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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>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Improving Transportation Accessibility for People with Disabilities Using AI</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2786774</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Develop machine learning techniques that automate the data collection process of gaps in accessibility of transportation infrastructure and facilitate the development of transition plans.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:40:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2786774</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Advancing Accessible Bus Transit: Human-Machine Interfaces for Inclusive Communication and Safe Boarding of Passengers with Disabilities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2778268</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research focuses on co-designing and testing innovative rider communication tools to enable passengers with disabilities to effectively signal their intent to board public bus transit. People with disabilities often face challenges in visually or physically signaling their needs at bus stops, leading to missed rides, inadequate assistance, and reduced confidence in transit systems. By developing human-machine interfaces (HMIs) that facilitate clear communication between riders and drivers, this project aims to improve access to public transit.

Inspired by advancements in V2X communication, the U.S. Department of Transportation has demonstrated the potential of rider-to-vehicle communication through initiatives like the Integrated Dynamic Transit Operation System (IDTO) (Meng et al. 2018). In this system, riders could use an app to request connection protection, relayed to drivers via dispatchers, reducing wait times at transfer points by an average of seven minutes. Similar systems, such as flex-routing, allow riders to request pickups near fixed routes, addressing access in rural areas (e.g., Skagit Transit). While these approaches demonstrate the value of pre-trip communication, they primarily target specific scenarios and do not fully address the needs of passengers with disabilities, particularly those who cannot visually discern approaching buses or signal drivers effectively (Greer et al. 2014, Steinfeld et al. 2019).

To address these gaps, the research team will conduct participatory design workshops with transit riders, drivers, and advocacy groups to guide the creation of rider communication systems. These workshops will provide collaborative spaces for sharing experiences, identifying unmet needs, and developing solutions through activities like brainstorming, low-fidelity prototyping, and role-playing real-world scenarios. Insights from these sessions will inform functional prototypes, such as mobile apps or physical interfaces at bus stops. Simulated experiments will evaluate the impact of these tools on driver workload, operational safety, and rider satisfaction. These experiments will also assess how HMIs help drivers assist passengers while minimizing distractions and maintaining safety standards. For example, the team will analyze how notifications via mobile apps or visual indicators at bus stops can aid drivers in identifying and assisting riders while avoiding information overload that could compromise situational awareness. Additionally, by accounting for various scenarios—such as varying weather conditions, crowded bus stops, and different disabilities—the tools will aim to address real-world challenges. The team will also evaluate the timing and content of communications to optimize their effectiveness for drivers and riders alike.

This participatory approach seeks to create communication systems that reduce barriers to mobility for passengers with disabilities, ensuring access to public transit. This research contributes to the broader goal of building safer transit systems.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 10:09:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2778268</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>How do perceptions of transportation challenges influence travel behavior for people with disabilities?</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2702517</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Although it has been over thirty years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted, people with disabilities—who represent approximately one-quarter of the U.S. population—continue to face significant barriers to mobility and access. They tend to make fewer trips and are more reliant on others, largely due to shortcomings in pedestrian infrastructure, transit, and for-hire vehicle services, and specialized paratransit options, as well as the negative attitude of drivers to them. While substantial research has documented the wide range of mobility and access challenges faced by people with disabilities, there has been limited investigation into how these challenges affect their mode choice decisions. This project will develop and administer a web-based survey, targeting a sample of California residents with disabilities, to explore how disability shapes mode choice, factoring in perceptions of the inaccessibility of transportation infrastructure, mode design-induced challenges, and ableism faced while travelling by different modes. This project will explore how these problems influence their willingness to use paratransit and trip frequency to activity centers. The research team will apply various analytical techniques, including descriptive statistics, basic comparative statistical tests, and multinomial logistic regression, to address the research questions. To ensure the survey is relevant and impactful, the team will collaborate with organizations serving people with disabilities, both to inform the survey design and to disseminate findings that support broader universal access goals shared by these organizations and public agencies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2026 16:54:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2702517</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Disability, Mode Perceptions, and Travel Behavior</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2695812</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Despite the more than three decades since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities, which comprise roughly one quarter of the US population, still face considerable challenges to their mobility and access. They make fewer trips and are more dependent on others because of deficiencies in pedestrian infrastructure, transit and for-hire vehicles, and specialized paratransit services. While there is a considerable amount of research that identifies the breadth of mobility challenges and access barriers, limited research has addressed how these mobility challenges influence mode choice for people with disabilities. This project will develop and administer a web-based survey by oversampling California residents with disabilities to understand how disability influences mode choice, accounting for perceptions of the built environment and mode-specific challenges. The research team anticipates using several analytical methods to answer the research questions, including descriptive statistics, basic statistical tests of comparison, and multinomial logistic regression. The research team aims to engage with disability-serving organizations to ensure that the survey reflects real concerns and will provide meaningful data, and to share results in support of universal access goals that the organizations and public agencies are pursuing.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:58:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2695812</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improving Communication Accessibility for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Transit Riders</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636144</link>
      <description><![CDATA[BACKGROUND

Public transportation agencies have made substantial progress in improving physical accessibility through investments in infrastructure, vehicle design, and wayfinding. Considerably less attention has been given to communication accessibility for riders who are deaf or hard of hearing, particularly during dynamic or unexpected travel conditions. Accessibility research has focused primarily on mobility and navigation, leaving transit agencies with limited guidance on effective communication strategies and technologies to support accessibility for individuals with hearing disabilities.

Advances in communication technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), real-time captioning, digital signage, mobile applications, assistive listening systems, video remote interpreting, and multimodal communication platforms, offer opportunities to improve accessible communication throughout the transit experience. Although many of these technologies are commercially available or being piloted by transit agencies, little is known about their operational readiness, effectiveness, scalability, customer acceptance, workforce implications, lifecycle costs, or integration with existing transit systems. Research is needed to evaluate communication technologies and their interaction with users, assess their applicability to public transportation environments, and develop guidance to help agencies implement accessible communication strategies that meet the needs of riders who are deaf or hard of hearing while benefiting a broad range of transit customers.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to develop a decision-making framework and toolkit that enable public transportation agencies to identify, evaluate, select, deploy, and assess communication technologies and strategies that improve accessibility for riders who are deaf or hard of hearing and people who benefit from nonaudible communication.

RESEARCH PLAN

The TCRP is seeking proposals on how best to achieve the research objective. Proposers are expected to describe research plans that can realistically be accomplished within the constraints of available funds and subaward time. Proposals must present the proposers' current thinking in sufficient detail to demonstrate their understanding of the issues and the soundness of their approach to meeting the research objective.

The research team shall, at a minimum:

Review relevant research, federal regulations, guidance, standards, and current practices related to accessible communication.
Assess communication barriers encountered throughout the transit experience; and document the perspectives and technology needs of riders who are deaf or hard of hearing, transit personnel, and other populations who benefit from nonaudible communication.
Identify unmet communication needs, implementation barriers, and opportunities to leverage technology to improve communication accessibility.
Engage stakeholders, including riders who are deaf or hard of hearing, organizations serving the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, transit agency accessibility advisory committees, customer service personnel, other populations who benefit from nonaudible communication, and technology providers.
Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of existing and emerging communication technologies, including real-time and dynamic methods, to identify effective practices and develop performance measures and customer service metrics to evaluate communication accessibility.
Identify potential funding sources and implementation pathways to support the deployment of accessible communication technologies.
Develop recommendations for implementing emerging communication technologies, including innovative procurement and deployment strategies to improve accessible communication for riders who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The research plan shall describe appropriate deliverables (which also represent key project milestones), including:

An amplified research plan that addresses comments from the project panel at the subawardee selection meeting.
An interim report and panel meeting. The interim report should include the analyses and results of completed tasks, a plan for the remaining tasks, and a detailed outline of the final research product(s). The interim report should be submitted and the panel meeting should occur after the expenditure of 40 to 50 percent of the project budget.
Final deliverables should include:
Decision-making framework and toolkit to help public transportation agencies evaluate, select, deploy, and assess accessible communication technologies, including technology evaluation criteria, implementation considerations, procurement guidance, performance measures, and funding resources.
Conduct of research report documenting the full scope of the research.
Technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” (see item IV of the Important section).
Presentation slide deck summarizing the research findings, recommendations, and implementation considerations for use in webinars and other technology-transfer activities.
Note: Following receipt of the draft final deliverables, the remaining 3 months shall be for TCRP review and comment and for the research agency preparation of the final deliverables.

< < < IMPORTANT > > >

I. The brochure Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs includes extensive guidance on the preparation of acceptable proposals for submission to CRP. Revisions to these instructions are highlighted in yellow within that document.

II. Proposals will be rejected if any of the proposed research team members work for organizations represented on the project panel. The panel roster for this project can be found here. Proposers may not contact panel members directly; this roster is provided solely for the purpose of avoiding potential conflicts of interest.

III. The text of the final deliverable is expected to be publication ready when it is submitted. It is strongly recommended that the research team include the expertise of a technical editor as early in the project timeline as possible. See Appendix F of the Procedural Manual for Subawardees Conducting Research in the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Program for technical editing standards expected in final deliverables.

IV. The required technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” should (a) provide recommendations on how to best put the research findings/products into practice; (b) identify possible institutions that might take leadership in applying the research findings/products; (c) identify issues affecting potential implementation of the findings/products and recommend possible actions to address these issues; and (d) recommend methods of identifying and measuring the impacts associated with implementation of the findings/products. Implementation of these recommendations is not part of the research project and, if warranted, details of these actions will be developed and implemented in future efforts.

V. The National Academies have an ethical and legal obligation to provide proper attribution whenever material from other sources is included in its reports, online postings, and other publications and products. TRB will review all Cooperative Research Programs draft final deliverables using the software iThenticate for potential plagiarism. If plagiarized text appears in the draft final deliverable, the research team will be required to make revisions and the opportunity to submit future proposals may be affected.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 19:52:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636144</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Mitigating Functional Impediments to Accessing Public Transportation for Older Adults</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636142</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As individuals age, they often experience changes in physical, sensory, and cognitive functioning that can affect their ability to access and use public transit safely, independently, and confidently. While some older adults reduce their trip-making or rely on family members and caregivers for transportation, many continue to use demand-responsive transportation (DRT) and/or complementary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit services to maintain mobility and independence.

Transit accessibility efforts have focused primarily on compliance with ADA. Although ADA requirements remain fundamental, older adults may experience a broader range of age-related functional impediments that are not addressed through traditional accessibility approaches. These impediments may include anxiety, balance limitations, cognitive changes, fatigue, hearing loss, reduced vision, muscle weakness, pain, and diminished dexterity.

These functional impediments can affect how older adults navigate transit facilities, access information, board and alight vehicles, interact with technology, and complete trips. Research is needed to support public transportation agencies in understanding these barriers.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to develop an accessibility assessment framework that public transportation agencies can use to identify, prioritize, and mitigate barriers associated with age-related functional impediments affecting older adults’ use of public transportation systems and services.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 19:45:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636142</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Legal Aspects of Airport Programs. Topic 18-01. Legal Responsibilities Arising Out of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Air Carrier Access Act</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625813</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) ensure the rights and accommodations of individuals with disabilities in the United States. The ADA provides a comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities, including in employment, public accommodations, and transportation. The ACAA addresses the rights of passengers with disabilities in air travel and requires airlines to accommodate the needs of these individuals.    

Airlines and airports play critical roles in implementing these laws. Airlines are responsible for ensuring that their services, from booking to boarding, are accessible, while airports must provide accessible facilities. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) also have regulatory authority over air travel, including consumer protections, safety, and operational standards. While FAA's primary focus is on safety and efficiency of the national airspace system, it plays a supporting role in ensuring compliance with accessibility standards through various policies and guidance. It includes collaboration with the DOT, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and other agencies to ensure that regulations and guidance related to disability accommodations are upheld. However, the intersection of the ADA and ACAA can create challenges, as the ADA covers public spaces such as airport terminals, and the ACAA governs the treatment of passengers by airlines within the airport terminal.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to examine the legal obligations for airports and airlines arising out of the ADA and the ACAA, including accommodations for visible and invisible physical and mental impairments that substantially limit one or more major life activities.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2025 16:04:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625813</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Pedestrian Level of Traffic Stress (PLTS) Validation for Pedestrians with a range of Ages and Abilities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625597</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Pedestrian Level of Traffic Stress (PLTS) is a safety tool that can be used to map the most and least pedestrian-friendly parts of an entire roadway network, recommend comfortable walking routes, help prioritize locations for infrastructure improvements, and evaluate project- and system-level changes in pedestrian accommodations over time. However, existing methods of evaluating pedestrian traffic stress (Landis et al. 2001, Chu & Baltes 2001, Raad & Burke 2018) are not standardized and often require many inputs that are impractical for agencies to apply. During the first two years of CPBS grants, the UW-Milwaukee research team attempted to address these issues by creating and testing a new Pedestrian Level of Traffic Stress (PLTS) method. The PLTS provides ratings from 1 to 4 (lowest to highest stress) to assess how pedestrians are likely to feel around vehicular traffic when crossing or traveling along specific roadway segments. The PLTS ratings are based on look-up tables with a relatively small number of inputs (e.g., number of lanes, traffic volume, speed limit, sidewalks and buffers, pedestrian crossing facilities, curb ramps), many of which are readily available in agency data. The PLTS builds on other recent table-based PLTS methods (Oregon Department of Transportation 2020, Washington State Department of Transportation 2020, Montgomery County 2020, Richardson 2023), but it is the first PLTS that the research team is aware of to undergo rigorous validation testing. During the Year 2 project, applied the PLTS method to different types of roadway corridors in three case study communities and compared our PLTS ratings with stress levels reported by online survey respondents. Still, online survey videos and pictures do not fully reproduce conditions that pedestrians experience on actual roadways. Further, the online format with videos and pictures was not accessible to people with visual disabilities, and our sample only captured a small number of older adults and people with other types of disabilities. Therefore, the Year 3 research will build on our current work by comparing the research team's PLTS ratings with PLTS ratings gathered from pedestrians who are older adults or who have sensory or mobility limitations at a series of real-time PLTS data collection events in three communities. This feedback will also inform whether (and if so, which) additional variables should be incorporated into PLTS ratings to better account for suitability among these groups.  The goal is to establish a validated, practical PLTS method that agencies across the country can use to estimate roadway segment and crossing suitability for pedestrians in various contexts, ultimately leading to safer and more enjoyable walking and rolling conditions. This Year 3 CPBS project will help improve understanding of PLTS for pedestrians with a wider range of ages and abilities.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:33:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625597</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Empowering Para-Transit through Automation: A Behaviorally Informed Optimization Approach
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625307</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The key innovation of this project is the promotion of behaviorally informed paratransit automation design. The team bridges the gap between behavioral and operational research by integrating insights from both fields to leverage Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) to enhance mobility and independence for people with disabilities.

Behavioral research provides a deep understanding of how individuals with disabilities interact with transportation systems, highlighting their unique needs and preferences. On the operational side, the project employs advanced technology and optimization algorithms to develop efficient and reliable paratransit systems.

By combining behavioral research with cutting-edge technology and optimization techniques, the Northwestern team aims to set a new standard for transit automation, ensuring that individuals with disabilities have the mobility and independence they deserve.

This research aligns with the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT) theme of Thrust 4: Fairness, as behaviorally informed paratransit automation design aids in achieving the equitable allocation of transportation services for users with special considerations, such as disabilities.

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is a project partner and will provide key data for the analysis. The research promises to support the mission of RTA by preparing transit operators to develop more widely accessible and cost-effective operational strategies in an era of increasing automation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:58:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625307</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Accessible lavatories</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625301</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Air Transportation Division (AFS-200) needs the ability to certify lavatories that are 
accessible to passengers with disabilities by FY28. This research will focus on conducting 
a feasibility study to assess the space requirements for accessible lavatories and their 
compatibility with various sized aircraft. In the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) FY2024 Appropriations bill, Congress wrote: Aircraft Accessibility Research.—The Committee directs the FAA to research how 
transport category aircraft accessibility can be improved. This research should include 
how manual and powered personal wheelchairs can be safely secured in the passenger 
seating areas of transport category airplanes, determining the optimal safe evacuation 
processes for persons with disabilities, including persons who use wheelchairs, and 
determining how various types of transport category airplanes could most safely and 
efficiently be retrofit for accessible lavatories. The FAA shall include the resource needs 
for such research in future budget justifications. (Ref: Senate report 118-70).
This project will focus on how various designs of varying types of transport category 
airplanes could most safely and efficiently be retrofit for accessible lavatories.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:16:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625301</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A Guide for Remote Boarding/Deboarding Aircraft Operations</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2588336</link>
      <description><![CDATA[BACKGROUND
Contact gates with passenger boarding bridges deliver a seamless, convenient, and highly accessible passenger experience, especially for those with mobility challenges or heavy luggage. In contrast, remote hardstand operations require bussing passengers to and from distant aircraft parking positions, adding time, complexity, and accessibility hurdles. As airports nationwide exhaust terminal real estate and face constraints for new contact-gate construction, they increasingly rely on cost-effective alternatives to accommodate the growing demand. These alternatives include deploying remote hardstands for routine passenger boarding and deplaning. With most of the nation’s busiest airports already using remote operations in some form—and proving their effectiveness in flexible capacity addition—remote hardstands are poised for significantly greater adoption across North American airports soon. 
Research is needed to equip airport practitioners with the tools and guidance required to evaluate, plan, and implement high-performing remote hardstand operations.

OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this research project are to (1) develop a guide; (2) create a decision-support tool that assists airports in selecting and implementing remote hardstand operations that ensure safe, efficient, accessible, and passenger-friendly performance; and (3) produce a video that provides an overview of the benefits of remote hardstand operations.
The guide shall include the following components:

A comprehensive review of current practices for remote hardstand operations (see Special Note A);

A detailed passenger journey map, incorporating full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other accessibility requirements;

Recommendations for safe and secure passenger control throughout the passenger journey;

A mapping of required ADA-compliant equipment characteristics and operational needs for remote hardstand environments; 

An overview of potential funding sources and mechanisms (e.g., federal, state, local, airport authority, passenger facility charge, grants); 

Strategies for adapting existing infrastructure and future-proofing new designs for remote hardstand operations;

Case studies evaluating real-world remote hardstand implementations (see Special Note B);

High-level airline engagement and adoption strategies for planned airport-led remote hardstand operations;

A comprehensive, user-friendly decision-support tool (e.g., customizable excel-based model or equivalent) capable of evaluating:
– Bus fleet requirements,
– Driver staffing needs,
– Aircraft turnaround time impacts,
– Bus cycle times,
– Number of passenger boarding/exit doors,
– Enplaning/deplaning times,
– Domestic/international cut-off times, and
– Service frequency requirements [the tool must remain functional and accurate across all aircraft categories and with varying input assumptions and desired output configurations (see Special Note C)];

A detailed user manual for the decision-support tool;

An introductory video highlighting the safety, efficiency, accessibility, and passenger-experience benefits of optimized remote hardstand operations, designed to secure stakeholder and executive support; and

A concise, visually compelling slide deck tailored for stakeholder presentations and executive buy-in.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2025 09:58:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2588336</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices. Topic SB-46. Current Practices for Evacuating Persons with Cognitive and Physical Disabilities from Transit Vehicles</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2576271</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Currently, when faced with evacuating persons with cognitive and physical disabilities from transit vehicles, such as buses, light rail vehicles, commuter rail vehicles or cutaways, there is no recent standard guidance for agencies to utilize that provides a safe and effective response. The latest guidance from the FTA was published in May 1997, and there have been significant changes in technology and transit operations since then. As a result, many agencies do not have standard guidance, policies, or procedures on how they evacuate persons with cognitive or physical disabilities from their vehicles or rolling stock. Developing such policies is difficult without understanding the myriads of issues that intersect within the operational, safety, engineering, public safety, and accessibility considerations. In the absence of updated and comprehensive guidance, transit agencies often depend on first responders—who themselves may not have consistent protocols for assisting individuals with differing cognitive and physical needs. This gap frequently results in ad hoc evacuation efforts that fail to fully address individual needs.
Without specific guidance transit agencies face challenges implementing the Whole Community Approach to emergency management, which requires that all the needs of the community be considered when developing or updating emergency response plans. While agencies should be working with their local disability community, and many are, guidance on some of the technical approaches is only available through consultations with experts that transit agencies may not have access to for budgetary or other reasons.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this synthesis will be to document: Current strategies and practices for developing, maintaining, and training personnel (transit employees and first responders) on safe and effective ways to provide evacuation assistance to persons with cognitive and physical disabilities in situations where evacuation from transit vehicles or rolling stock is required; What resources and equipment transit agencies use to support safe evacuation, staff training processes, and effective passenger communication; and Any available guidance or standards for transit agencies on empowering persons with cognitive and physical disabilities to evacuate with appropriate levels of assistance and equipping transit agency staff to provide compassionate and dignifying support to persons requiring it during an emergency on a transit vehicle.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:08:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2576271</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis--The Transit IDEA Program. IDEA 108. TrainMate - Let's Make Public Transportation Public</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2572327</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This is a follow-on project to a recently completed Transit IDEA Project T-100 in which the research team  developed the designs and studied the feasibility of a robotic system, TrainMate, to assist passengers with disabilities at non-accessible street level train transit stations. The project successfully produced electromechanical blueprints as well as software components of the proposed robotic system and ran them through end-to-end software simulations to ensure that they could work in real-life scenarios and be used to take the research to  the prototyping phase  In this Type 2 project, a prototype version of the TrainMate will be built and its capabilities demonstrated in enabling individuals using mobility devices to independently board and deboard trains efficiently and conveniently. 

The project work will involve building a physical full-scale prototype unit with focus on meeting the specific requirements of the users and the transit agencies. In the earlier proof-of-concept project, 3-D models of the system were designed, and the integrated system components were tested in various simulation environments. The results validated the proposed prototype design. Several software systems were  surveyed or developed dealing with artificial intelligence, autonomous navigation, machine vision, robotic operating system, and the speech to text and text to speech capability to establish the feasibility of the integrating software components with the electromechanical components.  In this follow-on project, those software systems will be further developed and tested on the prototype platform to ensure their applicability and useability. The fully working prototype unit (robotic base and the wheelchair lift module) including the sensor network and software components, shall pass all technical verifications and tests conducted in laboratory set-up in a mockup train station. The system will be made ready for pilot program testing. New Jersey Transit will allow access to one of its railyards to test the system in a safe and controlled environment using real railcars before moving on to the public train stations. The TrainMate system will be taken to different train stations identified by the NJ Transit and tested over several months in actual public transportation environments to assess its field readiness, useability, and applicability to serve the intended use. A passengers’ survey will be conducted for their feedback on their satisfaction with the TrainMate system. Calibration and enhancement of the system will continue. Finally, the project will be concluded with a field demonstration before invited officials and NJ Transit executives  at the New Jersey’s Hoboken train station.

The benefits of the robotic TrainMate system are significant, particularly for disabled passengers who require accessible transportation. With TrainMate, this disadvantaged section of the public will no longer have to rely on assistance from others or deal with limited mobility when using public transportation. It will be a safe, reliable, and convenient way for them to travel with confidence, providing them with a greater sense of independence and autonomy. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:41:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2572327</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Designing Cycling Facilities for Older Cyclists and Cyclists with Disabilities



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558366</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Cycling offers significant mobility, physical, and mental benefits for everyone. Older adults and persons with disabilities cycle for transportation and recreation, and more could do so if facilities were safer and more accessible. The design of cycling infrastructure affects people with disabilities and older adults as cyclists and as pedestrians, and accessibility is essential. While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that cycling facilities be usable by persons with disabilities, current design guidance provides limited direction on how to achieve this, particularly from a U.S. perspective. 

This research will establish an evidence-based foundation for national guidance on accessible cycling infrastructure. The findings of this research—including the conceptual framework, design toolkit, and programmatic recommendations—will inform future updates to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Guide for the Development of Bicycling Facilities (AASHTO Bike Guide), the primary national reference for bicycle facility design. The geometric considerations would support the advancement in the AASHTO's Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (AASHTO Green book). The proposed research is expected to develop a conceptual framework for accessible cycle facility design, an illustrated design toolbox, and recommendations for policies and programs that encourage and enable cycling among older adults and persons with disabilities, supporting state departments of transportation (DOTs) and local jurisdictions in implementing accessible cycling facilities.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to develop a guide for designing cycling facilities for older cyclists and cyclists with disabilities. The guide will support creation of accessible and safe cycling infrastructure that accommodates the physical, sensory, and cognitive needs of riders.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2025 13:12:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558366</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Emergency Egress for Passengers with Disabilities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2529966</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research will review current industry evacuation procedures and conduct human participant research to determine optimal evacuation processes for passengers with disabilities. This project will focus on limited-mobility and non-mobile passengers occupying either aircraft seats or personal wheelchairs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:30:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2529966</guid>
    </item>
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