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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>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 57-16. Practices Related to Public Art in State DOT Rights-of-Way and Facilities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2630491</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Transportation infrastructure facilitates the movement of people and goods, but sensitivity to the surrounding context is sometimes an afterthought with utilitarian and functional design. Arts and culture play a role in creating places of lasting value, reinforcing shared experience, and celebrating what makes communities special. Place-based infrastructure design that fits well into its surroundings is more likely to promote economic activity, be responsive to community needs, and improve quality of life. 

An increasing number of state departments of transportation (DOTs) have created and adopted policies related to public art in state rights-of-way. These policies typically focus on requests by external stakeholders to install artwork on existing public infrastructure. However, there have been no known formal discussions between state DOTs on how to design a policy of this type, and it is unclear whether existing policies answer all the questions practitioners are struggling with. Examples of complex issues include maintaining public artwork and replacement of facilities on which art is installed. It is also unknown to what extent state DOTs have programs or policies that actively encourage the inclusion of art on public infrastructure, or how such programs are funded.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT practices and policies related to public art in state rights-of-way (excluding anything not permitted by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices). ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:33:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2630491</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Identification, Monitoring and Treatment of Pavements Damaged by Alkali-Silica Reaction: Guidelines for Engineers</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582446</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objectives of this research effort to review of state-of-the-art practice and guidance, including existing state and federal department of transportation (DOT) manuals, surrounding the identification, monitoring, treatment and re-use of alkali-silica reaciton (ASR) damage in pavements.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 11:36:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582446</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Human Factors: Optimizing Crosswalks and Aesthetic Surface Treatments (a.k.a. Pavement Art) for Pedestrians with Disabilities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2536269</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research will look to establish guidance and technical specifications that complement 
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards and better ensure that aesthetic surface treatments support pedestrians with visual disabilities. The goal will be to establish best practices and guidance for the use of aesthetic crosswalks or pavement art to enhance safer and more efficient use of crosswalks by pedestrians with visual impairments (low vision) and safer vehicle-pedestrian interactions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 11 Apr 2025 16:58:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2536269</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices. Topic SB-44. The State of Art Programs in Transit</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2410386</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Public art invigorates public spaces while also adding a sense of safety, collective ownership, and belonging to the citizens that gather in those spaces. Along with other public spaces such as parks, playgrounds, libraries, and airports, many transit systems across the United States and Canada display art at transit facilities and on transit vehicles. For example, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) utilizes an Art in Transit Program (AIT) that “incorporates visual and performing arts into the Metrorail system to enhance the experience of customers, the communities it serves, and the Capital region at large.” The AIT program of WMATA exposes its customers to a variety of different art styles and allows for a wide range of local artists to present their work in a new light. 

There is little to no information on what benefits art in transit systems create for the users of those systems, the communities around the systems, and the artists that participate. There is also little information about what programs exist to include art at and around transit stations. The objective of this synthesis will be to document the use of art (permanent artwork, rotating installations, visual and performing art, etc.) in public transit systems (commuter rail, bus, paratransit, etc.) throughout the United States and Canada. This synthesis will document what types of programs exist and explore the reasons why and how agencies utilize art in their transit systems.
 
 ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 29 Jul 2024 19:05:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2410386</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Performance Measures for Community-Centered Transportation Outcomes: A Guide</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2188141</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Transportation and its infrastructure are not ends in themselves but means for providing mobility and accessibility to important destinations. State departments of transportation (DOTs) and other infrastructure owner-operators (IOOs) work to grow, manage, or maintain networks to facilitate mobility, travel choice, and access and to build public value. This work considers broader societal goals and improves the quality of life for individuals and communities alike. There is a growing demand that DOTs consider transportation outcome performance in a wider range of dimensions. Many DOTs continue evolving toward community-centered transportation by adopting more comprehensive and outcome-oriented goals. This requires identifying measures that more effectively capture the outcomes of the systems and services delivered by state DOTs and other IOOs.

There is a foundation of strong infrastructure- and auto-oriented performance measures, such as travel time reliability, pavement quality, or bridge health. These measures have been promulgated into federal regulation, and reporting cycles have been established for DOTs. However, measuring less conventional outcomes closely tied to diverse societal goals is an emerging practice. Research is needed to develop emerging measures into mature practices for consideration by DOTs and other IOOs around the nation and to improve measurement, integration, and incorporation of important policy goals into investment decision-making. 

The objective of this research is to develop a guide to help state DOTs identify and implement nontraditional measures related to transportation performance with tactical strategies or methods for data collection and analysis.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 30 May 2023 20:31:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2188141</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Practices. Topic S01-28. Methods of Airport Arts Program Management</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2077894</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ACRP Synthesis 135: Methods of Airport Arts Program Management, from TRB's Airport Cooperative Research Program, documents describes management methods that airports and their arts program administrators use to implement,operate, and manage their programs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 07 Dec 2022 18:09:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2077894</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of Different Curb Extension Treatments for Pedestrian Comfort and Safety at Intersections</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1952003</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has over the last few years installed several curb extension treatments on different intersections throughout the city. While DDOT has anecdotally heard that these treatments are appreciated by impacted communities, more evaluation is needed to determine the actual impacts on safety and comfort for pedestrians who cross at these locations. In this study, the research team will partner with DDOT staff to collect survey data and video data that will then be used to measure these impacts for pedestrians. Specifically, this project will focus on permanent curb extensions, tactical curb extensions, and painted mural curb extensions. Results will be compared to non-treated locations to help DDOT distill guidance about crossing treatments.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2022 14:42:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1952003</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>State-of-the-Art Technologies for Structural Health Monitoring of Tunnels: an Overview</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1885450</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Successful implementation and effectiveness of monitoring systems requires good understanding of (1) structure being monitored, (2) existence of various monitoring technologies and their advantages and limitations, (3) monitoring process and (4) roles of involved parties. In the case of tunnels, lack of understanding of any of these four factors may result in irremediable errors in implementation and loss of effectiveness in the use of monitoring technologies. The primary goal of this proposal is to perform extensive overview of the state-of-the-art technologies for structural health monitoring of tunnels. Such an overview aspires to serve as a source of information and basis on decision making for practitioners and asset managers, who are interested in instrumenting the tunnels for an improved safety and optimized maintenance.

The intended outcome of the project will be an extensive report on state-of-the art technologies for tunnel monitoring, which will encompass traditional, advanced, and emerging technologies, present both advantages and limitations of each technology, and evaluate their suitability to monitor specific parameters of interest in both short and long terms. It is expected that this information will be very beneficial to DOT tunnel engineers and other interested professionals in the tunnels and monitoring community.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Oct 2021 15:34:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1885450</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Al Analyzer for Revealing Insights of Traffic Crashes</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1865406</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The developed tool is a software solution that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically analyze traffic crash narratives, assisting traffic safety engineers in their work. By processing a substantial volume of crash narratives, the software extracts factors associated with crash severity, providing valuable insights for comprehensive crash understanding and data-driven decision making. Through its ability to minimize manual intervention, the tool efficiently analyzes crash narratives and generates potential contributors to crash severity in the form of phrases. The research comprised two stages. In the initial stage, an AI analysis approach was developed by implementing an AI text classifier that balances predictive performance and computational complexity. This approach was combined with Explainable-AI techniques to identify phrases that correlate with severe crashes. Subsequently, the AI analysis approach was integrated into a user-friendly web-based software tool, simplifying the extraction of insights from crash narratives. In the second stage, the software was validated by comparing its results with those obtained from classical statistical analysis on quantitative crash data. Feedback from safety analysts at partner agencies was incorporated to refine the software. To facilitate the implementation of the solution, the software was released under an open-source license, allowing transportation agencies to freely download and analyze their own crash narratives. Additionally, a webinar, website, and documentation were created to showcase the tool, guide its usage, and support the integration of evolving techniques. The research findings were also shared through transportation conferences. The proposed solution delivers significant value to the transportation community by empowering analysts to utilize crash narratives as a valuable data source for traffic safety analysis. Analysts can identify potential contributors to crash severity without manually reading each crash narrative. This improved identification of contributing factors can assist researchers and policy makers in designing targeted countermeasures to enhance safety.
The final report is available.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 14 Jul 2021 17:38:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1865406</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>RES2019-08: Rating and Inventory of TDOT Retaining Walls
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1851950</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The purpose of the project is to develop a comprehensive inventory, rating and prediction (IRP) system 
for retaining wall assets management in Tennessee. The state-of-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) 
based thermal sensing technology will be used as an auxiliary tool during field inspection. The system 
will integrate the advantages of existing systems, but develop a more objective rating procedure, 
providing additional dynamic forecasts on service life, risk analysis and action cost. All these extra 
components enable the established IRP to be more beneficial for efficient planning, designing, 
constructing, maintaining and managing of retaining wall systems in the state of Tennessee.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 11 May 2021 15:47:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1851950</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Zero Speed Profiler Assessment for Pavement Smoothness and Continuous Pavement Texture Measurements</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1755605</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary goal of this proposal is to evaluate a state of the art technology in roadway profiling called Zero Speed Profiling.  Conceptually developed under NCHRP Project 10-93, “Measuring, Characterizing, and Reporting Pavement Roughness of Low-Speed and Urban Roads,” this research study will evaluate the methodologies and concepts proposed in NCHRP 10-93 on New Jersey pavements and bridges.  It is anticipated that with successful implementation, the Zero Speed Profiler will provide a better assessment of the current pavement profile when compared to the High Speed Profiler.  A more realistic and comprehensive pavement surface assessment will result in better decisions regarding how to preserve or rehabilitate the pavement.

The first Implementation task to be proposed will be presentations of research findings to the NJDOT, NJ State asphalt industry and federal agency members (FAA and FHWA). The second Implementation task proposed will be a workshop consisting of how the Zero Speed Profiler and its respective capabilities can be beneficial to local, state, and federal agencies required to monitor highways.  Lastly, based on the availability of the interested agencies, it will be recommended that the technologies be introduced through pilot projects to create a real-world scenario where the Zero Speed Profiler can be utilized and the proposed specification be evaluated thoroughly prior to full implementation.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2020 11:38:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1755605</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Investigation of Balanced Mixture Design for New York State Asphalt Mixtures</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1666459</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Current asphalt design procedures are solely based on volumetric principles and lack a valid methodology to ensure performance of the asphalt mixture considered during design.  This research focuses on a state of the art practice called Balanced Mixture Design (BMD), where the gradation and optimum asphalt content are not solely selected by the volumetrics of the mixture, but by the rutting and fatigue cracking resistance.  The objectives of the study are to:
(1) Evaluate the current performance of NYSDOT asphalt mixtures across the state;
(2) Redesign the asphalt mixtures utilizing the BMD methodology; and
(3) Recommend performance tests and finalize a design procedure methodology for NYSDOT adoption and implementation.
Training and specifications around the new design method will be developed and implemented within the NY State. In addition, the impact of cost savings of the new design will be assessed using a performance-cost analysis.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 24 Jan 2020 15:32:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1666459</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>State of the Art Approaches to Bicycle and Pedestrian Counters</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1672456</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this project is to determine the state of practice for bicycle and pedestrian counting technologies to inform the enhancement and future growth of the North Carolina’s Non-Motorized Volume Monitoring Program (NC NMVDP). This objective will be accomplished by interviewing vendors/state departments of transportation (DOTs)/international agencies to gather information on the state of the practice for counting pedestrians and bicycles; evaluating the performance of the currently deployed Eco-Counter technology; researching recent advancements in bicycle and pedestrian counting technologies (including alternatives to the infrared and electro-magnetic loop systems currently used); identifying the costs, benefits, limitations, and operational requirements for varying technology types, including sources of error that must be accounted for to produce valid and quality data; and determining options for managing the cost and data integration across varying data collection platforms and with other state agencies and local governments. The ultimate outcome of this research will be a menu of counting technologies with an accompanying cost analysis and data integration plan that NCDOT can draw on to improve efficiencies in and enhance the NC NMVDP by matching technology types to non-motorized volume data needs at the local-, regional-, and state-level.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Dec 2019 15:54:23 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1672456</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Optimal Design of Sustainable Asphalt Mixtures with RAP (3.6)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1601904</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Current proposal seeks to derive guiding approaches for extracting, through the literature, the promising opportunities for designing asphalt pavements with enhanced levels of reclamation and for capitalizing on such opportunities. To this end, the study proposes a framework for gauging and comparing, within the state-of-the-art and the state-of-the-science literatures on RAP, the overall cost benefit ratios, with environmental costs reflected, afforded by varied asphalt mixtures at varied levels of reclamation. Challenges to the task will exist given the multiple units, the often-arbitrary life cycle durations, the presumed maintenance schedules, and a wealth of other issues inherent to RAP life cycle analysis (LCA) studies meant to capture environmental impacts within the literature. Selected asphalt mixtures with RAP will be tested with state-of-the-art tools, such as AMPT to predict their performances. The outcomes can be the basis for a perpetual pavement, e.g., composite pavement etc. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2019 20:52:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1601904</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Administration of Highway and Transportation Agencies. State-of-the-Art Review of Cooperative Automated Transportation (CAT) Systems </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1588876</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research was to document and disseminate lessons learned from Cooperative Automated Transportation (CAT) system deployments (both domestic and international) that state department of transportation executive leadership can apply to decisions affecting their agency. These decisions will include the areas of advancing policies, legislation, and regulations; developing scenarios for planning; developing technical materials (on topics such as system design, upgrading transportation and communication infrastructure, data management, procurement, and security); evaluating alternative funding mechanisms; establishing and maintaining industry partnerships.
 
The final deliverables are: (1) Summary of Observations: the observations from the scan tours are intended to help support and promote cooperation between infrastructure owners & operators (IOOs) and the private sector to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes with public safety being the primary goal; (2) Implementation Memo; and (3) Project Presentations.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 Feb 2019 19:09:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1588876</guid>
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