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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>
    <image>
      <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>RES2025-05: Case Studies on the Economic Benefits of TDOT's Rail Connectivity Grant Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2437330</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As Tennessee's economy continues to expand, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has increasingly recognized the importance of an efficient transportation network in aiding industrial growth. Particularly, the improvement and extension of railroads have garnered attention for their potential to increase job opportunities and attract capital investment while also offering a cost-efficient alternative to roadway transportation. Freight transportation accessibility is critical to enhancing rural area development and providing service to smaller communities, which are often composed of socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. In addition, intermodal solutions reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions. In 2018, TDOT made strategic investments of approximately $10 million in this sector through the Rail Connectivity Grant Program with three pivotal objectives: to increase job creation and capital investment by facilitating industries that necessitate rail access; to enhance the marketability of available industrial sites through improved rail connections; and to reduce highway and bridge maintenance costs by shifting the bulk of heavy freight transport from the road to rail networks. To date, funding has been allocated for four projects, with three of them having reached completion. Despite these efforts, there remains a lack of comprehensive analytics to calculate the benefits and relative returns on investment outcomes for these projects, and to provide a recommendation of a best investment plan that could be implemented by TDOT. This proposed project will develop a framework to analyze the economic benefits and relative returns on investment outcomes for the rail connectivity projects and conduct an analysis of such projects funded by TDOT. The assessment ensures that TDOT’s investments are validated, thereby informing future investment decisions and optimizing the program's contribution to Tennessee's overall growth agenda.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 30 Sep 2024 16:07:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2437330</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Roundabouts, J-Turn, etc. - Understanding their Economic Impacts</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2414044</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research aims to investigate the economic impact and benefits of J-Turn intersections and roundabout treatments on Minnesota roads. While these treatments are increasingly preferred for their operational and safety advantages, they often face resistance from community residents and nearby businesses. The study's primary focus is to demonstrate the economic benefits of J-Turns and roundabouts to the public, local businesses, and the community as a whole. The research will employ a multi-stage approach to comprehensively assess these benefits. In the initial stage, interviews with business owners will be conducted to gauge their sentiments regarding roundabouts and their effects on business performance. Subsequently, the study will analyze traffic counts (AADT) on roads leading to roundabouts and J-Turn treatments before and after installation to determine any changes in traffic flow. Finally, an economic impact assessment will be conducted by analyzing sales tax data for census tracts near these treatments. Perceived economic benefits will also be calculated by examining reductions in fatal and injury crashes due to the treatments.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 07 Aug 2024 17:23:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2414044</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Benefit-Cost Analysis of Rural CAV Deployment</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2238293</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The project aims to investigate the benefits and costs associated with connected and automated vehicle (CAV) deployment in rural areas. It involves conducting a comprehensive literature review to gather insights on the benefits and challenges of CAV deployment. Data collection and analysis will be performed to identify specific transportation challenges in rural communities. An inventory of CAV technologies suitable for rural areas will be compiled, considering their functionalities and potential benefits. The project will develop scenarios to explore different futures for CAV deployment, considering factors such as CAV penetration levels and technological advancements. Mapping CAV technology deployments to transportation challenges will be done to highlight potential solutions. A benefit-cost analysis will quantify the economic and social benefits of CAV deployment, including improved safety, mobility, accessibility and social justice, and reduced environmental impacts. The outcomes of the project will provide valuable insights into the benefits and costs of CAV deployment in rural areas, improving decision-making and aiding in the selection of appropriate strategies and policies. The project is expected to contribute to advancing knowledge on CAV deployment in rural areas and provide guidance for future planning and implementation efforts.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 01 Sep 2023 16:46:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2238293</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Revenue and Financing Alternatives for Medium and Small U.S. Airports in an Evolving Aviation Landscape</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2226007</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Airports in the United States generate significant economic benefits for their surrounding communities that often do not result in revenues to the airports. Medium and small airports in the United States typically rely on federal funding and conventional revenue models that may no longer be sufficient to support necessary maintenance and expansion, and they need to supplement their incomes. At the same time, the industry is evolving rapidly, creating new opportunities and challenges. The identification and generation of airport revenue streams and financing are essential to maintain fiscal responsibility and realize future growth of the airports and the communities they serve. 

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this research are: 1) Create a guide and database for U.S.-based medium, small, and non-hub commercial service airports to increase and diversify revenue streams from existing and new sources; and 2) Provide models for leveraging revenue sources to increase capital financing opportunities. The final deliverables should include case studies about relevant revenue opportunities, successful and unsuccessful, as well as best practices from domestic and international airport industries and from outside the aviation industry.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 Aug 2023 06:57:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2226007</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Guide for Measuring Financial Benefits of Airport Safety Management Systems</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2007980</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Airport sponsors are responsible for the safe operations of their airports. As the requirement for a safety management system (SMS) approaches, there is no quantitative data addressing the financial benefits and starting points in the implementation of an SMS. The lack of available information of financial benefits may create a reluctance to implement an SMS by airport sponsors. Addressing the scope of SMS financial benefits may enable sponsors to assess its financial capabilities to develop its SMS. Currently unknown variables to the industry include, but are not limited to: 1) What relevant data and activities are already being collected or performed? 2)How to identify the cost benefits of SMS key performance indicators? 3) How do airport sponsors prioritize its financial benefits and develop a successful SMS implementation? OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to develop a guide for airport sponsors to identify the financial benefits of the implementation of an SMS. 


 ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:07:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2007980</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A Balanced Look at Local Airport Activity and Climate Change</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1872921</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 132: The Role of U.S. Airports in the National Economy (2015) demonstrated that the nation’s airport system provides essential transportation services for millions of travelers and shippers of goods. Public use airports in the United States create and sustain 11.5 million jobs and contribute $1.6 trillion to the economy annually when direct, indirect, and induced economic effects are considered. However, aviation results in both benefits and disbenefits (e.g., as described in ACRP Research Report 221: Measuring Quality of Life in Communities Surrounding Airports). As communities become more socially and environmentally conscious, increased concerns focused on some of the adverse impacts of aviation activity, including its contribution to climate change. This has most recently appeared as social pressure to discourage air travel.  Airport practitioners need resources to effectively communicate the industry's benefits and impacts, including economic impacts, environmental impacts, and sustainability efforts, to multiple audiences in a balanced, evidence-based manner.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to provide resources and guidelines to help airports present a balanced and objective look at the benefits and disbenefits of air travel and local airport activity. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Aug 2021 22:32:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1872921</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Rail Economic Contribution Study</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1870565</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Rail Division's mission is the “…safe and efficient movement of people and goods on North Carolina's railroads through freight, passenger and safety programs, supporting job creation and economic growth."  These objectives are integral in serving North Carolina's citizens, visitors, and industries.   The Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) research team, including the principal investigator, has contributed substantially to the literature in the area of economic effects of transportation facilities in North Carolina over the past 12 years.  The team has led or been a substantial contributor to several statewide studies (aviation, ferry, ports, transit, freight/logistics), in addition to targeted infrastructure economic contribution studies in those and other modes in North Carolina. 
The project will seek to understand the economic contribution relating to the usage of the NC rail system.  The final deliverables will include a profile of traffic data (freight and passenger) and economic contribution for each, based on passenger spending/economic benefit derived from their use of rail.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Aug 2021 09:51:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1870565</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Estimating Benefits of Closing Gaps in Active Transportation Networks



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1842753</link>
      <description><![CDATA[NCHRP Research Report 1149: Estimating Benefits of Closing Gaps in Active Transportation Networks: A Guide presents methods and strategies to quantify the benefits of closing  gaps in active transportation networks. The guide provides case studies, gap closure benefit quantification, and practitioner vetting and usability testing to support its findings. It was developed through a scan of applied methods, interviews, practical experience, and original research. The findings will prove useful to practitioners at state departments of transportation (DOTs) as well as regional and local governments.

Active transportation users include pedestrians, bicyclists, e-bike users, and those who use personal conveyances. For active transportation users, these modes not only address mobility and accessibility needs but also increase levels of physical exercise, improve access to transit, and reduce out-of-pocket travel costs. For communities, the benefits from active transportation include more mobility opportunities, healthy and active lifestyles, and local and regional development opportunities. The presence of any gaps in the network reduces the accessibility of valued destinations for system users.

Under NCHRP Project 08-149, “Estimating Benefits of Closing Gaps in Active Transportation Networks,” Alta Planning + Design was tasked to develop a guide for state DOTs and other transportation agencies to help them estimate the benefits of closing gaps in active transportation networks. The research summarized methods of identifying gaps, produced a gap typology reflecting varying user groups and contexts, developed a methodology that estimates the economic, health, and social benefits of closing gaps, provided effective approaches to prioritizing gaps for long-range planning, programming and/or project devel opment activities, and crafted recommendations on how to effectively communicate the value of closing gaps to transportation decision-makers, local governments, communities, and other stakeholders.

In addition to the guide, the following materials can be found on the National Academies 
Press website (nationalacademies.org/publications) by searching for NCHRP Research Report 1149: Estimating Benefits of Closing Gaps in Active Transportation Networks: A Guide: Web-Only Document 426: Developing a Guide for Estimating Benefits of Closing Gaps in Active Transportation Networks, which is the research agency’s report documenting the development of the guide and the entire research effort. The following materials can also be found on the webpage for this publication: Web-Only Document 426 Appendix A (Phase I Report); Web-Only Document 426 Appendix B (Phase III Report); and a stand-alone Implementation Plan.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2021 21:09:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1842753</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Administration of Highway and Transportation Agencies. Assessing and Communicating the Economic and Quality of Life Benefits of Transportation Infrastructure Investments: Message Testing</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1777137</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2020, the report for NCHRP Project 23-01, “Assessing and Communicating the Economic and Quality of Life Benefits of Transportation Infrastructure Investment” was provided to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The research for that project developed evidence-based messaging that state DOTs are using to raise public awareness of the economic and quality of life benefits of transportation infrastructure investments. The study differed from past research in its explicit focus on benefits experienced in people’s daily lives, for example by gaining more control over one’s time, having a less stressful commute, or having more jobs in one’s community. An illustrated guide provided messages and strategies for integrating them into both routine DOT communications and specialized campaigns. NCHRP 20-24(137) will refine and market-test the messages in a more realistic, practical context than was possible during NCHRP Project 23-01. 
 

The objective of this research was to build upon the results of NCHRP Project 23-01 to evaluate and refine messages and materials that communicate economic and quality-of-life benefits of transportation infrastructure investments. The research will evaluate customer responses to fully developed communications pieces that incorporate graphics and more specific pitches. These sample communications included both urban-based multimodal messages and rural messages focused on mobility and accessibility. The audience for the research results and products are communications practitioners at state DOTs, as well as agency leadership.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Feb 2021 11:27:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1777137</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Measuring and Understanding the Relationship Between Air Service and Regional Economic Development</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1645871</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Airports and their communities recognize the importance of air service for economic development. This recognition is prompting research to develop measures to understand the relationship between the two and maximize an airport’s contribution to its region’s economic development strategies. Research undertaken for ACRP Report 132: The Role of U.S. Airports in the National Economy examined how air service improvements between regions and selected international markets could benefit the U.S. economy.  The report established a statistical relationship between the national aviation system and the overall economy. Research is needed to extend this research to more clearly define the influence of air service changes on regional economic development and explore the extent to which changes in air service affect productivity in differing industry sectors. This research will enable analysis of the regional economic impacts of air service and provide guidance for communicating results to stakeholders.
The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook and tools (e.g., flowcharts, decision trees, narrative templates, spreadsheets) to help airports and their communities understand, measure, and address the relationship between air service and economic development.
The guidebook should include the following:
(1) Primer describing air service trends and general relationships between air service and regional economic development;
(2) Overview of data collection sources and methods;
(3) Guidance for selecting and using the tools to meet user requirements, including:
(4) Selecting appropriate economic metrics (e.g., gross domestic product, job creation and talent retention, payroll, capital investment, foreign direct investment, tax base, per capita income); and
(5) Selecting appropriate air service metrics (e.g., up-gauging, seats, frequency, routes, total travel time, airfares, cargo volume and value);
(6) Methods for communicating results to stakeholders;
(7) Case studies representing an array of common community sizes, airport activity levels, and air service characteristics for both passenger and cargo service;
(8) Glossary of terms; and
(9) Listing of additional research and guidance on economic and air service development. 
The tools should be designed to allow airports and communities to do the following:
(1) Use a variety of metrics to measure how economic and air service changes could impact their community based on their unique air service and community characteristics;
(2) Identify which economic sectors (e.g., manufacturing, tourism) are most impacted by air service changes; and
(3) Consider qualitative impacts (e.g., quality of life, image enhancement, competitiveness).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 12 Aug 2019 21:59:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1645871</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessing the Economic Benefits of the Transportation Infrastructure Model for Development (TIMED) Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1634280</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objective of this research is to identify measures that could be used to estimate the economic development impact of transportation improvement projects in Louisiana.  These measures could be surrogate measures, such as property taxes, employment, population, etc., or could be direct measures of economic impact, in dollar terms.  It is then desirable to apply these measures to the Transportation Infrastructure Model for Development (TIMED) program’s 14 completed projects, to establish a baseline, so that the measures could then be used to assess the economic development potentials of future transportation projects, thereby helping in the decision-making process, and leading to a methodology that will assess potential quantitatively from an economic development point of view.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 01 Jul 2019 21:54:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1634280</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Rail and the California Economy</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441915</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The state of California depends on rail transport to move people and goods. The economic benefits of freight and passenger rail service for the citizens and businesses of the state take a variety for forms. Rail passenger service is the preferred mode of travel for many daily commutes and occasional trips for leisure and business. Access to rail is an essential ingredient in the business models for many firms, and a valuable amenity to many others. The states seaports, including its three “megaports” (Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland) and smaller niche ports (Hueneme, Humboldt Bay, Redwood City, Richmond, West Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and Stockton) depend on rail connectivity to varying degrees. An emerging, if controversial, example of the importance of rail access is oil-by-rail, which may allow several existing refineries in California to increase the production levels by providing access to non-local sources of crude oil. Economic benefits from rail extend to the larger state transportation system. A large portion of rail passenger traffic, and some rail freight traffic, is diverted from the state highway system. This reduces congestion, emissions of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses, and road crashes.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:56:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441915</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Identifying and Analyzing the Relative Advantages and Disadvantages of Public-private Partnerships and Traditional Delivery for Transport Projects</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441899</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) sent out a clarion call to the transport community that all roads should lead to private sector financing of  infrastructure. An evaluative tool that can be used to ascertain the relative merits and disadvantages of design-bid build (DBB) and public-private partnerships (P3) across California, learning lessons also from Oregon and Washington. This involves applying a transaction cost economic measurement framework to these two modes of delivery, adapted from comparative ex post analyses of projects that were developed side-by-side using DBB and P3 methods [Whittington, 2012], systematically comparing the institutional arrangements for implementing these modes across states.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:56:09 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441899</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Analysis and Validation of Historical Transportation Investment</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1424388</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) incorporates economic competiveness as one of the criteria for prioritizing transportation projects and uses the Transportation Economic Development Impact System (TREDIS) to quantify the economic impact of capacity expansion highway projects as part of project prioritization. This proposal presents a project involving structured research that will document and quantify the long-term economic impact of major highway expansion projects specifically derived from projects completed as part of the 1989 Highway Trust Fund Act. 
The proposed study will provide NCDOT with these deliverables: (1) Evidence-based case studies associated with past Highway Trust Fund projects that helps demonstrate their economic benefits and impacts and communicate them to primary stakeholders of NCDOT; and (2) An ability for NCDOT to submit case studies to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' (AASHTO’s) new EconWorks initiative. EconWorks will become a national repository for case studies (replacing or exceeding the Strategic Highway Research Program's (SHRP’s) Transportation Project Impact Case Studies (TPICS) site) & potentially a more data rich analysis for states to draw from, thereby increasing the national stature and recognition of the transportation investment work being done in NC.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2016 10:02:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1424388</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Economic Benefits and Public Transportation Expansion in Major Nevada Urban Areas</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1422310</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Access to public transit is an important public good. Enabling people to travel within an urban area without using a private vehicle provides benefits in terms of reduced congestion, improved air quality, access to employment for households without a car, and lower commuting costs for households that do have a car. Estimating which benefits and at what levels mass transit helps the local community will allow for a more nuanced picture of the local benefits of expanding public transportation in the study area.

This research will focus on the Reno-Sparks and Las Vegas urban areas, and will identify places therein that do not currently have access to this mode of transportation. It will also estimate the potential benefits of extending transit routes to include these areas. The population and income distributions for this analysis will come from Census 2014 Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) data that are part of the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics survey (LEHD). The route data will be obtained from the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) Data Exchange. Information about the benefits of expanded public transportation access will come from a literature review. Finally, parameters for modeling expected transit ridership will come from a discussion with RTC officials.

Multivariate and logit regression analysis will be used to identify relationships between access and demographic variables.  Possibly (depending on graduate assistant’s skills), geographic information system (GIS) software will be used in identifying areas currently covered by public transit, as well as aggregation by who has access for their place of residence, place of employment, or both. Census socio-economic data will also be used.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 07 Sep 2016 14:56:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1422310</guid>
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