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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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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>
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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>Enhancement of Traffic Control Tool for Reopening of Flooded Roadways</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2789734</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to enhance the current methodology and fatigue equation to determine when to reopen a roadway after a flooding event. The outcome of this research would help prevent accelerated damage to the pavement foundation and maintain the design surface life of a flooded roadway. The subject research would align with the State of Florida's Resiliency Program.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:34:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2789734</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Innovative Signal Timing Design and Operation Strategies to Improve Nighttime Arterial Safety</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2789733</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Nighttime fatalities, injuries, and crashes are overrepresented in Florida. To significantly reduce these incidents, greater efforts must be invested to make nighttime travel safer for all road users. This research will investigate innovative traffic signal timing design and operation strategies and their effectiveness in mitigating nighttime fatalities, serious injuries, and crashes on urban and suburban arterials in Florida.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:31:17 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2789733</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>USF-CUTR I-4 FRAME Project "After" Study Phase 2: Data Collection and Analysis of Safety and Mobility Conditions After Implementation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2787137</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research project will collect and analyze “after” data for applications allocated to University of South Florida Center for Urban Transportation Research (USF-CUTR), perform a before-after study to evaluate impacts and improvements of the deployed Interstate-4 (I-4) FRAME applications, conduct an overall benefit-cost analysis for the I-4 FRAME project Connected Vehicle (CV) applications, perform satisfaction survey and analysis of I-4 FRAME CV Apps users, and document research findings and recommendations. The primary project objectives and efforts from the USF-CUTR team include the following: (1) Complete “after” data collection for 10 selected I-4 FRAME applications allocated to USF-CUTR, addressing mobility challenges and benefit-cost analysis. (2) Evaluate impacts and improvements to mobility and safety from 10 selected applications via before-after studies. (3) Address mobility challenges on I-4 FRAME project corridors. (4) Perform an overall benefit-cost analysis for the 10 applications allocated to USF-CUTR. (5) Conduct a satisfaction survey and analysis of I-4 FRAME users. (6) Document results of before-after studies, impact of I-4 FRAME application, benefit-cost analysis, user satisfaction survey, research findings, and recommendations. This is a continuation of the work begun in BED25 TWO 977-15.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2026 15:48:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2787137</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>System Diagnosis and Strategic Framing for Transportation Congestion Management in Miami Beach</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2780203</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The City of Miami Beach presents a unique and highly constrained transportation environment in which congestion is driven not only by infrastructure constraints, but also by the interaction of highly variable travel demand, limited access points, curbside activity, signal coordination conditions, commuter and recreational travel interactions, and traveler behavioral responses within a tightly coupled urban network. Unlike conventional urban congestion settings, localized operational disruptions within Miami Beach can rapidly propagate across the broader transportation system because of the limited number of access points serving the island and the substantial fluctuations in daily population associated with employment, tourism, events, and recreational travel activity. Accordingly, effective congestion mitigation strategies for Miami Beach require a system-level understanding of how congestion forms, how queues propagate across the network, how different travel purposes interact temporally and spatially, how curbside activity and operational friction reduce effective roadway capacity, and how traveler behavior contributes to overall network performance. Therefore, the purpose of this research project is to establish a collaborative effort with the City of Miami Beach to: (1) Develop a comprehensive understanding of network behavior under varying operational conditions; (2) Establish a framework for evaluating future congestion mitigation strategies; (3) Identify critical operational and behavioral contributors to system-wide congestion; (4) Refine the scope and priorities for subsequent strategy development and implementation phases. The effort will begin with a site visit and extensive discussions with City staff to identify transportation constraints and challenges, and to observe operating conditions. This will be followed by a data collection and analysis period, with a specific focus on system-level characterization. Specific network dynamics and failure mechanisms related to access point saturation, queue spillback, signal coordination, micromobility operations, curbside activity, and interactions among multiple travel purposes will be analyzed. Behavioral factors relating to mode choice, departure timing decisions, route selection, access-point selection, and responses to congestion will be analyzed to complete the picture at the network level. To aid in network characterization, specific evaluation metrics at key locations and time periods will be developed. Finally, these insights will be applied to propose strategic solutions designed to mitigate congestion at specific hotspots as well as throughout the network. Future opportunities to implement pilot programs will be determined in collaboration with the City, and their success will be evaluated using the metrics developed during this phase of work.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 10:19:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2780203</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Design of Stormwater BMPs for Surface and Groundwater Protection Based on Site-Scale Soil Properties: Phase II</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2706364</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this project is to optimize the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal potential of stormwater basins by improving the ability to predict the performance of common native soil properties alone, or with a BAM amendment, and using two planting specifications typically utilized in Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) maintenance. Phase II will build upon the findings of Design of Stormwater BMPs for Surface and Groundwater Protection Based on Site-Scale Soil Properties: Phase I BDV24-977-43 (hereafter referred to as “Phase I”), which demonstrated the superior performance of unamended native soils with moderate soil organic matter and clay contents in the removal and sequestration of N and P during short-term laboratory experiments. Specifically, the research team will leverage this knowledge in a new experiment with improved external validity through the use of outdoor mesocosms in a multi-year study (e.g., scaling-up in both space and time). Commonly encountered native Florida soils will be prepared and planted per FDOT specification in replicated stock tanks (e.g., ~300-500 gal), with or without a BAM blanket filter, and using at least two FDOT approved vegetative strategies. Inflow and outflow hydrology will be controlled to mimic wet and dry basin hydropatterns and real-time mass balance of nutrient transport/transformation. The plant-soil-microbial interactions will be investigated to determine optimal N and P removal rates under varied hydrology. This new empirical data will improve stormwater BMPs by more accurately assessing the potential of native site soils, planting, and amendment strategies to function in nutrient remediation at the project site scale.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 10:39:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2706364</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Phase II: After Study Evaluation of Interstate 4 (I-4) Florida's Regional Advanced Mobility Elements (FRAME) Project (After Analysis)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2706007</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Restart of BED26-977-08. 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; and (3) document how the I-4 FRAME project addressed the safety challenges on the project corridors compared with Phase ? (before).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 09:10:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2706007</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of a Real-Time Decision Support Framework for Resilient Bridge Infrastructure During Evolving Hazard Conditions
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696159</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Bridge infrastructure serves as a critical lifeline for transportation, emergency response, and economic continuity. In hazard-prone regions such as Florida, bridges face escalating risks from floods, hurricanes, and wildfires that can rapidly disrupt traffic flow and delay emergency operations. Existing bridge management systems primarily focus on long-term planning and condition assessment, offering limited capability for real-time decision-making during evolving hazard events. This project aims to develop a real-time decision support framework that enables dynamic management of bridge infrastructure under active hazard conditions. The proposed framework will integrate real-time hazard forecasts, sensor-based condition monitoring, and infrastructure performance data to guide rapid, data driven decisions. Using advanced analytics and scenario modeling, the system will support time-sensitive operational actions such as rerouting, temporary reinforcement, and emergency closures. A visual decision-support interface will convey hazard progression, bridge condition, and recommended response strategies to transportation agencies and emergency managers in an intuitive, spatially enabled format. Building upon prior work at Florida A&M University on the IntelliViz prioritization platform, this research extends the concept from long term resilience planning to operational support. A regional case study in Florida will demonstrate the practical implementation of the framework and its benefits for improving coordination, minimizing downtime, and enhancing public safety during flood and hurricane events. By integrating real-time data streams with predictive modeling and visualization tools, the project will bridge the gap between static risk assessment and dynamic hazard response, providing a scalable and implementable framework for strengthening transportation resilience and supporting informed, timely decisions during extreme events.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:01:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696159</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Optimization-Based Framework and Decision-Support Tool for Bridge Toll Implementation Under Behavioral and Operational Constraints

</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696158</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to develop a novel theoretical framework and a practical decision-support tool to guide strategic bridge toll implementation under real-world behavioral and operational constraints. Traditional toll optimization and project evaluation models focus on market uncertainties but neglect critical human behavioral factors, such as present bias, that significantly influence decision outcomes. To bridge this gap, the proposed research introduces an optimization framework that integrates behavioral dynamics into infrastructure decision-making, enabling the identification of strategies that maximize long-term social welfare while addressing short-term user response and implementation pressures. The accompanying decision-support tool will translate this framework into an interactive, user-friendly platform for transportation agencies and policymakers. It will allow users to simulate and compare alternative tolling strategies, assess implementation timelines, and visualize trade-offs between system efficiency, user response, and long-term performance outcomes. By empowering decision-makers to make data-driven, welfare-maximizing choices, this project supports more effective, publicly acceptable, and operationally robust tolling practices. The research will generate theoretical advances, peer-reviewed publications, and an actionable tool ready for integration with Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT’s) planning processes, ultimately contributing to more resilient, safe and efficient transportation infrastructure systems.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:59:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696158</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>FY 25/26 Florida Local Technical Assistance Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2673041</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The overall goal and associated objectives of the Florida Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Center is to deliver a highway training curriculum and technical assistance that will provide local agencies with tools to build their capacity and means to innovatively address their roadway network challenges and be reflective of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)’s current core areas of Safety, Infrastructure Management, Workforce Development, and Organizational excellence.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:15:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2673041</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Concrete Materials Research Synthesis</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2671998</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The outcomes and objectives of this synthesis will include the following: (1) Compile, review, and summarize selected concrete materials research sponsored by Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). (2) Identify common themes, research findings, and implementation outcomes related to concrete durability, performance-based approaches, and mix design practices. (3) Evaluate how previous research aligns with current agency priorities and national best practices. (4) Identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities for future research that can advance the agency’s materials and construction quality initiatives.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:18:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2671998</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Efficient system reliability assessment of shoreline seawalls: Applications to SEAHIVE (UM)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663225</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Seawalls play a critical role in protecting coastal transportation systems from erosion, flooding and storm surges. Yet their performance is deteriorating due to changes in structural capacity and increasing external demands, posing growing threats to coastal safety. Evaluating the reliability and risk of seawalls along the shoreline is essential for informed maintenance and repair decisions. However, the large scale of shoreline seawalls and the complex coastal and geotechnical conditions in Miami present significant challenges for system reliability analysis. This is a collaborative research project conducted in partnership with Texas State University. The objective of this research project is to develop an efficient and practical framework that integrates interdisciplinary expertise in geotechnical asset management, seawall design and construction, and reliability analysis to perform system reliability analysis of shoreline seawalls.
The proposed project builds on two lines of prior works. First, an effective and well-defined inspection rating system was developed to evaluate the conditions of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls at Texas State University. Second, SEAHIVE®, a novel seawall composed of concrete perforated hexagonal prisms, was developed at the University of Miami and has been implemented in the Miami area for its ability to dissipate wave energy and protect habitats. Leveraging these advances, the proposed project will establish a unified framework for reliability assessment of shoreline seawalls.
The project consists of two phases: component-level and system-level reliability analysis. At the component level, the research team will develop an efficient and effective method to evaluate the reliability analysis of individual SEAHIVE® components. First, using available analytical models and experimental data, the team will define limit states that specify the conditions under which SEAHIVE® components perform adequately or fail. Second, the inspection rating method originally developed for MSE walls will be recalibrated for SEAHIVE® in the Miami area, following procedures established in prior work. Finally, these calibrated ratings will then serve as inputs to the defined limit states, enabling the calculation of reliability indices. The expected outcome of this phase is a practical guideline for engineers to quickly rate the seawall and determine the component reliability index.
Since seawalls function as interconnected systems rather than isolated units, the next phase is system-level analysis. Specifically, the team will elicit statistical correlations in seawall deterioration and soil conditions across different locations using inspection, measurement, and simulation data. An efficient system reliability analysis will then incorporate these correlations into component-level reliability analysis to compute the overall reliability index of seawalls along the shoreline. Together, the two phases will yield a practical decision support tool to efficiently inspect the shoreline seawalls and estimate the system reliability index in support of risk management and maintenance prioritization for seawalls.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:03:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663225</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of Concrete Performance-Based Specifications</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2640690</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objectives of this project are as follows: 1. Identify key performance measures and thresholds for concrete used in Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) applications; 2. Determine practical and low-risk methods to implement performance metrics and promote concrete durability; 3. Identify specification and guideline improvements that support performance-based specifications; 4. Propose revisions to specifications and materials manual guidance.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:26:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2640690</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Continuous Friction Measuring Equipment Assessment and Testing Results for Florida Pavement</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2571988</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research study is to develop a continuous friction measurements program (CFMP) in Florida to enhance road safety and optimize road maintenance by providing continuous real-time data on road surface friction, geometry, and related safety conditions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 09:36:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2571988</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Integrated Approaches to Establishment, Mowing, and Weed Control for Florida Roadside Turfgrasses</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569675</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The main objectives of this research are to: (1) evaluate site-specific protocols for establishing and maintaining turfgrass stands in sandy, low-nutrient roadside soils; (2) investigate mowing regimes and their effects on turfgrass quality and maintenance requirements; (3) assess integrated weed management strategies for sustainable control of priority invasive species; and (4) examine practices that influence roadside turfgrass health and erosion control.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:49:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569675</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessing Performance of the SR 29 Advanced Wildlife Warning System in Collier County</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569150</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objective is to determine if the newly installed wildlife detection and warning system provides a measurable reduction in wildlife-vehicle related crashes within the detection zone. Secondary objectives include evaluating: (1) the reliability of the advanced wildlife warning system (AWWS) in correctly detecting target wildlife species, and (2) the effectiveness of the AWWS in eliciting positive driver responses when alerted to a hazard in the roadway (increased awareness, vehicle speed reduction and advanced braking).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2025 12:43:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2569150</guid>
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