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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>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Rural Road Infrastructure Assessment and Enhancement for Autonomous Vehicle Deployment</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2526753</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to accelerate the deployment of automated vehicle (AV) technologies by assessing rural road infrastructure readiness. The project will utilize commercial AV with advanced driver assistance systems and lab AV with automated driving systems to collect data on physical infrastructure and digital infrastructure under varying conditions such as diverse road types, weather, and lighting. Sensors such as cameras, GPS, and 5G communication modules will be used for data collection in selected testing facilities and public roads in Georgia and North Carolina. The project will also develop a software tool that processes collected data using traditional algorithms and machine learning techniques. This tool will generate detailed summary reports and visualizations, enabling stakeholders to quantify infrastructure readiness, understand deficiencies, and prioritize areas for improvement. The goal is to identify specific infrastructure challenges limiting automated vehicle performance and propose guidelines and actionable strategies to enhance compatibility. This project will inform investment and policy decisions by delivering findings from targeted rural areas. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 22 Mar 2025 12:20:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2526753</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Developing a Replicable, Group-Based Cybersecurity Assessment Methodology for Small and Rural Transit Operators</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2506303</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Despite years of education and advocacy, increased availability of free training and resources, increase funding availability, and new requirements for cybersecurity programs as a prerequisite for new federal discretionary grants or insurance, the gap in cyber resilience among small to mid-sized transit and their larger counterparts continues to grow.  Agencies continue to struggle not due to a lack of commitment but because of limited funding, insufficient expertise, and a clear regulatory mandate.

This project responds to this gap by developing a new approach to conducting National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) - based Cyber Resilience Reviews (CRR) for small and rural transit agencies. Unlike traditional individual assessments, this project will develop a group-based methodology that fosters shared learning and collective improvement to minimize shared vulnerabilities and risk among similar transit authorities.

U.S. DOT Priorities

The primary objective of this project is to strengthen the cyber resilience of small and rural transit agencies by developing a replicable innovative, collaborative approach to conducting NIST CRR– based cybersecurity assessments in group settings rather than individually, this project seeks to foster a culture of shared learning and best practices, benchmarking among peer agencies, and collective progress towards overall industry resiliency.  Doing so aligns with the U.S. DOT objectives of protecting critical infrastructure, advancing global competitiveness, and enhancing economic strength.  All sectors of critical infrastructure must be equally secure to ensure that “every community can connect to the people, places, and opportunities that make their lives meaningful.”]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:38:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2506303</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of FHWA Highway Safety Information Systems (HSIS)











</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2419747</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Safety Information System (HSIS) is a roadway-based data system that provides quality data on several crash, roadway, and traffic variables. It is composed of data already being collected by states and one urban center (California, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington, and Charlotte, North Carolina) for managing the highway system and studying highway safety.  HSIS can be used to analyze many safety problems, including basic "problem identification" issues, identifying the size and extent of a safety problem, modeling efforts that attempt to predict future crashes from roadway characteristics and traffic factors, and evaluating the safety effectiveness of interventions. HSIS is used in support of the FHWA safety research program and provides input to program policy decisions. HSIS is available to professionals conducting research under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, universities, and others studying highway safety.

The FHWA Research & Technology (R&T) evaluation program was initiated in 2013 to assess and communicate the value and effectiveness of FHWA R&T investment. The objective of the R&T evaluation program is to document the impact of the projects, demonstrate accountability to funders and policymakers, and identify lessons learned and best practices that can be applied to future projects/programs, thus completing the innovation lifecycle.  The Transportation Research Board (TRB), in collaboration with the FHWA, is overseeing the TRB/FHWA Program Evaluation (TFPE) to evaluate such programs.

The objective of this research is to develop and execute an evaluation plan for the FHWA HSIS to answer these fundamental questions: (1) Efficiency: Are the HSIS activities conducted with an appropriate use of resources, such as budget and staff time (e.g., research and implementation approach, funding level)? (2) Implementation: Is the HSIS being applied and/or adopted by the users? If yes, how is it being applied or adopted? How is HSIS different from other safety databases, such as Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), General Estimates System (GES), and National Park Service Service-wide Traffic Accident Reporting System (STARS)? (3) Effectiveness: Is HSIS achieving the intended goals and objectives (e.g., impact)? What datasets will be used to measure effectiveness?
(4) Cost-effectiveness: Does the value or benefit of achieving the HSIS goals and objectives exceed the cost of producing them (e.g., return on investment and cost-benefit ratio)? (5) Attribution: Is the HSIS addressing the following FHWA Strategic Goals?
(a) Safety: Make the transportation system safer for all people. Advance a future without transportation-related serious injuries and fatalities. (b) Economic strength and global competitiveness: Grow a sustainable economy. Invest in the transportation system to provide reliable and efficient access to resources, markets, and good-paying jobs to American workers and businesses. (c) Transformation: Design for the future. Invest in purpose-driven research and innovation to meet the challenges of the present and modernize a transportation system of the future that serves everyone today and in the future. (d) Organizational excellence: Strengthen this world-class organization. Advance FHWA's mission by establishing policies, processes, and an innovative culture to serve communities effectively and steward the public’s resources responsibly.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Aug 2024 09:41:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2419747</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Near-Real-time Health Monitoring and Assessment of a Railway Track system</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2382949</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The extensive rail network in the United States serves as a lifeline for the mobility of people and goods, underscoring the critical need for robust methods to evaluate, monitor, and predict the health of rail infrastructure. The primary aim of this research is to create an evaluation framework that enables the rigorous analysis of the efficiency and mobility implications of various transportation policies, especially within the context of the Washington DC area. This research aims to implement a near real-time health monitoring and assessment technique that integrates contact-based strain and temperature sensors, contactless camera image or video data, and innovative machine learning (ML) models to achieve reliable long-term assessment and predictive modeling of railway track systems. This research will be implemented and validated in real-time at selected sections of a rail-track system in the region. The project's outcome will provide a validated method for early warning of railway track systems. This method will provide information to decision makers of rail systems in near-real time to take actions that can reduce delays and accidents by targeting speed advisories at specific locations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 23 May 2024 16:42:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2382949</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Developing a Data Repository to Help with TSMO Strategies Evaluations



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381698</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As agencies seek to improve transportation safety and mobility, effectively operating transportation facilities and networks is critically important. There are dozens of Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) strategies that a facility or network could use. Knowing which TSMO strategies are more likely to be effective at addressing safety and operations issues enables agencies and practitioners to make data-driven decisions to effectively use limited funding. 

The evaluation of TSMO strategies is often complicated by unique characteristics of TSMO strategies, such as deployment of two or more strategies at once, intermittent or flexible use based on prevailing conditions, and widespread effects across a network. Access to better evaluation methods will support agencies in assessing their own use of TSMO strategies. A lack of a central repository that enables sharing of strategy effectiveness data and information impedes the efficiency of agencies and their decision-making for more effective and efficient investments in TSMO strategies. 

Research is needed to help state departments of transportation (DOTs) develop tools to evaluate TSMO strategies, compile results, and make them available to practitioners.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this project are (1) to develop evaluation methods to assess the effectiveness of TSMO strategies and (2) to create a web-based central repository to share information, data, and evaluation methods and results for DOTs and other agencies.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2024 21:18:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381698</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Managing the Life Cycle of Software for Evolving Traffic Management Systems




</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381709</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As agencies progress toward the next generation of traffic management systems (TMSs), new software that adds functions has to be implemented within TMSs. A TMS software could be modular or stand-alone, but has to be integrated within a software subsystem of TMSs. These software subsystems could use proprietary, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), open-source, or customized software or a combination produced by agency staff and external developers. Agencies will benefit from an understanding of options and best practices for designing, procuring, and managing software subsystems to address current and evolving needs of traffic management and TMS.

For this project, a software subsystem includes software programs that support the functions and services of the TMS and may share software products with the entire TMS and specific software programs installed for other subsystems or decision support tools. Assorted software programs and application programming interfaces (APIs) may be integrated into this overall software subsystem to carry out management and operating requirements. 

Limited resources exist to support identifying requirements and evaluating design options and different technologies (e.g., cloud, server, hybrid cloud, and server) or solutions (e.g., distributed, centrally managed) when contemplating or pursuing the integration or incorporation of new or evolving TMS software subsystems, programs, or applications and managing them. Research is needed to provide insights into and understanding of options and best practices for developing and managing requirements as well as planning, designing, procuring, evaluating, and maintaining TMS software subsystems, programs, and APIs.

The objective of this project is to develop a technical guide to manage the entire life cycle of software subsystems within a TMS for state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other agencies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2024 19:54:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381709</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of the Transportation Pooled Fund Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2344662</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) Program is a collaborative program involving state departments of transportation (DOTs), AASHTO, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that has existed for more than 45 years. The program was first defined in 1977 per Title 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 560.3 as a FHWA administered program in coordination with state DOTs. The TPF program creates an opportunity for partners to pool their funds, subject matter expertise, and other resources to conduct high-priority research to meet a wide variety of shared transportation problems. Being able to pool funds allows participants to achieve more from a study than if they conducted a study on their own. By leveraging funds and expertise, participants develop innovative solutions with a smaller investment while extending the reach and impact of their research. Projects that previously could have been cost prohibitive become more achievable through participation in the TPF Program. By offering hundreds of active pooled fund studies, the TPF Program assists partners in finding and funding projects applicable to their agency’s needs.

The FHWA Research & Technology (R&T) evaluation program was initiated in 2013 to assess and communicate the value and effectiveness of FHWA R&T investment. The objective of the R&T evaluation program is to document the impact of the projects, demonstrate accountability to funders and policymakers, and identify lessons learned and best practices that can be applied to future projects/programs, thus completing the innovation lifecycle. The Transportation Research Board (TRB), in collaboration with the FHWA, is overseeing the TRB/FHWA Program Evaluation (TFPE) to evaluate such programs. There is a need to evaluate the TPF to establish the degree of efficiency, implementation, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and attribution to assess and communicate its value.


The objective of this research is to develop and execute an evaluation plan for the FHWA’s Transportation Pooled Fund Program to answer these fundamental questions:
(1) Efficiency: Are the TPF Program’s activities conducted with an appropriate use of resources, such as budget and staff time (e.g., research and implementation approach, funding level)? How well is the administration of the program functioning? What is the appropriate level of involvement from the FHWA division office, particularly as it relates to time? Are there best practices from FHWA division offices that can be shared with other division offices? (2) Implementation: Are the results of TPF Program research being applied? Are project areas being adopted by the users (e.g., change in culture, state of the practice)? Is the FHWA TPF providing the tools, support, and outputs that DOTs need to implement? How does the FHWA TPF consider implementation for projects? How does the collaboration between FHWA and state transportation agencies help the state agencies implement the program? How does participation on a TPF affect future implementation of a project’s results? (3) Effectiveness: Is the TPF Program achieving the goals and objectives it was intended to accomplish (e.g., impact)? How satisfied are states with the TPF Program and results? (4) Cost-effectiveness: Does the value or benefit of achieving the TPF Program’s goals and objectives exceed the cost of producing them (e.g., return on investment and cost-benefit ratio)? Should there be a sliding scale for all projects based on the amount of projects states are allocated? How much staff time is needed for administration, especially for larger projects? (5) Attribution: How is the TPF Program helping states address their strategic goals (e.g., outcome)?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 27 Feb 2024 11:48:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2344662</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessing Transportation Infrastructure Segments for Bike Suitability</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2338833</link>
      <description><![CDATA[There is need for research and empirical measurements to assess how the built transportation infrastructure accommodates bike trips in urbanized communities across the US. This project will focus on assessing transportation infrastructure segments for bike suitability using motion and vibration sensors. This effort will supplement the previously completed C2M2 project “Assessing Potential of Bike Share Networks and Active Transportation to Improve Urban Mobility, Physical Activity and Public Health Outcomes in South Carolina”. Data will be collected in Charleston, SC, Columbia, SC, and Lincoln, NE to provide a case study location for exploring insightful relationships that will be informative to other communities. The data will be analyzed to investigate route conditions to better understand how built environment infrastructure is meeting the users’ needs. This research focuses on evaluating the built environment infrastructure by collecting data that will help determine cyclist riding quality. Qualitative, quantitative, and geospatial methods will be used to evaluate cycling paths.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 14 Feb 2024 17:13:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2338833</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of Transportation Air Quality Planning Tool for transportation agencies</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2335145</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State departments of transportation (state DOTs), Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and other relevant authorities have crafted several air quality evaluation tools. One noteworthy observation is that the existing tools for air quality assessment don’t encompass the full spectrum of project types within the CMAQ program. Additionally, these tools were formulated before 2014, rendering their emissions rates and other data incongruent with the more recent 2014 version of the Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model. To bridge the identified knowledge gap, this project aims to create an Excel-based air quality assessment tool. This tool will enable the computation of emissions ramifications for all eligible transportation project types. The proposed tool will integrate updated parameters and assumptions from the most recent transportation air quality models (such as MOVES) and will incorporate adapted vehicle activity data derived from city-scale microscopic traffic simulations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 06 Feb 2024 17:18:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2335145</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SPR-4754:  INDOT Research &amp; Development Testing Assessment</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2209638</link>
      <description><![CDATA[INDOT Research and Development wants an assessment of their current testing areas related to their Specialized Testing Programs (STPs), both current and projected. The requests for testing under the STP continue to increase, in some cases exponentially. Resources needed (e.g., equipment, manpower, budgets, etc.), current capacity, expected increase in capacity, and data analytics scope need to be standardized and captured to make the proper management decisions to properly plan for the current and future STPs. This project will address these concerns and needs and will result in a functional prototype process and analysis program.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 10 Jul 2023 09:23:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2209638</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Scan and Review of Autonomous Shuttle Operations and Other Personal Transportation Options Affecting Autonomous Transit Viability</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2204484</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objectives of this research project are as follows:
(1) Conduct a scan of active practice based on interviews with national and international experts and stakeholders, and a thorough review of the literature. The research team will reach out to a diverse group of experts to solicit their opinions on what is coming regarding personal mobility-focused AV and the use cases for transit services. The study team will also engage stakeholders, review and critically evaluate the development of AV technologies, their planned deployment in Florida and nationwide, their potential to affect existing modes and options, and their potential to provide reliable and safe transit service. 
(2) Based on the scan, literature, and discussions with experts and other stakeholders, assess advanced technology-based transit options such as AV shuttles, mobility on demand, ridesharing and micromobility for their advantages and disadvantages.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:37:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2204484</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Induced Demand Assessment Framework: A Guide</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2188140</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As a concept, induced demand is increasingly being considered by transportation practitioners at state departments of transportation (DOTs). Induced demand is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by multiple variables, necessitating consistent analysis and transparency. DOTs are interested in understanding how induced demand impacts their planned investments and how those impacts might accrue at the local and regional network levels. It is not clearly understood in empirical analysis where induced demand manifests itself and how it undermines desired project outcomes for various project types. 

Recent attempts at analysis are the California Induced Travel Calculator (CITC), the Rocky Mountain Institute’s State Highway Induced Frequency of Travel (SHIFT) tool, and the Federal Highway Administration’s Geospatial Economic Multimodal Systems Modeling (GEMS). The CITC and SHIFT tools incorporate ranges of elasticity findings from different induced demand studies and project conditions but have several limitations for project-level analysis (for example, contextual factors or land use). GEMS may provide typologies to help identify influencing factors and mitigation options as alternatives to new lane miles. Research is needed to assist DOTs to better understand induced demand, especially at the project level, concerning their priorities, policies, funding decisions, and DOT options to respond to induced demand directly or indirectly.

The objective of this research is to develop an induced demand assessment framework and a guide for DOTs to apply the assessment framework to policy and planning analysis. 

At a minimum, the research shall (1) define induced demand; (2) gather and evaluate data needed to develop the assessment framework; (3) pilot, validate, and test the assessment framework; and (4) communicate findings from the framework to build consensus.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 30 May 2023 20:28:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2188140</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SPR-4801:  INDOT Agency Wide Sustainability Assessment and Roadmap for Future</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2166479</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The INDOT executive team revisited agency goals about sustainability efforts including what is currently being done and how they can drive some new initiatives in the agency.
The executive team wants to use Joint Transportation Research Program (JTRP) to baseline what is happening in sustainability at INDOT and what is the roadmap for the future. Purdue MEP will develop a Sustainability Assessment, use the assessment to interview about 90 people that are Director level, evaluate the assessment information, provide recommendations with cost estimates, recommend metrics for sustainability and look for implementation that can be done in the short term.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 04 May 2023 09:38:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2166479</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Phase II: After Study Evaluation of Interstate 4 (I-4) Florida's Regional Advanced Mobility Elements (FRAME) Project (During/After Analysis)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2150880</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research project is to develop the evaluation plan for the after conditions of the I-4 FRAME project. Then, before/after study for the evaluation metrics will be conducted to identify the degree of improvement (or not) for every metric from the before to the after observations. The study findings will be analyzed and documented. To conduct the task, the research team will perform the following activities:
(1) Determine the evaluation criteria tailored to the I-4 FRAME project objectives; 
(2) Describe the data collection procedures tailored to these criteria that are needed to report on the achievement of project objectives; 
(3) Document how the I-4 FRAME project addressed the safety challenges on the project corridors.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 12 Apr 2023 09:25:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2150880</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Annual Traffic Incident Management Capability Self Assessment</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2077922</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project enables jurisdictions to evaluate capability and provides a framework for improvement.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2022 09:48:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2077922</guid>
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