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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>Applying Crash Prediction Models Across Traffic Control and Facility Types



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558381</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) is used by transportation agencies for decisions on planning, design, and operational safety. The manual includes crash prediction models to estimate the expected safety performance of various functional classifications of roadway segments and intersections. However, crash prediction models for intersections in the HSM can sometimes produce unexpected and difficult-to-interpret results when comparing crash outcomes across different traffic control types. For example, signalization at intersections may not consistently yield the expected crash reductions, particularly for high-severity crashes.

While the HSM is under revision to enhance these models and provide broader guidance in their application, there is a need for clear direction on how to apply the models to conduct comparative safety evaluations across traffic control and facility types. Research is needed to establish and quantify differences in predictive crash outcomes derived from the HSM crash prediction models when comparing the safety performance of different traffic control types. The findings will support improving safety in project concepts proposed by transportation planners and designs by engineers.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to develop a framework and guide, including application recommendations and tools, to support the use of HSM crash prediction models when analyzing traffic control types for a given location or facility type.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2025 14:12:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558381</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Develop Crash Predictive Methods for Frontage Roads Including Ramp Terminals, and Intersections with Crossroads in Texas</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2437688</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Currently, no frontage specific intersection or ramp terminal predictive methods are available, and transportation engineers typically apply methods developed for non-frontage road intersections to evaluate their safety. Additionally, no guidelines exist to select the appropriate distance between adjacent ramps and/or intersections, ramp type and their orders, and distance between ramps and driveways. The first objective of this project is to develop Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) and Crash Modification factors (CMFs) for ramp terminals and intersections of frontage roads with crossroads. The second objective of this project is to evaluate the safety impact of weaving on the frontage road versus weaving on the freeway. The research team will collect site characteristics data and develop crash predictive methods for different types of frontage road segments and intersections on frontage roads, including ramp terminals. The research team will develop these models by area type (i.e., large urban, small urban, suburban/fringe, and rural), Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) regions, and facility type (one-way and two-way). These models will supplement the generic SPFs developed in TxDOT's 0-7083 project. The research team will incorporate the crash predictive methods into spreadsheet tools to facilitate the analysis and to support project design decisions of frontage roads. The researchers will also develop a framework for selecting an appropriate configuration for frontage road segments and intersections, and as well guidance for the minimum distance from ramp terminal to crossroad intersection and a need for lane additions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:27:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2437688</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Redesign of Innovative Gate Arms (Ramp Closure Gate) – Phase I</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2398089</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to redesign the existing ramp closure gate used by Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD). The research team will utilize FE computer simulations and laboratory crash testing to develop a modified design that passes MASH consistent test protocols as well as meets the functional requirements.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 28 Jun 2024 09:09:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2398089</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Investigation of Wrong Way Pavement Alert Devices 
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2319926</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In the State of Ohio between 2017-2021, there were a total of 426 wrong way crashes with 79 fatalities. In an effort to address wrong-way crashes, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has installed signalized systems at some locations with high volumes of these incidents. With safety being a top priority for ODOT there is a need for a low-cost, reliable system that can be installed on all exit ramps (including those in rural areas) that pose a safety threat for wrong way crashes. This new system would provide both a physical and visual warning to drivers that are entering the freeway in the wrong direction and add quicker response times from drivers once alerted to the issue. Currently ODOT is installing systems with cameras and flashing warning signs to notify drivers beyond the standard signage. Present systems are effective but are a very costly system and therefore is not the right solution for every roadway, especially low volume ramps. This would be a low-cost idea that could be used in all desired locations. They could be installed quickly and provide a physical alert to all drivers before they enter the interstates the wrong way. Some objectives for this project include, Identify/develop safe, reliable, and affordable methods to effectively alert wrong-way drivers, Demonstrate the performance of recommended solutions, as approved by ODOT, to validate safety, design, performance, overall effectiveness, and benefit/cost analysis and to Develop an implementation guide of tested solutions based on the best use-case scenarios for each recommendation.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Jan 2024 15:19:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2319926</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Wrong-Way Driving Entry Points on interstate highways Using land-use Impact Assessment and 911 calls</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1948950</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The intense severity of wrong-way driving (WWD) accidents is alarming for traffic management agencies and incentivizing the need for economical, convenient, and efficient management to ensure safety of motorists. Most of the WWD crashes are the result of intoxicated driving, where the driver out of consciousness takes the wrong entrance to highway and put other motorists into a life-threating danger. This study aims to identify WWD entry points of urban highway ramps and develop an analysis methodology. The methodology examines the origin and driving behavior of impaired drivers by utilizing a land-use impact assessment (alcohol-serving establishments (ASE) proximity to exit ramps) and 911 call and crash database. These entry points will help traffic control agencies to apply cost-effective countermeasures for detecting WWD in real time. Even though there are established WWD countermeasures exist in Bexar County highway such as- WWD sign, those countermeasures are not sufficient to solve the problem of WWD. The outcome of this research is to assist DOTs to reduce the number of WWD incidents in state highways. It will help the authorities to geolocate the potential hotspots of WWD in a specific region in which they can implement the warning WWD sensor countermeasure and alarm the motorists in their opposite way and call for law enforcement to intervene. Also, it will provide effective countermeasures that can be implemented region-wide and state-wide particularly at hot-spots zones with frequent incidents of WWD events.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2022 06:12:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1948950</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Investigation of Merge Strategies at Ramp Area in Connected Vehicle Environment based on Multi-Driver Simulator System</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1705263</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to develop a multi-driver simulator system and conduct experiments to investigate the impact of connected-vehicle technologies. First, a multi-driver simulator system will be developed by connecting three to four driving simulators. Then, a driving simulator experiment will be conducted using the multi-driver simulator system. Specifically, scenarios with ramp area will be utilized to investigate drivers’ behavior. The University of Central Florida (UCF) team has conducted extensive efforts related to freeway ramp area through driving simulator experiments, microsimulation experiments, computer-vision technologies, etc. In this study, the team will investigate the impact of different merge strategies at ramp area based on connected-vehicle technologies.  During the experiment, one participant will try to merge into the roadway from the ramp, while the other participants may travel on the right lane in a platoon. Different information could be provided to the participants through Head-up Displays (HUDs) or On-Board Units (OBUs) based on different merging strategies. The results of the study are expected to be beneficial to understanding users’ interactions at lane-changing duration and evaluating the effectiveness of different merging strategies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2020 07:57:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1705263</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Analysis of Oversaturated Traffic Flow Conditions on Freeway Facilities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1492248</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of the research was to improve and enhance the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) 2010 methodology of the operational analysis of freeway facilities in oversaturated conditions. The research should take related efforts into account, particularly the incorporation of travel time reliability into the HCM.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 19 Dec 2017 15:16:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1492248</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluating Alternative Design of Geometric Configuration for High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Facilities in California</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441785</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A recent study by the University of California, Riverside, has revealed that: a) limited access High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) facilities are good at regulating traffic flows, which results in higher freeway throughput; while b) continuous access HOV facilities have potential to spread out lane changes, which allows traffic to maintain higher travel speed.  Therefore, it is desirable to explore alternative designs of geometric configuration for HOV facilities that combine advantages of the two existing configurations in order to further improve the performance of HOV facilities in the state.  One such alternative design is called “partially limited access” configuration where continuous access is generally provided along a freeway to achieve higher travel speed while buffers are strategically placed on selected freeway segments (e.g., bottlenecks, ramp merges) to accommodate higher throughput on those segments. Thus, there is a need to evaluate the operational performance of HOV facilities with the partially limited access configuration relative to those with the existing configurations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:52:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441785</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of Diverging Diamond Interchanges for Alabama, Phase I</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1260467</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The goal of this research is to develop guidance for the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to establish the locations where a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) would be beneficial.  The University of Alabama (UA) will assist the University of Alabama - Huntsville (UAH) to perform the proposed research.  The objective of this project is to assist on tasks associated with DDI project funded by ALDOT.  This will require the subcontractor to run simulations and evaluate alternatives. The DDI, or Double Crossover Diamond (DCD), is a form of interchange design upon which the intersections of the cross-over road and the entrance/exit ramps are constructed to remove all left turns.  The benefits of the interchange design stem from the removal of left-turns at the entrance/exit ramp signals, thus reducing the number of phases required improving traffic flow and reducing the number of conflict points improving safety.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 30 Aug 2013 01:01:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1260467</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>NCHRP - Design Guidance for Interchange Loop Ramps</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1258731</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Project based on NCHRP recommendations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Aug 2013 01:01:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1258731</guid>
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