<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="https://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
  <channel>
    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
    <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
    <description></description>
    <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>Drone Network Design for Emergency Response in Rural Utah</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2655749</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Rural areas of Utah face significant challenges in providing timely and comprehensive emergency response. Long distances, limited road infrastructure, mountainous and desert terrain, and weather-related disruptions can significantly delay ambulances and rescue teams. These factors often increase response times for medical, disaster, and search-and-rescue emergencies, directly impacting outcomes and endangering lives.

Traditional emergency services remain essential, but they are insufficient in covering all rural needs quickly. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, present a transformative opportunity to bypass geographic and infrastructure barriers. Drones can rapidly deliver critical supplies, e.g. medical kits, blood units, communication devices, food, water, or specialized equipment, within minutes rather than hours. However, to make such a system viable, Utah requires a data-driven framework to determine where drone bases should be located, what fleet capabilities are needed, and how to integrate these operations with regulatory and local constraints. This project addresses the need to design an optimized drone network for comprehensive emergency response in rural Utah.

The primary objective of this research project is to develop an optimized drone network design to significantly reduce emergency response times in rural Utah by identifying strategic drone base locations, fleet requirements, and deployment strategies. Secondary objectives of this research project are to evaluate the technological, regulatory, and operational feasibility of drone-based emergency response, ensuring alignment with community needs and positioning Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) as a leader in innovative public safety solutions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:43:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2655749</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Incident Management Coordinator Vehicle Red Lights Completion Project</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2622012</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2022, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) gained approval to install flashing red lights on certain incident management coordinator (IMC) vehicles. Previously, only amber lights were permitted. In a prior phase of this project, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute identified IMC vehicles that were candidates for inclusion and worked with district operations personnel to install data acquisition system (DAS) systems. A total of eight IMC vehicles were instrumented, including two from each of the Salem, Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Richmond districts. Unanticipated delays with the red lights training program and the final procurement and physical installation of red lights delayed final approval to use the red lights in actual operations, so only baseline data were collected in that initial phase of work. VDOT recently announced that red light operations would begin in November 2025, so a 2nd phase of this research will be conducted to determine how red lights impact operations of IMCs. Specifically, the research will seek to answer five major research questions: (1) What is the impact of red lights on incident response times? (2) What is the impact of red lights on interactions with other vehicles while enroute to incident? (3) What is the impact of red lights on compliance with Standard Operating Procedures while enroute to incident? (4) What is the impact on overall IMC driving performance and safety when red lights are used? (5) Do red lights have impact on passing driver’s approach and Move Over Law behavior compliance observed when parked on shoulder? Data collected during this 2nd phase of work with red lights in operation will be compared to the prior baseline data collection to assess any impacts of the red lights.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2025 06:59:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2622012</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessing Pre-Hospital Hemorrhage Management and Mortality in U.S. Motor Vehicle Crashes




</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2570614</link>
      <description><![CDATA[With optimal emergency medical service (EMS) and trauma care it has been estimated that 20 percent of overall trauma deaths in the United States are preventable. Using data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), it is estimated that 40 percent of motor vehicle fatality victims were alive at the scene, indicating an opportunity to save lives through enhanced pre-hospital care interventions. Specifically, it is hypothesized that administering pre-hospital blood products to patients experiencing hemorrhagic shock can reduce motor vehicle crash mortality. While the administration of pre-hospital blood products has been shown in military applications to substantially reduce morbidity and mortality, less is known about the potential impact of pre-hospital blood products in U.S. motor vehicle trauma. 

Pre-hospital blood programs represent an invaluable resuscitation capability that directly addresses hemorrhagic shock and mitigates subsequent multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. With wider use, this intervention has the potential to reduce mortality among motor vehicle crash victims. Research is needed to develop a better understanding of the potential impact of pre-hospital blood products in U.S. motor vehicle trauma.

The objectives of this research are to: (1) Assess pre-hospital hemorrhage management and mortality in U.S. motor vehicle crashes. (2) Develop recommendations that state highway safety offices (SHSOs) and other stakeholders can use to reduce pre-hospital mortality through enhanced trauma response activities.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2025 19:17:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2570614</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Exploring Post-Crash Care with EMS Response to Impaired Driving Crashes in North Dakota</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2553706</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Alcohol- and drug-impaired driving leads to severe crashes in North Dakota, yet police crash reports lack critical EMS response and patient care data. This study leverages NEMSIS data to assess EMS response times, treatment quality, and patient outcomes for impaired driving crashes. Using statistical analysis, time-series trends, and spatial mapping, the research identifies delays, care disparities, and high-risk locations. Findings will inform EMS resource allocation and improve post-crash care strategies, aligning with USDOT’s safety goals through advanced analytics that will transform foundational knowledge in this space.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 15 May 2025 15:13:33 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2553706</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>What is the New Baseline: Helping FDNY understand emergency response needs to tackle traffic and service congestion under a transient population and built environment</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2459064</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Strategic planning for emergency response relies on reliable data on spatial population distributions, built environment inventories, and their cumulative effects on traffic and service congestion. These data support decision-making for assigning and stationing emergency vehicles and prioritizing alternative vehicles in highly congested areas. However, post-COVID data are limited or in flux due to changing work patterns, new traffic policies, and increasing emergency services (EMS) demand. 

In Year 1, the research team's project with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model for a New York City (NYC) neighborhood, quantifying the effects of built environment features on emergency response times under congestion. For Year 2, the research team proposes to extend this analysis citywide, employing statistical and machine learning techniques combined with queueing-based optimization methodologies that relate American Community Survey (ACS) population attributes to high-severity calls and built-environment-affected response times, from which treatments for service bottlenecks can be prioritized. This project will also explore innovative EMS interventions, such as alternative vehicles, and provide deployment recommendations that could most benefit response times.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 21 Nov 2024 16:59:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2459064</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>An AI-reinforced Traffic Digital Twin for Testing Emergency Vehicle Interventions</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2278553</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Emergency vehicle (EMV) response times have degraded due to increasing urbanization and resulting congestion. Evaluating interventions to mitigate this degradation is too costly to be done in the field. This project will build a traffic digital twin (TDT) to be developed in collaboration with FDNY as a virtual test bed to evaluate interventions and support decision-making and planning in a safe simulation environment. The TDT will be built on the open source Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) microscopic continuous traffic simulation. Key challenges are incorporating AI to learn non-EMV driver responses to EMV signals (sirens, V2X technologies) and to train the TDT to different traffic states using historical traffic data and dispatch data from FDNY. The scope of work can be summarized as: (1) development and calibration of a baseline SUMO simulation for FDNY district M6 in Harlem, NYC; (2) combining traffic data and camera data at the same time to develop an AI model for traffic state prediction in the digital twin; (3) combining EMV global positioning system (GPS) data and the traffic state data to statistically learn non-EMV behavioral responses (response reaction time, etc.); and (4) developing simulation-based intervention optimization and test using out-of-sample observations
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 28 Oct 2023 19:49:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2278553</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Testing the Validity of 2D CAD and 3D Navigable Imagery for Emergency Preparedness</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2232720</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Workplace emergencies can strike anytime. Emergency action plans (EAP) are essential for emergency preparedness and business continuity for emergency events. Typical EAP’s are internal documents that contain procedures for emergency reporting, evacuation, accountability, and more. There is an interest between industry and emergency responders to develop pre-incident emergency response plans to enhance life safety and property conservation. These plans enable efficient operations and search and rescue activities. Typically, emergency responders create pre-incident response plans to cover businesses in their districts. Although these plans may be in place, an improvement to these plans would be to incorporate two dimensional computer aided design (2D CAD) drawings and three dimensional design information (i.e., 3D navigable imagery) so firefighters and emergency responders may become aware of the hazards, interior configuration, and layout of the building. As a result, firefighter and patient survival rates may be improved.

To date, no research has examined firefighters’ perceptions of incorporating 2D CAD and 3D navigable imagery for developing pre-incident emergency response plans. Additionally, no research has examined if the provision of this information will decrease search and rescue operations during emergency events. The objectives for this proposed study will be to collect a set of 2D CAD drawings and take three dimensional navigable photographs for three different North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) facilities and perform quasi-experimental testing with 81 professional firefighters to understand the characteristics and limitations of this information that enhances and limits pre-incident plan development. Specifically, The principal investigator (PI) will visit three NCDOT
facilities and collect 2D CAD files and take 3D navigable imagery with an ECU supplied Matterport camera system. 

The PI will visit fire stations across NC and display these formats of information to firefighters during interviews and ask firefighters a set of Likert scale and open ended questions to understand the benefits and limitations of each format of information and their potential impacts for use in pre-incident planning and emergency response events. Analysis of Variance and Mean and Dispersion tests will be used to test hypotheses for Likert scale questions. Open ended responses will be compiled and classified. This is the first innovative research to implement the use of a mixture of 2D CAD and 3D navigable imagery in a controlled quasi-experimental study to evaluate the feasibility and practicality of these formats of information on pre-incident planning. This project is relevant to NCDOT’s commitment of providing a safe workplace by uncovering the potential for 2D CAD and 3D Imagery to be used by fire departments to better prepare their firefighters to perform emergency response activities at NCDOT workplaces. This will open the lines of communication for NCDOT to further expand its opportunity to collaborate with representative emergency responders to create working emergency response guidelines for target facilities.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 24 Aug 2023 14:21:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2232720</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Impact of Red Lights on Incident Response Time</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2209756</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) recently gained approval to install flashing red lights on certain incident management coordinator (IMC) and safety service patrol (SSP) vehicles over a 2-year transition period; previously only amber lights were permitted.  Although this does not constitute full emergency vehicle permissions (such as the ability to violate red lights on traffic signals), the flashing red lights may encourage motorists to pull to the shoulder.  This may improve VDOT’s incident response during congestion. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of IMC flashing red lights on incident response, with an emphasis on changes in incident response time and clearance time. The findings will help VDOT make informed decision on incident management strategies/investment, including the decision on whether to pursue additional emergency vehicle privileges for IMC/SSP vehicles.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 11 Jul 2023 11:00:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2209756</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessment of Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio HERO Incident Management Programs</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2055957</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) aimed at improving safety and keeping traffic flowing, the Highway Emergency Response Operator (HERO) program was established to clear minor crashes from roadways and assist motorists in need. Following the public's positive response, more districts have instituted HERO programs in recent years. Although HERO has proven popular, the program has not been formally assessed. The objective of this project is to conduct a systematic assessment of HERO in Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio. The research team will perform comprehensive analyses in terms of operational efficiency, staffing and equipment levels, incident response and clearance time improvements, impacts on travel delay, and benefit to cost ratio through a series of on-site interviews, data analysis, and Dynamic Traffic Assignment micro-simulations. The research team will compare clearance times on Safety Service Patrol (SSP) routes vs. non-SSP routes, and contract service vs. non-contract service. Recommendations and guidance shall be provided to TxDOT’s districts and Traffic Safety Division to improve HERO effectiveness and efficiency. This project will give TxDOT a thorough understanding of HERO as well as future improvement recommendations.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2022 12:19:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2055957</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Optimizing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Through the Use of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Technologies</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1474442</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Emergency Medical Services (EMS) operations can greatly benefit from the integration of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies into the transportation system's infrastructure and the emergency vehicles themselves. From simple emergency notification systems to sophisticated dynamic routing algorithms for expedited incident response, ITS provides enormous capabilities to improve the efficiency of EMS operations and optimize the use of healthcare resources. The expected benefits from this synergy are tremendous for the healthcare sector, the transportation sector, and the public. These include better information flows between emergency response agencies, improved incident response time, enhanced efficiency and productivity of healthcare delivery, reduced congestion and environmental impacts of traffic, improved mobility and safety for all transportation users, and enhanced customer satisfaction.  This research project will investigate needs and opportunities associated with the use of ITS as a tool for improving healthcare delivery practices during routine as well as emergency operations. More specifically the study will examine in depth ITS technologies and transportation management strategies to: 1) optimize deployment of healthcare resources through optimal positioning of first responders within the transportation grid and implementation of urgency algorithms to facilitate Computer-Aided Dispatching (CAD) of ambulances; 2) mitigate non-recurrent incident induced congestion and its impacts on EMS responders and the general public. Emphasis will be placed on the use of ITS systems capable of collecting, managing, and utilizing real time data to facilitate quick and efficient incident clearance and service restoration while minimizing the risk of secondary crashes. Use of active traffic management strategies (such as temporary shoulder lanes) and traffic signal preemption to allow quick access of first responders to the emergency site and/or the treatment facility will be also considered; and 3) optimize the use of healthcare resources to improve surge capactiy under routine operations as well as manmade, natural, or public health disasters. ITS technologies can be used to communicate information about available resources at medical facilities and guide emergency vehicles through the transportation network using dynamic route planning and diversion algorithms.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 14 Jul 2017 01:01:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1474442</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Access Improvements Evaluation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441917</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A before and after study needs to be carried out to evaluate the success of the improvements made to Interstate 580 (I-580) as mentioned above.  The researcher can identify additional parameters to use in this study but has to include the following parameters to evaluate the success for each of the improvement measures outlined: (1) safety; (2) congestion relief; (3) environmental factors; (4) maintenance access;(5) emergency response access; (6) travel time; (7) accessibility for bicyclists and pedestrians; (8) number of accidents; and (9) design standards.  Upon agreeing with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) project manager on the parameters to use for this study, the researcher must also propose guidance and evaluation methods to be used.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:56:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441917</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>An Emergency Management Playbook for State Transportation Agencies</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1407191</link>
      <description><![CDATA[NCHRP Research Report 1093: An Emergency Management Playbook for State Transportation Agencies presents a state-of-the-art emergency management playbook to support state transportation agencies with improving, developing, and maintaining effective emergency management programs. The Playbook provides a systematic, coordinated approach for the full emergency management cycle along with a capability maturity model and self-assessment tool. The Playbook was developed based on an extensive literature review, research, and interviews with state transportation agencies. It is accompanied by complementary training materials and tools designed for immediate use by new and experienced practitioners in their effort to implement or improve emergency management programs.

Several emergency management courses and generic planning templates are currently available to transportation emergency managers at airports, transit agencies, and state departments of transportation, including NCHRP Report 525: Surface Transportation Security, Volume 16: A Guide to Emergency Response Planning at State Transportation Agencies (2010). Such resources, together with federal guidance promulgated through the Incident Command System/National Incident Management System/Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (ICS/NIMS/HSEEP) doctrines, are necessary but insufficient for ready implementation. 

There was a need for a strategy-driven, actionable guide—a playbook—that, with incidental implementation support, would help emergent and part-time transportation emergency managers understand, plan, and implement an emergency preparedness program that fits their agency’s needs, capabilities, and challenges. Such a playbook can serve as a simple, practical, and comprehensive emergency preparedness program development guide for
transportation emergency managers; be generally applicable to all transportation emergency operations centers; and be consistent with ICS/NIMS/HSEEP doctrines. A transportation specific playbook helps close the gap in transportation emergency preparedness and enables quicker and more effective uptake of valuable, scenario-based training and exercise tools
that help organizations apply prerequisite planning and program development.

Translating strategy from a playbook to the real world (how to do it) is complex, as states vary in how they organize their activities. There was a need to develop and execute a strategy to effectively bridge the gap between all-hazards emergency management research and state
transportation agency practice to improve an agency’s response over a broad continuum of emergencies affecting the nation’s travelers, economy, and infrastructure.

Under NCHRP Project 20-116, WSP USA was asked to (1) develop a playbook to support emergency management program review and development for state transportation agencies
and (2) develop and execute a deployment strategy to familiarize the affected transportation agencies of every state with the playbook and supporting emergency management materials. This Playbook and related products encompass state DOTs, public transportation systems, and other transportation agencies under state control or influence (i.e., state transportation agencies).

In addition to NCHRP Research Report 1093: An Emergency Management Playbook for State Transportation Agencies, documentation of the overall research effort is available as
NCHRP Web-Only Document 384: Developing an Emergency Response Playbook for State Transportation Agencies. Several other deliverables can be found on the National Academies
Press webpage (https://doi.org/10.17226/27379) for NCHRP Research Report 1093 under Resources. These additional deliverables include: An Emergency Management Pocket Guide for Agency Leadership; PowerPoint training materials for transportation leaders and presenters; Twenty Excel workbooks containing DOT Mission-Ready Packages (MRPs); 
Spreadsheet tool for various equipment types; and Appendix C: Emergency Management Assistance Compact Resources.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 May 2016 15:24:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1407191</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Practices. Topic S04-18. Uses of Social Media to Inform Emergency Responders During an Airport Emergency</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1377071</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No summary provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 09 Dec 2015 11:34:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1377071</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Network Robustness Index: A Comprehensive Spatial-Based Measure for Transportation Infrastructure Management</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1359760</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project investigates the robustness, redundancy and resiliency of the transportation network under current and future conditions. Transportation planning efforts, especially those involving highway capacity expansions, have traditionally relied on the Volume/Capacity (V/C) ratio to identify congested or critical links, resulting in localized solutions that do not consider system-wide impacts related to congestion, security and emergency response. Members of the research team recently developed the Network Robustness Index (NRI): a new, comprehensive, system-wide approach for identifying critical links and evaluating transportation network performance. It relies on readily available sources of data from travel demand forecasting models. Analysis of three hypothetical networks has demonstrated that NRI-based solutions yield far greater system-wide benefits than traditional (V/C) solutions, as measured by travel-time savings (Scott et al. 2006).  While the NRI has been tested on hypothetical networks, it has not yet been applied to a real world road network. As part of the current project, it is proposed to utilize actual road networks and origin/destination (O/D) pairs as input data to assess which network links are considered the most vulnerable in Chittenden County, Vermont. The integrated UrbanSim/TRANSIMS model will provide the inputs needed to calculate the NRI for Chittenden County. This will include information about specific road networks, traffic volumes and link capacities, and origin-destination flows. Researchers will use the NRI to identify specific road links that are the most critical or valuable with respect to maintaining the robustness of the overall road network system within Chittenden County based on average peak period traffic conditions. The most critical links identified by the NRI will be compared for overlap with those identified by other more traditional measures.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2015 01:01:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1359760</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Network Robustness Index: A Comprehensive Spatial-Based Measure for Transportation Infrastructure Management (Part 2)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1359727</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project investigates the robustness, redundancy and resiliency of the transportation network under current and future conditions. Transportation planning efforts, especially those involving highway capacity expansions, have traditionally relied on the Volume/Capacity (V/C) ratio to identify congested or critical links, resulting in localized solutions that do not consider system-wide impacts related to congestion, security and emergency response. Members of the research team recently developed the Network Robustness Index (NRI): a new, comprehensive, system-wide approach for identifying critical links and evaluating transportation network performance. It relies on readily available sources of data from travel demand forecasting models. Analysis of three hypothetical networks has demonstrated that NRI-based solutions yield far greater system-wide benefits than traditional (V/C) solutions, as measured by travel-time savings (Scott et al. 2006). While the NRI has been tested on hypothetical networks, it has not yet been applied to a real world road network. As part of the current project, it is proposed to utilize actual road networks and origin/destination (O/D) pairs as input data to assess which network links are considered the most vulnerable in Chittenden County, Vermont. The integrated UrbanSim/TRANSIMS model will provide the inputs needed to calculate the NRI for Chittenden County. This will include information about specific road networks, traffic volumes and link capacities, and origin-destination flows. Researchers will use the NRI to identify specific road links that are the most critical or valuable with respect to maintaining the robustness of the overall road network system within Chittenden County based on average peak period traffic conditions. The most critical links identified by the NRI will be compared for overlap with those identified by other more traditional measures.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2015 01:00:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1359727</guid>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>