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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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    <item>
      <title>Solar Noise Barrier Industry Discovery and Prototyping</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2784616</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) is proposing to support the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) by conducting background research, technical modeling and a prototype implementation plan for implementation of proposed solar noise barriers along to be determined highway corridors in North Carolina. The scope of work provides a framework that outlines a comprehensive, phased approach to evaluate the technical, economic, and regulatory feasibility of integrating solar photovoltaic technology into highway noise barriers. The work will conclude with a project report that documents the findings regarding the energy production modeling, stakeholder and utility engagement, capital and O&M cost analysis, and long-term monitoring considerations to successfully transition from a pilot-scale test to full-scale regional deployment.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:25:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2784616</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Integrating Remote Sensing and Ecological Monitoring for Wildlife-Resilient Roadside Maintenance</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2780408</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objective of this project is to develop an automated, multi-scale decision-support framework that transforms satellite and vehicle-acquired remote sensing data into actionable roadside vegetation management workflows. Specifically, the project will achieve the following technical milestones: (1) Develop a Multi-Scale Sensing Architecture: Combine wide-area daily satellite imagery for macro-scale screening with meso-scale mobile sensor rigs mounted to daily Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) fleet vehicles (trucks, sweepers, mowers) for high-resolution edge diagnostics. (2) Engineer Multi-Modal Phenological Classification Models: Utilize Visible & Near-Infrared (VNIR) spectral bands (400–900 nm) to track rapid, post-monsoon green-up windows unique to invasive grasses and invasive forbs across all phenological growth stages, alongside Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) imaging (900–1700 nm) and Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) thermal sensing to calculate accurate Live Fuel Moisture Content (LFMC). (3) Construct a Predictive Prioritization Matrix: Build an automated roadside inventory system that fuses structural vegetation canopy data (via oblique terrestrial LiDAR/RGB), fuel moisture maps, wildfire risk indices, and traffic data to automate maintenance work orders and preserve clear zones, seamlessly integrated with an Interactive Fire Risk Dashboard.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 17:11:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2780408</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>State of Project review Nationwide DOT use of GIS for Environmental Planning and Compliance. AZTI FY2026-C1-PS1</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2780405</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The proposed project will conduct a nationwide state-of-the-practice review of geographic information systems (GIS) applications for environmental planning and compliance while working closely with Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) TAC and EPG personnel. The project will evaluate peer DOT practices, assess ADOT’s existing datasets and workflows, identify implementation barriers and opportunities, and co-develop a practical GIS framework, governance strategy, and implementation roadmap tailored to ADOT’s needs and priority. The resulting framework will support improved environmental screening, compliance tracking, data management, and cross-program coordination while providing a foundation for future GIS modernization.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2026 16:58:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2780405</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Drone-in-a-Box: Enhancing Public Safety and Environmental Monitoring on Cape Cod</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2775052</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Cape Cod, a popular tourist destination, faces unique challenges due to its geographic isolation, seasonal population fluctuations, and increasing environmental concerns. This research proposes leveraging drone-in-a-box (DiB) technology, an autonomous drone system with automated launch, landing, and charging capabilities, to address these challenges. DiB systems offer persistent aerial surveillance and rapid response capabilities, making them ideal for various applications in remote and dynamic environments.

The research team for this project includes representatives from 
Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Aeronautics, MassAutonomy, and Endicott College.  Endicott College will identify appropriate team members based on the expertise needed for each aspect of the project.

This project is significantly strengthened by the collaboration and support of the Wellfleet Police and Fire Departments, who will provide valuable expertise, operational insights, and access to critical resources.

The objectives of this project are to: (1) Evaluate the technical feasibility of deploying DiB systems in the Cape Cod environment, considering factors such as weather conditions, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, and communication infrastructure.
(2) Assess the operational effectiveness of DiB systems in each use case, measuring improvements in traffic flow, emergency response times, and shark detection accuracy.
(3) Analyze the cost-benefit of DiB implementation compared to traditional methods. 
(4) Investigate public perception and acceptance of drone technology for public safety and environmental monitoring.
The project will yield data and associated reports detailing the effectiveness of the use of drone-in-a-box (DiB) technology, an autonomous drone system with automated launch, landing, and charging capabilities, to address these challenges.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:40:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2775052</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Utilizing ITS at International Ports to Reduce PM2.5 and NO2 Emissions</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2772963</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The research team will develop an integrated Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) at four ports of entry, supplemented by low-cost PM2.5 and NO2 sensors, to support real-time information and monitor idling-related emissions from commercial vehicles. This project would supplement the existing ITS network managed by the City of El Paso by installing low-cost PM2.5 and NO2 sensors at ports of entry and across the network to monitor air quality and idling-related emissions. Mitigating PM2.5 and NO2 emissions from commercial vehicles is an essential component to reducing poor air quality, which has a major health impact on El Paso residents. The objective of the project is to monitor and visually-represent commercial vehicle activity and emissions in real-time simultaneously and identify congestion points and high-emission zones. This objective is achieved by combining dedicated PM2.5 and NO2 sensors with traditional ITS (fiber optic communications, lane management systems, dynamic message signs, closed-circuit television cameras, ground vehicle sensors, signal phasing and timing).  As part of Outreach Tasks, this model is intended to provide additional datasets that will be presented to the public, to logistics companies operating commercial vehicles at international ports, to decision makers that can make policy changes, and funding agencies like USDOT for funding construction improvements. Focusing on mitigating congestion and reducing PM2.5 and NO2 emissions at international ports will result in positive transportation-related health disparities and improve air quality for disadvantaged communities. This model can be replicated across all international ports along the U.S.-Mexico and U.S. Canada border and in international borders with similar commercial activity.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:09:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2772963</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Managing PFAS-Impacted Construction Materials at Airports</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2772550</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Airports across the United States are increasingly encountering per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during construction projects, including in soils, concrete and asphalt pavements, building materials, stormwater, and groundwater. Construction activities such as airfield rehabilitation, terminal modernization, utility work, and other infrastructure projects create challenges related to material handling, reuse, disposal, regulatory compliance, and cost control. Although guidance on PFAS characterization continues to expand, airport owners and contractors lack practical, airport-specific guidance for managing PFAS-impacted materials during construction. As disposal options become more limited and regulatory requirements continue to evolve, airports face increasing costs, schedule delays, and uncertainty in managing construction-phase materials.

The objective of this research is to develop airport-specific guidance and practical tools for managing PFAS-impacted materials during construction projects. The research will synthesize construction-phase materials management practices used at airports and other infrastructure programs and develop a framework that links PFAS data quality, construction methods, and material handling options. The project will produce practitioner-ready resources, including materials management plan templates, decision flowcharts, handling guidance for different material types, and other implementation tools that airports can incorporate into construction planning, specifications, and contractor requirements to support consistent decision-making during airport capital improvement projects. The research will build on existing ACRP guidance by focusing specifically on construction-phase implementation rather than site investigation or PFAS characterization.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:45:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2772550</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessment Methodology of Post-Relocation Dispersal of Mussels in a Natural River Setting after Construction Projects</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2761609</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Freshwater mussels are relocated during infrastructure and construction projects to reduce impacts to these species, as constructions projects are subject to state and federal environmental compliance requirements to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts to threatened and endangered species. Mussel experts (malacologists) do not currently know where mussels are moving to after mussel relocations occur or why the mussels are moving. This project’s goal is to develop and validate a way to assess daily mussel movement in large river systems after relocation and during construction. The researchers will identify a technology to monitor mussel movement, quantify movement patterns and identify influencing factors after relocation. Outcomes of the project include a field-tested protocol for monitoring mussel dispersal, helping to inform future avoidance and minimization options on state transportation projects and the resulting consultation with the resource agencies.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:43:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2761609</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>3D-Printed Architected Concrete Materials  </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2752287</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this project is to develop and evaluate concrete-based acoustic metamaterials specifically designed to mitigate low- to mid-frequency traffic noise. By leveraging extrusion-based concrete 3D printing (C3DP) and Helmholtz resonator geometry, the project designs, fabricates, and acoustically characterizes scalable noise barrier specimens with near-perfect absorption performance. This project combines innovative acoustic design, advanced concrete 3D printing, and tailored material formulations to deliver next-generation noise barriers capable of addressing complex traffic noise patterns. The outcomes include: Concrete-based metamaterials with proven low-frequency noise reduction capabilities; Scalable barrier designs; Durable, sustainable materials enhanced with additives and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs); and Strong interdisciplinary collaboration and educational impact through specialized workshops and coursework.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:31:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2752287</guid>
    </item>
    <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>
    </item>
    <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>
    </item>
    <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>
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