<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=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" 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>Advancing MASH Roadside Safety Design Standards (Year 4)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2703690</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) provides guidelines for crash testing and
evaluating highway safety features. However, these guidelines predominantly rely on research using 50th-percentile crash test dummies, potentially overlooking the safety needs of a broader group of motorists of various sizes and statures. This project aims to address this gap by investigating the suitability of the MASH impact safety requirements for a diverse range of motorists and recommending necessary adjustments. The proposed research will evaluate the existing criteria to identify potential shortcomings in
representing 5th-percentile and 95th-percentile drivers and passengers. By conducting thorough assessments and performance evaluations of highway safety standards, the project seeks to identify areas requiring adjustments to ensure the safety of all road users. The project’s significance lies in its potential to enhance highway safety measures by considering the specific needs and characteristics of all motorists.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 14:30:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2703690</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Debris Removal System</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2607965</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) is responsible for maintaining safe roadways for the motoring public. 67-3-16 requires the State Highway Commission, the governing body of the NMDOT, to construct, repair, and maintain highways within the state, as in their judgment will best serve the interest of the general public. Part of maintaining the roadways in good operation is to clear debris that can be hazardous to the public. Currently, NMDOT personnel are required to close traffic lanes as well as leave the safety of their vehicle, putting themselves in harm's way,  to remove roadway debris. A safer and more effective way for the Department to meet this statutory requirement would be to use devices to clear the roadway. 
 
The Department is currently conducting a Debris Removal System pilot study with vendors J-Tech (Lane Blade) and IC Innovations (Incident Clear). The units selected are equipped on the front of the vehicles and are truck-mounted hydraulic-actuated blade attachments to collect litter. This will allow the NMDOT personnel to remove hazardous road debris without leaving the safety of their vehicle. At the end of the pilot study, the Department will select the best Debris Removal System to ultimately provide safer roadways and reduce delays for the Department and the motoring public of New Mexico. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:17:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2607965</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>High Tension Cable Median Guardrail Expected Lifespan</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2487331</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has been installing High Tension Cable Barrier (HTCB) Systems for approximately 20 years along heavily traveled corridors. The objective of this research is to study the lifecycle of HTCB system and the inspection process for this critical safety equipment.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 09:59:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2487331</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Roadside Safety Pooled Fund - Phase 3</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2020228</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this Pooled Fund is to assist transportation agencies in achieving their Roadway Departure (RwD) related  all state Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSPs) goals through development, evaluation and deployment of life-saving roadside safety devices and countermeasures in accordance with AASHTO and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) adopted standards such as the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). It will also support continuation of MASH implementation in roadside hardware categories that have lagged in achieving MASH compliance (special barrier applications, sign supports, work zone traffic control devices, luminaire poles, etc.) due to various design and performance challenges and other related factors. These activities will directly support and impact state efforts to achieve Target Zero by helping reduce the frequency and severity of roadway departure crashes.

Given their common interest in SHSP implementation, all states would benefit from participation in this Pooled Fund program.  However, the FHWA Roadway Departure Focus States may particularly benefit from the roadside safety research, collaboration, and information sharing that will constitute the framework of the program.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2022 18:37:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2020228</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assess the Effectiveness of Type 2 and Type 3 Safety Vest for Day and Night Use</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1642186</link>
      <description><![CDATA[At the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), the safety of highway workers is priority one. For this reason, ODOT has invested in type 2 and 3 safety vests, halo lights and reflectors on the back of our dump trucks. While these items separately are known to improve safety, there is concern that together they may not be as effective. Included among the concerns is blending between these safety features making it difficult for motorists to distinguish between people and equipment. Research is needed to ensure that ODOT is deploying the most effective safety measures for our personnel during both day and night operations.   
The overall goal of this project is to determine the effectiveness of each piece of safety equipment, collectively and individually, and determine if there are better methods for ensuring the safety of highway workers safe during both night and daytime operations. Objectives of this project include:
(1) Determine how to improve the visibility of highway workers when wearing safety vests behind dump trucks with reflectors
(2) Consider alternatives for vests or reflectors when using both in close proximity to each other
(3) Provide a safer environment for motoring public when driving in work zones
(4) Provide a matrix of alternative solutions
(5) Develop a draft standard operations (SOP) that will document improvement to ODOT's current process This will include both day and night operations.
                       ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 02 Aug 2019 07:25:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1642186</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Intelligent Camera Aided Railway Emergency System (i-CARES)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1578533</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Description: Trespass casualties represent roughly 70% of accidents on railroad right-of-way (ROW) in North America. Ironically, more than 60% of collisions occur at crossings with automatic warning systems, and 34.7% occur at crossings that have flashing lights and gates. This is in part because there are several shortcomings with the existing grade crossing warning system, including that the flashing and gate arm only indicate an approaching train without information about its estimated arrival time. To improve safety at crossings, the research team will develop the first-ever Intelligent Camera-Aided Railway Emergency System (i-CARES). I-CARES will make use of image-based monitoring and surveillance, quantitative situational awareness assessment, and direct “two-way” communication and information sharing. I-CARES will offer automatic fault detection and notification for CBM, as well as imagery evidence for trespassing violations (similar to the Electronic Police Reports Online (ePRO) system).
Intellectual Merit: This project will develop a first-of-its-kind, low-cost, field-deployable system to improve multi-modal safety at railroad grade crossings.
Broader Impacts: I-CARES will benefit all travelers, including pedestrians, vehicles, and trains. It will save lives and avoid property damage in an efficient and economical way.
Technology Transfer Plan: The outcomes from this project will be able to be used to develop prototype devices that can be installed at railroad crossings in the near future.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 11 Jan 2019 16:26:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1578533</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Vehicle-Based Low Clearance Detector</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1400250</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The considered technology was vehicle-based (as opposed to infrastructure-based). In comparison, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) looked at reducing bridge strikes using technologies that were installed on infrastructure. Infrastructure-based technologies were not a complete solution to the problem of avoiding bridge strikes because they were expensive and there was no requirement for the local or State governments that owned the bridges to install the technologies. Global positioning systems for trucks were also not a complete solution because there were many low-clearance overpasses that were not documented, and thus not in a navigation database for trucks. There was also no requirement for a local or State government to document all low-clearance overpasses.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2016 08:31:08 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1400250</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SmartPark: Real-time Parking Availability, Phase II</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1400241</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this project was to demonstrate a technology for providing real-time information on truck parking availability to truckers on the road. The SmartPark program was prompted by a 2000 National Transportation Safety Board recommendation that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) create a guide to inform truck drivers about locations and availability of parking. A 2002 study on the adequacy of truck parking by the Federal Highway Administration recommended using Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to provide truckers with real-time information on the location and availability of parking spaces. In 2005, the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center completed a study entitled "ITS and Truck Parking" for FMCSA. FMCSA completed Phase I by field testing a technology, namely, combined Doppler radar and laser scanning/light curtain. The test results from the contractor (independently verified and validated by Volpe) showed that the technology meets three necessary performance requirements. Therefore, a decision was made to proceed to Phase II. Phase II covered information dissemination, reservations, maximization of space, gathering of historical data to make forecasts of availability, and self-sustainability. Phase II of the SmartPark field operations test (FOT) took place at mile markers (MM) 23 and 45 northbound on I-75 in Tennessee. MM 23 is approximately 20 miles north of Chattanooga and MM 45 is halfway between Chattanooga and Knoxville. At both MM 23 and MM 45, there is truck parking. For each of the two truck parking areas, there were two variable message signs providing notice of truck parking availability (available, limited, or full) for a total of four signs. For each truck parking area, one sign was at 1 mile upstream of the truck parking area, and another sign was about 400 feet upstream of the truck parking area. At each of the truck parking areas, there were five spaces that could be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. In the 6 months of field testing, FMCSA demonstrated and gathered data on the feasibility of the truck parking reservation system, historical utilization of truck parking spaces, and the viability of linking the two truck parking areas together (i.e., were truckers diverted by the variable message signs if one area was filled and the other was not?). A final report for Phase I showing the feasibility of a commercially-available technology (Doppler radar and laser scanning/light curtain) for accurately and reliably determining truck parking space occupancy was accepted in June 2013. The 6-month FOT final report (pending publication) will show whether two truck parking areas can be networked in such a way that trucks can be diverted from a filled area to an unfilled area and show the viability of information dissemination systems for truck parking availability. Other tasks included development of an operations and maintenance manual and training to manage the SmartPark system.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2016 07:30:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1400241</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>FAST DASH Safety Technology Evaluation Project #2: Driver Monitoring</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1400162</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The second FMCSA's Advanced System Testing utilizing a Data Acquisition System on the Highways (FAST DASH) program evaluation involved a controlled test on the Virginia Smart Road and a naturalistic field test with a CMV fleet. The evaluated monitoring technology varied significantly from other OBMS strategies. Using vehicle kinematic and network data, accelerometers, and a global positioning system (GPS), but no video, the OBMS identified unacceptable behavior and provided feedback to the driver, aiming to correct the offending behavior within a given period of time. Examples of such behaviors included speeding (based on the posted speed limit or other preset criteria), driving aggressively (based on kinematic sensors), and lack of seatbelt use (also based on sensors). If the speed or seatbelt violation was corrected within the allowable period (speed reduced or seatbelt fastened), no violation (i.e., infraction identified by the system) was recorded. The system also monitored idling and approximated fuel usage.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2016 15:08:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1400162</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Compliance Test Procedures</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1400160</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This program was established with a 1-year cooperative agreement to create a compliance test procedure and a subsequent cooperative agreement to provide technical support. In the first year, the contractor developed test procedures, a template for consistent reporting of test results, and training materials; validated the developed test procedure on a sample subset of ELD-like systems available on the market; and made FMCSA-recommended changes to the test plans, procedures, and tools. After final approval of the test procedure, there was a 1-year period of technical support to provide guidance to ELD providers that were performing their own certification test(s) using the compliance test procedure.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2016 14:37:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1400160</guid>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>