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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>Modernization of Idaho StreamStats: Updates to Statewide Basin Characteristics and At-Site Peak Streamflow Statistics</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2742769</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is seeking to enhance the Idaho StreamStats application by incorporating updated basin characteristics, hydrography, and at-site peak streamflow statistics using current datasets, advanced geospatial technologies, and modern hydrologic analysis methods. StreamStats is an important tool used by transportation engineers, planners, and water resource professionals to estimate streamflow characteristics that support the design and maintenance of bridges, culverts, drainage infrastructure, and other transportation assets. This project will leverage high-resolution lidar-derived elevation data, updated land cover and climate datasets, improved hydrography, and current flood-frequency analysis methods to strengthen the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of hydrologic information available through StreamStats. Research activities will include updating basin characteristics, recalculating peak-flow statistics using recent streamflow records, integrating updated information into the StreamStats application, and publishing supporting datasets to promote transparency and future use. The resulting tools and workflows will provide ITD and its partners with enhanced hydrologic information to support infrastructure design, flood risk assessment, regulatory compliance, and long-term transportation planning.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:20:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2742769</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>GenAI-Enabled Automated Traffic Simulation Management</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2742141</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Microscopic traffic simulation software allows users to model traffic flow, assess traffic management strategies, and optimize transportation systems for efficiency. However, building a simulation model for a real-world road network is a complex, manual, time-consuming, and error-prone task. GenAI-Enabled Automated Traffic Simulation Management uses Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) (GenAI) to automate the preparation of input data, the running of simulations, and the extraction of output results, enabling traffic engineers to focus on the purpose of the simulation rather than the tedious manual work of building the model.

The project maps user text-based scenario descriptions to actual simulation scenarios, with step-by-step validation from the user before execution, by wrapping the INTEGRATION simulation software with a callable API via the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and a web-based interface to a large language model (LLM).

The project will deliver a baseline simulation model built with the INTEGRATION microscopic simulation software for a selected freeway corridor or road network; an INTEGRATION API that wraps the simulation software using the Model Context Protocol so it can be called by any large language model; and a web-based graphical user interface that guides users in prompting an LLM to build simulation models and answer questions using Retrieval-Augmented Generation from the INTEGRATION manual. The GenAI system will be validated by comparing GenAI-generated model files against the baseline model, through human-in-the-loop validation, and through real-world deployment with the City of Alexandria.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:48:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2742141</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Updating Streamflow Statistics for Central and Eastern Oregon to Reduce Flooding Risk</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2724818</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Regional flood frequency equations are needed to plan, maintain, and protect critical infrastructure against flood risks across Oregon. When designing and maintaining hydraulic infrastructure in central and eastern Oregon, Oregon Department of Transportation
(ODOT) professionals face persistent challenges of sparse streamflow data, highly variable precipitation, diverse geologic and topographic features, and irregularities due to large water withdrawals for agriculture. While reliable streamflow statistics can be obtained for western Oregon locations using the ODOT funded U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) StreamStats tool, the current accuracy of the underlying regression equations for locations in central and eastern Oregon are much less reliable, and in some cases not available. Further, though the StreamStats tool may be helpful for some central and eastern Oregon locations, these regression equations—now more than 20 years old—may not accurately reflect present-day conditions, particularly where basins have experienced significant shifts in long-term precipitation and temperature patterns, land use, or water withdrawals. Accurate streamflow statistics are essential for sizing bridges, culverts, and roadside drainage, ensuring infrastructure longevity through variable flow conditions and extreme weather events.
The objective of this research is to update Oregon streamflow statistics and the heavily used StreamStats tool so that this tool can be relied upon for ODOT hydraulic design in central and eastern Oregon. This update process will employ new machine-learning and refined statistical approaches, together with more expansive data from states that share central and eastern Oregon’s hydraulic and hydrologic characteristics. Specifically, this research aims to: (1) enhance design accuracy, (2) support infrastructure longevity under future conditions, (3) optimize resource allocation, (4) improve planning and reduce maintenance, and (5) facilitate regulatory compliance and environmental stewardship with effective fish passage design and habitat protection.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:19:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2724818</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Establishing Operating Characteristics for Non-Motorized Road Users</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2712196</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State departments of transportation (DOT) have qualitative design guidance available to them for walkable and bikeable transportation system improvements. However, the specific design of non-motorized transportation facilities is often selected based on the amount of space available, rather than the physical and operational characteristics of their users and equipment.

Bicycle-related research into operational characteristics is limited, and more information about bicycles and their riders is needed. Recently completed research has improved our understanding of bicyclist acceleration and speed on conventional bicycles, but more information is needed related to reaction time, deceleration, braking, lean angle, coefficients of friction, and lateral shy distance. Further, the research does not capture the full range of users, such as those using e-bikes and other micromobility devices.

Pedestrian traits such as walking speed and space requirements have been well-studied, but only in certain contexts. Pedestrian walking speed influences traffic signal timings, and walking speed information has been collected through a variety of methods. Sophisticated modeling of pedestrian flow is available to apply toward the design of infrastructure such as transit stations. However, available guidance does not fully capture how pedestrians, including those using mobility devices, operate in a typical transportation context.

 The objective of this research is to collect information about the basic operating characteristics of a wide range of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other micromobility users to better understand their spatial requirements along sidewalks, bikeways, and roadways. This research will be useful to transportation planners and designers seeking to develop safe and effective infrastructure for non-motorized users.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:35:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2712196</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SPR-5042: Performance and Safety Evaluation of Truck Mounted Debris Clearing Systems</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2709430</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The principal investigators will help the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) evaluate truck-mounted debris clearing systems by achieving the following three main objectives: 1) Development of an event-triggered, multi-sensor data collection framework integrating multi-camera video and Global Positioning System (GPS) to enable automated, machine vision-based performance assessment. 2) Quantitative evaluation of system performance through field testing to measure debris removal effectiveness, roadway interaction, and operational efficiency across real-world conditions. 3) Assessment of safety and traffic impacts by analyzing worker exposure, operational risks, and vehicle interactions to quantify how these systems influence roadway safety and deployment practices.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:31:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2709430</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>In-Stream Vegetation for Scour Control at High-Proximity Bridge Crossing Elements</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2706037</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Scour and erosion are leading causes of bridge failure in North America and present significant safety and maintenance challenges, particularly at crossings where piers, abutments, and channel banks are in close proximity. Existing scour countermeasures are often costly, difficult to implement under complex hydraulic conditions, and require ongoing maintenance. Although aquatic vegetation has been observed to alter approach flow patterns in ways that may reduce local scour, a rigorous scientific basis for its use as a scour-control strategy at bridge crossings is not currently available.
This project employs detailed physical modeling to evaluate the effectiveness of in-stream vegetation for scour control at high-proximity bridge crossings. Experiments will be conducted in a high-gradient tilting flume with an erodible sediment bed, using particle image velocimetry and laser-based bathymetric scanning to measure velocity fields, turbulence characteristics, shear stresses, and resulting scour patterns. The research will quantify how vegetation patches influence local flow structure and sediment transport near piers, abutments, and banks. The results will form the foundation of a knowledge base supporting development of practical implementation guidelines.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 23 May 2026 18:04:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2706037</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>The Effects of Street Repurposing on Pedestrian, Vehicle and Visitor Patterns</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2702858</link>
      <description><![CDATA[COVID is a crisis that is unanticipated both in its occurrence and also its length of impact. In the early days, many office employers implemented work-from-home policies while retail businesses shuttered, leading to deserted downtowns across the country. Yet crisis is also an opportunity, and municipalities and businesses innovated in response to the fears of infection. In particular, many cities changed transportation infrastructure, including permitting sidewalk cafes that accommodated outdoor dining, reallocating street space from travel or parking to outdoor dining, and redesigning streets to accommodate a wide variety of users etc. What are the effects of these urban infrastructure innovations? How well do they draw visitors and support businesses nearby? What are their effects on the region’s traffic patterns? Are there spillover effects spatially? As cities emerge from COVID and re-imagine the future of our urban cores, answers to these questions are critical. Though the existing literature has a wealth of knowledge on the built environment effect on travel behavior, they are nearly exclusively at much larger scale (e.g., census tracts) and static (comparing different behavioral patterns between places with different built environment characteristics. There is little to no insight on how block-level urban infrastructure innovations lead to changes in visit patterns as well as nearby businesses. And yet, changes at this scale (block-level) are where local policy changes take place. This proposal is to answer these questions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2026 15:19:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2702858</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improving Transportation Infrastructure Safety Through Flow and Scour Analysis at Porous Riverbank Protection Structures</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2695864</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Project Description: Protecting riverbanks from erosion during flood events is critical for ensuring the safety of transportation infrastructure located near rivers. Such erosion can undermine roadways and bridge foundations, leading to failures such as those observed on I-40 in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. In locations where riverbank erosion poses a significant transportation asset risk, porous riverbank protection structures such as engineered logjams (ELJs) have been implemented as alternatives to traditional revetment approaches. The geometric design of ELJs deflects flow away from banks while their porosity reduces drag and toe scour, thereby limiting additional flood-related failure risks. Additionally, ELJs can be constructed incrementally using off-channel crane equipment, which reduces construction costs associated with channel diversion and dewatering. 

Improved tools are needed to predict how flow deflection and scour vary with ELJ porosity and internal structure. Advancing this knowledge will support more reliable ELJ design and reduce the risk of over- or under-design. A larger database of flow and scour depth measurements for ELJs with a range of porosities and characteristics is needed to improve scour prediction methods and provide flow validation data for two- and three-dimensional hydraulic models.

To address these research gaps, laboratory experiments will be conducted in a 32-foot-long open-channel flume to quantify flow and scour at porous bank protection structures. Model ELJs will be fabricated using 3D printing to have identical external geometry but systematic variation in porosity and pore configuration. Flow fields will be measured using UMKC’s particle image velocimetry (PIV) system that can measure turbulent flow fields around channel obstructions with high resolution (<1 mm vector resolution). These PIV measurements will be used to quantify flow deflection and shear stress amplification. In addition, clear-water scour experiments will document the maximum scour depth for each ELJ configuration. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:50:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2695864</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Finding the Bed Shear Stress Using the Logarithmic Law at Channel Roughness Transitions</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2672767</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Flow through transition of bed roughness occurs in many situations in highway transportation including culverts, bridge abutments, and roadways in the floodplain, where the bed materials can change abruptly from one type to another. A sudden change in bed roughness also occurs frequently in the laboratory when soil erosion and scour is studied using a sediment recess in an open-channel flume. In all the above, the bed shear stress is a fundamental flow parameter that must be determined accurately.

A research project is proposed to investigate the use of logarithmic law (log law) for finding bed shear stress near a sudden change in bed roughness. Velocity field measurements will be obtained using a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system. The measured data will be used to determine the distribution of bed shear stress by control volume analysis using the linear momentum equation to determine whether the log law can be applied to a developing boundary layer downstream of a bed roughness transition and develop procedures to reduce the measurement uncertainty of the method.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:58:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2672767</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Vulnerability assessment and durability of coastal freight networks (UPRM)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663230</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Project Description: Freight networks, including ports, coastal highways, bridges, and distribution hubs, are critical lifelines that sustain regional economies, enable everyday commerce, and support emergency response after catastrophic events. The coastal location of this essential transportation infrastructure makes these assets uniquely vulnerable to extreme natural events such as flooding, storm surge, coastal erosion, and compound hazards. The Puerto Rico’s 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan explicitly calls for reducing transportation vulnerabilities to extreme weather effects and improving connectivity. Puerto Rico could serve as a critical logistics hub for U.S. freight operations in the Caribbean, offering strategic access to regional markets and maritime routes. But recent storms Hurricane María (2017) and Hurricane Fiona (2021) have highlighted the freight network’s fragility and the urgent need for targeted resilience measures. 
The assessment of Puerto Rico’s freight network, one that relies solely on the performance of the highway system, can be a case study to evaluate the system vulnerabilities derived from natural flood hazards, aging infrastructure, urbanization in coastal areas, and congestion in strategic corridors. A rigorous vulnerability assessment combines data from hydrologic and coastal flood modeling with traffic flows, asset condition inventories, and safety records to identify critical and single-point-of-failure links. This integrated analysis can provide a method to reveal which corridors and nodes are most likely to fail under different flood scenarios, how congestion and limited redundancy amplify delays, and which assets require immediate reinforcement or operational changes. It can also uncover system-level interdependencies among ports, road networks, and distribution hubs that are not visible from isolated asset inspections. This project can assist local transportation agencies, freight operators, and decision-makers in identifying risks to the freight network, improving the assessment of infrastructure assets by including the interdependence between ports, road networks, and distribution hubs, and prioritize improvements in strategic planning and project development. This project is envisioned as a two-year program. Year 1 will define Puerto Rico’s primary freight network anchored at the ports of San Juan and Ponce, map major distribution points, and develop an interactive dashboard showing asset condition, corridor flows, crash hotspots, and flood-vulnerable links and nodes. Four analytical dimensions will be assessed: infrastructure condition, traffic flows, safety, and durability, using official data, operational reports, and geospatial analysis to identify hotspots and critical vulnerabilities. Year 2 will focus on network optimization and investment prioritization, applying stochastic and optimization models to produce a prioritized, implementable resilience strategy. A Texas State University team will collaborate in the review of stochastic and optimization approaches, the evaluation of data requirements and computational complexity, and provide recommendations about the best model(s) for optimizing freight flows and prioritizing investments from ports to distributors.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:32:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663230</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Understanding Risks and Opportunities for Ramp Metering Control in a Mixed-autonomy Future</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2651988</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Vehicle automation may change traffic flow dynamics. This will also impact the control of traffic flow via infrastructure-based systems such as ramp metering control. In this work the research team investigated the impact that different levels of automation and connectivity will have on ramp metering control, and proposed modifications to existing ramp metering algorithms to improve their performance under different automation scenarios. The team finds that low-level automation such as adaptive cruise control may decrease mainline throughput by up to 58% on average and increase travel time by 61%. However, full connectivity and automation may decrease travel time by up to 40%. Based on these potential impacts, modifications to the ramp metering algorithm settings were developed for each of the seven automation scenarios. These modifications are shown to improve operations in each scenario.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:26:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2651988</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Measuring and Modeling Safety &amp; Congestion Impacts of Double Parking</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2643032</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Double parking is a common response to limited curb availability in dense urban areas and contributes to traffic disruptions, conflicts among roadway users, and increased crash risk. Despite its prevalence, the safety and congestion impacts of double parking are not well quantified, and cities lack analytical tools to evaluate potential policy interventions. This project addresses these gaps through integrated data collection and modeling.

The research will combine video-based field observations, surveys of commercial drivers, and crash and enforcement data to characterize double-parking behavior and its effects on traffic flow and safety. Behavioral choice models will be developed to estimate the likelihood of double parking versus cruising under varying curb availability and policy conditions. By linking curb use decisions with safety and congestion outcomes, the project will provide quantitative tools to evaluate curb management strategies and support more effective urban transportation policies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:01:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2643032</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Optimizing Signal Timing Through New Technologies</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2640688</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Traditional signal timing optimization is time consuming and requires engineering expertise, often resulting in long delays between optimization cycles. New technologies could provide an opportunity to make the process more efficient by early identification of locations where reoccurring congestion is occurring.  The objectives of this research project are to do a detailed feasibility study of technologies that can aid in identifying locations where current signal timing is causing delays and a process document for implementation of the technology.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:06:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2640688</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Making CAV Deployments Compatible with Complete Streets Objectives for Safe and Efficient Operations - Phase III</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2639855</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This proposal is for the continuation of a multi-year effort initiated in the first year of the current Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT) program, Making CAV Deployments Compatible with Complete Streets Objectives for Safe and Efficient Operation.  Phase I was initiated in 2023 and Phase II in 2024.  The primary motivation is the safety, mobility and accessibility implications of potentially conflicting forces in the progressive deployment of CAV capabilities and intelligent mobility in urban city streets. As planners and engineers focus on the next generation of disruptive technologies through connectivity and automation, a counter movement is seeking accessible, walkable, sustainable neighborhoods with easier bike and micromobility access for all residents.  Overlayed on the urban fabric is increasing reliance on delivery vehicles of all sizes associated with on-demand eCommerce. The primary question motivating this research is how to design and operate complete streets that accommodate both the requirement of flow efficiency achievable through connectivity, automation and shared autonomous mobility services with the aspirations for access to micromobility and human-scale urban spaces. For the coming year, the main objectives include (1) Complete data analysis for the interactions especially for the under-represented user categories, especially bicycling and micromobility; (2) Extend the  simulation framework to consider various arrangements and hierarchies of shared road space; and (3) Develop design framework for allocating roadway space to the various user classes that recognizes the dual needs of safe and efficient flow on one hand, and access to micromobility in urban spaces on the other. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:12:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2639855</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Safety and Operational Performance Assessment of CFIs and DDIs in Utah</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2632836</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research project will assess the safety and operational performance of Continuous Flow Intersections (CFIs) and Diverging Diamond Interchanges (DDIs) in Utah. The study will develop Utah-specific Safety Performance Functions (SPFs), Crash Modification Factors (CMFs), and Adjustment Factors (AFs), using Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) data resources and advanced analytical techniques including statistical modeling, machine learning, and computer vision. The findings will support updates to UDOT design guidelines and planning tools such as CAP-X, SPICE, and ICE.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 27 Nov 2025 08:54:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2632836</guid>
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