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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>
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      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Advanced Sustainable Transportation Workforce Development Initiative in California’s Inland Empire</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2692313</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Spurred by significant government investments and regulatory landscape, advanced sustainable transportation (connected, automated, energy-efficient, and shared vehicles) and its supporting infrastructure is well underway in Inland Southern California. Not only are advanced vehicles becoming common among California’s Inland Empire residents, but the region is at the heart of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle programs associated with goods movement. As a result, many advanced transportation and infrastructure manufacturers are now locating to the Inland Empire due to its favorable economic landscape. What’s lacking is an advanced sustainable transportation workforce in the region that is needed for: (1) manufacturing, maintaining, repairing advanced vehicles; (2) setting up, deploying, and maintaining advanced vehicle infrastructure; and (3) responding to incidents associated with advanced vehicles and their supporting infrastructure. The project team will launch a comprehensive Advanced Sustainable Transportation Workforce Development Initiative for California’s Inland Empire, pulling together a variety of existing educational programs, developing these programs further into a cohesive vehicle/infrastructure training program, and creating a coalition of local manufacturers in this advanced vehicle space. This initiative seeks to position the Inland Empire as a national leader in advanced vehicle manufacturing and adoption. This bold vision positions the region as a model for sustainable growth, advancing the region’s goals while uplifting communities. The key goals of the initiative include: (1) Integrating workforce development, industry needs, and policy goals into a cohesive, impactful strategy. This project will deliver comprehensive training programs in advanced vehicle technology, associated infrastructure, and managing vehicle incidents across a wide range of technologies (light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles, buses, trucks, rail, aircraft). (2) Creating high-quality jobs in the region. The team’s plan is to fill the expected thousands of advanced transportation jobs with locally sourced talent, emphasizing pathways that promote societal advancement.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:12:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2692313</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Foundations in Energy Systems for Transportation Certificate</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2691662</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project supports the transformation of transportation systems through changes in energy systems management by preparing a managerial workforce with knowledge in both energy systems management and transportation systems management. A transformed transport system will run on both existing and new energy systems. As a result, effective management of the transport system will depend upon a workforce that also has foundational knowledge in traditional and emerging energy systems. This includes knowledge of energy sources, basic economics, and the regulatory and policy environment that either supports or hinders development of those systems. This project plans to develop a certificate program that introduces case studies focused on planned or in-process energy systems case studies within public transit, supply chain logistics, personal vehicle traffic, and active transportation that draw from Center for International Trade and Transportation (CITT) expertise and guest speakers from industry leaders in its network. The certificate and corresponding curriculum development are informed by an assessment of workforce needs related to freight and transit sectors and related energy systems. The needs assessment includes both surveys and focus group meetings and will provide insights into workforce needs related to freight and transit sectors and related energy systems. Following the survey completion, the CITT team will organize focus groups to discuss the survey results and form the Curriculum Advisory Board. Concurrently, the CITT team, in conjunction with the Curriculum Advisory Board, will conduct outreach to form a pilot cohort for the first iteration of the certificate program. Module 1 of the program would provide a general overview of: energy systems foundations; including fuel types; infrastructure priorities; economic development; project lifecycle management; data needs; policy and regulatory requirements; and workforce development. Module 2 would provide modal focuses on freight and transit. For the capstone project, participants will work in groups to address a topic within the modal focus chosen in Module 2, which will be presented as the final step of the program.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 23:19:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2691662</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Transforming Transportation with an Innovative and Talented Workforce: A Transportation Careers Workshop</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2689410</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The proposed event will be a two-day workshop in Durango, Colorado, at both Fort Lewis College and another community site or high school, featuring several key presentations and a panel discussion. The first day will consist of speakers and presentations. The second day will consist of interactive feedback at separate locations regarding the results of vocational assessment inventories. The target population of workshop participants will be high school and college students interested in learning more about careers in the transportation industry. Participants will complete surveys and career-planning instruments and receive detailed interpretations of their results to help them narrow their career choices. Representatives from trucking, transit, state DOTs, and the supply chain industry will be invited to participate as experts, delivering presentations that describe careers and opportunities in the transportation industry. In addition, there will be an interactive session to help participants prioritize their vocational interests and preferences. Lastly, a networking event with presenters will also be arranged.

In addition to providing career information on activities, salaries, and other employment and career opportunities in the transportation industry, the proposed workshop will also address two main needs regarding the recruitment of potential entrants to the transportation industry. First, identify a transportation career profile for prospective applicants to target highly congruent candidates for the industry. This profile will provide researchers with an opportunity to develop an interest and preference profile of prospective students whose interests are congruent with the industry. Identifying those persons who are likely to be congruent allows outreach efforts to be tailored and targeted, and limited funds and resources to be used more effectively. Second, a short, easy-to-use web page that could assist students in obtaining information about transportation careers in general, with a brief survey or questionnaire to help narrow down interests in transportation careers, which then directs users to more targeted information. This web page could then be made available to other UTC programs that conduct transportation and career outreach events. The web page will be used to tally hits, and requests for applications will help more accurately measure the impact of the workshop's outreach efforts. This outreach project will also incorporate the development and implementation of a prototype webpage to evaluate the workshop and serve other UTCs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:37:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2689410</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab (AMIL) and Beyond</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2666833</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As the United States navigates the Fourth Industrial Revolution - defined by the convergence of physical, digital, and biological technologies - STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has become increasingly vital to preparing students for the future workforce. Transportation, a sector undergoing rapid technological transformation, is deeply intertwined with STEM and plays a critical role in shaping economic development, public safety, and access to essential services. Yet, many K-12 students, particularly in rural areas, lack exposure to high-quality STEM learning opportunities.  The Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab (AMIL) was established through funding from the CR2C2 REE program to address this gap by providing portable, hands-on STEM experiences that fuse transportation technology demonstrations with project-based learning. This project will expand AMIL’s effort in projects R-EWD-1 and R-EWD-2, and increases the reach and impact by partnering with the University of Alabama’s robust K–12 STEM Education Outreach program, creating a collaborative model for multi-university engagement and STEM education. Together, these programs will deliver enriched STEM experiences that emphasize emerging transportation technologies, autonomous systems, and the STEM principles behind their development and operation. The initiative will culminate in two regional events - one in Alabama and one in North Carolina - featuring autonomous vehicle demonstrations and showcasing student learning outcomes.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:46:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2666833</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Bridging Research, Innovation, and Practice: Partnership for the Advancement of Pavement Engineering and Asset Management in Virginia
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2628344</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This proposed new collaboration between the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) focuses on expanding and complementing the current and effective shorter-term focused applied research joint efforts between the two institutions, by establishing a joint program aimed at exploring ideas that will result in even more effective and efficient solutions in the midterm (3-5 years) but may require more fundamental research and development. The research program includes four tasks, including a first task focused on workforce development and three innovative projects identified in collaboration between the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI and VTRC. Additional topics may be added if new emerging technologies or concepts are identified during the duration of the project: Task 1. Workforce Development and Outreach;
Task 2. Innovative Pavement Instrumentation for Real-Time and Remote Monitoring; Task 3. Use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Digital Twin for Pavement Asset Management; Task 4. Physics-Informed Machine Learning (PIML) for Pavement Performance Prediction .
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 22 Nov 2025 09:01:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2628344</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SPR-5000: Retention of the Early-Career Highway Technician Workforce: Exploring and Addressing Their Career Trajectories and Challenges</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2603849</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project addresses retention among early-career highway technician employees by examining their career trajectories, challenges, and development opportunities. It includes a literature review, analysis of the Indiana Department of Transporttion (INDOT)’s existing workforce practices, benchmarking with other state departments of transportation (DOTs) and similar industries, case studies, and survey-based insights. The final outcomes will include actionable strategies and a comprehensive report to support INDOT’s workforce development and retention improvements.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:26:08 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2603849</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Rural Transportation Innovation and Mobilities Equity (RTIME)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2586797</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Rural Transportation Innovation and Mobilities Equity (TIME) Project focuses on enhancing mobility and accessibility in the rural areas served by Western New Mexico University (WNMU) by addressing three interconnected areas: access to nature, innovative transportation solutions, and economic development. The first area emphasizes the creation of safe, multi-modal pathways that connect Silver City and surrounding communities to natural recreational sites, as well as linking the historic downtown to the WNMU campus through a Complete Streets framework. This initiative aims to incorporate best practices from national and global contexts. 
The second area of focus revolves around developing innovative transportation options that cater to a diverse population, including children, retirees, and individuals with disabilities. This involves creating active transportation infrastructure that provides safe and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional vehicles. The project also aims to integrate these mobility solutions with regional economic and workforce development by introducing planning for technical certifications and degree programs at WNMU, tailored to meet local workforce needs.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:15:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2586797</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Inspire Future Transportation &amp; Civil Engineers: Summer Camp at the University of Hartford</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2566909</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In recent years, the field of transportation and civil engineering faces a critical challenge in attracting and inspiring young students, specifically those in high school and middle school, to pursue careers in these disciplines. The number of students choosing these majors at universities is declining. As stated in 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) president note: “The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a need for about 25,000 new civil engineers each year throughout this decade. However, this number is based on the need to replace workers; … Moody’s estimates that infrastructure projects will create 883,600 jobs by 2030 and per capita income will increase by 10.5% as a result.” There is a growing need for skilled professionals in these fields to address the evolving infrastructure demands of society. To improve the workforce shortage situation, the proposed project is to organize a civil engineering summer camp, with a focus on transportation engineering, at the University of Hartford in summer 2025. This project aims to achieve the following objectives: Foster awareness and cultivate interest among young students in the fields of transportation and civil engineering; Establish a sustainable framework to inspire and educate future generations of transportation and civil engineering professionals; Contribute to the long-term impact on workforce development and community engagement in the fields of transportation and civil engineering.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:14:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2566909</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Causes of Mismatch between Ideal Transportation Workforce Skills vs. In-Practice Sought-after Skills, and Strategies to Close the Gap </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2556689</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In the technology driven transformation in transportation industry, the literature emphasizes the need for transportation agencies to recruit workforces with skills that can adapt to the rapid changes in the industry. Researchers argue that digitalization and autonomy fueled by the technology innovation will transform the transportation workforce both in numbers and new necessary skills (i.e., “digitalization literate workforce”) relevant to the increasing utilization of automated equipment and tablets, big-data analytics and sophisticated decision support systems, connected and automated vehicles, shared mobility and electric vehicles. Researchers also emphasize that an increasingly stretched workforce can face difficulties in absorbing the changes due to the fast development of new technologies. 
In contrast with the literature’s emphasis on the changing landscape for necessary workforce skillset, the preliminary findings of the REAT Center project (“Identification of Workforce Skills Sought by DOTs: What do job ads look for?”) indicate that the existing job advertisements for transportation industry do not necessarily reflect the evolving needs of the industry. This finding indicates that there is a mismatch between the workforce skillset that the transportation agencies are projected to need, and the skillsets that are sought in job advertisements. Considering the importance of job ads in recruitment, there is a need to address this mismatch.
The mismatch can stem from various sources. The transportation companies compete with more resourceful technology and start-up companies to recruit and/or employ workforce that are well-versed in emerging topics such as autonomous systems, sensors, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. In the meantime, the technology driven transformation of the industry does not happen overnight, hence the traditional skills are still crucially needed and valuable. Given the already competitive recruitment environment and shortage of middle-skill trade workers across the industries, the transportation agencies may be forced to seek on-the-job training for their workforce needs related to technological skills. There is also a chicken-egg situation within the hiring process. About one-half of the state transportation agencies depend significantly on consultants for key technical positions such as systems engineering, information technology, and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) device maintenance, because agencies face difficulty in filling those positions. Hence, the transportation agencies may not have the in-house expertise to narrow down the necessary skillsets for the job ads, or to vet the applicants properly. All these factors (and others) likely contribute to the aforementioned mismatch in different combinations for each agency. This project aims to rank those causes in order to device effective solutions. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2025 12:58:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2556689</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of Employment Options in the Inland Waterways Sector</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2536230</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project performs an analysis of employment opportunities in the inland waterways sector. The analysis includes a comparative analysis of employment factors across the modes of rail trucking and inland waterways, calculates the benefits the nation enjoys as a direct result of employment by the inland waterway industry, and develops an educational toolkit about job opportunities in the inland waterway sector.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 10 Apr 2025 18:35:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2536230</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Increasing Cybersecurity Workforce in the Transportation Systems Sector: An Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Approach</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2529969</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The aim of this research project is to address the shortage of cybersecurity talent in the transportation systems sector. Developing a qualified cybersecurity workforce is critical to creating a workforce capable of protecting the nation's transportation infrastructure. There is a critical need to identify challenges to developing a steady pipeline of qualified talent in the cybersecurity workforce and find innovative solutions to increase talent training in the rapidly growing field of cybersecurity. In response to this need, this proposed research will investigate, identify, and analyze barriers to developing a steady pipeline of cybersecurity talent and develop innovative solutions to train the cybersecurity workforce needed to protect the nation’s transportation system. To address the cybersecurity challenges of transportation systems in a holistic manner, we need an interdisciplinary cybersecurity workforce that is equipped with knowledge and skills specifically relevant to the security of transportation systems. Therefore, developing the cybersecurity workforce specialized in securing transportation systems requires separate study and investigation. In addition, it ensures the needs and cybersecurity awareness of the ridership are met.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:12:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2529969</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Practices to Expand the Transit Workforce through Program Evaluation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2506302</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Transit agencies have implemented a variety of recruitment and retention strategies to address the challenges associated with the shrinking workforce. While existing studies emphasize the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of workforce planning and development programs, there is no comprehensive source that documents how transit agencies evaluate their recruitment and retention programs, the outcomes of those evaluations, or the challenges associated with evaluating these programs. This project addresses that gap by exploring how fixed-route transit agencies evaluate their recruitment and retention programs.

To accomplish the objectives of this research, the research team will conduct a literature review, scanning survey, and expert panel discussions to explore recruitment and retention program evaluation processes. The findings will be synthesized into a final report and used to create a framework for selecting effective approaches to evaluate transit recruitment and retention programs. The findings can be used to understand how fixed-route transit agencies evaluate these programs and the challenges they face during implementation and monitoring. The value of this research is extended through the framework, which can be used by agencies as they apply new or improved approaches to monitor and benchmark their workforce recruitment and retention programs.

This project directly supports the U.S. DOT's priorities for Job Creation and Fiscal Health and Organizational Excellence; as well as the U.S. DOT Research, Development, and Technology (RD&T) strategic goals for Economic Strength and Global Competitiveness. Evaluation is a fundamental step in ensuring that implemented programs are effective. The process of evaluating programs allows agencies to identify what is working well and where modifications are needed for the agency to meet its goals. This research is specifically concerned with recruitment and retention program evaluation processes used by fixed-route transit agencies. Upon completion of this research, we will have a better understanding of how transit agencies are measuring success as they work to expand their workforce. The research results in the final report will include notable, effective, or unique practices for evaluating recruitment and retention programs. The framework will enable practitioners to understand how they can improve their processes and more effectively quantify the outcomes of their programs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 09 Feb 2025 16:13:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2506302</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Effective Interventions that Enhance the Health and Safety of Transit Workers




</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2458790</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Absenteeism, workers’ compensation claims, disability claims, and healthcare expenses cost transit agencies millions of dollars each year. These financial impacts highlight the need for interventions that could lead to cost savings, directly benefiting the bottom line of agencies. Workload and time pressure, shift work and fatigue, workplace violence and aggression, poor ergonomics, reduced opportunities to eat healthily, and traffic congestion are key contributors to declining health among transit workers. These stressors lead to mental and physical health concerns, behavioral issues, and heightened fatigue. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach, including implementing countermeasure tactics such as clear policies and procedures, improving the work environment, offering additional resources and support, optimizing ergonomics, managing traffic congestion, and conducting regular psychosocial risk assessments to mitigate these risks.

According to an article in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine (2024), exposure to work‐related psychosocial hazards is projected to become a major occupational health and safety threat. Factors such as organizational culture, interpersonal relationships at work, and working conditions such as shift work can have adverse effects on the mental and physical well-being of operators. TCRP Research Report 217: Improving the Health and Safety of Transit Workers with Corresponding Impacts on the Bottom Line (2020) identified the potential exposures relevant to the transit industry. APTA Transit Workforce Shortage Report (2023) identified that operator assaults have a major impact on workers mental health. TCRP Research Report 245: Mental Health, Wellness, and Resilience for Transit Systems (2024) found transit frontline employees experience mental health and well-being impacts due to job stressors. There remains a gap in understanding the specific risk factors and effective mitigation strategies that can be implemented to enhance the health and safety of transit workers. 

The primary goal of this study is to determine effective interventions that help improve the health and safety of transit workers.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 18 Nov 2024 19:35:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2458790</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>An Introduction to Knowledge Management and Workforce Issues for CEOs: A CEO Leadership Workshop</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2437878</link>
      <description><![CDATA[N/A]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 Oct 2024 15:04:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2437878</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Administration of Highway and Transportation Agencies. Roadmap to Addressing State DOT Workforce Planning and Development Needs</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2433901</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State departments of transportation (DOTs) are striving to maintain staffing levels and worker skillsets, as high turnover rates deplete the transportation industry of the skills and knowledge required to meet the public’s needs. To address these challenges, state DOTs need to expand their workforce to anticipate the workforce needs of the future. State DOTs are exploring the science of workforce management to determine how to best support the changing workforce. The levels of workforce planning knowledge and access to effective workforce strategies vary across the state DOTs.  

A state DOT community of practice has emerged to develop tangible resources that state DOTs can put into practice. This community has also highlighted the challenges state DOTs face in allocating the needed resources to effectively address workforce issues while concurrently addressing the needs of the traveling public with a changing workforce. Research is needed to identify and address the needs of state DOT leadership for current workforce challenges and prepare them for future workforce needs. 


OBJECTIVE: The objective of this project is to develop a guide for state DOTs and other transportation agencies to identify priority workforce needs, address current workforce challenges, and anticipate the needs of an evolving and diminishing workforce. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Sep 2024 18:29:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2433901</guid>
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