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    <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>
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      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <item>
      <title>Traffic Control Device Analysis, Testing, and Evaluation Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2731978</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Traffic control devices (TCDs) are the primary means of communicating highway information to road users and play a key role in highway automation. The design, application, and maintenance of TCDs is under constant transformation as new technologies, methodologies, and policies are introduced. In addition, vehicle technologies and the roadway infrastructure industry are rapidly evolving, spurred by technology advancements, customer demand, changes in the vehicle fleet, and changes in national and state policies. The research team will provide Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) a mechanism to quickly and effectively conduct high priority evaluations of issues related to TCDs. The TCD issues to be evaluated in this project could represent new devices or technologies, new applications of an existing device or technology, TCD material performance, changes in TxDOT’s practices regarding a TCD, or other TCD related needs. Examples of various evaluations include human factors, machine vision performance, safety and operational effects, visibility assessments, and cost effectiveness analyses. The activities conducted through this project will support the development of TCD related policy, specifications, guidelines, handbooks, and training.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:11:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2731978</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Evaluate Traffic Control Devices Viable Use to Reduce Speeding Behavior at High-Low Speed Zone Locations in Michigan</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2731925</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Determine the effectiveness of various traffic control devices currently in use to reduce driver speeding behavior, when traveling from
a high-speed zone to low-speed zone. Site locations of interest in Michigan are where the speed limit is reduced due to a change in
roadway context, such as locations with increased pedestrian traffic, within school vicinity, and where bicycle traffic exist. Devices
proposed for study under this research project are signs of various sizes, dynamic signs, and experimental type devices.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:50:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2731925</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of Transit Signal Display Options</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2716608</link>
      <description><![CDATA[There is a need to assess the operational and safety impacts of alternative transit signal
displays and inform recommendations to be incorporated in state and national transit signal
design guidelines. OBJECTIVES: 1. Understand the current state of practice on the implementation of transit signal displays through a thorough review of the literature and outreach to transit agencies and other relevant stakeholders. 2. Explore transit operator preferences regarding positioning and display of transit signals through a survey to transit operators. 3. Investigate correlations between crashes and transit signal displays, through crash report analyses. 4. Understand driver behavior when encountering transit signals through field observations, static evaluation surveys, and driving simulation. 5. Develop recommendations for consideration in the next version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) regarding positioning and display design of transit signals.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:03:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2716608</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Scoping Study: Vertical Visibility Constraints -- Vertical Curvature Traffic Control Devices</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2709249</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Horizontal and vertical curves can obscure key roadway features or activity that may lie ahead of unaware drivers. Roadway curvature is a significant factor in roadway departure crashes, injuries, and fatalities. As land use has developed and activities on roads have changed, the potential for conflicts has grown. It is impractical and beyond the resources of roadway authorities to improve all roadway alignments to attain optimal sight distance. This is a growing concern as active transportation increases in many rural areas, especially those experiencing increased tourism. Horizontal curvature on roadways where drivers’ views are obstructed has been thoroughly researched, leading to well-accepted strategies for traffic control devices in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). However, similar research has yet to be conducted for vertical curves.

OBJECTIVE; The objective of this research is to develop a scoping study to clearly define and refine the research needs, objectives, and expected products necessary to address vertical visibility constraints, including exploring the relevance of crash data to vertical curves and developing a research work program to explore solutions. The intent of potential larger, follow-on, NCHRP study is to obtain data from vertical-curvature-related crashes to assess the details of occurrence, frequency, and severity, and to better understand road user needs, rather than relying on approaches used in prior studies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:49:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2709249</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Colorado Traffic and Animal Detection (COTAD) Model - Training the YOLO algorithm to Reliably Detect Colorado Wildlife, Pedestrians, and Vehicles</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2643439</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Reliable, automated detection of wildlife in real-time from optical and thermal camera images, and using detection to alert drivers by using dynamic wildlife warning signs (DWW), can save lives and protect property, as well as protect wildlife. This research will develop and train COTAD to detect Colorado large wildlife and test the algorithm near highways. If successful and paired with DWW, this project could become a highly used and cost effective tool to continue Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT’s) progress and leadership in reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 13:50:23 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2643439</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Study to Understand the Influence of Emergency Vehicle Color, Reflectance, Signing/Arrow Boards, and Lighting Configurations in Reducing Responder-Involved Crashes</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2642797</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The main objective of the research project is to develop a set of recommendations on emergency lighting, vehicle colors, markings, use of dynamic message boards, and placement of graphics to influence driver compliance with Florida’s “Move Over” law. The goal of this project is to understand the effect of different emergency lights color and flash patterns on human eyes and how to improve the conspicuity, visibility, and reflectivity of RRSP vehicles in varying light and weather conditions to improve Road Ranger Service Patrol (RRSP) safety.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:58:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2642797</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Develop and Evaluate Long Median Barrier Gate to Assist with Emergency Response</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636104</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Median barriers are commonly used to separate opposing lanes of traffic on divided highways and to separate managed lanes from general purpose lanes. Concrete Median Barriers (CMBs) are often preferred on urban freeways with narrow medians due to their minimal deflection and low maintenance. However, long, continuous runs of CMBs limit access of emergency and maintenance vehicles to the other side of a roadway or a managed lane. Implementation of crashworthy median barrier gates at these locations can maintain the desired level of median protection for motorists while offering improved cross-median access for emergency and/or maintenance vehicles. The current Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) Barrier Gate (detailed on standard sheet BG-11) is 30-ft long and provides a clear opening of 27 ft between the mounting brackets. For this project, the research team will develop a longer median barrier gate to provide a greater clear opening for larger emergency vehicles and contraflow during evacuation operations. The research team will design the median barrier gate to operate without power and perform crash testing of the median barrier gate to verify compliance with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 09:44:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636104</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Use of Colors in Dynamic Message Signs for Both Travel Times and Static Sign Simulation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2487332</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The majority of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT)'s roadway Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) are capable of full color/full matrix messaging. The objective of this research is to explore new ways to display messages that are easier for roadway users to understand, reducing distractions and increasing safety.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 11:53:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2487332</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of Signs at Highway-Rail Crossings</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2601423</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project evaluates the safety impacts of replacing STOP signs with YIELD signs at highway–rail grade crossings. The study examines whether this transition has resulted in measurable reductions in crashes and near misses, while also analyzing key crossing characteristics—including traffic volume, train frequency, visibility, and roadway type—that may influence safety outcomes. Findings will be used to provide data-driven recommendations on whether to retain, modify, or reverse the signage change at specific locations, supporting evidence-based decisions for improving transportation safety.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:18:51 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2601423</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Placement Options for In-street Pedestrian Crossing Signs (R1-6a)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2593953</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This study evaluated the effects of R1-6a pedestrian crossing signs, installed in various configurations, on driver yielding behavior at uncontrolled marked crosswalks across six Oregon locations. The research analyzed both staged and naturalistic crossings under different experimental conditions, including baseline, tubular markers, single and multiple R1-6a signs, and gateway installations. Video data were coded to assess crossing volumes and yielding rates for over 5,900 pedestrians. Baseline yielding was already high, averaging 85% nearside and 89% farside, but increased further with sign treatments. The gateway configuration achieved the highest yielding rates of 92% (nearside) and 97% (farside), while curb-top edge sign placement produced 87% nearside yielding and 99% farside yielding. These findings demonstrate that R1-6a signs, particularly in gateway configurations, enhance driver yielding even when baseline compliance is high, though variations across sites highlight the influence of differing roadway contexts and pedestrian environments.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:29:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2593953</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Research and Assessment of Needs for Sign Maintenance</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2593930</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District offices need to verify in-house sign/signal installation and maintenance crews are prepared to implement criteria set forth in the new Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This requires a thorough assessment of each District’s sign and signal crews to identify needs. This evaluation must review crew staffing levels, equipment and material needs, and training schedules. Based on findings of this assessment, KYTC’s sign installation handbook can be updated with best practices for assembling and managing effective sign and signal crews as well as for conducting effective and safe sign maintenance.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:32:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2593930</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluating the Effectiveness of Dynamic Speed Feedback Sign (DSFS) at Safety Critical Locations in Connecticut </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2566902</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research study will use the field data collected at horizontal curves and speed transition zones to evaluate the effectiveness of dynamic speed feedback sign (DSFS) in improving speed compliance at these locations. The research team will extensively collect speed data at numerous horizontal curves and speed transition zones to obtain a meaningful sample size; and estimate the ideal range of longitudinal position of DSFS that produces maximum impact on speed.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2025 13:29:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2566902</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Graphical Changeable Message Signs: Strategies, Impacts, and Best Practices</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2563027</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is exploring the potential of graphical changeable message signs (CMS) to improve driver comprehension and response to roadway information. While traditional CMS rely on text-only messages, advances in display technology now allow the inclusion of graphic symbols and photographic elements. However, limited research exists on how Virginia drivers interpret these graphical formats and whether they offer measurable benefits over standard text-based messages.

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of graphical CMS designs in supporting driver comprehension and safe decision-making through a combination of carefully designed surveys and driving simulator experiments. An early focus of the project will be the evaluation of CMS messages developed for the Targeted Over-Height Vehicle Warning CMS system at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT), which includes the novel feature of displaying photo of the detected over-height vehicles. This effort supports VDOT’s Request to Experiment submitted to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The study will use interstate incident management as its primary case study. Results will provide VDOT with actionable guidance on the design and deployment of graphical CMS, support potential updates to statewide messaging policies, and inform future pilot projects or experimentation initiatives.   
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 10 Jun 2025 09:49:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2563027</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of Digital Speed Limit Signs in Work Zones</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2562260</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Digital Speed Limit signs (DSLs) have been implemented in a restricted number of Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) freeway work zone locations with
60/45 (mph) “WHERE WORKERS PRESENT” (WWP) speed limits. DSLs allow for the speed limit to be displayed on a digital
panel, which may be modified based on worker presence at the location, providing an advantage over the traditional 60/45
WWP signs by removing the ambiguity regarding the speed limit in place at that time and location. Preliminary testing of the
DSLs has identified challenges related to the manual changing of the displayed speed limit, such as signs being left in the
wrong speed limit status, with the potential to cause confusion for drivers or potential unsafe situations for workers. Issues
with incorrect manual setting of the speed limit may be remediated with proximity (mobile on-person at location) sensors that
would change the digital speed limit display automatically based on worker presence. Research is needed to determine the
appropriate worker proximity sensor settings to activate/deactivate the 45 mph WWP display, understand DSLs impact on
driver behavior and travel speed through the work zones under various conditions as compared to standard static 60/45 WWP
signage. Also, additional research would help in determining the appropriate placement, spacing, and duration of placement
of the DSLs for the highest rate of work zone speed limit compliance.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:32:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2562260</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Size of Regulatory and Warning Signs







</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558385</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all streets, highways, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and site roadways open to public travel. Regulatory and warning signs are covered in MUTCD Chapters 2A (Dimensions), 2B (Size of Regulatory Signs), 2C (Size of Warning Signs and Plaques), 6G (Regulatory Sign Design and Size), 6H (Warning Sign Function, Design, and Application), 7B (Design of School Signs), 8B (Sizes of Grade Crossing Signs), 9A (General), 9B (Regulatory Signs), and 9C (Warning Signs and Object Markers). Transportation agencies face challenges with the size of regulatory and warning signs because real-world roadway features do not always clearly match the categories (e.g., conventional, expressway) in the MUTCD tables (e.g., Table 2C-1, Warning Sign and Plaque Sizes). For example, some high-speed roads pass through urban areas without a reduction in speed, which can lead to sign clutter and sign sizes that do not match roadway conditions. These issues can increase costs, create maintenance difficulties, and result in the overuse of larger signs.

Human factors is an applied scientific discipline that tries to enhance the relationship between devices and systems and the people who are meant to use them. As a discipline, human factors approaches system design with the user as its focal point. Human factors research can help address transportation agencies’ challenges with the size of regulatory and warning signs by focusing on how drivers and other road users see and respond to signs. This user-centered approach can provide transportation agencies evidence-based guidance on choosing optimum sign sizes. With this kind of support, states can reduce costs, improve consistency, and make sure regulatory and warning signs are both effective and easy to understand.

Research is needed to incorporate human factors into regulatory and warning signs to help transportation agencies select optimum sign sizes.

The objective of this research is to provide guidance for selecting sizes of regulatory and warning signs based on traffic speed and highway context, considering human factors. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2025 14:05:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558385</guid>
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