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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <language>en-us</language>
    <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>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Driver’s Education Accessibility and Instructor Certification Challenges – Disparities in the State</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2617578</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Young drivers are routinely overrepresented in traffic fatality data. For example, in 2023, young drivers made up 5.1 percent of all licensed drivers but accounted for 8.9 percent of drivers in fatal traffic crashes (USDOT National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2025). In recognizing this challenge and in an effort to reach Vision Zero, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) has a goal to reduce young driver fatalities by “attain[ing] a five-year average rate of young driver involved fatality crashes of 29.5 by December 31, 2026” (Montana Department of Transportation, n.d.).
As an action item to help meet this goal, the MDT Highway Traffic Safety Section has been working with the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) to improve access for Tribal teens to driver’s education. However, in doing so, it was identified that not only do most Tribal communities not have driver’s education or certified instructors, but there are disparities across the entire statewide system. This is due to individual school districts determining how to implement driver’s education in their community, which impacts teens access to this training.
Therefore, this project is needed to identify the state of practice of driver’s education for each school district across the state and to identify needs (e.g., access for at-risk youth) and barriers (e.g., recruitment of driver’s education instructors). This will allow MDT and OPI to create a process for prioritizing which school districts to assist in any given year. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 03 Nov 2025 15:52:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2617578</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Applicability of Low-Floor Light Rail Vehicles in North America </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2516244</link>
      <description><![CDATA[An investigation of the state of the art of low-floor light rail vehicles and an assessment of the applicability of their use in North America are presented. Low-floor light rail vehicle categories are developed to facilitate the understanding of the different types of vehicles and their applications. The growing trend toward low-floor light rail vehicles and the reasons for this growth are described. An extensive compilation of data on low-floor light rail vehicles, information on North American light rail system characteristics, and an analytical perspective on key issues relevant to the applicability of this technology in North America are provided. In addition, example applications are presented that demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of using low-floor light rail vehicles, the sources of risk, and the trade-offs regarding the use of low-floor versus high-floor light rail vehicles.   In Europe, significant progress is being made on the development and deployment of low-floor light rail vehicles. Interest in low-floor light rail vehicles in the United States began in the 1960s, but gained support more recently because of the need to be responsive to regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act. Moreover, transit operators have come to recognize that improved system-performance benefits can potentially be achieved under certain conditions by using low-floor design concepts. For example, reduced boarding times mean faster service and shorter trip times for all passengers. This enables transit operators to use equipment more efficiently, thereby potentially reducing operating, maintenance, and capital costs.  Research was undertaken by Booz-Allen & Hamilton Inc. to assess the potential applicability of low-floor light rail vehicle technology in North America. A comprehensive review of existing information on the state of the art in low-floor light rail vehicles was conducted. As part of this process, transit agencies using and considering low-floor light rail vehicles and the suppliers of these vehicles were contacted to obtain information and operating experience on vehicles both in revenue service and in research and development. The research focused heavily on current European experience with low-floor light rail vehicle technology. Upon collecting this information, a framework for assessing the application of low-floor light rail vehicles in North America was developed focusing on the critical factors that should be considered. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Feb 2025 14:55:33 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2516244</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>North American Road Safety Calculator</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2505730</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will develop a light demonstration version of the North American Road Safety Calculator, a software tool to assist practitioners with selection of situationally appropriate road safety strategies. In Stage 1, a situational assessment will be conducted to discuss the North American Road Safety Calculator with potential users from various levels of government, determine the software’s functional requirements, and identify a sustainable business model for the Calculator. Screen mock-ups will be prepared that can be used to discuss the tool with project stakeholders. Surveys and interviews will be conducted to understand the technical and operational needs of potential users. The identified user needs will be transformed into a description of the technical requirements for the tool in terms of software engineering. To assure that the calculator is sustainable in the long run, various potential business models will be explored. The intellectual property implications of each business model will also be analyzed. Work in Stage 2 will include preparing a partially functional demonstration version of the tool along with an implementation plan. A light demonstration version of the North American Road Safety Calculator will be developed to demonstrate its viability. This demo version will incorporate a subset of the road safety strategies desired by North American users and a few sample geographies. This will allow the project team to identify administrative and technical issues that need to be overcome in future work to develop a full working prototype. Finally, a plan will be prepared for staging development of the North American Road Safety Calculator software and creating the administrative structures necessary to assure its sustainable implementation over the long term. The final report will include all relevant data, methods, models, and conclusions. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 03 Feb 2025 22:08:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2505730</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Enhancing Road Safety for Local Rural and Tribal Persistent Poverty Communities in the Northern Plains: A Research and Outreach Initiative for Safer Journeys</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2490982</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The goal is to continue working with Regional LTAPs, TTAPs, CTIPS partners, and Transportation Research Board committees to identify traffic safety priorities for rural communities and Tribal Nations in the Northern Plains so institutional capacity can be strengthened to ensure safe journeys on local and tribal roads based on proactive traffic safety planning, programs, policies, and resource decisions.

Objective 1: Engage with local and tribal communities to strengthen traffic safety information. Supporting road inventory/maintenance, crash documentation, education, enforcement, and post-crash EMS response as essential foundation knowledge. Identify purposeful action to ensure continuity of agency commitment and community recognition of traffic safety as a priority through program documentation and succession strategies.

Objective 2: Support the FHWA Safe System approach. Community wellness and shared responsibility in safe journeys for members and guests are achieved through this holistic approach.


Objective 3: Recognize, recommend ways, and produce practitioner resources to redress the well-documented needs of highly rural and persistent poverty communities for resources to access, community connectivity, and capacity building to proactively promote and sustain safe journeys on local and tribal roads.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:48:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2490982</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Elevating Traffic Safety in Native American Communities: A Comprehensive Approach with Online Mapping and Crowdsourcing Solutions</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2401748</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This proposed project will focus on investigating the effectiveness of modern web-based tools and technologies in improving traffic safety education and decision-making within Native American communities. Technologies that will be implemented and investigated include, but are not limited to, spatial data visualization, spatial data management, spatial analysis, spatial education, and internet mapping. Leveraging free and open-source software programs, modules, and libraries, the research team aims to implement a tailored online mapping and analysis portal, along with a crowdsourcing tool. This approach ensures a cost-effective solution for the Native American communities we are committed to assisting and serving. The proposed project will begin by organizing comprehensive training workshops in collaboration with the New Mexico Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). These workshops will focus on the practical applications and benefits of an existing online traffic crash mapping and analysis portal developed by the University of New Mexico’s Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety (CPBS). The proposed project will also implement a crowdsourcing web application based on Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), and at the same time incorporate gamification elements to encourage crowdsourcing of traffic crash data and addressing issues related to insufficient traffic data.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Jul 2024 14:54:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2401748</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Quick-Response Research on Long-Term Strategic Issues. Task 45. Future of Commuter Rail in North America</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2083650</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Beginning in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ability of many office workers to work from home seriously affected ridership on commuter rail services. Although public transportation ridership has partially recovered since the height of the pandemic, passenger counts for most commuter rail services, remain below 2019 levels. Commuter rail providers are facing challenges to redefine themselves to serve a broader array of passenger markets and improve integration with other public transportation services.

Under TCRP Project J-11/Task 45, “Future of Commuter Rail in North America,” DB E.C.O. North America was tasked to conduct research to identify practical, implementable strategies for commuter rail providers in North America that will facilitate recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, manage their transformation, and enable continued relevance. This research was built on a review of historical and current literature; data from public sources to understand trends and context for the various commuter rail systems; interviews with experts and practitioners, including transportation agency staff and board members, labor representatives, elected officials, consultants, planners, and operations teams; six case studies of U.S. commuter rail agencies focused on specific strategies and emerging practices; and a review of regional rail models in Germany.

To assess and transform for the future, the research concludes that providers follow a three-part, iterative strategic planning process that is tailored for the unique nature of commuter rail given its fixed infrastructure, historical agreements, and financial position. The planning process needs to integrate market information with service innovation options in a manner that recognizes and responds to challenges in governance, infrastructure, and funding. These factors need to fit into regional mobility discussions: this process should be part of understanding what broad mobility goals a region has and determining what is the role of commuter rail in achieving those goals.

TCRP Research Report 254, Future of Commuter Rail in North America, presents practical, implementable strategies to support the recovery of commuter rail services from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report addresses how commuter railroads might navigate the market, service, and funding challenges they face in the coming years and decades. This report is of immediate use to leadership and staff of commuter rail providers, and it can also inform funders, elected officials, other decision-makers, and stakeholders interested in regional mobility.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2022 09:30:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2083650</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>MPC Tribal Transportation Training and Technology Transfer Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1920935</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Mountain-Plains Consortium (MPC) is continuing its tribal transportation training and outreach program. Tribal nations have been heavily impacted by COVID-19. Their abilities to pay for training is limited. MPC's training and technology transfer program brings much needed technical assistance to tribal nations in road safety, maintenance, planning, and other transportation related activities at no cost to them. In many cases, high-priority training that has already been identified for county and local governments will be provided to tribal nations in a context sensitive manner. In addition, specific training topics will be developed for tribal nations to address specific challenges faced by these communities.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2022 19:37:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1920935</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Legal Problems Arising out of Highway Programs. Topic 26-01. Effects of Indian Treaties on Development and Operation of Transportation Facilities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1889475</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The State of Washington was recently required to redesign the culverts beneath its roads to facilitate the passage of salmon. This mandate arose from the interpretation of treaties with American Indian tribes dating back to the 1850s, which predated Washington’s admission to the United States. These treaties specifically address fishing rights. A proceeding in the ongoing case of United States v. Washington affirmed these rights, leading to the recognition that the state must update its transportation infrastructure to ensure the protection of salmon habitats.

The significance of tribal treaty rights is now increasingly influencing local and state planning and regulatory bodies, particularly in their decisions regarding the construction and operation of transportation facilities.

In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court reinforced the fact that American Indian treaties established before statehood—and never abrogated by Congress—remain in effect. In McGirt v. Oklahoma, the Court ruled that a Native American accused of crimes committed within the boundaries of a reservation established prior to Oklahoma’s statehood could not be tried in state court (591 U.S. ____ (2020)) because, pursuant to a treaty with the Muscogee Nation, the State of Oklahoma remained, for relevant purposes, “Indian country” subject to federal jurisdiction. This decision underscores the necessity for states to reassess the ongoing relevance of treaties enacted before they achieved statehood.

NCHRP LRD 94: Effects of American Indian Treaties on Development and Operation of Transportation Facilities examines how state departments of transportation (DOTs) plan, develop, and operate transportation infrastructure that crosses lands reserved by treaty. Key considerations include:

    Ongoing validity of treaties.
    Impact on modern development.
    Engagement with tribal stakeholders.                                   

This digest will be valuable to transportation attorneys representing state departments of transportation (DOTs) and authorities, as well as their contractors and consultants. It will also benefit policymakers, local, state, and federal personnel, transportation practitioners, decision-makers, and stakeholders involved in ensuring that transportation projects comply with legal and cultural obligations. 
 ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 02 Nov 2021 15:15:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1889475</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Legal Problems Arising out of Highway Programs. Topic 23-05. Update of Selected Studies in Transportation Law: Volume Eight, Section 3: Indian Transportation Law</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1889490</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This Digest examines and updates legal issues arising out of federal, state, and local transportation agencies’ relations with Indian tribes. Government-to-government relations with Indian tribes touch a gamut of legal issues: contracting with tribes, Tribal Employment Rights Ordinances (TERO), funding issues,  legal issues arising out of rights-of-way through Indian reservations, regional planning issues, compliance with state environmental laws bumping up against Indian sovereign immunity, tort liability issues, etc. The federal government has a relationship with Indian tribes based upon unique trust obligations  derived from treaties (which are federal law) and the status of tribes as domestic dependent nations. States and local governments do not have the same relationship and yet interact with tribal governments in a number of ways that can involve legal issues. The authority conferred upon  state and local jurisdictions in Indian country, to the extent it exists, is patchwork  and varies depending upon the jurisdiction and unique factual situation. In some cases, there are huge gaps in the law relative to a state or local transportation agency’s ability to conduct business with a tribe. Moreover, there is an overlay of federal law that may affect the rights and obligations of state and local agencies.   Most of the case law examined in the original document published in 2007 continues to be good law today; where this is not the case the document has been updated    Since the original version of this Section, federal regulations concerning grants of right-of-way over Indian lands have changed significantly.  This section also contains new guidance concerning land acquisition, project development, construction, maintenance, and government-to government agreements related to Indian Transportation law. Sections on reservation boundary disputes, defining Indian country, and land ownership in Indian country have been added and the portions of the document addressing jurisdictional issues have been revised significantly.   This digest will be useful to transportation lawyers, engineers, and planners who who work on reservations and Indian country more broadly. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 02 Nov 2021 14:42:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1889490</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>North American Micromobility Panel</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1646762</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In this project the research team will compare the travel behavior of people using emerging micromobility services (e.g. docked and dock-less bike, e-bike, and stand-up e-scooter shares) with the travel behavior of people who do not use micromobility services. By comparing a matched sample of users and non-users the team will provide important insight into how these services influence travel behavior and public health. The team will use a longitudinal design to assess the causal effects micromobility services have on the travel and health of its users.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 21 Aug 2019 15:13:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1646762</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Highway Safety Behavioral Strategies for Rural Areas</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1632555</link>
      <description><![CDATA[While rural areas account for about 30% of the total miles traveled and only 19% of the population lives in rural areas, half of all traffic fatalities occur in rural areas (Traffic Safety Facts. Report No. DOT HS 812 521). Although this certainly shows a need to improve safety in rural areas, numerous constraints and resource limitations hinder current safety efforts. For example, in most states the vast majority of rural road mileage is owned and managed by local governments. The 2012 Census of Governments found a total of 3,031 counties, 19,522 municipalities, and 16,364 townships in the United States, and most are either partially or entirely rural. In addition, the Bureau of Indian Affairs recognizes 573 American Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages in the United States. The sheer number of rural jurisdictions makes it difficult to assure that programs aimed at improving rural transportation safety are effective in reaching all areas effectively and equitably. The large number of rural local government units vary considerably in the way they are organized, their legal authority, and the available financial and human resources. The vast rural highway mileage is another challenge: rural crashes are often widely dispersed, with a considerable degree of randomness in crash locations. This makes it difficult to apply traditional crash reduction strategies that focus on hot spots.
 
The objective of this research was to develop a behavioral traffic safety countermeasure toolkit for highway safety partners involved with rural road safety (e.g., tribal authorities, local government, law enforcement, emergency responders, engineers) to reduce the frequency and severity of motor vehicle crashes on roads in rural areas. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Jun 2019 11:46:09 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1632555</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>STEM II</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1484946</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Within the framework of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Center of Excellence (COE), there is strong desire to incorporate Science Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Outreach to students from groups who are under-represented in STEM fields.  There is no one single approach that addresses this for students of different ages, backgrounds, or who have different cultural and regional influences.  There are common technical ideas and instructional approaches that can be used as building blocks which can then be tailored to the various under-represented target groups.  These building blocks, using the development approaches and support materials, can then be replicated by other Alliance of System Safety for UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) members or external groups as well. 
The objective of this project is to expand the potential STEM Outreach approaches to the FAA that use UAS’s as the central learning platform.  The STEM topics may include fundamental related concepts and will include unique UAV related content.  A number of various approaches for STEM Outreach have been provided and discussed with the FAA.  This proposal offers proposed activities that fall into three basic categories; (1) UAS Roadshows, (2) UAS Summer Camp, and (3) UAS STEM Outreach Activities.  These are offered at three specific diverse geographical locations where the targeted student communities are not similar and face unique educational conditions.  The students who the teams will interface live in inner cities, rural areas, Native American, Alaska Native, and tribal communities.  While their lives and situations may be starkly different, there is a common thirst for knowledge.  A goal will be to ignite a desire to study STEM related educational paths. 
Foundational research will be done on what relevant material is available now.  Existing materials will be adapted as appropriate for each region.  New materials will be developed.  As efforts proceed, the focus will be to build on previous materials generated as part of this effort or other available efforts for STEM education.  The Outreach approaches outlined in this proposal are detailed by school and the geographic areas they serve.  The focus will be on the UAS Roadshows, UAS Summer Camps, and other UAS STEM Outreach Activities.  Additional elements and approaches will be explored as part of the overall process and can be expanded in out years.  This will be an ongoing process.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Oct 2017 17:38:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1484946</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>National Electric Bike Owner Survey</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1420059</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are a growing class of bicycles in North America but there has been little research on e-bikes in the United States, especially on the people that have purchased e-bikes. Portland State University (PSU) conducted the first known survey of e-bike owners in North America in 2013. The research aimed in part to understand if e-bikes can reduce barriers to bicycling, including trip distance, topography, time, and rider effort. By reducing these barriers could the principal investigator realize more bike trips and longer bike trips and an increase in the diversity of people cycling, including people with a disability or chronic injury. To address these aims, PSU conducted an online survey of existing e-bike users on their purchase decisions and usage. Responses from 553 e-bike users across North America were analyzed. Results suggested that e-bikes are enabling users to bike more often, to more distant locations, and to carry more cargo with them. Additionally, results show e-bikes allow people who would otherwise not be able to bike because of physical limitations or proximity to locations, the ability to bike with electric assist. The results of the survey were published in TRR (MacArthur et al., 2014). The survey was distributed through e-bike blogs and forums, Facebook pages, Twitter, e-mails to manufacturers and retailers, and via postcards to local bicycle shops in the Portland region. Though 553 e-bike users answered the survey, the principal investigator know this is a small fraction of the total owners in North America and didn’t intend to represent a random sample. In addition, a majority of the respondents were older males with higher than average incomes. One of the drawbacks to the survey was how the survey was administered. Researchers didn’t have direct access to e-bike purchasers from dealers’ or manufacturers’ mailing lists. Researchers from PSU and the University of Tennessee would like to administer another survey to e-bike owners. The principal investigator feel 2016 is an ideal time to administer this survey because of the growth in sales over the last couple years and the opportunity to connect to a boarder demographic. For the project, the principal investigator will be teaming with the e-bike industry through relationships with the Bicycle Products Suppliers Association (BPSA), industry leaders and PeopleforBikes to help get the survey out to as many people as possible. The primary objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence purchase and use of e-bikes from existing users. Secondary objectives will explore feedback on how the bicycle owners are currently using and what features they like and dislike and what they might want in future models.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2016 16:19:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1420059</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices. Topic SB-29. Customer Focused Service Strategies</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1410360</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A growing number of North American public transit agencies have adopted “Service Guarantees” (a.k.a. “Customer Charters” or “Passenger Bill of Rights”) as part of a customer-focused service strategy. Service guarantees describe the level of service customers can expect and the procedures they may follow if standards are not met. In addition, some North American transit agencies report their public-facing performance metrics as online dashboards or report cards on the agency’s website as part of a proactive communications strategy. Currently, there is little existing research on these practices and experiences among U.S. transit providers. 
This synthesis will document the nature and prevalence of service guarantees among transit providers in North America. It will document the current state of the practice and benefits and implementation strategies, and identify challenges and lessons learned through a literature review, survey of representative transit agencies, and documentation of selected case examples/profiles. 
Tasks will include but not be limited to: 
(1) Prepare a literature review of service guarantees and customer charters. This will include a review of existing research and assessments by service quality thought-leaders. Document examples of Service Guarantees from public transit and passenger rail, and compare and contrast their contents. 
(2) How does the service guarantee fit into the overall strategic plan or mission of the agency? 
(3) What is the goal and objective of the service guarantee and have these objectives been accomplished? 
(4) Describe the role of customer charters as part of a comprehensive customer-focused service quality program, including metrics (e.g. safety, satisfaction, load factors, transit reliability, accessibility and other customer focused metrics).and processes to monitor performance and assess their success in meeting these objectives. 
(5) Identify transparency practices around customer focused service strategies (dashboards, report cards, open data, etc.) 
(6) Assess impacts on revenue, ridership and customer satisfaction, specifically considering refund policies and administrative methods and costs. 
(7) Describe processes used for designing and adopting Service Guarantees. 
(8) Identify other alternatives to service guarantees (bus bridges, Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), real time communications, etc.) and
(9) Document and assess lessons learned and future direction and gaps in information. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 05 Jun 2016 12:31:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1410360</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Material Reference Library 2013-2018
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1370409</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Material Reference Library was conceived and initiated under the Strategic Highway Research Program to store selected highway materials and, later, make them available for the evaluation and verification of new pavement designs and material tests that are expected to result in substantial improvement to pavement performance. The Material Reference Library was therefore conceived to maintain "standard" materials that were representative of locations throughout North America for future research. The Material Reference Library originally contained the Strategic Highway Research Program asphalt binders, aggregates, and material from Long-Term Pavement Performance General Pavement Studies and Specific Pavement Studies projects. Over time, the Material Research Library has expanded to contain the following: Strategic Highway Research Program asphalt binders and aggregates, Specific Pavement Studies materials (asphalt, aggregates, and mix), Specific Pavement Studies and General Pavement Studies cores, crumb rubber modifier samples, WesTrack samples, National Center for Asphalt Technology test track samples, Federal Highway Administration Accelerated Pavement Testing Facility samples, Western Research Institute samples, and miscellaneous samples. Many of the samples in the Materials Reference Library are from projects with performance data, which makes these samples very valuable to researchers. Requests to the Materials Reference Library come from around the world. Projects funded by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and Federal Highway Administration make use of the materials in the Materials Research Library. At the completion of the American Association of State Highway Officials (predecessor to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) Road Test, there were no materials available to verify the models developed from the research. By maintaining the Materials Research Library, this will not happen.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2015 11:24:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1370409</guid>
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