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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
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    <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>
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      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Enhancing Chain-Up Infrastructure and Compliance in Utah's Mountain Corridors: A Data-Driven Evaluation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2655751</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project evaluates chain-up infrastructure and traction-device compliance in Utah's mountain corridors, focusing on how roadway geometry, winter operations, and driver behavior affect chain-up performance during storm events. Using geospatial analysis, operational data, and field-informed insights, the study identifies locations where existing chain-up facilities may be undersized, poorly situated, or constrained by topography. The project also develops artificial intelligence (AI)-generated videos that explain operational challenges, noncompliance impacts, and potential improvement strategies to both practitioners and the traveling public. Project findings will inform infrastructure upgrades, policy refinements, and improved communication practices, with methods and products readily transferable to mountain corridors in other western states.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 17:04:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2655751</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Support for AASHTO Committees and Councils. Roadmap for Integrated Selection of Multimodal Facilities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2348473</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The highway system now supports more uses than ever before, creating the need to balance them all within the limited space of the roadways. While the increase in types of use the roadways supports is beneficial to the health, economy, and resiliency of the transportation network, it also creates a substantial challenge to meet the needs of all roadway users.

Currently, a typical way to decide how to build a multimodal facility is to use multiple American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) publications focused on individual modes of travel. As several of these are independent documents focused on specific modes, there is an opportunity to review how these documents might more effectively inform decision makers in a more integrated approach. 

Furthermore, given the timing of the various design manual updates can lead to missed opportunities for the coordination of common elements in each document. Streamlined guidance at the national level may help avoid future repetitive updates that take years of overhaul, dedicated staff time, and financial investment. 

Current and forthcoming AASHTO publications (e.g., A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets; Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities; Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities) include new planning and design concepts for motorized and nonmotorized users on streets and highways. To support these publications, there is a need for a comprehensive approach to guidance and training material that would give planners and designers direction on developing a holistic process to choose a multimodal facility in one consolidated document.

The objective of this project is to produce a roadmap to establish an integrated selection process for multimodal facilities for developing transportation infrastructure projects.

This research would suggest strategies directly correlated with AASHTO strategic safety plans and initiatives to reduce serious injuries and fatalities while planning and designing safer roadways for all and streamlining and strengthening decision-making for multimodal facility selection. 

The outcome of this research will be a roadmap to establish an integrated selection process for multimodal facilities using all relevant AASHTO and related design guidance documents. Using this roadmap should enhance the safety and mobility of the traveling public across all modes and aid planning and design practitioners by removing silos when considering all roadway users in developing transportation infrastructure projects. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 08 Mar 2024 10:00:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2348473</guid>
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      <title>Performance and Contextual Analysis of Roadway Lighting Systems</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1909925</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Roadway lighting is a common countermeasure used to increase visibility at night or in poor weather conditions and may offer substantial safety benefits for all road users. With the advent of LED and adaptive roadway lighting systems, lighting characteristics can be adjusted as a function of need as well as to control for unintended effects. These systems are believed to provide effective safety performance potentially at a lower cost and energy requirements as compared to traditional sodium based lighting systems.    Nevertheless, decisions regarding the appropriate level of light to provide a given freeway, highway rest area or interchange, or urban streetscape are dependent upon localized characteristics, climate, and circumstances. What may seem like the ideal light level to support the safety of vehicular users may be less beneficial or even harmful to vulnerable road users and/or nearby environmental and/or community resources. Furthermore, the qualities of light, such as the color temperature, spectrum, uniformity or degree of glare may also interfere with producing safety outcomes for all users. This creates a need to strike an appropriate balance to maximize safety benefits while controlling for and avoiding harmful impacts, where needed.    While the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual and other literature provide guidelines to support decisions on the appropriate application of light for different contexts, the industry could use more robust information and analysis tools to assist in decision making over the appropriate quantity and quality of light to provide for different environments, contexts and purposes.   Research is needed to produce guidelines for agencies seeking to balance the costs and benefits of different lighting strategies for a given facility, including but not necessarily limited to procedures and methods to identify, measure and analyze the various benefits and disbenefits of lighting strategies under consideration for a given highway or site to inform decision making.     
The objectives of this research are to:   
(1) Identify and document the potential costs and benefits of the applications of different overhead roadway lighting strategies on roadway users and stakeholders. This would include considerations of fixed, adaptable, continuous, or targeted lighting with respect to a given highway or site. Considerations of the different uses and effects of lighting in rural and urban contexts are desired, as well as lighting targeted to highway facilities such as rest areas and interchanges. This would include a thorough review of safety benefits for different users as well as potential negative impacts of roadway lighting on the surrounding environment, communities and affected activities such as night sky viewing. The research will not compare or recommend proprietary lighting products or systems for a given application.   
(2) Develop a procedural framework for state DOTs to use to identify, analyze and predict the potential benefits and costs of different lighting scenarios for a given project study area. This framework would include the identification and application of appropriate data inputs, including internal agency, community and stakeholder input, to inform a comprehensive analysis of costs and benefits of different lighting strategies. Development of software or a website is not requested and cannot be supported by NCHRP.    
(3) Develop one or more decision tools to improve agencies’ ability to evaluate specific lighting needs, design and implementation challenges for a given location or strategy.    These resources may be compiled into a single comprehensive report or provided as separate deliverables as determined appropriate by the proposers.     ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2022 16:29:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1909925</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>SPR-4355: Synthesis Study: Facilities (Enterprise Development, Sponsorship/Privatization)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1628173</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The research team proposes Rest Area 2.0, a proposal that uses a platform model to enable industry participation, and create an in depth knowledge of best practices. The team will provide a complete analysis regarding opportunities and constraints to the development of such a solution. How should parameters be established that enable an open access platform
for local small businesses, farmers markets, craftsmen as well as new emerging requirements?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 31 May 2019 15:22:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1628173</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>NCLOS Program Update for the HCM 6th Edition</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1424437</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The North Carolina Level of Service (NCLOS) program is a planning-level highway capacity analysis tool developed for North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) under a previous project. The program originally used methodologies in the 2000 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), along with specific default parameters from North Carolina data, to determine level-of-service (LOS) threshold "capacities" for freeways, multilane highways, two-lane highways, and arterial streets. Shortly after the release of the HCM 2010 edition, the NCLOS program was updated in a follow-up project. NCLOS is unique in that it provides a graphical display of the measures of effectiveness (MOE) plotted against annual average daily traffic (AADT) for each facility type. Users see best case, default case, and worst case curves, plus a highlighted curve for the LOS selected for the analysis. 
The NCLOS program is being used extensively in planning applications within NCDOT. Output capacities are used in travel demand forecasting models and in developing Comprehensive Transportation Plans (CTP). Output values can also be used in the statewide travel demand model. Currently the tool is also used to provide data for the Performance Metrics Dashboard and is used as a scoring component in the Strategic Prioritization Process and Urban Loop Prioritization Process. 

In early 2016, the HCM 6th Edition will be available for transportation facility analyses. There are significant and important improvements for many of the methodologies in the new HCM based on the most recent national research over the last 5-6 years. As with previous editions of the manual, the HCM 6th Edition will become the standard for determining capacity of most highway facilities. It will be critical for NCLOS to be re-programmed to incorporate these new methodologies and other enhancements to remain current with the state-of-the-practice. 

The project will provide technical support to NCDOT programmers who will be re-programming NCLOS as a web-based application. This will help ensure consistency in using default values within the program as there will be only one file hosted on a server. 

From data provided by NCDOT, the researchers expect to have traffic count data on a representative sample of highway segments to analyze including segments from the past research effort. This will provide a good basis for default inputs across the state for a range of highway facilities and subcategories within a facility type. Researchers will also be discussing other input values with appropriate units within NCDOT. Finally, the researchers will use the improved NCLOS software to update the Comprehensive Transportation Planning Manual to bring the default tables and guidance up to speed with the HCM 6th Edition.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2016 14:04:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1424437</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Research for the AASHTO Standing Committee on Public Transportation. Task 63. DOT Oversight of Facility Projects</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1345908</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State Departments of Transportation (DOT's) continue to play a variety of roles when administering federal and state grant programs. Of particular importance is the implementation and oversight of facility type projects both in initial construction and rehabilitation. A resource is needed for guiding State DOT's and their subrecipients through the implementation, oversight and on-going monitoring role which involves complex and often confusing federal requirements. The objective of this research is to develop a reference guide that may be used by State DOT's and their subrecipients to identify and explain the implementation, oversight and on-going monitoring process of administering grants which involve the rehabilitation and construction of facility projects. The guide should be targeted to the projects generally carried out under small urban and rural systems. This reference guide should address the steps associated with design, land acquisition, construction, change orders, federal reporting and asset monitoring. This would include but not be limited to such topics as the following: (1) Independent cost analysis (ICE); (2) Design and A&amp;E Procurement; (3) Land acquisition; (4) Bid development; (5) Selection and award; (6)  DBE Goals; (7) Progress monitoring; (8) Federal reporting requirements; (9) DBE monitoring; (10) Change orders; (11) Maintenance plans; and (12) On-going monitoring requirements. This task should consider and complement National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Research Results Digest 381 Guidebook for Construction Management Practices for Rural Projects and the research completed and underway in NCHRP 20-65, Task 53, "Independent Cost Estimates for Design and Construction of Rural and Small Urban Transit Facilities". Additionally other research efforts may provide supplemental information which would not need to be considered under this project, but referenced and explained as to how that research would be utilized under this task. It is equally likely that best practices, checklists, and resource materials exist (especially at the state DOT level). The product of this research should be a reference guide to assist State DOT's, not a summary of survey responses. FTA resources of Project and Construction Management Guidelines, and Construction Project Management Handbook may also prove beneficial. An example of such a resource might be laid out similar to FTA's Triennial or State Management Review workbooks which lists subject areas with questions, answers and resource references. The reference guide should include clear and concise language intended for the general user, not be so technical that it would require special training or knowledge of project and construction management. The primary audience for this reference guide will have limited knowledge in this area so terms and practices should be clearly defined.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2015 01:01:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1345908</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Predicting Wildlife Movement Associated with Road and Highway Systems</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1236266</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Wildlife-vehicle collisions are economic, safety, and ecological costs of transportation systems. Although understanding of the reasons that collisions occur is increasing, for most road and highway systems in California and elsewhere, the proximate causes and contributing environmental and other factors are unknown. Most contemporary research points to the importance of existing road and highway systems in reducing habitat quality and imperiling species. Currently, highway and other transportation projects are generally planned, funded and designed before considering the potential impacts to wildlife and sensitive biological resources. By identifying critical wildlife movement needs in relation to transportation systems, transportation and other planners will have improved abilities to predict and mitigate (avoid, minimize, or compensate for) wildlife impacts. The project proposes to study the occurrence and movement of small and medium-sized mammals across development and traffic gradients adjacent to I-80 as it bisects the Sierra Nevada. The project will investigate the effects of these gradients on spatial and temporal aspects of mammal movement and behavior. Data from these investigations will be immediately useful to transportation agency planners and biologists working in the area. Knowledge gained about wildlife movement in association with transportation system will be important for both mitigation investments and advancement of road ecology.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:44:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1236266</guid>
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