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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>
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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>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2617649</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Administrators, practicing engineers, and researchers continually face highway problems on which much information already exists, either in documented form or in terms of undocumented experience and practice. Unfortunately, this information is often fragmented, scattered, and under evaluated. Often it is unknown to the person normally responsible for initiating changes related to the topic (changes in specifications, procedures, etc.). As a consequence, full information on what has been learned about a valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviating the problem.

OBJECTIVE: In this project, particular highway problems, or sets of closely related problems, are designated as topics for information synthesis. For each topic the project objectives are as follows: (1) locate and assemble documented information; (2) learn what engineering practice has been used for solving or alleviating the problem; (3) identify all ongoing research; (4) learn what problems remain largely unsolved; (5) organize, evaluate, and document the useful information that is acquired; and (6) evaluate the effectiveness of the synthesis after it has been in the hands of its users for a period of time.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:56:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2617649</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Privacy-preserving Cyber-Safe Machine Learning Models for Traffic Forecasting</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2301355</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Traffic congestion not only disrupts transportation systems but also poses significant 
cybersecurity risks, particularly in protecting sensitive driver data. Accurate traffic forecasting is essential to mitigate these disruptions, yet traditional approaches often compromise privacy and expose critical data to potential threats. Leveraging raw driver data without adequate security measures can lead to privacy breaches and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. We propose a novel approach utilizing advanced cryptographic techniques on encrypted data to predict traffic conditions without compromising individual driver location privacy. Our technique leverages cutting-edge quadratic functional encryption to construct a semi-private neural network. This network consists of two parts: a private section that handles encrypted location reports, aggregates them, and generates outputs for subsequent non-encrypted layers. These layers enhance forecasting performance while minimizing storage, computation, and bandwidth requirements. Functional encryption serves as the cryptographic foundation for achieving these goals. First, we establish a comprehensive, spatiotemporal route format with unique encrypted identifiers for each 
route segment. Second, we analyze the impact of privacy levels on accuracy, acknowledging the trade-off between privacy and precision. This project also integrates an adaptable framework to account for dynamic traffic changes due to accidents, events, or weather, with a strong focus on maintaining data security throughout. We recognize that privacy-preserving techniques may increase user-side computation and communication overhead, potentially impacting system performance. Therefore, we will investigate the trade-offs between accuracy, resource allocation, and cybersecurity. We request a one-year extension to thoroughly explore encryption techniques and their impact on performance and privacy, ensuring a robust solution for privacy-preserving traffic forecasting.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Dec 2023 17:03:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2301355</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessing Building Information Modeling (BIM) Maturity and Identifying Barriers to Implementation among Transportation Agencies in Region 6</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2291299</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this project is to provide a systematic roadmap to regional DOTs for the implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) at an organizational level based on comparative BIM maturity assessment across the region. BIM maturity refers to the ongoing journey of improvement, evolution, and refinement within the realm of BIM implementation. It signifies a commitment to enhancing several key aspects, namely quality, repeatability, and predictability, all of which are intricately tied to an organization's BIM capability. Competency metrics are integral to shaping a holistic organizational structure and encompass a wide array of critical elements. The research team will focus on the competency elements specified in the national BIM roadmap for the study, including skills, tools and technologies, data and standards, and policies and procedures. Each competency element will be assessed based on five BIM maturity levels: Level A (Ad-hoc Initial/Low), Level B (Defined/Medium-Low), Level C (Managed/Medium), Level D (Integrated/Medium-High) and Level E (Optimized/High). The final task involves the development of a BIM Level 2 implementation roadmap with prioritized action items. This roadmap will be crafted based on the insights gathered from the regional survey and the BIM maturity assessment. It will outline clear, actionable steps that each DOT can undertake to advance its BIM capabilities in alignment with the national roadmap. The prioritization of these steps will be determined by considering factors such as the DOT's current maturity level, available resources, and strategic objectives. The roadmap will serve as a practical guide, assisting DOTs in their journey toward achieving BIM Level 2 maturity and fostering collaboration and innovation within the transportation sector. While developed for implementation in Region 6, the framework underpinning the roadmap will be transferable to other states and regions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:51:23 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2291299</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Enhancing Collaboration through Web-based Visualization and Analysis of Traffic Crash Data </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2229120</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Currently, New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) uses various static maps to visualize traffic crash locations. Due to their static characteristics, users are constrained from dynamically and interactively zooming in and out, limiting their ability to discern spatial and temporal patterns associated with traffic crash data. Consequently, static maps lack the capacity to provide comprehensive insights into the distribution, clustering, and causation of crashes across both time and space. This limitation underscores the increasing demand for dynamic and interactive mapping techniques which empower users to investigate and analyze significant patterns and causal relationships, which will enhance informed decision-making processes. To solve the problems inherent with static maps, this study will focus on exploring the utility of dynamic and interactive web mapping techniques to visualize and analyze traffic crash data with the aim of helping transportation professionals determine the causes of traffic crashes and identify high-crash locations and other associated spatial and temporal patterns, and ultimately, achieving improved safety, enhanced resiliency, and increased efficiency for road users.

Road safety is a significant public health issue. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) 2020 statistics, across the United States the State of New Mexico has the fifth highest motor-vehicle fatality rate at 18.8 fatalities per 100,000 residents (60.7% higher than the national average), the highest pedestrian fatality rate at 3.8 pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 residents (89.4% higher than the national average), and the fifth highest bicyclist fatality rate at 0.43 bicyclist fatalities per 100,000 residents (65.4% higher than the national average). ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 16 Aug 2023 16:14:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2229120</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Holistic digital twins for transportation infrastructure</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1945572</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Digital twin research has, to date, typically evolved from one of the many sub-domains that informs the topic, rather than as a consideration of the concept holistically [13]. In particular, efforts to delineate and optimize the information architecture of a twin are more limited, particularly when considering the particular case of transportation structures [14], [15]. As artificial intelligence begins to empower autonomous systems, identifying digital twin system architectures has become a critical need for the development of truly “smart” transportation systems. 
The objective of this research proposal is to identify best practices for the delineation of a digital twin information architecture, and then employ those practices in a prototype implementation, for the specific context of transportation structures. Achieving this will lead to advancements in the management and utility of information regarding transportation systems. The creation of a framework for the integration and management of heterogeneous information will allow for new methods of fusing that information together via AI [16], [17], while also supporting advanced human-infrastructure interactivity through technologies such as virtual and augmented reality. The emphasis will be on bridge structures, due to the PI’s familiarity with the domain, though the goal will be to create a generalizable framework applicable to a range of infrastructure systems.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2022 19:49:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1945572</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Review ACRP Website</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1874055</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), a program within the TRB, seeks to identify solutions to airport industry issues and challenges. ACRP’s website, on the trb.org domain, is an integral component of our outreach strategy and ability to communicate with our practitioners. The current version of the ACRP website has been in use for at least the last five years. In actuality, several pages are probably much older than that. There have frequently been new pages added, both professionally designed as well as simple pages that were added by TRB staff, and major updates made to the most-visited pages. Numerous pages are poorly designed, contain out-of-date information, have duplicative information across more than one page, and/or contain dead links in several spots.
The objectives of this RFP are to obtain proposals from professional services firms to conduct two tasks: (1) Review ACRP webpages and develop a plan to update those pages, and (2) provide a roadmap, template, and/or guide for ACRP staff to manage ACRP web content. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Aug 2021 17:27:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1874055</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Work Plan for the Administrative Component for the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center FY2020</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1718971</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Work plan for the director of the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center (CP Tech Center) included as part of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (Iowa DOT) Fifth Revised Basic Agreement with the last dated signature of June 29, 2018 (the Basic Agreement), with Iowa State University’s (ISU) Institute for Transportation (InTrans) for the period July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021.  

This work plan involves training, technology transfer and research on behalf of the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), the Iowa Concrete Paving Association (ICPA), the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA), the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and ACPA state chapters and other organizations with interest in portland cement concrete pavement technology.  Activities will be funded by Iowa DOT, PCA, ACPA, ICPA and other state paving chapters/ organizations, and research programs such as the Iowa Highway Research Board, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, National Science Foundation, and Federal Highway Administration. 

The plan is responsive to those needs in keeping with the terms of the September 7, 2000 agreement (effective date of July 1, 2000), which can be modified throughout the year by mutual agreement between ISU and Iowa DOT.  Additional tasks may be added through negotiations between the Iowa DOT and the director of the CP Tech Center at their mutual discretion.  

All work performed through this work plan will be as directed by the Iowa DOT Office of Research and Analytics and the technical office representative.
	
Progress made on the work plans for the core programs specifically detailed in these agreements will be identified in the quarterly progress reports. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2020 10:47:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1718971</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Guidebook for Truck Parking Information Management Systems</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1707205</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Truck parking demand is driven by economic demand, safety considerations, and the need for adequate rest for commercial vehicle operators. Recent studies of truck parking demand and capacity constraints reflected a consensus that truck parking demand exceeds the available supply in many public rest areas and private truck stops across the nation. Some state departments of transportation (DOTs) have developed truck information management systems to better address commercial vehicle parking needs by reducing parking search time and providing safer parking options through the collection and dissemination of real-time parking availability using a variety of technologies.
There was a need to (1) explore issues such as planning, design, operations, procurement and selection of technologies, the means and format for reporting information, life-cycle considerations, interoperability, and interagency coordination; and (2) develop a guide that presents rational practices for truck parking information management systems. Such guide should be a resource for state DOTs in implementing information management practices that address commercial vehicle parking needs, thereby reducing the challenges associated with the search for safer parking options.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to develop a guide of suggested practices for the development, connectivity, and management of truck parking information systems. At a minimum, the guide will address planning, design, operations, procurement and selection of technologies, the means and format for reporting information, life-cycle considerations, and interagency coordination.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2020 14:57:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1707205</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>EAMP - Enterprise Asset Management Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1703226</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The goal of this project is to develop and implement a fully integrated suite of asset
management software. This includes the Bridge Data Information System (BDIS); Bridge
Management System (BMS), including small culvert, overhead sign structure and retaining
wall inventory and inspection, and establishing federally required data collection and
reporting for AASHTO Bridge Elements; Pavement Management System (PMS), including
integration with ESRI Roads and Highways for linear referencing; Asset Trade-Off Analysis
(ATOA); Maintenance Management System (MMS), which includes Facilities, Signals, and
Resource Management Systems, and AVL configuration, and a Right of Way Management
(ROW) System module; and the replacement of the Roadway Information System (RIS) used
for maintaining highway inventory attributes, which is needed for Federal HPMS reporting,
and is the source data for pavement management. This
Enterprise Asset Management Program (EAMP) will enable the Department to optimize
resource investments including both capital and operating funds, based on asset conditions,
expected deterioration, risk and vulnerabilities. It will also enable end users to look at a map
and access all inventory and condition information for all highway and bridge assets for an
area, section of highway, or any individual asset.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2020 12:27:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1703226</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Lifecycle BIM for Infrastructure: A Business Case for Project Delivery and Asset Management</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1668960</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Building information modeling (BIM) for infrastructure is finding success in Europe and Asia as an asset lifecycle management methodology that includes advanced digital tools, large data repositories, and new business processes. Indeed, governing bodies in the European Union and United Kingdom have recognized the efficiencies and cost savings associated with BIM and have legislatively required its incorporation into the public infrastructure procurement process. Similarly, because of its potential for unifying all data phases of highway infrastructure assets, BIM has garnered significant interest in the United States, with several state departments of transportation (DOTs) having already moved toward its adoption. Research is needed to evaluate the business case for BIM in the United States by quantifying how adopting enterprise-wide BIM systems can lead to increased agency efficiencies and improved cost savings, and foster advanced, comprehensive lifecycle management of enterprise assets. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to evaluate the business case for BIM in the United States by quantifying how adopting enterprise-wide BIM systems can provide increased agency efficiencies and foster advanced, comprehensive lifecycle management of enterprise assets. 

 ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 Nov 2019 17:40:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1668960</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Legal Aspects of Transit and Intermodal Transportation Programs. Topic 19-03. Navigating the Complexities of Sensitive Security Information (SSI) and Protected Critical Infrastructure Information (PCII)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1640422</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objectives of this research are to:
(1) Review and identify SSI and PCII regulations and requirements relevant to transit agencies, focusing on federal requirements, but also highlighting representative state laws and regulations. 
(2) Identify potential legal and operational consequences for improper, too broad, or too restrictive designation of SSI. 
(3) Produce a report that includes best practices or common industry understandings or questions regarding the designation of potential protected information. 
It is expected that the research consultant will obtain guidance that has been issued by DOT or TSA, and interview representatives of transit agencies to determine how the agencies have applied the regulations. The research should also include a confidential survey of a sample of transit agencies to determine what challenges those agencies may have faced in designating various types of information as SSI - or submitting information to TSA for classification as PCII, if at all. 
The guidance provided should answer question, such as, to what extent do the federal agencies become directly involved with transit agencies regarding particular requests from the public? ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jul 2019 08:46:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1640422</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>RES2016-34: Motor Carrier Flows and Incident Management</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1632202</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Tennessee has a substantial amount of truck shipments, but some of them are delayed due to unexpected incident-induced traffic congestion with large economic consequences. The purpose of this study is to focus on delay-inducing large-scale incidents and accidents, and mitigating the impacts of incident-related congestion on freight movements. The main strategies will focus on more effectively using statewide Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) to provide customized information facilitating truck diversions. More broadly, this project will focus on leveraging the opportunity provided by Intelligent Transportation Systems to effectively manage large-scale incidents. The objectives are to understand the current situation regarding large-scale incidents in Tennessee and collect information describing truck driver behaviors, correlating their behaviors with incident, roadway, and trip characteristics. Next, truck diversions will be modeled and consequent outcomes will be evaluated under various disruption scenarios. The project will develop ATIS strategies that can disseminate information customized to truck drivers, supporting their route diversion decisions. The study will also quantify benefits (reduced congestion costs and enhanced reliability) from appropriate truck diversion schemes. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 21 Jun 2019 17:06:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1632202</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Advancing practices for data governance, information management, and managing the impact of digitization on DOT workforces</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1602569</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this project was to conduct research and facilitate DOT action to support the work of AASHTO’s Joint Task Force on Managing the Impact of Digitalization on the DOT Workforces (JTF) and disseminate and support DOTs’ adoption of research results presented in NCHRP Reports 666 and 754. The project entailed background research, planning, and facilitation of two peer exchanges; the first to support strategic and action planning of the JTF, the second on data governance in transportation agencies.  A project report was prepared and delivered to AASHTO as a resource for continuing activities of the JTF and agency staff responsible for establishing and implementing data governance policies and practices. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2019 16:15:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1602569</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>US Domestic Scan Program -- Business Plan. U.S. Domestic Scan Program (Phase 3)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1566757</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 20-68D is to plan and manage the execution of domestic technology scans, each addressing a single technical topic. The initial 3-year schedule of activities was intended to be the first stage of what NCHRP anticipates will be a continuing domestic scan program. NCHRP staff estimates that funds allocated to the program will typically be adequate to support planning and execution of three to five scans each year. The number of scans conducted each year will depend on the estimated costs of specific scans and the availability of funds from NCHRP and other sponsorship.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and NCHRP identify scan topics, based on suggestions submitted by state departments of transportation (DOTs) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Each scan is planned and conducted with a scan team chair (or co-chairs) and 8 to 10 scan-team members. A subject-matter expert, working with the scan-team chair and members, is responsible for (a) conducting a desk scan; (b) defining the appropriate duration of the scan, its technical structure, and other factors likely to influence planning of the scan; (c) preparing scan technical materials; and (d) supporting the scan-team's reporting of their experience and findings. AASHTO and NCHRP identify scan team chairs and members. The management team is responsible for receiving scan-topic descriptions from NCHRP; planning, executing and documenting scans, including securing NCHRP approvals of interim and final products; and preparing an annual report of the domestic scan program's activities. The management team works with scan-team chairs to select subject-matter experts. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 05 Nov 2018 20:21:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1566757</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1510254</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A vast storehouse of information exists on nearly every subject of concern to the transit industry. Much of this information has resulted from both research and the successful application of solutions to the problems faced by practitioners in their daily work. Because previously there has been no systematic means for compiling such useful information and making it available to the entire transit community, the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Commission, in 1992, authorized the Transportation Research Board to undertake a series of studies to search out and synthesize useful knowledge from all available sources and to prepare reports on current practices in the subject areas of concern. 

This synthesis series reports on various practices, making specific recommendations where appropriate but without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Nonetheless, these documents can serve similar purposes, for each is a compendium of the best knowledge available on measures found to be successful in resolving specific problems. The extent to which these reports are useful will be tempered by the user's knowledge and experience in the particular problem area. 

To develop these syntheses in a comprehensive manner and to ensure inclusion of significant knowledge, the Transportation Research Board analyzes available information assembled from numerous sources including a large number of transit agencies. 

A topic panel of experts in the subject area is established to guide the researchers in organizing and evaluating the data collected on each topic and to review the synthesis report. A topic consultant is selected by the panel to perform the research, assemble the information, and write the report. The consultant may be an individual or a firm, selected by the topic panel. The TRB synthesis staff officers serve as the principal investigators, guiding the preparation of the work plan, overseeing the progress of the research and report writing, providing assistance to the consultant in obtaining information, supervising the review and comments on the draft reports, and preparing and editing the final manuscript for publication. 

For each topic, the project objectives are to (1) locate and assemble documented information; (2) learn what practice has been used for solving or alleviating the problems; (3) identify all ongoing research; (4) learn what problems remain largely unsolved; and (5) organize, evaluate, and document the useful information that is acquired. 

Each synthesis is an immediately useful document that records practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As the processes of advancement continue, new knowledge can be expected to be added to that which is now at hand. 



]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2018 10:14:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1510254</guid>
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