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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>Assessing Bat Use of Culverts in Virginia and Identifying Opportunities for Streamlining the Consultation Process for VDOT Projects: Phase I Study</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2617664</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) must comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for transportation projects that may impact federally listed bat species. In 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released several updates relevant to these requirements, including the updated Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Programmatic Biological and Conference Opinion (PBO) for transportation projects. 

Although these updates and associated tools include several changes to improve consultation efficiencies, certain aspects of the coordination process remain outside their scope. In addition, structure assessments for bat occupancy represent a significant workload for VDOT and USFWS staff and an area where additional research is needed in Virginia. An understanding of culvert use by bats is an issue that has not yet been examined through a robust statewide study.

This research will inform the development of Virginia-specific tools and strategies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of regulatory coordination for project reviews. The project will be conducted in two phases. Phase I will use literature findings VDOT bat survey data to develop a targeted sampling plan for Phase II field surveys to identify potential conditions where bat presence may be highly unlikely.  Phase I will also include a review of programmatic agreements from other states and gather input from VDOT, USFWS, and other DOT staff to find opportunities to increase the efficiency of consultation process.  The study findings will inform regulatory decisions for streamlining the project review processes and decreasing the workload for Virginia’s transportation and regulatory staff.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2025 10:05:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2617664</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessment of Pilot Workload in Non-Vertical Navigation (VNAV) Aircraft during Simultaneous Parallel Approach Operations</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582403</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) minimum capabilities list (MCL) recommends operators equip with autopilot coupled vertical navigation (VNAV) to enable performance-based navigation (PBN) operations. FAA data indicated a gap in VNAV equipage across 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 aircraft operators. Current FAA requirements do not allow an aircraft without coupled autopilot (lateral navigation, vertical navigation) and/or flight director (FD) guidance (lateral, vertical) to conduct area navigation (RNAV) instrument approach procedures (IAPs) during simultaneous approach operations. The VNAV equipage gap and current FAA requirements limit the use of existing PBN procedures and overall participation rates. Human factors research data is needed to understand pilot workload when conducting RNAV IAPs in an aircraft without coupled autopilot and/or FD guidance during simultaneous approach operations. Results from this research can provide a basis for FAA safety risk management (SRM) decisions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 29 Jul 2025 13:02:39 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582403</guid>
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      <title>Use of a Monocular Head-Worn Display (HWD) With and Without an Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) to Conduct Lower-than-Standard Approach and Landing Minima Flight Operations</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2533787</link>
      <description><![CDATA[When flying a Special Authorization Category I (SA CAT I) instrument landing system (ILS) approach, pilots may use a Head-Up Display (HUD), which presents flight symbology on a transparent screen so that the pilot can view primary flight information while looking out the window, along the flightpath. Pilots can also use an Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS) on a HUD during this operation, which provides a real-time sensor image of the forward view to enhance runway awareness when transitioning to visual flight references.  The Head-Worn Display (HWD) is an emerging technology in civil aviation that is designed to provide the benefits of a HUD; however, the unique optical and physical characteristics of the HWD may change the existing levels of pilot performance and workload during SA CAT I operations flown with a HUD. When flying with a monocular HWD, binocular rivalry occurs, which may impact pilot performance and workload. This raises questions about whether pilot performance and workload are significantly impacted during manual SA CAT I flight operations where the pilot flying (PF) uses a monocular HWD with and without an EFVS. To address this concern, a study was carried out in which 11 pilot crews, made up of 22 Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Captains, flew manual SA CAT I approach, landing, and rollout scenarios in a Boeing 737 Level D-equivalent flight simulator with a HUD and monocular HWD, with and without an EFVS, and in day and night ambient lighting conditions. Pilots rated their workload during each scenario using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). The findings of the study suggest that a monocular HWD may not have a significant negative impact on a pilot’s ability to manage most aspects of the flightpath during an SA CAT I operation; however, the monocular HWD elevated pilot workload. The monocular HWD also caused increased glideslope deviation during the instrument segment and increased deviation from the runway centerline during rollout. However, these increases were small, and may not translate to operational significance. While the use of an EFVS did not impact any aspects of pilot performance or workload, pilots reported that it enhanced their awareness of the runway environment when transitioning from instrument to visual flight references; however, it was reported to be a hindrance when transitioning to flare, landing, and rollout regardless of whether it was implemented on a HUD or a monocular HWD. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:13:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2533787</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Optimizing the STIP Letting and Construction Schedule</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2464347</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Using historic project data, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is interested in identifying which projects should be advertised or “let” throughout the year in order to optimize schedules, aid in prioritization of work, and maximize cost-savings. With the same information, MoDOT would like to have a tool or methodology to identify the average annual workload of contractors to determine remaining capacity each year and when it might be most optimal to let projects in certain regions. For example, if MoDOT knows that certain contractors are close to being at full capacity in a specific region or district they commonly bid in, MoDOT may choose to delay (or accelerate when possible) a project to allow more schedule flexibility and ensure competition. This may involve the use of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies.   ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 11:45:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2464347</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessment of Drivers' Behavior and Workload while Interacting with E-scooters Using a Driving Simulator</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1853637</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Motorized scooters (e-scooters) have become an emerging alternative mode of transportation in cities worldwide. E-scooters provide mobility as a service (MaaS) with benefits related to easement of movement at peak times, reducing the need for parking space in congested cities, and serving customers of special traffic generators (i.e., universities and commercial centers). Nevertheless, city planners and transportation decision-makers have concerns related to e-scooters due to impacts on equity, accessibility, and road safety, particularly to vulnerable road users (VRU) and the riders.
Shared e-scooter services were massively introduced in the U.S. in 2017 (FARS, 2019). Since then, the reported injury rates related to e-scooters raise the alarm for concern. As roadway crash databases need to be updated to include e-scooter related events, researchers have used other sources of information to detect e-scooter crash events and related factors. One shared micro-mobility service provider reported a rate of 37.2 injuries per million miles ridden on e-scooters, or equal to one injury per 26,881 miles ridden (BIRD, 2019). Yang et al. (2020) identified 169 e-scooter crashes from news reports across the U.S. from 2017 to 2019. Within these reported crash events, the two most common crashes were e-scooters colliding with a motor vehicle in the travel lanes (30.2%) and at intersections (23.1%). 
The primary objective of this research project is to evaluate and better understand the drivers' behavior and mental workload during interactions with e-scooters in potentially dangerous situations on urban roadways (at intersections and sharing the same travel lane). This research will raise awareness of particular interactions between drivers of motor vehicles and e-scooter riders on urban roads. The goal is to intensify the efforts that should be done to reduce and ultimately eliminate the frequency of crashes and fatalities involving e-scooters.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 24 May 2021 11:33:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1853637</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of Driver Workload and Training Strategies on a Diverging Diamond Interchange</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1705299</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The amount of information processed by drivers in freeways and arterials increases significantly at interchanges. The information includes changes in alignment and number of lanes, lane position, merging and diverging from the main road, change of safe vehicle speed according to the alignment changes, and the need for attention to various types of road signs. Therefore, negotiating interchanges is a very complex and demanding task. Many studies have been looking at innovative designs to improve safety concerns while reducing urban congestion. One of those innovative intersections is the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) that will be implemented for the first time in Puerto Rico in the state road PR-30 Km 4.1 in Gurabo, PR. Since this is the first time that this type of intersection is implemented in Puerto Rico, the proposed research study aims to determine which training strategy is better suited to effectively communicate drivers the correct way to drive along with this type of intersection. To assess the safety and operational effectiveness of the training strategies, a detailed study on how local drivers behave and the mental workload experienced when driving through the proposed DDI for the first time will be performed. A new factor included in this research is the drivers’ cognitive workload or brain workload. This variable will be evaluated using various biosensors, included with the dry-electrode DSI-24 EEG headset and the algorithms to measure workload that has been developed by the providers of this type of equipment. The comparison of the effect of the strategies will be evaluated using the driving simulator of UPRM. The identification of the best training strategies would allow state, local, and federal institutions to use them in their educational and awareness campaigns.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2020 12:37:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1705299</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Drivers’ Performance and Brain Workload Activities after Alcohol Consumption using Driving Simulation
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1595401</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Highway crashes are a serious social and public health problem across the globe. The issue of alcohol impaired driving is a contributory factor identified as a focal area for the US-DOT, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), as well as other interest groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), that have been working on several programs to reduce fatalities and severe injuries associated with driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). According to the NHTSA, in the United States and Puerto Rico in 2016, 10,497 people lost their lives in crashes where alcohol consumption was present. In the last five years, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), approximately one-third of the deaths involved drivers with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels higher than 0.08%. Even responsible drivers sometimes struggle with the decision of whether to drive after socially drinking as they consider to be still capable of driving safely.  The proposed research study will address this problem by identifying a set of factors to determine how many drinks a subject can drink and reasonably perceive that can drive safely with the use of the Driving Simulator of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM). A new factor included in this research is the drivers’ cognitive workload or brain workload. This variable will be measured using a dry-electrode EEG and the algorithms to measure workload that has been developed by the providers of this type of equipment. The identification of these factors would allow state, local and federal institutions to target specific population groups in their educational and awareness campaigns. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 Mar 2019 19:43:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1595401</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Pilot and Crew Performance under Stress and High Workload
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1367520</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No summary provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2015 09:20:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1367520</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of a Protocol to Assess the Effects of Workload on Older Drivers: A First Step</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230172</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Before older drivers stop driving, there are transitional periods of restricted driving during which they do not drive on unfamiliar roads or roads that are difficult to drive, presumably of high workload. By knowing the workload associated with a particular route (from historic and existing datasets) and some assessment of the ability of a particular older individual to drive in certain situations (determined using a simulator), drivers could decide which of several routes they should drive, and if they should drive at all. The workload estimates could be a function added in next generation in-vehicle navigation systems or part of the directions calculation in Google maps. Using a driving simulator, this project is intended to answer several questions. How does driving performance degrade with increased workload? How well do the subjective and objective workload estimates from previous University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) work agree with each other? What are the differences between men and women on these measures?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:55:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1230172</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of a Protocol to Assess the Effects of Workload on Older Drivers: A Third Step</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1229305</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Older drivers stop driving for a variety of reasons, including being overwhelmed by the workload of the primary driving task. Workload estimates for specific routes from an in-vehicle navigation system or Google maps could provide guidance. More fundamentally, validated workload predictions are needed to allow the comparison of studies that otherwise seem uncomparable, for example, differing in terms of the number of lanes or the amount of traffic. In an ongoing M-CASTL project, the SAVE-IT equation (which utilizes data that are automatically collected in driving studies) was used to predict subjective ratings of workload in a driving simulator. The equation predictions were correlated with the latest subject ratings, but were lower than before because of previously irresolvable technical problems with the anchor clips (showing low and high workload) used to ground the ratings (and for other reasons). In this project, the researchers will develop and evaluate improved anchor clips that show all traffic (not just the forward scene as before and shown below) to appear on a 2D display in the cab. Scenarios for anchor clips will be driven in the simulator and then the recorded images will be combined in a variety of ways. To determine the best configuration, 12-16 subjects will answer situation awareness questions concerning candidate anchor clip configurations. Subsequently, another 16 subjects will drive the simulator and rate the workload of modified scenarios from the previous experiment using the new anchor clips. To determine the effect of engagement (ratings while watching driving are higher than ratings while driving because the driver is in control), there will be one test block where each subject rates clips as a passenger. This experiment will take about 90 minutes/subject. The result of this project will be improved, validated anchor clips for a follow up, on-road experiment.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:39:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1229305</guid>
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