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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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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>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Efficient Mobility for Rural Communities</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2683240</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Rural communities face unique transportation challenges due to low population density, dispersed destinations, and limited resources. Efficient mobility requires strategies that both optimize existing transit systems and embrace innovative service models. This project integrates two lines of research that can support efficient mobility and access to active modes and destinations in rural areas. The first focuses on right-sizing rural transit fleets and the second, on analyzing modal shifts from shared-use mobility services.  

On the vehicle procurement side, rural agencies must balance capital and operating costs, service quality, and reliability while meeting the capacity needs of their riders. When procuring vehicles, rural transit operators choose between transit buses, cutaways, vans, and minivans of various sizes. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages regarding capital costs, operating costs, performance, service quality, and ability to meet the needs of their users. This study builds upon previous research to develop spreadsheet-based user tools that can help rural agencies and state departments of transportation (DOTs) make these decisions. This research improves upon the decision tools developed in a previous study by incorporating new models for the capacity needs of rural transit. Previous decision tools provide guidance on the types and sizes of vehicles to procure but they lack the ability to estimate capacity needs for individual agencies. This study develops a vehicle procurement decision model that incorporates a more sophisticated capacity needs analysis. The result will be a tool that estimates capacity needs of an agency and provides guidance on the number, types, and sizes of vehicles that can best meet that capacity need while improving efficiency and meeting the unique needs of the transit agency.  

A second tool to be developed by the study is an optimization tool. The study will improve upon a previously developed optimization model by incorporating more detailed estimates for lifecycle costs of different types and sizes of vehicles. The study will consider transit buses, cutaways, vans, and minivans of different sizes and seating capacities and include more detailed analysis of the operating costs for each vehicle type and the overall lifecycle costs. This will be incorporated into an optimization model that will minimize total costs, including capital and operating costs, for an agency while meeting capacity needs and service requirements and considering the impact of the fleet configuration on service quality.  

At the same time, emerging technology-enabled shared-use services—such as ridesourcing, microtransit, bikesharing, and carsharing—are transforming mobility in rural areas. By analyzing National Household Travel Survey data and documenting real-world deployments, the study will evaluate adoption patterns, service models, and performance outcomes of rural shared-use systems. This analysis will identify factors contributing to the success or failure of shared-use mobility initiatives and provide actionable strategies for rural agencies and policymakers . ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:22:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2683240</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Data to Deployment: A Toolkit for Evaluating Microtransit Service in Rural Communities.</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2672989</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project develops a deployable, data-driven toolkit to help rural transit agencies evaluate and plan microtransit and other flexible service models. Current accessibility tools are designed or evaluated primarily for urban contexts, leaving rural regions without suitable methods to quantify access gaps, simulate service alternatives, or identify suppressed travel demand. Using case studies in Rockingham County (NC), Hall County (GA), and Baldwin County (AL), the project integrates parcel-level geospatial analysis, community surveys, fleet-based wait-time modeling, and open-source tools (such as r5py and fleetpy) into a unified computational pipeline. Agencies will be able to simulate tiered service models such as fixed-route, flexible microtransit, and configurations incorporating near-market autonomous shuttles, and test trade-offs in service coverage, wait times, and costs. Deliverables include an open-source evaluation pipeline, a latent demand identification framework, county-level simulation reports, and an interactive dashboard. The project emphasizes usability and direct deployment, supporting local transit providers with evidence-based insights tailored to their region.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:05:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2672989</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices. Topic SB-47. Innovative Partnerships for Enhancing Rural Public Transportation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2576270</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Defined as recipients of FTA 5311 funding, rural and tribal transit agencies face unique challenges in providing suitable and effective public transportation services to their customers. Limited funding, low population densities, and long travel distances contribute to difficulties in maintaining traditional transit models. To address these challenges, many rural transit agencies have developed innovative partnerships with various stakeholders, including local governments, non-profit organizations, healthcare providers, private companies, and ride-sharing services. These partnerships leverage shared resources, integrate services, and enhance mobility options for residents in these areas. As innovative collaborations become more common, standardized approaches to forming, managing, and sustaining these partnerships would provide valuable guidance for rural transit agencies.
OBJECTIVE: This synthesis will document how these public transit agencies: Initiate and sustain partnerships to improve service and cost efficiency; Expand service coverage;  and Enhance mobility options. It will identify different types of formal and informal partnerships, funding mechanisms, service integration strategies, and operational challenges associated with these collaboration efforts and identify key strategies and lessons learned from public transit agencies across the country. The synthesis will also highlight case examples that illustrate effective partnerships and their impact on public transit efficiency and sustainability in the rural service environment.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:23:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2576270</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices. Topic SA-66. Measuring and Mitigating Risk in Transit Automation Testing and Implementation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2576272</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Public transit agencies are increasingly deploying automation and artificial intelligence (AI) across customer-facing services, operations and management functions, and safety systems, with varying levels of technological sophistication. These technologies shift traditional human responsibilities to including monitoring, decision-making, and control, to systems operating within defined safety and operational boundaries. However, agency approaches to evaluating and mitigating risk vary widely, particularly in areas such as false positives and negatives, regulatory compliance, system validation and testing, and stakeholder coordination, creating challenges for consistent and safe implementation across the industry.

The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) has begun examining automation and AI adoption through several efforts, including TCRP J-11/Task 27 on low-speed automated vehicles and TCRP Research Report 232 on workforce impacts, with additional studies underway. Despite this growing body of work, no research currently provides a comprehensive roadmap to guide transit agencies through procurement, testing, validation, deployment, and ongoing management of these systems. As agencies move from pilot projects to broader implementation, this gap represents a critical need within current TCRP research.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this synthesis is to document current practices used by public transit agencies to evaluate and mitigate safety and operational risks associated with automation and artificial intelligence (AI). This includes approaches to risk profiling, testing and validation, and balancing innovation with regulatory and safety requirements. The primary audience for this synthesis is public transit agency staff responsible for the planning, procurement, implementation, and oversight of automation and AI systems, as well as technology vendors.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:59:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2576272</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Innovative Marketing and Customer Communication Strategies for Rural Transit



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2464325</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Modern marketing and customer communication in the transit environment can involve a variety of marketing channels, branding (logos and design standards), onboard and external signage and kiosks, promotional items, in-person and virtual events, organic and paid online campaigns, traditional media, augmented reality experiences, geotargeted mobile advertising, and generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted technology for content creation. Technologies and approaches are changing so rapidly that marketing campaigns considered state-of-the-art 5 or 10 years ago may seem obsolete now.  

Most rural transit agencies engage in a variety of marketing and public communication activities. Many agencies do not have the resources or knowledge to effectively market their services or communicate service changes to all existing and potential riders. It is not financially sustainable for most rural transit agencies to hire an external marketing agency. Small transit systems without a dedicated marketing team member might rely on internal staff without relevant skills or dedicated time, which could lead to ineffective marketing, wasting valuable time and resources with little or no opportunity to measure the return on investment.

There are few standards, national guidelines, or programs on effective marketing or public communication strategies in rural transit settings. Research is needed to document successful marketing practices currently used by rural transit agencies and practical resources to develop strong marketing and communication resources to pave the way for innovative and effective marketing campaigns.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the research is to develop practical guidance and resources for public transportation managers and staff at rural transit agencies and state departments of transportation to enhance rural transit marketing and customer communication strategies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 06:21:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2464325</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Measures of Transit Ambassador and Outreach Program Effectiveness</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2464328</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Nationally, public transit ridership has not completely recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. In some communities, the viability and perceived safety of public transit are further challenged by rising public drug use and increasing levels of unsheltered homelessness. Additionally, many cities are contending with a housing affordability crisis and decreased public funding for social services as COVID-19 era funding ends. These intersecting socioeconomic factors have required public entities, including transit agencies, to respond to new societal and public safety issues, and coordinate or provide trauma-informed care that they have never provided before. 

The urgency and scale of the problem has led to the implementation of ambassador, mental health outreach, or crisis response programs that do not have universal measures of effectiveness or established outcomes. Although many transit agency approaches or programs are supported by the public and experience many qualitative successes, short-term and long-term viability of the programs depends on their ability to demonstrate effectiveness at reducing the impact of disorder and social problems on their system. 

Despite common goals, no two programs are identical. Each operates in a unique sociopolitical climate that influences its functions, abilities, funds, and outcomes. As funding is varied and sometimes not permanent, it is important to be able to measure programs’ outcomes, define success and effectiveness, and share strategies or programs that improve transit operations, public and transit workers safety, and ridership. This research will help transit agencies evaluate the impact of their current programs and design future initiatives with built-in performance metrics. It will also provide a framework for agencies in the early stages of program development.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to develop guidelines and resources for transit agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of ambassador programs and mental health outreach or crisis response initiatives. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 06:11:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2464328</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices. Topic SB-43. Transit Agency Responses to Serving Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities on ADA Paratransit</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2410387</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Background - The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 mandates public transportation agencies to transport persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services define IDD as differences that are usually present at birth and that uniquely affect the trajectory of the individual’s physical, intellectual, and/or emotional development. Transportation access to essential services is important for persons with IDD, and many public transit agencies are struggling with supplying adequate ADA paratransit services. Moreover, this demographic requires accommodations above ADA paratransit minimum requirements. Several public transit agencies across that nation have undertaken a variety of approaches to enhance safety procedures for when transporting persons with IDD between their place of residence and essential destinations. While some transit agencies have provided hand-to-hand connections, sometimes with a fare surcharge, others have taken approaches that provide a separate service more tailored to the needs of individuals with IDD. There is no research identifying the extent to which IDD and HCBS trips are served by ADA paratransit services; the challenges that public transit agencies encounter in serving these types of trips; the shortcomings of ADA paratransit’s delivery of these trips; and how transit agencies have responded to the shortcomings. 

Synthesis Objective - The purpose of this synthesis is to document the successes and challenges of public transit agencies serving IDD customers with ADA paratransit service. At a minimum this synthesis will: (1) Provide examples of ADA paratransit accommodations within the ADA paratransit service structure. (2) Provide examples of premium, tailored services separate from the ADA paratransit structure to include the service/program design, scheduling/dispatching parameters and driver vetting/training needs. (3) Document customer/caregiver/human service agency awareness and education of service expectations and responsibilities. (4) Present implications for ADA paratransit fleet mix.
(5) Identify the benefits of these service models and programs. This research will provide ADA paratransit managers with an eye-opening and, hopefully, will trigger their own deep-dive into how their ADA paratransit service is accommodating – or not -- the needs of this sub-population of their ADA paratransit eligible riders.

Information to be Gathered - At a minimum, the contractor shall gather on the needs, challenges and best practices associated with serving HCBS/IDD individuals.

How the Information will be Gathered: literature review and internet research; survey of transit systems; and case examples (minimum of five of the surveyed transit systems).
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 29 Jul 2024 18:51:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2410387</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Mobility-on-Demand Transit for Smart, Sustainable Cities (Project D4)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1843140</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to study how Mobility-on-Demand (MOD) transit systems can contribute to building smart, sustainable, and equitable cities in the U.S. Under this scope, we propose two research thrusts. 
The first thrust is a collaborative effort between STRIDE researchers and industry partner Ford. This thrust aims to: 1) understand the spatio-temporal patterns of micromobility usage (focusing on e-scooters and e-bikes) in Washington, DC and Gainesville, FL and the factors that drive the demand for micromobility use; 2) investigate how micromobility services can be integrated into the existing transit system to improve mobility and to reduce traffic congestion; 3) analyze the operational energy impacts of the integrated transit system. Specifically, we will leverage big data analytics to analyze micromobility trip characteristics (travel time, trip distance, cost, etc.) and apply the state-of-the-art methods in machine learning to predict micromobility use across different neighborhoods in Washington, DC and Gainesville, FL. We will conduct a four-city (Gainesville, FL, Miami, FL, Birmingham, AL, and Auburn, AL) stated preference survey to investigate traveler preferences for micromobility options, to learn under what conditions the modal shift from cars/mopeds to micromobility options will take place, and to explore how micromobility services can serve as first-mile/last-mile feeders to public transit. Based on the survey results, we can then assess the transferability of the research findings by conducting a comparison study among four Southeastern cities. The findings are expected to produce policy recommendations for transit agencies and cities to plan and operate MOD public transit systems that are enhanced by micromobility services.
The aim of the second thrust is to assess the service characteristics of ridehailing and traditional demand-response transit for hospital trips in rural and urban settings in the Southeastern U.S. This research will build on previous STRIDE-funded research that assessed how changes in technology and policy are encouraging health providers and insurers to provide transportation to medical services through ridehailing services. The analysis will compare service characteristics for operators and passengers, e.g. travel time, wait time, and cost, based on different scheduling scenarios. The results can inform the services currently being proposed and developed by many transit and health agencies to provide ‘Uber-like’ services through public sector agencies. Variation in service characteristics across urban and rural operating environments will be a particular focus on the analysis.
In particular, the data science methods and tools developed in Thrust 1 for modeling micromobility usage will be adapted and used in Thrust 2 for modeling ridehailing usage. In addition, for both thrusts of research proposed above, a focus would be on how new mobility options, including micromobility and ridehailing, can help MOD transit riders get to essential destinations in the COVID-19 and post-COVID era. As virus-wary travelers stay away from crowds and public transit, these more personalized new mobility options may become more attractive for people to use. This project will generate insights, from a traveler preference and behavior perspective, into the impacts of COVID-19 on MOD transit systems.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2021 20:51:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1843140</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Humboldt County, CA Transit Study</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1752454</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Through this project, Western Transportation Institute (WTI) will conduct a transit study in Humboldt County, a coastal county in northern California. The goal is to provide the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) and the Humboldt Transit Authority with a review of all current transportation services, and to investigate the potential for new service in the town of McKinleyville. The study will begin with the collection and analysis of data from the existing public transportation services in the county and a review of demographic and travel data to explore new transit service scenarios within McKinleyville as well as between McKinleyville and other communities in the region. Tasks will include the development and assessment of potential service and route options, preparation of cost estimates, identification of management impacts, and development of recommendations based on the findings.
The project is jointly sponsored by HCAOG and the Small, Urban, Rural and Tribal Center on Mobility (SURTCOM).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 10 Feb 2021 14:26:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1752454</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improving Access to Transit Thru CrowdSourced Information</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1396057</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The purpose of this research is to facilitate the ongoing collection of information about potential areas of multimodal service and infrastructure improvements from the public that can be easily shared with transit agencies, departments of transportation, and city and county governments. This research will enable the capture of various types of data from actual users of public transportation via a real-time transit information system. Using this data, transit agencies, departments of transportation, and city and county government will be able to better target improvements to bike and pedestrian infrastructure for access to transit based on actual transit use and issues reported by the general public. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2016 10:56:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1396057</guid>
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