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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>Guide on Integrating and Advancing IT throughout the Airport



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2588324</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2012, the ACRP published ACRP Report 59: Information Technology Systems at Airports—A Primer. As a primer, it attempts to holistically describe the technology landscape of an airport environment and help airport leaders and information technology (IT) professionals communicate about IT and appropriately plan and implement IT systems. Since it was published, many IT solutions have changed from discrete systems to integral parts of the modern digital ecosystem at many U.S. airports. The role of IT professionals and broader IT business units at airports has also evolved.

Building on ACRP Report 59, airports need a deeper discussion around the unique technological aspects of the modern airport industry to educate leaders and IT professionals coming from inside and outside the industry. Additionally, airport executives and IT leaders need guidance to address the integration of IT systems and solutions with other airport functions and business units to enable better data sharing, process optimization, and decision-making. Research is needed to identify effective strategies, frameworks, and examples that can guide airports in achieving this integration and advancing their IT maturity.

The objective of this research is to develop: (1) A guide to help airports strategically plan, implement, and maintain IT systems; (2) A primer for non-IT airport executives on the importance of collaboration between the IT unit and other internal stakeholders (e.g., operations, maintenance, planning, engineering) and of integrating IT considerations into key airport processes (e.g., capital planning, budgeting); and (3) A matrix of traditional and airport-specific IT systems and common characteristics, e.g., basic infrastructure requirements, internal and external users, the sizes and types of airports that might use the IT system, and applicable regulatory entities.

The guidebook, primer, and matrix must be scalable to all sizes of airports, speak to both IT professionals and airport executives, and address varying levels of maturity in the relationships between IT and internal and external stakeholders.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:36:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2588324</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Causes of Mismatch between Ideal Transportation Workforce Skills vs. In-Practice Sought-after Skills, and Strategies to Close the Gap </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2556689</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In the technology driven transformation in transportation industry, the literature emphasizes the need for transportation agencies to recruit workforces with skills that can adapt to the rapid changes in the industry. Researchers argue that digitalization and autonomy fueled by the technology innovation will transform the transportation workforce both in numbers and new necessary skills (i.e., “digitalization literate workforce”) relevant to the increasing utilization of automated equipment and tablets, big-data analytics and sophisticated decision support systems, connected and automated vehicles, shared mobility and electric vehicles. Researchers also emphasize that an increasingly stretched workforce can face difficulties in absorbing the changes due to the fast development of new technologies. 
In contrast with the literature’s emphasis on the changing landscape for necessary workforce skillset, the preliminary findings of the REAT Center project (“Identification of Workforce Skills Sought by DOTs: What do job ads look for?”) indicate that the existing job advertisements for transportation industry do not necessarily reflect the evolving needs of the industry. This finding indicates that there is a mismatch between the workforce skillset that the transportation agencies are projected to need, and the skillsets that are sought in job advertisements. Considering the importance of job ads in recruitment, there is a need to address this mismatch.
The mismatch can stem from various sources. The transportation companies compete with more resourceful technology and start-up companies to recruit and/or employ workforce that are well-versed in emerging topics such as autonomous systems, sensors, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. In the meantime, the technology driven transformation of the industry does not happen overnight, hence the traditional skills are still crucially needed and valuable. Given the already competitive recruitment environment and shortage of middle-skill trade workers across the industries, the transportation agencies may be forced to seek on-the-job training for their workforce needs related to technological skills. There is also a chicken-egg situation within the hiring process. About one-half of the state transportation agencies depend significantly on consultants for key technical positions such as systems engineering, information technology, and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) device maintenance, because agencies face difficulty in filling those positions. Hence, the transportation agencies may not have the in-house expertise to narrow down the necessary skillsets for the job ads, or to vet the applicants properly. All these factors (and others) likely contribute to the aforementioned mismatch in different combinations for each agency. This project aims to rank those causes in order to device effective solutions. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2025 12:58:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2556689</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 56-09. Staffing Models for Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO)



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2384697</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State departments of transportation (DOTs) have an increasing need for Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) staff with a unique combination of information technology (IT) and operation technology (OT) expertise. Staffing for TSMO in this context supports the planning, design, maintenance, and operations for TSMO strategies, such as: network infrastructure and communications, intelligent transportation systems, and traffic management center operations.

The TSMO roles and responsibilities have historically blended IT and OT staff in multiple ways. Increasingly, IT and OT spheres are expanding and converging due to several developments including: Increased utilization of shared communication networks; Use of more cloud-based software and services; Expanded cybersecurity needs requirements; Requirements for connected and automated vehicles and digital infrastructure; Increased need for remote access and control of TSMO software and field devices; and Greater inter-agency operations-related data sharing and data governance.

State DOTs have addressed the convergence of IT and OT staff support in various ways. For example, some agencies dedicate IT staff for TSMO and may embed them within traffic operations or TSMO units. At the other end of the spectrum, TSMO programs may be required to work through a separate IT agency which may have responsibility over multiple state business areas, with transportation being only one of many.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this synthesis is to document state DOT staffing models for TSMOs, including organizational structure, classification, funding sources, and skill sets.
Information to be gathered includes (but is not limited to): Required staff knowledge, skills, and abilities; Staffing models, including 24/7 staffing needs; Program funding source for staff; Authority for system operation between IT and OT responsibilities; Staff to evaluate emerging innovation; Staffing use of consultants/vendors; and Staffing for TSMO project phases (e.g., technology procurement, implementation, management, maintenance, and sunsetting).

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 31 May 2024 20:51:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2384697</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>An Assessment of Cybersecurity at Public Transportation Agencies</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2307249</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The increased focus on cybersecurity threats and attacks requires the transit industry to address the critical vulnerabilities of connected vehicles throughout the lifecycle of new and existing technologies. Many transit agencies are unaware of the full capabilities of the operational technology (OT) installed by the original equipment manufacturers and built-in features can present a cyber risk as an avenue of attack for a motivated threat actor. OT vehicle systemsrarely undergo cyber testing to identify critical vulnerabilities before deployment. With threat actors aggressively targeting criticalinfrastructure and the public transit sector, vulnerabilities in OT vehicle systems are unrecognized, untested, and unmitigated. In recent years, experiencing cyberattacks on vehicle OT systems have increased, resulting in service disruptions, safety and securityconcerns, and reputational risk.

Incident response (IR) is a key process to a healthy cybersecurity program. IR policies and processes must be aligned withcompliance frameworks, federal security directives, and cyber best practices. However, there is a need for guidance on structuring andformalizing an effective IR process, along with its associated policies. Establishing consistent and standard IR processes is critical inidentifying trends within the transit agency and across the greater transit community. Identifying key metrics and reporting supports the transit agency’s compliance with regulatory mandates and captures trends to better understand gaps in policy, procedure, ortechnology.

An important aspect of an IR plan involves each transit agency establishing clear criteria for categorizing events and incidents, and the associated reporting timelines and response activities based on severity or impact. The response actions for an event versus anincident varies greatly including how and when that information is reported to governing bodies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), or Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISAC).

Currently, there are no standardized event and incident categories within the transit community, which can result in overreporting andunderreporting. Overreporting events can cause undue stress on transit agency’s IR team and skew the metrics collected for future improvements to the IR process. Underreporting incidents affect the ability to meet the requirements of federal directives and couldresult in decreased IR support from external parties. Each scenario leads to increased costs of incident investigation, root causeanalysis, and remediation of the impacts of a cyberattack. Research is needed to assess the vulnerability of cyberattacks on transitagencies how agencies respond to cyberattacks.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive toolkit of actionable strategies that transit agencies can use to prevent cyberattacks and effectively respond to cyber incidents. This research will examine (1) cybersecurity threat and attack vulnerability of connected vehicles and (2) cybersecurity incident and event categorization of connected vehicles. The key audiences for this project are state departments of transportation and U.S. public transportation providers in urbanized areas of all sizes, rural areas, and Tribal communities.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:38:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2307249</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Remote and Virtual Air Traffic Control Tower (RVT): Safety Issues and Human Factors </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1853634</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A number of innovative concepts and emerging technologies are being considered for use within the national air traffic control system to improve safety and efficiency. One of the latest concepts garnering significant attention is commonly referred to as a remote and virtual air traffic control tower (RVT). Specifically, RVT provides traditional air traffic service from a location other than the traditional air traffic control tower at the airport.
The focus of the proposed research is to investigate human factor related questions that may significantly affect the performance of air traffic controllers while operating remote towers. The anticipated benefits of this research include: (1) identification of key human performance factors critical to the successful implementation of RVT the U.S.; (2) assessment of advanced communication and information technologies that may facilitate further implementation of RVT; and (3) acceleration of wider adoption of RVT concepts and technologies while addressing the most vital safety and efficiency related issues.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 24 May 2021 11:42:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1853634</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 53-15. Coordination of Upgrades and Installation of New Software Required by Traffic Operations and Maintenance</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1853022</link>
      <description><![CDATA[STATUS (October 2021): Project has been cancelled.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2021 14:27:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1853022</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Incorporating Knowledge Management into DOT Business Practices</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1842761</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Knowledge Management is a relatively new practice to most state DOTs. Knowledge management considers the use and connections of people, process, technology and data/information. Like performance management or risk management, it touches many established practices within our state DOTs. However, the relationship to human resource management, information technology, data management, workforce development, learning cultures, and organizational development is poorly understood. Strengthening our understanding of these connections will help state DOTs assess options for KM integration and use the synergy of these program areas to accelerate achievement of organizational goals.
The objective of this project is to develop a document that summarizes the relationships of knowledge management with other common state DOT programs including but not limited to information technology, human resource management, workforce development, learning cultures, and organizational development. Work tasks include: (1) conduct a literature review of the connections of knowledge management to other organizational programs common in state DOTs; (2) conduct targeted interviews with experienced KM public and private practitioners to learn how they have integrated KM; (3) identify examples of effective ways to integrate KM into organizational practices; (4) develop a draft document and visualization of the connections or these activities; (5) identify and interview a select number of individuals to review the document and discuss the findings and usability of the document; (6)      finalize the document and visualization; (7) develop an outreach and engagement plan; and (8) provide one or more presentations for relevant AASHTO committees and state DOTs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 26 Mar 2021 13:36:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1842761</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Practices for Transportation Agency Procurement and Management of Advanced Technologies</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1842762</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State departments of transportation (DOTs) have been effective in developing transportation procurement documents for highway construction. However, the procurement of new business operation technologies is less advanced. State DOTs are investing in enterprise network solutions to support agency operations (e.g., communications, asset management, and human resources management), while also seeking to leverage cutting-edge technologies to manage the transportation network. This may include artificial intelligence (AI)-based predictive analytics solutions and cloud-based big data analytics solutions. The diversity of procurements that agencies adopt and maintain and the expectations of its customers are changing. As complexity grows, state DOTs continue to use traditional procurement methods, which may entail making individual purchases without a long-term, big-picture view of the implications and objectives. This often leads to a number of procurement challenges for state DOTs, particularly when it comes to the provision of technological products and services. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this research are to develop a guide that will enable state DOTs to identify (1) successful procurement practices used when procuring new transportation systems technologies that meet industry standards; (2) procurement processes flexible enough to be adapted as technology changes; and (3) a sustainable means for practitioners within state DOT Information Technology and Procurement offices to implement and evaluate procurement processes.

 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Mar 2021 19:51:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1842762</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Impact of COVID-19 on travel behavior, and shared mobility systems: Investigating the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the changing travel landscape</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1747436</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In the past several months, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has gone on to become a truly catastrophic global phenomenon that has had impacts not just on the health and well-being of individuals but also had far reaching impacts across different industries and sectors. Transportation, like its peers, is also a severely impacted component from the spread of the virus, and the ensuing social distance norms that have been put into place by governments at different levels across the world. The virus has had an impact on travel behavior, mobility, air quality, environment, as well as on logistics and supply chains on a global basis. There is an urgent need to investigate the impacts of this “new normal” on transportation systems and to gain a better understanding on strategies that can be employed to continue to achieve positive and healthful outcomes at a system level. 
In order to accomplish some of these pressing needs, the research team proposes a study will investigate the impact of COVID-19 on travel behavior, activity engagement, and shared mobility in order to better understand the role played by information and communication technologies (ICT) in the changing landscape of travel. Not a lot of past research has been done in this area owing to the relative newness of this global phenomenon. The proposed study will be the first-of-its-kind funded by the National Center for Transit Research (NCTR) with a goal to better understand the impacts of the global pandemic on current and future travel behavior. Results from this effort will provide valuable insights on the impact of the pandemic on travel behavior, shared mobility systems, and the role of ICT in this changing landscape of travel. The insights gained from this study will form an interesting baseline for planning and policy-level interventions to counter the new normal. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2020 19:02:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1747436</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Administration of Highway and Transportation Agencies. Understanding Knowledge Management in Context with Other Organizational Practices</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1732674</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No abstract provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2020 11:53:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1732674</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>US Domestic Scan Program -- Business Plan. US Domestic Scan Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1685010</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 20-68A 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 chars 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, 10 Feb 2020 19:42:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1685010</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Spectrum Policy: NTIA Modeling on Coexistence (NTIA/Boulder)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1500685</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No abstract provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 01 Feb 2018 15:53:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1500685</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Information Services in Social Networked Transportation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1474338</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Over the past 20 years the transportation sector has experienced an information technology (IT) revolution, as the national program in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) planned and launched a wide variety of IT-based systems. Today the transportation sector is poised for a second IT-driven revolution, this one more far-reaching than the first. This second IT revolution, "social networked transportation" (SNT), realizes the functionality of social networks, already well known in the IT sector, in the transportation sector. Social networked transportation leverages pre-existing IT investments to realize new services and functions that significantly enhance mobility. Based on the experiences of other sectors in the economy where social networking is well underway, the project predicts that social networked transportation will require less investment than traditional ITS even as it can generate similarly enormous benefits. This research combines research in social networking and research in transportation to achieve useful insights into social networked transportation (SNT). We seek to understand the functions and the benefits of SNT, the processes that make SNT possible, and the institutional innovations needed to facilitate those processes. The project expects that the results of this research would interest a wide audience, from transportation researchers to field practitioners.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 13 Jul 2017 01:02:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1474338</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Smartphone Information and Transportation Demand Modeling: An Analysis of Transportation Network Companies</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441922</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In this task the performing organization plans to develop a comprehensive understanding about the operations and technological capabilities of transportation network companies (TNCs) and to explore ways in which this knowledge/data can be used to improve transportation system modeling, namely the demand-side. Three firms will be examined in this report: Uber, Lyft, and Side-Car through publicly available documents from TNCs and other sources (e.g. newspapers, legal documents, etc) although the performing organization will also direct efforts to communicate directly with TNC managers. The selection is largely based on firm size, however, each firm also possess sufficient operational diversity to warrant the investigation of all three.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:56:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441922</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Leadership and Oversight of the California Research Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441798</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Division of Research, Innovation and System Information (DRISI) Division Chief is responsible for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) research program. This task provides a way to charge their time and travel.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:52:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441798</guid>
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