<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="https://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
  <channel>
    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
    <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=PHNlYXJjaD48cGFyYW1zPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJkYXRlaW4iIHZhbHVlPSJhbGwiIC8+PHBhcmFtIG5hbWU9InN1YmplY3Rsb2dpYyIgdmFsdWU9Im9yIiAvPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJ0ZXJtc2xvZ2ljIiB2YWx1ZT0ib3IiIC8+PHBhcmFtIG5hbWU9ImxvY2F0aW9uIiB2YWx1ZT0iMTYiIC8+PC9wYXJhbXM+PGZpbHRlcnM+PGZpbHRlciBmaWVsZD0iaW5kZXh0ZXJtcyIgdmFsdWU9IiZxdW90O1JvYWRzaWRlIHJlc3QgYXJlYXMmcXVvdDsiIG9yaWdpbmFsX3ZhbHVlPSImcXVvdDtSb2Fkc2lkZSByZXN0IGFyZWFzJnF1b3Q7IiAvPjwvZmlsdGVycz48cmFuZ2VzIC8+PHNvcnRzPjxzb3J0IGZpZWxkPSJwdWJsaXNoZWQiIG9yZGVyPSJkZXNjIiAvPjwvc29ydHM+PHBlcnNpc3RzPjxwZXJzaXN0IG5hbWU9InJhbmdldHlwZSIgdmFsdWU9InB1Ymxpc2hlZGRhdGUiIC8+PC9wZXJzaXN0cz48L3NlYXJjaD4=" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
    <description></description>
    <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>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Enhancing Utah's Rest Area Safety Through AI-Based Near-Miss Detection and Risk Mapping</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2672765</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State-maintained rest areas are facing increasing safety risks as infrastructure ages and traveler demand grows, raising concerns about both user well-being and operational efficiency. Utilizing open-source data and video from surveillance cameras in rest areas managed by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), this project proposes to incorporate a safety-focused analysis layer into rest area management in Utah. The research team will develop computer vision pipelines for multi-object tracking and scene calibration to extract vehicle and pedestrian precise trajectories and speeds, then calculate surrogate safety measures to identify near-miss interactions in parking areas and walkways. These metrics will be integrated into spatiotemporal hotspot maps and a site-level Safety Performance Index (SPI) that ranks locations and time periods with the highest safety risks. The SPI will guide a risk-based shortlist of targeted countermeasures, including signage enhancements, speed-calming features, bollards, and lighting upgrades, each accompanied by projected risk reduction and cost estimates to support informed decision-making.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:38:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2672765</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Large Multimodal Models-based Undesignated Truck Parking Monitoring System at Rest Areas</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2669662</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Undesignated truck parking issues are prevalent in areas where truck parking facilities are scarce or overcrowded. When trucks park outside of dedicated spaces, they can obstruct emergency access routes, leading to public health and safety concerns, disrupt traffic flow, and increase the risk of theft. These problems are exacerbated in regions with a high demand for truck parking, such as District 8 in California, where nearly one-third of all parking incidents involve undesignated truck parking. Currently, the detection of undesignated parking relies heavily on manual enforcement, primarily through citations issued by patrol officers, which is costly and inefficient due to the significant resources required for patrols. Existing sensor-based truck parking detection systems also have less focus on undesignated parking due to lack of coverage. This project will develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) based truck parking monitoring system that covers both designated truck parking and undesignated truck parking. It will build on existing work in the area of truck parking research, with a focus on incorporating new and innovative approaches.  Compared with traditional vision-based systems which can detect vehicles but lack the ability to interpret complex situations for undesignated truck parking, LMMs integrate both visual recognition and language interpretation to comprehend contextual information such as road signs, lane markers or surrounding environments. The research team will explore the integration of Set-of-Mark prompting with lightweight domain adaptation for LMMs, and the fine-tuned inference pipeline that takes advantage of site-specific labeled data to enable accurate, scalable truck parking monitoring for both designated and undesignated conditions. Based on data collected from the I-10 truck parking availability system through the research team’s recent project funded by Caltrans, the team will evaluate the proposed method’s effectiveness across multiple real-world parking lots under diverse visual conditions.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 16:44:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2669662</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Guide on Truck Rest and Service Areas for Critical Supply Chain Delivery



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2614489</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No abstract provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:32:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2614489</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Methods to Revitalize and 
Improve Rest Area 
Infrastructure</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2593944</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) spends considerable time, effort, and funding to operate, maintain, and make improvements to rest areas. Most of Kentucky’s rest areas were built many years ago and may lack the capacity to handle current and future demands. Because funding is limited, the Cabinet has to balance the needs of rest areas against other highway projects. To identify economical strategies for improving rest area infrastructure, KYTC wants to investigate how other states fund the operation, maintenance, and improvements of their rest areas. Additionally, the Cabinet would like insights into types of improvements being made by other states.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:32:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2593944</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation and Prioritization of MDOT's Highway Rest Areas for Potential Closure</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2562321</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is always striving to meet their mission, values, and vision. Often data,
funding, and priorities are key components of the process to determine what are the best options to serve and connect people,
communities, and the economy through transportation. As transportation funding becomes increasingly constrained, areas
within the Department are continuously evaluating their priorities and attempting to determine where best to allocate funding.
The Department’s rest area system requires such an evaluation and update. Prior research was performed as OR10-045, but
there is a need to update this to consider diversity, equity, and inclusion elements as considerations along with other attributes
to further assist in meetings MDOTs mission, values and vision, while also being fiscally responsible for each rest area. The
goal is to provide an overall understanding of rest area performance through an objective analysis. The final deliverable
should be a ranking prioritization for fiscal management, that when combined with existing data from Transportation Systems
Management and Operations (TSMO) regarding rest area condition, can be used to guide the department in future actions to
ensure limited funding is being allocated to the highest priority facilities.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Jun 2025 07:39:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2562321</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Potential Revenue Generation Through Commercialization of Arizona Rest Areas</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2485373</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ADOT is interested in conducting a feasibility analysis to better understand the impacts, benefits, and drawbacks of rest area commercialization in Arizona in the event that the current laws (the Federal Randolph-Sheppard Act of 1936, 23 U.S.C. § 111) are ever changed. This analysis would help ADOT determine if commercialization is even a viable option for Arizona. As part of the research study, the current state and federal laws, financial and economic implications, and public perceptions will be explored with the advantages and disadvantages thoroughly documented.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jan 2025 16:04:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2485373</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Cost Benefit Analysis for Sustainable Energy Building Upgrades at Safety Rest Areas and Travel Information Centers</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2427793</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) manages 47 Class I Safety Rest Areas (SRAs) and Travel Information Centers (TICs) throughout the State of Minnesota. Many of these SRA and TIC buildings are equipped with outdated/inefficient mechanical and electrical systems. Therefore, the implementation of cost-effective sustainable energy building upgrades for these SRAs and TICs holds the potential to achieve multiple benefits. These upgrades would not only result in reduced energy consumption and lower energy bills but also decreased maintenance and operation costs for these facilities. Additionally, they would play a crucial role in minimizing the associated greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of this project is to develop a Decision Support Tool (DST) that enables to automatically conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis for all 47 SRAs and TICs and to assess the feasibility of implementing energy-efficient building upgrades at each facility. Ultimately, this tool will allow MnDOT to prioritize investment levels among these facilities based on their individual potential for improvement.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Sep 2024 17:06:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2427793</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Enhancing Rural Roadway Safety through Geospatial Analysis and
2SFCA-Driven Rest Area Serviceability Optimization for Trucks</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2265842</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Truck-involved crashes within the rural network pose a distinctive and multifaceted challenge that necessitates a specialized approach for comprehensive analysis and effective mitigation. Data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) indicates that fatal truck crashes frequently occur between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., deviating from patterns observed in other vehicle crashes. This peculiarity arises from the distinct routines of truck drivers, often commencing journeys early, which amplifies the risk of driver fatigue and contributes to crashes during the early hours. These observations underscore the imperative to address driver fatigue and enhance rest area serviceability and functionality in rural contexts. Recognizing the unique characteristics of rural areas necessitates acknowledging that truck-involved crashes within these regions can have varied effects on groups such as older adults. These disparities emphasize the crucial need for an all-encompassing approach to enhance safety. Leveraging the context of Florida, this project endeavors to formulate a robust methodology that incorporates geospatial, optimization, and machine learning techniques. By incorporating these multifaceted techniques, the methodology aims to holistically evaluate the resilience of these communities, thereby contributing to a comprehensive comprehension of the repercussions of truck-involved accidents in rural areas.
The objective of this proposal is to improve rural roadway safety by enhancing the accessibility and facilities of rest areas for trucks along rural highways in Florida. By applying the specialized Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method, this proposal aims to bridge the gap between rest area provisions, truck driver behavior, and rural truck-involved crashes. The data-driven insights generated through this project have the potential to significantly elevate rural roadway safety in Florida. This initiative intends to establish a clear correlation between the availability of rest areas, particularly truck parking lots, and the frequency of truck-involved crashes on rural roadways. The objective is to offer data-driven insights that guide strategic rest area development, thereby contributing to the reduction of truck-related accidents and fostering safer rural highways across Florida.
To meet this research demand, Signal4Analytics (S4A) and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) serve as optimal platforms for collecting truck-involved crash data. Furthermore, the 2SFCA analysis acknowledges the distinctive features of trucking operations. It encompasses the delineation of catchment areas surrounding each rest area, adapting to rural travel conditions and operational constraints. Calculating accessibility scores for each rural catchment area factors in elements such as the availability of truck parking lots and the population density within each region. These scores provide insights into the potential utilization of rest areas by truck drivers in rural environments. The integration and analysis of truck-involved accident data from Florida’s rural roadways hold pivotal importance. This process uncovers patterns and hotspot locations, linking these incidents with computed accessibility scores to unveil potential associations between rest area accessibility and rates of truck-involved accidents in rural settings.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:40:51 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2265842</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Pollinator Habitat &amp; Pollinator Plant Seed Increase at Brigham City Rest Stop</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2262756</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research will determine best native plants that are beneficial to the ecosystem and reduce maintenance costs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 06 Oct 2023 09:59:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2262756</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Washington State Rest Area Site Evaluation Study</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1928909</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary purpose of this research project is to aid in the development of the Washington State Highway Rest Area Strategic Plan and to advance information and understand regarding highway rest area use to maximize the utilization of WSDOT assets. This will involve close collaboration with WSDOT Maintenance Division personnel in order to leverage their collective experience and understanding and likewise the analytical capability 
of WSU economists. While this scope of work lays out expected work tasks and deliverables, changes may be adapted as new information and knowledge is obtained throughout the research effort. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2022 14:09:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1928909</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Methane Energy Generation Project Phase 4</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1906169</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to build off the previous design (WA-RD 901.1) to create an energy recapture and generation system applicable to the Safety Rest Area’s (SRA) or other public facilities operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). This system uses methane generated in the wastewater conveyance process to create electrical energy to run the SRA with the possibility to send excess electricity to the grid. This project revolves around two high-priority problems: (1) reduce greenhouse and prevent harmful gas release into the atmosphere, and (2) quell operational and capital costs at SRA’s while fulfilling regulatory requirements. Currently, methane, as well as other environmentally impactful gasses such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), escape into the atmosphere without treatment at the sewer facilities located at Safety Rest Area’s (SRA) that are operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Utilizing sewer system gases at SRA’s could potentially allow for significant operational cost reductions for WSDOT, as they maintain and operate numerous facilities, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2022 11:49:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1906169</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Transportation Research Related to COVID-19. Guide on Truck Rest and Service Areas for Critical Supply Chain Delivery</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1842757</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research is to develop a guide for effective practices and implementation strategies to integrate resilience and emergency response planning and operations related to truck rest and service areas for supply chain delivery.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Mar 2021 18:28:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1842757</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SPR-4203: Synthesis Study: Facilities (Enterprise Development, Sponsorship/Privatization)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1502527</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has the responsibility to maintain shelters and rest areas but limited budget to spend on maintenance and proper upkeep of these areas as well as provision of technological capabilities demanded by the public, in public use areas. The goal of this project is to identify use of enterprise wide resources to generate such revenue through public-private partnership agreements that best leverage use of this space.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 20 Feb 2018 11:47:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1502527</guid>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>