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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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    <item>
      <title>Optimization-Based Framework and Decision-Support Tool for Bridge Toll Implementation Under Behavioral and Operational Constraints

</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696158</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to develop a novel theoretical framework and a practical decision-support tool to guide strategic bridge toll implementation under real-world behavioral and operational constraints. Traditional toll optimization and project evaluation models focus on market uncertainties but neglect critical human behavioral factors, such as present bias, that significantly influence decision outcomes. To bridge this gap, the proposed research introduces an optimization framework that integrates behavioral dynamics into infrastructure decision-making, enabling the identification of strategies that maximize long-term social welfare while addressing short-term user response and implementation pressures. The accompanying decision-support tool will translate this framework into an interactive, user-friendly platform for transportation agencies and policymakers. It will allow users to simulate and compare alternative tolling strategies, assess implementation timelines, and visualize trade-offs between system efficiency, user response, and long-term performance outcomes. By empowering decision-makers to make data-driven, welfare-maximizing choices, this project supports more effective, publicly acceptable, and operationally robust tolling practices. The research will generate theoretical advances, peer-reviewed publications, and an actionable tool ready for integration with Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT’s) planning processes, ultimately contributing to more resilient, safe and efficient transportation infrastructure systems.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:59:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696158</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Eastern States Institutional Issues Study for Commercial Vehicle Operations</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2616148</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective is to fund work orders that support: (1) a regional commercial vehicle operations (CVO) forum program; (2) automated data entry and access for safety information; and (3) prototype integration of EZ Pass and CVO Automated Vehicle Identification (AVI) requirements.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Oct 2025 19:35:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2616148</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Comparing Pricing Mechanisms of Managed Lanes: Performance Assessment of PR-22 Dynamic Toll Lanes</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2589111</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A performance assessment and willingness-to-pay (WTP) analysis were conducted of the reversible dynamic toll lanes (DTL) of freeway PR-22 in Puerto Rico. This is the first managed lane facility of its kind in a toll freeway in Puerto Rico. Toll transactions from the year 2019 were used to calculate seven performance measures to assess the impact of the managed lanes on travel times and vehicle speeds on the 12 km-long (7.7 mi) segment. The results demonstrate that the dynamic pricing algorithm behaves as expected, increasing the price for the DTL as traffic increases and vehicle speeds decrease on the facility, and provided satisfactory performance for the conditions at PR-22. The DTL provided an average travel time savings of 7 minutes and enhanced travel time reliability when compared with the general toll lanes (GTL) during the morning peak period. Compared to six other managed lane facilities in the U.S., the results from the PR-22 DTL show higher travel time savings and reliability. A survey of PR-22 users was conducted to estimate their willingness-to-pay (WTP) and their attitudes and perceptions associated with the quality and usage of the DTL. The aggregate analysis of PR-22 users using the Van Westerndorp Price Sensitivity Meter resulted in a WTP range for the DTL of $1.00 to $2.79, which is less than the $4.95 maximum toll charged for the managed lane facility. Even though the maximum price exceeds their WTP, the level of congestion in the GTL during peak periods still motivates users to pay the extra fee for the DTL outside of their preference. A regression analysis found that the factors that significantly reduce the WTP of the freeway users include subjects from higher income levels, higher ages, and females. As stated by freeway users, the congestion in the GTL is the main factor that influence them to use the DTL. Therefore, a recommendation to increase the usage of the PR-22 DTL is to provide commuters with relevant information about the real-time benefits of the DTL. The implementation of a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) policy for the freeway corridor should also be studied. A HOV policy could promote ridesharing on the corridor while providing economic relief and reducing or eliminating the premium toll fee of the managed lanes to some commuters.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 16 Aug 2025 23:49:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2589111</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>A Multiobjective Reinforcement Learning Framework for Equitable Toll Design for Express Lanes
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2244372</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Express lanes are commonly used to migrate traﬃc congestion by providing reliable travel time in exchange for tolls. However, there is a lack of guidance on designing equitable discounts for low-income travelers, creating barriers to equitable transportation systems. The PI's past study on "Equitable Dynamic Pricing for Express Lanes" addressed some of these gaps by providing guidance for differential tolls and analyzing unintended traﬃc patterns. However, the framework was limited for single-objective optimization of equity. Furthermore, limitations on open-source algorithms for equity optimization hinder accessibility for researchers and practitioners.
The goal of this implementation-focused research is to develop a multi-objective reinforcement-learning-based optimization of express lane discounts and create an open-source tool for making previous research ﬁndings more accessible. In this research, the team will (a) design open-source platform that integrates advances in multi-objective reinforcement learning literature for designing discounts for express lanes, (b) test the transferability and usefulness of the designed tools across multiple datasets and development platforms, and (c) conduct a technology transfer to make the tool more accessible for future researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. The research ﬁndings will enable more eﬀective design and optimization of express lane discounts for equitable transportation systems.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:26:46 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2244372</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>WSDOT Toll Equity</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1988693</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) uses tolling as a key mechanism for managing demand on I-405, SR 167, SR 99, and SR 520, and to fund megaprojects such as SR 16. Tolls impose a significant expense on roadway users, and while tolls are true “user fees,” imposition of these fees can have serious equity concerns. This concern has been voiced by the State Legislature, the State Transportation Commission, and the WSDOT Secretary. Work by the University of Washington’s (UW) Data Science for Social Good (DSSG) program for the WSDOT’s Tolling Division provided excellent insight into the equity of the tolling program on I-405’s Express Toll Lanes. However, little is known about the equity impacts of WSDOT’s other facilities. 
This project is intended to provide additional insight into the equity of WSDOT’s toll facilities. The outcomes from this project will serve as the basis for evaluating use of the facility, and the implications of that use on the equity of toll facilities. The project is designed to (1) provide WSDOT with a better understanding of the current use of the department’s toll facilities; (2) examine how the combination of household income and tolling effect the use of state roadways, (3) provide an understanding of how benefits and costs associated with toll facilities are currently being distributed; and (4) provide a baseline of use against which changes in those attributes can be measured against changing economic conditions (e.g., COVID related changes in overall traffic levels) or policy decisions (e.g., the introduction of a low-income toll tag). 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 01 Jul 2022 16:24:49 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1988693</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Impacts of TDM on Managed Lane Toll Prices</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1290916</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The purpose of this research is to quantify the extent to which transit and ridesharing reduce traffic density and lower tolls on the l-95 Express Lanes. The tolls on the l-95 Express Lanes are variable and are based on traffic density. Therefore, transportation strategies that increase person throughput can contribute to lower tolls. improved traffic flow and lower tolls both benefit the traveling public. This research benefits the state because dynamically priced managed lanes feature prominently in the state's future transportation plans, particularly in South Florida. This research will add to the body of research done already on the l-95 Express Lanes. lt will help the Florida Department of Transportation have a better understanding of the positive role played by transit and ridesharing in relation to dynamically priced managed lanes.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 08 Feb 2014 01:00:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1290916</guid>
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