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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=PHNlYXJjaD48cGFyYW1zPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJzdWJqZWN0aWQiIHZhbHVlPSIxODA2IiAvPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJkYXRlaW4iIHZhbHVlPSI3MzAiIC8+PHBhcmFtIG5hbWU9InN1YmplY3Rsb2dpYyIgdmFsdWU9Im9yIiAvPjxwYXJhbSBuYW1lPSJ0ZXJtc2xvZ2ljIiB2YWx1ZT0ib3IiIC8+PHBhcmFtIG5hbWU9ImxvY2F0aW9uIiB2YWx1ZT0iMTYiIC8+PC9wYXJhbXM+PGZpbHRlcnMgLz48cmFuZ2VzIC8+PHNvcnRzPjxzb3J0IGZpZWxkPSJwdWJsaXNoZWQiIG9yZGVyPSJkZXNjIiAvPjwvc29ydHM+PHBlcnNpc3RzPjxwZXJzaXN0IG5hbWU9InJhbmdldHlwZSIgdmFsdWU9InB1Ymxpc2hlZGRhdGUiIC8+PC9wZXJzaXN0cz48L3NlYXJjaD4=" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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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>Modernization of Idaho StreamStats: Updates to Statewide Basin Characteristics and At-Site Peak Streamflow Statistics</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2742769</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is seeking to enhance the Idaho StreamStats application by incorporating updated basin characteristics, hydrography, and at-site peak streamflow statistics using current datasets, advanced geospatial technologies, and modern hydrologic analysis methods. StreamStats is an important tool used by transportation engineers, planners, and water resource professionals to estimate streamflow characteristics that support the design and maintenance of bridges, culverts, drainage infrastructure, and other transportation assets. This project will leverage high-resolution lidar-derived elevation data, updated land cover and climate datasets, improved hydrography, and current flood-frequency analysis methods to strengthen the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of hydrologic information available through StreamStats. Research activities will include updating basin characteristics, recalculating peak-flow statistics using recent streamflow records, integrating updated information into the StreamStats application, and publishing supporting datasets to promote transparency and future use. The resulting tools and workflows will provide ITD and its partners with enhanced hydrologic information to support infrastructure design, flood risk assessment, regulatory compliance, and long-term transportation planning.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:20:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2742769</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Identifying and Quantifying Microplastics Generated from the Roadway Environment: Field Monitoring and Analysis</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2742704</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Microplastics (MPs) generated from roadway materials and vehicle activity are an emerging environmental concern, yet their sources, behavior, and impacts remain poorly quantified. Transportation agencies use plastics in erosion control netting, road markings, and increasingly in recycled plastic modified (RPM) asphalt, all of which have the potential to shed MPs through weathering and abrasion. Tire wear particles further dominate MP emissions. At the same time, the lack of standardized analytical methods limit reliable measurement of MPs in stormwater and roadside soils. 

This research will improve understanding of roadway-derived MPs and advanced analytical consistency by (1) comparing TGA-FTIR and Py-GC-MS to develop a validated mass-based quantification workflow: (2) quantifying polymer-specific MPs across rural, urban, and RPM asphalt sites; (3) evaluating relationships between traffic volume and MP abundance; and (4) examining how antecedent dry periods influence MP mobilization during storm events. Integrated laboratory testing and field sampling will link analytical precision with real-world roadway conditions. 

The results will provide transportation agencies, including Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), with robust methods, source-specific MP data, and insights needed to anticipate and inform future regulations and guide more sustainable roadway material and stormwater management practices.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:56:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2742704</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Leveraging Existing Vegetated Roadside Areas for Efficient Stormwater Management</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2726138</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Stormwater runoff from transportation infrastructure presents a persistent challenge for Oregon’s transportation system due to the requirement to treat highway stormwater runoff and protect downstream water quality. Current regulatory requirements compel project teams to demonstrate adequate stormwater treatment and infiltration performance during planning and design. However, limited understanding of how hydrologic data and roadside soil properties influence geochemical treatment capacity often prevents reliable evaluation of whether the natural roadside environment itself can meet objectives, providing an unrealized opportunity for potential savings on unnecessary facility installation and maintenance costs.
OBJECTIVES: The overall objective of this project is to develop and validate an integrated hydrologic-geochemical decision-support tool that enables early-stage screening of existing roadside stormwater infiltration potential and treatment performance. The tool will provide Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) with simulation capabilities to predict and quantify surface runoff routing, infiltration capacity, and subsurface geochemical dynamics. The coupled hydrologic-geochemical framework will support quantitative evaluation of whether already existing roadside environments can meet stormwater performance metrics and identify locations where built treatment facilities are actually necessary. 
The project will provide ODOT with quantitative decision-support framework for early-stage screening of roadside stormwater infiltration and treatment feasibility. The framework directly addresses the current uncertainty in determining when existing roadside soils and vegetative cover can meet stormwater performance requirements and when engineered treatment facilities are necessary. By enabling systematic identification of locations where existing soils provide sufficient infiltration and contaminant attenuation, this project may assist with (1) reducing unnecessary engineered stormwater treatment facilities that require construction costs, operational costs and long-term maintenance commitments, and (2) reducing the need to acquire additional ROW to install engineered facilities, minimizing both project delivery and O&M costs. Even if additional ROW may be needed to fit the natural areas for treatment, long-term operation and maintenance costs will likely be reduced.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:25:51 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2726138</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Utilizing Public Perceptions to Inform Successful Roadside Vegetation Planning and Management</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2725587</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Current roadside vegetation planning and management is informed by a robust set of technical guidelines and principles rooted in engineering and natural sciences. However, public-facing roadside landscapes are part of critical infrastructure networks experienced by millions of people daily, and those experiences may vary based on traffic intensity and roadway speeds. Existing research on public perception offers limited practical guidance, as studies are often fragmented, focusing on isolated variables (like a single plant type or driver behavior). These isolated studies do not directly address the needs of engineers, vegetation managers, and transportation planners as they lack the operations and logistics needs of managing roadside vegetation in the context of local site conditions
This project aims to address these deficits through three objectives. Objective 1 will assess the current state of public perceptions as it relates to roadside vegetation management practices and regulations with the academic and grey literature. The results from this objective will then be used to inform a statewide online survey of Minnesota residents (Objective 2) focused on key attributes of the vegetation itself (e.g. height, color), vegetation composition, broader ecological factors, and perceptions of aesthetics, psychological restoration, and safety. Finally, driven by the results of the two previous objectives, in Objective 3, Roadside Vegetation Profiles (RVPs) will be created as a decision support tool for engineers, vegetation managers, and transportation planners to select for and optimize various attributes that they wish to prioritize for a specific roadside context.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:47:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2725587</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluating Mowing Practices for Pollinator Habitat Enhancement: Highway Vegetation Management and Its Impact on Endangered Polinator</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2724815</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ORS 634.045 requires several state agencies, including Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), to maintain and revise a bee pollinator safety plan to educate the public and increase pollinator habitat. It is not clear to ODOT how to document habitat on their properties, if current mowing practices enhance or reduce pollinator habitat, and how to prioritize areas for compliance of conservation practices. The US DOT has guidelines for vegetation management for right-of-ways (ROWs), but there have been contrasting results for key practices, such as mowing and efforts at establishing pollinator-attractive plants have not resulted in long lasting habitat and may result in costly landscaping. Finally, there are concerns that the habitats near roadway locations with vehicles and environmental pollutants may result low mortality rates to pollinators. Consequently, it is unclear how ODOT routine mowing practices, which covers an estimated 20,000 acres annually, enhances the vegetation that is important to threatened or endangered pollinators. This research seeks to identify mowing practices that encourage these plants and to help meet protection targets without increased costs.
The research will study pollinator activity in three geographic regions and develop “high benefit” pollinator vegetation management practices with a neutral (or lessened) cost to ODOT. The research will be conducted over three seasons and have three parts: (1) In-field vegetation documentation using new app and method analysis; (2) Cost-Benefit Analysis; and (3) Feasibility analysis. 
The in-field tasks include selecting 27 site locations on ODOT secondary or tertiary roads, with appropriate ROWs, across three ODOT regions (i.e., 9 per region).  The study will have three levels of mowing intensity: high (at least once per year), medium (once every other year) and low (less than once every two years). Each location will be monitored for plant diversity and density and bee pollinator activity during the appropriate seasons – with particular measurement directly before and after mowing. The research will determine if mowing intensity and date of mowing influences the density of plants of highest value to pollinators by: (1) relating plants found to Melittflora records filtered for the region; and (2) calculating the richness of bee species found at each site. The research will also use historic estimates of average seasonal traffic volume at each site as a covariate to investigate the impact of traffic on the diversity of the bee community for a given plant community. Site characteristics will also be documented (e.g. distance from the roadway). The cost-benefit analysis will focus on detailing normal vs pollinator staff/resource costs, timing for mowing, and comparing to outcomes of high pollinator activity. The feasibility analysis will compare normal maintenance resource availability and use compared to recommended optimal mowing for pollinator benefits.

Finally, the project would result in a regional pocket guide of the most important plants for pollinators that vegetation management crews will encounter, as well as new continuing education trainings for vegetation management staff. This information could be used in future construction (or Maintenance) locations to identify plant species that are both of high value to pollinators and known to persist under ROW conditions that could help inform how to modify seed blends following road construction.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:39:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2724815</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>MOVES5 Project-Level Sensitivity Analysis: Evaluating Changes in On-Road Operations and Fuel Consumption</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2720317</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s regulatory model (MOVES), fuel use rates are functions of on-road operating conditions (speed and acceleration conditions). The model uses operating mode (OpMode) distributions, defined by vehicle specific power (VSP) or scaled tractive power (STP), speed and acceleration, to represent the time fraction of engine load. MOVES converts driving cycles into OpMode distributions for project-level analysis (using MOVES default or interpolated driving cycles, customized cycles from user inputs, or OpMode distribution inputs). However, the relationships between average speed and fuel use rates are non-linear.  Hence, it is critical to understand how various input variables (e.g., source type, model year, ambient temperature, and relative humidity) impact the sensitivity of these rates against average speed. The release of MOVES5 includes updates to algorithms since MOVES2014 (including VSP and STP parameters) and introduces base rates that are expected to alter these sensitivity profiles compared to the previous version, MOVES4.0.1. The research team will perform a comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the speed-fuel use relationships using the high-performance computing capabilities of MOVES-Matrix 5.0 (which generates identical results to the MOVES model but runs 200 times faster). The team will investigate the impacts of input variables on these sensitivities and explicitly compare the results against MOVES4.0.1 to document how model updates may affect planning outputs. Fuel use analysis on freeway corridors also depends on the interaction between traffic volume and operating speeds.  Because project-level analyses often aggregate data over time (e.g., one hour) and space (e.g., lane-by-lane to corridor), there is a risk of losing modal model fidelity under variable congestion conditions and variable fleet compositions. The team will perform an uncertainty analysis associated with the temporal and spatial aggregation of on-road operations data (flows and speeds) within the MOVES 5.0 framework, comparing these findings to prior studies to assess how data resolution impacts the accuracy of estimation within the simulator.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:28:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2720317</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comparative Assessment of AERMOD v24142 with MOVES 5.0: Source Type Performance and Dispersion Model Sensitivity</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2720326</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released AERMOD v24142, the latest iteration of its regulatory dispersion model, alongside their updated MOVES5.0 fuel consumption and exhaust rate model. In prior research conducted by this NCST team for FHWA (using MOVES 2014b and AERMOD v19191), significant discrepancies in predicted concentrations were identified across various source type configurations (specifically AREAPOLY, VOLUME, LINE, RLINE, and RLINEXT) under identical conditions. This previous study suggested that AERMOD effectively integrated three separate models, depending on the source type employed, with VOLUME sources notably underpredicting concentrations at low wind speeds compared to RLINE (impacted by the MEANDER settings). This project will re-assess the source type relationships using the updated modeling framework. The research team will utilize the MOVES-Matrix 5.0 and the Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) supercomputing clusters at Georgia Tech to process massive iterations of source-receptor pairs for the I-75/I-575 Northwest Corridor (NWC) case study. The primary objective is to assess if the algorithmic updates in AERMOD v24142 have harmonized the output differences between source types observed in previous versions. The project involves two primary thrusts: 1) A direct comparison of the new modeling results (MOVES5.0/AERMOD v24142) against the team’s prior baseline (MOVES 2014b/AERMOD v19191) to quantify how regulatory updates alter predicted concentration magnitudes and spatial patterns; and 2) a targeted sensitivity analysis using dense, 3-dimensional receptor grids. This condensed sensitivity task will validate vertical and horizontal dispersion profiles to ensure that specific source configurations (e.g., RLINEXT with noise barriers) properly reflect plume behavior near complex infrastructure.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:22:08 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2720326</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Identifying Precipitation Variability in Georgia 
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2719329</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objectives of this research project are to provide scientific evidence to support Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in choosing the correct scenario for each of the regions to reduce the risk of constructing drainage structures and a case study that explores how future rainfall conditions might impact construction costs if increases in precipitation are identified.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:52:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2719329</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SPR 781 Optimizing SCDOT’s Permitting, Mitigation, and Compliance Systems to Improve Project Delivery</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2719301</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The overarching goal of Phase III is to optimize South Carolina Department of Transportation's (SCDOT’s) permitting, mitigation, and compliance
systems by leveraging emerging technologies. The objectives are to (1) maintain the existing
applications and enhance them through feedback from SCDOT users and consultants, (2) migrate
the geographic information system (GIS) applications to Experience Builder for improved functionality, (3) update the e-permitting
app to align with upcoming regulatory changes, (4) develop standardized templates for permit
drawings, and (5) explore emerging technologies to check the permit drawings and provide
feedback on errors and required changes, predict wetland impacts for future projects, and autogenerate National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) applications classified as Categorial Exclusions.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:53:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2719301</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>MOVES-Matrix 5.0 for High-performance On-road Fuel and Running Mass Rate Modeling</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2718240</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The MOtor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model, developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), produces fuel use rates for use at almost any scale from on-road mobile sources and nonroad sources in the United States. Integrating high-resolution on-road vehicle activity data with appropriate MOVES fuel use rates supports robust assessment of transportation operations and planning strategies related to economic savings associated with congestion reduction. However, the MOVES interface is complicated, and the number of required individual model runs make it difficult to assess regional transportation networks and to undertake dynamic analyses of large-scale systems. In prior research efforts, this National Center for Sustainable Transportation (NCST) research team developed MOVES-Matrix 2014b, MOVES-Matrix 3.0, and MOVES-Matrix 4.0, by iterating the MOVES model through the comprehensive sets of potential input variables. Users can query fuel use and running mass rates for any modeling scenario from the MOVES-Matrix 9-billion-cell matrix, without ever having to run the MOVES model. This allows analysts to perform modeling runs about 200x faster than using MOVES directly (and there is no longer a need to develop MOVES input files for any scenario analysis, saving additional time and resources).


In the first stage of MOVES-Matrix 5.0 development, the team will develop MOVES 5.0 fuel use and running mass rates by performing 146,853 MOVES 5.0 model runs (across all input variable combinations) on a supercomputing cluster and will populate matrices for Atlanta (Fulton County, Georgia), for the Fulton County fuel specification and inspection and maintenance program settings. In this project, the team is adapting MOVES 5.0 for cross-platform use on PACE supercomputing clusters (Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, RHEL9) without requiring root access by manually configuring MOVES 5.0 and its dependencies (e.g., MariaDB, Java, and Go) in a user-space, self-contained setup and extracted the pollutant and energy rate outputs of Atlanta, Georgia (Fulton County). As with prior versions of MOVES-Matrix, the team will perform synthetic case studies to verify that MOVES-Matrix replicates the exact same results as using MOVES directly (to ensure validity for use in regulatory analysis). In this first-year effort, the matrices will be developed for the state of Georgia, with planned expansion to Texas and Vermont in the second half of the project.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 16:23:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2718240</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessment of GDOT Grassing Practices for Post-Construction Disturbed Areas within the Right-of-Way
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2717785</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of the proposed research study is to assess the effectiveness of Georgia Department of Transportation's (GDOT)’s current grassing revegetation process and provide recommendations for improvement. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:43:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2717785</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Alternative Constituent Materials for Use in Low-Carbon Cement Concrete – Part II</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2716607</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) needs performance-based guidance to implement low-carbon concrete while maintaining durability, safety, and service life under Massachusetts exposure conditions, including deicing salts and freeze–thaw cycling. OBJECTIVES:  The objective of this project is to evaluate emerging binders, admixtures, and alternative constituent materials as lower-carbon alternatives to traditional cementitious systems for MassDOT highway concrete, while maintaining or improving constructability, strength, durability, and service life. Key objectives include: Review current practices, knowledge gaps, and implementation barriers for EBAs in highway concrete; Characterize hydration, microstructure, and phase development in EBA-based cement systems; Develop MassDOT-relevant concrete mixture designs incorporating EBAs and alternative materials; Evaluate fresh, mechanical, and durability performance of the selected mixtures. Validate promising mixtures through field-relevant mock-ups and support implementation guidance.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:55:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2716607</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improving Stormwater Systems for Debris and Contaminant Capture</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2712206</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Highway runoff carries a complex mix of pollutants, including debris, heavy metals, and nutrients. Oil, grease, and combustion byproducts from vehicles further add to the contaminant load. In addition to these conventional pollutants, scientific advances have highlighted contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) that were not fully recognized when most departments of transportation’s (DOT’s) stormwater programs were first developed.

Unlike conventional pollutants that degrade over time, many of these debris and CECs persist. They clog inlets and ponds, reduce hydraulic conductivity, and increase pollutant loads to downstream waters. For DOTs, this creates two major challenges: rising costs to maintain stormwater assets, and regulatory risk under municipal separate storm sewer system permits if pollutant control cannot be demonstrated.

The objective of this research is to develop a guide for reducing broad pollutants, which include macro-debris, microplastics, and tire wear particles, which have been demonstrated to contain compounds toxic to certain aquatic organisms.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:28:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2712206</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Integrated Acoustic and Human-Centered Development and Digital Twin Testing for Rail Noise Abatement Strategies in Ohio
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2712240</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Rail and highway projects tend to run in tandem. Typically, residential areas along rail lines are located at grade separations. As a result, residents can be adversely impacted by rail noise and track vibration. Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) consistently receives complaints from residents related to rail noise. Currently, ODOT does not have any defined noise abatement strategies for rail projects. Research is needed to determine if there are feasible, reasonable, cost-effective ways to dampen rail noise for residential and other noise sensitive areas along rail lines.

Research Goal: Identify innovative techniques and/or designs that can aid in the mitigation of rail noise. For this study, rail noise is referring to sounds coming from the tracks and subsequent vibrations, not the train horn. Of particular interest is railroad crossing elimination projects, which are subject to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)  assignment and typically include an at grade crossing and the potential for road relocation above existing rail lines. Additional items that should be taken into consideration include ownership, requirements, and costs for installation and ongoing maintenance of all proposed solutions.

Potential Benefits: Effective noise abatement strategies for rail noise could extend benefits currently experienced from highway noise abatement strategies to residential and commercial areas located along rail lines. This includes but is not limited to increased quality of life.        ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:55:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2712240</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Railway Noise Abatement Strategies: State of the Art and Applicability for Ohio Corridors</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2712239</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Rail and highway projects tend to run in tandem. Typically, residential areas along rail lines are located at grade separations. As a result, residents can be adversely impacted by rail noise and track vibration. Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) consistently receives complaints from residents related to rail noise. Currently, ODOT does not have any defined noise abatement strategies for rail projects. Research is needed to determine if there are feasible, reasonable, cost-effective ways to dampen rail noise for residential and other noise sensitive areas along rail lines.

Research Goal: Identify innovative techniques and/or designs that can aid in the mitigation of rail noise. For this study, rail noise is referring to sounds coming from the tracks and subsequent vibrations, not the train horn. Of particular interest is railroad crossing elimination projects, which are subject to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assignment and typically include an at grade crossing and the potential for road relocation above existing rail lines. Additional items that should be taken into consideration include ownership, requirements, and costs for installation and ongoing maintenance of all proposed solutions.

Potential Benefits: Effective noise abatement strategies for rail noise could extend benefits currently experienced from highway noise abatement strategies to residential and commercial areas located along rail lines. This includes but is not limited to increased quality of life. 

The goal of this research is to systematically research and evaluate emerging noise abatement strategies for potential implementation in Ohio's railroad projects. The research team will directly address the effectiveness (cost per dB reduced), cost (including construction and maintenance costs, such as cost per mile), reliability, and implementation hurdles for each strategy, as well as ownership considerations. They will also consider combining measures (e.g., dampers, a short barrier, and a track pad) to achieve additive benefits beyond those reported in existing studies. The proposed project advances the state of practice for railroad noise abatement strategies from scattered information worldwide to a more defined, deployable set. It provides an in-depth evaluation of innovative rail noise abatement solutions, moving beyond the conventional highway noise wall paradigm to more adaptable, rail-specific approaches.            ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:26:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2712239</guid>
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