAASTO region can provide guidance and best practices at a national level relating to multi-state coordination of freight activities and in support of goals within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). 

This solicitation is for the fourth iteration of the MAFC pooled fund. Previous iterations were TPF-5 (156), TPF-5 (293), and TPF-5 (396). Historically, participating organizations include the ten states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin) that comprise the MAASTO.

OBJECTIVES: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is seeking to continue leadership of a pooled fund that will: Provide guidance and solutions for state-defined freight-related research; Support the BIL’s goals through multistate collaboration in freight policy, facility development, and operations harmonization; Improve cross-state freight-related coordination and facility development; Increase awareness of the importance of freight transportation for the states’, region’s, and nation’s economy; Act as a freight professional resource to the states; Provide freight professional development resources and peer to peer networking; Maintain and expand the region’s reputation as freight friendly.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:32:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2138249</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>North/West Passage Transportation Pooled Fund Study Phase 5</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2087623</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Interstates 90 and 94 between Wisconsin and Washington function as major corridors for commercial and recreational travel. Extreme winter weather conditions, prevalent in the northern states within this corridor, pose significant operational and travel-related challenges. Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming are predominantly rural and face similar transportation issues related to traffic management, traveler information, and commercial vehicle operations.
 
Recognizing the value of coordinated, cross-border collaboration for ITS deployment to address these issues, Minnesota initiated a meeting in 2002 with representatives from each of the states within the corridor. The group established itself as a Transportation Pooled Fund in 2003.  
 
North/West Passage members contribute annually to the pooled fund and are reimbursed for program travel.  A work plan is developed and approved annually by the Steering Committee.  Work Plan 1 and Work Plan 2 were funded through TFP-5(093).  That project number was closed out and Work Plan 3 - Work Plan 13 were funded through the FHWA number TPF-5(190). Work Plan 14 – Work Plan 17 are currently funded under the current TPF number: 5(376). To view each work plan and project results, visit the program website at: http://www.nwpassage.info/about/workplan.php.  
 
This new TPF number will fund Work Plan 18 – Work Plan 22.

OBJECTIVES: The vision of the North/West Passage (NWP) Corridor is to focus on developing effective methods for sharing, coordinating, and integrating traveler information, operational activities, and emerging technologies across state and provincial borders.  The vision provides a framework to guide the states’ future projects in the corridor. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2022 16:58:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2087623</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Flood-Frequency Analysis in the Midwest: Addressing Potential Nonstationary Annual Peak-Flow Records</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1728819</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The overall goal of this study is to evaluate the combined effects of multidecadal climatic persistence (including hydroclimatic shifts), gradual climate change, and land-use change on peak-flow frequency analyses in the multi-state region in the Midwest. This study is intended to provide a framework for addressing potential nonstationarity issues in statewide flood-frequency updates that commonly are conducted by the 
United States Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with state DOTs throughout the nation on an ongoing basis. This will be achieved through the following primary objectives: (1) Define spatial and temporal characteristics of climatic persistence/change affecting annual peak flows in the multi-state region. (2) Develop and apply a statistical methodology for estimating changes in peak-flow frequency distributions in the multi-state region in relation to climatic persistence/change and urbanization; the effects of rural and land-use change will only be investigated in an exploratory manner. (3) Investigate methods for addressing regional climatic persistence/change and land-use change in peak-flow frequency analysis. To the extent possible, estimates of trend-adjusted flood magnitudes for various exceedance levels (such as the 10-percent or 1-percent annual exceedance probability) will be provided for comparison to previously published estimates.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2020 20:04:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1728819</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Real-Time Flood Forecasting for River Crossings – Phase III</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1685058</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As part of an on-going effort to develop a generic prototype of a flood forecasting model that is transferable, reliable, and provides actionable information to other locations around the Midwest to provide monitoring and forecasting flood potential at critical infrastructure points, such as bridges, where streamflow gauges are not available, the research team has outlined a series of new activities to achieve this goal. The team will continue developing a real-time webbased visualization platform to display the model predictions that was initiated under phase I and II MATC grants. The efforts will now focus on applying the methodologies and tools that the team has developed to test the offline implementation of the forecasting system in the four states that support MATC. The information collected during the Phase I and II of the project will be used to test their ability to provide a reliable real-time forecasting model for the MATC region. In addition, the team will implement data-assimilation techniques that will help them reduce the difference between model estimates and observations at USGS location and provide metrics of improvement of model predictions. The team expects that the combination of flexible web tools and flexible model parameterization techniques will allow them to provide a prototype framework for efficient and realistic technology transfer to the DOTs sponsoring our work.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2020 16:36:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1685058</guid>
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