2010 TRB 89th Annual Meeting and Transportation Research Record: Calls for Papers TRB standing committees have issued more than 40 calls for papers for the TRB 89th Annual Meeting, January 10-14, 2010, in Washington, D.C, and the Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board (TRR). While papers addressing any relevant aspect of transportation research will be considered, some committees are soliciting papers in specific subject areas to help potential authors identify topics for their papers. Committees will be producing calls for papers through June, so authors should visit this site periodically. [More]

Fiscal Year 2010 Freight and Hazardous Materials Problem Statements Sought – Candidate Statements Due July 31, 2009 Candidate Statements Due July 31, 2009 TRB’s National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) and Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program (HMCRP) have issued a request for problem statements identifying research needed for NCFRP’s and HMCRP’s FY 2010 programs.  Research problem statements, which will form the basis for selection of the next round of research projects by the respective programs, are due by July 31, 2009.  The NCFRP and HMCRP are applied, contract research programs with objectives of developing information that will be used to improve the efficiency, reliability, safety, and security of the nation’s freight transportation system.  Anyone may submit a research problem statement and the process is easy. So, if you have any potential research topics, TRB would welcome your submission. New projects will be selected in the fall of 2009. [More]

Fiscal Year 2010 Transit Cooperative Research Program Legal Studies Topics Recommendations Due by July 1, 2009 The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) is soliciting ideas on candidate topics for the FY 2010 Legal Studies Program. The TCRP Legal Studies Program reports on legal issues associated with transit and intermodal law. Each document is intended to provide transit attorneys with authoritative, well-researched, specific information that is limited in scope. The studies focus on legal issues and problems having national significance to the transit industry. [More]

NCHRP FY 2010 Projects: Oversight Panel Nominee Solicitation Nominations Due May 29, 2009  TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) is soliciting nominees to serve on oversight panels for new projects being established under the NCHRP’s FY 2010 program. Nominees should have expertise directly relevant to the proposed project topic. To help identify nominees who are members of historically underrepresented groups, TRB encourages the nomination of women and members of minority groups.  Panels for the new projects are scheduled to meet beginning in late July through September. Panel members are prohibited from submitting or participating in preparation of proposals on projects under their jurisdiction, and they serve without compensation but are paid travel and subsistence expenses. [More]

TRB Webinar: Animal-Vehicle Collisions May 12, 2009  TRB will conduct a web briefing or “Webinar” on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT that will examine efforts to design and implement mitigation techniques to prevent animal-vehicle collisions.  Participants must register at least 24 hours in advance of the start of the Webinar, space is limited, and there is a fee for non-TRB Sponsor employees. [More]

Truck Tolling-Understanding Industry Tradeoffs When Using or Avoiding Toll Facilities Proposals Due June 25, 2009 TRB’s National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) and National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) have issued a request for proposals to identify the value that goods movement businesses seek from the transportation roadway network and their willingness to pay tolls for that value. [More]

Recent Publications

Updated Test and Design Methods for Thermoplastic Drainage Pipe TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 631: Updated Test and Design Methods for Thermoplastic Drainage Pipe explores a recommended load and resistance factor design (LRFD) specification for thermoplastic pipe used in culverts and drainage systems for highway structures. [More] [Buy it now]

 Literature Review for Providing Access to Public Transportation Stations TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Web-Only Document 44: Literature Review for Providing Access to Public Transportation Stations describes the results of the literature review associated with a project that is examining various alternatives for providing access to and from stations of new and mature high-capacity public transportation systems, including heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit. [More]

 Cooperative Research Programs Security Research Status Report TRB’s Cooperative Research Program produces a table summarizing more than 80 security and emergency preparedness projects representing over $11 million in the contract research programs for state departments of transportation and the public transportation industry.  Updated monthly. [More]

Transportation Security: A Summary of Transportation Research Board Activities – A slideshow summary of the Transportation Research Board’s pre- and post-September 11, 2001, transportation security activities is updated monthly.  [More]

Analysis and Recommendations for Developing Integrated Airport Information Systems – TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Web-Only Document 1: Analysis and Recommendations for Developing Integrated Airport Information Systems is a summary of the efforts associated with the development of ACRP Report 13: Integrating Airport Information Systems . 

Integrating Airport Information Systems TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 13: Integrating Airport Information Systems is designed to help airport mangers and information technology professionals address issues associated with integrating airport information systems.  A summary of the efforts associated with the development of ACRP Report 13 was published online as ACRP Web-Only Document 1: Analysis and Recommendations for Developing Integrated Airport Information Systems. [More]  [Buy it now]

Federal Research News

DOT Pandemic Flu Planning Guidelines The U.S. Department of Transportation has released guidance for transportation sub-sectors to address severe pandemic influenza.  The guidelines include advice for aviation, highway and motor carrier, maritime, mass transit, and railroad sectors, and associated public-and-private sector businesses.  The sector-specific annexes accompany a report developed by the Department of Homeland Security on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Guide for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources.  [More]

Safety Compass Newsletter: Jan./Feb./Mar. 2009 The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released the latest issue of its Safety Compass newsletter.  The newsletter covers program delivery, best practices, research, training, regulations, and legislation designed to help establish a more productive national and local safety program.  This issue explores the safety implications of investments made in transportation as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Missouri’s smooth road initiative, and more. [More]

Predicting Performance with Traffic Analysis Tools The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released a report that examines the use of traffic analysis tools for predicting future performance of a transportation facility. [More]

 Roadway Network Productivity Assessment: System-Wide Analysis under Variant Travel Demand  The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released a report that examines the system-wide productivity of a metropolitan freeway system in peak periods under both moderate and excessive travel demand conditions. [More]

White Paper on Coordinating, Planning, and Managing the Effects of Roadway Construction with Technology The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) has released a report that explores the use of intelligent transportation options for work zone operations to assist with the increase of construction from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. [More]

Preventing First-Time DWI Offenses: First-Time DWI Offenders in California, New York, and Florida The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released a report that explores the prevalence of common prior offenses among first-time DWI offenders, and identifies opportunities to expand efforts and strategies to prevent impaired driving. [More]

Traffic Calming on Main Roads Through Rural Communities The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released a Tech Brief that summarizes an evaluation of the effects on speed of low-cost, traffic-calming treatments on main rural highways passing through small, rural communities in Iowa. [More]

Public-Private Partnerships for Highway Infrastructure: Capitalizing on International Experience The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has released a report that explores public-private partnership programs for highway infrastructure in Australia, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. [More]

State Research News

Development of Truck Equivalent Single-Axle Load (ESAL) Factors Based on Weigh-in-Motion Data for Pavement Design in Virginia The Virginia Transportation Research Council, a partnership of the Virginia Department of Transportation and the University of Virginia, has released a report that examines equivalent single-axle load factors from data collected from weigh-in-motion in Virginia from June 2007 to May 2008, in order to allow a more optimal pavement design that more accurately reflects the traffic loading on roadways in Virginia. [More] 

The Comparison of Animal Detection Systems in a Test-Bed: A Quantitative Comparison of System Reliability and Experiences with Operation and Maintenance The Montana Department of Transportation has released a report that explores the reliability of nine animal detection systems.  The systems were tested at the same site under similar circumstances, weather conditions, and animal species. [More]

University Research News

Effectiveness of Dynamic Messaging on Driver Behavior for Late Merge Lane Road Closures The Center for Transportation Research and Education at Iowa State University has released a report that explores the effectiveness of dynamic message signs to control traffic for lane closures and traffic merges at two bridge construction projects in western Iowa. [More]

Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium University News Newsletter: April 2009 The Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC) has released the latest issue of its University News newsletter.  OTREC is a national university transportation center, and is a partnership between Portland State University, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and the Oregon Institute of Technology.  This issue explores sustainable suburbs, research news, and more. [More]

The Effects of On-Street Parking on Cyclist Route Choice and the Operational Behavior of Cyclists and Motorists  The Center for Transportation Research at the University of Texas, Austin, has released a report that explores the operational impacts of bicycling adjacent to on-street parking and bicyclists’ route choice preferences. [More] 

University of Minnesota‘s CTS Research E-News: April 2009 The latest issue of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) Research E-Newsletter is now available. Policy and planning; intelligent transportation systems; transit, bicycling, and walking; and safety are among the topics addressed in this issue of the CTS Research E-News. [More]

International Research News

Pedestrian and Cyclist Road Safety on 30 Km/H Access Roads: The Influence of the Layout of Urban Access Roads on Collisions Between Slow Traffic and Motor Vehicles
The Netherlands’ SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research has released a report that examines crashes on 30 km/h access roads and casualties among pedestrians and cyclists. The report is written in Dutch with an English summary. [More] 

Relationship between Road Geometry, Observed Travel Speed, and Rural Accidents Land Transport New Zealand has released a report that explores the relationship between road geometry, observed travel speed, and crashes, using data collected on six sections of State Highway in 2005 to 2006. [More]

Measurement of Fuel Consumption on Asphalt and Concrete Pavements North of Uppsala  The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) has released a report that examines the difference between an asphalt and a concrete pavement in Uppsala, Sweden, in order to better understand how fuel consumption corresponds to pavement type.  The report is written in Swedish with an English summary. [More] 

Smart Safe School Bus – A Pilot Study in Kristianstad The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) has released a report that explores the usage of off-the-shelf technology to facilitate communication between bus drivers and children in order to promote school bus safety.  The report is written in Swedish with an English summary. [More]

The Expectations and Views of Car Drivers Concerning Antilock Brakes (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Systems The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) has released a report that explores the views of car drivers regarding their usage of antilock brakes and electronic stability control systems.  The report is written in Swedish with an English summary. [More]

In the Know

Hearing on the Future of National Surface Transportation PolicyOn Tuesday, April 28, 2009, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security held a hearing to examine the upcoming reauthorization of federal surface transportation programs.  Additional information on the hearing and a video of the hearing are available online. [More] 

Hearing on the Progress of Transportation and Infrastructure Programs under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  On Wednesday, April 29, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing to examine progress on implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including transportation programs such as highways, bridges, public transportation, rail, aviation, waterways, and more. Additional information on the hearing and a video of the hearing are available online. [More]

Hearing on the Department of Transportation’s Implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  On Thursday, April 30, 2009, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a hearing to examine the U.S. Department of Transportation’s implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  A video of the hearing is available online. [More]

Job Impacts of Spending on Public Transportation: An Update The American Public Transportation Association has released a report that explores estimates of the job impacts of public transportation spending and examines broader issues concerning the definition and measurement of those job impacts. [More]

The Road Ahead: AARP Survey on Transportation in Vermont AARP has released a report that explores the current practices and opinions of Vermont residents regarding transportation, in order to assist community partners with developing a rural transportation plan. [More]