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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>Comparing Safety Outcomes and Overcoming Implementation Barriers for Street Redesign Projects</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625581</link>
      <description><![CDATA[There are a handful of innovative street redesign projects that have been implemented to improve street safety, but few have been evaluated to measure their impact on aspects such as activity levels, safety outcomes, economic benefits, as well as health, wellbeing, walking rates, safety, noise and economic development benefits. Furthermore, given the nature of the opposition that precedes the implementation of some projects, successfully implemented projects can also provide guidance towards how to overcome the challenges of building such projects. There are few studies that provide a full picture of what it takes to get the projects built, although unpopular at first. In fact, to the research teams' knowledge, no comprehensive framework exists for such an evaluation, especially at the community level. The team has identified the following projects as candidates from different parts of the country that deserve further study via a comprehensive framework:  1. University Place, Bridgeport Way, WA 2. University Place, Grandview Drive, WA 3. Bird Rock, City of San Diego, CA 4. Encinitas, San Diego County, CA  Additional sites to be considered 5. Hamburg, NY 6. Hillsborough Street, Charlotte, NC, Pine Street 7. Tallahassee, Fl, Gaines Street 8. Albert Lea, MN 9. Muscatine, IA  Despite the promising intentions behind these initiatives, there remains a gap in empirical research analyzing the direct impacts of these improvements on street safety, community well-being, and economic vitality. There is also na eed to understand what it takes to get projects built, even if they are unpopular at first. Such information is critical to evaluating these investments' effectiveness and guiding future planning, policy, and funding decisions. Specifically, there is a need to assess how these interventions affect safety outcomes and economic development benefits.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:45:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625581</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Simplified Methodology for Risk-Based Air Quality Assessments of NEPA Alternatives



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381744</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No abstract provided.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2024 14:21:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381744</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Anticipatory Knowledge Delivery for Transportation Agencies</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381736</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Anticipatory knowledge (AK) refers to knowledge that is proactively generated, identified, or made available in advance of a need or event. AK delivery focuses on the mechanisms and processes through which AK gets to the right people at the right time. The goal of AK and AK delivery is to prepare individuals or organizations to respond effectively to future scenarios by leveraging systems to provide relevant information to them. An AK delivery system can provide targeted guidance to employees based on their roles; prompted by career milestones such as onboarding or assignment of first project management; and necessitated by unforeseen events such as passage of new legislation, economic changes, or natural disasters. The AK delivery concept is of great interest to state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation agencies; however, AK delivery has not yet been widely explored or adopted by these agencies. 
Transportation agencies are seeking a guide on how to anticipate what employees need to know at different points in time and deliver that information in an automated, convenient, coordinated, and efficient manner. Research is needed to (1) identify types and sources of information required for a set of agency roles, career milestones, unforeseen events, or business processes and (2) create frameworks that could be used by transportation agencies to implement an AK delivery system. 
The objective of this project is to develop a guide for transportation agencies on creating, implementing, and integrating AK delivery into existing agency systems. AK delivery will provide employees with relevant, role-specific information that enhances decision-making and helps them perform their duties more efficiently and effectively. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2024 11:35:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381736</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Digital Delivery: Roadmap for Implementing Building Information Model (BIM) for Infrastructure at GDOT</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2342181</link>
      <description><![CDATA[
The primary objective of this research is a “roadmap” to help strategically guide GDOT to “BIM maturity” (agency-wide digital delivery implementation). This roadmap would address the technology, process, and people to implement such a change including ultimate goals, intermediate objectives, and corresponding timelines. The benefit of this research is to formalize GDOT’s support of this initiative and provide a vision to guide the supporting, ongoing efforts.   ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 21 Feb 2024 09:42:39 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2342181</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Implementing the National Intercity Bus Atlas (Phases II and III)



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2229031</link>
      <description><![CDATA[NCHRP Research Report 1150: Implementation of the National Intercity Bus Atlas documents the purposes and methods of implementing and maintaining the National Intercity Bus Atlas, an online interactive map and database of the nation’s intercity bus network. The report provides a detailed account of data collection, training and engagement activities used to instruct transportation service providers on the benefits of having their data on the Intercity Bus Atlas, and  how to submit data using General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS), a user-facing platform for presenting transit schedule and route information. Further, the report documents potential applications of the Intercity Bus Atlas data in planning and policymaking. The report will be useful to state department of transportation (DOT) planners and intercity bus service providers seeking to develop and maintain the interactive online atlas of intercity bus transit services within the United States.  

In 2019 the United States Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) launched the Intercity Bus Atlas, an interactive online map of intercity bus transit services in the United States. The Intercity Bus Atlas was first developed by the American Intercity Bus Riders Association to facilitate the promotion of intercity bus use by providing comprehensive service provider, route, and scheduling information in a public facing online platform. Prior to this, there had been no publicly available national clearinghouse, list, or map of intercity bus services.

Under NCHRP Project 08-133, “Implementation of the Intercity Bus Atlas,” efforts focused on expanding the atlas by incorporating data from intercity bus service providers not yet represented in the database. Key tasks included engaging with service providers to facilitate data contributions. This involved training some providers on how to use the GTFS platform and, in some cases, directly populating the database for agencies still developing GTFS proficiency. Additionally, guidebooks were developed to support project stakeholders—including state DOTs, transportation agencies, and intercity bus service providers—in maintaining and updating the National Intercity Bus Atlas. 

The NCHRP Research Report 1150 and the following supplemental materials are available on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacadmies.org) by searching NCHRP Research Report 1150: Implementation of the National Intercity Bus Atlas: (1)       User Guide for Intercity Bus Carriers, Ticketing Services, Schedulers, and Business Development Planners; (2) User Guide for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Entities; (3)       Intercity Bus Atlas Maintenance and Improvements Guide; and (4) Implementation Plan for Implementing the Intercity Bus Atlas.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Aug 2023 15:58:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2229031</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>NCHRP Implementation Support Program. Training Program for the Emergency Management Playbook</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2213754</link>
      <description><![CDATA[NCHRP Research Report 1093: An Emergency Management Playbook for State Transportation Agencies (EM Playbook) is a practical guide for developing and maintaining a transportation agency’s emergency management program. The EM Playbook includes key capabilities and activities to assist an agency in performing critical emergency management actions. The EM Playbook provides concise information designed to enable agencies to enhance their existing emergency management programs and offers ways to improve their "plays" to address gaps, contingencies, or new hazards. The EM Playbook can help transportation emergency managers understand, plan, and implement emergency preparedness programs that fit agencies' needs, capabilities, and challenges.

Supplemental to the EM Playbook are basic training materials for transportation leaders and presenters. The training materials are divided into topic modules designed to represent manageable chunks of training. The topic modules generally follow the chapters of the EM Playbook, and each play has its own module. 

State departments of transportation (DOTs) need training on how they can use the EM Playbook and training materials at their agencies, and a train-the-trainer program can accomplish this. An example of a successful train-the-trainer program is the National Traffic Incident Management Responder Train-the-Trainer Program developed in the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2); this strategy includes in-person and virtual training.

The objectives of this research are to (a) develop a train-the-trainer program and materials based on the EM Playbook that can be delivered in person and virtually and (b) conduct at least four national virtual train-the-trainer workshops and at least one in-person train-the-trainer workshop at a national event.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 17 Jul 2023 23:41:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2213754</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 55-10. Implementation of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Proven Safety Countermeasures</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2190460</link>
      <description><![CDATA[For decades, public safety has been a priority for state departments of transportation (DOTs) as they strive to reduce traffic crashes. To support these efforts, the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Office of Safety developed a list of proven safety countermeasures that include brief descriptions, information sheets, and additional references. These measures have been field-tested and proven to reduce crashes.

NCHRP Synthesis 639: Implementation of Federal Highway Administration Proven Safety Countermeasures, from TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program, documents state DOT practices regarding the implementation of FHWA proven safety countermeasures. Case examples from six state DOTs provide additional information on the practices related to the FHWA proven safety countermeasures.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this Synthesis was to document state department of transportation (DOT) practices regarding the implementation of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) proven safety countermeasures.




]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 09 Jun 2023 19:21:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2190460</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Highway Safety Manual 2nd Edition (HSM2) Implementation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2169804</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2010, the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) published the Highway Safety Manual 1st Edition (HSM).  At that time, the AASHTO Committee on Safety established a goal in its Strategic Plan to institutionalize the HSM and its associated analytical tools to help transportation agencies make data-driven decisions, advance the science of safety, and to ultimately reduce fatalities and serious injuries. One proposed action in support of that goal was to establish and maintain an HSM Implementation Pooled Fund Study.  The Federal Highway Administration agreed to organize and manage the TPF-5(255) Highway Safety Manual Implementation Pooled-Fund Study, in which 22 States ultimately participated.  With the anticipated publication of the AASHTO HSM Second Edition (estimated 2025), there is strong interest from States to establish a new pooled fund to accelerate implementation of HSM2. OBJECTIVES: Accelerate implementation of HSM2 and related analytical tools to assess current and future safety performance of existing roadways and alternative designs, and help practitioners make more informed decisions, better target investments, and reduce fatalities and serious injuries on the nations roadways.  This includes activities before and after publication of HSM2 (anticipated 2025).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 10 May 2023 16:49:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2169804</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>NCHRP Implementation Support Program. Developing Training Materials to Implement Context Classifications</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2134771</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The seventh edition of AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (Green Book) introduces a broader set of land use classifications for state transportation officials. NCHRP Project 15-72, “Identification of AASHTO Context Classifications” developed practical information to help state, regional, and local practitioners identify the appropriate context classification(s) for an area or a transportation project. Critical questions were (1) what are the context(s), (2) how will the context(s) change spatially and temporally, and (3) what are the implications for the various travel modes. The final report was published as NCHRP Research Report 1022: Context Classification Application: A Guide.

Additionally, NCHRP Project 20-68A, Scan 21-02, "Leading Approaches to Implementing Context-Based Classification of Roadways in Planning and Design” describes the experiences of states implementing the context classifications. The scan’s focus was to identify best practices and lessons learned that may be valuable to others working on implementing context-based classification. 

Applying context classifications to benefit all users may seem complex to those who haven’t applied them previously. State departments of transportation (DOTs) need training materials and resources to support this.

The objective of this research is to develop training materials and resources for nationwide implementation of context classifications by state DOTs. These materials should be flexible enough to integrate context classifications with different processes at multiple state DOTs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 07 Mar 2023 10:36:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2134771</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Administration of Highway and Transportation Agencies. Harnessing the Safe System Approach to Improve Traffic Safety</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2054766</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Safe System (SS) approach is a holistic and comprehensive approach for addressing traffic safety for all road users, considering the elements of safer people, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speeds, and post‐crash care. While state departments of transportations (DOTs) primarily focus on transportation infrastructure, the SS approach considers a shared responsibility among all transportation agencies and road users. State DOTs currently collaborate with a number of organizational stakeholders outside the highway and road infrastructure disciplines, such as planners, public safety officials, industry and professional organizations, academia, and advocacy groups. The SS approach involves all stakeholders considering the SS elements as a whole during the decision-making process, creating overlap that can help protect all users.  

To fully realize the benefits of each SS element, state DOTs must have the tools and mindset to effect the paradigm of change. This leadership awareness and buy-in will be critical to infuse SS practices throughout state DOT functions and the infrastructure project lifecycle. Well-articulated benefits of the SS approach and practical suggestions for implementation will ease the burden of SS implementation among state DOTs. Lastly, effective means of communicating SS benefits and successes to all stakeholders will be a significant contributor to the durability of an SS-oriented culture.   

The objectives of this research are to (1) raise awareness among transportation agency leadership of the benefits of the SS approach, and (2) develop a toolkit of materials to implement, sustain, and institutionalize the SS approach throughout the stages of the infrastructure project lifecycle.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2022 06:28:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2054766</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Automated Distress Measurement for Pavement Management</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2021865</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The SDDOT currently collects pavement distress data through automated and manual processes. In the automated process, a data collection vehicle driving at highway speeds measures pavement roughness and rutting and acquires intensity and elevation images of the pavement surface over the entire state highway network. Analysis software uses a set of rules to interpret the images to identify and quantify some types of cracking. Automated data is primarily used for reporting to the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS).
In the manual process, two teams of transportation interns driving 15 mph on the roadway shoulder visually rate the severity and extent of pavement distresses compared to records from the prior year. A technician may also examine pavement images on a computer to rate pavement distresses. The Pavement Management System (PMS) uses this data to identify pavement surface needs and prioritize improvement projects. Concerns with manual collection include the safety of the interns exposed to traffic, the level of effort required, and the subjectivity of the rating process.
As data collection technology has improved, using automated distress data for both federal reporting and pavement management has become more feasible. Research is needed to determine whether automated data collection can provide all of the distress data needed by the PMS and to identify changes needed to the PMS and SDDOT’s data collection and processing methods.
Objectives are as follows: 
(1)	Describe SDDOT’s pavement distress data requirements for federal reporting, pavement management, and other pavement engineering purposes.
(2)	Evaluate the capability of SDDOT’s automated data collection equipment and process to acquire the needed pavement distress data.
(3)	Identify modifications needed to SDDOT’s data collection and pavement management processes to accommodate the use of automated distress data.
(4)	Evaluate the suitability of the modified data collection and pavement management processes using automated pavement distress data collected during 2022.
(5)	Develop an implementation plan for using fully automated collected distress data for pavement management beginning in 2023.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Sep 2022 11:44:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2021865</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Multi-Solving Safety Approach - Stepping Away from Silos to Achieve a Safer System</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1996242</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The safe system approach (SSA) incorporates various stakeholders to coordinate, engage, and implement solutions that address safer roads, safer road users, and community goals in tandem. The SSA requires stakeholders to think differently, with emphasis on system solutions made by multiple disciplines working together. To implement this way of thinking, stakeholder engagement requires evolution. Committee structures, conversations, and outcomes can be re-framed to better achieve multidisciplinary solutions for the system. In addition, recent dialogue related to SSA implementation has created a divide on the value of improving the built environment versus changes to human behavior. These two are not mutually exclusive and stakeholder engagement can be structured to move away from this way of thinking if advanced by a “multi-solving” approach.

Multi-solving is a well-known phrase in the climate and health sectors. It is a way of solving multiple problems with a single investment of time and money by bringing together stakeholders from different sectors and disciplines to address issues in a cost-efficient manner. Multi-solving research has focused on developing and framing interventions that can simultaneously address climate change and public health goals or exploit leverage points to change complex systems by influencing outcomes that matter to key players in the system. However, by applying multi-solving within transportation safety, engagement can be framed to identify integrated behavioral and engineering solutions at a system level that solves multiple problems and benefits various road users, areas, and stakeholders.

The objective of this research is to help redefine stakeholder engagement during the development of safety plans, interventions, programs, projects, and policies so outcomes focus on multi-solving decision-making and implementation. The desired outcomes are to develop a guide to promote and facilitate diverse, cross-sectoral groups to collaborate on multi-solving decision-making and implementation. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2022 12:53:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1996242</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>NCHRP Implementation Support Program. Supporting State DOT Adoption of Knowledge Management Practices</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1989274</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Knowledge management (KM) practices, related to the identification, sharing, and retention of employee know-how and expertise within an organization, are important to improve operational efficiency, workforce development, organizational resilience, and innovation. While state departments of transportation (DOTs) recognize this importance, their KM practices are often in various stages of maturity (as determined by using the American Productivity & Quality Center’s Knowledge Management Capability Assessment Tool or the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Committee on Knowledge Management KM Litmus test). In comparison to organizations such as the United States Department of Defense and private sector companies, KM remains an emergent topic in state DOTs. Many state DOTs struggle when asked by decision-makers to provide examples of KM practices and their benefits, and to define KM as a presence within their respective organizations.

State DOT adoption of KM has parallels to the adoption of other new practices for transportation. For example, transportation asset management (TAM), which began in the 1990s, began with a period of outreach and early adopter agencies testing strategies. Following this, examples of implementation were developed to provide other DOTs insight into potential uses and methods for development. This led to further adoption, acceptance and integration of TAM practice. To complement the research results from NCHRP Report 813 and NCHRP Project 20-68A, Scan 12-04 Report, and to address the concerns raised in the CKM surveys, research is needed to develop a set of products that can be utilized by state DOTs to implement KM activities. The NCHRP reports and the CKM both emphasize that development of the products from this project will be helpful to those just getting started and those further along the KM journey. In addition, these products will strengthen the community of practice by presenting examples of tangible state DOT efforts on KM.

This project will develop a set of products to support the implementation of KM in state DOTs, by using the materials established by NCHRP Report 813, NCHRP Project 20-68A, Scan 12-04 Report, and a case study template developed by CKM. The products developed will be posted to the NCHRP Project 20-44(45) website and made broadly accessible.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Jul 2022 17:09:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1989274</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>NCHRP Implementation Support Program. Implementation for NCHRP Research Report 948—Guide for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety at Alternative Intersections and Interchanges</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1957067</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The implementation project focuses on NCHRP Report 948 Guide for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety at Alternative and Other Intersections and Interchanges. The implementation plan is divided into three principal categories that would directly promote the implementation and technology transfer of the research products: (1) training and outreach efforts, (2) pilot applications and case studies, and (3) integration with other guidance documents.
NCHRP Report 948 had the objective to develop a guide for transportation practitioners to improve and integrate pedestrian and bicycle safety considerations at alternative intersections and interchanges (A.I.I.) through planning, design, and operational treatments. The implementation project's objective is to share and disseminate the results of the research with public agencies, and to provide hands-on technology transfer assistance to these agencies.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2022 12:50:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1957067</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Implementation of Bridge Preservation Actions</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1957059</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Research was performed under NCHRP Project 14-36, “Proposed AASHTO Guide for Bridge Preservation Actions,” to support the development of bridge and deck preservation guides. The research was based on data collected from representative agencies and includes (1) catalogs of bridge element preservation actions and (2) the criteria and selection methods of bridge preservation actions with associated costs and benefits for use in life cycle cost analysis and possible integration into a bridge management system.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Committee on Bridges and Structures balloted and passed for adoption two guides:
(1) Guide to Bridge Preservation Actions (published July 2021) and (2) Guide to Preservation of Highway Bridge Decks (pending publication).

The objective of this implementation project was to hold workshops for state departments of transportation (DOTs) and local public agencies to support the implementation of bridge preservation practices, as outlined in the AASHTO guides.


]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 27 May 2022 12:02:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1957059</guid>
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