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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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    <language>en-us</language>
    <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>Evaluation of Alternative Intersection and Interchange Options for Nebraska </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2689408</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) has implemented and developed guidance for a limited set of unconventional designs (e.g., certain RCUTs and diverging diamond interchanges) and has accumulated experience through selected projects and research studies. NDOT lacks robust, Nebraska-specific tools to: (1) screen and select candidate unconventional facilities; (2) quantify trade-offs in operations, safety, and cost; and (3) develop practical guidelines that can be directly used by designers, planners, and district staff. This gap creates uncertainty when considering unconventional options and may limit NDOT’s ability to fully leverage designs that could offer meaningful safety and mobility benefits. The proposed research will provide NDOT with a structured and evidence-based approach for identifying the most suitable unconventional intersection and interchange options for Nebraska. By evaluating both the designs already implemented within the state and additional alternatives that may be considered soon, the study will broaden NDOT’s understanding of how various unconventional treatments perform under different traffic, geometric, and environmental conditions in Nebraska.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:26:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2689408</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>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluating the Economic and Safety Trade-offs of Interchange and Access Drive Separation Distances
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627344</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The research project will evaluate whether the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (Iowa DOT) minimum separation standards between interchanges and first access points are overly restrictive and potentially detrimental to development opportunities around those interchanges. To achieve this, the project will utilize deep learning techniques to analyze high-resolution aerial photographs to identify interchanges on state-owned roadways, their first driveway access points, and the specific aspects of development status, such as the presence of commercial or residential buildings, vacant land, or agricultural use of the surrounding land. Crash data from the Iowa dataset will be examined to assess safety outcomes about these separation distances. A critical part of the analysis will involve evaluating the economic potential of these lands and estimating the impact of separation standards on land utilization and potential economic growth. 
In addition to state-owned interchanges, the study will identify non-interchange intersections with roadways with similar AADT levels, the number of lanes, if a median is present, and other relevant geometric features to access management. The closest access point will be determined for these intersections, mirroring the approach taken with the interchanges. The crash history for these locations will be retrieved to compare the safety performance of interchanges and non-interchange intersections directly.
This analysis, focusing on interchange and access point separation distances, will help isolate the effect of these separation standards on safety and development, controlling for traffic volume and other features. By examining interchange and non-interchange sites under similar conditions, the research will determine if the minimum separation distances at interchanges are justified or could be adjusted to better balance safety with economic development, potentially informing future policy decisions. The research will also determine the amount of developable land that could be available should the standards be relaxed.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 14:36:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627344</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Optimizing Operation of Diverging Diamond Interchange with Automated Vehicles
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625312</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The proposed research introduces an innovative traffic control method to optimize the operation of a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) in an automated driving environment. The DDI design is gradually gaining acceptance in many parts of the country because of its advantages over the conventional diamond interchange design, this research offers a new look into the potential benefits by the emerging automated driving technology in mitigating the drawbacks in DDI operations. This work includes the development of the algorithm through math modeling and computer simulation to control traffic flows through the DDI. The proposed control system is built on the premise that DDIs reduce both crossing and merging conflict points and that there is no longer a need for signal control for the side intersections.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:39:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625312</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Develop Guidance for Enhancing Work Zone Safety in the Construction of Innovative Intersections</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2614517</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Innovative intersections, also referred to as alternative or unconventional intersections, are essential for enhancing traffic flow and safety. In Texas, there has been a significant increase in the construction of innovative intersection designs such as diverging diamond interchanges (DDIs), median U-turns (MUTs), and reduced conflict intersections (RCIs). However, they present notable challenges during construction. A primary concern associated with implementing these designs is maintaining traffic flow during construction to minimize disruptions and ensure safety. The geometric configurations of these intersections introduce complexities that are not addressed by previous guidelines, posing safety risks for motorists and workers. The absence of standardized specifications for work staging and risk mitigation strategies in work zones exacerbates these issues. Using a mixed-method approach, the research team will identify safety risks intrinsic to the construction of innovative intersections and temporary traffic control (TTC) measures that can eliminate or reduce these risks. The research team will develop comprehensive guidance for developing and implementing TTC strategies for innovative intersections. The documentation and evaluation of these strategies will establish a comprehensive framework for safely and effectively implementing innovative intersection designs in Texas, catering to the specific needs of drivers, including seniors and teenagers.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2025 12:08:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2614517</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Develop a Data-Driven Intersection &amp; Interchange Control Evaluation (DIICE) Tool</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2614516</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Innovative intersection and interchange designs and smart technologies (e.g. adaptive traffic signal systems, connected vehicle technology, and real time traffic management) are often considered as methods to reduce congestion and promote safety. However, these designs are challenging and time-consuming to consider for a given project. The research team will develop a data-driven innovative design recommendation tool to provide guidance toward feasible design selections of innovative intersections and interchanges. The tool will be applicable in urban settings and consider factors like traffic volumes, safety enhancements, constructability, pedestrian and bicyclist accommodations, and costs. The tool will be complimented by guidance gathered from the literature and stakeholder interviews to help provide context and considerations that cannot be incorporated into the too. This will promote a consistent solution to aid in the intersection design selection process that can be used to reduce costs for considering innovative intersections and can be presented to policymakers as a data-driven recommendation. The research team will vet this prototype tool by applying the tools to existing innovative intersection/interchange design selections within Texas to demonstrate the effectiveness of the design selection solution.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2025 11:20:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2614516</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Analyze Operational and Safety Improvements Associated with Implemented Innovative Intersections in Texas</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2420101</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Innovative intersection designs (e.g., diverging diamond interchanges (DDIs), displaced left turns (DLTs), median U-turns (MUTs), and restricted crossing U-turns (RCUTs)) and modern roundabouts are increasingly used in Texas and throughout the country to remove conflict points and redistribute turning traffic from traditional intersections, improving operational efficiency and promoting increased safety. While their use is growing and their benefits have been demonstrated, Texas still has a limited number of innovative intersections throughout the state. Because many of these intersection types and their design elements are not commonly used in Texas, there is a natural tendency to be cautious about their use. Providing information to help promote these treatments for use in appropriate locations will be important to their successful adoption and implementation. The research team will build on recent research to document the benefits of innovative intersections, develop case studies of successfully implemented intersections in Texas, and provide resources for practitioners to use in support of new implementation across the state.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 23 Aug 2024 12:46:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2420101</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessment of Safety and Operation Performances of CFIs and DDIs in Utah</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2394799</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Alternative intersection and interchange designs, such as the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) and the Continuous Flow Intersection (CFI), have garnered significant attention among transportation agencies, researchers and practitioners over the past 15 years, due to their ability to improve operations and safety of transportation systems. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is recognized as a national leader in the design and implementation of innovative intersections and interchanges. Currently there is not a lot of information on field-based performance measures of these designs. As it has been 16 years since the first CFI was implemented, followed by many more CFIs and DDIs, UDOT's databases contain a lot of useful data regarding operations and safety of these designs. The accelerated deployment of DDIs and CFIs necessitates the needs for more in-depth assessment of their benefits and impacts. The objective of this study is to perform safety and operational assessment of CFIs and DDIs in Utah. It will develop Utah-specific Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) and Crash Modification Factors (CMFs) for these designs. The study will also assess the operational performance of CFIs and DDIs, and explore ways in which operations can be improved (geometry, control, signalization).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:23:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2394799</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A Guide on Alternative Intersections and Interchanges


</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381742</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Alternative intersection and interchange (AII) designs initially emerged as a way to improve safety and operations while reducing project costs and impacts, with the potential to enhance facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Early consideration and implementation by agencies were supported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Alternative Intersections/Interchanges Informational Report and a series of informational guides published since 2014. More recently, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) released an annotated outline for an updated informational report, and FHWA published a new guide focused on pedestrian and bicyclist safety at alternative intersections. Additionally, recent NCHRP reports provide detailed guidance on roundabouts, multimodal safety at alternative intersections, and intersection control evaluation.

Research is needed to develop a guide on several widely adopted intersection types, reflecting the growing knowledge and experience from successful implementations by many DOTs. The guide also will focus on expanding the toolbox of AII types and options to help DOTs enhance multimodal transportation safety and operational efficiency.

The objective of this research is to develop a guide to support state DOTs and other transportation agencies in considering AIIs in their project planning and development process. The guide will consist of two parts: (Part I) will provide comprehensive information on U-turn-based intersections, covering key issues related to planning, implementation, operation, and maintenance; and (Part II) will provide an expanded resource on AIIs, focusing on the efficacy of underutilized, emerging, or new concepts, as well as their variations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2024 12:59:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381742</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of Guidelines for Implementing the Flipped Left Diamond Interchange Design
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2283483</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research is to investigate the operational performance of an innovative interchange design, Flipped Left Diamond Interchange (FLDI). FLDI can improve the capacity of the interchanges by minorly modifying of interchange geometric design. This modification does not require major construction and will overcome the problems in existing innovative interchange designs. However, because FLDI is a very new design, no study has been conducted to investigate the operational and design issues in the implementation. This study is to fill this gap and to promote and facilitate the implementation of this innovative design in the future. This research will also investigate the design issues in the implementation of the FLDI design and identify the applicable conditions for this new interchange design. The specific objectives of this research are as follows: (1) Analyze the impact of FLDI on the operational performance of a diamond interchange to determine if the implementation of FLDI can reduce the overall intersection delay and traffic congestion in comparison to a traditional diamond interchange. (2) Develop signal timing strategies for the FLDI design. (3) Investigate the design issues in the implementation of the FLDI design and develop strategies to address them. These design elements include traffic signs, signal displays, pavement markings, roadway delineators, etc. (4) Determine the applicable traffic conditions for implementing the FLDI design. (5) Conduct equity analysis of the FLDI design. To ensure the FLDI design will benefit all socioeconomic groups, a driver occupancy survey will be conducted among different socioeconomic groups.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2023 22:58:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2283483</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Mitigating Community Harms of Dense Highway Infrastructure - Spaghetti Junctions</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2244268</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research will provide MnDOT with guidance for implementing successful mitigation and transformation strategies that other transportation agencies use for similar projects in environmental justice communities. In addition, the study will provide a road map with steps to adapt the strategy to the Minnesota context if the implementation is not feasible in Minnesota due to regulatory or institutional issues.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:23:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2244268</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessing Safety Performance of Atypical Service Interchanges

</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2219016</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Many service interchanges include custom designs that do not fit into the traditional interchange definitions contained within the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Green Book, which makes it challenging to forecast and compare the relative predicted crash frequency of various atypical service interchanges. While the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) provides crash prediction for interchange elements such as basic ramps and ramp termini configurations, it does not offer a comprehensive crash prediction methodology applicable to such atypical service interchanges.

Atypical service interchanges lack a one-size-fits-all safety assessment method due to their uniqueness and complexities. To address this, engineers envision a "building-block" approach to deconstruct these interchanges into fundamental elements, e.g., ramp geometries, configurations, termini, weave segments, merge and diverge areas, access points and connections to managed lanes, active transportation, and transit facilities. This could involve assessing safety performance functions (SPFs) as well as crash modification factors (CMFs) for each element, and then aggregating these assessments to form a comprehensive analysis. However, such a generalized method is not currently available for engineers to analyze the safety performance of atypical service interchanges. 

Research is needed to apply conflict or exposure-based methods specifically tailored to these atypical service interchanges, analyzing each fundamental element, and then integrating the results from individual safety performance analyses into a comprehensive final result.

The objective of the project is to develop a method to partition interchanges into fundamental elements; analyze, quantify, and assess the safety performance of each element; and develop customized SPF models that will integrate the results from individual safety performance analyses into a comprehensive final result for atypical service interchange designs. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Jul 2023 08:09:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2219016</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Guide for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety at Alternative Intersections and Interchanges (A.I.I.)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2166263</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research is to develop a guide for transportation practitioners to improve and integrate pedestrian and bicycle safety considerations at alternative intersections and interchanges (AII) through planning, design, and operational treatments that (1) identifies and evaluates current practices, and emerging technologies and trends, in the U.S. and internationally; (2) describes current best practices for measuring the effectiveness of such AII treatments; (3) evaluates the safety and operational outcomes of specific AII treatments; and (4) identifies and ranks treatments for typical types of projects. The primary focus of the research is roadway functional classifications of collector and above.   The approaches to evaluate pedestrian and bicycle treatments can be separate, but implementation of the treatments should be coordinated. The guide should address a broad range of issues related to improved pedestrian and bicycle safety at AII such as, but not limited to, the following: 
(1) Describing new and emerging AII designs (e.g., Diverging Diamond Interchanges (DDI), Displaced Left-Turn (DLT) or Continuous Flow (CFI) intersections, Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) intersections, Median U-Turn (MUT) intersections, Quadrant Roadway (QR) intersections) and evaluating their impacts on pedestrians and bicyclists;  
(2) Documenting domestic and international best practices for integrating pedestrian and bicyclist movements into AII designs;  
(3) For each AII type, documenting key considerations such as wayfinding, accommodation for pedestrians with disabilities (including visually and hearing impaired), delay for pedestrians and cyclists, and safety for pedestrians and cyclists;  
(4) Documenting benefits and trade-offs of pedestrian and bicycle AII design and operational treatments; 
(5) Developing a design and operational matrix for evaluating, selecting, and incorporating pedestrian and cyclist safety considerations for AII treatments;  
(6) Designing and implementing one or more approaches (e.g., simulation, case studies, modeling, scenario planning) to evaluate the impacts of AII on pedestrian and bicyclist behavior; and  
(7) Providing a foundation for future data collection to produce Crash Modification Factors (CMFs).    While the guide should be directly applicable to most situations, it should also outline decision-making processes and criteria that would assist agencies in identifying flexible solutions.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 01 May 2023 17:59:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2166263</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of Crash Modification Factors for Comparing Standard Diamond Interchange to Other Common Interchange Designs</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2021862</link>
      <description><![CDATA[There is no doubt that there is a significant need for improving the explicit role of safety in making decisions on roadway planning, design, and operations.  In order to achieve the greatest return on the investment of limited budgets, it is imperative that decisions are made based on the best information regarding the safety implications of various design alternatives and engineering treatments. The NCDOT TIP prioritization process continues to produce many interchange improvement projects, showing that there are significant operational and safety problems at many NC interchanges and that potential cost-effective solutions exist for those problems. One difficulty faced by NCDOT throughout the early project development stages, however, is the lack of information on the safety performance of rival interchange design concepts, leading to choices based on factors other than safety.
The Crash Modification Factor (CMF) Clearinghouse, a repository of CMFs from studies all over the world, only contains high quality interchange CMFs (rated 3-star or better) for conversion of a standard diamond to a diverging diamond or to a roundabout interchange. The purpose of this project is to help NCDOT make optimum decisions on interchange design concepts. The objective of this research is to develop a set of CMFs for comparing standard diamond interchange to other fairly common interchange designs.
Having reliable CMFs for various interchange conversions would allow NCDOT's Traffic Safety Unit to compare the potential safety impacts of common interchange designs and help ensure that the decisions on interchange design concept get closer to the optimum.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2022 11:00:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2021862</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Safety and Traffic Operations at Cloverleaf Interchanges</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2008580</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objectives of this research are to:
(1)  Assess the safety and operational performances of cloverleaf interchanges in Louisiana as compared to the traditional diamond interchanges.
(2) Use safety and traffic analysis to predict future performance of cloverleaf and diamond interchanges in Louisiana.
(3) Suggest countermeasures/alternative interchange solution that should be implemented if a cloverleaf / diamond interchange is not an appropriate alternative based on their predicted future performance.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 17 Aug 2022 09:01:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2008580</guid>
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