<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 a Statewide Model for Multimodal Transportation Planning and Asset Management Integration in Rural and Small Urban Contexts</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2606412</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research addresses the critical need for integrating transportation asset management (TAM) with transportation planning practices in rural and small urban contexts. Building on federal guidance from the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and subsequent legislation, the project will develop a statewide framework that strengthens the relationship between asset management and multimodal transportation planning across state, regional, and local agencies. The research focuses on three foundational components: meaningful stakeholder collaboration, high-quality integrated asset data, and aligned performance measurement processes. Using West Virginia as a pilot context, the study will evaluate current integration practices, assess multimodal asset data gaps, develop a prototype infrastructure database, and create a practitioner-focused toolkit for co-prioritization and performance-based decision-making. The methodology encompasses assessment of current practices, evaluation of data opportunities, database development, framework creation, and pilot implementation with selected agencies to test real-world applications and gather user feedback for refinement.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 02 Oct 2025 15:27:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2606412</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Opportunities and Challenges of Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) for Rural-Metro Communities: Case Study of the Rio Grande Valley, TX </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2459121</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) emerges as a potential solution to several contemporary transportation challenges. This technology aims to offer mobility options on a single application for which users can purchase the service rather than the means of transportation, integrating several mobility options, payment, and real-time information into a single application that is easily accessible. The Rio Grande Valley is a small urban and rural area challenged by automobile dependent urban form, traffic congestion from an exploding population, and limited mobility options for low-income and vulnerable people.. Few studies have explored the impact MaaS could have in a U.S. context, and even fewer have studied in small urban and rural contexts in the United States. This report demonstrates that while respondents are supportive of transit, their distances are conducive to multimodal use, and that they have easy access to smartphones and internet, that the car is almost exclusively used for travel trips. Finally, a MaaS offering in the Rio Grande Valley would face several, likely, insurmountable challenges, but that efforts should be undertaken to improve transportation options and experiences in the Rio Grande Valley.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 23 Nov 2024 11:06:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2459121</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Exploring Shared Micromobility as an Alternative Transportation Option:
Opportunities and Challenges in U.S. Mid-sized Cities and Small Towns</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2265853</link>
      <description><![CDATA[With over half a billion trips taken in the United States (U.S.) since 2010, shared micromobility1 has quickly developed as an alternative to private automobiles, providing safer, cheaper, and more accessible ways for people to get around2. In tandem with the surge in shared micromobility, there is an exponential increase in privately owned micromobility devices, particularly in electric-assist bicycles (e-bikes) and scooters3. Micromobility’s alignment with key objectives and policies of U.S. transportation agencies is evident, as it has the potential to capture a new market of active transportation users and connect people to transit. Several cities and towns across the U.S. are exploring shared micromobility as an alternative transportation option for trips that are too far to walk but too short to drive.
Because micromobility is still a relatively new and emerging mobility option, most transportation agencies lack data-driven tools to measure the costs and benefits of shared micromobility systems. Agencies also lack guidance on integrating shared micromobility in the planning and designing of their transportation systems. Besides, micromobility is generally discussed with examples from major cities, with little to no discussion on the efficacy in mid-sized cities and small towns in rural areas. That is partly because micromobility modes thrive on high economies of density that rural areas lack.
This research aims to study the usage patterns of shared micromobility in mid-sized and small cities. Specifically, we aim to answer the following questions: (1) Who is using shared micromobility, and for what kinds of trips? (2) What factors affect shared micromobility device ridership? (3) Is the shared micromobility system adequately serving mid-sized cities and small towns? (4) What factors affect the safety of micromobility device users?
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:44:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2265853</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis--The Transit IDEA Program. Open Platform to Attract, Organize, and Coordinate Volunteers for Rural and Small Urban Transit</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1687415</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Scarcity of funds is a major challenge for rural and small urban transit agencies in the U.S. to meet their operational costs. Despite the potential for volunteers to help transit agencies reduce operational costs, challenges in attracting, retaining, and coordinating volunteers hinder the widespread integration of transit volunteers. This project proposed an online platform for transit agencies to register, organize, and manage volunteers to enhance the existing coordination models. The platform features two interfaces – one for volunteers and one for transit agencies – along with an optimization matching engine automating the task assignment. Through conceptual design, iterative development, and beta testing, the proposed system was advanced to a prototype support platform for application and evaluation. The positive user feedback from the beta testing highlighted the platform’s usability and convenience and its potential to enable volunteering for transit.  The potential impact of the proposed platform is multifaceted. A shift in volunteering practices through this platform has the capacity to simplify and modernize volunteer management, streamline recruitment, broaden the volunteer demographic, and optimize task allocation. Overall, this proof-of-concept project demonstrated the feasibility and potential impact of leveraging technology to optimize volunteer management within transit agencies, paving the way for broader implementation and adoption. However, continued development and the preparation of a scalable platform ready for application and commercialization are imperative to facilitate broader technology adoption.
 ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 18 Feb 2020 07:37:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1687415</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SPR-4217: Speed Management in Small Cities and Towns - Guidelines for Indiana</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1481040</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Rural arterials passing through small towns and cities pose a major safety risk due to high speeds of through traffic in areas with local and vulnerable road users. The project will deliver: 1) The effective ways to manage vehicle speeds including road design, traffic management and control, and modern technology-based solutions.  2)  Guidelines on conditions that justify use of the countermeasures including signage, markings, and speed display, limited changes in the cross-section, gateways, changes in horizontal alignment, and combinations of these countermeasures.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 25 Aug 2017 15:55:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1481040</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Enhancing Non-motorized Mobility within Construction Zones</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1422719</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Mobility of a wide range of pedestrians of all ages, including people with hearing, visual, cognitive, and mobility disabilities; bicyclists; and emergency crew is affected due to construction.  Mobility restrictions also affect the local businesses.  The impact is significant when construction zones are located in urban areas and involves roads with non-motorized access, and/or pedestrian generators such as schools, shopping areas, community or senior centers, transit facilities, etc.  Even on the roads in rural or suburban areas, an abrupt termination of non-motorized facilities cause immense inconvenience to pedestrians and cyclists.  Typically, pedestrians and cyclists are reluctant to add distance or out-of-the-way travel to a destination.  Also, emergency response teams need the quickest access route to a location/facility.  This highlights the needs of reviewing and synthesizing the best practices in access management policies/procedures, and use of infrastructure and technology to provide safe access through construction zones.  The scope of this work will be limited to providing access to non-motorized traffic even though the other aspects will be considered in order to develop a tangible outcome.  The expected outcome of this project is a framework that can be used for evaluating options and infrastructure used for providing non-motorized access within and around construction work zones located in small cities.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2016 11:29:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1422719</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Research for the AASHTO Standing Committee on Public Transportation. Task 63. DOT Oversight of Facility Projects</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1345908</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State Departments of Transportation (DOT's) continue to play a variety of roles when administering federal and state grant programs. Of particular importance is the implementation and oversight of facility type projects both in initial construction and rehabilitation. A resource is needed for guiding State DOT's and their subrecipients through the implementation, oversight and on-going monitoring role which involves complex and often confusing federal requirements. The objective of this research is to develop a reference guide that may be used by State DOT's and their subrecipients to identify and explain the implementation, oversight and on-going monitoring process of administering grants which involve the rehabilitation and construction of facility projects. The guide should be targeted to the projects generally carried out under small urban and rural systems. This reference guide should address the steps associated with design, land acquisition, construction, change orders, federal reporting and asset monitoring. This would include but not be limited to such topics as the following: (1) Independent cost analysis (ICE); (2) Design and A&amp;E Procurement; (3) Land acquisition; (4) Bid development; (5) Selection and award; (6)  DBE Goals; (7) Progress monitoring; (8) Federal reporting requirements; (9) DBE monitoring; (10) Change orders; (11) Maintenance plans; and (12) On-going monitoring requirements. This task should consider and complement National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Research Results Digest 381 Guidebook for Construction Management Practices for Rural Projects and the research completed and underway in NCHRP 20-65, Task 53, "Independent Cost Estimates for Design and Construction of Rural and Small Urban Transit Facilities". Additionally other research efforts may provide supplemental information which would not need to be considered under this project, but referenced and explained as to how that research would be utilized under this task. It is equally likely that best practices, checklists, and resource materials exist (especially at the state DOT level). The product of this research should be a reference guide to assist State DOT's, not a summary of survey responses. FTA resources of Project and Construction Management Guidelines, and Construction Project Management Handbook may also prove beneficial. An example of such a resource might be laid out similar to FTA's Triennial or State Management Review workbooks which lists subject areas with questions, answers and resource references. The reference guide should include clear and concise language intended for the general user, not be so technical that it would require special training or knowledge of project and construction management. The primary audience for this reference guide will have limited knowledge in this area so terms and practices should be clearly defined.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2015 01:01:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1345908</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Incorporating Livability into Rural and Small Metropolitan Transportation Planning</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1232032</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation proposes to research the methodologies and extent to which livable community concepts are incorporated into rural and small metropolitan transportation planning processes. The research will identify mechanisms that rural and small metropolitan transportation planning organizations (typically referred to as RPO's or RTPO's) are implementing to incorporate the tenets of livable communities, while also working to meet the transportation needs of residents in these communities. Specifically, the research will assess the roles that RPOs are undertaking to incorporate the goals of U.S. Department of Transportation, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Environmental Protection Agency's Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities, such as promoting transportation choice, enhancing economic competitiveness and coordinating policies into their planning processes.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:30:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1232032</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Speed Management in Rural Communities: Innovative Low Cost Approaches</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230431</link>
      <description><![CDATA[There are a number of rural communities and small cities in Kansas through which a major highway passes. In such instances, there has been a growing concern about the speed of entering traffic since most highways pass through rural communities on the main street. Typically main streets carry large amount of other road users such as bikers and walkers in addition to local traffic. In some instances, there are also services such as hospitals and fire departments that are located on these types of streets. With limited budgets available in rural communities it is important to identify low cost techniques with promising results to slow down traffic through the rural communities. Use of optical speed bars appears to be one such approach with potential benefits. These optical illusions consist of small pavement markings that will make the user feel as if they are approaching the rural community at a higher rate of speed than acceptable. The small pavement markings will be perpendicular to the existing markings and will be spaced at a large distance initially but will decrease in spacing to give a visual perception of moving at a high rate of speed. Virginia DOT installed optical speed bars recently on a two-lane road in Fairfax County and is currently evaluating the effects. Kansas also tried this approach in a single test section in a work zone but applications in rural communities as a low cost traffic calming measure are not available. Kansas would be a pioneer in the use of optical speed bars if field testing could be conducted in several rural communities.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:00:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230431</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Forcasting Network Traffic for Small Communities in Utah</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230163</link>
      <description><![CDATA[According to the U.S. Census, over 40 percent of all U.S. communities have populations less than 50,000. In Utah, there are 261 municipalities out of 272 municipalities (or 22 counties out of 29 counties) that have a population less than 50,000. This project will develop simplified planning tools to help small communities in Utah with limited resources to forecast network traffic. The project team will use the Cache County in Utah as a case study.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:55:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230163</guid>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>