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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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      <title>Evaluating Mowing Practices for Pollinator Habitat Enhancement: Highway Vegetation Management and Its Impact on Endangered Polinator</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2724815</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ORS 634.045 requires several state agencies, including Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), to maintain and revise a bee pollinator safety plan to educate the public and increase pollinator habitat. It is not clear to ODOT how to document habitat on their properties, if current mowing practices enhance or reduce pollinator habitat, and how to prioritize areas for compliance of conservation practices. The US DOT has guidelines for vegetation management for right-of-ways (ROWs), but there have been contrasting results for key practices, such as mowing and efforts at establishing pollinator-attractive plants have not resulted in long lasting habitat and may result in costly landscaping. Finally, there are concerns that the habitats near roadway locations with vehicles and environmental pollutants may result low mortality rates to pollinators. Consequently, it is unclear how ODOT routine mowing practices, which covers an estimated 20,000 acres annually, enhances the vegetation that is important to threatened or endangered pollinators. This research seeks to identify mowing practices that encourage these plants and to help meet protection targets without increased costs.
The research will study pollinator activity in three geographic regions and develop “high benefit” pollinator vegetation management practices with a neutral (or lessened) cost to ODOT. The research will be conducted over three seasons and have three parts: (1) In-field vegetation documentation using new app and method analysis; (2) Cost-Benefit Analysis; and (3) Feasibility analysis. 
The in-field tasks include selecting 27 site locations on ODOT secondary or tertiary roads, with appropriate ROWs, across three ODOT regions (i.e., 9 per region).  The study will have three levels of mowing intensity: high (at least once per year), medium (once every other year) and low (less than once every two years). Each location will be monitored for plant diversity and density and bee pollinator activity during the appropriate seasons – with particular measurement directly before and after mowing. The research will determine if mowing intensity and date of mowing influences the density of plants of highest value to pollinators by: (1) relating plants found to Melittflora records filtered for the region; and (2) calculating the richness of bee species found at each site. The research will also use historic estimates of average seasonal traffic volume at each site as a covariate to investigate the impact of traffic on the diversity of the bee community for a given plant community. Site characteristics will also be documented (e.g. distance from the roadway). The cost-benefit analysis will focus on detailing normal vs pollinator staff/resource costs, timing for mowing, and comparing to outcomes of high pollinator activity. The feasibility analysis will compare normal maintenance resource availability and use compared to recommended optimal mowing for pollinator benefits.

Finally, the project would result in a regional pocket guide of the most important plants for pollinators that vegetation management crews will encounter, as well as new continuing education trainings for vegetation management staff. This information could be used in future construction (or Maintenance) locations to identify plant species that are both of high value to pollinators and known to persist under ROW conditions that could help inform how to modify seed blends following road construction.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:39:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2724815</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Precision Agriculture Tools for Roadside Management
and Beautification</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2604608</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Precision agriculture is a spatially-aware, technology-enabled methodology which allows the precise and accurate control of the components necessary for sustainable agricultural production. In this case the desired production system is planted roadside vegetation for ecological improvement and beautification, specifically the wildflowers that have become a 
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) signature. Commercially available precision agriculture systems have been well-developed for over 20 years, but they have not been widely adapted for use in the roadside environment. This project seeks to develop systems and controls that can be leveraged into seeding systems that would allow the DOT wildflower program to continue to innovate and make establishment of wildflower areas more safely and quickly while creating unique and visually appealing public displays. In addition to ground-based vehicle control, advanced unmanned aerial systems and vehicles (UAS/UAVs) have been developed that could make management and improvement of
roadside vegetation easier and safer. While there are options for roadside application of granular inputs, this project seeks to address the use of UAVs to apply granular products. Specifically the use of treated granulars that combine fertilizer and weed management into one operation are under study. As a suite of technologies, precision agriculture systems can be leveraged into the roadside environment and continue to place NCDOT at the forefront of ecologically informed wildflower and vegetation management.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:34:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2604608</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>NCHRP Implementation Support Program. Implementing NCHRP Guides on Pollinator Habitat Conservation along Roadways</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2342016</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Many pollinators are in decline and roadsides can be valuable habitat for them and other wildlife. Roadside managers have an interest in pollinator conservation and are seeking information about ways to support imperiled pollinators and to preclude future listings to the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

One of the primary goals of NCHRP Project 25-59, “Pollinator Habitat Conservation along Roadways,” was to produce guides that cover 16 regions of the United States. Each guide includes regional information about site selection, design, installation, and management of roadside pollinator habitat; the native plants and pollinators of each region; and guidance on ESA regulatory compliance to reduce regulatory uncertainty and contribute to pollinator conservation and recovery. Supporting materials that accompanied the guides include videos for transportation agencies and the public, a communications toolbox, monitoring and habitat assessment tools, and plant lists.

NCHRP 20-44(55) will provide training on using the guides, and help state department of transportation (DOT) staff understand and consider pollinator habitat conservation strategies that may be effective in their jurisdiction or situation. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Feb 2024 20:04:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2342016</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Incorporation of Pollinator Plantings to Enhance Ecosystem Functions and  Durability of Transportation Right-of-Way Infrastructure (2.15)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1875139</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Highway right-of-ways (ROWs) provide numerous ecosystem services beyond erosion control. Incorporation of native grasses and flowering plants into ROW plantings can further increase the services by providing habitat for endangered native pollinators while improving aesthetics, erosion control, and stormwater filtration. However, highway ROWs are not natural habitats. The roadway itself alters the micro-climate of the roadside, and safety considerations require much of the ROW to be maintained as grassland or scrubland. In New England these are early succession ecosystems and must be regularly mowed or otherwise disturbed. Many New England wildflowers are not adapted to the roadside environment, while wildflowers used on roadsides in other regions are not native in New England and may not be adapted to the soils or climate. This project will use vegetation surveys and adaptation trials to identify native and naturalized flowering plants adapted to the highway ROW environment, and will create trial plantings in the highway ROW to identify best practices for establishing native grasses and forbs from seed on the roadside. Roadsides have been successfully maintained as habitat for native plants, pollinators, small animals and birds in other regions but very little management of roadside for habitat has occurred in New England. Best practices from other regions need to be tested to determine whether they are appropriate in New England since soils, climate, and native species differ. Trial plantings will be established in partnership with RIDOT Maintenance to ensure that the establishment methods used are possible with the equipment and employee skills available.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 28 Aug 2021 18:31:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1875139</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Beautification/Landscape Area Plan Development</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1395743</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research will identify a method to identify state highway right of way areas that are protected under federal law so that they are easily recognized, identified in project planning, and are managed as special areas for preservation. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2016 17:47:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1395743</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluating the Impacts of the Blennerhasset Island Bridge Crossing (Ohio River) on Wildlife</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1228107</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The West Virginia Department of Transportation initiated research of wildlife populations associated with bridge construction on the Tygart and Middle Fork Rivers (Corridor H) and Blennerhassett Island (Corridor D) to help improve bridge design and decrease negative impacts on wildlife. This research involves collecting wildlife data such as floral and fauna data, line transect surveys for breeding birds, vegetation sampling, and other wildlife studies and completing an analysis of the data collected.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:14:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1228107</guid>
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