TY - RPRT AN - 01616914 AU - Khodakrami, Mohammadadel AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Waterway System Maintenance Optimization PY - 2016/08 SP - 132p AB - Coastal lines, harbors/ports, and inland waterways constitute the marine transportation system, a major component of the United States freight system, carrying a vast majority of foreign imports and exports and a significant amount of domestic freight. This system needs regular maintenance. US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is in charge of the waterway system maintenance. However, the limited maintenance budget needs to accommodate a large number of maintenance requests for dredging and dam repair, etc. The requests often exceed the budget available by much. A decision facing the USACE management is what projects to fund and how to select them. This research aims at providing the necessary models and tools to facilitate maintenance decisions at the USACE. The objective is to maximize the overall system improvement under annual limited budget. The underlying problem can be modeled as a knapsack problem with an additional constraint that increases the problem complexity. The additional constraints describe the benefit interdependency of different maintenance projects due to the waterways network effect. This research tackles the maintenance problem at different levels. First, an integer selection model is developed to find the optimal set of dredging projects (waterway sediment removal operation) and some heuristics are developed to provide near-optimal solutions in computationally guaranteed polynomial time. Next, a model is developed to allow partial dredging. Partial dredging means partially conducting the requested dredging operation. The model is able to determine the percentage of the dredging depth to fund instead of a zero-one dredging decision for each project. Further, a stochastic problem is considered regarding to the probabilistic shoaling process. To solve the probabilistic problem, two methods are designed: an analytical model that takes account of probability in terms of expected values, and a stochastic optimization approach was developed based on Monte-Carlo simulation. Finally, the problem is modeled in a multi-modal context where the maintenance decisions are made simultaneously on dredging and lock/dam improvement. In this multimodal model, the effect of landside modes’ capacity is considered comprehensively. All the developed methods are tested with real examples from US marine network and their performance is approved by comparison to real situation. KW - Budgeting KW - Dams KW - Decision making KW - Decision support systems KW - Dredging KW - Locks (Waterways) KW - Maintenance KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Optimization KW - Probability KW - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers KW - United States KW - Waterways UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00039-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428773 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616238 AU - Khazanovich, Lev AU - Freeseman, Katelyn AU - Salles, Lucio AU - Asadollahi, Aziz AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Center for Highway Pavement Preservation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Damage Detection Techniques for Concrete Applications PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 157p AB - New technological advances in nondestructive testing technology have created the opportunity to better utilize ultrasonic waves to aid in damage detection applications for concrete. This research utilizes an ultrasonic array device for nondestructive damage detection purposes. The ultrasonic shear velocity array system used for this research is particularly advantageous because it can obtain measurements on virtually any concrete specimen, from columns and beams to concrete pavements, and provides a wealth of data from a single measurement. Novel signal interpretation methods were developed for several important concrete applications. Detection of load-induced damage in a full-scale reinforced concrete column, as well as standard life-cycle damage in concrete pavements caused by freeze thaw or alkali-silica reaction degradation were considered. In addition, cracking in continuously reinforced concrete pavements was considered. These investigations culminated in the development of successful and efficient quantitative damage detection methods. KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - Beams KW - Columns KW - Concrete bridges KW - Concrete pavements KW - Cracking KW - Damage detection KW - Freeze thaw durability KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Ultrasonic waves UR - http://www.chpp.egr.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CHPP-Report-UMN1-2016.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60410/CHPP-Report-UMN1-2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429186 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616150 AU - Swanson, Elizabeth D AU - Yanagisawa, Mikio AU - Najm, Wassim AU - Foderaro, Frank AU - Azeredo, Philip AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Crash Avoidance Needs and Countermeasure Profiles for Safety Applications Based on Light-Vehicle-to-Pedestrian Communications PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 155p AB - This research supports establishing an updated understanding of the pedestrian crash problem and defining a way to connect the crash problem with vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P) communication crash avoidance technology. It describes 5 priority pre-crash scenarios that might be addressed by V2P communications. Priority scenarios are: 1. Vehicle going straight and pedestrian crossing the road; 2. Vehicle going straight and pedestrian in the road; 3. Vehicle going straight and the pedestrian adjacent to the road; 4. Vehicle turning left and the pedestrian crossing the road; and 5. Vehicle turning right and the pedestrian crossing the road. The focus is on vehicle-pedestrian crashes involving light vehicles (passenger car, van, minivan, sport utility vehicle, or light pickup truck) with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less. The 2011-2012 General Estimates System (GES) and Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) crash databases were used to quantify the societal cost and describe the driving environment, driver- and pedestrian-characteristics, and crash contributing factors. These priority scenarios account for 79 percent of all target pedestrian crashes and 91 percent of the fatal target pedestrian crashes. Target pedestrian crashes include a light vehicle striking a pedestrian in the first event of the crash. The highest frequencies of pedestrian crashes (GES) occur in scenarios where the pedestrian is crossing the road. The majority of fatalities (FARS) involved vehicles that were going straight (i.e., not turning or making a maneuver). Kinematic depictions for the time-to-collision and avoidance maneuvers are presented to identify information needs for the crash countermeasures based on V2P technology. This information serves the development of functional requirements, performance specifications, test procedures, and benefits estimation for potential V2P-based safety applications. The document is intended for the use of various groups currently researching and prototyping different V2P-based safety systems to help determine which ones are most useful in preventing or mitigating pedestrian-vehicle crashes. KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - General Estimates System KW - Light vehicles KW - Pedestrian-vehicle crashes KW - Vehicle to pedestrian communications UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60100/60121/V2PPedestrianReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428259 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01615654 AU - Donnell, Eric T AU - Gayah, Vikash V AU - Yu, Zhengyao AU - Li, Lingyu AU - DePrator, Anthony AU - Pennsylvania State University, University Park AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Speed Limits Set Lower than Engineering Recommendations PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 127p AB - The purpose of this project is to provide the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) with a better understanding of the operational and safety impacts of setting posted speed limits below engineering recommended values. This practice has been performed on Montana roadways for a variety of reasons but the safety and operational impacts are largely unknown. An Empirical Bayes observational before-after study found that there is a statistically significant reduction in total and fatal and injury crashes at sites with engineering speed limits set 5 mph lower than engineering recommendations. At locations with posted speed limits set 10 mph lower than engineering recommendations, there was a decrease in total crash frequency, but an increase in fatal and injury crash frequency. The safety effects of setting posted speed limits 15 or 25 mph lower than engineering recommendations is less clear, because the results were not statistically significant, due to the small sample size of sites available for inclusion in the analysis. An operating speed evaluation found that, when the posted speed limit was set only 5 mph lower than the engineering posted speed limit, drivers tend to more closely comply with the posted speed limit. Compliance tends to lessen as the difference between the engineering recommended posted speed limit and the posted speed limit increases. The practice of light enforcement, which was defined as highway patrol vehicles making frequent passes through locations with posted speed limits set lower than engineering recommendations, appeared to have only a nominal effect on vehicle operating speeds. Known heavy enforcement, defined as a stationary highway patrol vehicle present within the speed zone, reduced mean and 85th-percentile vehicle operating speeds by approximately 4 mph. KW - Before and after studies KW - Compliance KW - Crash injuries KW - Crash rates KW - Fatalities KW - Montana KW - Operating speed KW - Operational impacts KW - Speed limits KW - Traffic law enforcement KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/research/docs/research_proj/speed_limit_lower/Final_Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60300/60361/Final_Report1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427435 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614948 AU - Holland, Amanda AU - Alexander, Olivia P AU - Arpin, Vicki AU - Duncan, Greg AU - Emery, Todd A AU - Lee, Jane AU - Wilkinson, Lee AU - Smith, Rick A AU - Arora and Associates, P.C. AU - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) AU - National Cooperative Highway Research Program TI - Advances In Developing a Cross-Trained Workforce PY - 2016/08//Scan Team Report SP - 122p AB - Cross-training (CT) is an established employee-development approach many public and private sector organizations use to improve performance, create a culture that enables innovation, and reduce disruptions associated with workforce transition. While there are many examples of successful CT application, CT experience within transportation agencies is under reported. This report summarizes findings from a scan workshop of CT within transportation agencies and other organizations. Scan team members and host agencies met in March 2015 to share their practices. In all, scan participants reviewed CT activities in nine state DOTs (California, Connecticut, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia) and one federal agency (the National Institutes of Health). The scan includes: (1) Investigation of related agency statistics and applicable legislation, rules, standards, policies, and mandates pertaining to worker CT. (2) Identification of dissemination strategies, advances in practice, emerging technologies and lessons learned, and barriers to dissemination. (3) Identification of supporting documents, including training plans and required certifications. (4) Identification of supporting performance measures, including metrics, performance evaluations, and corrective action procedures. (5) Identification of sustainability topics, such as ensuring future resources, succession planning and training, and developing and maintaining champions. (6) Identification of successful strategies and conditions under which each is applicable and best suited. (7) Documented examples of successful CT programs, position descriptions, and dissemination plans. KW - Best practices KW - Human resources management KW - Information dissemination KW - Metrics (Quantitative assessment) KW - Performance measurement KW - Policy KW - Standards KW - State departments of transportation KW - Training UR - http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP20-68A_13-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427375 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614876 AU - Fisher, Mitchell P AU - Garcia, Christopher AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Compendium of Student Papers: 2016 Undergraduate Transportation Scholars Program PY - 2016/08 SP - 50p AB - This report is a compendium of research papers written by students participating in the 2016 Undergraduate Transportation Scholars Program. The 10-week summer program, now in its 26th year, provides undergraduate students in civil engineering the opportunity to learn about transportation engineering through participating in sponsored transportation research projects. The program design allows students to interact directly with a Texas A&M University faculty member or Texas A&M Transportation Institute researcher in developing a research proposal, conducting valid research, and documenting the research results through oral presentations and research papers. The papers in this compendium report on the following topics: 1) Generalized Trends in Wrong-Way Driving; and 2) Travel Rates of an Aging Population: A Texas Analysis. KW - Age groups KW - Aged KW - California KW - Crash characteristics KW - Divided highways KW - Drivers KW - Florida KW - Gender KW - Statistical analysis KW - Texas KW - Travel demand KW - Travel surveys KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Wrong way driving UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/compendiums/600451-00003-5.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426348 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614873 AU - Roesler, Jeffery R AU - Hiller, Jacob E AU - Brand, Alexander S AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Michigan Technological University AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute TI - Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement Manual: Guidelines for Design, Construction, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation PY - 2016/08 SP - 129p AB - Continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) was introduced in the United States almost 100 years ago when the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads (now the Federal Highway Administration) constructed a CRCP test section on Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia. Since then, CRCP has been constructed in many states in the U.S. and in a number of other countries. As experience with the design and construction of CRCP has grown, a variety of lessons learned through practical experience and research have contributed to the development of best practices for CRCP throughout its life cycle. Today, CRCP is designed and constructed as a pavement of choice for long-life performance, recognizing that initial smoothness will be maintained for decades and that maintenance during that time will be minimal. This manual provides guidance for materials selection and quality assurance, and for the mechanistic-empirical design, construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of CRCP. Case studies are summarized to document the overall long-life performance of CRCP in the U.S. and in other countries. KW - Best practices KW - Case studies KW - Continuously reinforced concrete pavements KW - Life cycle analysis KW - Manuals KW - Materials selection KW - Mechanistic-empirical pavement design KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Paving KW - Quality assurance KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/pubs/hif16026.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425881 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614871 AU - Miller, Kristi AU - Miller, Matthew AU - Overman, John AU - Kraus, Edgar AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Maximizing Mitigation Benefits: Research to Support a Mitigation Cost Framework—Final Report PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 62p AB - Tracking environmental costs in the project development process has been a challenging task for state departments of transportation (DOTs). Previous research identified the need to accurately track and subsequently estimate project costs resulting from environmental mitigation requirements. There is currently no single source or management system for capturing and/or estimating the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) project-related mitigation costs statewide. The purpose of this continuation project was to determine types of mitigation costs for TxDOT projects and identify the funding sources, mechanisms, and processes for acquiring funding and administering payment, as well as conduct a synthesis of mitigation cost tracking and estimating at selected state DOTs. KW - Costs KW - Environmental impacts KW - Environmental protection KW - Estimating KW - Financing KW - State departments of transportation KW - Texas Department of Transportation UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6762-01-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426241 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613849 AU - Hiltunen, Danielle AU - Chase, Stephanie G AU - Kendra, Andrew AU - Jo, Young Jin AU - Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Incorporated AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) and Airport Moving Map Industry Survey PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 199p AB - This document provides an overview of Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) products as of May 2016, including those with airport moving map functionality, and airport moving map applications without traffic depiction. This document updates and replaces the Volpe Center’s 2009 airport moving map industry survey. The information for this report was gathered through industry contacts, websites, and online product brochures. This report was conducted in support of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but the information is intended to be of use to anyone interested in CDTI and airport moving map products. Nineteen manufacturers and two research organizations participated in this industry survey. Each provided a description of software and hardware components (when applicable), including display characteristics, depiction of traffic, airport moving map information elements, and other functions and capabilities. Participating manufacturers were classified into three categories based on their products: CDTI Installed, CDTI Portable, and Airport Moving Map Only (without traffic depiction). Note that although some manufacturers provide a portable CDTI function, a CDTI is NOT considered an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) function per Advisory Circular (AC) 120-76C, and can not be authorized for use for Part 121, 125, 135, 91F and 91K operations via the AC. KW - Airborne navigational aids KW - Cockpit display of traffic information KW - Cockpits KW - Computers KW - Digital maps KW - Industries KW - Information display systems KW - Software KW - Surveys UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59800/59835/CDTI-AMM_Industry_Survey_2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424910 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613822 AU - Pape, Doug AU - Thornton, Ben AU - Yugulis, Kevin AU - Battelle Memorial Institute AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Slosh Characteristics of Aggregated Intermediate Bulk Containers on Single-Unit Trucks PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 116p AB - Drivers of cargo tank trucks need special knowledge of vehicle and load dynamics, including slosh, to handle their vehicles safely. This knowledge is reflected by a tank vehicle (N) endorsement to the commercial driver’s license (CDL). Drivers of vehicles that carry intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) aggregating to 1,000 gallons capacity or more must hold an N endorsement, according to current regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires technical information to help determine whether to modify this requirement. This research used simulations and experiments to identify the conditions and extent to which a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) with IBCs behaves differently from a conventional cargo tank truck of similar capacity and load. The simulations modeled the slosh of liquid loads in a single cargo tank and several combinations of IBCs. The slosh was simulated both by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and by a simplified pendulum model that could be integrated with a commercially available model of a single-unit truck. Quantitative performance metrics showed that the effect of slosh in the IBCs was less than the effect of slosh in the 1,100-gallon tank in nearly all cases. Only in extreme cases were the slosh forces in the IBCs more than a few percent greater than the forces produced by an equivalent rigid, solid load. In the experimental portion of the research, professional tank drivers drove trucks carrying IBCs similar to those simulated. The drivers reported that, in the extreme maneuvers, they sensed the slosh slightly more than they would in a similar truck with dry freight. KW - Bulk cargo KW - Commercial drivers KW - Driver licenses KW - Fluid dynamics KW - Simulation KW - Sloshing KW - Tank trucks KW - Truck driving KW - Vehicle dynamics UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59600/59617/16-006-Slosh-Characteristics-of-Aggregated-IBCs-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427003 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613819 AU - Borden, Roy H AU - Gabr, Mohammed A AU - Lee, Jungmok AU - Tang, Chien-Ting AU - Wang, Cheng AU - North Carolina State University, Raleigh AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Design of Temporary Slopes and Excavations in NC Residual Soils PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 91p AB - In general, current design methods and procedures for temporary slopes and temporary excavation support systems do not consider the suction-induced characteristics of unsaturated residual soils, and therefore may result in overly conservative designs and unnecessary construction costs. The main objective of this research project was investigating the possibility of a more cost-effective design of temporary slopes and retaining structures in residual soils based on the incorporation of matric suction in the analyses approach. The components of this research project included: field and laboratory testing program, evaluation and development of predictive models, and analysis of cut slopes and sheet pile walls in excavation and considering water infiltration effect on suction. A full-scale field experimental program was conducted in Greensboro, North Carolina, and included the excavation of three slopes (1:1, 0.5:1 and 0.25:1) and the construction of a cantilever sheet pile wall. Installed sensors included tensiometers for matric suction and moisture content measurements, inclinometer casings, strain gauges and pressure cells. Collected field data included suction measurements, and deformation data and the changes occurring in such data due to three excavation levels (4.6m, 6.1m and 6.7m) as well as due to water infiltration. Laboratory tests were performed on retrieved undisturbed specimens taken from the test site. Laboratory testing included measuring soil water characteristic curves, unsaturated shear strength and the physical properties of the site soils. Models for predicting matric suction as a function of volumetric water content, and shear strength as a function of matric suction were developed based on the experimental results. Utilizing the database of field and laboratory test data, as well as the developed predictive models, slope stability analyses and PLAXIS numerical models of the tested sheet pile wall in the unsaturated site conditions were performed and verified with field measurements. Both stage-excavation and infiltration effect were analyzed. Based on the results of the numerical analyses, a simplified approach for determining the required depth of embedment of a cantilever wall incorporating the effect of matric suction is proposed. The proposed approach is termed Suction Stability Number (SSN) and accounts for the stabilizing influence of matric suction in a similar manner to cohesion in the conventional stability number. KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Deformation KW - Embankments and retaining walls KW - Excavation KW - Field tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Mathematical models KW - Moisture content KW - North Carolina KW - Residual soils KW - Slopes KW - Soil suction UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/pages/ProjDetails.aspx?ProjectID=2013-07 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424315 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613817 AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - The Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks Program, 2015 PY - 2016/08 SP - 10p AB - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was created as an operating administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) by the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999. The primary mission of FMCSA is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. The Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) program supports that safety mission by providing grant funds to States for: (1) Improving safety and productivity of motor carriers, commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), and their drivers; (2) Improving efficiency and effectiveness of CMV safety programs through targeted enforcement; (3) Improving CMV data sharing among States and between States and FMCSA; and (4) Reducing Federal, State, and industry regulatory and administrative costs. This document looks at CVISN capabilities, funding, program activities, and grant funding. KW - Commercial vehicles KW - CVISN (Program) KW - Data sharing KW - Financing KW - Grant aid KW - Information systems KW - Motor carriers KW - States KW - Trucking safety UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59700/59740/2015_CVISN_Annual_Report-Final-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425504 ER - TY - SER AN - 01613807 JO - Technology Brief PB - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Slosh Characteristics of Aggregated Intermediate Bulk Containers on Single-Unit Trucks PY - 2016/08 SP - 2p AB - The motion of the liquid in a container, known as slosh, can cause the vehicle carrying the liquid to move appreciably beyond its normal stopping point or normal turning path. Sloshing is most pronounced when a cargo tank is partly full. The dynamics of the interaction of the liquid load and the vehicle must be appreciated by drivers if they are to handle a liquid load safely. This research project was conducted to ascertain whether the slosh characteristics of intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) aggregated to 1,000 gallons or more are similar to a single cargo tank of the same capacity. Key findings are outlined in this brief. KW - Liquid bulk cargo KW - Sloshing KW - Tank trucks KW - Truck drivers KW - Truck driving UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59600/59633/16-006b-Slosh_Characteristics-Brief-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425499 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613780 AU - Bryant, Michelle R AU - Nesthus, Thomas E AU - Rowley, Crystal AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Evaluation of Fatigue and Responsibilities of Cargo Supervisors and Flight Mechanic Cargo Supervisors PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 23p AB - In response to an open National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation (2016; A-15-014) and at the request of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Aircraft Maintenance Division (ASF- 300), a study was conducted to document the current rest and fatigue status of cargo load supervisors as well as collect information regarding the perceived responsibilities of load supervisors while performing regular duties. A total of four organizations agreed to have researchers observe daily cargo operations and recruit participants for each of the three studies: (a) a general fatigue survey, (b) a 14-day field study, and (c) a two-hour interview. Findings supported previous research on fatigue risk in shift workers and indicated that load supervisors were at risk of fatigue on all seven primary and contributing factors of fatigue: Time of day, Time awake, Time on task, Time asleep, Adequate sleep, Work schedule factors, and Cumulative sleep debt. Night shift load supervisors exhibited a greater risk of fatigue than their day shift counterparts. Interviews revealed that load supervisors perceived a majority of their responsibilities to be shared with cargo personnel, as opposed to holding sole responsibility. Recommendations include fatigue awareness training, monitoring of load supervisor duty/rest times inclusive of overtime, the use of Safety Management Systems (SMS) and Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) to reduce risk, and having clearly defined roles and responsibilities for load supervisor duties. KW - Air cargo KW - Cargo handling personnel KW - Evaluation KW - Fatigue (Physiological condition) KW - Field studies KW - Mechanics (Persons) KW - Recommendations KW - Rest periods KW - Risk management KW - Shifts KW - Sleep KW - Supervisors KW - Surveys KW - Workload UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201606.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424208 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613038 AU - Tsai, Yichang (James) AU - Wang, Zhaohua AU - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Implementation of an Enhanced COPACES for Georgia’s Counties and Cities PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 157p AB - The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has been successfully carrying out IT-based pavement management and maintenance on its 18,000-centerline-mile highways since 1998. To leverage GDOT’s knowledge and experience and extend it to Georgia’s local governments (LGs), the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) has developed a Computerized Pavement Condition Evaluation System for Counties and Cities (COPACES-CC) using the most up-to-date cloud computing and mobile technologies. GDOT’s pavement distress protocol, PACES, was adopted to facilitate the transfer of GDOT’s knowledge and experience to LGs. In the meantime, a windshield-survey-based distress protocol, PASER, was also incorporated as an alternative survey method. To make sure the developed system could be successfully implemented in all LGs, a user group formed by three pilot counties has conducted comprehensive testing and implementation. A total of 300 miles of pavements have been surveyed by these pilot counties using COPACES-CC. Their successful experience has been shared with other counties and cities in a statewide workshop that is organized by GDOT’s Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). Further study and development are also suggested. KW - Cities KW - Computerized Pavement Condition Evaluation System (COPACES) KW - Counties KW - Georgia KW - Local government KW - Pavement Condition Evaluation System (PACES) KW - Pavement management systems UR - http://g92018.eos-intl.net/eLibSQL14_G92018_Documents/14-27.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425037 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613031 AU - Tsai, Yichang (James) AU - Wu, Yi-Ching AU - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Study of Georgia’s Pavement Deterioration/Life and Potential Risks of Delayed Pavement Resurfacing and Rehabilitation PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 109p AB - Georgia has continuously been rated as one of the states with the smoothest pavements in the United States because the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has established a standardized pavement condition evaluation system (PACES) for consistent annual pavement performance monitoring. GDOT also established an active, data-driven annual pavement preservation program that determines pavement preservation methods (i.e., treatment criteria), prioritization of the projects (e.g., rating, AADT, etc.), and allocation of the maintenance and rehabilitation funding, using PACES data. These rich pavement performance data from FY 1986 to FY 2014 are extremely valuable because they reveal the actual pavement performance in Georgia. This project is: 1) to study the actual pavement performance of GDOT’s in-service pavements using 28-year of pavement condition evaluation data; 2) to study the pavement resurfacing delay situation; and 3) to study the impact of pavement resurfacing delay with a special focus on the pavement resurfacing effectiveness/life and the increases in construction and user costs. Two types of pavement service interval were studied in this project: “Pavement Resurfacing Interval,” which represents the time period between two consecutive resurfacing activities, and “Pavement 70 Interval,” which represents the time period to reach a rating of 70 that can be used for a consistent performance comparison. After extensive data screening and processing, a total of 370 resurfacing cycles with high-quality data was selected for analysis. The pavement resurfacing interval and pavement 70 interval are 11.6 and 10.3 years, respectively. Study of selected resurfacing cycles with high traffic volume shows the resurfacing effectiveness (Pavement 70 Interval) decreases more than 10% (1 year) at every 5-point drop of COPACES rating when resurfacing is conducted at a rating less than 70. Results indicate the resurfacing delay has significant negative impact on resurfacing effectiveness. More data, especially projects with different traffic volumes, are needed to study the consequence of delayed resurfacing. KW - Condition surveys KW - Delays KW - Deterioration KW - Georgia KW - Pavement Condition Evaluation System (PACES) KW - Pavement performance KW - Pavements KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Resurfacing KW - Service life UR - http://g92018.eos-intl.net/eLibSQL14_G92018_Documents/14-05.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60264/14-05.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425035 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612570 AU - Niles, John AU - Pogodzinski, J M (Mike) AU - Mineta Transportation Institute AU - California Department of Transportation AU - U.S. Department of Transportation/ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Bus Transit Operational Efficiency Resulting from Passenger Boardings at Park-and-Ride Facilities PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 99p AB - In order to save time and money by not driving to an ultimate destination, some urban commuters drive themselves a few miles to specially designated parking lots built for transit customers and located where trains or buses stop. The focus of this paper is the effect Park-and-Ride (P&R) lots have on the efficiency of bus transit as measured in five bus transit systems in the western U.S. This study describes a series of probes with models and data to find objective P&R influence measures that, when combined with other readily-available data, permit a quantitative assessment of the significance of P&R on transit efficiency. The authors developed and describe techniques that examine P&R as an influence on transit boardings at bus stops and on bus boardings along an entire route. The regression results reported are based on the two in-depth case studies for which sufficient data were obtained to examine (using econometric techniques) the effects of park-and-ride availability on bus transit productivity. Both Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression and Poisson regression are employed. The results from the case studies suggest that availability of parking near bus stops is a stronger influence on transit ridership than residential housing near bus stops. Results also suggest that expanding parking facilities near suburban park-and-ride lots increases the productivity of bus operations as measured by ridership per service hour. The authors also illustrate that reasonable daily parking charges (compared to the cost of driving to much more expensive parking downtown) would provide sufficient capital to build and operate new P&R capacity without subsidy from other revenue sources. KW - Bus transit KW - Case studies KW - Economic forecasting KW - Geographic information systems KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Park and ride KW - Public transit KW - Regional analysis KW - Traffic forecasting UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1401-park-and-ride-bus-passenger-boarding-efficiency.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm55b4qfd/1/producer%2FCA-MTI-16-1401.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422893 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612563 AU - Kumar, Ashok AU - Kim, Dong-Shik AU - Omidvarborna, Hamid AU - Yarlagadda, Manideep AU - Kuppili, Sudheer Kumar AU - Sawtarie, Nader Majed AU - Mineta National Transit Research Consortium AU - U.S. Department of Transportation/ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - University of Toledo TI - Experimental Modeling of NOx and PM Generation from Combustion of Various Biodiesel Blends for Urban Transport Buses PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 92p AB - Biodiesel has diverse sources of feedstock and the amount and composition of its emissions vary significantly depending on combustion conditions. Results of laboratory and field tests reveal that nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from biodiesel are influenced more by combustion conditions than emissions from regular diesel. Therefore, NOx and PM emissions documented through experiments and modeling studies are the primary focus of this investigation. In addition, a comprehensive analysis of the feedstock-related combustion characteristics and pollutants are investigated. Research findings verify that the oxygen contents, the degree of unsaturation, and the size of the fatty acids in biodiesel are the most important factors that determine the amounts and compositions of NOx and PM emissions. KW - Biodiesel fuels KW - Computer models KW - Exhaust gases KW - Fuel mixtures KW - Nitrogen oxides KW - Particulates KW - Spectrum analysis KW - Transit buses UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1245-NOx-and-PM-generation-from-biodiesel-combustion-for-urban-transport-buses.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm5k11s1b/1/producer%2FCA-MNTRC-16-1245.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423102 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612556 AU - Holian, Matthew AU - McLaughlin, Ralph AU - Mineta Transportation Institute AU - California Department of Transportation AU - U.S. Department of Transportation/ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Beneft-Cost Analysis for Transportation Planning and Public Policy: Towards Multimodal Demand Modeling PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 76p AB - This report examines existing methods of benefit-cost analysis (BCA) in two areas, transportation policy and transportation planning, and suggests ways of modifying these methods to account for travel within a multimodal system. Although the planning and policy contexts differ substantially, this report shows how important multimodal impacts can be incorporated into both by using basic econometric techniques and even simpler rule-of-thumb methods. Case studies in transportation planning focus on the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), but benchmark California’s competencies by exploring methods used by other states and local governments. The report concludes with a list and discussion of recommendations for improving transportation planning models and methods. These will have immediate use to decision makers at Caltrans and other state DOTs as they consider directions for developing new planning capabilities. This project also identifies areas, and lays groundwork, for future research. Finally, by fitting the planning models into the broader context of transportation policy, this report will serve as a resource for students and others who wish to better understand BCA and its use in practice. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - California Department of Transportation KW - Economic models KW - Financing KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Policy analysis KW - Transportation planning KW - Transportation policy KW - Travel demand UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1203-benefit-cost%20analysis%20for%20transportation-planning-and-public-policy-toward-multimodal-demand-modeling.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm52565zm/1/producer%2FMTI%20Report%2012-42.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422288 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612467 AU - Mattson, Jeremy AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - National Center for Transit Research AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Estimating Ridership of Rural Demand-Response Transit Services for the General Public PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 32p AB - The objective of this study is to develop a model for estimating demand for rural demand-response transit services for the general public. Lack of data for demand-response service characteristics and geographic coverage has limited the development of such models. This study developed two models for estimating demand. The first used data from the 2013 rural National Transit Database, and the second used more detailed service data collected from surveys of transit agencies. Results showed that in addition to total population, demographic characteristics are important. Ridership was found to significantly increase when the percentage of the population comprised of older adults or people without access to a vehicle increased. Both models showed a negative effect of fares on ridership. The second model analyzed the impacts of service span and reservation requirements on ridership. Results showed that providing more days of service had an expected positive impact on ridership, while allowing users to reserve rides on shorter notice also had a significant positive effect. Compared to previous research, including a greater number of variables and more specific service information improved the performance of the models. KW - Demographics KW - Estimating KW - Fares KW - Paratransit services KW - Reservations KW - Ridership KW - Rural areas KW - Rural transit KW - Surveys KW - Travel demand UR - http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/21177060-NCTR-NDSU08.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60000/60070/21177060-NCTR-NDSU08.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424025 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612346 AU - Li, Xu AU - Schacht, Walter AU - Blanco, Humberto AU - Mamo, Martha AU - Awada, Tala AU - University of Nebraska, Lincoln AU - University of Nebraska, Lincoln AU - University of Nebraska, Lincoln AU - Nebraska Department of Roads AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Identifying and Addressing Soil Property Issues Affecting Roadside Vegetation Establishment PY - 2016/08 SP - 42p AB - Attaining adequate vegetation cover along highways is important for Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA’s) stormwater regulations. However, low plant cover is a common problem on shoulders (first 16 feet off the pavement) of many highways in Nebraska. The ultimate goal of this study is to identify cost-effective engineering solutions that assure adequate seed beds (i.e., soil conditions) for establishment of selected seeding mixtures. The objectives of this study are to (1) characterize the soil properties along roadsides where vegetation stands have not developed well, and (2) verify the effects of select soil property parameters on plant germination and establishment. Sampling occurred at multiple locations along the highways near Beaver Crossing and Sargent, Nebraska. At each location, soil samples were collected from a transect of multiple landscape positions, perpendicular to the highway. The soil physical properties measured included cone index, sorptivity, and aggregate stability, while the soil chemical properties measured included electrical conductivity (EC), pH, organic matters, sodium (Na), and calcium (Ca). Results show that the soils near the edge of the highway pavement were highly compacted. Also, the soils had higher pH, lower organic matter, and higher salt levels than optimal conditions. In the subsequent greenhouse studies, a factorial design was used to test three factors: soil compaction (i.e., 1.5, 1.7, and 1.9 g cm-3 soil compaction levels as well as sand as control), timing of salt stress (2 pulses of salt treatment applied pre-germination and post-germination as well as no-salt control), and plant species (buffalo grass, tall fescue, and western wheat grass). Results from the greenhouse studies showed that the three plant species exhibited different germination and early survival responses to the soil compaction and salt treatments. Tall fescue is better suited for site re-vegetation especially if salt is present in the soil prior to germination. Statistical analysis show that salt treatment had the most impact on species performance. Finally the project recommends a few engineering remediation strategies for plant establishment. Creating microsites on compacted soil surfaces could potentially alleviate the soil compaction issue by creating local environmental conditions favorable to plant establishment at microsites. To remediate the high salt levels in soil, it is recommended to consider alternative de-icing agents and amend zeolites and organics in soil. KW - Chemical properties KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Nebraska KW - Physical properties KW - Recommendations KW - Road shoulders KW - Roadside flora KW - Salts KW - Seeding KW - Soil compaction KW - Soils KW - Statistical analysis KW - Vegetation UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424210 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612312 AU - McGuire, Brendan Michael AU - Atadero, R AU - Clevenger, C AU - Ozbek, M AU - Colorado State University, Fort Collins AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Using Building Information Modeling to Track and Assess the Structural Condition of Bridges PY - 2016/08 SP - 186p AB - National Bridge Inspection Standards do not require documenting damage locations during an inspection, but bridge evaluation provisions highlight the importance of it. When determining a safe load-carrying capacity of a bridge, damage location information is significant because shear and moment limit states are more critical at different locations and member capacities can vary along the length of a span. Capturing damage location information using current methods can be impractical; however, building information modeling (BIM) provides new opportunities in tracking and utilizing this information. A method and prototype implementation to apply BIM software to the operation and maintenance stages of bridges’ service lives is presented. The proposed bridge information modeling for inspection and evaluation method (BIEM) could allow transportation agencies to more efficiently manage bridge inventories using BIM capabilities while incorporating damage location information. The method, created by the author, uses BIM to document damage type, amount, severity, and location information during a bridge inspection. To leverage this information, inspection results are exported from the BIM model into a spreadsheet where a custom subroutine evaluates the structural performance and performs load ratings on selected bridge superstructure elements. In addition, based on the type, amount, and severity of damage, estimated repair quantities are given and maintenance recommendations are provided. The proposed method was field tested on a case study bridge in Larimer County, Colorado. Official inspection reports and load ratings were obtained and a visual inspection of the bridge utilizing supplemental location-based measurements was performed. The BIEM was implemented and numerical results were compared to the official load ratings. Results suggest that documenting the location of deterioration within a bridge element can affect the guidelines for determining a safe load-carrying capacity for a bridge. In addition, the opportunity exists for BIM to play a significant role in bridge management in the future as demonstrated by its proven ability to facilitate the inspection and evaluation processes, which could ultimately result in more automated practices. Overall, results from this research motivate future work in the study of deterioration modes and their effect on bridge element capacity and tailoring the principles of BIM to the later stages of bridges’ service lives. KW - Bridge management systems KW - Bridge superstructures KW - Bridges KW - Case studies KW - Deterioration KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Inspection KW - Larimer County (Colorado) KW - Load factor KW - Methodology KW - Software KW - Structural health monitoring UR - http://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/downloads/mpc16-310.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423501 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612306 AU - Edwards, Frances AU - Goodrich, Daniel AU - Griffith, James AU - Mineta Transportation Institute AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Emergency Management Training for Transportation Agencies PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 75p AB - State transportation agencies have a variety of responsibilities related to emergency management. Field personnel manage events–from day-to-day emergencies to disasters–using the Incident Command System (ICS) as their organizational basis. At the headquarters level, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) coordinates the use of resources across the department and its districts, with other state departments and agencies, and through the federal Emergency Support Function 1. District-level EOCs coordinate with the department. In extreme events, the transportation department may only be able to deliver limited essential services in austere conditions, so a continuity of operations/ continuity of government plan (COOP/COG) is essential. This research applied the principles of andragogy to deliver ICS field level training, EOC training and COOP/COG training to state transportation agency’s staff in all districts and at headquarters. The data supports the need for adult-oriented methods in emergency management training. KW - Disasters and emergency operations KW - Emergency management KW - Training KW - Transportation departments UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1280-emergency-management-training-for-transportation-agencies.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423991 ER - TY - SER AN - 01611980 JO - Tech Brief PB - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Hallmark, Shauna L AU - Goswamy, Amrita AU - Pawlovich, Michael AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Midwest Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Safety Edge Crash Modification Factors PY - 2016/08//Tech Brief SP - 7p AB - The Safety Edge is a relatively low-cost countermeasure that can be applied in both asphalt and concrete paving operations. The Safety Edge has been promoted as a low-cost countermeasure to reduce the frequency and severity of rural roadway departure crashes. However, there is little information about the actual effectiveness of the Safety Edge in reducing the number and severity of crashes. This study evaluated the safety impact of the Safety Edge for construction projects in 2010 and 2011 in Iowa to assess the effectiveness of the treatment in reducing crashes. The researchers conducted an observational before-and-after study using an empirical Bayes methodology. Models were developed for total all non-intersection crashes and run-off-road (ROR)/target crashes. Results indicate a reduction of 8 to 16% depending on the type of crash. KW - Bayes' theorem KW - Before and after studies KW - Crash rates KW - Crash severity KW - Dropoffs (Pavements) KW - Highway safety KW - Iowa KW - Pavement design KW - Ran off road crashes UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/22633/1/IADOT_InTrans_14_509_Safety_Edge_Crash_Modification_Factors_Tech_Brief_2016.pdf UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/publications/_documents/t2summaries/safety_edge_cmfs_tb.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422139 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01611970 AU - Liu, Feng AU - Figliozzi, Miguel AU - Feng, Wu-Chi AU - Caviedes, Alvaro AU - Le, Hoang AU - Mai, Long AU - Portland State University AU - National Institute for Transportation and Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Utilizing Egocentric Video and Sensors to Conduct Naturalistic Bicycling Studies PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 92p AB - Existing data collection methods are mostly designed for videos captured by stationary cameras and are not designed to follow cyclists along a route or to integrate other sensor data. The goals of this research are: a) to develop a platform to collect naturalistic video bicycling data, b) to develop a methodology to integrate video data with other sensors that measure cyclists’ position and comfort levels, and c) to apply the platform and data collection methodology to a real-world route. This research effort has successfully integrated video and sensor data to describe cyclists’ comfort levels along a route. It was found that stress levels while riding during peak hours averaged 1.75 times higher than while riding at off-peak hours on the same routes and facilities. Separated bicycle infrastructure, such as multiuse paths, during peak and off-peak hours showed the lowest stress levels. Signalized intersections were hotspots for cyclists’ stress. All these results are statistically significant. The results indicate that integrating video and sensor data allows for a more detailed understanding of cyclists’ perceptions along a route. Rather than having an average measure for the whole route or path, it is possible to precisely identify the places and/or situations that trigger a change in experience or stress. By measuring how different facility types and riding conditions affect the distribution of stress levels among users, transportation engineers and planners may in the future incorporate video and detailed sensor data to evaluate the real-world performance of different types of facilities. KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Bicycle facilities KW - Bicycling KW - Cyclists KW - Data fusion KW - Methodology KW - Sensors KW - Signalized intersections KW - Stress (Psychology) KW - Time periods KW - Video UR - http://ppms.trec.pdx.edu/media/project_files/NITC-RR-805.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423103 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01611961 AU - Vanlaar, Ward AU - Brown, Steve AU - Ireland, Leanna AU - Robertson, Robyn AU - Traffic Injury Research Foundation AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Driving While Impaired Arrest Process Improvement: Six Case Studies of Strategies Used by Law Enforcement to Reduce the Cost and Time of Processing a DWI Arrest PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 62p AB - This final report of the Driving While Impaired Arrest Process project includes six case studies of strategies used by law enforcement to reduce the cost and time of processing driving while impaired (DWI) arrests. The objectives of this study are to identify law enforcement agencies that have made improvements to their DWI arrest procedures that have resulted in time and/or cost savings, and gather data from these jurisdictions to describe any such savings experienced as a result of these improvements. The improvements, their resulting time and cost savings, as well as experiences regarding the implementation of these improvements are described in this report and used to inform the development of a roadmap that other agencies can rely upon if they are interested in implementing these types of solutions. KW - Arrests KW - Automation KW - Case studies KW - Costs KW - Drunk driving KW - Implementation KW - Law enforcement KW - Police departments KW - Time duration UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812308-DWI-Arrest-Process-Improvement.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423975 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610904 AU - Porter, C AU - Danila, M AU - Fink, C AU - Toole, J AU - Mongelli, E AU - Schultheiss, W AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Toole Design Group AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Achieving Multimodal Networks: Applying Design Flexibility and Reducing Conflicts PY - 2016/08 SP - 122p AB - Multimodal transportation networks provide access to jobs, education, health care, recreation, transit, and other essential services in urban, suburban, and rural areas throughout the United States. Interconnected pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure makes walking and bicycling a viable transportation choice for everyone and this contributes to the health, equity, and quality of life of our communities. This publication is a resource for practitioners seeking to build multimodal transportation networks. The publication highlights ways that planners and designers can apply the design flexibility found in current national design guidance to address common roadway design challenges and barriers. It focuses on reducing multimodal conflicts and achieving connected networks so that walking and bicycling are safe, comfortable, and attractive options for people of all ages and abilities. This resource includes 24 design topics, organized into two themes. The 12 design topics in Part 1 focus on design flexibility. The 12 topics in Part 2 focus on measures to reduce conflicts between modes. Each design topic is four pages in length and includes relevant case studies and references to appropriate design guidelines. This document covers a wide range of solutions to achieve multimodal transportation networks. It includes solutions for streets and intersections, and has information about shared use paths and other trails that can serve both transportation and recreation purposes. It includes information about crossing main streets, bridges and underpasses, and about interactions with freight and transit. This resource addresses common concerns and perceived barriers among planning and design professionals and provides specific information about flexible design treatments and approaches. KW - Bicycling KW - Case studies KW - Highway design KW - Infrastructure KW - Intersections KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Traffic conflicts KW - Transportation planning KW - Walking UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/multimodal_networks/fhwahep16055.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420980 ER - TY - SER AN - 01610886 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Long-Term Pavement Performance Program—Pavement Performance Measures and Forecasting and the Effects of Maintenance and Rehabilitation Strategy on Treatment Effectiveness PY - 2016/08 SP - 16p AB - This document is a technical summary of the Federal Highway Administration Long-Term Pavement Performance Program report, Pavement Performance Measures and Forecasting and the Effects of Maintenance and Rehabilitation Strategy on Treatment Effectiveness (FHWA-HRT-16-047). It presents the methodologies and procedures used by the research team in the analyses of the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) data to develop and implement pavement performance measures and to analyze treatment effectiveness. The LTPP study focused on using data from the various LTPP experiments to define pavement performance in a way that supports the selection of cost-effective pavement treatment strategy and to better estimate pavement treatment effectiveness and the role of pavement treatments in the pavement’s lifecycle. This TechBrief includes a description and examples of the dual pavement condition rating systems, LTPP data analyses results, and application of the analyses to datasets from three State transportation departments. KW - Condition surveys KW - Deflection KW - Forecasting KW - Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program KW - Methodology KW - Pavement performance KW - Performance measurement KW - Ratings KW - State departments of transportation UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/ltpp/16046/16046.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422914 ER - TY - SER AN - 01610877 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Lives Saved in 2015 by Restraint Use and Minimum-Drinking-Age Laws PY - 2016/08 SP - 3p AB - In 2015, the use of seat belts in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 13,941 lives of occupants 5 and older, and an estimated 2,573 lives of occupants 13 and older were saved by frontal air bags. An estimated 266 child occupants 4 and younger were saved by the use of child restraints, and 1,772 lives were saved by the use of motorcycle helmets. An additional 2,804 lives would have been saved in 2015 if all unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants 5 and older involved in fatal crashes had worn their seat belts. Similarly, if all motorcyclists had been helmeted, then an additional 740 lives would have been saved. An estimated 537 lives were also saved due to minimum-drinking-age laws. Additional statistics in this report include total number of lives saved in 2015 for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. KW - Air bags KW - Child restraint systems KW - Fatalities KW - Legal drinking age KW - Motorcycle helmets KW - Passenger vehicles KW - Seat belt use KW - States KW - Traffic safety KW - Trend (Statistics) UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812319 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422923 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610874 AU - Shane, Jennifer S AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Draft Project Management Update to the Iowa DOT Project Development Manual PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 27p AB - This work supported drafting project management guidance for the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). The goal is to incorporate a greater focus on project management in their project development process. A technical advisory committee (TAC) was assembled to accomplish this effort. The TAC took into consideration the current status of project management with the Iowa DOT, their experience during the demonstration workshop held in Iowa as part of the implementation assistance they received, the project management peer exchange hosted by the Iowa DOT, and additional examples of project management that were presented. With this basis, the TAC participated in a number of discussions to develop draft guidance for the foundation of a Project Management Office (PMO) within the Iowa DOT. This report describes the process that was used in establishing this guidance. The report details the decisions and decision process that the TAC employed in this endeavor and provides additional thoughts and insight into the draft guidance. Appendix A includes the draft guidance in the form of PMO function details and detailed lists of project management roles and responsibilities. Appendix B includes a starter list of project management resources for the PMO. KW - Decision making KW - Demonstration projects KW - Iowa Department of Transportation KW - Manuals KW - Peer exchange KW - Project management UR - http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1219&context=intrans_reports UR - http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/intrans_reports/220/ UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421492 ER - TY - SER AN - 01610869 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Lippert, David L AU - Wu, Shenghua AU - Ozer, Hasan AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Illinois Highway Materials Sustainability Efforts of 2015 PY - 2016/08 IS - 16-019 SP - 52p AB - This report provides a summary of the sustainability efforts of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in recycling reclaimed materials in highway construction during calendar year 2015. This report meets the requirements of Illinois Public Act 097‐0314 by documenting IDOT’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint and achieve cost savings through the use of recycled materials in asphalt paving projects. Research efforts undertaken and those that will have a future impact on IDOT’s sustainability efforts are also highlighted.   In 2015, 2,009,972 tons of reclaimed or recycled materials, valued at $59,715,613, were used in Illinois highways. It was estimated that the substitution of virgin materials with reclaimed and recycled materials resulted in a net reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of 132,247 tons. KW - Illinois Department of Transportation KW - Pollutants KW - Recycled materials KW - Research projects KW - Road construction KW - Sustainable development KW - Waste products UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=5016 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422289 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610866 AU - Archuleta, Megan AU - Poudel, Anish AU - Rummel, Ward AU - Gonzalez, Francisco AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Probability of Detection Evaluation Results for Railroad Tank Car Nondestructive Testing PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 106p AB - The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), and rail industry participants have performed probability of detection (POD) assessments to evaluate nondestructive testing (NDT) technologies, which are prescribed by Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, on butt welds and fillet welds regularly used in railroad tank cars. This report provides the quantitative results and findings obtained from this research effort. KW - Butt welds KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Fillet welds KW - Flaw detection KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Tank cars UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16648 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16648 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422947 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610821 AU - Porter, Christopher D AU - Kall, David AU - Fincher, Scott AU - Weatherby, Meredith AU - Cambridge Systematics, Inc. AU - Eastern Research Group, Incorporated AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Arizona‐Specific Data for EPA’s MOVES Model PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 142p AB - This report provides an implementation plan that allows the Arizona Department of Transportation and other agencies in Arizona to make optimal use, through local data inputs, of the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) model. MOVES is the federally approved mobile source emissions model for use in State Implementation Plan development and conformity analysis, and is recommended for other transportation air quality analysis purposes. EPA requires or recommends using local data for many of the model’s inputs. This report includes an assessment of Arizona‐specific data and the processing necessary to create these inputs, plus a demonstration of data‐processing procedures using Yuma County as a case study. The recommendations are intended for applying the MOVES model anywhere in the state of Arizona, but are not meant to supersede work by metropolitan agencies that may use more detailed data than available in other regions of the state. This study focuses on the latest release of the model, MOVES2014. KW - Air quality KW - Arizona Department of Transportation KW - Case studies KW - Implementation KW - Information processing KW - Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) KW - Pollutants KW - Recommendations UR - https://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/pdf/SPR724.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422832 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610816 AU - Carr, E Alex AU - Shuler, Matt G AU - Burati, James L AU - Clemson University AU - South Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Validation of Contractor HMA Testing Data in the Materials Acceptance Process – Phase II PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 331p AB - This study conducted an analysis of the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) specification. A Research Steering Committee provided oversight of the process. The research process included extensive statistical analyses of test data supplied by SCDOT. A total of 2,789 asphalt content (AC) tests, 2,234 air voids (AV) tests, and 2,230 voids in mineral aggregate (VMA) tests were provided from 20 different projects, with some projects having multiple Mix Types and job mix formulas (JMFs) involved. A total of 2,010 density test results also were provided from 15 of the 20 projects. Relatively small amounts of data from certain Courses and Mix Types limited analyses only to Surface Type A and Surface Type B mixes. The analyses led to a recommendation that SCDOT switch to using the differences from the AC, AV, and VMA target values rather than the actual AC, AV, and VMA values. This will allow the possibility of combining test results from more than 1 JMF in the Lot payment decision. In addition, SCDOT verification test results were provided from 16 of the 20 projects. These data consisted of 487 AC and 452 AV and VMA test results from SCDOT. In addition, the data set included 411 AC, and 387 AV and VMA Contractor verification test results. These data were analyzed to evaluate current SCDOT verification procedures and issues concerning them were presented and discussed. Power curves were developed for various sample sizes for the F-test, the two-sample t-test, and the paired-sample t-test to allow SCDOT to evaluate the risks associated with their current verification procedures as well as any possible changes to the current procedures. KW - Air content KW - Air voids KW - Contractors KW - Density KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Mineral aggregates KW - South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation KW - Specifications KW - Statistical analysis KW - Validation UR - http://www.scdot.scltap.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SCDOT-Report-697-8-30-2016-Burati.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422960 ER - TY - SER AN - 01610807 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2015 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview PY - 2016/08 SP - 9p AB - The Nation lost 35,092 people in crashes on U.S. roadways during 2015, an increase from 32,744 in 2014. The 7.2-percent increase is the largest percentage increase in nearly 50 years. The largest percentage increase previously was an 8.1-percent increase from 1965 to 1966. The estimated number of people injured on the Nation’s roads increased in 2015, rising from 2.34 to 2.44 million injured people. Fatalities increased from 2014 to 2015 in almost all segments of the population—passenger vehicle occupants, passengers of large trucks, pedestrians, pedalcyclists, motorcyclists, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, male/female, daytime/nighttime. Fatalities of drivers of large trucks was one of the few groups that remained unchanged. The estimated number of police-reported crashes increased by 3.8 percent, from 6.0 to 6.3 million. This Research Note provides a brief overview of the 2015 fatal crash picture using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a census of motor vehicle fatal traffic crashes in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and the National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System (NASS GES), a nationally representative sample of police reported motor vehicle crashes. KW - Crash rates KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - General Estimates System KW - Injury rates KW - National Automotive Sampling System KW - Traffic safety KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812318 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422917 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610789 AU - Miller, John S AU - Anam, Salwa AU - Amanin, Jasmine W AU - Matteo, Raleigh A AU - Virginia Transportation Research Council AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Retrospective Evaluation of Traffic Forecasting Techniques PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 96p AB - Traffic forecasting techniques—such as extrapolation of previous years’ traffic volumes, regional travel demand models, or local trip generation rates—help planners determine needed transportation improvements. Thus, knowing the accuracy of these techniques can help analysts better consider the range of transportation investments for a given location. To determine this accuracy, the forecasts from 39 Virginia studies (published from 1967-2010) were compared to observed volumes for the forecast year. Excluding statewide forecasts, the number of segments in each study ranged from 1 to 240. For each segment, the difference between the forecast volume and the observed volume divided by the observed volume gives a percent error such that a segment with a perfect forecast has an error of 0%. For the 39 studies, the median absolute percent error ranged from 1% to 134%, with an average value of 40%. Slightly more than one-fourth of the error was explained by three factors: the method used to develop the forecast, the length of the duration between the base year and forecast year, and the number of economic recessions between the base year and forecast year. In addition, although data are more limited, studies that forecast a 24-hour volume had a smaller percent error than studies that forecast a peak hour volume (p = 0.04); the reason is that the latter type of forecast requires an additional data element—the peak hour factor—that itself must be forecast. A limitation of this research is that although replication of observed volumes is sought when making a forecast, the observed volumes themselves are not without error; for example, an “observed” traffic count for a given year may in fact be based on a 48-hour count that has been expanded, based on seasonal adjustment factors, to estimate a yearly average traffic volume. The primary recommendation of this study is that forecasts be presented as a range. For example, based on the 39 studies evaluated, for a study that provides forecasts for multiple links, one would expect the median percent error to be approximately 40%. To be clear, detailed analysis of one study suggests it is possible that even a forecast error will not necessarily alter the decision one would make based on the forecast. Accordingly, considering how a change in a traffic forecast volume (by the expected error) influences decisions can help one better understand the need for a given transportation improvement. A secondary recommendation is to clarify how some of these traffic forecasting techniques can be performed, and supporting details for this clarification are given in Appendix A of this report. KW - Accuracy KW - Evaluation KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Recommendations KW - Traffic forecasting KW - Traffic volume KW - Virginia UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/17-r1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421314 ER - TY - SER AN - 01610788 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration TI - The Federal Railroad Administration’s LiDAR-Based Automated Grade Crossing Survey System PY - 2016/08 SP - 4p AB - As part of the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA's) mission to improve public safety, FRA is focused on reducing train-on-vehicle collisions at grade crossings and resulting fatalities. A full-size track inspection vehicle with an automated detection system can help achieve this goal by surveying grade crossings in terms of the grade crossing's profile, its track-road angle, and its sight lines, as well as the presence and proper operation of the crossing's gates. In order to realize this vision, FRA's Office of Research, Development and Technology (RD&T) has developed and deployed a light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-based system on its DOTX 218 research vehicle that creates accurate, high-density point clouds of track and surrounding area in and around grade crossings at survey speeds of up to 55 mph. This research results paper presents highlights of the FRA's development program and provides an overview of initial deployment and use of the resulting technology. KW - Automation KW - Flaw detection KW - Inspection cars KW - Laser radar KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Railroad safety KW - Surveying KW - Technological innovations UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16653 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16653 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422916 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610520 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Analytical User’s Manual 1975-2015 PY - 2016/08 SP - 592p AB - One of the primary objectives of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is to reduce the staggering human toll and property damage that motor vehicle traffic crashes impose on our society. Crashes each year result in thousands of lives lost, hundreds of thousands of injured victims, and billions of dollars in property damage. Accurate data are required to support the development, implementation, and assessment of highway safety programs aimed at reducing this toll. NHTSA uses data from many sources, including the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) which began operation in 1975. Providing data about fatal crashes involving all types of vehicles, the FARS is used to identify highway safety problem areas, provide a basis for regulatory and consumer information initiatives, and form the basis for cost and benefit analyses of highway safety initiatives. FARS is a census of fatal motor vehicle crashes with a set of data files documenting all qualifying fatalities that occurred within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico since 1975. To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public, and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash. This multi-year analytical user’s manual provides documentation on the historical coding practices of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 1975 to 2015. In other words, this manual presents the evolution of FARS coding from inception through present. The manual includes the data elements that are contained in FARS and other useful information that will enable the users to become familiar with the data system. FARS/NASS GES Coding and Validation Manuals provide more detailed definitions for each data element and attribute for a given year. The compilation of FARS data for almost four decades has been a priority for NHTSA. These data store valuable information that have been preserved over time and are available for present and future use. This analytical user’s manual should help improve the usefulness and accessibility of the FARS data. With the exception of personal notes, there is no reason to keep older versions of this reference manual. All information in earlier editions has been retained in this newer version. KW - Coding systems KW - Computer program documentation KW - Crash data KW - Definitions KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Traffic crashes UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812315 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422918 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610517 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES) Analytical User's Manual 1988-2015 PY - 2016/08 SP - 455p AB - One of the primary objectives of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is to reduce the staggering human toll and property damage that motor vehicle traffic crashes impose on our society. Crashes each year result in thousands of lives lost, hundreds of thousands of injured victims, and billions of dollars in property damage. Accurate data are required to support the development, implementation, and assessment of highway safety programs aimed at reducing this toll. NHTSA uses data from many sources, including the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System (GES) which began operation in 1988. Providing data about all types of crashes involving all types of vehicles, the NASS GES is used to identify highway safety problem areas, provide a basis for regulatory and consumer information initiatives, and form the basis for cost and benefit analyses of highway safety initiatives. The NASS GES obtains its data from a nationally representative probability sample selected from the more than five million police-reported crashes which occur annually. These crashes include those that result in a fatality or injury and those involving major property damage. Although various sources suggest that there are many more crashes that are not reported to the police, the majority of these unreported crashes involve only minor property damage and no significant personal injury. By restricting attention to police-reported crashes, the NASS GES concentrates on those crashes of greatest concern to the highway safety community and the general public. This multi-year analytical user’s manual provides documentation on the historical coding practices of the General Estimates System from 1988 to 2015. In other words, this manual presents the evolution of NASS GES coding from inception through present. The manual includes the data elements that are contained in the NASS GES and other useful information that will enable the users to become familiar with the data system. FARS/NASS GES Coding and Validation Manuals provide more detailed definitions for each data element and attribute for a given year. The compilation of NASS GES data for more than three decades has been a priority for NHTSA. These data store valuable information that have been preserved over time and are available for present and future use. This analytical user’s manual should help improve the usefulness and accessibility of the NASS GES data. With the exception of personal notes, there is no reason to keep older versions of this reference manual. All information in earlier editions has been retained in this newer version. KW - Coding systems KW - Computer program documentation KW - Crash data KW - Definitions KW - General Estimates System KW - National Automotive Sampling System KW - Traffic crashes UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812320 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422919 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609813 AU - Kumar, Ashok AU - Kim, Dong-Shik AU - Omidvarborna, Hamid AU - Yarlagadda, Manideep AU - Kuppili, Sudheer Kumar AU - Sawtarie, Nader Majed AU - Mineta National Transit Research Consortium AU - University of Toledo AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Experimental Modeling of NOₓ and PM Generation from Combustion of Various Biodiesel Blends for Urban Transport Buses PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 92p AB - Biodiesel has diverse sources of feedstock and the amount and composition of its emissions vary significantly depending on combustion conditions. Results of laboratory and field tests reveal that nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from biodiesel are influenced more by combustion conditions than emissions from regular diesel. Therefore, NOx and PM emissions documented through experiments and modeling studies are the primary focus of this investigation. In addition, a comprehensive analysis of the feedstock-related combustion characteristics and pollutants are investigated. Research findings verify that the oxygen contents, the degree of unsaturation, and the size of the fatty acids in biodiesel are the most important factors that determine the amounts and compositions of NOx and PM emissions. KW - Biodiesel fuels KW - Buses KW - Engine idling KW - Fuel mixtures KW - Greenhouse gases KW - Internal combustion engines KW - Nitrogen oxides KW - Particulates UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1245-NOx-and-PM-generation-from-biodiesel-combustion-for-urban-transport-buses.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm5k11s1b/1/producer%2FCA-MNTRC-16-1245.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420408 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609801 AU - DiPetrillo, Stephanie AU - Lubin, Andrea AU - Loukaitou-Sideris, Anastasia AU - Salehian, Carla AU - Gibson, Stephen AU - William, Kristen AU - Green, Theodore Trent AU - Mineta Transportation Institute AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Improving Pathways to Transit for Persons with Disabilities PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 116p AB - Persons with disabilities can achieve a greater degree of freedom when they have full access to a variety of transit modes, but this can only be achieved when the pathways to transit – the infrastructure and conditions in the built environment – allow full access to transit stops, stations, and vehicles. Since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, many transit agencies and governmental jurisdictions have made significant progress in this area. Policy initiatives, incremental enhancements, modifications, and other measures undertaken by transit agencies and their partners have significantly improved access to transit for persons with disabilities, others who rely on public transportation, and individuals who chose to utilize these services. This research study explores, through case study work, efforts that have been effective in improving pathways to transit. Interviews and site visits were conducted with five transit agencies, along with their partners, that are actively engaged in improving pathways to connect transit consumers – particularly people with disabilities – with transit stations and stops. These agencies are: Broward County Transit (Broward County, FL), Memphis Area Transit Authority (Memphis, TN), NJ TRANSIT (Newark and New Brunswick, NJ), Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (Portland, OR), and Link Transit (Wenatchee, WA). Promising practices and/or lessons were identified through the case study analysis; these should be considered by any transit agency seeking to create improved access to its services for persons with disabilities. KW - Accessibility KW - Americans with Disabilities Act KW - Broward County Transit KW - Case studies KW - Memphis Area Transit Authority KW - Mobility KW - New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) KW - Persons with disabilities KW - Public transit KW - Transportation planning KW - Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1233-transit-access-for-persons-with-disabilities.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm5n05v9j/1/producer%2FCA-MTI-16-1233.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419915 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609799 AU - Holian, Matthew AU - McLaughlin, Ralph AU - Mineta Transportation Institute AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Benefit-Cost Analysis for Transportation Planning and Public Policy: Towards Multimodal Demand Modeling PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 76p AB - This report examines existing methods of benefIt-cost analysis (BCA) in two areas, transportation policy and transportation planning, and suggests ways of modifying these methods to account for travel within a multimodal system. Although the planning and policy contexts differ substantially, this report shows how important multimodal impacts can be incorporated into both by using basic econometric techniques and even simpler rule-of-thumb methods. Case studies in transportation planning focus on the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), but benchmark California’s competencies by exploring methods used by other states and local governments. The report concludes with a list and discussion of recommendations for improving transportation planning models and methods. These will have immediate use to decision makers at Caltrans and other state DOTs as they consider directions for developing new planning capabilities. This project also identifies areas, and lays groundwork, for future research. Finally, by fitting the planning models into the broader context of transportation policy, this report will serve as a resource for students and others who wish to better understand BCA and its use in practice. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - California Department of Transportation KW - Economic models KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Multiple criteria decision making KW - Planning methods KW - Policy analysis KW - Travel demand UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1203-benefit-cost%20analysis%20for%20transportation-planning-and-public-policy-toward-multimodal-demand-modeling.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm52565zm/1/producer%2FMTI%20Report%2012-42.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419005 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609447 AU - Bundy, Mark M AU - Kang, Dong Hee AU - Morgan State University AU - Maryland State Highway Administration AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Evaluation of Waste Concrete Road Materials for Use in Oyster Aquaculture – Phase 3 PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 32p AB - This project was the final phase of a three-phase project. The primary objective was to determine the suitability of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) from road projects as a bottom conditioning material for on-bottom oyster aquaculture in the Chesapeake Bay. This third phase project evaluated RCA for petroleum byproducts and provided evaluation methodologies. The results showed that RCA as a base material for oyster reefs did not leach any hydrocarbon chemicals and no water extractable semivolatile organic compound (SVOC) was detected from RCA following Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 1316 extraction. Low levels of anthracene, fluorine, phenanthrene and pyrene were detected in samples collected from Machado Construction Co., Inc. and The Recycling Center, but the concentrations were much lower than the State of Maryland Department of the Environment cleanup standard for soil and groundwater. They were at least 100 times below the level considered hazardous in the Protected Groundwater Standard. The project concluded that there was no cause for concern about hydrocarbon components released into the Chesapeake Bay watershed if RCA is used as a bottom conditioning material for oyster aquaculture. KW - Aquatic life KW - Chesapeake Bay KW - Concrete aggregates KW - Environmental impacts KW - Evaluation KW - Hydrocarbons KW - Methodology KW - Recycled materials KW - Waste products UR - http://www.roads.maryland.gov/OPR_Research/MD-16-SHA-MSU-4-10_Oyster-Phase3_Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60545/MD-16-SHA-MSU-4-10_Oyster-Phase3_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420894 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608717 AU - Shira, Seth AU - EWI AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Use of Translational Friction Welding for Constructing and Repairing Rail for High Speed and Intercity Passenger Service Rail PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 40p AB - This project developed a solid-state welding process based on linear friction welding (LFW) technology. While resistance flash welding or thermite techniques are tried and true methods for joining rails and performing partial rail replacement repairs, large heat inputs and residual stresses (associated with rail shortening) can degrade the performance of the welded area. LFW greatly reduces material loss, minimizes shortening of the rail assembly, and reduces weld heat input when compared to traditional rail joining methods. EWI teamed with APCI and LLC to develop a unique 150-ton LFW system, which uses mechanical oscillation and is relatively compact when compared to traditional hydraulic oscillation systems. Weld trails were completed using 136 lb rail. The experiments showed that using LFW to join rail was not only feasible but the technology has the potential to greatly improve the quality of continuously welded rail. Future research efforts should focus on obtaining optimum weld process parameters and reducing weld cycle times by adjusting pre-heat temperatures, oscillation forces, and durations. KW - High speed rail KW - Joining KW - Maintenance of way KW - Rail (Railroads) KW - Welding UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16623 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16623 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419017 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608706 AU - Lewis, Carol Abel AU - Clark, Latissha AU - Asanaenyi, Grace AU - Ying, Wu AU - Texas Southern University, Houston AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - High Speed Rail Distribution Study PY - 2016/08 SP - 18p AB - The Texas Central Partners are in the process of developing a high speed rail line connecting Houston and Dallas, Texas. Ultimately, plans are for 8 car trains that accommodate 200 people per vehicle scheduled every 30 minutes. In addition, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and officials in Austin, Houston and San Antonio are investigating intercity (interregional) rail to provide frequent rail service linking those cities. After arriving, passengers will need disbursement throughout the cities from the rail terminal station. The menu of options includes passenger pick-up (private by a friend or relative or purchased through a provider), taxi/limousine, rental car or public transportation. This research investigates the distribution patterns of northeastern cities with a history of intercity ground transportation as well as distribution patterns from a Houston area airport to assess the potential modal choices of passengers disembarking from intercity rail systems in Texas. In addition, a gravity formula is applied to several employment/activity locations to anticipate patrons’ distribution choices. The research focuses on the proposed location for the high speed rail terminal. KW - High speed rail KW - Intercity transportation KW - Location KW - Mode choice KW - Passenger traffic KW - Public transit KW - Railroad stations KW - Texas KW - Traffic distribution UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00050-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420364 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608684 AU - Hutton, Jessica M AU - Cook, Daniel J AU - MRIGlobal AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - No-Passing Zone System: User's Manual PY - 2016/08 SP - 43p AB - This User’s Manual is intended for traffic engineers and technicians who will be either conducting passing sight distance measurement runs in the field or processing the collected data in the office. This User’s Manual includes: (1) A description of the individual hardware components of the system; (2) Instructions for connecting and powering hardware components for data collection; (3) Functional specifications of field data collection software; (4) Instructions for completing field data collection software set-up; (5) Instructions for completing a data collection run in the field; (6) Guidance for managing and storing field data; (7) Functional specifications and report descriptions for post-processing software; and (8) Instructions for generating and interpreting reports. For more information, see final report cmr 16-017 at http://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TR201514/. KW - Computer program documentation KW - Computers KW - Data collection KW - Data storage KW - Information processing KW - No passing zones KW - Sight distance KW - Software UR - https://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TR201514/cmr16-017_UserManual.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420205 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608648 AU - Ullman, Gerald AU - Brydia, Robert AU - Ruback, Leonard AU - Voigt, Anthony AU - Arrington, Dusty AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Construction and Installation of Travel Time Signs on I-35 in Austin PY - 2016/08//Implementation Report SP - 18p AB - Dynamic travel time signs (DTTS) provide current travel times to a specific destination via one or more routes. These signs aid motorists in making route choice decisions en route. Through this project, three DTTS were fabricated and installed on I-35 in Austin, Texas. Two signs were located southbound on overhead sign bridges at global positioning system coordinates 30.745981, −97.636638 and at 30.515859, −97.687471. The third sign was located northbound at coordinates 30.02644, −97.851073. KW - Austin (Texas) KW - Installation KW - Travel time KW - Variable message signs UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/5-9049-05-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420315 ER - TY - SER AN - 01608636 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis AU - Singh, Santokh TI - Non-Traffic Surveillance: Fatality and Injury Statistics in Non-Traffic Crashes, 2012 to 2014 PY - 2016/08 SP - 3p AB - Based on the Non-Traffic Surveillance (NTS) system, an average of 1,898 people were killed each year in non-traffic motor vehicle crashes during the 3-year period 2012 to 2014. About a third (34%) of those people killed were nonoccupants such as pedestrians and bicyclists. Additionally, on an average, 92,000 people were injured in these crashes each year, of which a third (33%) were nonoccupants. KW - Crash characteristics KW - Fatalities KW - Injury rates KW - Motor vehicles KW - Non-Traffic Surveillance KW - Nonoccupants KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Vehicle occupants UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/Publication/812311 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420403 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608632 AU - Perry, Ernest AU - Adams, Teresa AU - Oberhart, Eric AU - Zietlow, Ben AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - Mid-America Freight Coalition AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - From the Ground Up: Aligning State Freight Plans to Enhance State Collaboration and Establish Regional and National Harmonization of Freight Priorities PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 58p AB - This project reviews Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) state freight plans and current planning efforts and provides a catalogue of state practices, data and analysis techniques, stakeholder involvement and other planning elements. The project also identifies where states share similar goals and common priority corridors across borders, and where they can leverage a regional approach to freight planning. Freight planning best practices across the region are also identified. The federal recommendations and guidelines on freight planning are reviewed as well. The objectives of the research are to: maximize collaborative freight planning and sharing of best practices, ensure the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) freight perspectives are reflected in national freight planning, and provide a better understanding of how greater collaboration can improve regional and state transportation development as well as increase logistics and economic development. KW - Best practices KW - Cooperation KW - Freight transportation KW - Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) KW - Mid-America Freight Coalition KW - Regional planning KW - Stakeholders KW - States KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/documents/MAFC15_AlignmentStudy_FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420353 ER - TY - SER AN - 01608625 JO - TRAFFIC TECH PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Drivers’ Use of Marijuana in Washington State PY - 2016/08 SP - 2p AB - In July 2014, Washington State allowed legal sales of recreational marijuana. Working with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) assisted the State in conducting a roadside study to examine the prevalence of marijuana use before and after sales began. The study also examined drivers’ use of alcohol and other drugs. National roadside studies have been conducted approximately every decade since the 1970s. This study used a similar research design as the national studies but included several enhancements. It included more than 70 over-the-counter, prescription (antidepressants, sleep medications, etc.), and illegal drugs (cocaine, opioids, etc.) that may impair driving-related skills. This project’s objective was to examine whether the percentage of drivers who tested positive for marijuana increased after sales of the drug became legal and what the effect was on alcohol-impaired driving. Data was collected in three waves: (1) immediately before implementation of legal sales, (2) six months after implementation, and (3) one year after implementation. KW - Before and after studies KW - Drivers KW - Drugged drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Marijuana KW - Policy, legislation and regulation KW - Washington (State) UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812307-TT-Marijuana_Use_in_WA.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420402 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608621 AU - Edrington, Suzie AU - Brooks, Jonathan AU - Cherrington, Linda AU - Hansen, Todd AU - Hamilton, Paul AU - Pourteau, Chris AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Identifying Best Practices for Managing Operating Costs for Rural and Small Urban Transportation Systems: Technical Report PY - 2016/08 SP - 84p AB - Rural and small urban transit providers across the United States face fiscal challenges caused by the growing gap between the cost of providing transit service and available federal, state, and local funding. In Texas, the fiscal challenges facing rural and small urban transit providers are compounded by an increasing population and growth in urbanization in some counties and declining population with increasing demand for transit service for an aging population in other counties. The research report examines the drivers of operating costs, approaches to containing costs, transit agency priorities for tools needed to better contain costs, and methodology used to develop the guidebook and workshop. There are five primary documents produced in this research project: research report, guidebook entitled Managing Operating Costs for Rural and Small Urban Transportation Systems, workshop participant workbook, workshop instructor’s guide, and a PowerPointTM presentation to support the workshop. Researchers found that transit agency staff indicated a priority need for guidance and training in the following topics: managing staff, maintenance and state of good repair, buying and managing fuel, contracting for service, minimizing no-shows, and innovations in technology and service design. Also, researchers found a need to provide information on fundamentals of reporting, allocating, and tracking costs. The resulting guidebook and corresponding workshop incorporates the findings of the research. KW - Best practices KW - Handbooks KW - Methodology KW - Operating costs KW - Rural transit KW - Texas KW - Training KW - Transit operating agencies KW - Urban transit KW - Workshops UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6694-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420212 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608611 AU - McFalls, Jett A AU - Storey, Beverly J AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Sediment and Erosion Control Laboratory Facility Expansion PY - 2016/08//Technical Report SP - 14p AB - The Sediment and Erosion Control Laboratory (SEC Lab), formerly the Hydraulics, Sedimentation, and Erosion Control Laboratory, is operated by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Environment and Planning Program. Performance evaluation programs for sediment and erosion control products, materials, devices and techniques are conducted at the SEC Lab to produce and maintain the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Approved Products List (APL). By 2012, the existing facility was operating at full capacity with a waiting list of over 18 months. Expansion of the facility includes an indoor rainfall simulator that houses three 8 ft. × 40 ft. soil-fill test bed, a covered soil storage/bed preparation area, and a covered preparation area between the existing and new buildings, and a sediment retention device flume. The expansion of the SEC Lab provides additional performance evaluation and research capacity to better serve TxDOT’s needs and enable a more robust and comprehensive research program. KW - Building KW - Erosion control KW - Laboratories KW - Test facilities KW - Testing equipment KW - Texas UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/5-9048-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420313 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608581 AU - Das, Paritosh AU - Chermakani, Deepak AU - Fripp, Matthias AU - University of Hawaii, Honolulu AU - University of Central Florida, Cocoa AU - Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Development of SWITCH-Hawaii Model: Loads and Renewable Resources PY - 2016/08 SP - 26p AB - This report summarizes work done to configure the SWITCH power system model using data for the Oahu power system. SWITCH is a planning model designed to choose optimal infrastructure investments for power systems over a multi-decade period. Investments are optimized based on the cost of new renewable and conventional power plants and transmission capacity, and the hourly behavior of loads and potential renewable energy projects on several dozen sample days. SWITCH can also be run as a more detailed production cost model, which tests the performance of pre-selected investment plans using weather from hundreds of sample days. Project 21 of the Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) at the University of Central Florida will use the Oahu version of SWITCH to calculate the effects of several electric vehicle fleet configurations and charging strategies on the power system’s design and operation. It will also be used to provide estimates of duty cycles for grid-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-grid applications, to support further analysis of battery degradation processes. As described in this report, SWITCH has been configured with data on Oahu’s existing power plants, potential new power plants, forecasted fuel prices, hourly electricity loads during 2007 and 2008, forecasted electricity loads (re-scaled versions of the 2007 and 2008 data) and hourly performance of potential renewable energy projects during this same period. Particular effort has gone into building a roof inventory dataset showing where rooftop photovoltaic systems could be sited, and a wind site dataset, showing where individual turbines could be placed on the island of Oahu, taking account of land use restrictions and topographic suitability. Potential sites for utility-scale photovoltaic systems have also been identified. KW - Decision support systems KW - Electric power generation and transmission KW - Electric power plants KW - Electric vehicle charging KW - Forecasting KW - Hawaii KW - Infrastructure KW - Investments KW - Optimization KW - Renewable energy sources KW - Solar power generation KW - Wind power generation UR - http://evtc.fsec.ucf.edu/publications/documents/HI-13-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420257 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608580 AU - Edara, P AU - Sun, C AU - Brown, H AU - Rahmani, R AU - Datta, T AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Wayne State University AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development and Application of Work Zone Crash Modification Factors PY - 2016/08 SP - 19p AB - Crash modification factor (CMF) provides the expected change in crash frequency due to the implementation of a countermeasure or a change in a particular site condition. State and local transportation agencies determine CMF values by utilizing the Highway Safety Manual (HSM). The HSM provides CMF values for various types of facilities and treatments. However, the HSM’s coverage of work zone-related CMF values is limited. This report introduces practitioners to: the procedure for evaluating work zone countermeasures using existing CMFs and the procedures for developing new work zone CMFs. Once derived, CMFs can be used for selecting countermeasures and scheduling lane closures. KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash modification factors KW - Crash rates KW - Evaluation KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Manual KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Safety Performance Functions KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zones UR - https://www.workzonesafety.org/files/documents/training/fhwa_wz_grant/wsu_umc_wz_cmf_guide.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419984 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608576 AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Federal Railroad Administration Status Update on Positive Train Control Implementation PY - 2016/08 SP - 20p AB - The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) are providing this status update on railroads’ Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation. This update informs the public of: (1) the background of the PTC mandate; (2) the actions FRA has taken and continues to take to support railroads’ implementation of PTC systems; and (3) the current status of each railroad’s progress towards implementing a PTC system. KW - Implementation KW - Positive train control KW - Railroads KW - State of the practice KW - U.S. Federal Railroad Administration KW - United States UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16634 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420351 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608531 AU - Hutton, Jessica M AU - Cook, Daniel J AU - MRIGlobal AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Developing a System to Identify Passing and No Passing Zone Boundaries on Rural Two-Lane Highways PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 58p AB - MRIGlobal developed an automated system to measure and display the distance between two instrumented vehicles traveling along a road. The system uses global positioning system (GPS) modules and radio modems to send location information between the vehicles five times per second. A field software was developed to calculate the distance between the vehicles based on this GPS data in real time and report it to the following driver. The field software is designed to allow the two vehicles to identify locations along a two-lane road where minimum passing sight distance is available. A post-processing software was also developed to produce a recommended striping plan, for both directions of travel along the route, based on the data recorded by the field data collection software. This system can be operated at near-highway speeds. KW - Global Positioning System KW - No passing zones KW - Passing KW - Passing sight distance KW - Passing zones KW - Real time information KW - Rural highways KW - Software KW - Striping KW - Two lane highways UR - https://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TR201514/cmr16-017.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420185 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608525 AU - Shu, Xinggao AU - Davis, David AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - High-Speed Rail Turnout Literature Review PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 32p AB - High-speed rail (HSR) turnout design criteria generally address unbalanced lateral acceleration or cant deficiency (CD), cant deficiency change rate (CDCR), and entry and exit jerk. Various countries have adopted different design values for their HSR systems based on their unique experiences and operating conditions. The design criteria (e.g., one for unbalanced lateral accelerations and jerk) have a direct influence on passenger ride comfort, but cannot be used as performance indices because they only account for kinematic responses, not dynamic responses. In North America, vehicle and turnout dynamic performances must comply with ride comfort and safety standards, such as Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Track Safety Standards, Part 213. In a worldwide market, vehicle and track performance will most likely comply with ISO 2631. Switch rail optimization methodologies, such as Kinematic Gage Optimization and rail reprofiling, have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing wheel force, rail force and rail wear through improved axle steering capability. The presteer switch was originally designed for North American low-speed turnouts, and its performance on HSR should be examined. Track stiffness uniformity along a turnout is critical for HSR operation. Proper track transition and optimal track stiffness can reduce wheel and rail impact forces while improving ride quality. KW - Design KW - High speed rail KW - Literature reviews KW - Optimization KW - Railroad tracks KW - Ride quality KW - Stiffness KW - Switches (Railroads) KW - Turnouts UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16631 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16631 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419981 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608520 AU - Ullman, Gerald AU - Brydia, Robert AU - Ruback, Leonard AU - Arrington, Dusty AU - Voigt, Tony AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Installation of Dynamic Travel Time Signs and Efforts to Obtain and Test a Graphical Route Information Panel (GRIP) Sign in Austin PY - 2016/08//Implementation Report SP - 24p AB - Graphic Route Information Panel (GRIP) signs use a combination of text, colors, and representative maps of the roadway system to convey real-time roadway congestion location and severity information. The intent of this project was to facilitate the fabrication, installation, and onset of operations of three dynamic travel time signs and one GRIP sign on Interstate 35 (I-35) near Austin, Texas. Unfortunately, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rejected the request-to-experiment with a GRIP sign. This report documents the efforts made and accomplishments achieved under this project. KW - Austin (Texas) KW - Installation KW - Real time information KW - Traffic congestion KW - Travel time KW - Variable message signs UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/5-9049-03-7.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420317 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618016 AU - Attanayake, Upul AU - Hasan, Mehedi AU - Lopez, Lizmert AU - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo AU - Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Infrastructure and Technology for Sustainable Livable Cities PY - 2016/07/31/Final Report SP - 172p AB - Providing access and mobility for key installations and businesses located in cities become a challenge when there is limited public transport and non-motorized facilities. The challenges are significant in cities that are subjected to severe winter weather conditions. Improving access to sustainable mobility choices is a key aspect of developing livable cities. This project scope is limited to identifying methods and infrastructure to promote walking and cycling. With regards to cycling, bike-share program development and use of location-allocation models as planning tools are presented. To minimize exposure to adverse weather conditions, underground and above ground pedestrian systems are provided. These two infrastructure options are explored during this study. Providing energy efficient lighting systems to make pedestrians and cyclists feel safe to travel within cities is paramount to improve mobility. Energy efficient lighting systems, cost of implementation, and planning tools are discussed. In winter cities, providing snow and ice free streets and walkways promote walking and cycling. Technologies used for such endeavors and implementation case studies are presented. Electricity needed to operate kiosks at bike-share stations, pedestrian lighting, and snow melting systems can be generated through renewable sources. Solar and wind are two such resources discussed in this report. Also, a few tools that can be used for identifying optimal locations for placing solar and wind sensitive infrastructure are presented. KW - Bicycling KW - Case studies KW - Cities KW - Costs KW - Frigid regions KW - Implementation KW - Lighting systems KW - Pedestrian areas KW - Renewable energy sources KW - Snow and ice control KW - Sustainable development KW - Technological innovations KW - Vehicle sharing KW - Walking UR - http://www.wmich.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/u883/2016/TRCLC_Final_Report_15_05.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60480/TRCLC_Final_Report_15_05.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435146 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610785 AU - ZHeng, Wei AU - Qian, Feng AU - Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center (MarTREC) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - In-Situ Monitoring and Assessment of Post Barge-Bridge Collision Damage for Minimizing Traffic Delay and Detour PY - 2016/07/31/Final Research Report SP - 40p AB - This report presents a novel framework for promptly assessing the probability of barge-bridge collision damage of piers based on probabilistic-based classification through machine learning. The main idea of the presented framework is to divide the potential damage region of a pier into multiple discrete sub-regions, and define a classifier for each sub-region based on a probabilistic logistic regression. Several different classification models are considered for each classifier due to the uncertainties associated with the logistic regression model, and trained through Bayesian inference by using simulation data before damage events occur. Bayesian model selection is adopted to select the best classification model and its corresponding effective features extracted from measurements for enhancing the prediction accuracy. The best trained classification models then are used to expeditiously predict the probabilities of damage occurring in all sub-regions. The presented framework can be implemented in a recursive manner by dividing a structure into several hierarchical levels of different divisions of sub-regions, and can be extended to identify other types of structural damage. The effectiveness and applicability of the presented framework are demonstrated through the numerical simulation of identifying barge-bridge collision damage locations of one pier of a prototype bridge. Finally, limitations and future research directions are also discussed. KW - Barges KW - Bayes' theorem KW - Bridge piers KW - Bridges KW - Logistic regression analysis KW - Probability KW - Simulation KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Water transportation crashes UR - http://martrec.uark.edu/research/wei-zheng-final-report-2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421150 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610805 AU - Chimka, Justin R AU - Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center (MarTREC) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Economic Impacts of Lock Usage and Unavailability PY - 2016/07/30/Final Research Report SP - 11p AB - Freight statistics should provide an objective baseline for transportation policy decisions, and national economic benefits of maritime transport necessitate improving inland waterways infrastructure. Proposed work included consolidating and learning from Lock Use, Performance, and Characteristics data collected by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and published by the Navigation Data Center. The objective is to estimate statistical models of annual tons locked by commodity group and lock, as a function of lock usage and unavailability (1993-2013), to discover knowledge of relationships between system disruption and economic consequences (commodity flow). KW - Commodities KW - Commodity flow KW - Economic impacts KW - Freight traffic KW - Inland water transportation KW - Locks (Waterways) KW - Service disruption KW - Statistical analysis UR - http://martrec.uark.edu/research/chimka-final-report-2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421152 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619058 AU - Galgano, Steve AU - Talas, Mohamad AU - Benevelli, David AU - Rausch, Robert AU - Sim, Samuel AU - Opie, Keir AU - Jensen, Mark AU - Stanley, Chris AU - Stephens, Denny AU - Pape, Doug AU - New York City Department of Transportation AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 1, System Requirements Specification (SyRS) – New York City PY - 2016/07/28/Final Report SP - 164p AB - This document describes the System Requirements Specification (SyRS) for the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC) Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment (CVPD) Project. This SyRS describes the results of the definition of need, the operational concept, and system analysis tasks. It also conveys the requirements that are geared towards satisfying the needs of the users and stakeholders of the system. It is the second of several planning documents for the CVPD Program, Phase 1 project funded by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). Other planning documents, developed under this project phase, that influence this SyRS include the Concept of Operations (ConOps), Security Management Operational Concept, Performance Measurement and Evaluation Plan, Safety Management Plan, and Human Use Approval. KW - Mobile communication systems KW - New York (New York) KW - Pilot studies KW - Specifications KW - Systems analysis UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60255/FHWA-JPO-16-303.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436213 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01604844 TI - Self De-Icing LED Signals AB - This proposed project will develop multiple prototypes of a new type of self de-icing light-emitting diodes (LED) signals for highway signalized intersections and railroad signaling applications and validate them using the field tests. The innovative concept -- "Heated Lens Lighting Arrangement" -- was thoroughly tested in 2014. A non-provisional patent application (No. PCT/US14/53503) was filed on Aug 29, 2014. The self de-icing LED signal light is aimed to solve a well-known problem of the existing LED signal light that does not generate sufficient heat in the forward direction towards the lens of the signal necessary to melt snow and ice. Snow and ice can easily accumulate on the lens within the signal hood in wintery conditions and block light to the drivers of vehicles or locomotive engineers. This can decrease the performance of signalized intersections and railroads and also result in collisions in inclement weather conditions. This is a problem in the snowy regions in North America for which a viable retrofit has not been developed or tested. KW - Deicing KW - Field tests KW - Heaters KW - Light emitting diodes KW - Prototypes KW - Signalized intersections KW - Traffic signals KW - Weather conditions UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/602 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417432 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613839 AU - Young, Jaime AU - Daddio, David AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - National Park Service TI - Natchez Trace Parkway Bicycle Planning Study PY - 2016/07/21/Final Report SP - 54p AB - The Natchez Trace Parkway stretches through varied terrain for 444 miles from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi. The National Parkway receives approximately fifteen million visitors each year, about six million of which are recreational visitors. Anecdotally, the number of bicyclists who use the Parkway is rising, in tourism, recreation, and commuting. In recent years there have been a number of crashes on the Parkway involving bicycles, four of which resulted in fatality. The Park staff has partnered with advocacy organizations in implementing safety interventions with bicycle-related signage and shared use lane markings. The Volpe Center conducted a study to evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of these interventions and make recommendations for the Park to continue their work in improving safety for bicyclists and other roadway users. This study looks primarily at the roadway corridor within the larger context of a safety campaign being conducted by staff and partners of Natchez Trace Parkway. KW - Alabama KW - Bicycle crashes KW - Bicycle lanes KW - Evaluation KW - Nashville (Tennessee) KW - Natchez (Mississippi) KW - Natchez Trace Parkway KW - National parks KW - Recommendations KW - Safety campaigns KW - Traffic control devices KW - Traffic safety KW - Traffic signs KW - Transportation planning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59600/59600/Natchez_Trace_Bicycle_Planning_Study.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59600/59600/Natchez_Trace_Bicycle_Planning_Study_2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425496 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608539 AU - Department of Transportation TI - FTA Can Improve its Oversight of Hurricane Sandy Relief Funds PY - 2016/07/21/Audit Report SP - 17p AB - In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused widespread damage to the transportation infrastructure in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States. In response, the President signed the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act (DRAA) in January 2013, which appropriated $10.9 billion to the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program (ERP) for Sandy-related recovery, relief, and resiliency programs. As of November 30, 2015, FTA had obligated nearly $4.6 billion and disbursed $1.16 billion. FTA’s top four grantees received $1.14 billion of the $1.16 billion in disbursed funds. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) received $821 million, or 70 percent, of those funds. Of MTA’s subsidiaries, New York City Transit (NYCT) holds the majority of MTA’s DRAA-funded contracts. DRAA directs the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to support oversight of FTA’s Hurricane Sandy relief funds. Accordingly, OIG conducted this audit to determine whether FTA provides effective oversight of grantees’ contracting practices using DRAA funds. OIG focused the review on NYCT because it was one of the largest recipients of MTA’s Hurricane Sandy relief funds. To conduct the audit, OIG used a risk-based approach to select 9 out of 37 DRAA-funded NYCT contracts to review NYCT’s procurement practices and FTA’s oversight. These 9 contracts represented $190 million—or 86 percent—of the 37 NYCT contracts, valued at $220 million. OIG reviewed Federal requirements, FTA guidance, and MTA and NYCT policies and procedures. OIG also interviewed FTA, MTA, and NYCT personnel. KW - Contracting KW - Disaster relief KW - Disaster Relief Appropriations Act KW - Hurricane Sandy, 2012 KW - New York City Transit Authority KW - Oversight KW - Procurement KW - Public transit KW - Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program KW - U.S. Federal Transit Administration UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/FTA%20Oversight%20of%20Hurricane%20Sandy%20Relief%20Funds_Final%20Report%5E7-21-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420184 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610830 AU - Gassman, Sarah L AU - Rahman, M Mostaqur AU - University of South Carolina, Columbia AU - South Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Calibration of the AASHTO Pavement Design Guide to South Carolina Conditions - Phase I PY - 2016/07/20/Final Report SP - 159p AB - The primary objective of this research was to identify existing historical data (i.e., climate, traffic, pavement design information, material properties, and pavement performance) within the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) for use in the local calibration of the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) for South Carolina. Based on all of the compiled information, 20 in-service pavement sections (i.e., 14 asphalt concrete (AC) sections and 6 Portland cement concrete (PCC) sections) were identified as suitable for this study, and information gaps were identified. A comprehensive subgrade sampling and testing plan was developed, and field and laboratory tests were performed to study the subgrade modulus at 3 sites. The data collected for the 20 sections was used to perform a preliminary analysis of the MEPDG AC rutting models, AC fatigue cracking models, AC transverse cracking model, and the Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement (JPCP) transverse cracking model. Level 1 (project specific), Level 2 (region specific), or Level 3 (default) inputs were used, depending on data availability. The preliminary calibration factors found from the analysis should not be used for design until further studies are performed. A plan for future phases, including the additional high priority, high quality data needed to complete the MEPDG analysis for the local calibration and a plan for special pavement test sections, is proposed. KW - Asphalt concrete pavements KW - Calibration KW - Cracking KW - Field tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Mechanistic-empirical pavement design KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Rutting KW - South Carolina KW - Subgrade (Pavements) UR - http://www.scdot.scltap.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SPR-708-Final-Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421191 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01612662 TI - Pilot Performance Considerations for Sensor Technologies AB - The goals of project 24 are the following: (1) use real-time sensor technologies to improve representation of what is outside cockpit; (2) primary focus on takeoff and landing; (3) could open airports to additional operations; (4) address important human performance implications; and (5) identify limitations of sensors and presentation to pilot. KW - Air pilots KW - Aviation safety KW - Cockpits KW - Human factors KW - Real time control KW - Sensors UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425049 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01612659 TI - Problem Solving/Decision Making and Procedures for Unexpected Events AB - This project identifies unexpected events a pilot may experience while in flight and the decision making process the pilot uses to address the event. KW - Air pilots KW - Aviation safety KW - Decision making KW - Flight characteristics KW - Human factors KW - Procedures UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425041 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619059 AU - Ahmed, Mohamed AU - Gopalakrishna, Deepak AU - Garcia, Vince AU - Ragan, Ali AU - English, Tony AU - Zumpf, Shane AU - Young, Rhonda AU - Kitchener, Fred AU - Serulle, Nayel Ureña AU - Hsu, Eva AU - ICF International AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Trihydro Corporation AU - McFarland Management, LLC AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 1, Human Use Approval Summary – ICF/Wyoming PY - 2016/07/18/Task 8 Report SP - 35p AB - The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s (WYDOT) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment Program is intended to develop a suite of applications that utilize vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication technology to reduce the impact of adverse weather on truck travel in the I-80 corridor. These applications support a flexible range of services from advisories, roadside alerts, parking notifications and dynamic travel guidance. Information from these applications are made available directly to the equipped fleets or through data connections to fleet management centers (who will then communicate it to their trucks using their own systems). The pilot will be conducted in three Phases. Phase I includes the planning for the CV pilot including the concept of operations development. Phase II is the design, development, and testing phase. Phase III includes a real-world demonstration of the applications developed as part of this pilot. This document presents a summary on the steps taken in regards to human use approval required for the CV Pilot in Phase 1 in preparation for Phase 2 and 3. The document explains the Federal regulations and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) application and approval processes to protect human participants in the pilot. The human use summary documents the IRB application, obtaining participants’ consents, review process, and how the pilot team addressed the IRB comments and secured the IRB approval for Phase 2 and 3. The process for amending and renewing the IRB application and approval throughout the project period is also discussed. The interdependency between the human use regulations and policies and the development of the Pilot Deployment Concept of Operations, Privacy and Security Management Operating Concept, Safety Management Plan, Training and Education Plan, Performance Measurement and Evaluation, as well as the Comprehensive Pilot Deployment Plan was full integrated. Various relevant contents produced in these tasks were utilized directly and indirectly as part of the IRB application and approval process. KW - Driver support systems KW - Human subject testing KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Pilot studies KW - Regulations KW - Trucking safety KW - Wyoming UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60254/FHWA-JPO-16-293.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436212 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613753 AU - Blue, Victor AU - Johnson, Steven AU - Kourtellis, Achilleas AU - Wacht, Michael AU - Kolleda, Josh AU - Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 1, Human Use Approval Summary – Tampa (THEA) PY - 2016/07/18/Final Report SP - 66p AB - This document presents the Human Use Approval (HUA) Summary for the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment. The purpose of this report is to document the process used by THEA in the Tampa CV Pilot Deployment as required in Phase 1, Task 8 in preparation for deployment involving human subjects – auto drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, and transit drivers - in Phases 2 and 3. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval of the research protocol is necessary before human subjects can participate in federally-funded CV Pilot research experiments. This HUA Summary document describes the selection of Salus IRB, information used in the IRB application and resolution of comments made by the IRB. Information used in developing the project Research Protocol Document (RPD), Informed Consent Documents (ICDs) and IRB application was derived from tasks already complete or ongoing in Phase 1, including Concept of Operations (Task 2), Security Management Operational Concept (Task3), Safety Management Plan (Task 5), Performance Measurement and Evaluation Support Plan (Task 5), Participant Training and Stakeholder Education Plan (Task 9) and Outreach Plan (Task 11). This information was integrated into a Phase 1, high-level concept Research Protocol and ICDs that safeguard, over the course of the participant’s lifecycle, the recruitment, selection, registration, informed consent, training, installation of equipment, safety needs and personal identification security requirements of participants. Salus IRB’s determination resulted in approval of the Research Protocol, ICDs for auto drivers, pedestrians and Hillsborough Area Regional Transit and a decision in favor of Expedited Review. The approval is limited to the study’s progress to date. Amendments and continuing review are expected for recruitment, training, revisions to ICDs, and wherever changes are made to the approved Research Protocol. KW - Cyclists KW - Drivers KW - Human subject testing KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Pedestrians KW - Pilot studies KW - Research management KW - Tampa (Florida) KW - Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority KW - Transit operators UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59400/59465/FHWA-JPO-16-317.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425491 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605569 AU - Christenson, Richard AU - Motaref, Sarira AU - University of Connecticut, Storrs AU - Connecticut Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Dual Purpose Bridge Health Monitoring and Weigh-in-motion (BWIM) Phase I PY - 2016/07/07/Final Report SP - 58p AB - The dual-purpose bridge health monitoring (BHM) and bridge weigh-in-motion (BWIM) system proposed in this research project establishes a single monitoring system, comprised of sensors, data acquisition, and processing, to provide both long-term health monitoring of a highway bridge and bridge-weigh-in-motion capabilities. A prototype dual-purpose BHM/BWIM system is presented that has been designed to examine the challenges associated with implementing a combined BHM/BWIM bridge monitoring system. This prototype system is currently being deployed in Connecticut on Interstate 91 (I-91) northbound in the town of Meriden, Connecticut. The BHM/BWIM design and initial results are provided in this report. KW - Connecticut KW - Design KW - Highway bridges KW - Implementation KW - Prototypes KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Weigh in motion UR - http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dresearch/BridgeHealthMonitoringandWeigh-in-Motion-PhaseI.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415974 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616172 AU - Chrzan, Sue AU - Hamill, Mary AU - Wacht, Mike AU - Brown, Jeff AU - Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority AU - Department of Transportation TI - Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 1, Outreach Plan – Tampa (THEA) PY - 2016/07/06/Final Report SP - 64p AB - This document presents the Outreach Plan for the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment. The goal of the pilot deployment is to advance and enable safe, interoperable, networked wireless communications among vehicles, the infrastructure, and travelers’ personal communications devices in order to reduce traffic congestion, improve safety and decrease emissions. The pilot deployment is proceeding in three phases: (1) concept development; (2) design, implementation and testing; and (3) operation, maintenance, impact assessment and performance measurement. The Outreach Plan is a high-level plan for the management of outreach activities throughout the deployment phases (phases 2 and 3). Key elements of the plan include the development of a pilot website; local outreach strategy; on-site tours and demonstrations; conference and trade show strategy; media relations strategy; and coordination of communications efforts with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). The document also includes a communications continuity plan for use in the event of a natural disaster or other crisis. KW - Connected vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Outreach KW - Pilot studies KW - Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60238/FHWA-JPO-16-320.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428943 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01612661 TI - Runway Safety Human Factors AB - The goals of the Runway Safety Human Factors project is to: (1) obtain, review and evaluate the scientific and technical literature concerning airport markings, signage, and lighting; and (2) conduct a gap analysis and make recommendations for research efforts to address the gaps. KW - Airport operations KW - Aviation safety KW - Human factors KW - Lighting KW - Literature reviews KW - Marking materials KW - Signs UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425047 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610898 AU - Gibbons, Ron AU - Palmer, Matthew AU - Jahangiri, Arash AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Connected Vehicle Applications for Adaptive Overhead Lighting (On-demand Lighting) PY - 2016/07/01/Final Research Report SP - 67p AB - The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) has developed an on-demand roadway lighting system and has tested the system’s effect on driver visual performance. On-demand roadway lighting can dramatically reduce energy usage while maintaining or increasing vehicle and pedestrian safety. The system developed by VTTI uses connected vehicle technology (CVT), wireless lighting controls, light emitting diode (LED) luminaires, and a stand-alone processor on the Virginia Smart Road to sense vehicles and turn on roadway lighting only when needed. During this research project, the use of on-demand, or just-in-time, lighting was investigated with respect to assessing driver distraction, and to human factors, including a driver’s ability to visually detect and recognize on-road objects and pedestrians. The developed on-demand lighting system described above utilized dedicated short range communication (DSRC), connected vehicle infrastructure (CVI), and centralized wireless lighting controls, and was used with VTTIdeveloped in-vehicle instrumentation and custom software. The software allowed the study of forward preview time in terms of forward lighting distance needed for drivers to detect roadside pedestrians and hazards. Visual performance testing revealed a relationship between speed and the amount of forward lighting needed to detect pedestrians and hazards on the side of the roadway, and a small, but statistically insignificant, practical difference in visual performance between on-demand lighting and continuously-on lighting conditions. A survey of participant reactions indicated that the public generally accepts on-demand lighting and does not find it distracting as long as a minimum lighting condition is met. The survey also found that participants felt the system provided a safe driving environment. The main application for an on-demand lighting system would be on roadways with little traffic at night and higher accident rates, or higher conflict areas such as intersections, pedestrian crossings, and merge areas. KW - Adaptive control KW - Dedicated short range communications KW - Distraction KW - Drivers KW - Highway safety KW - Human factors KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Street lighting KW - Surveys KW - Visual perception UR - http://cvi-utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Gibbons_Connected-Vehicle-Applications-for-Adaptive-Overhead-Lighting.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420979 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605765 AU - Gooranorimi, Omid AU - Bradberry, Timothy AU - Dauer, Edward AU - Myers, John AU - Nanni, Antonio AU - Research on Concrete Applications for Sustainable Transportation AU - University of Miami AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - FRP Reinforcement for Concrete: Performance Assessment and New Construction Volume I: Sierrita De La Cruz Creek Bridge PY - 2016/07/01/Final Report SP - 36p AB - Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites are emerging as a feasible economical solution to eliminate the corrosion problem of steel reinforcements in the concrete industry. Confirmation of GFRP long-term durability is crucial to extend its application in aggressive environments. The objective of this study is to investigate the performance of GFRP materials exposed to the concrete alkalinity and ambient conditions after 15 years of service in a field application. “Sierrita de la Cruz Creek” Bridge (built in 2000, located 25 miles Northwest of Amarillo, Texas) was chosen as a case study since it was one of the first bridges that included GFRP as both primary and secondary top mat reinforcements in the deck. In order to monitor possible changes in GFRP and concrete after fifteen years of service, samples were extracted from different locations on the bridge for various analyses. Carbonation depth and pH of the concrete surrounding the GFRP bars were measured. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS) were performed to monitor any microstructural degradation or change in the GFRP chemical compositions. Finally, GFRP interlaminar (horizontal) shear strength, glass transition temperature (Tg) and fiber content were determined and compared with the results of similar tests performed on control samples at the time of construction. SEM and EDS did not show any sign of GFRP microstructural deterioration or change of chemical composition. Inter-laminar shear strength results were inconclusive as the No. 5 showed a slight improvement, while the strength of No. 6 decreased. Tg and fiber content were comparable to pristine values. The results of this study represent an additional data point to validate the notion that GFRP bar properties are maintained during 15 years of service as concrete reinforcement in a field application. KW - Alkalinity KW - Amarillo (Texas) KW - Bridge decks KW - Case studies KW - Corrosion resistance KW - Durability KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Glass fiber reinforced plastics KW - Reinforced concrete KW - Reinforcing bars KW - Shear strength UR - https://recast.mst.edu/media/research/recast/documents/finalreports/FRP_Reinforcement_for_Concrete_Vol_I.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1414825 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624406 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Road Diet Policies PY - 2016/07 SP - 8p AB - Road Diets reallocate travel lanes and utilize the space for other uses and travel modes. The most common type of Road Diet reduces the number of through lanes from four to two and adds a center two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL). This document describes the benefits of Road Diets and highlights real-world examples of agencies including Road Diets within new or revised transportation policies and guidance. KW - Benefits KW - Highway design KW - Road diets KW - State departments of transportation KW - State of the practice KW - Traffic lanes KW - Transportation policy UR - http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/road_diets/resources/fhwasa16072/fhwasa16072.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442746 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01623573 AU - Larkin, James AU - O’Hara, Jane AU - McGurrin, Mike AU - McHale, Gene AU - Noblis AU - Department of Transportation TI - USDOT Guidance Summary for Connected Vehicle Deployments: Application Deployment PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 19p AB - This document provides guidance material in regards to the Application Deployment Plan for the Connected Vehicles (CV) Pilots Deployment Concept Development Phase. Methods for application deployment are discussed with definitions for the successful management of each aspect. Important references are given in terms in-text footnotes, and additional guidance documents. How the Application Deployment Plan ties into Concept Development Phase deliverables is discussed. Major challenges are identified and how they can be overcome. The document concludes with a summary of technical support events. KW - Connected vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Guidelines KW - ITS program applications KW - ITS program technologies KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Security Credential Management System (SCMS) UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60437/FHWA-JPO-16-345.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441090 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01623569 AU - Lister, Mac AU - Thompson, Kathy AU - Staples, Barbara AU - Noblis AU - Department of Transportation TI - USDOT Guidance Summary for Connected Vehicle Deployments: Participant Training and Stakeholder Education PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 19p AB - This document provides guidance material in regards to the Participant Training and Stakeholder Education Plan for the Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilots Deployment Concept Development Phase. The guidance provides key requirements and references in developing the training plan in Task 9, lists relevant deliverables and the relevant elements in each deliverable, identifies key challenges that site deployers may encounter with respect to Task 9, and summarizes the technical support events provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). This document does not replace or alter the work statement defined in the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA); rather it provides technical guidance to the pilot deployers in completing the tasks and deliverables described in the statement of work. KW - Connected vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Education KW - Guidelines KW - ITS program applications KW - ITS program technologies KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Participants KW - Stakeholders KW - Training UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60439/FHWA-JPO-16-347.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441092 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01623561 AU - Vadakpat, Govind AU - Chang, James AU - Staples, Barbara AU - Noblis AU - Department of Transportation TI - USDOT Guidance Summary for Connected Vehicle Deployments: Human Use Approval PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 18p AB - This document provides guidance material in regards to human use approval required for the Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilots Deployment Concept Development Phase. Background is provided on relevant Federal guidance and Institutional Review Boards, including specific references and resources. Highlights of important considerations are presented to assist pilot teams in planning for and obtaining and documenting required approvals. The document concludes with a summary of USDOT supporting efforts for this area. KW - Connected vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Guidelines KW - Human factors KW - Institutional Review Board (IRB) KW - ITS program applications KW - ITS program technologies KW - Mobile communication systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60438/FHWA-JPO-16-346.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441091 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622668 AU - Wilson, Cameron AU - Todd, Nathan AU - Barrett, Timothy J AU - Coyle, Alex AU - Spragg, Robert AU - Montoya, Miguel A AU - Haddock, John E AU - Weiss, W Jason AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Mobile Concrete Laboratory to Support Quality Concrete, Technology Transfer, and Training SN - 9781622604326 PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 31p AB - This report is a summary of work performed by the Mobile Infrastructure Materials Testing Laboratory (MIMTL) as a part of the Joint Transportation Research Program (JTRP) through SPR-3858. The development of the MIMTL began in February of 2014 and it became fully operational by June of 2014. The MIMTL was deployed in the field for a total of 46 days. This report describes the activities of the MIMTL as of December 2015. The MIMTL was involved in the field testing of concrete bridges, concrete pavements, and asphalt pavements. This report describes the development of the mobile testing laboratory and provides some examples of how the MIMTL was used. The main highlights of the MIMTL’s implementation are as follows: (1) The MIMTL’s high mobility and extensive inventory of research equipment allowed graduate students and researchers to conduct field studies on a wide range of infrastructure materials to accomplish the research objectives of their specific projects. More extensive details of the background, objectives, methods, findings, results and implementation from those projects can be found in the respective reports for those projects; (2) The MIMTL supported a culture of safety that allowed students to work safely on jobsites in the State of Indiana ranging from roadside interstates, rural country roads, to ready-mix batching plants, often around heavy equipment, traffic, and in close quarters. During the operation of the MTIML described in this report, there were zero workplace accidents, and zero near misses reported; (3) The MIMTL assisted in technology transfer between the infrastructure materials experts at Purdue University and contractors and suppliers in the State of Indiana. A wide range of new technologies evaluating infrastructure materials were utilized on a variety of projects. On each of these projects, MIMTL researchers educated industry personnel (contractors and suppliers), agency personnel (Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and local agencies), and consultants within the state. The MIMTL attended demonstrations with INDOT district and central office personnel to further highlight capabilities as well as the emerging technologies; (4) The MIMTL was established a joint investment with partners in industry, local agencies, and INDOT. Operated by the Joint Transportation Research Program and the Local Technical Assistance Program as pay-per-use model, means this sustainable venture will offer services to researchers, industry, or agency entities that can cover the pay-per-use costs. KW - Concrete KW - Field tests KW - Implementation KW - Indiana KW - Laboratories KW - Materials tests KW - Technology transfer KW - Test procedures UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284316341 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442079 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618942 AU - Glassco, Richard AU - Noblis AU - Department of Transportation TI - USDOT Guidance Summary for Connected Vehicle Deployments: Data Sharing PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 21p AB - The document provides guidance to Pilot Deployers in the timely and successful completion of Concept Development Phase deliverables, specifically in developing the Data Sharing Framework portion of the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Support Plan in Task 5 and corresponding requirements in the System Requirements Specification (SyRS) document in Task 6. The document provides a summary of key challenges that the Sites may face and methods that can be used to overcome them. The document also identifies key deliverables that are pertinent to the support of the data sharing effort and a summary of the technical support available from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) This document does not replace or alter the work statement defined in the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA); rather it provides technical guidance to the pilot deployers in completing the tasks and deliverables described in the statement of work. KW - Connected vehicles KW - Data sharing KW - Deployment KW - System requirements KW - Technical support KW - U.S. Department of Transportation UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60513/FHWA-JPO-16-343.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440301 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618941 AU - Krause, Cory AU - Fehr, Walt AU - Noblis AU - Department of Transportation TI - USDOT Guidance Summary for Connected Vehicle Deployments: System Requirements and the CVRIA/SET-IT Tool PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 21p AB - This document provides guidance material in regards to System Requirements for the Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilots Deployment Concept Development Phase. Methods for system engineering are discussed with definitions for the successful management of each aspect. Important references are given in terms of Laws and Regulations, in-text footnotes, and additional guidance documents. How system engineering ties into the Concept Development Phase deliverables is discussed with a focus on the Tasks 2 and 6. Major challenges are identified and how they can be overcome. The document concludes with a summary of available CV systems engineering training. KW - Connected Vehicle Reference Implementation Architecture KW - Connected vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Guidelines KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - System requirements KW - Systems engineering UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60496/FHWA-JPO-16-344.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440297 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618838 AU - Hyman, William AU - Tarnoff, Phil AU - Noblis AU - Department of Transportation TI - USDOT Guidance for Connected Vehicle Deployments: Institutional and Business Models and Financial Sustainability PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 44p AB - This document provides guidance material in regards to institutional and business issues as well as financial sustainability for the Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployments Concept Development Phase. This material also provides part of the foundation for the Performance Evaluation under Task 5. This document emphasizes the importance of identifying risks and mitigation actions associated with a broad range of institutional and financial issues related to the pilot deployments with the understanding that institutional issues can be more challenging than technical ones. This report also emphasizes the importance of documenting the business processes and institutional models as CV deployment moves from the baseline (“As Is”) case to the Desired (“To Be”) case and ultimately to deployment (“Implemented”). Tools for capturing these changes include narratives and diagrams concerning an extension of the Capability Maturity Model, a macroscopic version of the relevant institutional framework, and a microscopic version of the business processes that reflect specific CV applications. Of considerable importance is cash flow associated with institutional and business models that potentially can achieve financial sustainability of successful CV deployments. KW - Business models KW - Capability Maturity Model KW - Cash flow KW - Connected vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Financing KW - Institutional issues KW - Pilot studies KW - Risk management KW - Sustainable development UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60486/FHWA-JPO-16-348.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440290 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618837 AU - McGurrin, Michael AU - Gay, Kevin AU - Noblis AU - Department of Transportation TI - USDOT Guidance Summary for Connected Vehicle Pilot Site Deployments: Security Operational Concept PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 20p AB - This document provides guidance material in regards to security for the Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilots Deployment Concept Development Phase. An approach for developing the security operational concept is presented based on identifying the impacts of security breaches regarding confidentiality, integrity, and availability along with the potential threats. Additional references for security analyses, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) security, the Security Credential Management System (SCMS), and connected vehicle application security needs are included. Major challenges such as SCMS integration, security for a complex system of systems, and, if applicable, payments system security are described. The document concludes with a summary of U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) technical support events. KW - Connected vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Pilot studies KW - Security KW - Security Credential Management System (SCMS) KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60495/FHWA-JPO-16-338.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440296 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01617696 AU - Federal Transit Administration AU - Metropolitan Council of Twin Cities AU - Minnesota Department of Transportation TI - METRO Blue Line Light Rail Transit Extension Final Environmental Impact Statement PY - 2016/07 SP - 793p AB - The Metropolitan Council proposes to construct and operate the 13-mile extension of the METRO Blue Line approximately 13 miles, starting from its terminus in downtown Minneapolis to the northwest area of the Twin Cities, serving north Minneapolis and the suburbs of Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal, and Brooklyn Park. In this Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS), the project is defined as the METRO Blue Line Light Rail Transit (BLRT) Extension project. In addition to the proposed light rail alignment, LRT stations, park‐and‐ride lots, and ancillary facilities, including a proposed operations and maintenance facility (OMF), roadway and bicycle/ pedestrian improvements and related freight rail modifications are discussed. This Final EIS includes the project’s Purpose and Need Statement and a description of the alternatives currently and previously considered. The following environmental categories are addressed in this Final EIS, including related methods and regulations, agency coordination (where applicable), anticipated direct long‐term (operating) and short‐term (construction) impacts, indirect impacts and cumulative effects, and committed mitigation measures; freight rail conditions; vehicular traffic; pedestrians and bicyclists; parking; aviation; land use plan compatibility; community facilities/community character and cohesion; displacement of residents and businesses; cultural resources; visual/aesthetics; economic effects; safety and security; utilities; floodplains; wetlands and other aquatic resources; geology, soils, and topography; hazardous materials contamination; noise; vibration; biological environment (wildlife habitat and endangered species); water quality and stormwater; air quality; and energy. This Final EIS also addresses the following: environmental justice compliance; Section 4(f) compliance; finance; evaluation of alternatives; public involvement and agency coordination; and a potential related joint development project. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Coordination KW - Environmental impact statements KW - Environmental impacts KW - Environmental justice KW - Financing KW - Light rail transit KW - Line extensions (Rail transit) KW - Metro Transit (Minnesota) KW - Rail transit facilities KW - Regulations KW - Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (Minnesota) UR - https://www.leg.state.mn.us/docs/2016/other/160758/Appendices.pdf UR - https://www.leg.state.mn.us/docs/2016/other/160758/Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1434767 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616923 AU - Kearney, Joseph K AU - Plumert, Jodie M AU - Safety Research Using Simulation University Transportation Center (SaferSim) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Using Connected Vehicle Technology to Deliver Timely Warnings to Pedestrians PY - 2016/07 SP - 39p AB - Pedestrian injuries and deaths caused by collisions with motor vehicles are on the rise in the U.S. One factor that may increase the risk of such collisions is pedestrian mobile device use. Both field observations and controlled experiments indicate that pedestrian road-crossing behavior is impaired by texting or talking on a mobile device. Despite the importance of the problem, relatively little is known about effective interventions to reduce the harmful effects of mobile device use on pedestrian road-crossing behavior. The goal of this project was to use connected vehicles technology to deliver warnings to pedestrians via their mobile devices. To safely and systematically study this problem, the authors conducted an experiment in a large-screen immersive virtual environment to evaluate how texting pedestrians respond to permissive traffic alerts delivered via their cell phone. The authors developed a cell phone app that delivered information to texting pedestrians about when traffic conditions permit safe crossing. The authors compared gap selection and movement timing in three groups of pedestrians: texting, texting with alerts, and no texting (control). Participants in the control and alert groups chose larger gaps and were more discriminating in their gap choices than participants in the texting group. Both the control and alert groups had more time to spare than the texting group when they exited the roadway even though the alert group timed their entry relative to the lead car less tightly than the control and texting groups. By choosing larger gaps, participants in the alert group were able to compensate for their poorer timing of entry, resulting in a margin of safety that did not differ from those who were not texting. However, they also relied heavily on the alert system and paid less attention to the roadway. The project demonstrates both the potential and the potential pitfalls of assistive technologies based on Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) communications technology for mitigating pedestrian–motor vehicle crashes. KW - Assistive technology KW - Cellular telephones KW - Gap acceptance KW - Mobile applications KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Pedestrian movement KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrians KW - Text messaging UR - http://safersim.nads-sc.uiowa.edu/final_reports/UI-2-Y1_FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429008 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616246 AU - Chang, James AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Summary of NHTSA Heavy-Vehicle Vehicle-to-Vehicle Safety Communications Research PY - 2016/07 SP - 124p AB - This report provides a complete summary of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA’s) heavy-vehicle (trucks and buses over 10,000 pounds) vehicle to vehicle (V2V) research activities and results to date, to facilitate access to results by researchers, developers, and others in a single source. The document consists of excerpts from and summaries of reports from projects in the heavy-vehicle V2V safety research program, and related research activities. Significant topics include development of integrated truck and Retrofit V2V systems, V2V and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) applications for heavy trucks, testing and evaluation based on real-world (Safety Pilot Model Deployment) and controlled test-track experiences, and safety benefits estimation for heavy-truck V2V systems. KW - Buses KW - Connected vehicles KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Dedicated short range communications KW - Heavy vehicles KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Research KW - Safety benefits KW - Safety Pilot Model Deployment KW - Test tracks KW - Trucks KW - Vehicle retrofitting KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash Avoidance/Technical Publications/2016/812300.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429385 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616242 AU - Howe, Gavin AU - Xu, Guogang AU - Hoover, Dick AU - Elsasser, Devin AU - Barickman, Frank AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Commercial Connected Vehicle Test Procedure Development and Test Results – Forward Collision Warning PY - 2016/07//Final Report AB - This report is one of four that documents the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA’s) test track research performed to support development of objective test procedures to evaluate the safety applications of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) equipped commercial vehicles. The primary focus of this research was on developing the test procedures, with a secondary goal of evaluating the performance of the prototype V2V safety applications. Objective test procedures were developed to evaluate a range of safety applications including intersection movement assist (IMA), blind spot warning/lane change warning (BSW/LCW), forward collision warning (FCW), and emergency electronic brake light (EEBL) warning. This report documents the FCW test procedures and the results of testing commercial vehicles with the developed procedures. The prototype V2V equipment was observed to be capable of tracking potential FCW threats, but had some issues when vehicles were in a curve or when switching lanes. For the curve tests, the V2V equipment had trouble determining the lateral distance between the host vehicle (HV – test subject) and the remote vehicle (RV – collision threat) for certain scenarios. Future testing with commercial vehicles equipped with V2V technology will be required to fully develop some of the FCW objective test track procedures and performance metrics. KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Connected vehicles KW - Forward collision warning KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Test procedures KW - Test tracks KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash Avoidance/Technical Publications/2016/812298_ConnectedVehicleV2VReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429383 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613853 AU - Macfarlane, Kate AU - Regan, Terry AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Transit Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Transit-Oriented Development in Southern Nevada: A TPCB Peer Exchange PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 33p AB - This report highlights key recommendations and noteworthy practices identified at “Transit-Oriented Development in Southern Nevada” Peer Exchange held on December 2-3, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event was sponsored by the Transportation Planning Capacity Building (TPCB) Peer Program, which is jointly funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The peer exchange was hosted by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada. Peer agencies included Metro Transit of the Twin Cities, Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Utah Transit Authority. Topics included land use planning, implementation, modes and level of service, housing choice, and financial planning. KW - Implementation KW - Land use planning KW - Level of service KW - Metro Transit (Minnesota) KW - Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization KW - Nevada KW - Peer exchange KW - Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada KW - Stakeholders KW - Transit oriented development KW - Transportation planning KW - Utah Transit Authority UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59800/59880/DOT-VNTSC-FHWA-16-21.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424916 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613830 AU - Copeland, Kyle AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - ESRAS: An Enhanced Solar Radiation Alert System PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 14p AB - Since 2003, The Federal Aviation Administration has operated a Solar Radiation Alert System to aid the aerospace community and interested members of the flying public in their decision making with regards to solar ionizing radiation. The first alerts were issued during the solar storms of late October 2003. In the years since its initial operation, several improvements have been made to the calculations behind the dose rates and the means of communicating the results to the aerospace community and the flying public. The basic method of satellite data evaluation described in earlier reports remains unchanged, but it has been updated and expanded. This report describes the most recent improvements, as well as those planned for inclusion in the next few years. The recent improvements include: new atmospheric response functions for protons, expansion of calculations to middle and low latitudes, and continuous updating of a global map of the most recent calculations. Other improvements planned include: the addition of solar alpha particle flux to the calculations, corrections for geomagnetic disturbance effects on global dose rates, and corrections for anisotropy based on available neutron monitor data. KW - Improvements KW - Protons KW - Radiation doses KW - Solar radiation KW - Warning systems UR - http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2010s/media/201605.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424207 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613772 AU - Gibson, Luke AU - South Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluating the Use of High Speed Laser Line Sensors for Improved Rideability Measurement PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 174p AB - This research project compared rideability readings and repeatability for both point laser and line laser systems on the high-speed profiler. Both systems were Dynatest 5051 Mark III Road Surface Profilers, one equipped with single point lasers and the other with GoCator wide footprint lasers. Each system collected data for pavement surface textures South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) requires rideability measurements for contractor pay. Data was collected simultaneously in order to help eliminate factors including start/stop points, different times of day, as well as temperature differences. The SCDOT predicted that there would be significant differences between the two lasers on textured pavements and not as much, if any, on dense graded surfaces. Based on the findings from this research, the SCDOT will update rideability specifications to reflect the use of line lasers for acceptance on construction projects. Statistical analysis was performed on the gathered data. The SCDOT’s findings supported the anticipated outcome and proved that line lasers give a lower International Roughness Index (IRI) measurement for the textured surfaces and similar measurements for dense graded surfaces. The SCDOT’s rideability specifications have been updated as a result of this research to reflect the new target values. KW - Data collection KW - Evaluation KW - International Roughness Index KW - Lasers KW - Ride quality KW - Roughness KW - South Carolina KW - Statistical analysis KW - Surface course (Pavements) KW - Texture UR - http://www.scdot.scltap.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SPR-704-FINAL-REPORT.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425486 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612469 AU - Peterson, Del AU - Rieck, Ted AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - National Center for Transit Research AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Workforce Development and Succession Planning to Prepare the Rural Transit Industry for the Future PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 36p AB - As America’s transportation workforce continues to age, there is an increased need to invest in workforce development to combat the impending retirement tsunami. This is especially true within the small urban and rural transit industry. A literature review showed that 63 percent of U.S. transit workers are 45 years of age or older, and that significant job growth will occur during the next 10 years in both urban and rural communities. A national survey of rural transit managers was conducted to determine current workforce development practices as well as succession planning procedures. Viable responses were received from 160 agencies in 40 states. The majority of transit agency managers responding to the survey have been employed by their agency for more than 15 years while 75% of total respondents were 50 years of age or older. One-third of respondents indicated they plan to retire within the next 5 years while only 15% have any viable succession plan in place to combat such high management turnover. Details of succession plans varied considerably. Many respondents mentioned mentoring and one-on-one training as succession plan examples while others have current staff members designated to work with incoming management to familiarize them with agency rules and processes. Also concerning was that only 40% of respondents indicated having any type of employee recognition program in place. To improve employee morale and advancement opportunities from within, transit agencies must take the time to develop feasible succession plans and make an effort to reward employees for outstanding performance. KW - Labor force KW - Literature reviews KW - Personnel development KW - Recruiting KW - Retirement KW - Rural transit KW - Surveys KW - Transit operating agencies KW - Transit personnel KW - United States UR - http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/21177060-NCTR-NDSU07.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60000/60069/21177060-NCTR-NDSU07.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424024 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610902 AU - Neudorff, L AU - Jenior, P AU - Dowling, R AU - Nevers, B AU - CH2M HILL AU - Kittelson & Associates Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Use of Narrow Lanes and Narrow Shoulders on Freeways: A Primer on Experiences, Current Practice, and Implementation Considerations PY - 2016/07 SP - 60p AB - Congested freeways are often located in urban areas with constrained environments and/or rights-of-way where significant widening of the roadway is not practical due to adjacent developments and land use, physical constraints, along with limited availability of funding. Among the strategies for increasing freeway capacity in such constrained environments – and thereby reducing congestion and improving operations – is to add a travel lane within the existing roadway footprint by reducing the widths of the existing lanes and/or shoulders. The additional lane may be utilized by all traffic at all times, as a special use or managed lane that is open only to specific types of vehicles or movements (e.g., High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane, exit only lane), or only during selected times of the day and/or when congestion warrants opening the lane (e.g., temporary shoulder use). Narrow lanes and shoulders may be applied to add capacity on the freeway mainline and in interchange areas including ramps. This primer provides information to policy makers, transportation agency managers, designers and operators on the use of narrow lanes and narrow shoulders to improve capacity within an existing roadway footprint. Much of the information contained in the primer is presented in the broader context of both Performance Based Planning and Programming (PBPP) and Performance – Based Practical Design (PBPD). Primer contents include case studies on the use of narrow lanes, issues and approaches for analyzing the operational and safety impacts of narrow lanes and narrow shoulders, and the role of transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) in support of narrow lanes operations. KW - Case studies KW - Freeways KW - Highway capacity KW - Highway operations KW - Highway safety KW - Implementation KW - Road shoulders KW - State of the practice KW - Traffic lanes KW - Transportation system management KW - Urban areas KW - Width UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16060/fhwahop16060.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422957 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610896 AU - Romero, Pedro AU - University of Utah, Salt Lake City AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Using the Bending Beam Rheometer for Low Temperature Testing of Asphalt Mixtures PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 107p AB - This work showed that the bending beam rheometer (BBR) is a viable test to determine the low temperature performance of asphalt mixtures; it balances the rigor required of any mechanical test and the relation to field performance with the practicality of a procedure that can be easily adopted. The protocols developed parallel existing asphalt binder protocols thus allowing for easy implementation since they are based on robust and commercially available equipment that requires no modification. It was shown that the size of the beams used for this test are a representative volume element. Mixtures with nominal maximum aggregate size of ½” or even larger can be tested without large aggregates introducing any further variability. The size of the beams also allows for multiple specimens obtained from either gyratory compacted samples or field cores; agencies and contractors can test mixtures and compared results as the difference between two labs was determined to be less than 10 percent for the modulus and about 20 percent for the m-value. Finally, based on field performance measurements, it was determined that both creep modulus and m-value are needed to determine the low temperature performance of asphalt pavements. These values can be visually presented in a Black Space diagram. Mixtures with high modulus and low m-values are expected to show poor performance but mixtures with high modulus AND high m-value should have better performance, perhaps allowing for better performing asphalt mixtures at both low and high temperatures. The benefits found from using the BBR to test small beams of asphalt mixtures indicate that this is an ideal test to evaluate the low temperature performance of asphalt mixtures. KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Field studies KW - Low temperature tests KW - Performance tests KW - Rheometers KW - Test procedures UR - http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=29815215897055076 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421305 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610893 AU - Hanson, Douglas I AU - Jeong, Myung AU - Amec Foster Wheeler AU - Georgia Southern University AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Warm Mix Technologies for Use in Asphalt Rubber – Asphalt Concrete Friction Courses (AR‐ACFC) PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 104p AB - The objective of this research project was to determine whether warm mix asphalt (WMA) technologies can be used by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for the production of an asphalt rubber‐asphaltic concrete friction course (AR‐ACFC) without detrimental effects on performance of the pavement. The study consisted of a laboratory study and the monitoring of a field construction project. Three ADOT‐approved warm mix additives (Evotherm, Sasobit, and Advera) were investigated. The study showed that when the additives were used at the manufacturer’s suggested target dosage level there was no negative impact on the durability or the moisture susceptibility of the AR‐ACFC as compared to the control (no additive) mix. The field study confirmed that the use of WMA technologies during AR‐ACFC construction is feasible with no adverse effects on paving operations.   KW - Arizona KW - Asphalt concrete KW - Asphalt rubber KW - Durability KW - Friction course KW - Laboratory studies KW - Moisture content KW - Pavement performance KW - Paving KW - Warm mix paving mixtures UR - https://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/SPR631.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422834 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610878 AU - Wemple, Elizabeth AU - Wu, Daniel AU - Monsere, Christopher AU - Cambridge Systematics AU - Portland State University AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Data Needs for Tree Removal Crash Modification Factors on Arizona State Highways PY - 2016/07 SP - 62p AB - The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Roadway Departure Safety Implementation Plan (RDSIP) has identified tree removal as a feasible countermeasure to reduce roadway departure crash frequency or severity. Previous ADOT work has identified locations for tree removal, and activities to conduct this work are underway. To test the safety effectiveness of removing the trees, ADOT intends to conduct statistically rigorous before‐after safety effectiveness analysis to estimate state‐specific crash modification factors (CMFs). This report provides a seven‐step data collection process, identifies and describes data needs, and recommends analytical methods for estimating the CMFs. The data needed for the analysis relate to crash type and severity, roadway characteristics, traffic volume, and tree removal. To complete the analysis, ADOT will compile the data before and after tree removal as outlined in this report and subsequently conduct the statistical analysis. The study team estimates that compiling, organizing, and managing the before‐after period database could be completed over the course of a month before and after tree removal has been completed. The statistical analyses may take approximately two months to conduct. This level of effort is an estimate and does not assume full‐time activity. In addition, the project analysis will not be conducted until three years after the tree removal has been completed at all sites. KW - Arizona Department of Transportation KW - Before and after studies KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash data KW - Crash modification factors KW - Data collection KW - Estimating KW - Highway safety KW - Ran off road crashes KW - State highways KW - Trees UR - https://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/pdf/SPR721.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422831 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610846 AU - McClure, Joseph AU - Hernandez, Bruce AU - McClure Consulting, LLC AU - Behavior Research Center, Incorporated AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Transit in Greater Arizona PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 116p AB - This study informed the Arizona Department of Transportation’s future State Transit Plan. The study addressed transit planning and use with emphasis on Greater Arizona, those portions of the state that consist primarily of rural areas or smaller cities. Findings were compiled through a literature review, a household survey on travel preferences and behaviors, an inventory of transportation service providers in the private sector (including some non‐profits) serving Greater Arizona, and other research related to the future State Transit Plan. Survey data and the transportation‐provider database were reported by Greater Arizona subregions. Almost half of household‐survey respondents stated that lack of public transportation was the biggest transportation problem in their local area. Other survey findings suggested that this might be due in part to a lack of awareness of local transportation options. The online survey poll of transportation providers yielded information from a small but diverse set of respondents, approximately half of whom were located outside the major metropolitan regions of Phoenix and Tucson. KW - Arizona KW - Consumer preferences KW - Households KW - Literature reviews KW - Public transit KW - Rural areas KW - Surveys KW - Transportation planning KW - Travel behavior UR - https://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/pdf/SPR733.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422833 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610824 AU - Wemple, Elizabeth AU - Snyder, Dena AU - Ward, David AU - Cambridge Systematics AU - ARCADIS U.S., Incorporated AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Feasibility Study for Arizona’s Roadway Safety Management Process Using the Highway Safety Manual and SafetyAnalyst PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 136p AB - To enable implementation of the American Association of State Highway Transportation (AASHTO) Highway Safety Manual using SafetyAnalyst (an AASHTOWare software product), the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) studied the data assessment and integration requirements. The research identified the data needs for the SafetyAnalyst software, assessed the quality of data available, addressed all “required element” data gaps, and prepared the requirements for data input and post‐processing output for presentation and interpretation. This research provides an overview of critical data needs and system requirements for ADOT’s deployment of SafetyAnalyst, identifies gaps between existing and desired conditions needed for successful software implementation, sets priorities for filling these data gaps, recommends a strategy for integrating the software into standard ADOT practices, and recommends a technology strategy to support a phased implementation.  KW - Arizona Department of Transportation KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Manual KW - Implementation KW - Information processing KW - Recommendations KW - SafetyAnalyst (Software) KW - Software UR - https://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/pdf/SPR693.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422830 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610822 AU - Gagnon, Jeffrey W AU - Loberger, Chad D AU - Sprague, Scott C AU - Boe, Susan R AU - Ogren, Kari S AU - Schweinsburg, Raymond E AU - Arizona Game and Fish Department AU - Arizona Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Creating Multi‐Use Highway Structures with Retrofitted Fencing to Reduce Collisions with Elk along Interstate 17 PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 70p AB - In Arizona, vehicle collisions with elk are costly and can be deadly. Dedicated wildlife crossing structures have proven effective for elk elsewhere in Arizona. Planned highway reconstruction for Interstate 17 (I‐17) included such wildlife crossing structures, but when construction was delayed, an alternative was developed: extending the height of right‐of‐way (ROW) fencing to funnel wildlife underneath existing highway bridges and overpasses. After 5.9 mi of ROW fencing (between mileposts 316.8 and 322.7) was extended to 8 ft high, this study evaluated its effectiveness in guiding elk to cross under two large bridges and the overpass and underpass of two traffic interchanges (TIs). Following the fencing retrofit, researchers documented a 97.5 percent reduction in elk‐vehicle collisions and an 88.9 percent decrease in crashes coded “Animal_Wild_Game” by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) along the 5.9‐mi segment of I‐17. No increase in collisions was reported within the 1‐mi fence end segments or control areas. The researchers documented 217 percent and 54 percent increases in elk crossing under the Munds Canyon and Woods Canyon bridges, respectively, but no elk use of the modified TIs (Fox Ranch Road and Schnebly Hill Road). Following the retrofit, fence maintenance costs did not increase or exceed those of adjacent sections. Using the Huijser et al. (2009) estimated cost of $17,483 per elk‐vehicle collision, the documented level of collision reduction will recoup retrofitting costs in less than five years. The findings indicate that fencing retrofits can reduce wildlife‐vehicle collisions if given appropriate circumstances, such as adequate size and spacing of existing highway structures. KW - Arizona KW - Before and after studies KW - Costs KW - Evaluation KW - Fences KW - Retrofitting KW - Traffic crashes KW - Wildlife KW - Wildlife crossings UR - https://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/pdf/SPR689.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422829 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610813 AU - Watkins, Kari E AU - Rodgers, Michael AU - Guensler, Randall AU - Xu, Yanzhi (Ann) AU - DiGioia, Jonathon AU - Grossman, Alice AU - Krishnan, Anagha AU - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety in the Highway Safety Manual PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 178p AB - An accurate understanding of the expected effectiveness of bicycle and pedestrian safety countermeasures is needed to support decisions about how to best allocate limited public resources to increase safety for non-motorized users. However, the kind of data necessary for developing Highway Safety Manual (HSM)–style safety performance functions for bicycle and pedestrian treatments are not currently available. Limited research has been done to date about the impact of bicycle and pedestrian treatments, and most studies are not robust enough to draw broad conclusions. Most agencies surveyed valued safety as a key component of their decision to implement infrastructure, but most did not collect enough exposure and crash data to adequately assess the safety impacts. The two major challenges in using crash records for bicycle safety research are that crashes in general and cyclist crashes specifically are underreported, and pedestrian and bicycle crashes are rare events. Therefore, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) should pursue case-control approaches in the immediate and build toward more robust data collection, including new sources for bicycle and pedestrian crash data, counts for exposure data, and site-specific before-and-after treatment data collection. KW - Bicycle crashes KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash data KW - Data collection KW - Georgia Department of Transportation KW - Highway Safety Manual KW - Literature reviews KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Surveys UR - http://g92018.eos-intl.net/eLibSQL14_G92018_Documents/13-17.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422686 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610802 AU - Schneider, Lawrence W AU - Manary, Miriam A AU - Orton, Nichole R AU - Hu, Jingwen H AU - Klinich, Kathleen D AU - Flannagan, Carol A AU - Moore, Jamie L AU - University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Wheelchair Occupant Studies PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 209p AB - The goal of this project was to improve transportation safety for occupants of motor vehicles seated in wheelchairs (i.e., to improve wheelchair transportation safety, or WTS), with an emphasis on drivers seated in wheelchairs. Investigation of crash and non-crash events involving one or more occupants in wheelchairs indicates that a primary reason occupants in wheelchairs sustain serious-to-fatal injuries is improper or incomplete use of lap/shoulder-belt restraints due, in large part, to interference by wheelchair arm supports with proper belt positioning. Efforts to improve frontal crash protection for drivers in wheelchairs resulted in a prototype seat-belt deployment system (SBDS) that provides components needed to complete the vehicle lap/shoulder belt for use in a passive mode while eliminating obstacles that interfere with maneuvering a wheelchair into the driver space. Sled-test evaluations and design improvements of a commercially available vehicle-anchored head-and-back restraint for rear-impact protection of drivers in wheelchairs led to several design and material changes that improved performance and that the manufacturer can use to improve the commercial system. Results of sled tests and computer simulations of drivers in wheelchairs with and without steering-wheel air-bag deployments during a 48-kph frontal crash indicate that there is little basis for concern that advanced steering-wheel air bags will cause serious injuries in frontal crashes. Rather, steering-wheel air bags almost always reduce the risk of head, neck, and chest injuries. Deactivating steering-wheel air bags should only be considered when the driver in a wheelchair is positioned with his/her chest or chin 200 cm or less from the air-bag module during normal operation of the vehicle. Using a fixed upper shoulder-belt anchor point instead of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) seat-belt retractor will reduce driver movement toward the airbag module during pre-impact braking and may enhance safety for many drivers in wheelchairs by providing greater torso stability in their optimal posture. Safety Tip Sheets and a DriveSafe brochure have been developed to provide vehicle modifiers and other key stakeholder with information on how to provide safer transportation for occupants seated in wheelchairs. These are being made available on a new University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) website that provides a wide range of educational materials on WTS, including lists of wheelchairs, wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint systems (WTORS), and wheelchair seating systems that comply with WTS industry standards. Additional work is needed to implement the SBDS into a commercial product and to continue efforts to educate key stakeholder groups with regard to best practice in WTS and their role in improving transportation safety for passengers and drivers seated in wheelchairs. KW - Air bags KW - Automobiles for the physically disabled KW - Crash victim simulation KW - Drivers KW - Occupant kinetics KW - Occupant protection devices KW - Seat belts KW - Sled tests KW - Vehicle safety KW - Wheelchairs UR - https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/122860 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421307 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610790 AU - Daniel, Jo Sias AU - Rahbar-Rastegar, Reyhaneh AU - University of New Hampshire, Durham AU - New Hampshire Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Correlation Between Laboratory and Plant Produced High RAP/RAS Mixtures PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 86p AB - Cracking is one of the most prevalent types of distresses in asphalt pavements. There are different cracking index parameters that are determined from tests conducted on binders and mixtures to assess cracking potential. The objective of this study is to compare binder and mixture parameters and evaluate the similarities and differences between the rankings and values obtained. This study includes binder and mixture testing on 14 plant produced mixtures including three different binder grades, three binder sources, three aggregate gradations, and mixtures containing a range of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and/or recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) contents. Testing included PG grading and 4mm Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) testing on the extracted and recovered binders that were long term aged. Mixture testing included complex modulus, SVECD fatigue, and Disc-Shaped Compact Tension (DCT) testing on short term aged mixtures. Parameters evaluated included high and low PG temperatures, ∆Tcr, Glover-Rowe parameter (binder and mix-based), R value, dynamic modulus, phase angle, number of cycle to failure from SVECD and LVECD analysis, and fracture energy. The results show that generally the binder parameters correlate well with each other but the mixture parameters do not. Good correlation was observed between binder and mixture stiffness-based parameters, but there was generally low correlation observed between binder and mixture cracking parameters for the mixtures evaluated in this study, possibly a result of differences in aging level. Recommended future work includes non-linear statistical analysis, incorporation of field performance, and testing on long term aged mixtures. KW - Aggregate gradation KW - Bituminous binders KW - Cracking KW - Mechanical tests KW - Mix design KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Recycled materials KW - Shingles UR - http://www.nh.gov/dot/org/projectdevelopment/materials/research/projects/documents/FHWA-NH-RD-15680R.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421304 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609742 AU - Gates, Timothy J AU - Savolainen, Peter T AU - Russo, Brendan J AU - Hamzeie, Raha AU - Kay, Jonathan J AU - Frazier, Sterling AU - Finkelman, Jacob AU - Wayne State University AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Safety and Operational Impacts of Differential Speed Limits on Two-Lane Rural Highways in Montana PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 133p AB - As of July 2016, Montana was the only state to maintain a differential speed limit on two-lane two-way rural highways, utilizing a daytime statutory speed limit of 70 mph for cars and light trucks and 60 mph for trucks exceeding a one-ton payload capacity. Although differential speed limits are common on freeways, the use of differential limits on two-lane roadways presents unique safety and operational issues due to passing limitations and subsequent queuing, and prior research on such issues is scarce. Consequently, research was performed to evaluate the safety and operational impacts associated with the aforementioned differential speed limit on rural two-lane highways in Montana, particularly when compared to a uniform 65 mph speed limit. A series of field studies were performed on two-lane rural highways in Montana, which predominately possessed the 70 mph/60 mph differential speed limit, and in neighboring states where uniform 65 mph speed limits prevailed. The locations with 65 mph speed limits generally displayed less variability in travel speeds, shorter platoon lengths, less high-risk passing behavior, and fewer crashes. Surveys were performed to determine the speed limit policy preferences among motorists and members of the trucking industry in Montana. Although motorist support for the uniform 65 mph speed limit was mixed, the trucking industry strongly supported the uniform 65 mph limit over the current differential limit. Overall, the collective findings support transitioning to a uniform 65 mph speed limit on two-lane rural highways in Montana. Selective implementation of this new speed limit is advised initially, and candidate highways should possess relatively high traffic volumes, relatively high truck percentages, and limited passing opportunities. KW - Consumer preferences KW - Crash rates KW - Evaluation KW - Field studies KW - Highway safety KW - Montana KW - Passenger vehicles KW - Passing KW - Rural highways KW - Surveys KW - Traffic platooning KW - Traffic speed KW - Trucks KW - Two lane highways KW - Variable speed limits UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/research/docs/research_proj/differential_speed/Final_report_Jul-16.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60300/60359/Final_report_Jul-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420895 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609740 AU - Kelley-Baker, Tara AU - Lacey, John H AU - Berning, Amy AU - Ramirez, Anthony AU - Moore, Christine AU - Brainard, Katharine AU - Yao, Julie AU - Tippetts, A Scott AU - Romano, Eduardo AU - Carr, Katherine AU - Pell, Karen AU - Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2013-2014 National Roadside Study of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers: Methodology PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 183p AB - This report describes the methodology for the National Roadside Study (NRS), a national field study to estimate the prevalence of alcohol-, drug-, and alcohol-plus-drug-involved driving primarily among nighttime weekend drivers, but also daytime Friday drivers. This study involved randomly stopping drivers at 300 locations across the continental United States. The locations were selected through a stratified random sampling procedure. Researchers collected the data during a 2-hour Friday daytime session (either 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) at 60 locations and during four 2-hour nighttime periods (10 p.m. to midnight and 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights) at 240 locations, for a total of 300 locations. Data included both self-report and biological measures. Self-report portions were funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). An objective was to obtain at least 7,500 oral fluid samples for analysis. Oral fluid and blood samples were subjected to laboratory screening and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS; the term MS/MS is the combination of two mass analyzers in one mass spec instrument) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) confirmation respectively for alcohol and six classes of drugs, allowing researchers to estimate a national prevalence of alcohol and other drugs in drivers. This report describes the field methods used to conduct this study, including data collection procedures. The report also details overall response rates. Two additional reports will present the results of the data collection and analyses. One will focus on alcohol-use prevalence estimates among drivers and compare them with previous NRS results from studies conducted in 1973, 1986, 1996, and 2007. The other will provide drug-use prevalence estimates among drivers, including comparison to the 2007 numbers. This will then present the first trend data on on-road drug-positive driving in the United States. All drivers’ responses were completely voluntary and anonymous. KW - Alcohol tests KW - Alcohol use KW - Data collection KW - Drivers KW - Drug tests KW - Drug use KW - Drugged drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Field studies KW - Methodology KW - National Roadside Survey KW - United States UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812294-National-Roadside-Study-Methodology-Report-2013-2014.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420912 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609739 AU - Reyes, M L AU - McGehee, D V AU - Jenness, J W AU - Krueger, J AU - Riegler, K AU - Westat AU - University of Iowa, Iowa City AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Video and Non-Video Feedback Interventions for Teen Drivers PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 30p AB - In-vehicle feedback technologies, including some that use video, help parents monitor and mentor their young drivers. While different feedback technologies have been shown to reduce some risky driving behaviors, teens and parents cite privacy concerns as deterrents to using them, especially when the technologies use video. This study evaluated two similar technology-based interventions, one with video feedback and one without, to determine to what extent they reduced unsafe driving behaviors in newly licensed teen drivers relative to (a) a baseline period, and (b) a control group. Whether the video intervention produced a significantly different effect than the non-video intervention was also evaluated. The study enrolled two diverse cohorts of teen drivers: 32 from a rural site and 28 from a suburban site. Each was randomly assigned to the video feedback, the non-video feedback, or the control condition. A video event recorder installed in each teen’s vehicle for 20 weeks recorded a 12-second video when the vehicle’s lateral or longitudinal acceleration exceeded ±0.50g. All teens initially drove without feedback during a 4-week baseline segment. In the subsequent 16-week intervention phase, teens assigned to the intervention conditions received feedback. The number of unsafe driving events per 1,000 miles driven (event rate) for the intervention conditions significantly decreased over time and was 66% lower at the end of the study relative to the baseline segment. The event rate for the control condition did not change significantly over time and was about six times greater than the intervention condition. Event rates for the video and non-video feedback groups did not differ significantly. Both interventions reduced unsafe driving behaviors to a similar degree for two diverse groups of newly licensed teen drivers. One limitation of this study is that although feedback in the non-video condition did not contain any video-based information, the teens were aware that they were being video recorded. Future research should compare these findings to a feedback device that does not employ any video cameras. KW - Behavior KW - Driver performance KW - Evaluation KW - Event data recorders KW - Highway safety KW - Rural areas KW - Suburbs KW - Teenage drivers KW - Video UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812291_Video-and-NonVideoFeedback.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420908 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609738 AU - Ramirez, Anthony AU - Berning, Amy AU - Carr, Katherine AU - Scherer, Michael AU - Lacey, John H AU - Kelley-Baker, Tara AU - Fisher, Deborah A AU - Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Marijuana, Other Drugs, and Alcohol Use by Drivers in Washington State PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 73p AB - In Washington State legal sales of marijuana began July 8, 2014. A voluntary, anonymous roadside study was conducted to assess the prevalence of drivers testing positive for alcohol and other drugs, including marijuana, on Washington’s roads. Data was collected in three waves, before implementation of legal sales, about 6 months after implementation, and 1 year after implementation. Of the almost 2,400 participants who provided an oral fluid or blood sample, 14.6 percent of drivers, 19.4 percent of drivers, and 21.4 percent of drivers were delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-positive in Waves 1, 2, and 3, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between waves. There was a statistically significant increase in daytime prevalence of THC-positive drivers between Wave 1 (7.8%) and Wave 2 (18.4%), and also between Wave 1 and Wave 3 (18.9%). There was an increase in the percentage of THC-positive nighttime drivers with each successive wave, but these increases were not statistically significant. Synthetic marijuana was found in only 2 of the participants. KW - Alcohol tests KW - Alcohol use KW - Before and after studies KW - Drivers KW - Drug tests KW - Drug use KW - Drugged drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Laws and legislation KW - Marijuana KW - Surveys KW - Washington (State) UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812299-WashingtonStatedrugstudy.pdf UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812299a-WashingtonStateDrugStudy-appendices.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420909 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608726 AU - Farzaneh, Mohamadreza AU - Kenney, Megan AU - Prozzi, Jolanda AU - Zhang, Yue AU - Carlson, Todd AU - Li, Yingfeng (Eric) AU - Ramani, Tara AU - Zietsman, Josias AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Maintaining Project Consistency with Transportation Plans throughout the Project Life Cycle with an Emphasis on Maintaining Air Quality Conformity: Technical Report PY - 2016/07//Technical Report SP - 100p AB - Federal and state transportation planning statutory and regulatory laws require transportation projects to be consistent with transportation plans and improvement programs before a federal action can be taken on a project requiring one. Significant delays in project delivery can occur if the federal funding is withheld when projects are found to be inconsistent with transportation plans and improvement programs. This issue is especially critical for projects in nonattainment and maintenance areas because an inconsistent project might trigger a conformity failure or delayed determination for the entire plan and/or program. The researchers found that the main challenges leading to project inconsistencies are insufficient communication over the changes to projects’ design concept and scope, cost, and estimated letting date. The research team developed a Project Consistency Guidebook (PCG), a Supplementary Information Document (SID), and a project consistency checklist. The guidebook explains how project planning and development interact with the regional and project level air quality conformity process, and details procedures and tools that Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Texas Metropolitan Planning Organizations can use to understand and maintain project level conformity and project consistency with applicable transportation plans and programs. The SID provides an overview of the subjects relevant to project consistency. The project consistency checklist serves as a guide to keep track of the changes to a project. KW - Air quality KW - Conformity KW - Project delivery KW - Project management KW - State of the practice KW - Texas Department of Transportation KW - Transportation planning UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6758-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420323 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608724 AU - Konrath, Linda Karen AU - McCarthy, Leslie Ann AU - Scott, Sidney AU - Hill International, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Analysis of Construction Quality Assurance Procedures on Federally Funded Local Public Agency Projects PY - 2016/07 SP - 218p AB - Approximately 20 percent of the Federal-aid highway program is invested in local public agency (LPA) infrastructure projects, which is a significant portion of total Federal funds allocated to highway construction projects in the United States. In response to previous Federal and State reviews that have found significant weaknesses or inconsistencies in construction quality assurance (QA) practices for LPA projects, this report documents current construction QA practices from both State transportation department and LPA perspectives, identifies specific issues or areas of weakness in QA practices, identifies existing successful QA practices, and makes recommendations that can be implemented to generally improve construction QA across the full spectrum of LPA projects and State transportation department programs. Recognizing that there are significant differences in LPA capabilities and project types, the recommendations consider both large and small LPAs, and differences among State transportation department programs. The recommendations applicable to all project types and programs include better communication among project partners through stakeholder meetings, QA training, and statewide LPA guidelines and manuals focusing on construction QA. For larger LPAs with more capabilities, LPA-tailored specifications and standards, LPA certification, and the use a risk-based or tiered system of construction QA based on project purpose and type are recommended. For smaller LPAs with fewer resources, continued State transportation department oversight and independent assurance and the use of qualified consultants for construction QA are recommended. KW - Analysis KW - Best practices KW - Construction projects KW - Federal aid highways KW - Local government agencies KW - Quality assurance KW - Recommendations KW - State departments of transportation UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/15008/15008.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417064 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608723 AU - Pike, Adam M AU - Higgins, Laura L AU - Ko, Myunghoon AU - Miles, Jeff AU - Nelson, Alicia A AU - Carlson, Paul J AU - Chrysler, Susan T AU - Park, Eun Sug AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Traffic Control Device Evaluation Program: Simulator Evaluation of Sponsored Changeable Message Signs and In-Situ Evaluation of Rumble Strip Alternatives PY - 2016/07//Technical Report SP - 120p AB - This report describes two research activities. One research study tested the effects of adding commercial logos acknowledging sponsorship to Changeable Message Signs. A driving simulator study was conducted using test signs with travel times and safety message both with and without logos, while complying with the Texas Manuals on Uniform Traffic Control Devices guidance regarding overall message length and phase timing. Measures of performance included eye gaze duration and last look distance as well as driving performance measures of speed limit compliance and lane maintenance. Forty-two drivers in old and young age groups participated in the study. Another research study evaluated various rumble strip alternatives that have been used on various roadways in Texas. In this study, vehicles were instrumented with specialized equipment to measure the sound and vibration of various rumble strip alternatives. The vehicles were driven at various speeds during the testing. The primary measure of effectiveness was the change in vibration and sound from the control condition of driving in the lane. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Driver performance KW - Driving simulators KW - Evaluation KW - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices KW - Rumble strips KW - Sound level KW - Texas KW - Variable message signs KW - Vibration UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/9-1001-14-2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420325 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608710 AU - Dubarry, Matthieu AU - Devie, Arnaud AU - University of Hawaii, Manoa AU - University of Central Florida, Cocoa AU - Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Cell Emulation and Preliminary Results PY - 2016/07 SP - 16p AB - This report details preliminary results of the testing plan implemented by the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to evaluate Electric Vehicle (EV) battery durability and reliability under electric utility grid operations. Commercial EV battery cells are tested in order to assess the impact of vehicle to grid and grid to vehicle applications on cell degradation. The plan also includes testing other usages associated with EVs under grid operations such as the impact of charging level and charging habits. This report first details the procedure used to analyze the electrochemical behavior of the cells and then provides an update on the testing status as well as preliminary visualization of the data gathered so far. KW - Durability KW - Electric batteries KW - Electric power generation and transmission KW - Electric vehicle charging KW - Electric vehicles KW - Grids (Transmission lines) KW - Reliability UR - http://evtc.fsec.ucf.edu/publications/documents/HI-11-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420255 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608709 AU - McKenzie, Katherine AU - University of Hawaii, Manoa AU - University of Central Florida, Cocoa AU - Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - The State of Electric Vehicles in Hawaii: 2016 Update PY - 2016/07 SP - 34p AB - This report provides an update to the State of Electric Vehicles in Hawaii released in March 2015, a synopsis of the dynamic landscape between electrified transportation and renewable energy integration in Hawaii. Focus is placed on the interaction of passenger electric vehicles with an isolated grid characterized by exceptionally high levels of wind and solar energy. Related research and demonstration projects are summarized, and similarities and differences to national trends are highlighted. Contents include: EV adoption, fuel considerations, EV infrastructure, EV integration into the power system, and emissions. KW - Alternate fuels KW - Electric power generation and transmission KW - Electric vehicles KW - Hawaii KW - Infrastructure KW - Passenger vehicles KW - Pollutants KW - Research projects KW - Trend (Statistics) UR - http://evtc.fsec.ucf.edu/publications/documents/HI-09-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420253 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608693 AU - Marshall, Wesley E AU - McAndrews, Carolyn A AU - University of Colorado, Denver AU - University of Colorado, Denver AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Does the Livability of a Residential Street Depend on the Characteristics of the Neighboring Street Network? PY - 2016/07 SP - 173p AB - Shortly after the advent of cars, a conflict arose between moving traffic and residential livability. The typical response was to push traffic off residential streets and onto nearby major roads. This line of thinking evolved into a more hierarchical approach to street network design and what are known as arterial roads designed to carry the vast majority of vehicle traffic. With many researchers – notably Donald Appleyard with his influential Livable Streets research strand – identifying traffic on residential streets as an underlying issue behind poor livability, this solution makes perfect sense. However, is the relationship between residential livability and traffic moderated by the character of the nearby arterial road? In other words, would living near a big, bad arterial road offset the livability benefits of living on a light traffic street? Alternatively, would residing near a more “livable” arterial neutralize some of the problems associated with living on a heavy traffic street? This first part of this project sought to answer these research questions via a residential study of 10 Denver, Colorado, neighborhoods where the researchers first selected 10 urban arterials that could be partitioned along two dimensions: high/low traffic and high/low design quality. Within each of the 10 surrounding neighborhoods, the researchers selected comparable residential roads to fit Appleyard’s heavy, moderate, and light traffic descriptions where the researchers then surveyed 721 respondents living along these 30 residential streets. The results suggest that the surrounding street network – and in particular the character of the nearby arterial road – influences residential livability across a number of livability measures. When controlling for income, high levels of traffic as well as low levels of urban design on the arterial both detract from the livability of those living in the surrounding neighborhoods. Some results even suggest that residential streets with heavy traffic near a low traffic/high design arterial are just as livable, if not more so, than residential streets with light traffic near a high traffic/low design arterial. By no means should this be taken as a call to increase traffic on residential streets; rather, planners and engineers looking to promote residential livability need to begin taking a broader, network perspective to understanding livability. Livable residential streets can only be part of the solution; more livable arterial roads are also needed. The second part of the project examined: i) how residents perceive and use arterial roads, and ii) what specific characteristics of arterial roads associate with residential satisfaction. Using factor analysis and ordinal logistic regression, the results suggest that arterials perceived as being vibrant are associated with increased residential satisfaction – above and beyond other features of the residential environment – whereas arterials with perceived illicit activity and trash are associated with lower residential satisfaction. Our study includes three different measures of residential satisfaction, and the specific influence of the arterial road depends on whether one focuses more narrowly on satisfaction with the neighborhood street, satisfaction with the neighborhood, or overall sense of happiness living there. The results of this study point to land use policies, enforcement of social norms, and the design of pedestrian and transit environments as measures to maximize the contributions of commercial arterials to neighborhood livability. The appendices include additional details on the survey and survey methodology as well as examples of how these issues were integrated into assignments for graduate level civil engineering and urban planning classes. KW - Arterial highways KW - Denver (Colorado) KW - Factor analysis KW - Land use planning KW - Neighborhoods KW - Quality of life KW - Regression analysis KW - Residential streets KW - Surveys KW - Traffic flow KW - Urban design UR - http://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/downloads/mpc16-309.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60262/mpc16-309.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60263/mpc16-309-brief.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419058 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608676 AU - Sheikh, Nauman M AU - Bligh, Roger P AU - Menges, Wanda L AU - Kuhn, Darrell L AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Crash Test and Evaluation of 3-FT Mounting Height Sign Support System PY - 2016/07//Test Report SP - 70p AB - The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other transportation agencies continue to research potential countermeasure for mitigating wrong-way crashes. Because many drivers involved in wrong-way crashes are impaired, some highway safety engineers are proponents of using low-mounting height signs to communicate “Wrong Way” or “Do Not Enter” messages to these drivers. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) has a provision for the use of a 3-ft sign mounting height. However, as with other sign support systems, any low-mounting height sign support system should meet impact performance criteria prior to its implementation on the national highway system. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact performance of a 3-ft × 3-ft aluminum sign panel mounted at a reduced mounting height of 3 ft from the bottom of the panel to grade. The sign panel is supported by a wedge anchor system. To evaluate the impact performance of the sign support system, two crash tests were performed under American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) evaluation criteria. These were MASH Tests 3-60 and 3-61, which consist of a 2425-lb passenger car impacting the sign support system at nominal speeds of 19 mi/h and 62 mi/h, respectively. In both tests, the 3-ft mounting height sign support system performed acceptably and met all relevant MASH evaluation criteria. MASH Test 3-62, which involves a 5000-lb pickup truck impacting the support structure at a speed of 62 mi/h, was not performed. The reduced mounting height of the sign support system eliminates any secondary contact between the sign support system and the windshield of the pickup truck. KW - Automobiles KW - Evaluation KW - Height KW - Highway safety KW - Impact tests KW - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices KW - Sign supports KW - Traffic signs UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/9-1002-15-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420319 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608675 AU - Keen, David AU - Keen Independent Research LLC AU - Keen Independent Research LLC AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - 2016 Availability and Disparity Study PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 639p AB - The study examined whether there was a level playing field for minority- and women-owned firms in the Montana transportation contracting marketplace and for Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) contracting. This information helps MDT set an overall goal for Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE) participation in its contracts that use funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Study results also aid MDT as it operates the Federal DBE Program. The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends that agencies such as MDT conduct disparity studies. Keen Independent Research examined the relative availability of minority- and women-owned firms and other firms for MDT contracts to establish benchmarks for comparison with actual minority-owned businesses (MBE) and white-women owned businesses (WBE) utilization for those contracts. The study team also used availability analyses as inputs to analyzing an overall DBE goal for FHWA-funded contracts. KW - Contract administration KW - Disadvantaged business enterprises KW - Minority business enterprises KW - Montana Department of Transportation KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration KW - Women owned business enterprises UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/research/docs/research_proj/disparity_2016/final_report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417686 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608670 AU - Flannigan, James Christopher AU - Wang, Youqi AU - Kansas State University, Manhattan AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Acoustic Emission Monitoring on Fiber Reinforced Bridge Panels PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 82p AB - Two fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) bridge deck specimens were analyzed by means of acoustic emission (AE) monitoring during loading cycles performed at various locations on the composite sandwich panels’ surfaces. These panels were subjected to loads that were intended to test their structural response and characteristics without exposing them to a failure scenario. This allowed the sensors to record multiple data sets without fear of having to be placed on multiple panels that could have various characteristics that alter the signals recorded. The objective throughout the analysis was to determine how the acoustic signals respond to the loading cycles and how various events could affect the acoustical data. In the process of performing this examination several steps were taken, including threshold application, data collection, and sensor location analysis. The thresholds are important for lowering the size of the files containing the data, while keeping important information that could determine structurally significant information. Equally important is figuring out where and how the sensors should be placed on the panels in relation to other sensors, panel features, and supporting beams. The data was subjected to analysis involving the response to applied loads, joint effects, and failure analysis. Using previously developed techniques, the information gathered was also analyzed in terms of what type of failure could be occurring within the structure itself. This ability greatly helped during an unplanned failure event and the subsequent analysis to determine what may have led to the occurrence. The basic analyses were separated into four sets, starting with the basic analysis to determine basic correlations to the loads applied. This was followed by joint and sensor location analyses, both of which took place using a two-panel setup. The last set was created upon matrix failure of the panel and the subsequent investigation. KW - Acoustic emission tests KW - Bridge decks KW - Data collection KW - Failure analysis KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Load tests KW - Panels KW - Sensors UR - http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/docpop.aspx?clienttype=html&docid=9631643 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417817 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608667 AU - Wang, Kejin AU - Lomboy, Gilson R AU - Ren, Jiaxi AU - Davis, Jennifer AU - Bo, Lian AU - Cai, Wenjing AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Midwest Transportation Center AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Developing Green, Highly Flowable, Rapid Set, High-Performance Concrete for Pavement Patch Repair PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 55p AB - A high-performance mortar (HPM) containing a large amount of industrial by-products such as fly ash, silica fume, and limestone fines was developed for rapid repair of concrete pavements. The HPM development included three major steps: (1) Development of the mortar mixture proportion based on the optimal hydration of binder and particle packing of the mortar system. In this step of the study, all mortar materials were systematically proportioned, and the obtained mixtures were tested for flowability, rate of hydration, set time, and strength development. The optimal mixture proportion was then selected as the HPM, as it displayed good self-consolidating ability and achieved 1-day compressive strengths greater than 6,000 psi. (2) Investigation of the mechanical properties of the new HPM, including compressive and flexural strength, elastic modulus, and slant shear and pull-off strengths of patch-substrate bonds tested at 1, 3, 7, and 28 days. In this step, the properties of the HPM were evaluated in comparison with those of a commercial repair material: the rapid-set concrete (RSC). Two types of substrates representing old concrete were used for patching repair. One was made of a typical pavement mixture (C-3WR-C20), and the other was a high-strength pavement concrete mixture (O-4WR). (3) Investigation of the durability properties of the newly developed HPM compared to those of the RSC. Durability properties included cyclic freeze-thaw (F-T) resistance, permeability, and shrinkage behavior. The results indicated that the newly developed HPM possesses excellent self-consolidating ability: highly flowable and non-segregating. Although there was delayed setting, the compressive strength of the HPM exceeded 6,000 psi at 1 day, approximately 25 percent higher than that of the RSC. At 28 days, the HPM reached 10,000 psi, while the RSC was about 7,000 psi. The HPM also displayed extremely low chloride permeability (18 coulombs) compared to the RSC (2,550 coulombs) and excellent F-T durability without the requirement for air entrainment. The F-T durability factor of HPM was kept around 100% throughout the standard F-T test, while the F-T durability factor of RSC reduced to 80% at the end of the F-T test. However, the HPM exhibited noticeably higher autogenous shrinkage and slightly lower free drying shrinkage than the C-3WR-C20 mixture, while the RSC had a little/no shrinkage during the 56-day test period. Addition of a small amount of micro-steel fibers (70 pcy) slightly reduced the shrinkage of the HPM. Further studies on fatigue and shrinkage cracking behavior of the HPM are recommended. KW - Compressive strength KW - Durability KW - Freeze thaw durability KW - High performance concrete KW - Mechanical properties KW - Mix design KW - Patching KW - Patching mortar KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Shrinkage KW - Waste products UR - http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/intrans_reports/214/ UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/projects/detail/?projectID=231283870 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417868 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608663 AU - Williams, R Christopher AU - Buss, Ashley AU - Mercado, Grace AU - Lee, Hosin "David" AU - Bozorgzad, Ashkan AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Validation of Gyratory Mix Design in Iowa PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 105p AB - The design number of gyrations (Ndesign) introduced by the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) and used in the Superior Performing Asphalt Pavement (Superpave) mix design method has been commonly used in flexible pavement design throughout the US since 1996. Ndesign, also known as the compaction effort, is used to simulate field compaction during construction and has been reported to produce air voids that are unable to reach ultimate pavement density within the initial 2 to 3 years post-construction, potentially having an adverse impact on long-term performance. Other state transportation agencies have conducted studies validating the Ndesign for their specific regions, which resulted in modifications of the gyration effort for the various traffic levels. Validating this relationship for Iowa asphalt mix designs will lead to better correlations between mix design target voids, field voids, and performance. A comprehensive analysis of current Ndesign levels investigated the current levels with existing mixes and pavements and developed initial asphalt mix design recommendations that identify an optimum Ndesign through the use of performance data tests. KW - Air voids KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Compaction KW - Iowa KW - Mix design KW - Pavement performance KW - Recommendations KW - Validation UR - http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/intrans_reports/216 UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/22605/1/IADOT_TR_667_Validation_Gyratory_Mix_Design_Iowa_Final_2016.pdf UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/id/eprint/22605 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419015 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608654 AU - Work Zone Safety Consortium AU - American Road and Transportation Builders Association AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Design and Operation of Work Zone Strategies to Improve Large Truck Safety PY - 2016/07 SP - 25p AB - Work zones can create special challenges for drivers of large vehicles, such as commercial motor vehicles, due to space restrictions. Road work must take place within highway rights-­of­-way and, often, within reduced numbers of lanes. Understanding how work zones can be designed to maintain the efficient movement of large freight transportation vehicles within the restricted right-­of­-way space and to ensure that Department of Transportation (DOT) and public works staff and highway contractors’ employees can safely work within work zones can provide significant benefits for all work zone users. The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the American Trucking Association (ATA), State Departments of Transportation, local and State law enforcement agencies, academic researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, and others have worked to develop approaches to reduce the numbers of work zone crashes involving large trucks. This document on design and operation of work zones is a product of this ongoing effort. In this document, large trucks include vehicles commonly referred to as commercial motor vehicles, semi­-tractor trailers, 18-­wheelers, or semis as well as single-unit trucks larger than 10,000 lbs gross vehicle weight. This document is organized in the following sections: (1) How Significant Is the Large Truck Safety Issue in Work Zones? (2) Why Are Large Trucks Overrepresented in Work Zone Crashes? (3) Ways to Improve Large Truck Safety in Work Zones: Work zone design practices to better accommodate large trucks; Ways to help truck drivers better negotiate work zones. KW - Oversize loads KW - Truck drivers KW - Trucking safety KW - Trucks KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zone traffic control KW - Work zones UR - https://www.workzonesafety.org/files/documents/training/courses_programs/rsa_program/RSP_Guidance_Documents_Download/RSP_LargeTruckSafety_TechAdviseDoc_Download.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419985 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608647 AU - Wijesekera, Duminda AU - Bandara, Damindra AU - George Mason University AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Providing Wireless Bandwidth for High-Speed Rail Operations PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 39p AB - This project examined the possibility of providing wireless communication for train control systems on American high-speed trains. In this study, the key issue is that the frequencies allocated for rail operations in the U.S. and the frequencies used by Global Systems for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R) in other parts of the world have different capabilities. In Europe, GSM-R is transmitted over frequencies ranging from 800 MHz to 900 MHz. The U.S. has less bandwidth available with a lower frequency spectrum. This project was carried out in two phases: 1) A frequency analysis was done to see how the available frequency band should be divided to support train operations. For varying bit rates, modulation schemes and number of packets per handshake, models were developed to calculate the number of trains that a wayside interface unit (WIU) can handle and the maximum speed the train can operate at, and 2) A detailed link budget analysis was used to calculate the received power level. Given that high-speed lines are currently not available, the project used Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) lines in Southern California and the Coast Starlight light rail line as case studies for the analysis. The locations of WIUs, points along the train line, and the terrain features were determined using existing maps; all of which were applied to calculate estimates of receive power for the train’s communications. KW - Bandwidth KW - Case studies KW - Coast Starlight (Train) KW - Frequency (Electromagnetism) KW - Global System for Mobile Communications-Railways KW - High speed rail KW - Southern California Regional Rail Authority KW - United States KW - Wireless communication systems UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16597 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/details/L18290 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16597 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418036 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608642 AU - Ceylan, Halil AU - Yang, Shuo AU - Gopalakrishnan, Kasthurirangan AU - Kim, Sunghwan AU - Taylor, Peter AU - Alhasan, Ahmad AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - National Concrete Pavement Technology Center AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Impact of Curling and Warping on Concrete Pavement PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 142p AB - Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement undergoes repeated environmental load-related deflection resulting from temperature and moisture variations across the pavement depth. This phenomenon, referred to as PCC pavement curling and warping, has been known and studied since the mid-1920s. Slab curvature can be further magnified under repeated traffic loads and may ultimately lead to fatigue failures, including top-down and bottom-up transverse, longitudinal, and corner cracking. It is therefore important to measure the “true” degree of curling and warping in PCC pavements, not only for quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) purposes, but also to achieve a better understanding of its relationship to long-term pavement performance. In order to better understand the curling and warping behavior of PCC pavements in Iowa and provide recommendations to mitigate curling and warping deflections, field investigations were performed at six existing sites during the late fall of 2015. These sites included PCC pavements with various ages, slab shapes, mix design aspects, and environmental conditions during construction. A stationary light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device was used to scan the slab surfaces. The degree of curling and warping along the longitudinal, transverse, and diagonal directions was calculated for the selected slabs based on the point clouds acquired using LiDAR. The results and findings are correlated to variations in pavement performance, mix design, pavement design, and construction details at each site. Recommendations regarding how to minimize curling and warping are provided based on a literature review and this field study. Some examples of using point cloud data to build three-dimensional (3D) models of the overall curvature of the slab shape are presented to show the feasibility of using this 3D analysis method for curling and warping analysis. KW - Concrete pavements KW - Curling KW - Field studies KW - Iowa KW - Laser radar KW - Pavement performance KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Quality assurance KW - Quality control KW - Recommendations KW - Warpage UR - http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1216&context=intrans_reports UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/22611/1/IADOT_TR_668_Impact_Curling_Warping_Concrete_Pavement_Final_2016.pdf UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/id/eprint/22611 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419013 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608631 AU - Parida, Basant AU - Carter, James AU - Zaouk, Abdullatif K AU - QinetiQ North America, Technology Solutions Group AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Advanced Cushioning Devices for Freight Locomotives PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 82p AB - This report describes the design and analysis of an advanced cushioning device for freight locomotives. The device, or crash energy management system, minimizes the risk of locomotive override in the event of an in-line collision. As part of the system, energy dissipative elements integrated with locomotive structures reduce the speed over a portion of impact. In doing so, the overall post-impact kinetic energy is reduced, and the locomotive remains on the rails for a longer duration following collision. Controlling the deformation in the front end eliminates the formation of a ramp that will allow the locomotive front-wheels to climb over the impacted car wheels. Researchers propose a system that decouples the pilot plate from the main locomotive sill and provides a reinforced frontal structure just ahead of the front trucks. Energy dissipative elements installed between the two parallel plate structures provide a means of controlling the movement of the pilot plates during impact and transferring loads directly to the locomotive sill. This process couples the stiffest portions of the impacted car with the stiffest portions of the locomotive. The system has three important features: (1) it provides improved load transfer between the locomotive and the impacted car, (2) it controls deformation at the time of impact and dissipates a significant amount of kinetic energy, and (3) it uses the mass associated with a stationary consist to its best advantage as the locomotive comes to a stop. KW - Crashworthiness KW - Deformation KW - Dissipation KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Freight trains KW - Load transfer KW - Locomotives KW - Railroad crashes KW - Railroad safety KW - Underride override crashes KW - Vehicle design UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16592 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16592 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418037 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608628 AU - Williams, William F AU - Bligh, Roger P AU - Menges, Wanda L AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - MASH Test 3-11 of the TxDOT T222 Bridge Rail PY - 2016/07//Test Report SP - 78p AB - The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact performance of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Type T222 Bridge Rail according to the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) TL-3. The crash testing was performed in accordance with the requirements of MASH TL-3. This report describes the TxDOT T222 Bridge Rail, documents the performance of the rail system according to MASH TL-3 specifications, and presents recommendations regarding implementation and future work. The TxDOT T222 Bridge Rail contained and redirected the 2270P vehicle. The vehicle did not penetrate, underride, or override the installation. Maximum dynamic deflection during the test was 2.1 inches. No detached elements, fragments, or other debris was present to penetrate or to show potential for penetrating the occupant compartment, or to present hazard to others. Maximum occupant compartment deformation was 4.0 inches in the kick panel area near the right front passenger’s feet. The 2270P vehicle remained upright during and after the collision event. Maximum roll and pitch angles were 7 degrees and 12 degrees, respectively. Occupant risk factors were within the limits specified in MASH. The vehicle exited within the exit box criteria. The TxDOT T222 Bridge Rail performed acceptably for MASH test 3-11. This barrier is recommended for implementation on new construction, retrofit applications, and in temporary applications in construction work zones. KW - AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware KW - Bridge railings KW - Deflection KW - Impact tests KW - Recommendations KW - Texas Department of Transportation KW - Vehicle occupants UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/9-1002-12-13.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420320 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608627 AU - Williams, William F AU - Bligh, Roger P AU - Menges, Wanda L AU - Kuhn, Darrell L AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - MASH TL-3 Crash Testing and Evaluation of the TxDOT T631 Bridge Rail PY - 2016/07//Test Report SP - 168p AB - The Texas Type T631 bridge rail was developed as a low-cost, flexible bridge rail system for Test Level 2 (TL-2) applications. Many of the features used for the system tested at Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF) for Test Level 3 (TL-3) were incorporated into the design developed for this project for Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) TL-2 application. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Type T631 bridge rail was designed, developed, and evaluated under MASH TL-2. The objective of this research was to evaluate the impact performance of the new TxDOT Type T631 bridge rail to MASH TL-3. The TxDOT Type T631 bridge rail was intended to serve as a low-cost replacement for the TxDOT Type T6 bridge rail for MASH TL-2 applications. The crash testing was performed in accordance with the requirements of MASH TL-3. The TxDOT T631 Bridge Rail performed acceptably for MASH TL-3. KW - AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware KW - Bridge railings KW - Evaluation KW - Impact tests KW - Texas Department of Transportation UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/9-1002-12-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420326 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608610 AU - Harvey, John T AU - Meijer, Joep AU - Ozer, Hasan AU - Al-Qadi, Imad L AU - Saboori, Arash AU - Kendall, Alissa AU - Applied Pavement Technology, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Pavement Life-Cycle Assessment Framework PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 246p AB - Awareness of the importance of environmental protection, and the possible impacts associated with the production, use, and retirement of products, has generated considerable interest in the use of assessment methods to better understand and address those impacts. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is one of the techniques developed for this purpose. LCA is a structured evaluation methodology that quantifies environmental impacts over the full life cycle of a product or system, including impacts that occur throughout the supply chain. LCA provides a comprehensive approach for evaluating the total environmental burden of a product by examining all the inputs and outputs over the life cycle, from raw material production to the end-of-life (EOL). For pavements, this cycle includes the material production, design, construction, use, maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R), and EOL stages. LCA has a commonly accepted standard method (published by the International Organization for Standardization [ISO]), however, specifics within this method vary greatly from one application to another. Additionally, there are no widely accepted standards that focus on pavement-LCA. This pavement LCA framework document is an important first step in the implementation and adoption of LCA principles in the pavement community within the U.S. A framework for performing an LCA specific to pavement systems along with guidance on the overall approach, methodology, system boundaries, and current knowledge gaps are presented in this document. KW - Environmental impacts KW - Life cycle analysis KW - Methodology KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavements KW - Paving KW - United States UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/sustainability/hif16014.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420352 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608600 AU - ICF International AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - 2013-2015 Climate Resilience Pilot Program: Outcomes, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 62p AB - The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA)’s Climate Resilience Pilot Program sought to assist state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), and Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMAs) in enhancing resilience of transportation systems to extreme weather and climate change. From 2013 to 2015, nineteen pilot teams partnered with FHWA to assess transportation vulnerability and evaluate options for improving resilience. This report synthesizes lessons learned, needs identified, and recommended next steps from the pilot program. Illustrative project findings, outcomes, and examples are distributed throughout the report. KW - Climate change KW - Metropolitan planning organizations KW - Pilot studies KW - Recommendations KW - Risk assessment KW - State departments of transportation KW - Transportation planning KW - Weather UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/adaptation/resilience_pilots/2013-2015_pilots/final_report/fhwahep16079.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420041 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608583 AU - Rouphail, Nagui M AU - Hadi, Mohammed AU - Aghdashi, Behzad AU - Khazraeian, Samaneh AU - Trask, Joseph L AU - Xiao, Yan AU - North Carolina State University, Raleigh AU - Florida International University, Miami AU - Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation, Development and Education Center (STRIDE) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Dynamic Traffic Control Interventions for Enhanced Mobility and Economic Competitiveness PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 150p AB - The goal of this research is to develop and evaluate methods to support active traffic management (ATM) strategies that can be applied off-line in planning for operations and in near real time to improve traffic performance of freeway facilities subject to all sources of congestion. The specific objectives are: (1) To develop tools to assist operators in determining the impacts of their actions on freeway system performance; (2) To create a prioritized list of feasible solutions that can remedy deficiencies based on the tools developed in objective 1; (3) To implement those tools in a macroscopic simulation model, at an appropriate time resolution; and (4) To test and validate the methodology on real world facilities in North Carolina and Florida. This research therefore proposes a framework that is intended to be an operational level macroscopic simulation environment based on the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) concepts to evaluate the operations on a freeway facility when using ATM strategies. As a primary objective, it seeks to provide functionalities similar to those available in Traffic Management Centers (TMCs). Both the framework and methodology build on the core freeway facilities methodology. KW - Advanced traffic management systems KW - Case studies KW - Evaluation KW - Florida KW - Freeways KW - Incident management KW - North Carolina KW - Paved shoulders KW - Ramp metering KW - Traffic incidents KW - Traffic simulation UR - http://stride.ce.ufl.edu/uploads/docs/STRIDE_Final_Report_2013-009S.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418046 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608582 AU - Basye, Colin AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Geothermal Switch Heater Installation, Testing and Monitoring – Phases 1 & 2 PY - 2016/07//Draft Final Report SP - 49p AB - Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI), Norfolk Southern (NS), and John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) completed Phases 1 and 2 of a project on a working prototype geothermal switch heating system designed to test the concept and efficiency of using low-temperature geothermal energy (55°F) to heat a railroad switch plate. Research results indicate that geothermal switch heating technology is a viable alternative to traditional active heating systems for keeping track switches free of ice and snow in winter. Future work would be aimed at improving heat source, changing the tubing or switchplate design, using a geothermal pit instead of a well, and streamlining the assembly and installation process. KW - Geothermal resources KW - Heating systems KW - Installation KW - Monitoring KW - Prototypes KW - Snow and ice control KW - Switches (Railroads) UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16598 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16598 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418035 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608558 AU - Dubarry, Matthieu AU - Devie, Arnaud AU - University of Hawaii, Manoa AU - University of Central Florida, Cocoa AU - Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Battery Cycling and Calendar Aging: Year One Testing Results PY - 2016/07 SP - 9p AB - This report is meant to provide an update on the ongoing battery testing performed by the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to evaluate Electric Vehicle (EV) battery durability and reliability under electric utility grid operations. Commercial EV battery cells have been under test for over a year in order to assess the impact of vehicle to grid and grid to vehicle applications on cell degradation. KW - Aging (Materials) KW - Durability KW - Electric batteries KW - Electric power generation and transmission KW - Electric vehicles KW - Grids (Transmission lines) KW - Reliability UR - http://evtc.fsec.ucf.edu/publications/documents/HI-12-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420256 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608551 AU - Arrington, Dusty R AU - Bligh, Roger P AU - Menges, Wanda L AU - Kuhn, Darrell L AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Crash Test and Evaluation of Temporary Wood Sign Support System for Large Guide Signs PY - 2016/07//Test Report SP - 84p AB - The objective of this research task was to evaluate the impact performance of a temporary wood sign support system for large guide signs. It was desired to use existing Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) sign hardware in the design to the extent possible. The full-scale crash testing followed the procedures recommended in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). In MASH Test 3-60, the Temporary Wood Sign Support System for Large Guide Signs readily activated by fracturing in various designed locations. The fractured posts did not penetrate or show potential for penetrating the occupant compartment, and did not present hazard to others in the area. The sign panel came to rest on the roof of the vehicle with resulting occupant compartment deformation of 2.5 inches. Occupant risk factors were within the limits specified in MASH. In MASH Test 3-61, the TxDOT Large Temporary Wood Sign Support readily activated by fracturing in various designed locations. The fractured posts did not penetrate or show potential for penetrating the occupant compartment, and did not present hazard to others in the area. No occupant deformation or intrusion occurred. Occupant risk factors were within the preferred limits specified in MASH. The Temporary Wood Sign Support System for Large Guide Signs performed acceptably for MASH Tests 3-60 and 3-61. Accompanying wind load charts and foundation embedment depths were developed and presented for all acceptable temporary wood support sizes deemed crashworthy based on the tests performed under this project and previous research efforts. These design charts and tables can be used to develop standard detail sheets to aid designers in the selection of appropriate support details for a given sign. KW - AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware KW - Evaluation KW - Guide signs KW - Impact tests KW - Sign supports KW - Size KW - Vehicle occupants KW - Wood UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/9-1002-15-4.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420321 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608543 AU - Coffman, Makena AU - Bernstein, Paul AU - Wee, Sherilyn AU - Arik, Aida AU - University of Hawaii, Manoa AU - University of Central Florida, Cocoa AU - Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Electric Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Assessment for Hawaii PY - 2016/07 SP - 13p AB - This study estimates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of electric vehicles (EVs) compared to that of other popular and similar cars in Hawaii, by county over an assumption of 150,000 miles driven. The GHG benefits of EVs depend critically on the electricity system from which they derive their power. The analysis shows that EVs statewide are an improvement in GHG emissions over similar and popular internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). Due to Oahu’s relatively high dependence on fossil fuels, including coal-burning, however, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) offer an improvement over EVs. Notably, Oahu also has the most EVs on the road. Hawaii Island, where there are few EVs on the road, shows a clear GHG benefit from EVs because of its high penetration of low carbon sources for electricity. This difference in benefits suggests that policies supporting EV uptake should consider impacts per island, based on available types of electricity generation. For example, because EVs on Hawaii Island provide near to mid-term GHG benefits, there should be assessment of provision of fast-charging stations to overcome potential range anxiety. Until Oahu substantially transitions towards greater penetration of renewable sources for electricity, it may be too early to tout EVs on Oahu as a GHG emissions reduction strategy. This of course depends on the type of vehicle from which drivers switch to EVs. If EV drivers largely pull from potential HEV consumers, as is suggested in prior studies, then there is no gain in GHG emissions reduction. On the other hand, if EV consumers switch from ICEVs, there are GHG emissions savings. Oahu’s electricity generation mix must become similar to that in carbon intensity of Kauai and Maui to make high performing EVs at least comparable to high performing HEVs in GHG emissions. KW - Counties KW - Electric power generation KW - Electric vehicle charging KW - Electric vehicles KW - Greenhouse gases KW - Hawaii KW - Hybrid vehicles KW - Internal combustion engines KW - Pollutants UR - http://evtc.fsec.ucf.edu/publications/documents/HNEI-10-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420254 ER - TY - SER AN - 01608542 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Lives and Costs Saved by Motorcycle Helmets, 2014 PY - 2016/07 SP - 4p AB - In 2014 the use of motorcycle helmets saved an estimated 1,669 lives. An additional 660 lives would have been saved in 2014 if all motorcyclists had worn helmets. Nearly $3 billion in economic costs and more than $18 billion in comprehensive costs were saved in 2014 by the use of motorcycle helmets. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets in 2014, an additional $1 billion in economic costs and $7 billion in comprehensive costs could have been saved. Economic costs include lost productivity, medical costs, legal and court costs, emergency medical service costs, insurance administration costs, congestion costs, property damage, and workplace losses. Comprehensive costs include these economic costs plus the valuation for lost quality of life. This publication includes three tables: National Annual Motorcyclists Killed and Injured, Known Helmet Use, and Injury-to-Fatality Ratios, 2010-2014; Motorcyclist Fatalities, Helmet Use, Lives Saved, and Additional Lives Savable at 100 Percent Helmet Use, By State, 2014; and Economic Costs Saved by Helmet Use, and Economic Costs Savable at 100 Percent Helmet Use, by State, 2014. KW - Costs KW - Fatalities KW - Injury rates KW - Motorcycle crashes KW - Motorcycle helmets KW - States KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812295 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418067 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608526 AU - Abu-Farsakh, Murad Y AU - Haque, Md Nafiul AU - Chen, Qiming AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Field Instrumentation and Testing to Study Set-up Phenomenon of Piles Driven into Louisiana Clayey Soils PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 179p AB - This research study aims to investigate the pile set-up phenomenon for clayey soils and develop empirical models to predict pile set-up resistance at certain time after end of driving (EOD). To fulfill the objective, a total number of twelve prestressed concrete (PSC) test piles were driven in different soil conditions of Louisiana. Detailed laboratory and in-situ soil testing were performed at each test pile location in order to characterize the subsurface soil condition. Dynamic load tests and static load tests were performed at different times after EOD to verify the axial resistances of piles and to quantify the amount of increase in resistance (i.e., set-up) compared to the EOD. The focus of this research was to calculate the resistance of individual soil layers with time along the length of the pile. In order to implement this goal, all the test piles were instrumented with vibrating wire strain gages. The measurements of vibrating wire strain gages were used to measure the distribution of load transfer along the length of the pile during the static load tests. Vibrating wire piezometers and pressure cells were also installed in the pile face in order to calculate the time for dissipation of excess pore water pressure and corresponding increase in effective stress with time. Case Pile Wave Analysis Program (CAPWAP) was performed in all the dynamic load test data and used to calculate the side resistance of individual soil layers along the length of the pile during dynamic load tests. Logarithmic set-up parameter “A” of individual soil layers were calculated using the unit side resistance. The set-up parameter “A” was correlated with different soil properties such as undrained shear strength, plasticity index, coefficient of consolidation, sensitivity and overconsolidation ratio (OCR). Three different levels of empirical models were developed to estimate the magnitude of pile set-up with time. The developed models were used to predict the total resistance of piles in the database at four different time intervals (i.e., 30 days, 45 days, 60 days and 90 days) after EOD. Reliability analyses were performed to calibrate the set-up resistance factor (ϕset-up) for incorporating it into the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) pile design methodology. Accordingly, a set-up resistance factor (ϕset-up) of 0.35 is recommended. A framework for estimating the duration of pile set-up based on consolidation theory of soils at the pile face was introduced. KW - Clay soils KW - Field tests KW - Instrumentation KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Load tests KW - Louisiana KW - Pile driving KW - Pile foundations KW - Resistance (Mechanics) KW - Soil mechanics UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2016/FR_562.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417658 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01606409 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Mittelman, Anjuliee TI - Getting in Sync PY - 2016/07 VL - 80 IS - 1 AB - In 2015, the Federal Highway Administration released the 2015 Red Book: Synchronizing Environmental Reviews for Transportation and Other Infrastructure Projects (FHWA-HEP-15-047). The Red Book, as it is commonly known, serves as a regulatory how-to guide for Federal field staff who review applications for environmental permits, as well as Federal, State, and local agencies that permit, fund, and develop transportation projects. Synchonizing environmental reviews and permitting consultations for a proposed project means conducting them concurrently rather than sequentially. Some resource agencies and some States, such as California and New York, have been more active than others in adopting the synchronization techniques.This article reviews benefits of synchronization and looks at agreements, programmatic approaches, role of liaisons, mitigation, and the role of data and information sharing. KW - California KW - Data sharing KW - Environmental impact analysis KW - Environmental streamlining KW - Federal assistance programs KW - New York (New York) KW - Policy, legislation and regulation UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16julaug/02.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417813 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01606341 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Rayman, Caitlin Hughes TI - Fostering America's Freight Economy PY - 2016/07 VL - 80 IS - 1 AB - The freight transportation system in the United States is preparing for a major overhaul. The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 authorizes five years of critically needed funding and key programs to improve the nation’s freight transportation system and U.S. economic competitiveness. By incorporating major aspects of a prior transportation authorization law and a surface transportation authorization proposal in the FAST Act and providing funding for investment, Congress launched a new era of Federal commitment to the improved movement of goods. The FAST Act links funding to planning, planning to collaboration, and prioritized investment to data-driven networks, knitting together several new and recently created freight initiatives. The programs provide the public sector with additional resources to make strategic investments to improve the efficiency of the U.S. freight system and provide for a safer, more cohesive network that will enhance communities and yield significant economic returns. KW - Economic impacts KW - Federal aid KW - Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act KW - Freight transportation KW - Government funding KW - Legislation KW - Public private partnerships KW - Trucking UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16julaug/01.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417812 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605771 AU - Environmental Protection Agency AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - California Air Resources Board TI - Midterm Evaluation of Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards for Model Years 2022-2025 PY - 2016/07//Draft Technical Assessment Report SP - 1217p AB - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have established a coordinated program for Federal standards for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) for light-duty vehicles. This program was developed in cooperation and alignment with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to ensure a single National Program. The National Program established standards that increase in stringency year-over-year from model year (MY) 2012 through MY2025 for EPA and through MY2021 for NHTSA. The rulemaking establishing the National Program for MY 2017-2025 light-duty vehicles included a regulatory requirement for EPA to conduct a Midterm Evaluation (MTE) of the GHG standards established for MYs 2022-2025. This Draft Technical Assessment Report (TAR), issued jointly by EPA, NHTSA, and CARB for public comment, is the first formal step in the MTE process. In this Draft TAR, the agencies examine a wide range of technical issues relevant to GHG emissions and augural CAFE standards for MY2022-2025, and share with the public the initial technical analyses of those issues. KW - Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) KW - Evaluation KW - Greenhouse gases KW - Light vehicles KW - Pollutants KW - Standards UR - https://www3.epa.gov/otaq/climate/documents/mte/420d16900.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416621 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605767 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - Webb, Caitlin TI - Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes as a Leading Cause of Death in the United States, 2012–2014 PY - 2016/07 SP - 6p AB - This Research Note examines the status of motor vehicle crashes as a leading cause of death in the United States 2012-2014. In 2014, for the sixth consecutive year, motor vehicle traffic crashes were not among the top 10 causes of death in the United States. Motor vehicle crashes were the 13th leading cause of death from 2012 to 2014. When ranked by age, motor vehicle traffic crashes were the number one cause of death among people 16 to 24 years old for each year 2012 to 2014. Motor vehicle crashes were also the number one leading cause of death for 11-year-old children in 2014, as well as for 4-year-old children in 2013. Similarly, motor vehicle traffic crashes were the number one leading cause of death for 13-year-olds and those 16 to 25 in 2012. This continued drop in the rank of motor vehicle traffic crashes as a leading cause of death can be attributed to the 25-percent decline in traffic fatalities over the last decade. Nevertheless, despite this drop, motor vehicle traffic crashes continue to be among top 10 leading causes of death among the younger age groups. Assessing by another measure — the years of life lost, i.e., the number of years people would have lived had they not died — motor vehicle traffic crashes ranked 7th in 2014, 2013, and 2012; as it was ranked in 2011. This reflects the toll that motor vehicle traffic crashes take on the younger population. KW - Age groups KW - Fatalities KW - Traffic crashes KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812297 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417060 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605749 AU - Thompson, Alison AU - Kennedy, Bernard J AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Engineering Design for Pedestrian Safety at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 61p AB - A number of pedestrian treatments at railroad grade crossings have been developed and are used throughout the United States. The decision of when to use these treatments is generally a matter of best practices, using a decision tree, or conducting a site assessment. There has been little research on the efficacy of particular treatments. More important, because pedestrian treatments are seldom, if ever, used in isolation, there is no known research on what particular configurations of available pedestrian treatments provide the highest level of safety. A US Department of Transportation (USDOT) 2010 policy statement encourages transportation agencies to improve opportunities for pedestrian and bicyclists. The United States Access Board, in turn, has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to establish guidelines to address public right of way issues for people with disabilities. In anticipation of more non-motorized users of varying abilities making use of pedestrian grade-crossing facilities, it is important that the efficacy of pedestrian treatments at grade crossings be fully understood. KW - Design KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Traffic control devices KW - United States KW - Warning devices for persons with disabilities UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16553 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16553 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59300/59391/Engg_for_Ped_Safety_At_Crossings.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415633 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605747 AU - McGarvey, Ronald G AU - Matisziw, Timothy AU - Noble, James S AU - Nemmers, Charles J. AU - Karakose, Gokhan AU - Krause, Christopher AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Midwest Transportation Center AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Improving Striping Operations through System Optimization - Phase 2 PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 45p AB - Striping operations generate a significant workload for Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) maintenance operations. The requirement for each striping crew to replenish its stock of paint and other consumable items from a bulk storage facility, along with the necessity to make several passes on most of the routes to stripe all the lines on that road, introduce the potential for inefficiencies in the form of “deadhead miles” that striping crew vehicles must travel while not actively applying pavement markings. These inefficiencies generate unnecessary travel, wasted time, and vehicle wear. This report updates a 2015 report that developed a decision support tool for scheduling and routing road striping operations. The updates presented in this report improve the optimization model, and generate more user-friendly outputs. KW - Computer programs KW - Construction scheduling KW - Decision support systems KW - Maintenance management KW - Missouri Department of Transportation KW - Optimization KW - Routing KW - Striping KW - Workload UR - http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1211&context=intrans_reports UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416285 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605722 JO - Traffic Safety Facts PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2014 Data: Rural/Urban Comparison PY - 2016/07 SP - 7p AB - This fact sheet contains information on motor vehicle fatalities and fatal crashes, based on data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). FARS is a census of fatal crashes within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (although Puerto Rico is not included in U.S. totals). For the purpose of this fact sheet, rural and urban boundaries are determined by the State highway departments and approved by the Federal Highway Administration. Of the 32,675 motor vehicle traffic fatalities in 2014 there were 16,710 (51%) that occurred in rural areas, 15,487 (47%) that occurred in urban areas, and 478 (1%) that occurred in unknown areas. According to the 2014 American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau an estimated 19% of the U.S. population lived in rural areas. However, rural fatalities accounted for 51% of all traffic fatalities in 2014. Rural traffic fatalities decreased by 34% from 24,587 in 2005 to 16,710 in 2014. Urban traffic fatalities decreased by 17% from 18,627 in 2005 to 15,487 in 2014. Additional statistics provided in this traffic safety fact sheet include: speeding-related fatalities, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, restraint use, rollover crashes, and rural/urban fatalities by State. KW - Drunk driving KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Rollover crashes KW - Rural areas KW - Seat belt use KW - Speeding KW - States KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Urban areas UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812301 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417061 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605705 JO - Traffic Safety Facts PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2014 Data: Passenger Vehicles PY - 2016/07 AB - Passenger vehicles are defined as motor vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds and include passenger cars and light trucks (SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and other light trucks). There were 21,022 passenger vehicle occupants who lost their lives in traffic crashes and an estimated 2.07 million passenger vehicle occupants who were injured. Passenger vehicles made up 93 percent of registered vehicles and accounted for nearly 90 percent of total vehicle miles traveled (VMT). There were an estimated 10,579,000 vehicles involved in police-reported traffic crashes; 96 percent (10,165,000) were passenger vehicles. There were 44,820 vehicles involved in fatal crashes, of which 78 percent (34,984) were passenger vehicles. Additional statistics include: registrations, restraint use, ejections, rollover crashes, alcohol impairment, and occupant fatalities by State. KW - Crash rates KW - Drunk drivers KW - Ejection KW - Fatalities KW - Injury rates KW - Passenger vehicles KW - Registrations KW - Rollover crashes KW - Seat belt use KW - States KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812302 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417062 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605646 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2015 PY - 2016/07 SP - 4p AB - A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for 2015 shows that an estimated 35,200 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. This represents an increase of about 7.7 percent as compared to the 32,675 fatalities that were reported to have occurred in 2014. If these projections are realized, fatalities will be at the highest level since 2008, when 37,423 fatalities were reported. Preliminary data reported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in 2015 increased by about 107.2 billion miles, or about a 3.5-percent increase. The fatality rate for 2015 increased to 1.12 fatalities per 100 million VMT, up from 1.08 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2014. The fourth quarter of 2015 represents the fifth consecutive quarter with year-to-year increases in fatalities as well as the fatality rate. The magnitude of the increases has also been rising up to the 11-percent increase in the third quarter of 2015. Fatalities are projected to have increased by 4.7 percent during the fourth quarter of 2015. Analysis to generate gross estimates of changes reveals significant increases in motorcyclist and nonoccupant (pedestrian and pedalcyclist) deaths for the Nation in 2015 as compared to 2014. Also, 9 out of 10 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Regions are estimated to have had increases in fatalities in 2015 as compared to 2014. The actual counts for 2014 and 2015 and the ensuing percentage change from 2014 to 2015 will be further revised as the final file for 2014 and the annual reporting file for 2015 are available later this year. These estimates may be further refined when the projections for the first quarter of 2016 are released in late spring of 2016. KW - Fatalities KW - Forecasting KW - Traffic crashes KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812269 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415849 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605621 AU - Zietlow, Ben AU - Perry, Ernie AU - Adams, Teresa AU - O’Shea, Caitrin AU - Sivappha, Thirunavukkarasu AU - Walljasper, Soren AU - Umentum, Andrew AU - National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) AU - Wisconsin Department of Transportation AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - The Potential for Mode Conversion to Rail Service in Wisconsin PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 98p AB - The team built upon the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s study regarding industries that drive the Wisconsin economy, and complemented the efforts of the Wisconsin Central Group and Wisconsin Manufacturers Commerce by geo-locating shippers and determining their proximity to rail access. Outreach was completed to identify the drivers, incentives and barriers to increasing rail access and the resulting economic impact. KW - Access KW - Economic impacts KW - Freight transportation KW - Modal shift KW - Railroad transportation KW - Railroads KW - Spatial analysis KW - Wisconsin UR - http://www.wistrans.org/cfire/documents/CFIRE_0913_FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415857 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605619 AU - Carter, Daniel AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Advanced Component Testing: Kaskasia Handbrake Test PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 14p AB - The evaluation of a prototype remote operation handbrake showed that it can be installed on a car with only minor modifications to connect the air. This prototype did not set the emergency during any of the testing performed. The operation of the prototype worked as specified by the manufacturer. KW - Brakes KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Impact tests KW - Installation KW - Performance tests KW - Prototypes KW - Railroad cars UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16559 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16559 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415841 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605595 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Weiss, Jason TI - Internal Curing for Concrete Pavements PY - 2016/07 SP - 7p AB - This Tech Brief provides information on internal curing for concrete pavements by describing the primary concepts behind internal curing as well as describing aspects of practical applications, mixture design, construction, and quality control. KW - Concrete curing KW - Concrete pavements KW - Internal curing KW - Mix design KW - Paving KW - Quality control UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/pubs/hif16006.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416287 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605589 AU - LaFleur, A Chris AU - Groth, Katrina M AU - Liao, Huafei AU - Lopez, Carlos AU - Muna, Alice B AU - Sandia National Laboratories AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - LNG Safety Assessment Evaluation Methods, Task 3 Letter Report PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 32p AB - Sandia National Laboratories evaluated published safety assessment methods across a variety of industries including Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), hydrogen, land and marine transportation, as well as the US Department of Defense (DOD). All the methods were evaluated for their potential applicability for use in the LNG railroad application. After reviewing the documents, the Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Safety Plan Checklist is considered the most suitable to be adapted to the LNG rail application. KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Industries KW - Liquefied natural gas KW - Methodology KW - Railroad safety KW - Railroad transportation KW - Risk assessment KW - Surveys UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16555 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16555 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415842 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605549 AU - Shane, Jennifer S AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Iowa DOT Project Management Peer Exchange PY - 2016/07//Final Report SP - 30p AB - This project supported the planning and conduct of a two-day Iowa Department of Transportation–hosted peer exchange for state agencies that have implemented some or all of the suggested strategies outlined in the Second Strategic Highway Research Program–sponsored project R10, Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects. Presentations were made by participating states, and several opportunities were provided for directed discussion. General themes emerging from the presentations and discussions were identified as follows: (1) To implement improvements in project management processes, agency leadership needs to decide that a new approach to project management is worth pursuing and then dedicate resources to developing a project management plan. (2) The change to formalized project management and Five Dimensional Project Management (5DPM) requires a culture shift in agencies from segmented “silo” processes to collaborative, cooperative processes that prioritize good communication and collaboration. (3) Agencies need trained project managers who are empowered to execute the project management plan, as well as properly trained functional staff. (4) Project management can be centralized or decentralized with equal effect. (5) After an agency’s project management plan and structure are developed, software tools and other resources should be implemented to support the plan and structure. (6) All projects will benefit from enhanced project management, but the project management plan should specify appropriate approaches for several project levels as defined by factors in addition to dollar value. (7) Project management should be included in an agency’s project development manual. KW - Iowa Department of Transportation KW - Peer exchange KW - Project management KW - State departments of transportation KW - Strategic Highway Research Program 2 KW - Strategic planning UR - http://publications.iowa.gov/id/eprint/22468 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416763 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01505576 AU - Seymour, Edward J AU - Kuhn, Beverly AU - Balke, Kevin AU - Chaudhary, Nadeem AU - Jasek, Debbie AU - Rajbhandari, Rajat AU - Voigt, Tony AU - Miller, Kristine AU - Geiselbrecht, Tina AU - Venglar, Steven AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - ITS Strategic Plan for Texas PY - 2016/07//Project Summary SP - 24p AB - The purpose of this research was to provide a framework to guide the development and deployment of an integrated statewide program for intelligent transportation systems (ITS). ITS is a critical component of the transportation infrastructure that helps ensure the system operates in the most efficient way possible every day and night, and during all types of situations and weather conditions. Using information gathered from stakeholder interviews, researchers developed a sample ITS archetype, presented it to stakeholders, and discussed their concerns and perspective relative to their region. KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Stakeholders KW - Strategic planning KW - Texas KW - Transportation planning UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6672-P1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1285481 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618018 AU - Chimba, Deo AU - Musinguzi, Abram AU - Tennessee State University, Nashville AU - Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Development of Decision Support Tools to Assess Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety: Focus on Population, Demographic and Socio-economic Spectra PY - 2016/06/30/Final Report SP - 62p AB - Despite the increase of these non-motorized trips, bicyclists and pedestrians remain vulnerable road users that are often over represented in traffic crashes. While the currently used methods that identify hazardous locations serve their purpose well, majority represent a reactive approach that seeks improvement after crashes happen. This research addressed these issues and proposed decision support tools to aid the implementation of bicycle and pedestrian safety strategies. This work developed an access based tool to predict the expected number of crashes at different neighborhood levels. This tool combines the traditional methods such as those provided in the Highway Safety manual to predict the expected number of bicycle and pedestrian crashes. First, a cluster analysis technique is proposed and developed a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technique to facilitate the identification of high crash locations. Safety Performance Functions (SPFs) are developed in form of mathematical equations to relate the number of crashes to area socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. An integrated system consisting of access database and safety performance functions, and whose interface is designed to automatically compute the number of crashes given the input values is developed. Basing on crash value, the tool can be adopted as a framework to guide the appropriate allocation of safety improvement resources. KW - Bicycle crashes KW - Cluster analysis KW - Crash risk forecasting KW - Cyclists KW - Decision support systems KW - Demographics KW - Geographic information systems KW - High risk locations KW - Highway Safety Manual KW - Implementation KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Safety Performance Functions KW - Socioeconomic factors UR - http://www.wmich.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/u883/2016/TRCLC_Final_Report_14_07.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60478/TRCLC_Final_Report_14_07.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435144 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618017 AU - Christensen, Keith AU - Chen, Anthony AU - Sharifi, Mohammad Sadra AU - Utah State University, Logan AU - Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Analysis of Walking Facility Performance Guidelines for Individuals with Disabilities PY - 2016/06/30/Final Report SP - 46p AB - It is necessary to design and evaluate the effectiveness of walking facilities to accommodate the needs of all pedestrian groups, including individuals with disabilities. The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) defines walking facility performance using a qualitative measure describing operational conditions, or level of service (LOS). However, how closely pedestrian LOS thresholds correspond to actual conditions are questionable. To overcome the limitations, a controlled large-scaled walking experiment involving individuals with disabilities was conducted at Utah State University (USU). A temporary circuit with the necessary walking facilities was constructed using eight foot self-standing walls. In total, 202 (160 without and 42 with disabilities) individuals were recruited to participate in the experiments and they were asked to pass through the circuit repeatedly. Individuals were tracked using the camera system and trajectory data extraction was accomplished using a software platform suite. During each experiment session, some participants were randomly selected and asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their walking experience. Using both trajectory and survey data sources, this study explored how a heterogeneous mix of pedestrians perceive and evaluate operational performance of walking facilities. Specifically, an ordered statistical approach was applied to investigate effects of environmental density on pedestrians’ perceptions. Results indicated that individuals with disabilities were less tolerant of extreme congested environments. Furthermore, analysis showed that the LOS criteria provided in HCM is inadequate in quantifying service performance of walking facilities based on the actual perceptions of individuals participated in the controlled experiment. The findings are expected to improve operational guidelines used to assess walking facility performance. KW - Highway Capacity Manual KW - Level of service KW - Pedestrian areas KW - Pedestrian density KW - Performance measurement KW - Persons with disabilities KW - Surveys KW - Trajectory KW - Walking UR - http://www.wmich.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/u883/2016/TRCLC_15_12_Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60482/TRCLC_15_12_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435148 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616924 AU - Giordano, Reno AU - Jacobson, Les AU - Lockwood, Steve AU - Crowson, Ginny AU - Preisen, Linda AU - WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff AU - South Dakota Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Transportation Research Board TI - SDDOT Transportation Systems Management & Operations Program Plan PY - 2016/06/30 SP - 131p AB - The objective of this project is the development of a comprehensive Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSM&O) Program Plan for the South Dakota Department of Transportation. This plan guides business planning and strategic decision‐making to advance South Dakota Department of Transportation's (SDDOT’s) currently informal TSM&O program to one with a more effective and formalized approach to incorporating TSM&O into the department’s mission, goals and objectives, future planning initiatives at all timescales, and day‐to‐day activities. It presents a series of recommendations in the form of actions, tasks, and implementation steps. It also provides the rationale or “Business Case” for committing to its recommended actions, additional background on SDDOT’s current TSM&O capabilities, and an implementation strategy for executing the plan’s recommendations that summarizes each action’s feasibility, priority and schedule, and roles for identified SDDOT and partner agency staff. KW - Implementation KW - Performance measurement KW - Recommendations KW - South Dakota Department of Transportation KW - Strategic Highway Research Program 2 KW - Strategic planning KW - Transportation operations KW - Transportation planning KW - Transportation system management UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60459/SDDOT_SD2014-06_TSMO_Program_Plan_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429445 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608591 AU - Zinke, Scott AU - Mahoney, James AU - University of Connecticut, Storrs AU - Connecticut Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Validation of Uniform Compaction of Hot-Mix Asphalt Pavements in Connecticut PY - 2016/06/30/Final Report SP - 30p AB - Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT) trialed Uniform Compaction (UC) equipment on 2 pilot projects during the 2014 construction season. This equipment included everything that would be used for Intelligent Compaction (IC) with the exception of the stiffness measurement instrumentation. The intention was to investigate whether the use of the equipment would lead to better coverage and speed control to provide a more consistent and uniform overlay. The data from each roller and paver was collected each night of paving. These raw data files were then transferred to the research team for analysis with the VETA mapping software. Acceptance core density was also analyzed on both projects and compared to other 2014 projects in CT that did not use the UC equipment. Results show that the use of the UC equipment did, in fact, significantly improve the uniformity of the pavement from a density perspective. Analysis of the mapping software showed that it may be useful in determining overall coverage, speed and temperature information. The quality and accuracy of the mapping software should be improved prior to using the equipment for locating areas of distress and deficiency. Given the results of the reviewed literature, the stiffness values do not correlate well with pavement density. KW - Compaction KW - Connecticut KW - Density KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Intelligent compaction KW - Literature reviews KW - Pavers KW - Paving KW - Pilot studies KW - Stiffness KW - Validation UR - http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dresearch/CT-2288-F-16-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419060 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605725 AU - Donnell, Eric T AU - Hamadeh, Bachir AU - Li, Lingyu AU - Wood, Jonathan AU - Pennsylvania State University, University Park AU - Pennsylvania Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - 70mph Study PY - 2016/06/30/Final Report SP - 145p AB - In July and August 2014, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) raised the posted speed limit on rural sections of Interstates 80, 380, and 76 from 65 to 70 mph. The purpose of this study was to assess the speed and safety performance of these “pilot” sections. This was done by comparing the operating speeds and crash frequencies before and after the posted speed limit increase. Additionally, operating speed data in several work zones were collected to assess how drivers comply with posted speed limits in work zones on the pilot sections. An inferred design speed method and pavement friction degradation method are proposed as methodologies to assess site conditions on rural Interstate roadways with 65 mph posted speed limits. Collectively, the operating speed, safety, inferred design speed, and friction information can be used by PennDOT and the PTC to identify candidate locations for 70 mph posted speed limits. The findings suggest that mean and 85th-percentile operating speeds increased after increasing the posted speed limit from 65 to 70 mph; however, the increases were less than 5 mph. A framework was developed to estimate the safety effects of the posted speed limit increase, because only 12 to 16 months of after period crash data were available for the analyses included in this study. KW - Before and after studies KW - Crash rates KW - Friction KW - Highway safety KW - Interstate highways KW - Operating speed KW - Pennsylvania KW - Pilot studies KW - Rural areas KW - Speed limits KW - Work zones UR - http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_PDF_FILES/Documents/Research/Complete%20Projects/Operations/70mph_study.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415741 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605688 AU - Tawfiq, Kamal S AU - Armaghani, Jamshid AU - Florida State University, Tallahassee AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Department of Transportation TI - Accelerated Slab Replacement Using Temporary Precast Panels and Self-consolidating Concrete PY - 2016/06/30/Final Report SP - 202p AB - Slab replacement is the main activity in any concrete pavement rehabilitation project. According to a survey of industry and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), contractor productivity in slab replacements has been very low, ranging between 25 to 50 cu. yds. The low number of slab replacements constructed during a lane closure period is due to the short closure window to complete the time consuming construction activities. In an effort to increase productivity, the concrete mix is often designed to achieve the lane opening strength requirement of 2,200 psi in the shortest possible time to enable placing more slabs per lane closure period. This requires the use of excessive quantities of cement and accelerators in the concrete mix to achieve the required strength. A likely consequence of such action has been the development of premature cracking in many newly replaced slabs in Florida rehabilitation projects. This project was initiated with the objective to develop a method using temporary reusable precast panels and self-consolidating concrete (SCC) to accelerate the slab replacement process. The method involves installing one or two precast panels in the replacement slab pit after removing the deteriorated segment of the original slab. The panels are kept as placeholders for a few days and then removed. The open pit is then cast using SCC mix to form a permanent replacement slab. The ultimate goal of the Precast Panel-SCC Mix method is to increase contractor productivity, reduce maintenance of traffic (MOT) and construction completion time, reduce project cost, and minimize premature cracking. The two components of this method, namely, reinforced precast panels and SCC mix were designed, prepared, and tested in the laboratory, and then demonstrated successfully in the field. Construction criteria, detailed guidelines and specifications were also developed to facilitate implementation of this method in concrete pavement rehabilitation projects. KW - Field tests KW - Florida KW - Implementation KW - Laboratory tests KW - Panels KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Precast concrete KW - Recommendations KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Self compacting concrete KW - Slabs UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_SMO/FDOT-BDV30-977-02-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1414693 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605654 AU - Christenson, Richard AU - Kolev, Valeri AU - Motaref, Sarira AU - Jang, Shinae AU - University of Connecticut, Storrs AU - Connecticut Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development and Evaluation of a Dual Purpose Bridge Health Monitoring and Weigh-In-Motion System for a Steel Girder Bridge – Phase II PY - 2016/06/30/Final Report SP - 65p AB - The primary objective of this second phase is the further development, demonstration and field evaluation of a permanent dual purpose bridge weigh-in-motion and health monitoring system over an extended period of time. Calibrated test truck results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm can accurately predict vehicle speeds, and that even if the speed is exact other factors can contribute to the inaccuracy of the algorithm. The research has also been applied to a large continuous traffic data-set consisting of 385 days, providing information including gross vehicle weight (GVW), truck speeds, and average daily truck traffic (ADTT) for certain months. The GVW, speed, and time stamp of each identified truck has been saved and loaded to a website accessible by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. KW - Algorithms KW - Average daily traffic KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Field studies KW - Girder bridges KW - Steel bridges KW - Structural health monitoring KW - Traffic speed KW - Traffic surveillance KW - Truck traffic KW - Weigh in motion UR - http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dresearch/BridgeHealthMonitoringandWeigh-in-Motion-PhaseII.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415973 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608571 AU - Vaughan, Christopher L AU - Searcy, Sarah E AU - Bert, Steven A AU - Findley, Daniel J AU - Foyle, Edward P AU - Carnes, Christopher M AU - Pincus, Teresa M AU - Coley, Amelia L AU - Manfredi, Zachary AU - Cunningham, Christopher M AU - North Carolina State University, Raleigh AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation TI - Assessment of Automated Sign Retroreflectivity Measurement PY - 2016/06/27/Final Report SP - 107p AB - The Institute for Transportation Research and Education at North Carolina State University conducted a follow-up study to a previous North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) project, comparing mobile inventory data collection vehicles to manually-collected data techniques. In the previous studies, sign retroreflectivity readings were either captured with low degrees of accuracy or not captured at all. The follow-up study focused mainly on automated sign retroreflectivity capture, but also looked at vendor capabilities regarding other sign features. The results show that vendors can accurately locate the majority of signs. However, while vendors were unable to consistently capture sign retroreflectivity readings within 10% accuracy, a comparison of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) pass/fail ratings for signs for these vendors showed that they captured ground-mounted signs with 88% and 97% accuracy, and overhead signs with 100% accuracy. Combining the sign location rates and the accuracy of the pass/fail comparison results in an overall accuracy ranging from 63% to 70% which is comparable to the accuracy achieved by other sign management methods. Vendors also showed some consistency in capturing the lower retroreflectivity readings, which should be more important to the NCDOT, as MUTCD thresholds for failing signs are set at the lower level readings. Following location of the sign, vendors showed promise collecting many of the other sign features, such as MUTCD code and roadside orientation, which showed significant improvement from the previous study. This study shows that there is still room for improvement, but also exhibits the improvements that vendors have already made in capturing all sign features. KW - Accuracy KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices KW - North Carolina KW - Retroreflectivity KW - Traffic signs UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/RNAProjDocs/2014-32_Final_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417601 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605732 AU - Cunningham, Christopher M AU - Schroeder, Bastian J AU - Warchol, Shannon AU - North Carolina State University, Raleigh AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Exploring Corridor Operations in the Vicinity of a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) PY - 2016/06/27/Final Report SP - 145p AB - This research effort examined the corridor impacts of various signal timing and geometric strategies to improve the operational challenges observed at diverging diamond interchanges (DDIs). A microsimulation analysis was conducted using a calibrated and validated DDI modeled after the National Avenue and US-60 interchange in Springfield, Missouri. Four heavy volume scenarios were tested in combination with seven categories of strategies. These strategies were selected from a larger pool of strategies under the guidance of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) research panel and national expert recommendations. In addition to the microsimulation effort, a cost analysis was conducted for the same strategies. Considerations were made for implementation cost, disruption to user during implementation, and crash modification impacts. Finally, three sites in North Carolina were selected for field study. In the microsimulation analysis, those strategies which reduced the number of phases at the downstream adjacent intersection had the greatest benefit on the corridor routes for all four heavy volume scenarios. The reduction in phases reduced loss time and increased capacity for the intersection. Unfortunately, these strategies were also the most expensive alternatives studied, were likely to be the most disruptive to users during implementation. KW - Costs KW - Diamond interchanges KW - Field studies KW - Geometric design KW - Highway corridors KW - Microsimulation KW - North Carolina KW - Traffic delays KW - Traffic signal phases KW - Traffic signal timing KW - Traffic simulation KW - Traffic volume UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/Pages/ProjDetails.aspx?ProjectID=2014-13 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416946 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613746 AU - Gopalakrishna, Deepak AU - Garcia, Vince AU - Ragan, Ali AU - English, Tony AU - Zumpf, Shane AU - Young, Rhonda AU - Ahmed, Mohamed AU - Kitchener, Fred AU - Serulle, Nayel Ureña AU - Hsu, Eva AU - Brangaccio, Kate AU - ICF International AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Trihydro Corporation AU - McFarland Management, LLC AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - CV Pilot Deployment Concept Phase 1, Outreach Plan — ICF Wyoming PY - 2016/06/24/Final Report SP - 39p AB - The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s (WYDOT) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment Program is intended to develop a suite of applications that utilize vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication technology to reduce the impact of adverse weather on truck travel in the Interstate-80 (I-80) corridor. These applications support a flexible range of services from advisories, roadside alerts, parking notifications and dynamic travel guidance. Information from these applications are made available directly to the equipped fleets or through data connections to fleet management centers (who will then communicate it to their trucks using their own systems). The pilot will be conducted in three Phases. Phase I includes the planning for the CV pilot including the concept of operations development. Phase II is the design, development, and testing phase. Phase III includes a real-world demonstration of the applications developed as part of this pilot. This document presents a plan to effectively conduct outreach efforts in Phase II and Phase III to ensure that the results of the pilot are widely shared with the transportation community and elicit buy-in for continued investments from a diverse set of stakeholders including the public, state and local decision makers. The Outreach Plan identifies key stakeholders and audiences with whom this project should interact and also presents the approaches and techniques that will be used to engage each audience type. KW - Advanced driver information systems KW - Implementation KW - ITS program applications KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Outreach KW - Pilot studies KW - Stakeholders KW - Trucking safety KW - Trucks KW - Weather conditions KW - Wyoming Department of Transportation UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59700/59739/FHWA-JPO-16-296.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425488 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01612660 TI - Airport Safety Database and Analysis AB - The goals of the Airport Safety Database and Analysis Project are to: (1) analyze accidents and incidents that occurred at or near airports and to identify actual or potential related airport risks; (2) accidents and incidents have been grouped into categories based on contributing factors and broken down by airport type; (3) short term project to help categorize and update entries; and (4) PEGASAS hope to provide algorithms / approaches to use database to improve safety. KW - Aircraft KW - Airport operations KW - Aviation safety KW - Crash data KW - Databases KW - Incident management KW - Risk analysis UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425045 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619061 AU - Edwards, J Riley AU - National University Rail Center (NURail) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Home School Student Visit and Introduction to Rail Transportation and Engineering PY - 2016/06/22 SP - 5p AB - This project consisted of hosting local Champaign-Urbana, Illinois home school students for a visit to the Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Beyond visiting RailTEC, students were able to visit other aspects of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). This NURail educational project was conducted to serve the students by introducing them to the basics of rail engineering in hopes that they would be further encouraged to consider transportation in general and rail specifically in the future. Additionally, it is the authors' vision that the materials that were created will be used for future outreach efforts. KW - Education and training KW - Engineering KW - Illinois KW - Outreach KW - Railroad engineering KW - Students KW - Transportation careers KW - University of Illinois Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60274/NURail2012-UIUC-E01_Final_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436222 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613769 AU - Ahmed, Mohamed AU - Gopalakrishna, Deepak AU - Garcia, Vince AU - Ragan, Ali AU - English, Tony AU - Zumpf, Shane AU - Young, Rhonda AU - Kitchener, Fred AU - Serulle, Nayel Ureña AU - Hsu, Eva AU - ICF International AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Trihydro Corporation AU - McFarland Management, LLC AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 1, Participant Training and Education Plan – ICF/Wyoming PY - 2016/06/22/Final Report SP - 36p AB - The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s (WYDOT) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment Program is intended to develop a suite of applications that utilize vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication technology to reduce the impact of adverse weather on truck travel in the Interstate-80 (I-80) corridor. These applications support a flexible range of services from advisories, roadside alerts, parking notifications and dynamic travel guidance. Information from these applications are made available directly to the equipped fleets or through data connections to fleet management centers (who will then communicate it to their trucks using their own systems). The pilot will be conducted in three Phases. Phase 1 includes the planning for the CV pilot including the concept of operations development. Phase 2 is the design, development, and testing phase. Phase 3 includes a real-world demonstration of the applications developed as part of this pilot. This document is an overview of the training and education (T&E) activities that will be utilized in this pilot. As such, it identifies and describes the needs and approaches that will be used to train various users of the WYDOT CV-Pilot Demonstration. Users include drivers of various equipped vehicles, back-office personnel at WYDOT and fleet management centers, other agency personnel who will be involved in the maintenance and operations of the pilot system components. KW - Education and training KW - ITS program applications KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Pilot studies KW - Truck drivers KW - Trucking safety KW - Weather conditions KW - Wyoming Department of Transportation UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59500/59501/FHWA-JPO-16-294.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425492 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01602520 TI - Western Alliance for Quality Transportation Construction (WAQTC) AB - Western Alliance for Quality Transportation Construction (WAQTC) is focused in three main areas: Standardizing test methods (WAQTC, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)), accreditation of the Transportation Technician Qualification Program (TTQP), and working together on national programs of significance including research, training, and technology deployment. The WAQTC Mission Statement is to: "Provide leadership in the pursuit of continuously improving quality in transportation construction." Through its partnership, WAQTC will: promote an atmosphere of trust, cooperation, and communication between government agencies and the private sector; respond in a unified and consistent manner to identify quality improvement needs and new technologies that impact the products that are provided; provide a forum to promote uniform test standards; provide highly skilled, knowledgeable materials sampling and testing technicians; and provide reciprocity for qualified testing technicians among accredited agencies. KW - Construction KW - Deployment KW - Partnerships KW - Quality assurance KW - Research KW - Standardization KW - Technology KW - Test procedures KW - Training UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/600 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412693 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605693 AU - Zayed, A AU - Shanahan, N AU - Tran, V AU - Markandeya, A AU - Williams, A AU - Elnihum, A AU - University of South Florida, Tampa AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Effects of Chemical and Mineral Admixtures on Performance of Florida Structural Concrete PY - 2016/06/21/Final Report SP - 359p AB - Several mineral and chemical admixtures, commonly used in Florida structural concrete, were studied here to assess their effect on the fresh and hardened properties of cementitious systems. Pozzolans examined here were Class F fly ash, silica fume, blast furnace slag, and metakaolin, while chemical admixtures were air-entrainer, water reducer/retarder and two superplasticizers. The as-received materials were characterized for their chemical oxide composition, crystalline and amorphous content, density, fineness, specific surface area, and particle size distribution. Several tests were conducted on binary and ternary mixtures to assess the performance of the cementitious system, including heat of hydration using isothermal calorimetry, strength evolution, rheological properties, setting properties of paste and mortar, sulfate durability, semiadiabatic calorimetry and adiabatic temperature rise, and cracking potential. Microstructural evolution was followed by x-ray diffraction studies of the hydration phases, nanoindentation, and characterization of the pore structures using nitrogen adsorption for binary cementitious systems. The effect of chemical admixtures dosages on the pore size distribution was followed using nitrogen adsorption. The cracking potential for binary cementitious concrete mixtures was studied using an imposed temperature profile simulating a 1 m³ wall. The findings indicated that mineral admixtures, in general, retard setting and the extent was dependent on the amount and type of each pozzolan. Metakaolin mixtures showed the highest early-strength gain. Heat of hydration (HOH) measurements indicated that both metakaolin and slag (14.25% Al₂O₃) affect the sulfate-to-aluminate balance in the cementitious system. Factorial design was successful in predicting potential interaction between different mineral and chemical admixture combinations. Sulfate durability tests indicated that slag cementitious mixtures did not perform better than plain cement mixtures, and silica fume offered superior protection for cementitious mixtures exposed to a sulfate environment. Adiabatic temperature rise was highest for slag mixtures and lowest for Class F fly ash mixtures. High dosages of water reducer/retarder and superplasticizers increased the number of pores in the 2-30 nm range. Metakaolin and slag mixtures increased the number of large gel pores. KW - Admixtures KW - Air entraining agents KW - Chemical properties KW - Cracking KW - Durability KW - Florida KW - Fly ash KW - Microstructure KW - Performance tests KW - Silica fume KW - Slag KW - Superplasticizers KW - Water reducing agents UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_SMO/FDOT-BDV25-977-02-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415854 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612146 AU - Solaimanian, Mansour AU - Stoffels, Shelley AU - Milander, Scott AU - Morian, Dennis AU - Pennsylvania State University, University Park AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of Thin Hot Mix Asphalt Overlay PY - 2016/06/20/Final Report SP - 26p AB - Preserving the road surface and maintaining it at a proper functional level is essential to safe transportation. Among alternatives for pavement surface treatment, thin asphalt overlays have been utilized and promoted by several states to serve this need. To evaluate the performance of such overlays and develop relevant specifications, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) initiated a four-year research program with Pennsylvania State University. The project carried several major objectives. One was to assess best practices for design and construction of such mixes through field application of three pilot projects and conducting necessary laboratory testing. Second was to evaluate the performance of such mixes placed in these pilot projects through visual survey and pavement condition measurements. Third was the use of existing advanced technology such as thermal imaging and ground-penetrating radar to determine the uniformity of such mixes during placement in regard to temperature and density. Finally, it was the intention of the project to develop relevant specifications and guidelines for thin asphalt overlays. Field evaluations, in general, indicated satisfactory performance of these roads. Considerable improvement has been achieved in terms of ride quality and skid resistance after placement of thin asphalt. The exception is SR 0220, for which the skid numbers were already high and skid resistance improvements were not as significant as for the other two projects. Field measurements have indicated minimal rutting, fatigue cracking, and raveling at all three sites. Reflective cracking has been the dominant distress at all three projects. Overall, it can be assessed that both construction and performance of the three pilot projects has been successful based on observations within this limited period of time. The results of the study were reflected in newly developed construction specifications for 6.3-mm mixes as well as construction guidelines and a manual of best practices. KW - Best practices KW - Bituminous overlays KW - Ground penetrating radar KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement performance KW - Paving KW - Pennsylvania KW - Pilot projects KW - Reflection cracking KW - Ride quality KW - Skid resistance KW - Specifications KW - Thermal imaging UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/PSU-2014-04.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424236 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608699 AU - Yelchuru, Balaji AU - Abdelghany, Khaled AU - Zohdy, Ismail AU - Singuluri, Sashank AU - Kamalanathsharma, Raj AU - Booz Allen Hamilton AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Programs — Dallas Testbed Analysis Plan PY - 2016/06/16/Final Report SP - 103p AB - The primary objective of this project is to develop multiple simulation Testbeds/transportation models to evaluate the impacts of Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) connected vehicle applications and the active and dynamic transportation management (ATDM) strategies. The outputs (modeling results) from this project will help the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) prioritize their investment decisions for DMA and ATDM programs. The primary purpose of this report is to document the Analysis Plan for Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Dallas Testbed. The report expands on detailed testbed description including the geographic location, modes, operational conditions and cluster analysis details. In addition, the plan also provides details on the analysis scenarios, ATDM strategies that are evaluated using the Testbed and the plan to answer ATDM-specific research questions. The analysis plan provides details on the evaluation approach used to answer specific research questions. Additional data used for the testbed development and evaluation are provided in the Appendix. KW - Active Transportation and Demand Management KW - Cluster analysis KW - Dallas (Texas) KW - Data collection KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Highway corridors KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Mobility KW - Performance measurement KW - Simulation UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59300/59362/FHWA-JPO-16-373.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418644 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605606 AU - Department of Transportation TI - Improvements Needed in DOT’s Process for Identifying Unfair or Deceptive Practices in Airline Frequent Flyer Programs PY - 2016/06/16/Audit Report SP - 15p AB - For more than 30 years, airlines have offered frequent flyer programs to encourage travel on their respective airlines and secure customer loyalty. An estimated 630 million members are currently enrolled in various frequent flyer programs worldwide, with over 300 million members enrolled in U.S. air carrier programs. In a July 2014 letter and subsequent conversation with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) office, Representative Alan Grayson expressed multiple concerns with airlines’ frequent flyer programs, such as changes to frequent flyer programs with little to no notice, the devaluation of frequent flyer awards and benefits over time, and the availability of award seats. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that airlines disclose their frequent flyer program rules in their customer service plans. Moreover, DOT has authority to investigate unfair and deceptive practices and unfair methods of competition in air transportation, including consumer complaints regarding the rights of passengers who hold frequent flyer miles. Accordingly, OIG initiated this audit to review: (1) DOT’s oversight of air carriers’ compliance with frequent flyer program disclosure requirements, (2) DOT’s process for reviewing passenger complaints regarding unfair and deceptive practices, and (3) airlines’ practices regarding the availability of award seats and valuation of frequent flyer miles. To conduct our work, OIG met with DOT and airline officials and reviewed their processes for reviewing and resolving consumer frequent flyer complaints. OIG is making recommendations for DOT to improve its process for reviewing consumer complaints for unfair and deceptive practices. OIG also encourages air carriers to be more transparent with award-seat availability and redemption information. KW - Airlines KW - Compliance KW - Customer satisfaction KW - Frequent flyer programs KW - Oversight KW - U.S. Office of the Secretary of Transportation KW - United States UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/DOT%20Oversight%20of%20Airline%20Frequent%20Flyer%20Programs_Final%20Report%206-16-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415573 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01602571 TI - UAS Science and Research Panel Support AB - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seeks to identify and develop criteria and standards required for the civil certification and regulations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilots, equipment and operations. Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) is the FAA’s academic and industry resource to accomplish research & development of those criteria and standards. The Science and Research Panel (SARP) coordinates and directs government-sponsored research that supports development of key UAS criteria and standards that enable near-term UAS access to the National Airspace System (NAS). Ensuring the FAA and ASSURE are aware of government-sponsored to ensure inter-agency coordination of UAS-related research efforts is critical to the success of the FAA’s objectives. The FAA UAS Center of Excellence is a union of public sector, private sector, and academic institutions that identifies solutions for existing and anticipated UAS related issues. The Center of Excellence (COE) enhances the FAA’s UAS research efforts by providing access to the various talents of nationally recognized academic-research scientists. This effort directly supports the FAA’s goal of ensuring the safe and efficient integration of UAS into the NAS, thus enabling this emerging technology to safely achieve its full potential. The UAS Executive Committee (ExCom) is a joint committee comprised of senior executives from four member organizations: Department of Defense (DoD), FAA, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The mission of the UAS ExCom is “to enable increased and ultimately routine access of Federal UAS engaged in public aircraft operations into the NAS to support operational, training, development and research requirements of the FAA, DoD, DHS and NASA.” The UAS Science and Research Panel (SARP) is a panel of experts from organizations that are performing UAS research to ensure sound technical approaches are being evaluated to facilitate the integration of UAS into the national airspace system (NAS). The SARP’s primary purpose is to promote and coordinate partnerships between ExCom member agencies and the broader academic and science community on UAS NAS integration science and research initiatives. Benefits from these partnerships were realized through a broader range and depth of scientific expertise applied to challenges that affect all aspects of potential UAS operations, and through advocacy of potential solutions and through evaluation, test, and implementation of viable approaches. These partnerships are critical to UAS science and research efforts to positively inform and influence strategic integration decisions. The UAS SARP is managed by co-chairs appointed by the ExCom Senior Steering Group (SSG) and funded by the ExCom member agencies. The FAA seeks to identify and develop criteria and standards required for the civil certification and regulations of UAS pilots, equipment and operations. New Mexico State University (NMSU), will represent the ASSURE Center of Excellence at the Science and Research Panel (SARP) and act as an advisor to the FAA on SARP matters. NMSU will assist the FAA in identifying, evaluating, coordinating, performing and reporting research that supports the integration of unmanned aircraft into the NAS. Finally, NMSU will provide support to the FAA NextGen SARP board member. This assistance will include: (1) identifying key areas of planned and ongoing UAS integration Research & Development (R&D); (2) evaluating potential research gaps for applicability and priority; (3) coordinating research conducted and/or supported by SARP member organizations to minimize duplication and maximize benefit to the government and the UAS stakeholder community; (4) facilitating the performance of identified and prioritized research; and (5) reporting the results of the selected research to the FAA and the appropriate standards bodies/organizations to inform UAS integration activities such as rulemaking, the development of performance criteria and standards. KW - Aircraft operations KW - Airspace (Aeronautics) KW - Aviation safety KW - Certification KW - Drone aircraft KW - National Aeronautic Space Administration KW - Regulations KW - Technological innovations KW - U.S. Department of Defense KW - U.S. Department of Homeland Security KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412954 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608649 AU - Elhenawy, Mohammed AU - Jahangirl, Arash AU - Rakha, Hesham AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Bicycle Naturalistic Data Collection PY - 2016/06/15/Final Research Report SP - 40p AB - Recently, bicycling has drawn more attention as a sustainable and eco-friendly mode of transportation. Between 2000 and 2011, bicycle commuting rates in the United States rose by 80% in large bicycle friendly cities (BFCs), by 32% in non-BFCs, and overall by 47%. On the other hand, about 700 cyclists are killed and nearly 50,000 are injured annually in bicycle–motor vehicle crashes in recent years in the United States. More than 30% of cyclist fatalities in the United States from 2008 to 2012 occurred at intersections, and up to 16% of bicycle-related crashes were due to cyclists’ violations at intersections. In light of these statistics, this project focused on investigating factors that affect cyclist behavior and predicting cyclist violations at intersections. Naturalistic cycling data were used to assess the feasibility of developing cyclist violation prediction models. Mixed-effects generalized regression model is used to analyze the data and identify the significant factor affecting the probability of violations by cyclists. At signalized intersections, right turn, side traffic and opposing traffic are statistically significant factors affecting the probability of red light violation. At stop-controlled intersections, the presence of other road users, left turn, right turn and warm weather are statistically significant factors affecting the probability of violations. Violation prediction models were developed for stop-controlled intersections based on kinetic data measured as cyclists approached the intersection. Prediction error rates were 0% to 10%, depending on how far from the intersection the prediction task was conducted. An error rate of 6% was obtained when the violating cyclist was at a time-to-intersection of about 2 seconds, which is sufficient for most motor vehicle drivers to respond. KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Behavior KW - Cyclists KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Intersections KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Probability KW - Regression analysis KW - Traffic violations KW - United States UR - http://cvi-utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Elhenawy_Bicycle-Naturalistic-Data-Collection_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418057 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605574 AU - Overturf, Bradley J AU - Connecticut Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - New Technologies for Photolog Image and Data Acquisition: HDTV Image Acquisition, Distribution and Utilization PY - 2016/06/15/Final Report SP - 24p AB - The goal of this research project was to improve photolog imaging technology and subsequent image-to-client delivery in response to user-requests for enhanced desktop image retrieval capabilities, such as the ability to read small roadway signs, bridge numbers and utility pole numbers along Connecticut roadways. The resulting implementation of state-of-the-art photolog imaging research, hardware and software has provided the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) with an all-high definition television (HDTV) ground-based automated image inventory of its entire roadway network. HDTV represents a 5X increase in image resolution and significant improvement in overall image quality, which has met project goals and led to an increase in photolog use at ConnDOT. KW - Connecticut KW - Data collection KW - Digital cameras KW - High definition television KW - Image transmission KW - Imaging systems KW - Photologging KW - Technological innovations UR - http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dresearch/NewTechnologiesforPhotologImageandDataAcquisition.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415410 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01611976 AU - Romig, Douglas AU - McNaughton, Cam AU - Kern, John AU - Golder Associates AU - New Mexico Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessing the Potential to Sequester Carbon within State Highway Rights-of-Way in New Mexico Phase 2: Development of a Right-of-Way Carbon Sequestration Program PY - 2016/06/13/Final Report SP - 203p AB - Selected rights‐of‐way (ROW) vegetation management treatments were evaluated over three growing seasons to determine if they could increase soil organic carbon (SOC) along state highways in New Mexico. Eight test plots were established in north central and north eastern portions of the state along a SOC/precipitation gradient in Prairie and Lower Montane biomes. Treatments were to maintain biomass, increase soil moisture and increase available soil nitrogen.  In actively managed zones of the ROW, treatments included a modified mowing regime to retain more biomass (High Mow) compared to current mowing operations (Low Mow) combined with interseeding legumes (Legume).  The natural zone (ROW outside of managed areas) were treated with soil imprinting (Imprinting) and legume interseeding (Legume) compared to unmodified control (Natural).  Unfortunately, the legumes broadcast seeding into established ROW plant communities was ineffective and monitoring the treatment was discontinued in the second growing season. Field measurements included SOC and nitrogen, vegetation biomass and cover, soil temperature and moisture, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) efflux.  The project also considered the feasibility of a carbon offset protocol for highway ROW roadside vegetation management that could a be sold within a cap‐and‐trade carbon commodity market. High Mow subplots showed a trend of increased aboveground biomass and canopy cover at the end of the growing season compared to Low Mow. Aboveground biomass and canopy cover responses to Imprinting compared to the Natural subplots were varied and insignificant. Differences in soil carbon stock among managed and natural zone treatments were generally insignificant and equivocal in response. Continuous measurements of soil temperature and moisture did not identify any significant differences between treatments in either managed or natural ROW zones. Unmowed summertime net ecosystem exchange (NEE) was negative, indicating net sequestration of atmospheric CO₂ by photosynthetic plants. After mowing, daytime NEE were either positive for Low Mow or less negative for High Mow treatments.  Low Mow nighttime fluxes were also positive after mowing and exceeded NEE observed in High Mow and Control subplots. This response to mowing is consistent with the reduction in the leaf area and increased respiration as plants replace their leaves following defoliation.   The discrete chamber‐based measurements of CO₂ flux used characterized the ecosystem CO₂ dynamics at the ROW test plots where benchmarked against Ameriflux long‐term NEE data from semi‐arid grassland eddy covariance stations.  Qualitatively, the magnitude of NEE observations at the test plots were typically within 2 standard deviations of the 10‐year mean for the Kendall long‐term ecological research. KW - Biomass KW - Carbon KW - Carbon capture and storage KW - Carbon sequestration KW - Legumes KW - Moisture content KW - Mowing KW - New Mexico KW - Right of way (Land) KW - Soils KW - Temperature KW - Vegetation control UR - http://dot.state.nm.us/content/dam/nmdot/Research/NMDOT_CO2Seq_Final_20160613_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417856 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624409 AU - LeVine, Scott AU - State University of New York, New Paltz AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Empirical Analysis of Consumer Aspects of Autonomous Cars PY - 2016/06/11/Final Report SP - 15p AB - The objective of this research is to advance the state-of-knowledge regarding Vehicle Automation technologies by: identifying theoretical issues raised by Vehicle Automation, and supporting the collection of empirical evidence (through a Stated Preference survey instrument) to characterize consumer preferences for emerging Vehicle Automation concepts. The research consisted of the following tasks: (1) Theoretical analysis of mode choice descriptors and traffic flow regimes of Automated Vehicles; (2) Development of survey instrument; (3) Pilot-testing of survey instrument; and (4) Fieldwork (data collection). Initial quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) analysis of the empirical data is contained in Sections V and VI of this report; further analysis of the data collected in this study with advanced statistical methods is planned for later in Summer 2016. KW - Analysis KW - Consumer preferences KW - Data quality KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Mode choice KW - Stated preferences KW - Surveys KW - Technological innovations KW - Traffic flow UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/Final-Report-Empirical-Analysis-Consumer-Aspects-Autonomous-Cars.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445497 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01602572 TI - Minority Outreach - UAS as a STEM Minority Outreach AB - The objective of this project is to provide two STEM Outreach approaches that use UAS’s as the central learning platform. The STEM topics will include fundamental related concepts and will include unique UAV related content. While a number of various approaches for STEM Outreach have been provided and discussed with the FAA: two specific approaches have been down selected for implementation: Phase I: UAS Educational Roadshows; and Phase II: UAS STEM Summer Camps. The specific objectives of this activity would be for students to learn about: (i) How a UAS flies (Physics of Flight) (ii) Subsystems of a UAV and UAS (iii) How UAS are used (iv) How the FAA is interfacing with UAS KW - Drone aircraft KW - Outreach KW - Science, Techology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) KW - Students KW - Training programs KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration KW - Workshops UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412956 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610856 AU - Koopmann, Jonathan AU - Zubrow, Alexis AU - Hansen, Andrew AU - Hwang, Sunje AU - Ahearn, Meghan AU - Solman, Gina AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) 2b User Guide PY - 2016/06/09 SP - 245p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Environment and Energy (FAA-AEE) has developed the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) version 2b software system with the support of the following development team: FAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), ATAC Corporation, Metron Aviation, CSSI, Inc., Foliage, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Georgia Tech. AEDT 2b is a software system that is designed to model aviation related operations in space and time to compute, noise, emissions, and fuel consumption. This User Guide provides information on setting up and running analyses with AEDT 2b. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aircraft operations KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Computer program documentation KW - Fuel consumption KW - Pollutants KW - Software UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59400/59493/AEDT2b_UserGuide.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422141 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608718 AU - Caughlan, Sean A AU - Glosten Associates, Incorporated AU - Ship Operations Cooperative Program AU - Maritime Administration TI - Energy Efficiency White Paper PY - 2016/06/08 SP - 115p AB - This paper presents a survey-level look at current ship energy efficiency methods. This includes strategies such as design, technology, devices, and operational practices. Individual efficiency measures, be it a technology, an operational practice, or something else, are summarized in five broad areas: Savings potential, Technology Stage, Lifecycle Cost, Retrofitable, and Compatibility. Each technology is described at a high level, so as to be easily understood and quickly digested. The paper can also serve as an evaluation tool, for operators to understand and compare the relative merits of various technologies. Stakeholders can leverage the information in the paper to launch a detailed cost analysis of their project once one or more technologies have been selected. For each efficiency measure, various critical issues are discussed: What is the potential for fuel savings? How does it work? What is the applicability to various vessel types? Is it best for new-builds or retrofits? What is the level of the technology development? What is the relative lifecycle cost? Sections include: Hull; Propellers and Appendages; Renewable Energy Technologies; Mechanical and Electrical Systems; and Operational Practices. KW - Electrical systems KW - Energy consumption KW - Hulls KW - Life cycle costing KW - Propellers KW - Renewable energy sources KW - Retrofitting KW - Ship operations KW - Ships KW - Technology assessment UR - http://www.marad.dot.gov/wp-content/uploads/pdf/SOCP-Marine-Vessel-Energy-Efficiency-FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417685 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610829 AU - Patnam, Krishna C AU - Roden, David B AU - Yin, Weihao AU - Feng, Li-Yang AU - Mallick, Sayeed AU - Smith, Scott B AU - AECOM AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Practical Guide on DTA Model Applications for Regional Planning PY - 2016/06/07/Final Report SP - 66p AB - This document is intended as a guide for use by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) and other planning agencies that are interested in applying Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) models for planning applications. The objective of this document is to provide guidance on key practical aspects of working with DTA models, namely, information about model development, application, calibration and validation. This document relates to some experiences at the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). KW - Calibration KW - Dynamic traffic assignment KW - Metropolitan planning organizations KW - Regional planning KW - Southeast Michigan Council of Governments KW - Validation UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/tmip/publications/other_reports/dta_model_applications/fhwahep16078.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59800/59871/fhwahep16078.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421252 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618687 AU - Kitchener, Fred AU - Gopalakrishna, Deepak AU - Garcia, Vince AU - Ragan, Ali AU - English, Tony AU - Zumpf, Shane AU - Young, Rhonda AU - Ahmed, Mohamed AU - Serulle, Nayel Ureña AU - Hsu, Eva AU - ICF International AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Trihydro Corporation AU - McFarland Management, LLC AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Department of Transportation TI - Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 1, Performance Measurement and Evaluation Support Plan – ICF/Wyoming PY - 2016/06/06 SP - 78p AB - The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s (WYDOT's) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment Program is intended to develop a suite of applications that utilize vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication technology to reduce the impact of adverse weather on truck travel in the I-80 corridor. These applications support a flexible range of services from advisories, roadside alerts, parking notifications and dynamic travel guidance. Information from these applications are made available directly to the equipped fleets or through data connections to fleet management centers (who will then communicate it to their trucks using their own systems). The pilot will be conducted in three Phases. Phase I includes the planning for the CV pilot including the concept of operations development. Phase II is the design, development, and testing phase. Phase III includes a real-world demonstration of the applications developed as part of this pilot. This document presents the performance measurement and evaluation support plan utilized in this pilot. As such, it identifies and describes the measures and corresponding targets, data needed, and evaluation designs that will be used to complete a successful performance measure and evaluation of the WYDOT CV Pilot Demonstration. Additionally, this document will address confounding factors and mitigation approaches, system performance reporting, and data collection and management. KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Performance measurement KW - Pilot studies KW - Trucking KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications KW - Weather conditions KW - Wyoming UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60243/FHWA-JPO-16-290.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436200 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625816 AU - Maheshwari, Sharad K AU - Hampton University AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Assessing the Impact of Driving Simulator Experience on the Reduction of Cell-Phone Distraction Among Adult Drivers PY - 2016/06 SP - 70p AB - Use of electronic devices, especially cell phones while driving, is causing havoc on U.S. highways. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) reports over 5000 fatalities due to driver inattention; a vast majority of inattention is due to cell phone use. Research shows that one specific use of cell phone, "Texting While Driving," causes longer inattention and is thus more dangerous. Young and adult drivers alike are increasingly using cell phones for various activities while driving. The majority of states and localities in the U.S. have enacted rules which have some kind of restrictions on Texting While Driving. Besides law enforcement, educational and/or public service efforts are also being made to curb Texting While Driving and other cell phone usage. This research addresses one of the issues in educational efforts. Main objectives of the research were (1) to measure impact of driving simulation experience on attitude of adult drivers towards cell phone usage during driving and (2) to measure the differences in change in safety perception of cell phone use after education based on drivers’ and other characteristics. A field experiment was designed to investigate these two objectives. This experiment was conducted in a medium size City in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 100 randomly selected adult drivers participated in the study. The experiment was conducted using an in-vehicle driving simulator. During the experiment, simulated driving, drivers were asked to use the cell phone as they would normally use it while driving their own vehicle. During simulation, participants saw reduction/changes in the driving performance on the simulator screen while they were engaged in the cell phone related activities. These changes included slowing down, crossing over a lane, jumping red lights, crashing vehicle, etc. Two different survey instruments were administered to drivers, one before and one after their experience in the driving simulator. The drivers were expected to modify her/his perception towards cell phone usage after visualizing impairment/reduction in driving performance caused by the cell phone usages during driving. About 91% of drivers reported using the cell phone for various activities including texting, emailing, searching for directions, etc. The majority of drivers also reported using the cell phone often while driving. 70% or more drivers reported that they follow traffic rules, follow speed limits and generally consider themselves a safe driver. After the simulator experience there was significant improvement in the driver’s perception of danger of “texting-while-driving.” More than 81% of drivers rated the cell phone more dangerous after simulator experience. On average there was a 0.66 improvement of perception of danger of texting while driving measured on the 5-point Likert scale. Some demographic and other driver characteristics showed significant relationship to the improvement in perception of danger of texting while driving. KW - Attitudes KW - Behavior modification KW - Cellular telephones KW - Distraction KW - Driving simulators KW - Risk perception KW - Text messaging UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013-01FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445638 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625815 AU - Hill, Travis W AU - Saunders, Chase AU - Walden, Clay AU - Mississippi State University, Canton AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Supply Chain and Inventory Management Through Intermodal Logistics Analysis PY - 2016/06 SP - 33p AB - More collaboration is needed between transportation (trucking and rail) and industry. Often transportation requests are last minute decisions made by manufacturers many times with the expectation that trucks and/or trains are always available. The problem is made worse because the manufacturer has usually known weeks in advance of the need. As a result, this leads to increased logistics costs, reduction in efficiency, and can cause avoidable delays. Logistic costs increase due to the last minute requirement of finding drivers. Experienced, professional truck drivers are a vanishing breed. Efficiency is impacted because the options (all truck or truck and rail combinations) to meet the customer’s needs are greatly reduced and if the logistic company cannot allocate the necessary resources, delivery delays are certain. In addition, customer inventory management policy also has an impact on supplier operations. For example, if a customer only checks the levels of certain raw materials once a month. The customer adversely causes a demand spike for their supplier and the supplier must man their system to handle these instances. This project develops a web-based system (software and hardware) to help reduce costs through collaboration between trucking, rail and industry for domestic transportation. To achieve this, the concept of Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) will be applied to the liquid and dry bulk freight industry. A software system called eVMI is developed to help decision makers alleviate the aforementioned issues with labor by reducing the number of long haul drivers required, reducing logistics cost by providing the logistic companies with data in a timely manner, improving safety by relying on rail for long distance transfers as opposed to using trucks, and helping to smooth both logistic requirements and supplier demand patterns. The project also provides a case study that illustrates how the toolset can be applied in a real setting. KW - Case studies KW - Freight transportation KW - Intermodal transportation KW - Inventory control KW - Logistics KW - Supply chain management KW - Vendor managed inventory KW - Web-based systems UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013-19FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445639 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624403 AU - Xu, Zhiheng AU - Kang, Jee Eun AU - Chen, Roger B AU - University at Buffalo AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - A Random Utility Based Estimation Framework for the Household Activity Pattern Problem PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 35p AB - This paper develops a random utility based estimation framework for the Household Activity Pattern Problem (HAPP). Based on the realization that output of complex activity-travel decisions form a continuous pattern in space-time dimension, the estimation framework is treated as a pattern selection problem. In particular, the authors define a variant of HAPP that has capabilities of forecasting activity selection and durations in addition to activity sequencing. The framework is comprised of three steps, (1) choice set generation, (2) choice set individualization and (3) multinomial logit estimation. The estimation results show that utilities for work, shopping and disutilities for travel time, time outside home, and average tour delay are found to be significant in activity-travel decision making. KW - Activity choices KW - Decision making KW - Estimating KW - Forecasting KW - Households KW - Multinomial logits KW - Travel patterns KW - Travel time KW - Utility theory UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/Final-Report-A-Random-Utility-Based-Estimation-Framework.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442748 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01620431 AU - Ullman, Gerald AU - Schroeder, Jeremy AU - Battelle AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Transportation Management Plan Effectiveness Framework and Pilot PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 130p AB - This report was prepared to help practitioners formulate and follow clear, consistent approach towards assessing the effectiveness of Transportation Management Plan (TMP) strategies. The report provides an inventory of the measures-of-effectiveness (MOEs) that each of the TMP strategies may affect at a particular work zone, depending on the characteristics of that work zone and other TMP strategies that are used. An overall framework is presented to guide analysts on the available approaches towards TMP strategy effectiveness evaluations, possible scopes of those evaluations, and potential analytical methods. A synthesis of evaluations is also for those TMP strategies for which previous and current literature and data were available. KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Highway traffic control KW - Performance measurement KW - Transportation planning KW - Work zones UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16062/fhwahop16062.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440530 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01620430 AU - Zollinger, Dan AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Roller-Compacted Concrete Pavement PY - 2016/06//Tech Brief SP - 10p AB - Roller-compacted concrete (RCC) as a paved surface offers facility owners and pavement designers a concrete pavement alternative that may better meet the requirements of specific pavement projects than conventionally cast-in-place concrete pavements. RCC pavement applications can be tailored to the specific needs of a project, particularly those associated with roadway projects within the residential, commercial, and urban roadway sectors. This Tech Brief presents an overview of the best practices for roller-compacted concrete pavement. The Tech Brief discusses RCC pavement uses and provides information on RCC mixtures and construction of RCC pavements. KW - Admixtures KW - Best practices KW - Compaction KW - Paving KW - Roller compacted concrete pavements UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/pubs/hif16003.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440803 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618819 AU - Branam, Tracy AU - Green, Robin AU - Wittman, Oliver AU - Ayre, Anne AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Sulfates in Indiana Substrates SN - 9781622604333 PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 38p AB - This study was undertaken to develop modifications for improving cost and time efficiencies without sacrificing accuracy and precision to the current method employed by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) for determining sulfate content in soils. In addition, geographic information system (GIS) maps of Indiana were prepared for displaying the distribution of sulfate concentration in soils and shallow groundwater to provide guidance where high sulfate areas might exist and to show where gaps occur in available data. The IGS study confirmed that the current INDOT test method using 1:20 soil/water ratio and turbidimetric method for analyzing sulfate are optimal. A conductivity screening test on soil leachate eliminated the need to run a turbidity sulfate test for most samples, reducing the time necessary for filtering, and the cost of materials for running the test. Of the 11 samples in this study, 73% had conductivity readings corresponding to <3,000 ppm soil sulfate action threshold. A lower threshold of 1,000 ppm eliminated close to 60% of samples from sulfate determination. A much larger soil sulfate data set obtained from INDOT indicates sulfate analyses could be reduced by 50% to over 75%, depending on the threshold value. Contour maps of the distribution of sulfate in soils and groundwater were prepared with data from multiple agencies. Gaps in the data sets limit the usefulness of the current maps. In places of good data density, areas of minimal sulfate are distinguished from areas with elevated sulfate content, indicating how a more completed data set would be valuable as a guide to problem areas throughout the state. Some areas of elevated groundwater sulfate coincided with elevated soil sulfate, suggesting a correlation. However, the areal distribution gaps in both data sets prevent a more definitive interpretation. KW - Contour maps KW - Data files KW - Geographic information systems KW - Groundwater KW - Indiana KW - Indiana Department of Transportation KW - Soils KW - Sulfates UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284316342 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60541/viewcontent.cgi.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1437029 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616930 AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - 2015 Federal Railroad Administration Report to Congress on Actions Taken to Implement Unmet Statutory Mandates and Address Open Recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Department of Transportation's Inspector General Regarding Railroad Safety PY - 2016/06 SP - 57p AB - This report responds to Section 106 of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA), Public Law Number 110-432, Division A, 122 Statute 4848 et seq., enacted on October 16, 2008. Section 106 reads as follows: Not later than December 31, 2008, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall transmit a report to the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on the specific actions taken to implement unmet statutory mandates regarding railroad safety and each open railroad safety recommendation made by the National Transportation Safety Board or the Department’s Inspector General. In preparing this report on behalf of the Secretary of Transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) relied on the report it prepared as of December 2014 (2014 Report) and transmitted to the appropriate congressional committees to fulfill this annual requirement. Exhibit A lists FRA’s six congressional rail safety mandates that were unmet as of December 31, 2015, and actions to implement them. The following items are unmet mandates that were listed in the 2014 Report: Emergency Escape Breathing Apparatus; Alcohol and Controlled Substance Testing for Maintenance of Way Employees; Development and Use of Rail Safety Technology; Hours of Service Regulatory Authority; Railroad Safety Risk Reduction; and Safe Rail Transport of Certain Radioactive Materials. Exhibit B is a list of the 64 rail safety recommendations the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued to FRA that were open as of December 31, 2015, and a summary of FRA’s actions to address them. KW - Implementation KW - Laws and legislation KW - Office of Inspector General KW - Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 KW - Railroad safety KW - Recommendations KW - U.S. Federal Railroad Administration KW - U.S. National Transportation Safety Board UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16766 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429084 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616929 AU - Kockelman, Kara AU - Loftus-Otway, Lisa AU - Stewart, Duncan AU - Nichols, Aqshems AU - Wagner, Wendy AU - Li, Jia AU - Boyles, Steve AU - Levin, Michael AU - Liu, Jun AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Best Practices Guidebook for Preparing Texas for Connected and Automated Vehicles PY - 2016/06 SP - 38p AB - Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) are destined to change how the Texas transportation system operates. Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is responsible for the nation’s most extensive state-level network, and it is essential to explore the potential impacts of CAVs on the design, maintenance, and operation of the transportation system. Research into CAVs’ mobility, environmental, legal, and safety implications for the state of Texas was conducted by University of Texas (UT) Austin’s Center for Transportation Research (CTR). This document presents the main points of CTR’s research on CAVs and develops practice recommendations, emphasizing safety, to assist TxDOT in optimally planning for these new technologies using a holistic and qualitative approach. The current state of maturity of existing and developing CAV technologies is assessed here to provide recommendations for TxDOT to pursue in the short term (next 5 years), medium term (five to fifteen years), and long term (15+ years). Identified strategies include pavement-marking updates, improving signage standards, modifying design manuals, shaping legislative policy on autonomous vehicles (AVs), and establishing rules for shared AV (SAV) use, along with other options. The guidebook is divided into five sections: (1) Overview of CAV Technologies; (2) The Current Texas Legal Landscape for CAVs; (3) Potential Benefits Using CAV Technologies; (4) Potential Safety Strategies for TxDOT to Adopt to Prepare Texas for CAV Use; and (5) Best-Practice Recommendations for TxDOT in Deployment of CAVs in Texas. KW - Benefits KW - Best practices KW - Handbooks KW - Implementation KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Policy, legislation and regulation KW - Recommendations KW - Technological innovations KW - Texas KW - Texas Department of Transportation KW - Traffic safety KW - Transportation planning KW - Vehicle sharing UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6849-p1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428775 ER - TY - SER AN - 01616254 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Ardeshirilajimi, Ardavan AU - Wu, Di AU - Chaunsali, Piyush AU - Mondal, Paramita AU - Chen, Ying Tung AU - Rahman, Mohammad Mahfuzur AU - Ibrahim, Ahmed AU - Lindquist, Will AU - Hindi, Riyadh AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Center for Transportation AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Bridge Decks: Mitigation of Cracking and Increased Durability PY - 2016/06 SP - 102p AB - The application of pre-soaked lightweight aggregates (LWA) as an internal curing agent in concrete to reduce the cracking due to drying shrinkage is thoroughly studied in this report. It is determined that although LWA can significantly reduce autogenous shrinkage, its effect on drying shrinkage is minimal and in some cases it can even increase the drying shrinkage. Moreover, the combined effects of LWA and expansive cement (Type K) and LWA and shrinkage-reducing admixtures (SRAs) on drying shrinkage is also studied. It is shown that addition of Type K cement or SRA to mixtures containing LWA can significantly reduce drying shrinkage and make the mixture more volumetrically stable. KW - Autogenous shrinkage KW - Bridge decks KW - Cracking KW - Durability KW - Expansive cement KW - Lightweight aggregates KW - Prewetted lightweight aggregate KW - Shrinkage cracking KW - Shrinkage reducing admixtures UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=4980 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60429/getfile1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429406 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616251 AU - Sadeghi, Leila AU - McDaniel, Rebecca S AU - Haddock, John E AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Performance of Warranted Asphalt Pavements: Smoothness and Performance of Indiana Warranted Asphalt Pavements SN - 9781622604036 PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 55p AB - In the early 1990s the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) developed a five-year warranty specification for asphalt pavements with the first project being built in 1996. In 2004, results indicated that the asphalt pavements built with the warranty specification had improved performance over the conventional asphalt pavements. Nineteen years have passed since the original asphalt pavement warranty project was placed in Indiana. It has been eleven years since the performance of the warranted asphalt pavements has been analyzed to determine the effectiveness of warranties. Therefore, it is prudent to reexamine the potential benefits of asphalt pavement warranties. Hence, the ultimate goal of the project is to advise the INDOT on whether the use of asphalt pavement warranties has potential benefit for lowering the cost of ownership for asphalt paved roadways. Overall, performance comparisons of Indiana’s warranted and non-warranted asphalt pavements indicate that warranted asphalt pavements tend to perform more effectively than do non-warranted asphalt pavements. On average, warranted asphalt pavement sections had lower IRI values and rut depths than did non-warranted sections. The variability in International Roughness Index (IRI) values and rut depths was also found to be less for warranted pavement sections than for the non-warranted sections. In terms of service life based on changes in IRI and rut depth, analyses indicate that warranted asphalt pavements could last 10 to 14 years longer than non-warranted asphalt pavements. When both initial capital costs and maintenance expenditures are considered, warranted asphalt pavements appear to be 15 to 40% more cost effective over a 5-year (short-term) period and 47 to 61% more cost effective over a 15-year (long-term) period. These savings do not include potential benefits of reduced user costs nor reduced INDOT inspection costs. KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Indiana KW - International Roughness Index KW - Pavement performance KW - Ruts (Pavements) KW - Service life KW - Smoothness KW - Warranty UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284316339 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60411/viewcontent.cgi1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429183 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616171 AU - Krechmer, Daniel AU - Blizzard, Katherine AU - Cheung, May Gin AU - Campbell, Robert AU - Alexiadis, Vassili AU - Hyde, Jason AU - Osborne, James AU - Jensen, Mark AU - Row, Shelley AU - Tudela, Aldo AU - Flanigan, Erin AU - Bitner, Jason AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Department of Transportation TI - Connected Vehicle Impacts on Transportation Planning—Outreach to Planning Community PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 68p AB - This document presents outreach memos on 11 case studies analyzing the impacts of connected and automated vehicles (C/AV) on transportation planning products. These 11 case studies are documented in depth in the associated project document entitled Connected Vehicle Impacts on Transportation Planning—Technical Memorandum #5: Case Studies (December 2015). The outreach memos are designed to provide transportation planners with a quick and concise source of the information detailed in Technical Memorandum #5. Each of the 11 memos contains a summary of key messages for transportation planners and a high-level account of the most significant or unique (relative to other transportation planning products) impacts of C/AV on that particular transportation planning product. The principal objective of the case study research was to comprehensively assess how connected vehicles should be considered across the range of transportation planning processes and products developed by States, metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), and local agencies throughout the country. The outreach memos/case studies included are: 1) Transportation Improvement Program; 2) Statewide Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Architecture; 3) Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning; 4) Long-Range Metropolitan Transportation Plan; 5) Transportation Asset Management Plan; 6) Strategic Highway Safety Plan; 7) State Implementation Plan; 8) Transit Development Plan; 9) Public Involvement Plan; 10) Freight Plan; and 11) Financial Plan. KW - Case studies KW - Connected vehicles KW - Impact studies KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Outreach KW - Transportation planning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60239/FHWA-JPO-16-413.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428944 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616144 AU - Krechmer, Daniel AU - Blizzard, Katherine AU - Campbell, Robert AU - Jensen, Mark AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Department of Transportation TI - Connected Vehicle Impacts on Transportation Planning—Desk Reference PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 41p AB - The principal objective of this project, “Connected Vehicle Impacts on Transportation Planning,” is to comprehensively assess how connected vehicles should be considered across the range of transportation planning processes and products developed by States, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), and local agencies throughout the country. This desk reference is designed to help transportation professionals quickly understand and begin planning for the wide variety of impacts that connected-automated vehicle (C/AV) technology is expected to have on transportation planning products and processes. It is a companion document to Connected Vehicles in Transportation Planning: Final Report and Primer, which provides a comprehensive summary of project impacts and case studies as well as project technical memoranda, which are described below. It summarizes and illustrates the connections between two key analyses conducted by the project: 1) a C/AV impact typology that identified how C/AV technology can be considered in transportation planning processes and products under a variety of circumstances; and 2) a series of case studies, including illustrative scenarios of C/AV in transportation planning, based on real-world planning products and environments. They highlight the various ways that C/AV can be addressed in planning processes and products. The reference is organized into three sections, summarized below. It is designed to be a flexible document, and it is not necessary to read the reference cover-to-cover or in order. Readers can simply turn their attention to whichever transportation planning product, planning step or process, C/AV impact, or C/AV application they need further information on. Sections include a brief summary of C/AV technology to provide readers with some background and context on the C/AV impacts cataloged in the desk reference. This is followed by a description of key elements which includes the transportation planning products impacted by C/AV, the transportation planning steps and processes within these planning products that are impacted by C/AV, the expected impacts of C/AV on planning products and planning steps, and the potential applications of C/AV technology relevant to transportation planning. The final section includes a series of tables which cross reference these key elements, allowing users to identify in which planning products and steps specific C/AV impacts are most likely to occur. KW - Applications KW - Connected vehicles KW - Impacts KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Manuals KW - Processes KW - Products KW - Technology KW - Transportation planning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60241/FHWA-JPO-16-421.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428946 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616143 AU - Krechmer, Daniel AU - Blizzard, Katherine AU - Cheung, May Gin AU - Campbell, Robert AU - Alexiadis, Vassili AU - Hyde, Jason AU - Osborne, James AU - Jensen, Mark AU - Row, Shelley AU - Tudela, Aldo AU - Flanigan, Erin AU - Bitner, Jason AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Department of Transportation TI - Connected Vehicle Impacts on Transportation Planning—Primer and Final Report PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 93p AB - The principal objective of this project, “Connected Vehicle Impacts on Transportation Planning,” is to comprehensively assess how connected vehicles should be considered across the range of transportation planning processes and products developed by States, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and local agencies throughout the country. This report summarizes the results of the findings and recommendations of the study and provides planners with a primer on how to begin to address the impacts of connected and automated vehicle (C/AV) technology in their work. The first section includes a summary description of the technologies and potential impacts. The following section includes a summary of potential impacts on planning goals, objectives, products, tools, and data. Impacts are identified as short-term (0 to 5 years), medium-term (5 to 20 years), or long-term (over 20 years). Impacts are then further examined in a series of case studies designed to help planners incorporate these technologies into their planning products. Eleven case studies are presented, each of which focuses on a planning activity. Impacts and suggested strategies are provided at each key step of product development along with sample applications. Case studies included are: 1) Transportation Improvement Program; 2) Statewide Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Architecture; 3) Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan; 4) Long-Range Metropolitan Transportation Plan; 5) Transportation Asset Management Plan; 6) Strategic Highway Safety Plan; 7) State Implementation Plan; 8) Transit Development Plan; 9) Public Involvement Plan; 10) Freight Plan; and 11) Financial Plan. The following section summarizes research and recommendations on the tools, techniques, and data required to evaluate C/AV-related investments. Gaps in current models and data are identified and a proposed research program for addressing these needs is presented. The final chapter includes a summary of current C/AV training programs and documents the stakeholder outreach that was used to help identify training and skill needs related to planning. Recommendations are included for new and enhanced training programs oriented toward planners, including content, audiences, and delivery methods. KW - Case studies KW - Connected vehicles KW - Impact studies KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Outreach KW - Stakeholders KW - Training KW - Transportation planning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60240/FHWA-JPO-16-4201.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428945 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01615146 AU - Keating, Daniel P AU - Huntley, Edward D AU - Arnedt, J Todd AU - Simons-Morton, Bruce AU - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor AU - Center for Advancing Transportation Leadership and Safety (ATLAS Center) AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Circadian Timing, Drowsy Driving, and Health Risk Behavior in Adolescent Drivers PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 26p AB - Both worldwide and in the United States, major contributors to adolescent and early adult mortality and morbidity arise from health risks characterized as behavioral misadventure. The large majority of deaths among 10-to 24-year-olds are due to risk-related events, and morbidity statistics for nonfatal events show a similar pattern. Motor-vehicle crashes account for over one-third of adolescent deaths. The reason for this elevated risk is likely multifactorial, implicating developmental, environmental, and biological mechanisms. One leading theory suggests a developmental maturity mismatch (DMM) between an earlier and faster-developing limbic-based “bottom-up” neural system characterized by heightened reactivity to motivational stimuli and rewards, while the prefrontally organized “top-down” system that enables more effective cognitive control and judgment matures more slowly. This DMM is hypothesized to contribute to elevated risk. Circadian timing may independently contribute to and interact with this DMM, increased risk for behavioral misadventure, and driver error. Both an evening chronotype and circadian misalignment are associated with decrements in sleep duration and sleep continuity, along with increased risk-taking and cognitive impairment. Thus, circadian mechanisms may affect neurocognitive pathways regulating reward-related behavior and decision making. Drowsy driving is common in adolescents and is a health-risk behavior that lends itself to exploring how the interaction of DMM and the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle may predispose novice, adolescent drivers to a set of developmentally unique vulnerabilities. There is thus a critical need to understand the mechanisms contributing to drowsy driving among novice, adolescent drivers, in order to improve preventive interventions, develop novel ones, and address potential changes in social and educational policies that can mitigate this major population health burden. The proposed research aims to characterize the role of chronotype and circadian misalignment in drowsy-driving and risky-driving behaviors, and the potentially mediating neurocognitive factors of impaired executive function and risk-reward processing. KW - Adolescents KW - Behavior KW - Circadian rhythms KW - Drivers KW - Drowsiness KW - High risk drivers KW - Risk taking KW - Sleep UR - http://www.atlas-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Keating-Huntley-ATLAS-2016-16-Final-Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60267/Keating-Huntley_-_ATLAS-2016-16_Final_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427159 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614852 AU - Schroeder, Jeremy AU - Plapper, Eric AU - Zeng, Henry AU - Krile, Bob AU - Battelle AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Public Perception of Safety Messages and Public Service Announcements on Dynamic Message Signs in Rural Areas PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 144p AB - The objective of this project was to assess the effectiveness and potential benefits of posting public service announcements (PSAs) in rural areas by surveying a variety of travelers in those areas, including local residents, tourists, and long-haul truck drivers. This project addressed a number of questions related to safety awareness and PSA messages on dynamic message signs (DMS), including: driver awareness, driver understanding, changes in driver behavior, and drivers’ opinions. Study findings provide an understanding of the usefulness and effectiveness of using DMS for safety and PSA campaigns, providing a basis for recommendations to influence and/or improve agencies’ guidelines, policies and operations on using DMS as a tool for safety and public service campaigns. KW - Behavior KW - Drivers KW - Highway safety KW - Public information programs KW - Public opinion KW - Public service announcements KW - Recommendations KW - Rural areas KW - Surveys KW - Variable message signs UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16048/fhwahop16048.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426167 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614352 AU - Liu, Haobing AU - Xu, Yanzhi Ann AU - Rodgers, Michael O AU - Akanser, Alper AU - Guensler, Randall AU - National Center for Sustainable Transportation AU - Georgia Institute of Technology AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Improved Energy and Emissions Modeling for Project Evaluation (MOVES-Matrix) PY - 2016/06 SP - 43p AB - The Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model was developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to estimate emissions from on-road and off-road vehicles in the United States. The MOVES model represents a significant improvement over the older MOBILE series of modes, primarily because emission rates are now much more modal in nature, representing emissions as a function of power surrogates, which depend on speed and acceleration. Traffic simulation model outputs and smartphone GPS data can provide second by-second vehicle activity data in time and space, including vehicle speed and acceleration data. Coupling high-resolution vehicle activity data with appropriate MOVES emission rates further advances research efforts designed to assess the environmental impacts of transportation design and operation strategies. However, the MOVES interface is complicated and the structure of input variables and algorithms involved in running MOVES to assess operational improvements makes analyses cumbersome and time consuming. The MOVES interface also makes it difficult to assess complicated transportation networks and to undertake analyses of large scale systems that are dynamic in nature. The MOVES-Matrix system developed by the research team can be used to perform emissions modeling activities in a fraction of the time compared to running MOVES. The approach involves running the MOVES model iteratively, across all potential input variable combination, and using the resulting multidimensional array of pre-run MOVES outputs in emissions modeling. KW - Algorithms KW - Computer models KW - Data processing centers KW - Databases KW - Environmental impacts KW - Exhaust gases KW - Information processing KW - Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) KW - Vehicle fleets UR - http://ncst.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/10-10-2016-NCST_MOVESMatrix_FinalReport_version-4.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm5cv95fq/2/producer%2FNCST-201606.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426340 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613818 AU - Steelman, Joshua AU - Stauffer, Steven AU - University of Nebraska, Lincoln AU - Nebraska Department of Roads AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Performance Assessment of Deteriorated and Retrofitted Steel HP Piles PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 98p AB - Steel piles are known to deteriorate at high rates in Nebraska, partially as a result of exposure to weathering, and partially due to corrosive soils. The Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) employs a reinforced concrete jacket to slow the progression of corrosion and also to restore capacity to deteriorated piles. The intent of this study was to assess the effectiveness of typical reinforced concrete encasement retrofits. The research included a literature review to collect information for current retrofit practices and research similar in nature to this study, followed by a series of experiments. The findings of the literature review showed that prescriptive concrete jackets were common, but fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) wraps are gaining popularity. Analytical and experimental support for pile retrofits is limited, and recent research is focused on FRP applications, leaving a gap in knowledge for the expected performance of traditional concrete jackets. For the experiments described in this report, two pile scenarios were represented: abutments and pile bents. For each type there was a non-deteriorated, deteriorated, and retrofitted specimen. The capacity of each pile was assessed by applying axial and flexure-inducing shear loads. Deteriorated and retrofitted cases simulated corrosion loss by milling the flanges and cutting out portions of the web. The retrofitted case utilized a reinforced concrete encasement consistent with reference drawings provided by NDOR. The key findings of this study were that the standard retrofit is sufficient and likely more robust than necessary, concomitant with a greater than anticipated jacket-to-pile bond strength developed at the retrofitted section. Further investigation is recommended to determine the bond characteristics of steel fully encased by concrete, and whether simplifications to the typical detail can reliably provide capacity restoration. KW - Abutments KW - Bents KW - Bond strength (Materials) KW - Corrosion KW - Deterioration KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Jacketing (Strengthening) KW - Laboratory tests KW - Literature reviews KW - Nebraska KW - Piles (Supports) KW - Reinforced concrete KW - Retrofitting UR - http://www.roads.nebraska.gov/media/5840/finalreportm027.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425032 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612311 AU - Sandt, Laura AU - Gallagher, James AU - Gelinne, Dan AU - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Advancing Pedestrian Safety Using Education and Enforcement Efforts in Pedestrian Focus Cities and States: North Carolina PY - 2016/06//Draft Final Report SP - 390p AB - The goal of this effort was to assist selected communities in North Carolina in implementing and evaluating education and enforcement activities. The team worked with communities in the Triangle area of NC to develop a comprehensive, community-wide pedestrian safety program. The program was influenced by an understanding of health behavior theories and best practices and informed by several data sources, including an analysis of pedestrian crash data, site visits, stakeholder input, and pedestrian safety action plans. The intervention used several strategies including radio ads, printed material, paid advertising, community engagement, earned media, and training of law enforcement officers to build their level of effectiveness in the project. Program evaluation included multiple measures, including tracking program implementation records, self-reporting by law enforcement regarding their knowledge, attitudes, and capacity, and driver yielding behaviors. Results identified significant use of paid media to spread pedestrian safety messages and large amounts of positive earned media coverage. The officer training course resulted in significant improvements in knowledge, self-reported behaviors, and capacity to perform enforcement operations to support the campaign. While first-year enforcement operations were noteworthy, more effort is needed to maximize the visibility of the enforcement and plan more routine, sustained efforts throughout the region. Driver yielding behaviors varied by location but significant changes from the pre-enforcement period to the post-enforcement period were not observed in the first-year time frame. The exception was at sites where law enforcement was at its highest intensity. Yielding rates were associated with site characteristics such as crossing placement and speed limits, and may be affected by seasonal trends. Lessons learned on program development and deliveries are provided. KW - Before and after studies KW - Behavior KW - Crash analysis KW - Drivers KW - Education and training KW - Evaluation KW - Implementation KW - Law enforcement personnel KW - North Carolina KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrian-vehicle crashes KW - Public information programs KW - Safety programs KW - Traffic law enforcement KW - Yielding UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812286-PromotingPedSafetyEdu-NC.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423976 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01611972 AU - Block, Alan AU - Avar Consulting, Incorporated AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Survey of DWI Courts PY - 2016/06 SP - 153p AB - Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Courts are a relatively new approach to combatting alcohol-impaired driving that borrows from the Drug Court Model and is directed at repeat DWI offenders and offenders having high blood alcohol concentrations at time of arrest. They attack the source of the problem by taking a comprehensive approach to changing behavior that includes accountability and long-term treatment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a web-based survey of DWI Courts and DWI/Drug Courts (court programs that handle both DWI and drug offenders) in April/May 2015 in order to obtain detailed information on how DWI Courts were operating. NHTSA conducted the survey in collaboration with the National Center for DWI Courts, who alerted State Drug Court Coordinators to the survey, supported NHTSA webinars that described the survey, and provided NHTSA with contact information for the court programs. In addition, NHTSA contracted with Avar Consulting, Inc., to develop, test, and manage the data collection website. A total of 156 courts responded to the survey from a contact list of 473. Two indicated that they did not operate a DWI Court, and 21 did not meet the minimum number of DWI cases (5) for survey eligibility. Another 28 began the survey but stopped after completing a small number of questions. This left 105 that filled out the questionnaire from beginning to end. With some exceptions, most participants in the responding court programs were non-Hispanic, White, and English-speaking. Two-thirds of the responding programs indicated that half or more of their DWI participants in 2014 were employed full time. The reported number of DWI participants currently active in the programs ranged from fewer than 10 to more than 200. More than half the responding programs reported fewer than 30 DWI participants; the median number was 25. Most programs said that they had the capacity to serve all convicted DWI offenders eligible to participate in their programs, although one-third reported that was not the case. Where the number eligible exceeded capacity, 56 percent of the programs indicated that the difference was 15 or fewer slots while one-in-six said the difference was more than 75 slots. The vast majority of responding court programs said that treatment and supervision of program participants changes as the participant proceeds through the program, with programs having a minimum of three phases. The median reported amount of time that participants spent in the program before graduating was 17 months. The programs had a DWI Court team involved in decisions regarding the program for DWI participants and in monitoring their progress. Staffing meetings to discuss the participants were held weekly or else every other week. For treatment services, most responding programs referred DWI participants to treatment providers operating independently from the court. Available treatment services usually included counseling, support group services, relapse prevention, and intensive outpatient. Programs tended to integrate mental health and substance abuse treatment for DWI participants having co-occurring disorders. The programs typically drug/alcohol tested the participants multiple times a week during the initial phase of the program. Participants were likely to receive sanctions for positive drug tests and other forms of program non-compliance. The vast majority of programs also handed out rewards for achievements. KW - Court operations KW - Courts KW - Demographics KW - Driver rehabilitation KW - Drugged drivers KW - Drunk drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Offenders KW - Safety programs KW - Surveys UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812283-Survey-of-DWI-Courts.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423449 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610842 AU - Prozzi, Jorge A AU - Smit, Andre AU - Serigos, Pedro AU - Kouchaki, Sareh AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - International Center for Partnered Pavement Preservation (ICP3): First Year Progress Report PY - 2016/06 SP - 60p AB - The Accelerating Innovation in Partnered Pavement Preservation project was initiated to promote and streamline research in the area of pavement preservation and to optimize the use of Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT’s) research and implementation resources by fostering cooperation and collaboration with the US DOT Center for Highway Pavement Preservation (CHPP). CHPP is a research and innovation partnership lead by Michigan State University which members include: The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, The University of Minnesota, The University of Hawaii at Manoa and North Carolina A&T University. This preliminary progress report summarizes the work performed during the first five months of the project, from April to August 2015. During this period two task orders were developed and the corresponding work was planned and initiated. This report also presents the initial findings of these two task orders. The two task orders are: 1) Determination of Field Performance of Thin Overlays Relative to Alternative Preservation Techniques and 2) Quantification of Highway Pavement Surface Micro- and Macro-Texture. KW - Macrotexture KW - Microtexture KW - Overlays (Pavements) KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement performance KW - Research projects KW - Surface course (Pavements) KW - Texas KW - Texas Department of Transportation UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6878-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421308 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610792 AU - Mirchandani, Pitu B AU - Li, Pengfei AU - Zhou, Xuesong AU - Arizona State University, Tempe AU - SOLARIS University Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Integrating Meso- and Micro-Simulation Models to Evaluate Traffic Management Strategies - Year 1 PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 36p AB - In this project the researchers developed a hierarchical multi-resolution traffic simulation system for metropolitan areas, referred to as MetroSim. Categorically, the focus is on integrating two types of simulation: microscopic simulation in which individual vehicle’s behaviors and vehicles’ interactions are simulated with high fidelity; and mesoscopic simulation (a dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) type simulator) in which individual vehicle’s behaviors and vehicles’ interactions are simplified. It has been noticed that some drawbacks exist with the DTA-type simulators that are used to simulate large-scale urban traffic networks where traffic signal systems play an essential role. Specifically, DTA-type simulators can hardly emulate a traffic signal control mechanism close to the reality. Instead, in most cases, the DTA-type simulators approximate signal control effects at intersections just by reducing the adjacent link capacities or increasing the corresponding link travel times. The lack of high-fidelity traffic signal control in DTA simulator may bring significant bias to the simulation results. At the other end of the spectrum, microscopic simulator cannot be applied to large-scale simulation because of the demand on computing resources necessary to run the simulation model. To address the aforementioned issues and provide a flexible simulation platform applicable to both planning projects and operations analysis, (in particular, to develop and evaluate innovative adaptive signal control strategies for large networks), the Arizona State University (ASU) research team developed a prototype of multi-resolution traffic simulation platform, MetroSim. KW - Dynamic traffic assignment KW - Mesoscopic traffic flow KW - Metropolitan areas KW - Microsimulation KW - Prototypes KW - Traffic signals KW - Traffic simulation UR - http://www.unr.edu/Documents/engineering/solaris/Mirchandani_MetroSim_Task%20A%20year%201%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421189 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609807 AU - Ioannou, Petros AU - Zhang, Yihang AU - Zhao, Yanbo AU - National Center for Sustainable Transportation AU - METRANS Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Traffic Flow Models and Impact of Combined Lane Change and Speed Limit Control on Environment in Case of High Truck Traffic Volumes: A National Center for Sustainable Transportation Research Report PY - 2016/06 SP - 33p AB - This report presents the work performed in collaboration with University of California, Riverside (UCR) as part of a project to University of California, Davis funded by the California Energy Commission (CEC). The aim of the project is to research intelligent traffic control strategies, which will have positive impact on the environment by reducing fuel consumption and pollution levels in areas where the truck volume is relatively high, using as an example for demonstration a network adjacent to the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The work is divided into two parts. The first part involves the development of a microscopic traffic simulation network in a selected area around the Ports of Long Beach/Los Angeles in collaboration with UCR to be used for simulation studies of different Intelligent Transportation Technologies for traffic flow control. The second part deals with the evaluation of the impact of combined variable speed limit (VSL) and lane change control on the environment during highway incidents where the volume of trucks is relatively high. The authors use the simulation model developed in the first part to carry out microscopic Monte-Carlo traffic flow simulations of traffic in order to evaluate the benefits of combined VSL and lane change control during incidents on I-710 that involve closure of lanes and capacity drops. The authors demonstrated that this combined control strategy is able to generate consistent improvements with respect to travel time, safety, and environmental impact under different traffic conditions and incident scenarios. KW - Lane changing KW - Los Angeles Metropolitan Area KW - Monte Carlo method KW - Speed limits KW - Traffic flow KW - Traffic models KW - Truck traffic KW - Variable speed limits UR - http://ncst.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/06-08-2016-Ioannou_FinalReport_NCST-format.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm5cv95fq/1/producer%2FNCST-201606.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416849 ER - TY - SER AN - 01609440 JO - Hydraulic Engineering Circular PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Kilgore, Roger T AU - Herrmann, George (Rudy) AU - Thomas, Wilbert O AU - Thompson, David B AU - Kilgore Consulting & Management AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Highways in the River Environment — Floodplains, Extreme Events, Risk, and Resilience PY - 2016/06//2nd IS - 17 SP - 158p AB - This manual provides technical guidance and methods for assessing the vulnerability of transportation facilities to extreme events and climate change in riverine environments. The focus is quantifying exposure to extreme flood events considering climate change and other sources of nonstationarity. It is anticipated that there will be multiple uses for this guidance including risk and vulnerability assessments, planning activities, and design procedure development. The manual provides an overview of federal policies affecting floodplains and floodplain development including Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) policies as they affect transportation. It also provides a description of extreme and other flood events and provides an overview of the rainfall/runoff and statistical models designers use for hydrologic design. The manual also discusses the uncertainty associated with hydrologic models. With a view toward future design, the manual explains the concept of nonstationarity and two important drivers for nonstationarity: climate change and land use/land cover changes. The manual introduces several tools for identifying and adjusting for trends in the historical record, as well as techniques for projecting floods. The manual provides an overview of climate modeling including descriptions of global climate models (GCMs), regional climate models (RCMs), statistical downscaling, and emissions scenarios. To provide guidance to planners and engineers who plan, design, and maintain the nation’s transportation infrastructure, the manual establishes a context based on the principles of risk and resilience. The manual describes the probabilistic nature of flood events and describes a larger assessment framework to provide cost-effective transportation assets. The manual provides an analysis framework and specific guidance for addressing nonstationarity, including climate change, based on five levels of analysis. The guidance recognizes that all plans and projects do not merit the same attention. Finally, the manual provides case studies to illustrate several of the concepts included in the manual. KW - Case studies KW - Climate change KW - Flood plains KW - Floods KW - Forecasting KW - Highways KW - Hydrologic phenomena KW - Manuals KW - Policy KW - Rainfall KW - Risk assessment KW - Rivers KW - Runoff KW - Statistical analysis KW - Uncertainty UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/hydraulics/pubs/hif16018.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420799 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609438 AU - Smit, Andre de Fortier AU - Trevino, Manuel AU - Garcia, Natalia Zuniga AU - Buddhavarapu, Prasad AU - Prozzi, Jorge AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Selection and Design of Quiet Pavement Surfaces PY - 2016/06//Technical Report SP - 179p AB - This report provides guidelines for the selection and design of quieter pavement surfaces. The focus is on reducing noise at the tire-pavement interface, although the use of quieter pavement surfaces in conjunction with other noise abatement options, such as noise barriers, is also addressed as a case study. A comprehensive literature review is included that outlines the current state of the art in designing quieter pavements and all relevant contributing factors in terms of surface macrotexture, porosity, and resilience. An extensive pavement-noise database was compiled containing a large number and variety of different pavement surfaces used in Texas. In the effort to develop laboratory procedures for designing quieter surfaces, this database was analyzed to identify all relevant design parameters influencing noise. A laboratory test and design procedure to measure and evaluate noise was developed and correlated against design parameters for asphalt and concrete surfaces. Field testing of different asphalt and concrete surfaces was completed, including noise measurements using the on-board sound intensity test method as well as field measurements of surface macrotexture and permeability. The case study documents the design and use of a noise barrier in conjunction with low-noise surfaces to address noise complaints from residents residing along a busy stretch of Interstate Highway 30 (IH30) near Dallas. Products of this research include detailed laboratory test procedures for measuring noise generated by surface materials and a set of guidelines developed to provide the Districts with recommendations to assist in selecting appropriate candidate projects for low-noise surfaces and for designing surfaces to provide long-term noise reductions. KW - Case studies KW - Dallas (Texas) KW - Databases KW - Field tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Literature reviews KW - Measuring methods KW - Noise barriers KW - Pavement design KW - State of the art KW - Surface course (Pavements) KW - Test procedures KW - Tire/pavement noise UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6819-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420481 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608714 AU - Block, David AU - Brooker, Paul AU - University of Central Florida, Cocoa AU - Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - 2015 Electric Vehicle Market Summary and Barriers PY - 2016/06 SP - 13p AB - The object of this research report is to present the current market status of plug-in-electric vehicles (PEVs) and to predict their future penetration within the world and U.S. markets. The sales values for 2015 show that China leads in yearly sales at 214,283 (triple increase for 2014) followed by Western Europe at 184,500 vehicles sold. The U.S. is third at 115,262 followed by Japan at 46,339 vehicles. These four countries comprise 95% of the global sales market. The world total of EV sales for 2015 is estimated to be 565,668 up from 315,519 in 2014. This data also shows that the overall world growth is 79% and that Western Europe is now ahead of the U.S. in total cumulative vehicles. Within the U.S., the PEV sales results for 2015 show that 115,262 vehicles were sold as compared to 118,882 vehicles in 2014 which is lower by -3 % from 2014. However, sales for the first 6 months of 2016 are 19% greater than the sales for the same period in 2015. On a state basis, California is the largest market with about 55% of the sales for 2015 and a growth of 4.6% over 2014. The total cumulative number of EVs sold in the U.S. over the six year lifetime is now at more than 400,000 vehicles. Looking at the U.S. PEV sales data, the future has dimmed over the past year. However, when consideration is given to the world market, the future is extremely bright and the U.S. may well be left behind. PEVs in the world market are rapidly growing due to the various country policies and to the development of lithium-ion batteries from both a technological and manufacturing standpoint. The current work also evaluated the types of barriers to EV usage and the actions, incentives and research to overcome the barriers. The barriers to large scale EV usage are costs, range, availability of charging stations, charging time, battery life and infrastructure, standard and permitting. Results are presented for overcoming each of the barriers that includes incentives and technical progress. KW - Countries KW - Electric vehicles KW - Forecasting KW - Market assessment KW - Sales KW - States KW - Trend (Statistics) UR - http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/pdf/FSEC-CR-2027-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420251 ER - TY - SER AN - 01608703 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Over, Thomas AU - Saito, Riki AU - Veilleux, Andrea AU - Sharpe, Jennifer AU - Soong, David AU - Ishii, Audrey AU - U.S. Geological Survey AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Estimation of Peak Discharge Quantiles for Selected Annual Exceedance Probabilities in Northeastern Illinois PY - 2016/06 IS - 16-014 SP - 334p AB - This report provides two sets of equations for estimating peak discharge quantiles at annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) of 0.50, 0.20, 0.10, 0.04, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005, and 0.002 (recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500 years, respectively) for watersheds in Illinois based on annual maximum peak discharge data from 117 watersheds in and near northeastern Illinois. One set of equations was developed through a temporal analysis with a two-step least squares-quantile regression technique that measures the average effect of changes in the urbanization of the watersheds used in the study. The resulting equations can be used to adjust rural peak discharge quantiles for the effect of urbanization, and in this study the equations also were used to adjust the annual maximum peak discharges from the study watersheds to 2010 urbanization conditions. The other set of equations was developed by a spatial analysis. This analysis used generalized least-squares regression to fit the peak discharge quantiles computed from the urbanization-adjusted annual maximum peak discharges from the study watersheds to drainage-basin characteristics. The peak discharge quantiles were computed by using the Expected Moments Algorithm following the removal of potentially influential low floods defined by a multiple Grubbs-Beck test. To improve the quantile estimates, generalized skew coefficients were obtained from a newly developed regional skew model in which the skew increases with the urbanized land use fraction. The drainage-basin characteristics used as explanatory variables in the spatial analysis include drainage area, the fraction of developed land, the fraction of land with poorly drained soils or likely water, and the basin slope estimated as the ratio of the basin relief to basin perimeter. This report also provides: (1) examples to illustrate the use of the spatial and urbanization-adjustment equations for estimating peak discharge quantiles at ungaged sites and to improve flood-quantile estimates at and near a gaged site; (2) the urbanization-adjusted annual maximum peak discharges and peak discharge quantile estimates at streamgages from 181 watersheds including the 117 study watersheds and 64 additional watersheds in the study region that were originally considered for use in the study but later deemed to be redundant. The urbanization-adjustment equations, spatial regression equations, and peak discharge quantile estimates developed in this study will be made available in the web-based application StreamStats, which provides automated regression-equation solutions for user-selected stream locations. Figures and tables comparing the observed and urbanization-adjusted peak discharge records by streamgage are provided at http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20165050 for download. KW - Drainage basins KW - Illinois KW - Land use KW - Peak discharge KW - Regression analysis KW - Spatial analysis KW - Urbanization KW - Watersheds UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=4974 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419247 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608688 AU - Taylor, Catherine L AU - Hyde, David J AU - Barr, Lawrence C AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - National Aeronautics and Space Administration TI - Hyperloop Commercial Feasibility Analysis: High Level Overview PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 47p AB - Hyperloop is a concept for very high-speed, fixed-guideway, intercity surface transportation, using capsule-like vehicles that operate in sealed partial-vacuum tubes. This report provide a high-level evaluation of hyperloop in terms of its commercial potential, environmental impact, costs, safety issues, and regulatory issues and to identify hurdles to its commercial and/or operational feasibility. KW - Commercial transportation KW - Costs KW - Environmental impacts KW - Evaluation KW - Feasibility analysis KW - High speed ground transportation KW - Intercity transportation KW - Regulations KW - Safety UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59300/59393/DOT-VNTSC-NASA-16-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417887 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608651 AU - Liu, Jenny AU - Zhao, Sheng AU - Li, Lin AU - Center for Environmentally Sustainable Transportation in Cold Climates AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities TI - Characterization of Alaskan Hot-Mix Asphalt Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Material PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 194p AB - In order to properly characterize Alaskan hot-mix asphalt (HMA) materials containing recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), this study evaluated properties of 3 asphalt binders typically used in Alaska, PG 52-28, PG 52-40, and PG 58-34, and 11 HMA mixtures containing up to 35% RAP that were either produced in the lab or collected from existing paving projects in Alaska. Various binder and mixture engineering properties were determined, including true high binder grades, complex modulus (|G*|), and phase angle (δ) at high performance temperatures, multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) recovery rate and compliance, bending beam rheometer (BBR) stiffness and m-value, direct tension (DTT) failure stress and strain for binders, and dynamic modulus, flow number, indirect tension (IDT) creep stiffness and strength for mixtures. Binder cracking temperatures were determined through Thermal Stress Analysis Routine (TSAR) software along with BBR and DTT data. Mixture cracking temperatures were determined with IDT creep stiffness and strength data. It was found that rutting may not be a concern with Alaskan RAP mix, while low-temperature cracking concerns may still exist in RAP mix in Alaska. A savings of $13.3/ton was estimated for a 25% RAP mix, with consideration of Alaskan situations. Many recommendations for future RAP practice and research are recommended based on testing results and cost analysis. KW - Alaska KW - Bituminous binders KW - Cracking KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Pavement performance KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Recommendations KW - Rutting KW - Stiffness KW - Thermal analysis KW - Thermal stresses UR - http://cem.uaf.edu/media/187206/rap-project-report_final_cesticc.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417855 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608634 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Climate Change and Environmental Justice: Considerations for Transportation Decision-making PY - 2016/06 SP - 4p AB - Rising levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution, primarily from burning fossil fuels, are trapping heat in the atmosphere, causing climate changes such as: more frequent heat waves, heavier downpours, rising sea levels, and stronger coastal storms. Low-income communities are often severely impacted because they have fewer resources than most in the area to adapt to such changes. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) policy statement on climate change affirmed that USDOT will address issues of inequality and environmental justice (EJ) associated with climate change impacts and adaptation. Transportation agencies at the Federal, State, and local levels can reduce negative impacts of climate change on low-income populations and minority populations (EJ communities), through stakeholder inclusion, proactive planning, risk mapping, and the careful consideration of community needs in emergency operations procedures. This brief publication looks at climate change impacts on transportation for EJ communities; impacts of climate change action strategies on transportation needs of EJ communities; and resources for identifying and addressing the needs of EJ communities. KW - Climate change KW - Decision making KW - Environmental justice KW - Low income groups KW - Stakeholders KW - Transportation departments KW - Transportation planning KW - United States UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_justice/publications/ej_and_climate/ejandclimatechange.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418033 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608615 AU - Guensler, Randall AU - Khoeini, Sara AU - Sheikh, Adnan AU - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Macro-Modeling and Micro-Modeling Tools for HOV-to-HOT Lane Analysis PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 58p AB - This report summarizes the analysis of observed commuting changes after conversion of an existing carpool lane into a high-occupancy toll lane, on 15.5 miles of Atlanta I-85. The team explored the correlations between observed changes in travel behavior and the socio-spatial characteristics of the users using 1.5 million license plate observations coupled with census demographic data. Commuter response was evident in the observed changes in commuter choice to continue to use the new managed lane, or move to the general purpose lane after conversion. Aggregate-level socio-spatial analysis of the impacts of the Atlanta I-85 high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) to high-occupancy toll (HOT) conversion across demographic groups and socio-economic attributes are presented in this report. This study enhances the ability of modelers to integrate managed lanes into travel demand models, with respect to travel demand response across user characteristics. The report also introduces a comprehensive modeling framework for socioeconomic analysis of managed lanes. The methods developed through this can inform future Traffic and Revenue Studies and help to better predict the socio-spatial characteristics of the target market. KW - Analysis KW - Atlanta (Georgia) KW - Commuting KW - Demographics KW - High occupancy toll lanes KW - High occupancy vehicle lanes KW - Managed lanes KW - Socioeconomic factors KW - Spatial analysis KW - Travel behavior KW - Travel demand UR - http://g92018.eos-intl.net/eLibSQL14_G92018_Documents/14-31.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418718 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608555 AU - Eshraghi, Alireza AU - Sariri, Shawyun AU - Schwarzer, Volker AU - Ghorbani, Reza AU - University of Hawaii, Manoa AU - University of Hawaii, Manoa AU - University of Central Florida, Cocoa AU - Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Islanding Detection and Over Voltage Mitigation using Wireless Sensor Networks and Electric Vehicle Charging Stations PY - 2016/06 SP - 15p AB - An islanding condition occurs when a distributed generation (DG) unit continues to energize a part of the grid while said part has been isolated from the main electrical utility. In this event, if the power of the DG exceeds the load, a transient over voltage (TOV) will occur. The adverse effects of TOVs and islanding require that sub-circuits within a power grid not only allow the detection of islanding and TOVs, but also mitigate the over voltages while having the ability to disconnect DG from the grid, if necessary. This paper proposes a solution to this problem based on wireless sensor networks (WSN) and the use of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations as their central communication hubs. Using a simulation, EVs connected to the charging stations are fast-acting loads for the mitigation of TOVs. KW - Electric power transmission KW - Electric vehicle charging KW - Electric vehicles KW - Grids (Transmission lines) KW - Overvoltage KW - Sensors KW - Simulation UR - http://evtc.fsec.ucf.edu/publications/documents/HNEI-08-15.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420250 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608547 AU - Mirchandani, Pitu B AU - Peng, Dening AU - Arizona State University, Tempe AU - SOLARIS University Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Scheduling Work Zones in Multi-Modal Networks, Phase I: Scheduling Work Zones in Transportation Service Networks PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 70p AB - The purpose of this project is to study the optimal scheduling of work zones so that they have minimum negative impact (e.g., travel delay, gas consumption, accidents, etc.) on transport service vehicle flows. In this project, a mixed integer linear programming model is developed to schedule work zones in transportation service (i.e., trucking service) networks. The model schedules lane closures of links that need maintenance in a transportation network. When some lanes of a link are closed, the available capacity of that link is reduced. In the assumed scenarios, based on the available capacities on the links, given origin-destination (OD) flow demands are provided system optimal routing through the network to achieve total minimum flow cost for all the OD pairs. The link flow cost function is piece-wise linear such that regular flow cost is incurred for all the units flowing through the link at free flow while extra congestion cost is incurred for the units exceeding the link’s nominal capacity. The goal is to schedule the work zones, that is, the corresponding lane closures, so that all maintenance work can be completed before a given completion date while the total flow cost over the project period is minimized. An innovative randomized fix-and-optimize (RFO) heuristic is developed to solve the problem efficiently. Various networks are tested for the performance comparison between CPLEX and RFO. It is concluded that the RFO heuristic is able to obtain optimal or near-optimal solutions with much less time than CPLEX. In Phase 2 of the project planned in the next period, Scheduling Work Zones in Commuter Transportation Networks, commuters from their origins to their destinations are included in the work zone scheduling problem. KW - Construction scheduling KW - Costs KW - Lane closure KW - Links (Networks) KW - Mixed integer programming KW - Optimization KW - Origin and destination KW - Traffic flow KW - Travel demand KW - Truck traffic KW - Work zones UR - http://www.unr.edu/Documents/engineering/solaris/Mirchandani_Work Zone_Final Report PM.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418190 ER - TY - SER AN - 01608524 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Ashiquzzaman, Md AU - Hui, Li AU - Schmeltz, Justin AU - Merino, Carlos AU - Bozkurt, Bora AU - Ibrahim, Ahmed AU - Lindquist, Will AU - Hindi, Riyadh AU - Saint Louis University AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Effectiveness of Exterior Beam Rotation Prevention Systems for Bridge Deck Construction PY - 2016/06 IS - 16-016 SP - 126p AB - Bridge decks often overhang past the exterior girders in order to increase the width of the deck while limiting the required number of longitudinal girders. The overhanging portion of the deck results in unbalanced eccentric loads to the exterior girders, which are generally greatest during construction. These eccentric loads mainly come from the bridge placing and finishing equipment as well as fresh concrete and other construction live loads that can create rotation of the exterior girders in the transverse direction. The rotations can also affect both the global and local stability of the girders as well as the bridge. In this study, the current bracing systems used by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) were evaluated through field instrumentation, finite element analysis (FEA), and the use of the Torsional Analysis Exterior Girders (TAEG)) program. Alternative bracing systems were evaluated through an experimental study and FEA. Based on this work, it is recommended that intermediate cross frames with top and bottom angles in addition to cross-angle sections in the exterior panels be specified to limit exterior girder rotation during construction. An alternative approach is to place transverse ties and diagonal pipes in the exterior panels at a spacing to maintain the spacing-to-girder-depth ratio below 3.94. KW - Beams KW - Bracing KW - Bridge construction KW - Bridge decks KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Finite element method KW - Girders KW - Illinois Department of Transportation KW - Rotation UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=4976 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417690 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01607607 AU - Agrawal, Asha Weinstein AU - Nixon, Hilary AU - San Jose State University AU - Metropolitan Transportation Commission AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - What Do Americans Think About Federal Tax Options to Support Public Transit, Highways, and Local Streets and Roads? Results from Year Seven of a National Survey PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 131p AB - This report summarizes the results of year seven of a national random-digit-dial public opinion poll asking 1,503 respondents if they would support various tax options for raising federal transportation revenues, with a special focus on understanding support for increasing revenues for public transit. Ten specific tax options tested were variations on raising the federal gas tax rate, creating a new mileage tax, and creating a new federal sales tax. Other questions probed perceptions related to public transit, including knowledge and opinions about federal taxes to support transit. In addition, the survey collected data on standard sociodemographic factors, travel behavior (public transit usage, annual miles driven, and vehicle fuel efficiency), respondents’ views on the quality of their local transportation system, their priorities for government spending on transportation in their state, and environmental concerns. All of this information is used to assess support levels for the tax options among different population subgroups. The survey results show that a majority of Americans would support higher taxes for transportation – under certain conditions. For example, a gas tax increase of 10¢ per gallon to improve road maintenance was supported by 75% of respondents, whereas support levels dropped to just 31% if the revenues were to be used more generally to maintain and improve the transportation system. For tax options in which the revenues were to be spent for undefined transportation purposes, support levels varied considerably by what kind of tax would be imposed, with a sales tax much more popular than either a gas tax increase or a new mileage tax. With respect to public transit, the survey results show that most people want good public transit service in their state. In addition, two-thirds of respondents supported spending gas tax revenues on transit. However, questions exploring different methods to raise new revenues found relatively low levels of support for raising gas tax or transit fare rates. Also, not all respondents were well informed about how transit is funded, with only half knowing that fares do not cover the full cost of transit. KW - Demographics KW - Financing KW - Highways KW - Mileage-based user fees KW - Public opinion KW - Public transit KW - Surveys KW - Taxes UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1528-road-and-transit-taxes-public-opinion-survey-2016.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm57m4wm3/1/producer%2FCA-MTI-16-1528.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412419 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605790 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - LaFave, James M AU - Fahnestock, Larry A AU - Wright, Beth A AU - Riddle, Joseph K AU - Jarrett, Matthew W AU - Svatora, Jeffrey S AU - An, Huayu AU - Brambila, Gabriela AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Integral Abutment Bridges Under Thermal Loading: Numerical Simulations and Parametric Study PY - 2016/06 IS - 16-015 SP - 85p AB - Integral abutment bridges (IABs) have become of interest due to their decreased construction and maintenance costs in comparison to conventional jointed bridges. Most prior IAB research was related to substructure behavior, and, as a result, most limit states that have been considered in design guidelines have been based on substructure considerations. However, integral abutment construction also affects superstructure behavior and demands, and superstructure properties directly influence substructure behavior. This report presents numerical simulations evaluating the behavior of IABs with composite steel I-girders subjected to temperature changes consistent with seasonal fluctuations in the state of Illinois. Nonlinear bridge models are introduced in which key parameters are varied, such as span length, pile size, and skew. Other parameters that were deemed of less importance, like various pile and soil conditions, are studied as well. Three-dimensional finite element model results indicate that longitudinal bridge movement is directly dependent on IAB effective expansion length (EEL), regardless of other bridge design parameters. Structural responses such as girder superstructure elastic stress and pile substructure inelastic strain are influenced by EEL, pile type and size, superstructure rotational stiffness, and bridge skew. Results presented herein suggest that superstructure geometry—including bridge skew—should be considered in IAB substructure design and that thermally induced stresses and strains should be considered in superstructure and substructure design. KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge superstructures KW - Finite element method KW - Girders KW - Illinois KW - Jointless bridges KW - Parametric analysis KW - Simulation KW - Skew bridges KW - Thermal stresses UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=4972 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416842 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605775 AU - Felton, Benjamin R AU - Goodall, Jonathan L AU - Fitch, G Michael AU - Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Leveraging Freely Available Remote Sensing and Ancillary Datasets for Semi- Automated Identification of Potential Wetland Areas Using a Geographic Information System (GIS) PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 31p AB - The purpose of this study was to develop a wetland identification tool that makes use of freely available geospatial datasets to identify potential wetland locations at a spatial scale relevant for transportation corridor assessments. The tool was developed to assist the Virginia Department of Transportation in wetland identification over large geographic regions. Wetland identification is an integral part of many construction projects performed by state departments of transportation. However, current methods for wetland identification in support of these activities are lacking in one or more of the following ways: inadequate use of ancillary data, little automation, failure to leverage freely available data, excessive computation times, high expense, or the requiring of software not typically available to state departments of transportation. This study addressed these limitations through development of a geographic information system (GIS)-based wetland screening tool with freely available data and automated geoprocessing workflows to assist in wetland identification over large geographic regions. The tool was designed as a screening tool able to identify potential wetland areas that would require further investigation by a trained wetland identification expert. Therefore, the tool was designed to minimize false negatives: cases where the tool incorrectly designates wetland as non-wetland. Application of the tool to a study region with detailed wetland delineations showed that the tool correctly identified wetlands nearly 70% of the time, produced false positives 24% of the time, and produced false negatives only 6% of the time. The tool allows decision makers to adjust the sensitivity of the wetland identification algorithm in order to decrease false negatives at the expense of increasing the fraction of the study area identified as potential wetland. The tool, therefore, allows decision makers to balance trade-offs between the amount of area requiring more detailed wetland identification and the frequency with which wetland areas are misidentified by the screening tool as false negatives. Although the wetland identification tool was shown to be effective, future studies will be required to calibrate and validate the tool further using a broader range of application areas. The study recommends that this be done by way of additional corridor analyses to facilitate further improvements to the tool. KW - Decision support systems KW - Detection and identification KW - Geographic information systems KW - Geospatial analysis KW - Remote sensing KW - Spatial analysis KW - State departments of transportation KW - Transportation corridors KW - Transportation planning KW - Virginia KW - Wetlands UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/16-r21.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415837 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605773 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Comparison of Driver Yielding for Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons Used Above and Below Pedestrian Crossing Signs PY - 2016/06 SP - 8p AB - Traffic control devices, such as rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs), have been shown to increase the number of drivers yielding to crossing pedestrians. Evaluations of field installations of these devices have been conducted in several locations, including Florida, Texas, Oregon, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Calgary, AB. Before-after studies have shown a large increase in driver yielding between the before period (range of 1 to 83 percent) to the after period (range of 38 to 98 percent). Although the RRFB is allowed under interim approval from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), there is a growing interest in adding it to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The Signals Technical Committee (STC) of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which assists in developing language for chapter 4 of the MUTCD, is interested in research and/or assistance in developing materials on the design, application, and effectiveness of the RRFB. One of the areas for which the STC is seeking advice is the position of the beacons relative to the crossing sign. For example, does positioning the beacons above the sign improve the driver’s ability to see a pedestrian crossing or waiting to cross and thus yield to crossing pedestrians? This TechBrief describes the methodology and results from an open-road study sponsored by FHWA that examined driver yielding behavior at crosswalks with RRFBs positioned above the pedestrian crossing sign and at crosswalks with RRFBs positioned below the sign. KW - Behavior KW - Crosswalks KW - Drivers KW - Field studies KW - Flashing beacons KW - Methodology KW - Pedestrian signs KW - Yielding UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/16041/16041.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415261 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605753 AU - Perez, William A AU - Bertola, Mary Anne AU - Philips, Brian AU - Leidos AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Active Traffic Management: Comprehension, Legibility, Distance, and Motorist Behavior in Response to Selected Variable Speed Limit and Lane Control Signing PY - 2016/06 SP - 110p AB - Active traffic management (ATM) incorporates a collection of strategies allowing the dynamic management of recurrent and nonrecurrent congestion based on prevailing traffic conditions. These strategies help to increase peak capacity, smooth traffic flows, and enhance safety on busy major highways. This final report describes a series of experiments that developed and tested alternative signs focusing on lane control signs (LCS) and variable speed limit (VSL) signs and used the deployments in Minnesota and Washington as inputs to sign development. Laboratory and field studies determined both the comprehension of the ATM signs as well as their respective legibility distances. Two driving simulator studies helped determine how motorists responded to these signs in a simulated driving environment. Research results are discussed for the various studies, including legibility distances, driver behavior, speed selection, and visual clutter with respect to the used of the LCS and VSL signs. KW - Advanced traffic management systems KW - Behavior KW - Comprehension KW - Distance KW - Drivers KW - Driving simulators KW - Field studies KW - Laboratory studies KW - Legibility KW - Minnesota KW - Variable message signs KW - Variable speed limits KW - Washington (State) UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/16037/16037.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415260 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605748 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Bike Network Mapping Idea Book PY - 2016/06 SP - 57p AB - This resource highlights ways that different communities have mapped their existing and proposed bicycle networks. It shows examples of maps at different scales, while also demonstrating a range of mapping strategies, techniques, and approaches. Facility types represented on the respective maps and legends are each different because they represent a community’s unique context and needs. It is intended to serve as a resource as communities work to identify, plan, and improve their bicycle networks. Connected pedestrian and bicycle networks make walking, wheeling, and bicycling viable transportation choices for everyone. Networks enhance access to jobs, schools, and health care, while also promoting equity, physical activity, and health. Connected networks are comprised of a range of facility types (e.g. bike lanes, separated bike lanes, shared use paths, etc.), linked together to facilitate short trips to and from destinations and long linear connections across a city or region. A first step to achieving connected networks is to document where bicycling infrastructure currently exists. It is also essential to establish a vision for the future network. This vision is often captured in the form of a map and it’s developed as part of a local planning process that includes opportunities for public participation and input. A community’s existing and proposed bicycle network maps inform the day-to-day programming and prioritization of projects and help to ensure that all transportation improvements are enhancing the quality of the nonmotorized network and capturing opportunities to make linkages between existing and new facilities. KW - Bicycle facilities KW - Cities KW - Mapping KW - Maps KW - Networks KW - Regional planning UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/bikemap_book/bikemap_book.pdf UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/bikemap_book/bikemap_book_lowres.pdf UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/bikemap_book/bikemap_book_part1.pdf UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/bikemap_book/bikemap_book_part2.pdf UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/bikemap_book/bikemap_book_part3.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415853 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605690 AU - Dahlberg, Justin M AU - Phares, Brent AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Polymer Concrete Overlay Evaluation PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 245p AB - The objectives of this work were to document the state-of-the-practice with respect to polymer concrete overlays, document the placement of two overlays in Iowa, monitor the field performance of the overlays over a two-year period, and relate their performance to material usage and/or workmanship. The two bridges—a Johnson County, Iowa bridge over I-80 on 12th Avenue in Coralville, and the Keg Creek Bridge on Hwy 6 in western Iowa, 10 miles east of Council Bluffs—were overlaid during the summer/fall of 2013. The process by which each bridge was overlaid was similar in many ways, although a few slight differences existed. Over time, each overlay has generally performed quite well with only a few areas of exception. It is believed that these localized areas likely underperformed due to poor deck preparation, improper polymer mixing, snowplow impact, or a combination thereof. KW - Bridge decks KW - Concrete overlays KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Highway bridges KW - Iowa KW - Polymer concrete KW - State of the practice UR - http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1206&context=intrans_reports UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415855 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605686 AU - Moruza, Audrey K AU - Matteo, Adam D AU - Mallard, Jonathan C AU - Milton, Jeffrey L AU - Nallapaneni, Prasad L AU - Pearce, Rex L AU - Virginia Transportation Research Council AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Methodology for Ranking Relative Importance of Structures to Virginia’s Roadway Network PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 61p AB - In 2011, the Structure and Bridge Division of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) requested assistance from the Virginia Transportation Research Council to develop a structure scoring tool that would rank the relative importance of VDOT-maintained structures to the highway network and to the economy of Virginia. Although tools existed to rank structures by condition and age, no scoring tool existed that systematically incorporated non–condition-based structure features known to be relevant to decision-makers, such as intensity of travel demand for a structure relative to its capacity, the relative magnitude of user costs imposed by potential closure of the structure, and the relative impact of closure of a particular structure on key nearby facilities. The new tool produces a structure score dubbed the “Importance Factor” score (IF score) for all open structures in VDOT’s current inventory database. IF scores are based on current data in the structure inventory database on which other structure scoring tools in current use are based, supplemented by geopositional data that identify schools, hospitals, and fire/rescue stations within half-mile increments of each eligible structure up to 3 miles. Beyond 3 miles, a structure is assumed to provide negligible mobilization options to these “key” facilities. IF scores are relative rankings; thus they have no inherent meaning at face value. The tool was statistically tested and adjusted to ensure that the structure characteristics selected to generate IF scores would have known and measurable impacts in accordance with the intentions of an expert panel composed of staff from VDOT’s Structure and Bridge Division. Consequently, the relative influences of the factors that determine IF scores are assured by model specification. IF scores are relative rankings of eligible VDOT-maintained structures and may be updated each time a structure inventory database is refreshed. To existing structure scoring tools that measure relative funding need among structures based on condition and age factors, the IF score adds the critically important dimension of the structure’s role in the highway system and the economy of Virginia. The study recommends that VDOT’s Structure and Bridge Division include consideration of IF scores in making closure decisions and in the process of allocating funds; that VDOT’s Structure and Bridge Division consider the new IF rankings, alongside condition and budget data, in decisions relating to bridge maintenance such as ranking structures for rehabilitation or replacement, restorative maintenance, and preventative maintenance actions when preparing the annual needs assessment; and that VDOT’s Traffic Engineering Division and Information Technology Division provide support to VDOT’s Structure and Bridge Division to automate the export of relevant data that are incorporated into the IF tool from data sources outside the Structure and Bridge Division. KW - Bridges KW - Decision support systems KW - Maintenance management KW - Methodology KW - Ranking (Statistics) KW - Spatial analysis KW - Structures KW - Virginia KW - Virginia Department of Transportation UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/16-r19.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1414826 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605683 JO - Traffic Safety Facts PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2014 Data: State Traffic Data PY - 2016/06 SP - 11p AB - In 2014 there were 32,675 fatalities in the United States (50 States and the District of Columbia, excluding Puerto Rico), a decrease of 1 percent from 2013 (32,894). Wyoming and Alaska had the greatest fatality increases from 2013 to 2014 at 72 and 43 percent, while Vermont and New Hampshire had the greatest decreases at 36 and 30 percent, respectively. This fact sheet includes fatalities and percent change by State 1975-2014 and the following 2014 data by State: fatalities involving alcohol or speeding, motorcyclists fatalities and helmet use, passenger vehicle occupant fatalities and restraint use, and vehicles involved in fatal crashes by person type. An additional section provides an overview of restraint use and motorcycle helmet use laws as of 2014. KW - Drunk driving KW - Fatalities KW - Motor vehicles KW - Motorcycle helmets KW - Motorcyclists KW - Seat belt use KW - Speeding KW - State laws KW - States KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Vehicle occupants UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812293 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415845 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605676 AU - Gibson, Bryan AU - Wallace, Candice AU - Kentucky Transportation Center AU - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Cost Benefit Analysis: Applications and Future Opportunities PY - 2016/06 SP - 46p AB - Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA or Benefit Cost Analysis — BCA) is an evaluation tool that state transportation agencies can use to compare infrastructure project options across transportation modes and gauge if the discounted value of benefits exceed the costs. CBA lets policymakers compare alternative project proposals to a baseline scenario, or status quo case, under which no investments are made. CBA is used to select which proposal is the most sensible investment — ideally, the project that maximizes benefits while minimizing costs should be chosen. As the use of CBA to evaluate projects and grant applications (e.g., Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants) continues to grow, state transportation agencies must gain knowledge of CBA methodologies, especially if they want to remain competitive for federal funding. This study documents historical trends in CBA from literature and past studies, provides background on how CBA’s are performed, and describes the purpose and basic function of CBAs. The researchers investigated CBA applications and programs that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) could potentially use to prioritize projects and identify other investment opportunities. This report serves as a primer on the basic elements of CBA, describes what costs and benefits are typically incorporated into analysis, and gives an overview of the formulas that are used to derive costs and benefits. In the transportation context, most benefits are derived from travel time savings and crash reductions. Typical costs include construction and subsequent maintenance. Researchers developed a simple workbook application that KYTC personnel can use to run a CBA. The workbook calculates present value of costs and benefits and makes both net present value (NPV) and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) available to the user. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Benefits KW - Costs KW - History KW - Kentucky Transportation Cabinet KW - Literature reviews KW - Methodology KW - State departments of transportation KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.ktc.uky.edu/files/2016/07/KTC_16_04_SPR16_517_1F.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416969 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605668 JO - Traffic Safety Facts PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2014 Data: Motorcycles PY - 2016/06 SP - 8p AB - In 2014 there were 4,586 motorcyclists killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes—a decrease of 2 percent from the 4,692 motorcyclists killed in 2013. There were an estimated 92,000 motorcyclists injured during 2014, a 5-percent increase from 88,000 motorcyclists injured in 2013. In 2014 two-wheeled motorcycles accounted for 93 percent of all motorcycles in fatal crashes. In 2014 motorcyclists accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, 4 percent of all people injured, 17 percent of all occupants (driver and passenger) fatalities, and 4 percent of all occupants injured. Of the 4,586 motorcyclists killed in traffic crashes, 94 percent (4,311) were riders and 6 percent (275) were passengers. This document presents information about motorcyclists killed and injured over the decade from 2005 to 2014. During this time both the number of injured people and people killed peaked around 2007 and 2008 but have fallen slightly since that time. The number of registered motorcycles and motorcycle vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are also presented, along with the respective fatality and injury rates (2014 VMT and registration data not yet available). Additional information is provided in this report including: motorcyclist fatalities by age, year, and day of the week; fatalities by motorcycle engine size; previous driving records; fatalities by state and blood alcohol levels; and helmet use and effectiveness. KW - Age KW - Blood alcohol levels KW - Engines KW - Fatalities KW - Injury rates KW - Motorcycle crashes KW - Motorcycle helmets KW - Motorcyclists KW - States KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/Publication/812292 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415848 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605660 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Road User Behaviors At Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons PY - 2016/06 SP - 8p AB - The pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB) has shown great potential for improving pedestrian safety and driver yielding. However, questions remain regarding under what roadway conditions— such as crossing distance (i.e., number of lanes) and posted speed limit—should it be considered for use. In addition, there are questions about the device’s operations; for example, a current topic of discussion within the profession is the way drivers treat a PHB when it is dark. PHBs dwell in a dark mode for drivers until activated by a pedestrian. A concern within the profession is that drivers will see a dark PHB and treat it as a Stop sign (R1-1), similar to the required behavior for a dark traffic control signal that has experienced a power outage. Because of the questions being asked regarding driver and pedestrian behaviors with PHBs, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sponsored a study to record behaviors at existing sites. This TechBrief describes the methodology and results from an open-road study that examined driver and pedestrian behavior at crosswalks with PHBs. KW - Behavior KW - Crosswalks KW - Drivers KW - Field studies KW - Flashing beacons KW - Methodology KW - Pedestrians KW - Traffic control devices UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/16039/16039.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415262 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605643 AU - Magel, Eric AU - National Research Council of Canada AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Validation of Electromagnetic Walking Stick Rail Surface Crack Measuring Systems PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 62p AB - A series of field studies were undertaken to evaluate electromagnetic walking stick systems and their ability to measure the depth of damage from surface breaking cracks. In total, four railroads, and four suppliers participated in the project. The walking sticks were able to determine whether cracks are present and, after multiple runs, whether crack length is increasing or declining. None of the evaluated units were able to accurately quantify crack depth. While the crack depth predictions most often exceeded the “measured/real” values, sometimes by 200 or 300%, the systems can determine where along the track (and where across the railhead) that cracking is present. This information may be useful for planning of rail grinding, monitoring and trending the progress in reducing and eliminating cracks, identifying clusters of damage at high resolution and point to localized problems with track geometry or other errors. Lastly these tools could be used to qualitatively evaluate the effectiveness of, for example, friction management, improved profiles and steels in mitigating surface fatigue. KW - Cracking KW - Electromagnetic devices KW - Evaluation KW - Field studies KW - Maintenance of way KW - Measuring methods KW - Rail (Railroads) UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16546 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415376 ER - TY - SER AN - 01605622 JO - TRAFFIC TECH PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Survey of DWI Courts PY - 2016/06 SP - 2p AB - Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Courts are a relatively new approach to combatting alcohol-impaired driving that borrows from the Drug Court Model and is directed at repeat DWI offenders and offenders having high blood alcohol contents (BACs) at time of arrest. These court programs attack the source of the problem by taking a comprehensive approach to changing behavior that includes accountability and long-term treatment. Whereas there is a substantial body of research demonstrating the effectiveness of Drug Courts, the same depth of research is lacking for DWI Courts. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a web-based survey of DWI Courts and DWI/Drug Courts (court programs that handle both DWI and drug offenders) in April through May 2015 in order to obtain detailed information on how DWI Courts were operating. NHTSA plans to use that information to help guide development of a program to evaluate DWI Courts. KW - Court operations KW - Courts KW - Drunk drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Offenders KW - Surveys UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812283-Survey-of-DWI-Courts.pdf UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812287-Survey-of-DWI-Courts-TT.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416829 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605556 AU - Grove, Kevin AU - Atwood, Jon AU - Hill, Pete AU - Fitch, Greg AU - Blanco, Myra AU - Guo, Feng AU - Russell, Sheldon AU - Marchese, Matthew AU - Bartholomew, Paul AU - Richards, Trevor AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Field Study of Heavy-Vehicle Crash Avoidance Systems PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 147p AB - In 2013 there were 3,964 people killed and an estimated 95,000 people injured in crashes involving large trucks. In order to reduce crashes many trucks are currently equipped with crash avoidance systems (CASs), which alert drivers to impending conflicts with objects and initiate automatic emergency braking (AEB). A total of 169 drivers operating 150 CAS-equipped trucks from seven trucking companies across the country participated in a 1-year field operational test, which included video and vehicle data to study CASs in a naturalistic environment. In over 3 million miles of data, no rear-end crashes of the type CASs are designed to prevent were identified. A total of 6,000 CAS activations were sampled and analyzed to evaluate their reliability. A high-priority activation was most likely to occur when the driver needed to take action. Lower priority activations were generally advisory and did not require immediate driver response. Fleet safety managers reported that they would recommend CAS technology. While the CAS user experience can be improved, and some activation types were found to be less reliable than others, the results from this study suggest that the overall systems work as intended KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Behavior KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Drivers KW - Evaluation KW - Field studies KW - Heavy vehicles KW - Reliability KW - Trucking safety KW - Trucks UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash Avoidance/Technical Publications/2016/812280_FieldStudyHeavy-VehicleCAS.PDF UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1415843 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01605555 AU - Mobile Barriers LLC AU - American Traffic Safety Services Association AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Portable Positive Protection: A Guide for Short Duration and Short Term Work Zones PY - 2016/06 SP - 16p AB - Transportation agencies, contractors, researchers, and private vendors are actively looking for new methods and devices to help make construction and maintenance work zones safer while maximizing mobility. Short-term and short-duration work zones are no exception, especially as fewer devices can be used in a practical way than in long-term work zones due to the limited installation time available. Practitioners commonly cite the challenge of using traditional devices for protection, as installation costs are high relative to the project and it may take longer to install the devices than perform the planned activities. This situation creates the need for more portable positive protection devices in lieu of traditional devices (such as temporary concrete barrier or “TCB”) that are commonly used on long-term projects, but can’t be repositioned easily. This document looks at why portable positive protection should be used and examines types of portable positive devices currently available such as: highly mobile barriers, movable steel barriers, and protective vehicles. It also examines the cost benefits of portable positive protection and includes ten suggested steps to take when planning to use portable positive protection. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Implementation KW - Portable equipment KW - Temporary barriers KW - Vehicles KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zones UR - http://mobilebarriers.com/images/docs/20160627%20Portable%20Positive%20Protection%20Guide--Mobile%20Barriers%20MBT-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1414357 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01604944 AU - Maheshwari, Sharad K AU - Hampton University AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Assessing Impact of Driving Simulator Experience on Reduction of Cell-phone Distraction among Adult Drivers PY - 2016/06 SP - 70p AB - Use of electronic devices, especially cell phones while driving, is causing havoc on U.S. highways. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports over 5000 fatalities due to driver inattention; a vast majority of inattention is due to cell phone use. Research shows that one specific use of cell phone, Texting While Driving, causes longer inattention and is thus more dangerous. Young and adult drivers alike are increasingly using cell phones for various activities while driving. The majority of states and localities in the U.S. have enacted rules which put some kind of restrictions on Texting While Driving. Besides law enforcement, educational and/or public service efforts are also being made to curb Texting While Driving and other cell phone usage. This research addresses one of the issues in educational efforts. Main objectives of the research were (1) to measure impact of driving simulation experience on attitude of adult drivers towards cell phone usage during driving and (2) to measure the differences in change in safety perception of cell phone use after education based on drivers’ and other characteristics. A field experiment was designed to investigate these two objectives. This experiment was conducted in a medium size city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 100 randomly selected adult drivers participated in the study. The experiment was conducted using an in-vehicle driving simulator. During the experiment, simulated driving, drivers were asked to use the cell phone as they would normally use it while driving their own vehicle. During simulation, participants saw reduction/changes in the driving performance on the simulator screen while they were engaged in the cell phone related activities. These changes included slowing down, crossing over a lane, jumping red lights, crashing vehicle, etc. Two different survey instruments were administered to drivers, one before and one after their experience in the driving simulator. The drivers were expected to modify her/his perception towards cell phone usage after visualizing impairment/reduction in driving performance caused by the cell phone usages during driving. About 91% of drivers reported using the cell phone for various activities including texting, emailing, searching for directions, etc. The majority of drivers also reported using the cell phone often while driving. 70% or more drivers reported that they follow traffic rules, follow speed limits and generally consider themselves a safe driver. After the simulator experience there was significant improvement in a driver’s perception of the danger of Texting While Driving. More than 81% of drivers rated the cell phone more dangerous after their simulator experience. On an average there was a 0.66 improvement on perception of danger of Texting While Driving measured on the 5-point Likert scale. Some demographic and other driver characteristics showed significant relationship to the improvement in perception of danger of Texting While Driving. KW - Attitudes KW - Before and after studies KW - Cellular telephones KW - Distraction KW - Driver education KW - Driver performance KW - Drivers KW - Driving simulators KW - Text messaging UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013-01FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416951 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01604934 AU - Zhang, Li AU - Fulcher, William Case AU - Zhang, Lei AU - Green, John K AU - Mississippi State University, Mississippi State AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Intermodal Transportation Systems Risk Analysis and Resilience in New Madrid Seismic Zone: the Impact to Mississippi PY - 2016/06 SP - 46p AB - Being one of the nation’s top intermodal hubs, the Memphis area is vulnerable to large scale disasters, especially a large earthquake. This research presents two results. One a framework that visualizes transportation system risk profiles, with a particular focus on earthquakes, and another a model that uses this information to optimize recovery strategies. The first uses data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to create a risk probability map that is used to create individual risk profiles that are combined to form a cumulative risk profile. The second is the combination of a constructor, ordering algorithm, and traffic simulator that optimizes recovery strategies. The presented framework and model can be utilized together for simulation purposes, or separately where the first can be used to easily visualize failure probabilities to assist with planning and where the second can be used to determine effective recovery strategies in the aftermath of any disaster, not exclusively a seismic event. This framework and model provide valuable information that can be used to improve the Memphis area infrastructure system by improving infrastructure resilience and emergency recovery strategies and have the ability to be calibrated to any area of concern with minimal effort. KW - Disaster recovery KW - Disasters KW - Earthquakes KW - Framework (Planning) KW - Infrastructure KW - Intermodal transportation KW - Mississippi KW - New Madrid Seismic Zone KW - Risk analysis KW - Simulation KW - Strategic planning UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012-17FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416950 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01604933 AU - Zhang, Li AU - Mississippi State University, Mississippi State AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Real-Time Transit Vehicle Routing Optimization in Intermodal Emergency Evacuations PY - 2016/06 SP - 105p AB - Since Hurricane Katrina, extensive studies have been conducted aiming to optimize transit vehicle routing in an emergency evacuation. However, the vast majority of the studies focus on solving the deterministic vehicle routing problem, in which all evacuation data are known in advance. These studies are generally not practical in dealing with real-world problems that involve considerable uncertainty in the evacuation data set. In this project, a SmartEvac system is developed for dynamic vehicle routing optimization in an emergency evacuation. The SmartEvac system is capable of processing dynamic evacuation data—such as random pickup requests, travel time change, and network interruptions—in real time. The objective is to minimize the total travel time for all transit vehicles. A column generation based online optimization model is integrated into the SmartEvac system. The optimization model is based on two structures: a master problem model and a sub-problem model. The master problem model is used for route selection from a restricted routes set, while the sub-problem model is developed to progressively add new routes into the restricted routes set. The sub-problem is formulated as a shortest path problem with capacity constraints and is solved using a cycle elimination algorithm. When the evacuation data are updated, the SmartEvac system will reformulate the optimization model and generate new routes set based on the existing routes set. The computational results on benchmark problems are compared to the results from other studies in the literature. The SmartEvac system outperforms the other approaches on most of the benchmark problems in terms of computation time and solution quality. CORSIM simulation is used as a test bed for the SmartEvac system. CORSIM RunTime-Extension is developed for communications between the simulation and the SmartEvac system. A case study of the Hurricane Gustav emergency evacuation is conducted, where different scenarios corresponding to the different situations that happened in the Hurricane Gustav emergency evacuation are proposed to evaluate the performance of the SmartEvac system in response to real-time data. The average processing time is 28.9 seconds, and the maximum processing time is 171 seconds, which demonstrates the SmartEvac system’s capability of real-time vehicle routing optimization on an Intel Core I5 Laptop. The dynamic vehicle routing optimization model is deployed and implemented to a web-based online service system to allow transit agencies or drivers to exchange necessary data. KW - Case studies KW - CORSIM (Traffic simulation model) KW - Disasters and emergency operations KW - Evacuation KW - Hurricane Gustav, 2008 KW - Minimization KW - Optimization KW - Real time data processing KW - Routing KW - Transit vehicle operations KW - Travel time UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012-15FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416949 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01604930 AU - Swann, Charles AU - Mullen, Chris AU - University of Mississippi, University AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Predicting Erosion Impact on Highway and Railway Bridge Substructures PY - 2016/06 SP - 62p AB - Detailed finite element analysis is performed to characterize the dynamic characteristics of two bridges identified in the study area. The two bridges lie in different geologic formations such that one was designed with a deep foundation system and the other with a shallow one. Fixed base models highlight the significant difference in fundamental frequencies for the two structural systems even when the different foundations are not considered. Soil-structure interaction models are developed to incorporate the soil and foundation elements and account for scour conditions. The deep foundation or flexible system is used to characterize the effect of soil-structure interaction and the influence of scour, first on the dynamic characteristics and then on the response to a simulated earthquake event. Changes in dynamic characteristics are evaluated for a symmetric scour scenario in which the stream bed depends to a depth justified by current conditions observed in the field projected to a depth likely in the operational life of the bridge. Vibration modes involving horizontal movement of the deck mass exhibit a noticeable reduction in frequency which would make them more excitable under significant excitations. An earthquake scenario of the type used in emergency management plans for the study region is used to assess the effect of scour on vulnerability to ground motion. An asymmetric scour scenario is used in which the footings of one of the two piers closest to the stream is left completely exposed. Simulated time history response is computed for the flexible system with and without scour. Acceleration response time histories are presented that show a significant increase in the transverse acceleration which tends to increase the instability of the system. The supporting erosion/scour studies identified substantial erosion resulting from the negative consequences of channelization, easily erodible geologic materials, and inadequate erosion mitigation measures. Past practices have ignored the “under-bridge” stream which is the primary agent of erosion. Stream geometry should be recorded on design plans and monitored as part of standard bridge inspection practices. KW - Bridge foundations KW - Bridge substructures KW - Earthquakes KW - Erosion KW - Finite element method KW - Highway bridges KW - Railroad bridges KW - Scour KW - Soil structure interaction UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013-25FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416957 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01604580 AU - Geyer, Michael AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Earth-Referenced Aircraft Navigation and Surveillance Analysis PY - 2016/06//Project Memorandum SP - 274p AB - This document addresses a basic function of aircraft (and other vehicle) surveillance and navigation systems analyses — quantifying the geometric relationship of two or more locations relative to each other and to the earth. Here, geometry means distances and angles, including their projections in a defined coordinate frame. Applications that fit well with these methods include (a) planning a vehicle’s route; (b) determining the coverage region of a radar or radio installation; and (c) calculating a vehicle’s latitude and longitude from measurements (e.g., of slant- and spherical-ranges or range differences, azimuth and elevation angles, and altitudes). The approach advocated is that the three-dimensional problems inherent in navigation/surveillance analyses should, to the extent possible, be re-cast as a sequence of sub-problems: Vertical-Plane Formulation; Spherical-Surface Formulation; Three-Dimensional Vector Formulation; and Non-Linear Least-Squares (NLLS) Formulation. These techniques are applied, in the context of a spherical earth, to a series of increasingly complex situations, starting with two problem-specific points (e.g., a route’s origin and destination) and extending to three or more points (e.g., an aircraft and multiple surveillance/navigation stations). Closed-form solutions are presented for measurements involving virtually every combination of ranges, pseudo ranges, azimuth/elevation angles and altitude. The Gauss-Newton NLLS methodology is employed to address the most complex situations. These include circumstances where there are more measurements than unknowns and/or the measurement ‘equations’ cannot be inverted analytically (including those for an ellipsoidal-shaped earth) and/or are not analytic expressions (e.g., involve empirical data). KW - Aircraft pilotage KW - Aircraft routing KW - Georeferencing (Flight plans) KW - Latitude KW - Longitude KW - Radar air traffic control KW - Radio navigation KW - Surveillance UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59300/59358/DOT-VNTSC-FAA-16-12.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1414856 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01604578 AU - Van Eikema Hommes, Qi D AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Assessment of Safety Standards for Automotive Electronic Control Systems PY - 2016/06 SP - 49p AB - This report summarizes the results of a study that assessed and compared six industry and government safety standards relevant to the safety and reliability of automotive electronic control systems. These standards include ISO 26262 (Road Vehicles - Functional Safety), MIL-STD-882E (Department of Defense Standard Practice, System Safety), DO-178C (Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification), Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, AUTOSAR (Automotive Open System Architecture), and MISRA C (Guidelines for the Use of the C Language in Critical Systems). The assessment was carried out along the following 11 dimensions: (1) type of standard, (2) definition of safety and hazard, (3) identification of safety requirements, (4) hazard and safety analysis methods, (5) management of safety requirements, (6) risk assessment approach, (7) design for safety approach, (8) software safety, (9) system life cycle consideration, (10) human factors consideration, and (11) approach for review, audit, and certification. The observed strengths and limitations of the standards studied in this report could support the future development of a robust functional safety approach for automotive electronic control systems. KW - Automobiles KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards KW - Safety standards KW - Vehicle electronics UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59300/59359/812285_ElectronicsReliabilityReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1414863 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603614 AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - State Summaries: 2012 Commodity Flow Survey PY - 2016/06 SP - 157p AB - The Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) is conducted as part of the Census Bureau’s Economic Census, occurring every five years. It is the primary source of national and state-level data on domestic freight shipments in the United States. The survey sampled approximately 100,000 business establishments quarterly in 2012. The CFS measures domestic freight flows from establishments in mining, manufacturing, wholesale, and selected retail industries, as well as shipments from auxiliary establishments. The 2012 CFS was undertaken through a partnership between the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) and Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau. This report summarizes and highlights freight shipments for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It provides tables for each state’s value and weight of shipments, major commodities shipped, mode of transportation used, distance shipped, state of origin, state of destination, and industry. KW - Commodity flow KW - Distance KW - Freight transportation KW - Industries KW - Origin and destination KW - Shipments KW - States KW - Surveys KW - Ton miles KW - Transportation modes KW - United States KW - Weight UR - http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/2012 CFS State Summary Report_5-26-16_FINAL.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412908 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603593 AU - Bryce, James M AU - Flintsch, Gerardo W AU - Katicha, Samer W AU - Diefenderfer, Brian K AU - Sarant, Alex AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Pavement Structural Capacity Requirements for Innovative Pavement Decision-Making and Contracting: Phase II PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 47p AB - The structural capacity of a pavement has been shown to be a good indicator of the required maintenance and expected performance of pavements. However, results in the literature provide few indices for rigid and composite pavements. This study developed an index that produced promising results for use with composite pavements. The index relates deflection measurements to the performance of the pavement. Limited conclusions could be drawn from the results of rigid pavement testing due to the limited sample size and scope of the available data. The report presents steps for including the structural indices in pavement evaluation and management processes and a tool that can be used by engineers to calculate the structural indices for flexible and composite pavements based on defined input parameters. A number of recommendations for implementation are made based on the findings of this study. KW - Composite pavements KW - Decision making KW - Deflection tests KW - Evaluation KW - Flexible pavements KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Pavement performance KW - Recommendations KW - Structural analysis KW - Virginia UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/16-r20.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412045 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603566 AU - Higgins, Chad AU - Liu, Ziru AU - Stewart, Ryan AU - Kelley, Jason AU - Drake, Steve AU - Oregon State University, Corvallis AU - Oregon Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Design Guide for Roadside Infiltration Strips in Western Oregon PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 134p AB - Roadside infiltration strips, also called vegetated filter strips, have the ability to decrease the immediate impact of road runoff on nearby streams and agricultural fields. Though there is a rich history of research on the chemical and physical filtering capabilities of these structures, total infiltration capacity is often not the focus of these research efforts. By using dimensional analysis of a varied infiltration capacity dataset, this research developed a new design equation and subsequent design chart to simplify and streamline the infiltration strip design process. Given that the parameters and variables used in this design process are freely available in map form, a preliminary analysis of all roads within the western corridor of Oregon could be performed in geographic information systems (GIS) for future filter width design. The design equation was created by the following process. 1) A network of roadside infiltration observation plots was constructed and operated for 2 years. The network consisted of five plots arranged in a transect from the Oregon coast to the Cascade foothills. Within each plot, rainfall, soil moisture, soil water content and total runoff from the observation area were recorded every 15 minutes and averaged into daily infiltration intervals; 2) Semi-empirical relationships between the road geometry, the soil physical properties, and the local climate were explored with dimensional analysis; 3) Final groupings of variables were found, collapsing the data to a single semi-empirical relationship. This relationship is the design equation. For practical design applications, a specified range of variables was used to turn the design equation into a design chart. This report is divided into 4 sections. An introduction and general background is presented in Section 1, followed by a detailed description of each study sited is presented in Section 2. In Section 3, summary statistics and time series of the data are presented. In Section 4, the rationale and logical process to create the design equation is outlined, and the ultimate design equation and design chart is given. The report is concluded with an example calculation of a roadside filter strip width. KW - Design KW - Geographic information systems KW - Infiltration KW - Oregon KW - Roadside KW - Runoff KW - Time series analysis KW - Vegetation KW - Width UR - http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP_RES/ResearchReports/SPR758_DesignGuide_InfiltrationStrips_FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1411141 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603556 AU - Courville, Leticia S F R AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - LED Traffic Signal Management System PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 71p AB - This research originated from the opportunity to develop a methodology to assess when LED (Light Emitting Diode) traffic signal modules begin to fail to meet the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) performance specification for luminous intensity for motorists. The ultimate goal of this research project is to provide the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) with a replacement schedule for LED signal modules. To this end, the objective of this research is to develop lifetime curves of these modules and to establish the life-span of signal modules. These curves will depict how these modules’ luminous intensity degrades until reaching the end of their useful life. The research methodology and findings will allow other researchers in different climatic regions to test their own modules. In this research, the operating time of LED signal modules is equal to 20,000 hours of operation. The research methodology is comprised of three data sets of measurements of the luminous intensity of the signal modules. The first data set was collected by an independent lab with multiple data points per module. This lab data set was measured sequentially at a fixed 2,000-hour time interval for the first 10,000 hours of operation, and then once again at 20,000 hours. The other two data sets were collected by DOTD employees at the Traffic Services yard using two distinct devices with one data point per module. These in-house data sets will be measured sequentially at a fixed 500-hour time interval for the duration of this research project. The results of this study indicate that a five-year replacement schedule of LED modules appears to be too soon. It is unknown at this point what the exact lifetime curve of these specific LED modules is. KW - Data collection KW - Equipment replacement KW - Light emitting diodes KW - Louisiana KW - Luminous intensity KW - Service life KW - Traffic signals UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2016/FR_563.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1411146 ER - TY - SER AN - 01603549 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Prototype Next Generation Frog Foundation - Preliminary Evaluation PY - 2016/06 IS - RR 16-17 SP - 5p AB - Conventional wisdom suggests that a solid or rigid one-piece frog is preferred because it is easy to maintain. However, testing and subsequent modeling demonstrated that a flexible frog (i.e., a two-piece frog split in the flangeway) produced significantly lower maximum vertical forces with the same heavy axle load traffic. In this phase of the project, the team developed, built, and tested a prototype frog and foundation. The following tasks were performed during this phase: (1) Identified existing frog designs that might be modified to produce the desired characteristics of a more flexible frog; (2) Constructed a prototype that would allow evaluation of various foundation materials and the flexible frog concept; and (3) Provided a preliminary evaluation of the prototype under 315-kip Gross Rail Load (GRL) railcar traffic. The following measurements were made in the field: track stiffness, track settlement, flangeway gap widths, wheel/rail dynamic loads, and identification and count of broken components. KW - Evaluation KW - Flanges KW - Frogs (Railroads) KW - Prototypes KW - Rolling contact KW - Settlement (Structures) KW - Stiffness KW - Train track dynamics UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16082 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16082 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412167 ER - TY - SER AN - 01603533 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Schattler, Kerrie L AU - Hanson, Trevor AU - Maillacheruvu, Krishnanand AU - University of Illinois, Urbana AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Effectiveness Evaluation of a Modified Right‐Turn Lane Design at Intersections PY - 2016/06 IS - 16-013 SP - 131p AB - From 2006 to 2014, ten right‐turn approaches in the Peoria, Illinois, area were selected and reconstructed with a modified right‐turn lane design. The major purpose of the modified design was to improve the line of sight for passenger vehicles attempting to turn right, while also accommodating semi‐tractor trailer trucks. While the actual changes varied among intersections, the final result at each was an improvement to the approach angle for right‐turning vehicles stopped to view cross traffic. Bradley University researchers were involved in a two‐part study in which they (1) performed site‐specific effectiveness evaluations of the modified sites, and (2) conducted a crash causation analysis of right‐turn crashes at 116 sites in Illinois to identify geometric design variables that correlate with right‐turn crashes. In the site‐specific evaluation, driver behavior analyses and traffic crash–based safety analyses were performed to assess the safety performance of the modified right‐turn lane design. The field investigations of driver behavior, which included a comparative “test and control” analysis at ten sites, indicated that line of sight and approach angle was improved; specifically, fewer drivers had to make exaggerated head turns to complete the right‐turn, there were fewer roll‐and‐go stops, and more vehicles stopped at the stop bar when a stop was required. Additionally, the crash‐based safety evaluation, using the empirical Bayes method, revealed statistically significant reductions in crashes at the subject approaches (59.0%) and the targeted crash type, right‐turn crashes at the subject approaches (59.6%) after the modifications were made. Based on these results, it is recommended that improving the right‐turn approach angle by reducing the skew of the right‐turn approach be considered as a safety measure for sites experiencing right‐turn crashes in Illinois. The results of the crash causation analyses revealed significantly higher right‐turn crashes for approaches with head‐turn angles greater than 140°, right‐turn angles less than 45°, and acute intersection angle less than 75°. Recommendations on the characteristics of good candidate sites for the installation of the modified right‐turn lane design in Illinois are presented in this report.   KW - Bayes' theorem KW - Behavior KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash causes KW - Drivers KW - Evaluation KW - Geometric design KW - Highway design KW - Line of sight KW - Peoria (Illinois) KW - Right turn lanes UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=4949 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1410490 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603532 AU - Kreitman, Kerry AU - Azad, Amir Reza Ghiami AU - Patel, Hemal AU - Engelhardt, Michael AU - Helwig, Todd AU - Williamson, Eric AU - Klingner, Richard AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - University of Texas, Austin TI - Strengthening Existing Continuous Non-Composite Steel Girder Bridges Using Post-Installed Shear Connectors PY - 2016/06 SP - 154p AB - This study investigated the use of post-installed shear connectors for strengthening existing non-composite continuous steel girder bridges. The existing bridges considered in this study have strength deficiencies in both the positive and the negative moment regions. The type of post-installed shear connector investigated in this study was an adhesive anchor, which is installed from underneath the bridge deck. The strengthening approach involves installing adhesive anchors to increase girder flexural capacity in positive moment regions, and allowing inelastic moment redistribution in negative moment regions. A variety of theoretical, computational, and experimental studies were completed as part of this investigation. The findings of this research indicate that strengthening non-composite continuous steel girder bridges with post-installed shear connectors and moment redistribution is a feasible and efficient method of extending the useful service life of a bridge. Increases of more than 60% in the load rating of bridges considered in this study were attained by strengthening to a composite ratio of only 30%. Design recommendations are provided in this report. KW - Anchors (Structural connectors) KW - Bridge anchorages KW - Continuous girder bridges KW - Flexural strength KW - Load factor KW - Recommendations KW - Steel bridges KW - Strengthening (Maintenance) UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6719-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1410845 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603498 AU - Ohlms, Peter B AU - Virginia Transportation Research Council AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Trip Generation at Virginia Agritourism Land Uses PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 57p AB - When new agritourism land uses are initially proposed, a lack of data on how many vehicle trips these uses tend to create (known as trip generation) means that there is limited guidance available for transportation planners and engineers to make appropriate and sound recommendations regarding entrances and other traffic improvements. Agritourism land uses can include farm wineries, breweries, distilleries, orchards allowing visitors to pick fruits and vegetables, and farm stands and markets. This study reviewed existing information about agritourism trip generation rates and conducted data collection and analysis with regard to these rates at five winery and cidery sites in Virginia. In Virginia, localities have the ability, albeit limited, to regulate special events held at agritourism sites, so this study looked at non-event trip volumes. Engineers and transportation planners typically use trip generation data from the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Trip Generation Manual to determine entrance categories and to recommend street improvements and strategies for safety or capacity. The manual includes trip rates for several uses that could be considered related but that do not exactly represent the range or character of agritourism uses, with the possible exception of breweries serving a full menu approximating the manual’s definition of “quality restaurant.” The data reported in the manual for most of these agritourism-related uses had a large degree of variability. Recent studies of trip generation at wineries, all from California, were also reviewed. Data collected for the five Virginia sites had high variability, but certain independent variables had moderately high correlations with trips: (1) number of employees, (2) population within a 60-minute drive, (3) households within a 60-minute drive, and (4) square footage of tasting room. Although based on a small sample size, the results suggest that established retail wineries/cideries are likely to exceed the Virginia Department of Transportation’s 50-trips-per-day maximum threshold for a “low volume commercial entrance,” falling instead into the “moderate volume commercial entrance” or the “commercial entrance” category. Based on the findings of this study, it appears that Virginia Department of Transportation's (VDOT’s) practice of assuming low trip volumes for agritourism land uses may result in entrances that are undersized for the amount of traffic they carry. The “moderate volume commercial entrance” category may be appropriate for agritourism land uses in most cases. In addition, weekday peak hour volumes for the agritourism land use sites studied did not occur during the weekday peak hours of adjacent streets. Promising site-based variables for Virginia wineries include square footage of a tasting room and number of employees at peak season, and when no site-based variables are available other than location, Census-derived variables can provide some information. Additional research could clarify the findings of this study. Recommendations for VDOT’s Office of Land Use include (1) providing guidance to VDOT’s transportation and land use directors indicating that retail-focused wineries can be assumed to generate well more than 50 vehicle trips per day at peak season and (2) investigating possible adjustments to the traffic volume thresholds for the “moderate volume commercial entrance” category. KW - Commercial buildings KW - Farms KW - Land use KW - Tourism KW - Traffic volume KW - Transportation planning KW - Trip generation KW - Virginia UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/16-r18.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412047 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01602710 AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - The Future of the NAS PY - 2016/06 SP - 44p AB - The purpose of this document is to describe the concepts and activities that are planned to be delivered for the future of the National Airspace System (NAS) by 2025. The implementation of these concepts will complete the transformation of the NAS to a Next Generation air transportation system. The overarching objectives for the future NAS remain constant — meet the need for increased capacity and efficiency while maintaining safety and mitigating environmental impacts. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continually strives to make aviation safer and smarter, deliver benefits through technology and infrastructure, and enhance our global leadership. At the forefront of the transformation to the future NAS is our commitment to improve NAS operations and ensure the vitality of the U.S. economy through the continued evolution of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). In addition to providing improved services to users, plans must accommodate shifts in user demand profiles, adjust to changes in technology, and control costs in a tight budget environment. This document describes the capabilities being pursued to fulfill the NextGen Mid-Term Concept of Operations, as well as those activities needed to sustain legacy services and improve our processes for developing, deploying, and providing NAS operational services safely and smartly. The technical solutions for many NextGen capabilities have been defined, and much of the foundational infrastructure has been deployed. Research results, exchange standards, completed airspace redesign projects, and new operational and aircraft procedures have all laid the groundwork for modernizing future NAS services. This document will tie the work already accomplished through NextGen with the work yet to do to deliver improved services to airspace users and seamlessly integrate new operations and technologies across the NAS. These modernization initiatives must be achieved while addressing challenges such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), cybersecurity, resiliency, and cost containment. KW - Challenges KW - Future KW - Modernization KW - National Airspace System KW - Next Generation Air Transportation System KW - Strategic planning KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/media/futureOfTheNAS.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1413074 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01602603 AU - Merkle, Andrew C AU - Harrigan, Timothy P AU - Johns Hopkins University, Laurel AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Research Literature Review: The Use of Air Bags for Mitigating Grade Crossing and Trespass Accidents PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 23p AB - This literature review will confirm prior work in the use of locomotive airbag technologies for vehicle or pedestrian collision mitigation, and to focus planned activities and tasks for this research. The state of the art in relevant technologies has been summarized to assess the feasibility of this technology and identify critical model challenges for supporting impact simulations. The literature review did not reveal any currently deployed locomotive airbag solutions. In patent literature, external airbag technology has been described for mitigation of crashes between railcars and motor vehicles, but no meaningful analysis of feasibility has been discussed in detail in scientific or professional literature. Therefore, it appears that although crash mitigation technology using airbags in front of locomotives has been conceptualized, it has not yet been rigorously engineered or implemented. KW - Air bags KW - Collision mitigation KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Literature reviews KW - Locomotives KW - State of the art UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16200 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16200 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412757 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01602602 AU - Maguire, Daniel J AU - Luna, Steve AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Techno First SA AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Installation of Active Noise Control and Active Vibration Control on Locomotive PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 35p AB - This project evaluated the performance of active noise control (ANC) and active vibration control (AVC) technologies using a GP40-2 locomotive located at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) near Pueblo, CO, to determine the applicability of ANC and AVC technologies in the rail industry. Transportation Technology Center, Inc., provided support to Techno First SA engineers during the stereo recording of the engineer and conductor ear sound positions and tachometer signal during on-track operation of the locomotive pulling a freight train at TTC. It included curved track and ascending and descending a grade on the High Tonnage Loop at the Facility for Accelerated Service Testing. KW - Active noise control KW - Active vibration control KW - Locomotive operation KW - Locomotives KW - Performance tests KW - Technological innovations KW - Test facilities UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16157 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16157 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412578 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01602599 AU - Patterson, James AU - Canter, Garrison AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - SRA International, Incorporated AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Performance Assessment of the Terma Obstruction Light Control System as an Aircraft Detection Lighting System PY - 2016/06//Technical Note SP - 44p AB - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Technology Research and Development Branch (ATR) personnel conducted a performance assessment of the Terma Obstruction Light Control (OLC) System. The purpose of this assessment was to determine if the Terma OLC System meets the aircraft detection lighting system requirements specified in FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 70/7460-1L, “Obstruction Marking and Lighting,” Chapter 14 Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems. FAA ATR personnel assessed the Terma OLC at the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area, located near Mojave, California. This performance assessment, consisting of demonstrations, flight testing, and data analysis was conducted on April 15, 2015. In the performance assessment, a series of flight patterns were flown against the Terma OLC system to demonstrate whether it could meet the FAA performance requirements specified in AC 70/7460-1L. The Terma OLC system performed according to the manufacturer’s specifications and met the performance requirements identified in AC 70/7460-1L. KW - Aircraft detection lighting systems KW - Aviation safety KW - Obstruction lights KW - Performance tests KW - Specifications KW - Terma Obstruction Light Control System UR - http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/DesktopModules/FlexNews/DownloadHandler.ashx?id=63d5109c-5cf9-4532-a913-72d1ac529166&f=TC-TN-16-41.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412807 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01602597 AU - Rakoczy, Anna AU - Shu, Xinggao AU - Davis, David AU - Li, Dingqing AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Heavy Point Frog Performance PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 112p AB - Federal Railroad Administration contracted with the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., Pueblo, Colorado, to conduct an investigation of passenger vehicle performance running through heavy point frog (HPF) up to speeds of 110 mph. A NUCARS® simulation study was performed with various conditions of the track and vehicle systems, and for each case the results demonstrated that the HPF can be used successfully for Class 6 track speed with passenger equipment. The work has produced the following railroad impacts: (1) Analytical results of HPF performance with passenger equipment traveling over these sections at speeds up to 120 mph; (2) Results contribute to assessment of the potential risks and dynamic effects of HPFs; and (3) Evaluation of HPF application to high-speed rail (HSR) operations. The work has produced the following recommendations: The limited test data performed on the Chicago – St. Louis HSR line provided good validation of NUCARS simulation models. However, the test was run at 79 mph. It is recommended to perform dynamic testing with passenger equipment and test the vehicle response and wheel/rail forces going through the HPFs at speeds up to 110 mph. KW - Frogs (Railroads) KW - Heavy point frogs KW - High speed rail KW - NUCARS (Computer program) KW - Passenger cars KW - Simulation KW - Speed KW - Validation KW - Vehicle track interaction UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16141 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16141 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412579 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01602596 AU - Himes, Scott AU - Gross, Frank AU - Eccles, Kimberly AU - Persaud, Bhagwant AU - VHB AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Safety Evaluation of Intersection Conflict Warning Systems PY - 2016/06 SP - 80p AB - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) organized a pooled fund study of 40 States to evaluate low-cost safety strategies as part of its strategic highway safety effort. One of the strategies selected for evaluation was intersection conflict warning systems (ICWSs). This strategy is intended to reduce the frequency of crashes by alerting drivers to conflicting vehicles on adjacent approaches at unsignalized intersections. Geometric, traffic, and crash data were obtained for four-legged, rural, two-way stop-controlled intersections with ICWS installations in Minnesota, Missouri, and North Carolina. To account for potential selection bias and regression-to-the-mean, an empirical Bayes before–after analysis was conducted, using reference groups of similar four-legged, rural, two-way stop-controlled intersections without ICWS installation. The analysis also controlled for changes in traffic volumes over time and time trends in crash counts unrelated to the strategy. The combined results for all States indicated statistically significant crash reductions for most crash types for two-lane at two-lane intersections and for four-lane at two-lane intersections. For two-lane at two-lane intersections, the statistically significant crash modification factors (CMFs) for total, fatal and injury, right-angle, and rear-end crashes were 0.73, 0.70, 0.80, and 0.43, respectively. For four-lane at two-lane intersections, the statistically significant CMFs for total, fatal and injury, right-angle, and nighttime crashes were 0.83, 0.80, 0.85, and 0.61, respectively. The benefit-cost ratio estimated with conservative cost and service life assumptions was 27:1 for all two-lane at two-lane intersections and 10:1 for four-lane at two-lane intersections. The results suggest that the ICWS strategy, even with conservative assumptions on cost, service life, and the value of a statistical life, can be cost effective. Because this is an evolving strategy, the results of this study reflect installation practices to date. KW - Before and after studies KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Crash modification factors KW - Empirical Bayes method KW - Minnesota KW - Missouri KW - North Carolina KW - Rural areas KW - Traffic conflicts KW - Two way stop controlled intersections KW - Unsignalized intersections KW - Warning systems UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/16035/16035.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412576 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01602595 AU - Barami, Bahar AU - Merrefield, Clark AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center TI - Beyond Traffic 2045 Reimagining Transportation: Technology, Disruptive Innovation, and the Future of Transportation PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 25p AB - This report summarizes key findings from the "Beyond Traffic 2045 Reimagining Transportation" thought leadership speaker series held at the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in the fall and winter of 2015. The contents are presented under the following headings: Imagining Our Transportation Future; Advancing the Conversation Beyond Traffic; Innovation and Decision Making; Safety and Mobility; Sustainability; and How Volpe's Thought Leadership Engages Stakeholders. KW - Decision making KW - Future KW - Innovation KW - Leadership KW - Mobility KW - Stakeholders KW - Sustainable development KW - Transportation KW - Transportation safety UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59268/Beyond_Traffic_2045_Reimagining_Transportation_June_2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412904 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01602594 AU - Al-Qadi, Imad AU - Wang, Hao AU - Ouyang, Yanfeng AU - Grimmelsman, Kirk AU - Purdy, Jeffrey AU - Pennoni Associates Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - LTBP Program’s Literature Review on Weigh-in-Motion Systems PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 46p AB - Truck size and weight are regulated using Federal and State legislation and policies to ensure safety and preserve bridge and highway infrastructure. Weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems can capture the weight and other defining characteristics of the vehicles actually using the Nation’s highways, providing important loading-related data that are essential for evaluating the performance of transportation infrastructure. As part of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA's) Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program’s Technical Assistance Contract, a literature review of the state of the practice was performed for WIM systems installed in pavements and on bridges. This literature review focused on the development of WIM systems, concepts for measuring axle loads, the applications of WIM sensors for pavements, and recent advancements in bridge WIM systems. This review covers the types, installation, calibration, operations, accuracy, efficiency, effectiveness, and durability of WIM systems, in addition to current Federal and State truck load regulations. This review facilitates selection of the appropriate WIM technology systems for consideration and use to address LTBP Program needs. This literature review serves as a reference document for Pooled Fund Project Number TPF-5(283), The Influence of Vehicular Live Loads on Bridge Performance, which targets the impact of vehicle live loads on bridge component durability. KW - Bridges KW - Data collection KW - Durability KW - Literature reviews KW - Long-Term Bridge Performance Program KW - Size and weight regulations KW - State of the practice KW - Trucks KW - Weigh in motion UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/ltbp/16024/16024.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412575 ER - TY - SER AN - 01602592 JO - Research Results PB - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Ballast Degradation Characterized through Triaxial Testing PY - 2016/06 IS - RR 16-21 SP - 4p AB - Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) has supported the development of a large-scale triaxial test device for testing ballast size aggregate materials at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). This new test equipment uses monotonic compression and repeated load testing to characterize shear strength, resilient modulus, and permanent deformation behavior of railroad ballast materials. The investigation was performed as part of the heavy-axle-load (HAL) Track Substructure research initiative co-sponsored by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Preliminary test results from the triaxial test device indicated that ballast characteristics could be captured adequately at different levels of degradation. To simulate ballast degradation due to breakage and abrasion, Los Angeles (LA) abrasion tests were used to generate degraded limestone ballast samples. The laboratory sieve analysis and triaxial tests produced the following results: (1) Ballast degradation can cause significant changes in ballast grain size distributions as well as particle shape properties: LA Abrasion Tests produced particles that exhibited considerable breakdown; (2) In permanent deformation testing, the heavily degraded ballast specimen with a Selig’s Fouling Index (FI) of 40 had the highest permanent deformation compared to the other specimens of new clean ballast and degraded ballast (coarse aggregate fraction) specimen. The specimen with coarse aggregate fraction (particles larger than 3/8 inch) from the degraded ballast yielded higher permanent deformation than the new clean ballast specimen; and (3) Ballast degradation did not lead to a significant strength loss in the monotonic shear strength tests. On the contrary, under dry sample conditions, the degraded ballast specimens with or without materials finer than 3/8 inch yielded higher strength than the new clean ballast specimen. The triaxial test setup should provide a better understanding of the factors that affect ballast life-cycle and field performance. KW - Ballast (Railroads) KW - Degradation (Aggregates) KW - Los Angeles Abrasion Test KW - Railroad tracks KW - Rutting KW - Shear strength KW - Sieve analysis KW - Testing equipment KW - Triaxial shear tests UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16179 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16179 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412577 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01602591 AU - Carter, Dan AU - Gonzales, Kari AU - Jones, Kerry AU - Sammon, Devin AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Improved Quality Truck Castings PY - 2016/06//Final Report SP - 54p AB - A review of the car repair billing database shows that many bolsters and side frames are removed from service each year due to cracking or breaking. Derailment-related costs due to bolster and side frame failures total approximately $9 million per year. Although the number of removals may not be large in comparison to other components, the cost associated with these removals and failures is significant. To reduce the number of truck casting failures. Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) investigated the material properties, material standards, foundry processes, nondestructive test procedures (NDT) and component design for truck castings, as well as reasons for removing castings from service, to determine possible areas for improvement. Mechanical testing was conducted on castings from seven foundries. After this testing, bolsters from three of these foundries were made with alternate chemistries and heat treatments for mechanical testing, and then TTCI determined whether these changes improved the toughness of the steel. KW - Bolsters KW - Car trucks (Railroads) KW - Derailments KW - Failure KW - Fracture properties KW - Mechanical tests KW - Railroad cars KW - Side frames KW - Steel castings UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16140 UR - https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16140 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412580 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610885 AU - Whitney, Reeves AU - Braxtan, Nicole Leo AU - Wang, Qian AU - Koch, Gregory AU - Manhattan College AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Analysis of Curved Weathering Steel Box Girder Bridges in Fire PY - 2016/05/31/Final Report SP - 61p AB - Box girder bridges are becoming more common because of their ease of construction, pleasing aesthetics, and serviceability. Projects with curved configuration and long spans can especially benefit from these advantages. However, the industry lacks a wide range of research on multi-span steel box girder cross-sections and their response to fire events. In addition, steel box girders are commonly constructed from weathering steel, which has little available research into their performance in fire. This paper will discuss the current literature, challenges, and available verification studies for this particular combination of cross section and material properties. Results show large deflections in the steel box girder as the temperature of the steel increases over the duration of the fire. Temperatures of the steel tub increase rapidly due to the low weight-to-heated perimeter ratio of the thin members. The concrete slab does not exhibit significant increase in temperature from the fire below. Furthermore, forces that act on the individual members of the bridge are greatly affected by the location of the fire. KW - Box girder bridges KW - Bridge members KW - Curved bridges KW - Deflection KW - Fire KW - Literature reviews KW - Steel bridges KW - Thermal analysis KW - Weathering steel UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/Final-Report-Analysis-of-Curved-Weathering-Steel-Box-Girder.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422216 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610849 AU - Wang, Hao AU - Li, Maoyun AU - Rutgers University, Piscataway AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Nondestructive Evaluation of Pavement Structural Condition for Rehabilitation Design PY - 2016/05/31/Final Report SP - 32p AB - Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) is the common non-destructive testing method for in-situ evaluation of pavement condition. This study aims to develop finite element (FE) models that can simulate FWD loading on pavement system and capture the complexity in material properties, layer interface, and boundary conditions. Parametric analysis was conducted considering the effects of dynamic analysis, temperature gradient, bedrock depth, asphalt layer delamination, viscoelasticity, and unbound material nonlinearity on pavement surface deflections and critical strain responses. Although the parametric analysis findings vary depending on the specific pavement response, the study results illustrate the appropriate selection of analysis type, constitutive models of pavement material, and layer boundary conditions on the accuracy of FE modeling results. In particular, the analysis findings show that delamination in asphalt layers induces the greater strain responses; while neglecting bedrock effect overestimates surface deflections. The developed FE models can directly benefit the use of FWD testing for in-situ pavement condition evaluation, such as pavement performance prediction and/or backcalculation of layer moduli. KW - Deflection KW - Delamination KW - Falling weight deflectometers KW - Finite element method KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement performance KW - Structural analysis UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/Final-Report-Nondestructive-Evaluation-of-Pavement.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422218 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01604940 AU - Howard, Isaac L AU - Cost, V Tim AU - Timpson, Chris AU - Mississippi State University, Mississippi State AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Beneficial Reuse of Dredged Soil – Transferring Portland-Limestone Cement and Geosynthetics Technology Toward Sustainable Solutions to Dredged Material Management PY - 2016/05/31/Final Report SP - 198p AB - This report summarizes a technology transfer event held on May 24, 2016 on Mississippi State University’s campus. LafargeHolcim and TenCate™ supported this event and provided technical presentations from subject matter experts. This report contains the presentation slides used by presenters with very slight non-technical modifications to facilitate presentation in this report. Also, an executive summary of the event from the perspective of the presenters is also provided. KW - Dredged materials KW - Geosynthetics KW - Geotextiles KW - Geotubes KW - Materials management KW - Portland limestone cement KW - Ports KW - Sustainable development UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016-03FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1416964 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603569 AU - Department of Transportation TI - FAA Lacks Sufficient Oversight of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Program PY - 2016/05/31/Audit Report SP - 27p AB - In July 2013, Asiana Flight 214 crashed on final approach into San Francisco International Airport, resulting in three fatalities and drawing attention to the importance of emergency response at US airports. In its report on the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board highlighted safety issues related to the training and staffing of aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) personnel and the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA’s) oversight of emergency response services. As a result, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) initiated an audit to assess FAA’s oversight of its ARFF program. While FAA has provided approximately $750 million since 2004 to fund ARFF buildings, facilities, vehicles, and equipment, the audit identified several challenges related to the Agency’s oversight and enforcement in this area. For example, FAA inspectors did not consistently review airports’ compliance with ARFF regulations and policy. FAA has also not sufficiently investigated potentially serious violations of ARFF requirements or reported enforcement data to its own database, as required by FAA policy, in part there is no guidance that clearly delineates when a violation should be investigated. In addition, the Agency either lacks policies regarding key components of the ARFF program—e.g., the review of vehicle maintenance records—or the policies are not robust enough to make them effective. In one case, FAA issued guidance to airports that conflicted with FAA regulations. Finally, FAA’s policies and guidance on ARFF training are voluntary and do not establish required standards for content, length, and methods of teaching. OIG made 10 recommendations to help FAA improve its oversight and enforcement of emergency response services at the Nation’s airports. KW - Air transportation crashes KW - Airport operations KW - Aviation safety KW - Compliance KW - Disasters and emergency operations KW - Fire fighting KW - Oversight KW - Policy, legislation and regulation KW - Recommendations KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration KW - Vehicle occupant rescue UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/33321 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1410319 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613811 AU - Senzig, David A AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center TI - TigerShark Noise Flight Test at Griffiss Airport PY - 2016/05/27 SP - 2p AB - This memorandum documents preliminary results of the noise flight test conducted on the Navmar TigerShark UAS at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New York on May 17, 2016. This memorandum is intended to provide a preliminary summary of the data collected during the test. A full report will be provided after additional data processing. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Flight tests KW - Griffiss International Airport UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59600/59656/Marsan_letter_report_signed.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425527 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603646 AU - Washer, Glenn AU - Fabian, Pedro Ruiz AU - Dawson, James AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Monitoring Vibrations on the Jefferson City Truss Bridge PY - 2016/05/25/Final Report SP - 43p AB - The objective of the research was to determine the frequency and cause of resonant vibrations of truss verticals on bridge A4497 over the Missouri River in Jefferson City, MO. Instrumentation to monitor the vibrations of four verticals was installed on the bridge and monitored for 42 days. The instrumentation consisted of wireless accelerometers that monitored the accelerations on the four verticals. Weather data available from a weather station located at the Jefferson City Airport was used to analyze the weather conditions causing resonant vibrations of the verticals. It was found that there were eleven vibration “events” in which the vertical members vibrated with higher than normal accelerations. The average wind speeds during the events was about 17 mph. The wind direction during the events was from the WNW/NW during nine of the “events” and from the SE for 2 of the “events.” It was found that the frequency of the events was 0.26 events per day during the monitoring period. Historical weather data was analyzed to determine how frequently the resonance vibrations may be occurring, i.e., how frequently the combined wind speed and direction matched the conditions determined through the field monitoring. Historical weather data from 442 days was analyzed and it was found that there were 89 occurrences of the combined wind speed and direction that could cause vibrations of the vertical members. The resulting frequency of events was determined to be 0.20 events per day. It was concluded that the frequency of resonant vibration events is likely 0.25 events per day or less. The vibrations are caused by average winds from the WNW/NW or SW of ~17 mph or greater, based on monitoring results. Recommendations stemming from the research were as follows: 1) The effect of the vibration events on the durability of the members should be analyzed further to determine if a retrofit is necessary. The data provided through the field monitoring should be used in the analysis; and 2) Other vertical members of a similar length should be monitored to determine if they are affected by resonant vibrations. KW - Accelerometers KW - Data collection KW - Jefferson City (Missouri) KW - Recommendations KW - Truss bridges KW - Trusses KW - Vibration KW - Weather conditions KW - Wind UR - https://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TR201605/cmr16-012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1410246 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603500 AU - Songchitruksa, Praprut AU - Bibeka, Apoorba AU - Lin, Lu (Irene) AU - Zhang, Yunlong AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Center for Advancing Transportation Leadership and Safety (ATLAS Center) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Incorporating Driver Behaviors into Connected and Automated Vehicle Simulation PY - 2016/05/24 SP - 104p AB - The adoption of connected vehicle (CV) technology is anticipated at various levels of development and deployment over the next decade. One primary challenge with these new technologies is the lack of platform to enable a robust and reliable evaluation of their benefits given the complexity of interactions among wireless communications, algorithms, and human behaviors. Underlying driver behavior models in microscopic simulation are not always well-suited for modern applications using CV and automated vehicle (AV) technology. This study proposed a framework for incorporating realistic driver behaviors into a microscopic traffic simulation for AV/CV applications using VISSIM microscopic simulation software. The framework consists of three levels of driver behavior adjustment: event-based, continuous, and semiautomated/automated driver behavior adjustment. The framework provides several examples and details on how various applications can be properly modeled in a traffic simulation environment. To demonstrate the framework, researchers conducted a case study of a simulation evaluation of cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC). CACC enables the vehicles to follow each other in a very tight spacing (also known as platooning) using wireless connectivity and automated longitudinal control. The case study shows that a modified driver model can be successfully used in the simulation to evaluate the benefits of AV/CV applications such as CACC with respect to their mobility, safety, and environmental performance. KW - Autonomous intelligent cruise control KW - Behavior KW - Case studies KW - Drivers KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Technological innovations KW - Traffic simulation KW - VISSIM (Computer model) UR - http://www.atlas-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ATLAS-Research-Report-Songchitruksa-ATLAS-2016-13.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1412076 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608613 AU - Laman, Jeffrey A AU - Shah, Meet AU - Pennsylvania State University, University Park AU - Pennsylvania Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Assessment of Current Design Loads for Permit Vehicles PY - 2016/05/23/Final Report SP - 809p AB - This study was designed to evaluate the current Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Live Load Design Permit Vehicle, P-82 (8-axle, 204-kip truck configuration) and PHL-93 for adequacy as a model to predict loading effects of current special hauling permit vehicles, specifically from the heaviest Pennsylvania-issued superload permits. Where the current P-82 and PHL-93 truck load models and their corresponding effects do not envelope the recent and anticipated special hauling permit vehicle effects, a recommendation for an enveloping truck model and/or revisions to bridge analysis policies is made. This study is based on databases and documents provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. A fundamental objective of this study was to develop the analytical tools needed to evaluate the truck data files, both weight-in-motion (WIM) and superloads. An analytical tool was developed to filter WIM data files where the files contained exceedingly large numbers of vehicle lines that were not of interest to the study. Primary analytical tools were developed to enable an automated procedure to simulate the passage of large numbers of trucks, including WIM database trucks, permit database trucks, and established permit vehicle load models, over several bridge configurations to obtain the maximum moments and shears. The final objective was to construct a proposed permit design vehicle model that envelopes all or most WIM and superload vehicles in the PennDOT-provided databases. This permit design vehicle construction required processing of the WIM and superload vehicles by characterizing the population by vehicle width, number of axles, axle spacings, axle loads, axle group loads, and gross vehicle weight. Characterization for a given vehicle class includes averages, standard deviations, 95th percentiles, and maximums. The final result is the construction of a proposed permit design vehicle for PennDOT consideration. KW - Data analysis KW - Design load KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Highway bridges KW - Live loads KW - Overweight loads KW - Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection KW - Permits KW - Trucks KW - Weigh in motion UR - http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_PDF_FILES/Documents/Research/Complete%20Projects/Design/Assessment_of_Current_Design_Loads_for_Permit_Vehicles.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419999 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01620257 AU - Adams, Ed AU - Andrews, Scott AU - Asudegi, Mona AU - Ayhan, Seyithan AU - Chuang, Patrick AU - Collins, John AU - Fisher, Justin AU - Fleming, Dennis AU - Frank, Larry AU - Freckleton, Derek AU - Fuja, Ben AU - Garcia, Dominie AU - Goodwin, Stefanie AU - Henclewood, Dwayne AU - Hill, Christopher AU - Kamalanathsharma, Raj AU - Kolleda, Josh AU - Kumar, Virendra AU - Le, Steven AU - McNew, Justin AU - Petit, Jonathan AU - Poling, Tyler AU - Raboy, Kelli AU - Resendes, Ray AU - Sarkhili, Sara AU - Whyte, William AU - Booz Allen Hamilton AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Development of DSRC Device and Communication System Performance Measures: Recommendations for DSRC OBE Performance and Security Requirements PY - 2016/05/22/Final Report SP - 296p AB - This report presents recommendations for minimum Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) device communication performance and security requirements to ensure effective operation of the DSRC system. The team identified recommended DSRC communications requirements aligned to use cases, performance needs, DSRC functions, existing research, testing and simulation findings, and also developed compliance test procedure recommendations. The team also identifies recommended security functional requirements following the Common Criteria methodology which aligns requirements to a Target of Evaluation (TOE), threats, assumptions, security organizational policies, and security objectives. The report also includes discussions about outstanding decisions that will affect the operations and performance of the DSRC elements in the system. Next steps and additional analyses that could help further define performance and security requirements are also discussed. KW - Connected vehicles KW - Dedicated short range communications KW - On board equipment KW - Performance KW - Recommendations KW - Requirements KW - Security KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60536/FHWA-JPO-17-483.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440555 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01599759 TI - Regional Roadside Turfgrass Performance Testing Program AB - The objectives of this project are to: (1) institute a multi-state roadside turfgrass testing program; (2 develop a data collection and reporting system that provides the most recent research results to state departments of transportation (DOTs) in a timely manner; and (3) increase collaboration between University research programs that work on roadside turf. KW - Cooperation KW - Grasses KW - Roadside flora KW - State departments of transportation KW - Testing KW - Turf KW - Vegetation control UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/595 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1408379 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01599760 TI - I-10 Western Connected Freight Corridor Project AB - The portion of I-10 under consideration extends east from the vicinity of the ports of Los Angles and Long Beach in the Los Angeles region, through the cities of Phoenix and Tucson, across New Mexico, passes through El Paso and San Antonio, and ends in Houston, a total of about 1500 miles in length. The project objectives include the following: (1) All Interstate credentialing and permitting information will be handled "end-to-end" with a single permit per load. (2) Truck parking and reservation systems will be in place at strategic locations, expandable as needed and as practical. (3) Interstate transponder technology (example: PrePass and/or PrePass 360) will be in use to facilitate a single inspection for each truck and load, once the truck is on the Corridor. (4) Interstate Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) devices will be in place and communicating between and among participating states from LA/Long Beach to Houston. (5) A fleet of five to ten trucks, with drivers and employing selected connected vehicle technologies (to be determined), will successfully navigate from LA/Long Beach to Houston in a driver-assisted Truck Platoon. KW - Houston (Texas) KW - Inspection KW - Parking facilities KW - Permits KW - Port of Long Beach KW - Port of Los Angeles KW - Port operations KW - Truck traffic KW - Weigh in motion UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/599 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1408377 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603494 AU - Baas, Jessica AU - Rasmussen, Benjamin AU - Yowell, Ryan AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - National Park Service TI - Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore: Transportation System Existing Conditions PY - 2016/05/20/Final Report SP - 34p AB - Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore ("the Lakeshore") is a significant regional destination along southern Lake Michigan. The Lakeshore manages scenic, fragile dunes and other ecosystems within its jurisdiction. The Lakeshore's transportation system supports access to not only its resources but also a number of gateway communities. This summary of existing transportation-related conditions provides an overview of multimodal access to and within the Lakeshore. The issues and concerns explored at the end of this document provide a framework for potential projects that can be implemented in the short term to address transportation issues. Key concerns at the Lakeshore include: (1) congestion and traffic safety; (2) parking lot capacity; (3) trail connections; (4) bicycle and pedestrian connections from rail to lake; and (5) underutilization of alternative modes. KW - Bicycle facilities KW - Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore KW - Multimodal transportation KW - National parks KW - Parking KW - Pedestrian areas KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic safety KW - Trails KW - Transportation planning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59219/INDU_Existing_Conditions.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1409718 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603545 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Renewable Energy Generation in the Highway Right-of-Way PY - 2016/05/19 SP - 10p AB - State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are increasingly exploring the use of highway right-of-way (ROW) to accommodate renewable energy technologies. The ample lands DOTs manage are often close to electrical loads and have sometimes already been disturbed, potentially making these properties ideal locations for renewable energy applications. Renewable energy highway projects can involve installing photovoltaic (PV) cells or wind turbines or planting biomass, within or near highway ROW, and are designed to complement, not compromise, the transportation system. This document includes potential business models, example applications to accommodate solar energy technologies, federal and state regulations, potential funding sources, and examples of solar development programs. KW - Case studies KW - Financing KW - Policy, legislation and regulation KW - Renewable energy sources KW - Right of way (Land) KW - Solar energy KW - State departments of transportation UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/climate_change/mitigation/publications/row/renewablerow.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1411010 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01611984 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Use of Benefit-Cost Analysis by State Departments of Transportation: Report to Congress PY - 2016/05/17 SP - 63p AB - This study responds to Senate Report 113-182, which requires the U. S. Department of Transportation to “evaluate the use of benefit-cost analysis by State departments of transportation (State DOT), and to issue a report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.” This report addresses four topic areas: (1) The extent to which State departments of transportation use benefit cost analysis when making decisions and setting priorities; (2) The quality of such analysis; (3) Challenges that State departments of transportation face when trying to use benefit cost analysis; and (4) Strategies for addressing those challenges. This study uses a qualitative approach, combining a literature review of existing research on this topic with case studies of nine State DOTs that provide more in-depth information about how benefit cost analysis (BCA) is used at the State level. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Case studies KW - Decision making KW - Evaluation KW - Literature reviews KW - State departments of transportation KW - Strategic planning UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/otps/pubs/bca_report/senate_bca_report_05172016_revised.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423327 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603640 AU - Kohtz, Justine E AU - Bielenberg, Robert W AU - Rosenbaugh, Scott K AU - Faller, Ronald K AU - Lechtenberg, Karla A AU - Reid, John D AU - Midwest Roadside Safety Facility AU - Nebraska Department of Roads AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - MASH Test Nos. 3-11 and 3-10 on a Non-Proprietary Cable Median Barrier PY - 2016/05/17/Final Report SP - 362p AB - The Midwest States Pooled Fund has been developing a new non-proprietary cable median barrier. This system incorporates four evenly spaced cables, Midwest Weak Posts (MWPs) spaced at 8 to 16 ft (2.4 to 4.9 m) intervals, and a bolted, tabbed bracket to attach the cables to each post. Full-scale crash testing was needed to evaluate the barrier’s safety performance. According to the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) updated/proposed testing matrix for cable barriers installed within a 6H:1V or median ditch, a series of eight full-scale tests are required to evaluate the safety performance of a system. A ninth test is required to establish the working width for systems with variable post spacing. Three full-scale crash tests were performed. Test no. MWP-4 was conducted according to MASH test no. 3-11 and utilized a 2270P pickup truck impacting the barrier on level terrain. The vehicle was contained by the barrier, and the test was deemed acceptable. Test no. MWP-6 was conducted according to MASH test no. 3-10 and utilized a 1100C passenger car impacting the barrier on level terrain. The vehicle was contained and redirected by the system. However, the system posts penetrated the occupant compartment through tearing and rupture of the vehicle floor board, and the test was deemed unacceptable. Test no. MWP-7 was also conducted with a 1100C vehicle according to MASH test no. 3-10. Alterations were made to the system posts. Although the vehicle was contained by the system, occupant compartment penetration by line posts was again observed. Test no. MWP-7 was deemed unacceptable. KW - AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware KW - Automobiles KW - Cables KW - Highway safety KW - Impact tests KW - Median barriers KW - Pickup trucks KW - Posts UR - http://www.transportation.nebraska.gov/mat-n-tests/pdfs-docs/ARLinks/TRP-03-327-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1411144 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625813 AU - Sherry, Patrick AU - Colarossi, David AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Effects of Safety Culture & Leadership on Accident Rates Among Transportation Workers PY - 2016/05/15 SP - 51p AB - Workplace accidents have a devastating effect on the transportation industry. Corporate safety culture has inspired interest because it is thought to influence the performance of employees. However, the implementation and measurement of safety culture interventions are challenged by a lack of theoretically supported measures. The purpose of this project is to discuss the design and validation of the Safety Culture Scale (SCS) and its utility in improving roadway safety through community involvement and assessment. The SCS was developed by creating it consistent with the three themes (values, meaning, and behavioral expectations). The survey instrument was administered to a large sample of employees of a large public transportation agency (N=1909). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) compared the fit of likely models. One-way between groups analysis of variance and post hoc tests provided initial evidence of the validity and reliability of the SCS as a measure for the transportation industry in that the scale was able to significantly differentiate (p<.05) between persons who had been involved in more accidents and safety violations, thus demonstrating the relationship between safety culture and accident rates.. Implications of these findings are that the safety culture survey could be used to assess safety awareness and safety culture of trucking or transport companies, small communities, and other organizations involved in transport. By carefully monitoring scores on the SCS, efforts could be made in various communities and organizations to improve attitudes towards safety and ultimately to reduce accidents and improve road safety. KW - Attitudes KW - Corporate culture KW - Employees KW - Labor force KW - Leadership KW - Safety culture KW - Safety Culture Scale (SCS) KW - Transit operating agencies KW - Transportation safety KW - Trucking UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012-22FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445636 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625811 AU - Hedman, Briana AU - Garriott, Patton AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Factors Affecting Recruitment Retention of Intermodal Transportation Workforce: Inclusion, Advancement, Vocational Interests & Selection PY - 2016/05/15 SP - 69p AB - This report summarizes two projects that were intended to explore the factors related to retaining and recruiting transportation workers, specifically through perceptions of workplace climate and likelihood of choosing a career in transportation. Project #1 was designed to develop the Inclusiveness Inventory, a measure of inclusiveness that was based on the integration of prior research and theory. Test construction consisted of conceptual item development, expert review, and editing by members of the participating organization to improve clarity. Survey items were administered to employees at a large, mid-western transit agency as part of a larger study on workplace climate. This paper explored the structure of the Inclusiveness Inventory by factor analysis. The hypothesized factors of the Inclusiveness Inventory included the dimensions of diversity climate, fairness, belongingness, uniqueness, and discrimination. Secondly, this study evaluated the reliability and relationship of the Inclusiveness Inventory to employee job satisfaction and intention to quit. The results suggested a three-factor model and higher scores were related to greater job satisfaction and lower intention to quit. The results were considered in relationship to the implications and suggested directions for future research. The purpose of Project #2 was to examine predictors of transportation career intentions across a sample of potential applications. A sample (N = 263) of students completed measures of: evaluative attitudes, social norms, anticipated sexism, perceived dissimilarity to individuals in the transportation field, and transportation career intentions. Results showed that males reported higher levels of perceived social norms and intentions for entering a transportation career compared to females. Conversely, females reported higher levels of anticipated sexism in transportation careers. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that evaluative attitudes, social norms, and perceived dissimilarity to individuals in transportation predicted transportation career intentions. Mediation analyses revealed that social norms explained the relationship between gender and transportation career intentions. Results are discussed in terms of increasing and diversifying the transportation workforce pipeline. KW - Intermodal transportation KW - Labor force KW - Personnel retention KW - Recruiting KW - Transportation careers UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012-21FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445635 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625810 AU - Sherry, Patrick AU - Bondanza, Allison AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Safe and Competent Intermodal Transportation Workers: The Interaction of Shift Work and Worker Resilience on Health & Safety of Intermodal Transportation Workers PY - 2016/05/15 SP - 42p AB - Workplace accidents have a devastating effect on the transportation industry. Recently, the United States Department of Transportation acknowledged that over 80% of transportation accidents are human factors caused. In an effort to develop a pre-employment screening tool for selecting individuals who will have a lower risk of being involved in an accident or incident, investigators administered a survey instrument to 459 intermodal shift workers in a large midwestern rail company. The survey instrument assessed attitudes, personality characteristics, work habits and practices, etc. related to safe and effective shift work. Data from work histories were then correlated with survey results to establish concurrent validity of the assessment instruments for predicting workplace safety. Results of analyses indicated that Spatial Reasoning, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism were significantly correlated with the number of personal injuries sustained by persons in the sample. A number of significant correlations were obtained between scales on the Denver Lifestyle Inventory (DSI) and personal injuries. In addition, Derailments were significantly correlated with behavior and attitudinal predictors reflecting physical and mental distractibility and activity, possibly indicating a possible pattern or individual characteristic of distractibility or lack of concentration. Distractibility was also significantly correlated with Reaction Time and Digit Span Trials Correct from the Web Neuro Battery. Lastly, Absenteeism was significantly correlated with items related to comfort and satisfaction with shift work schedules. The data gathered in the study provide validity consistent with that of the Uniform Personnel Selection Guidelines (EEOC, 1964, 1978). Implications of these results suggest a higher probability for selecting and maintaining a work force with a low accident injury rate by using the pre-employment selection tools. KW - Absenteeism KW - Attitudes KW - Behavior KW - Distraction KW - Employees KW - Habits KW - Human factors KW - Intermodal transportation KW - Personality KW - Pre-employment testing KW - Shift workers KW - Surveys KW - Transportation safety UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012-18FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445633 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613999 AU - Qian, Zhen (Sean) AU - Carnegie Mellon University AU - Pennsylvania Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Real-time Incident Detection Using Social Media Data PY - 2016/05/09/Final Report SP - 54p AB - The effectiveness of traditional incident detection is often limited by sparse sensor coverage, and reporting incidents to emergency response systems is labor-intensive. This research project mines tweet texts to extract incident information on both highways and arterials as an efficient and cost-effective alternative to existing data sources. This research report presents a methodology to crawl, process and filter tweets that are accessible by the public for free. Tweets are acquired from Twitter using the REST API in real time. The process of adaptive data acquisition establishes a dictionary of important keywords and their combinations that can imply traffic incidents (TI). A tweet is then mapped into a high dimensional binary vector in a feature space formed by the dictionary, and classified into either TI related or not. All the TI tweets are then geocoded to determine their locations, and further classified into one of the five incident categories. The author applies the methodology in two regions, the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia Metropolitan Areas. Overall, mining tweets holds great potential to complement existing traffic incident data in a very cheap way. A small sample of tweets acquired from the Twitter API covers most of the incidents reported in the existing data set, and additional incidents can be identified through analyzing tweets text. Twitter also provides ample additional information with a reasonable coverage on arterials. A tweet that is related to TI and geocodable accounts for approximately 10% of all the acquired tweets. Of those geocodable TI tweets, the majority are posted by influential users (IU), namely public Twitter accounts owned by public agencies and media, while a small number is contributed by individual users. There is more incident information provided by Twitter on weekends than on weekdays. Within the same day, both individuals and IUs tend to report incidents more frequently during the day time than at night, especially during traffic peak hours. Individual tweets are more likely to report incidents near the center of a city, and the volume of information significantly decays outwards from the center. The author develops a prototype web application to allow users to extract both real-time and historical incident information and visualize it on the map. The web application will be tested in Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) transportation management centers. KW - Data mining KW - Geographic information systems KW - Incident detection KW - Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) KW - Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) KW - Real time information KW - Social media KW - Traffic incidents KW - Twitter KW - Web applications UR - http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_PDF_FILES/Documents/Research/Complete%20Projects/Operations/Real_time_Incident_Detection_Using_Social_Media_Data.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426771 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603568 AU - Department of Transportation TI - FAA Lacks Adequate Controls to Accurately Track and Award its Sole-Source Contracts PY - 2016/05/09/Audit Report SP - 24p AB - In March 2009, the President issued a memorandum directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop and issue Government-wide guidance governing the use and oversight of sole-source contracts. Accordingly, in July 2009 OMB directed all Federal agencies to reduce the amount of dollars obligated on noncompetitive contracts, including sole-source contracts. Sole-source contracts can be used when only one contractor is capable of delivering the goods or services needed and, therefore, it is not feasible to obtain competitive bids. However, these types of contracts are considered high-risk and can result in wasted taxpayer resources, poor contractor results, and inadequate accountability. Since 2009, Congress has required Federal agencies to report annually to the Senate and House Appropriations Committees on their sole-source contracting actions. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) annual reports to Congress on sole-source contracts, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)—which awards more contract dollars annually than any other Operating Administration in the Department—accounted for approximately 65 percent of DOT’s sole-source awards between fiscal years 2008 and 2013. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit objectives were to (1) assess FAA’s actions since OMB’s 2009 directive to reduce the use of sole-source contracts, including follow-on contracts to sole-source awards, and (2) determine whether FAA’s practices prior to award of sole-source contracts comply with FAA’s Acquisition Management System (AMS) requirements. OIG reviewed a statistical sample of 34 sole-source contracts from a universe of 377 contracts awarded between fiscal year 2012 and April 2015 to determine whether FAA complied with AMS policy and guidance. The results of the review allowed OIG to project the total estimated value of sole-source contracts in the universe that did not fully comply with key pre-award procurement practices required by AMS. KW - Compliance KW - Contract administration KW - Oversight KW - Policy KW - Procurement KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/FAA%20Sole-Source%20Contracts_Final%20Report%5E5-9-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1411466 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619062 AU - Landry, Steven AU - Jeon, Myounghoon AU - Lautala, Pasi AU - Michigan Technological University, Houghton AU - Michigan Technological University, Houghton AU - National University Rail Center (NURail) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Effects of Driver Attention on Rail Crossing Safety and The Effects of Auditory Warnings and Driver Distraction on Rail Crossing Safety PY - 2016/05/05/Final Report SP - 100p AB - Train-vehicle/train collisions at highway-rail grade crossings (crossings) continue to be a major issue in the US and around the world. Noncompliant behavior such as gate-running is the biggest cause of accidents at crossings protected by active warning devices, while failure to detect the crossing or train, or at least, a poor time-to-arrival judgment, is the largest cause of accidents at crossings protected by passive warnings. Crossings with active warnings have lower crash risks per volume of vehicle traffic than those with passive warning devices. However, the cost to install and maintain active warnings is considerable and likely a barrier in many areas. In order to better understand how and why these collisions occur, the authors conducted a number of studies that investigated the psychology behind driver decision making on approach to crossings in a medium fidelity driving simulator. The empirical investigation was split into two separate phases. The first phase of studies focused on the difference in driver response between different warning types. In Phase two of the driver behavior studies, In-Vehicle Auditory Alerts (IVAA’s) were developed and tested. Based on the results the authors designed and tested a prototype IVAA system. KW - Audible warning devices in vehicles KW - Behavior KW - Decision making KW - Distraction KW - Drivers KW - Driving simulators KW - Prototype tests KW - Psychology KW - Railroad grade crossings KW - Traffic safety KW - Warning devices UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60280/NURail2012-MTU-R03_Final_Report_SL_driver_behavior_v4.5.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436217 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616932 AU - Lautala, Pasi AU - Nelson, David AU - Michigan Technological University, Houghton AU - National University Rail Center (NURail) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Undergraduate Certificate in Rail Transportation/Engineering PY - 2016/05/05/Final Report SP - 22p AB - Over the past several years, Michigan Tech has developed educational offerings in Rail Transportation Engineering and the number of students participating in coursework and Railroad Engineering and Activities Club (REAC) has increased significantly. Simultaneously, major rail companies, engineering consultants, contractors and manufacturers have increased their recruiting activities on campus to meet their demands. The industry has identified graduates with bachelor’s degree as their primary target group and have identified leadership, problem solving and communication skills as the most valuable “non-technical” skills for their graduates (per industry surveys). The objective of this project was to develop a sequence of academic studies that will equip with necessary skills to enter the rail industry and allow them to become important contributors toward the future of rail transportation. Due to policy changes within the university, the direction was changed from a certificate to a minor in Rail Transportation Engineering. In the spring of 2016, the Minor in Rail Transportation was approved by the University Senate, and by the University Administration. The main learning goals for the Minor are presented in this document and the full version of the final proposal is provided in Appendix A. KW - College students KW - Education KW - Michigan Technological University KW - Railroad engineering KW - Recruiting KW - Transportation careers KW - Universities and colleges UR - http://www.nurailcenter.org/education-and-outreach/final_reports/MTU/NURail2012-MTU-E04_Final_Report_Rail_Minor_v2.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60273/NURail2012-MTU-E04_Final_Report_Rail_Minor_v2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427204 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603652 AU - Cunningham, Chris AU - Findley, Daniel J AU - Davis, Joy AU - Aghdashi, Behzad AU - Kim, Sangkey AU - Small, James Douglas AU - North Carolina State University, Raleigh AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Life Cycle Impacts of Intersection Control Type Selection PY - 2016/05/05/Final Report AB - The methodology provided in this report provides guidance for North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) conversions of two‐way stop controlled intersections to other intersection types to enhance the effective allocation of public funds. The findings of this project have been incorporated into the study’s primary deliverable, the spreadsheet‐based NCDOT Intersection Life Cycle Cost Comparison Tool, which combines enhanced Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) 2010 methodologies and standard cost benefit analysis methodologies to calculate the long‐term net benefits of converting a two‐way stop controlled intersections to three different intersection options: 1) all‐way stop controlled, 2) signalized, and 3) roundabout types. This deliverable is designed for use during the planning phase of potential intersection conversion projects to help stakeholders identify the most cost‐effective conversion configuration option. This report summarizes the findings of all project tasks.   KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Cost effectiveness KW - Evaluation KW - Highway traffic control KW - Life cycle costing KW - Multiway stop signs KW - North Carolina Department of Transportation KW - Roundabouts KW - Signalized intersections KW - Spreadsheets UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/RNAProjDocs/NCDOT%202014-11%20Project%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/RNAProjDocs/NCDOT%202014-11%20Tool%20User%20Manual.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1410494 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616933 AU - Havens, Timothy AU - Deilamsalehy, Hanieh AU - Lautala, Pasi AU - Michigan Technological University, Houghton AU - Michigan Technological University, Houghton AU - National University Rail Center (NURail) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - An Automatic Method for Detecting Sliding Railway Wheels and Hot Bearings using Thermal Imagery PY - 2016/05/03/Final Report SP - 17p AB - One of the most important safety-related tasks in the rail industry is early detection of defective rolling stock components. Railway wheels and wheel bearings are two components prone to damage due to their interactions with brakes and railway track, which makes them a high priority when the rail industry investigates improvements to current detection processes. One of the specific wheel defects is a flat wheel, which is often caused by sliding during a heavy braking application. The main contribution of this research work is development of a computer vision method for automatically detecting the sliding wheels from images taken by wayside thermal cameras. As a byproduct, the process will also include a method for detecting hot bearings from the same images. The authors trained our algorithm with a set of simulated data and tested it on several thermal images collected in North American revenue service by the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR). KW - Algorithms KW - Bearings KW - Car wheels (Railroads) KW - Computer vision KW - Defects KW - Flaw detection KW - Railroad safety KW - Rolling contact KW - Sliding friction KW - Thermal imagery KW - Union Pacific Railroad UR - http://www.nurailcenter.org/research/final_reports/MTU/NURail2013-MTU-R06_-_Computer_Vision_and_Machine_Learning_Method_Final_Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60286/NURail2013-MTU-R06_-_Computer_Vision_and_Machine_Learning_Method_Final_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427205 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610796 AU - Ahearn, Meghan AU - Boeker, Eric AU - Gorshkov, Slava AU - Hansen, Andrew AU - Hwang, Sunje AU - Koopmann, Jonathan AU - Malwitz, Andrew AU - Noel, George AU - Reherman, Clay AU - Senzig, David AU - Solman, Gina Barberio AU - Tosa, Yasunari AU - Wilson, Andrew AU - Zubrow, Alexis AU - Didyk, Nicole AU - DiPardo, Joe AU - Grandi, Fabio AU - Majeed, Mohammed AU - Bernal, Jose AU - Dinges, Eric AU - Rickel, Denise AU - Yaworski, Michael AU - Hall, Clifford AU - Augustine, Stephen AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) Technical Manual Version 2b Service Pack 3 PY - 2016/05/03/Final Report SP - 382p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Environment and Energy (FAA-AEE) has developed the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) version 2b software system with the support of the following development team: FAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), ATAC Corporation, Metron Aviation, Wyle Laboratories, CSSI, Inc., Foliage, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Georgia Tech. AEDT 2b models aircraft performance in space and time to estimate fuel consumption, emissions, noise, and air quality consequences. AEDT is designed to process individual studies ranging in scope from a single flight at an airport to scenarios at the regional, national, and global levels. This Technical Manual describes the technical methodology in AEDT 2b Service Pack 3. KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aircraft operations KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Computer program documentation KW - Fuel consumption KW - Pollutants KW - Software UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59400/59497/AEDT2b_TechManual.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422140 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01604577 AU - McCoy, Kevin AU - Ingles, Amy AU - Lyons, William AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - STIP State of the Practice Review: Development and Use of StatewideTransportation Improvement Programs PY - 2016/05/03/Final Report SP - 53p AB - This report examines the state of the practice in the development and use of statewide transportation improvement programs (STIPs) by state departments of transportation (State DOTs). It includes the results of a scan of all 52 publicly-available STIPs as of January 2014, a more detailed analysis of 14 STIPs which were selected as a group representing varying styles and techniques, and a discussion of three general descriptive models for understanding how ways in which State DOTs develop and use STIPs in the statewide transportation planning process both to meet regulatory requirements and to support broad agency goals such as communicating information to the public and performance-based planning and programming. The report features numerous illustrative examples of STIP practices from the 14 STIPs selected for more detailed analysis and summarizes potential future advancements in STIPs as “food for thought” in a theoretical “Enhanced STIP” model. KW - Programming (Planning) KW - State departments of transportation KW - State of the practice KW - State Transportation Improvement Program KW - Transportation planning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59275/STIPs_Whitepaper.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1414861 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01604576 AU - McCoy, Kevin AU - Andrew, James AU - Lyons, William AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - RIDESHARING, TECHNOLOGY, AND TDM IN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS SETTINGS: Lessons for State, Regional, and Local Agencies PY - 2016/05/03/Final Report SP - 84p AB - This report examines how university campus transportation departments are using new technologies and supportive polices to advance ridesharing and transportation demand management (TDM) as alternatives to driving alone to campus. It looks at university campuses as “ridesharing and TDM laboratories” where innovations may be first attempted in a relatively more controlled environment, from which elements could potentially be transferred to broader, more complex metropolitan transportation planning contexts. The report features case studies of successful ridesharing and TDM practices at six U.S. universities which have dramatically lowered drive-alone rates. In addition to the case studies, the report summarizes how ridesharing and TDM programs have factored into university transportation programs in the past, identifies and generalizes innovative practices from the case studies, and discusses how those practices may be applied in local, regional, or statewide transportation planning contexts. KW - Campuses KW - Case studies KW - Innovation KW - Mobility management KW - Parking management KW - Ridesharing KW - Social marketing KW - Travel demand management KW - United States KW - Universities and colleges UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59274/Rideshare3_University_Transportation.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1414860 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610841 AU - Viray, Reginald AU - Sarkar, Abhijit AU - Doerzaph, Zac AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Virginia Connected Vehicle Test Bed System Performance (V2I System Performance) PY - 2016/05/01/Final Report SP - 194p AB - This project identified vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication system limitations on the Northern Virginia Connected Vehicle Test Bed. Real-world historical data were analyzed to determine wireless Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) coverage gaps and overlaps. In addition, a simulated scalability test was run to determine the effects of network congestion on the system. The results from the real-world historical data showed that significant loss of signal occurred due to obstructions commonly found in complex highway systems, including overpasses and underpasses, elevated concrete roadways, and foliage. Consequently, care must be taken to minimize loss of signal when selecting an installation site for roadside equipment (RSEs). The deployment of multiple RSEs or repeaters may be necessary to maximize coverage in localized dead zones. The results from the scalability test showed that the current network architecture is not able to handle a large deployment of connected vehicles (CV). If a large scale of CV were to be deployed, an assessment of the current network design needs to be investigated to account for the number of vehicles and subsequent flow of data expected in the operational area. KW - Infrastructure KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Simulation KW - Systems analysis KW - Traffic congestion KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Virginia UR - http://cvi-utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Viray_Virginia-Connected-Vehicle-Test-Bed-System-Performance_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422650 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01600748 AU - Zhang, Zhenhua AU - Ni, Ming AU - He, Qing AU - Gao, Jing AU - Transportation Informatics University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Mining Transportation Information from Social Media for Planned and Unplanned Events PY - 2016/05/01/Final Report SP - 68p AB - The objective of this project is on mining social media data to deduce useful traveler’s information with a special emphasis under events, including both planned events (such as sporting games), and unplanned events (such as traffic accidents). Specifically, the project proposes to develop effective and efficient techniques to collect, extract and mine social media data to support advanced traveler information systems and traffic operators. By mining social media based semantics, especially text semantics, this project aims to achieve the following aims: 1) Forecast transit ridership under large sporting games; 2) Identify causality between abnormal traffic flow pattern and social media data; 2) Detect traffic accident using online social media data and traffic loop-detector data. KW - Advanced traveler information systems KW - Data collection KW - Data mining KW - Forecasting KW - Ridership KW - Social media KW - Special events KW - Traffic flow KW - Traffic incidents UR - http://www.buffalo.edu/content/www/transinfo/Research/socialmediaminingforevents/_jcr_content/par/download/file.res/MiningSocialMediaEvents_FinalReport.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59279/MiningSocialMediaEvents_FinalReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1408865 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01601662 TI - Enriched Sensor Data for Enhanced Bridge Weigh-in-Motion (eBWIM) Applications AB - The proposed project is both a feasibility study to identify sensor technologies that hold high promise for improving Bridge Weight in Motion (BWIM) system performance through data enrichment (eBWIM), as well as a planning study to formulate a long-range plan for establishing a testbed (e.g. Figure 3) to investigate eBWIM data processing techniques, validation and calibration. The feasibility study will be a critical evaluation of all viable sensor and imaging technologies and corresponding data processing techniques. The planning study will identify potential bridges in the greater Twin Cities metropolitan area which have traffic sensors and which can be easily fitted with a BWIM system. This task will include careful coordination with bridge owners (e.g., Minnesota Department of Transportation, cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and the University) to facilitate access to bridges and sensor data. The detailed plan would also including detailed specification of the hardware and software that would be needed for the testbed to enable the deployment of an eBWIM system. The planning stage would conclude with identification of funding sources to fund the research program. KW - Data fusion KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Highway bridges KW - Information processing KW - Minneapolis (Minnesota) KW - Saint Paul (Minnesota) KW - Sensors KW - Test beds KW - Weigh in motion UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1375760 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622670 AU - Lewis, Rebecca AU - Zako, Robert AU - University of Oregon, Eugene AU - National Institute for Transportation and Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Assessing State Efforts to Integrate Transportation, Land Use and Climate Change PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 94p AB - Climate change is increasingly recognized as a threat to life on earth. “Continued emission of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and long-lasting changes in all components of the climate system, increasing the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems. Limiting climate change would require substantial and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions” (International Panel on Climate Change, 2014, 8). The transportation sector accounts for almost one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the United States. Reducing GHG from transportation rests on the “three-legged stool” of improving vehicle efficiency, reducing the carbon content of fuels and reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT). But “technological improvements in vehicles and fuels are likely to be offset by continuing, robust growth in VMT” (Ewing et al., 2007, 2). Thus, a crucial strategy in curbing GHG from transportation relies on reducing total VMT by promoting alternative modes of transportation hand in hand with promoting development patterns that support the use of such modes, in addition to pricing strategies (for GHG, parking, gas taxes, tolls, etc.) and lifestyle changes to shift from driving. In developing climate action plans, States have begun to acknowledge the connection between transportation and development patterns. This project explores the institutional barriers and opportunities for reducing VMT, hence GHG, through improved transportation options and smarter development patterns in four States: California, Maryland, Oregon and Washington. The research team analyzed existing policy frameworks around transportation, land use and climate change, outlining the statutory context around plans and actions within State agencies and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). The research team used content analysis to analyze existing plans under these agencies, and conducted interviews with over 40 stakeholders to evaluate strengths and weaknesses of State approaches. The research team assessed the existing policy framework within the case study States and offers recommendations for improving existing frameworks. Finally, lessons learned from these four States can inform other States attempting to reduce GHG from transportation. KW - California KW - Case studies KW - Climate change KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Greenhouse gases KW - Land use KW - Maryland KW - Oregon KW - Policy KW - Recommendations KW - Stakeholders KW - State departments of transportation KW - Transportation planning KW - Washington (State) UR - http://ppms.trec.pdx.edu/media/project_files/NITC-RR-789.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442277 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622669 AU - Eixenberger, David AU - Anderson, Douglas I AU - Eixenberger Group, LLC AU - Anderson Transportation Consulting AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Pavement Markings Under Wet-Night Road Conditions - Best Practices Study PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 65p AB - This study was conducted on behalf of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), to identify “best practices” by other governmental agencies in comparison to UDOT’s current practices for the selection of pavement marking materials and products, with an emphasis on improving the visibility of pavement markings under wet-night conditions. The information will be used to assist UDOT in a review of its current pavement marking selection guide. The study shows several opportunities to expand UDOT’s current selection guide to include process improvements, emerging technologies and additional factors for consideration such as crash histories, climate conditions, roadway geometrics, and work zones. KW - Best practices KW - Evaluation KW - Night visibility KW - Road markings KW - State departments of transportation KW - Utah KW - Wet weather UR - http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=32658526784307608 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442082 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618820 AU - Suraneni, Prannoy AU - Monical, Jonathan AU - Unal, Erol AU - Farnam, Yaghoob AU - Villani, Chiara AU - Barrett, Timothy J AU - Weiss, W Jason AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Performance of Concrete Pavement in the Presence of Deicing Salts and Deicing Salt Cocktails SN - 9781622604258 PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 19p AB - Deicing salts are widely used for anti-icing and deicing operations in pavements. While historically sodium chloride may have been the deicer most commonly used, a wide range of deicing salts have begun to be used to operate at lower temperatures, to “stick to the road better” and to improve other aspects of performance such as environmental impact or corrosion resistance. It has been observed that some chloride based deicing salts can react with the calcium hydroxide in the mixture resulting in the formation of calcium oxychloride an expansive phase that can damage concrete pavements, especially at the joints. This report describes the two main objectives of this work. First, the report documents the development a standardized approach to use low temperature differential scanning calorimetry (LT-DSC) to assess the influence of cementitious binder composition on the potential for calcium oxychloride formation. Second, this work will assess the influence of blended salt cocktails on the formation of calcium oxychloride. KW - Calcium oxychloride KW - Concrete pavements KW - Deicing chemicals KW - Pavement performance UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284316350 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60539/viewcontent.cgi_article_3151_context_jtrp.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1437028 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616248 AU - Kutay, M Emin AU - Ozdemir, Ugurcan AU - Michigan State University, East Lansing AU - Michigan Department of Transportation AU - Center for Highway Pavement Preservation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - An Acceptance Test for Chip Seal Projects Based on Image Analysis PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 117p AB - Chip seal is one of the most popular preventive maintenance techniques performed by many departments of transportation (DOTs), county road departments and cities. One of the most important parameters affecting performance of a chip seal is the percent aggregate embedment depth into the binder. Depending on the percent embedment of aggregates in chip seals, they may be susceptible to distresses such as aggregate chip loss and bleeding. In this study, a standard test procedure was developed to directly calculate aggregate embedment depth via digital image processing techniques. Two image-based algorithms were developed to calculate embedment depth, and another algorithm was developed to compute the percentage of the aggregate surface coverage area with binder. The statistical analysis results indicated that there is a good correlation between embedment depth obtained from image-based algorithms and sand patch test results. Analyses of chip seal samples collected from limited number of ‘good-performing’ field chip seal sections revealed that the aggregate percent embedment ranged from 50% to 70%, which is the typical desired range to minimize bleeding and chip loss. However, more research is needed to investigate the ‘poor-performing’ field sections. Various laboratory chip seal samples were also prepared to investigate the variation of percent embedment in chip seals made with the minimum and maximum binder and aggregate application rates specified in Michigan DOT’s special provisions. The results revealed that the average percent embedment ranged from 55% to 70%. KW - Acceptance tests KW - Aggregates KW - Algorithms KW - Chip seals KW - Digital images KW - Embedment depth KW - Image processing KW - Preventive maintenance UR - http://www.chpp.egr.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CHPP-Report-MSU2-2016.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60408/CHPP-Report-MSU2-2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429189 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01615059 AU - Fullenbaum, Richard AU - Grillo, Christopher AU - IHS Global Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Freight Analysis Framework Inter-Regional Commodity Flow Forecast Study: Final Forecast Results Report PY - 2016/05//Technical Report SP - 80p AB - This technical report accompanies the 2012 base-year Freight Analysis Framework Forecasts (FAF4) submitted to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Freight Management and Operations. The technical report outlines the data and methodology employed to develop freight forecasts using the 2012 base-year FAF data for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and long - term forecasts in five - year increments from 2020 to 2045. This report also analyzes the resulting FAF4 forecasts, summarizing the observed trends and the outlook for domestic, imported, and exported goods movement for the United States. Included are detailed breakdowns by major commodity class and, for international trade, by key trade region. Three scenarios driven by different macroeconomic assumptions are analyzed and presented. KW - Commodity flow KW - Forecasting KW - Freight traffic KW - Freight transportation KW - Intermodal transportation KW - Long range planning KW - Multimodal transportation KW - United States UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16043/fhwahop16043.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426166 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614918 AU - McConnell, Mark AU - Doughty, Dale AU - Lattner, Tim AU - Mester, Laura AU - Pope, Cory AU - Sullivan, Tony AU - Van, Thomas AU - Watkins, Lonnie AU - Zimmerman, Katie AU - Arora and Associates, P.C. AU - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) AU - National Cooperative Highway Research Program TI - Leading Management Practices In Determining Funding Levels For Maintenance And Preservation PY - 2016/05//Scan Team Report SP - 93p AB - Within the transportation community, there is evidence of practices that have the potential to secure more consistent and adequate funding for maintenance and preservation activities. This report summarizes the findings from a domestic scan that took place in the Fall of 2015 to investigate successful practices that have led to reliable and adequate funding levels to support maintenance programs, as well as state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) that are using performance data to set performance targets, allocate funding to districts/regions, and establish maintenance priorities. The findings and recommendations contained in this report will be used to promote practices that lead to more reliable and sustainable funding for highway maintenance and preservation in the United States. KW - Asset management KW - Data collection KW - Financing KW - Highway maintenance KW - Performance measurement KW - Preservation KW - Recommendations KW - State departments of transportation KW - State of the practice UR - http://www.domesticscan.org/wp-content/uploads/NCHRP20-68A_14-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426236 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613990 AU - Pierce, Ben AU - Plapper, Eric AU - Rizek, Jodi AU - Battelle Memorial Institute AU - Open Doors Organization AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration AU - Department of Transportation TI - Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI): User Needs Assessment: Stakeholder Engagement Report PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 82p AB - The Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) is a joint U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) initiative that is co-led by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA). ATTRI is also supported by the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office (JPO), National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), and other Federal agencies. The execution of ATTRI is being conducted in three phases spanning over six years: Exploratory and User Needs Research Phase (Year 1), Innovation and Prototype Phase (Years 2-4), and Demonstration Phase (Years 5-6). Within each Phase, a number of activities are being conducted including extensive stakeholder outreach, communications, and technology scanning activities to identify the current state of the industry. This document provides a report on one such activity that was conducted to solicit feedback and information from stakeholders on user needs for ATTRI’s user groups. Three different stakeholder engagement and outreach activities were conducted as part of this project including a literature review, a series of three webinars, presentation at several conferences with “listening sessions,” and one in-person workshop. KW - Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) KW - Aged KW - Assistive technology KW - Automation KW - Conferences KW - Data integration KW - Human services KW - Literature reviews KW - Persons with disabilities KW - Robotics KW - Stakeholders KW - User needs KW - Wayfinding KW - Webinars KW - Workshops UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60100/60128/FHWA-JPO-16-354.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426742 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613750 AU - Epstein, Alexander K AU - Breck, Andrew AU - Cooper, Coralie AU - Peirce, Sean AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - City of San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency TI - Vision Zero San Francisco Truck Side Guard Initiative: Technical Assessment and Recommendations PY - 2016/05 SP - 40p AB - This report summarizes Volpe’s research and recommendations supporting San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) efforts to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety through truck-based strategies. Specifically, this initial report focuses on side guards, which are vehicle-based safety devices designed to prevent pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists from being run over by a large truck’s rear wheels in a side-impact collision. In this report, section 1 describes the nature and magnitude of truck safety challenges; identifies overarching and side guard-relevant factors and trends for fatal crashes; and describes the three pillars of urban truck safety, situating side guards within that context; section 2 provides background on side guards, including existing precedents, a review of data on their safety benefits, and a discussion of practical concerns and solutions, e.g., procurement, installation, maintenance, and operational needs; and section 3 provides recommendations for San Francisco City Fleet vehicles. KW - Cyclists KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Recommendations KW - San Francisco (California) KW - Side crashes KW - Trucking safety KW - Trucks KW - Underride guards KW - Vehicle sides UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59900/59997/DOT-VNTSC-SFMTA-16-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424913 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612151 AU - Martinelli, David R AU - Unnikrishnan, Avinash AU - Martinelli, Diana AU - Palley, David W AU - West Virginia University, Morgantown AU - West Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Evaluation of Speed Monitoring Displays for School Travel Safety Improvement PY - 2016/05 SP - 85p AB - School travel safety has been a concern for transportation and government officials for a long time. Traffic incidents are among the leading causes of child mortality, and many of these incidents can be related to school travel. While the school travel landscape has changed drastically over the past several decades, little has changed with regards to school zone traffic regulation, particularly in West Virginia. Speed trailers were installed at a rural high school located along a West Virginia highway to assess the effectiveness of these types of devices in lowering vehicle speeds near urban schools along high-speed roads. A student survey was also conducted at three schools to determine school travel mode choice trends and gauge student perceptions of safety in their school travel. While significant reductions in average speeds in the presence of speed trailers were observed, compliance with the school zone speed limit was decidedly low. Student survey responses indicated that attitudes and perceptions of school zone safety varied between types of locations. Under the right circumstances, the implementation of speed monitoring displays can be a valuable measure to reduce school zone speeds, particularly when schools are located on or near high-speed roadways. KW - Compliance KW - High speed roads KW - Highway safety KW - Highway traffic control KW - Mode choice KW - Schools KW - Speed limits KW - Speed monitoring displays KW - Speed trailers KW - Speed zones KW - Students KW - Surveys KW - West Virginia UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/WVU-2014-02.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424263 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610836 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - ATDM Program Brief: Data Needs for ATDM PY - 2016/05 SP - 5p AB - Data needs increase as an agency evolves toward more active management. A successful Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) initiative requires a variety of quality data in each stage: (1) Planning for ATDM needs data to identify the areas in the region that would most benefit from ATDM approaches. (2) Operating ATDM systems generally requires more reliable and sophisticated real-time data than typical Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) deployments. (3) Evaluating ATDM requires more data than simple traffic counts to show benefits in improved mobility and safety and the effectiveness of deployed strategies. This brief will inform practitioners about data considerations for ATDM initiatives at each stage of deployment: Planning Data Needs, Data for Day-to-Day Operations, and Data Needs for Monitoring and Evaluation. KW - Advanced traffic management systems KW - Data collection KW - Real time information KW - Travel demand management UR - http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16003/fhwahop16003.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422959 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610835 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - ATDM Program Brief: ATDM and Work Zones PY - 2016/05 SP - 4p AB - This brief is intended to discuss the connection between Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) and work zone mobility and safety including strategies and tactics for successful implementations and associated benefits and lessons learned. Many strategies that agencies commonly deploy during construction activities could be enhanced by embracing ATDM concepts to become more dynamic and actively managed to further improve work zone mobility and safety. The information presented in this brief focuses on ATDM with respect to work zone management, supporting transportation agencies in the beginning phases of developing a Transportation Management Plan (TMP) that includes a temporary traffic control plan, traffic operations component, and public information and outreach component, all relevant to ATDM. KW - Advanced traffic management systems KW - Highway operations KW - Mobility KW - Outreach KW - Public information programs KW - Travel demand management KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zone traffic control UR - http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16015/fhwahop16015.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422958 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610803 AU - Kline, C F AU - CTC & Associates LLC AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Department of Transportation TI - Snowplow Operator Driving Time: Survey of State and Local Practices PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 110p AB - In February 2015, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) issued interim guidance for continuous working hours for UDOT’s snowplow operators. Letter of Instruction 15-1 specified the number of hours that could be worked by snowplow operators and the approval required for certain shift lengths. This research examines best practices for snowplow operator driving time to inform development of a formal policy that will replace the Letter of Instruction 15-1 interim guidance. The major tasks of this research include a literature search that gathered information about the implications of driving time, rest breaks and other driving time policies with a focus on commercial motor vehicle drivers and snowplow operators. Two surveys—one provided to 39 state departments of transportation and another distributed to 20 specially selected UDOT region staff—gathered information about current snowplow operator driving time practices across the country and within UDOT. Recommendations for UDOT’s consideration in preparing a formal policy for snowplow operator driving time include establishing 12-hour shifts given the successes reported by survey respondents; establishing different shift limits for emergency conditions; including breaks in the operator’s work schedule; specifying a minimum rest period between shifts that accommodates long commute times for drivers; identifying ways to remediate staffing challenges; considering reducing the level of service during extended storm events; managing public expectations; allowing for flexibility at the area, region or station level; and monitoring the impact of the new policy. KW - Best practices KW - Hours of labor KW - Literature reviews KW - Operators (Persons) KW - Recommendations KW - Rest periods KW - Snowplows KW - State departments of transportation KW - Surveys KW - Utah KW - Utah Department of Transportation UR - http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=30088028310434736 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1421306 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01609444 AU - Chang, Minwoo AU - Maguire, Marc AU - Utah State University, Logan AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Developing Deterioration Models for Wyoming Bridges PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 148p AB - Deterioration models for the Wyoming Bridge Inventory were developed using both stochastic and deterministic models. The selection of explanatory variables is investigated and a new method using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression to eliminate human bias in explanatory variable selection.The cross validation technique is used to determine the minimum number of explanatory variables. The relative significance of candidate variables is used to rank the explanatory variables in hierarchical order. The deterministic deterioration models are developed by using curve-fitting methods for the mean of bridge ages for each condition rating. In order to improve the accuracy in the model, bridges are split into the multiple subsets using first two explanatory variables for deck, superstructure, and substructure. Although the deterministic deterioration model is insufficient to predict condition ratings for a specific bridge, it is worthy to observe a general feature of how the functionality of bridges becomes worse over time. The stochastic models are developed to capture the uncertainty in the deterioration process using the Markov chain. The transition probability matrix is estimated using percentage prediction method,which counts the numbers corresponding to the element of transition probability matrix. The same subsets used in the deterministic deterioration models are considered. For each subset, zoning technique is used such that the bridge data is grouped for every 30 years to estimate transition probability matrix separately. The source codes are provided for the future update of bridge inventory and stochastic deterioration models. A computer program is used develop and plot deterioration models. A simple guideline is also included so that the user can access the source codes conveniently. KW - Bridge management systems KW - Bridges KW - Deterioration KW - Markov processes KW - Regression analysis KW - Stochastic processes KW - Wyoming UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59700/59711/RS04214_Bridge_Deterioration_Final_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1420618 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608689 AU - Sobanjo, John O AU - Thompson, Paul D AU - Florida State University, Tallahassee AU - Paul D Thompson AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Implementation of the 2013 AASHTO Manual for Bridge Element Inspection PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 179p AB - The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has been collecting bridge element condition data and using its AASHTOWare Pontis bridge management system since the 1990s. FDOT has prepared its own version of the new American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Bridge Element Inspection Manual to address some identified potential improvements. FDOT will need to adapt its decision support models to the new standards in order to use them with the new inspection data in AASHTO’s Bridge Management System (BMS) software. This study has revised the existing methodology for computing the bridge health index (BHI) by investigating various approaches to assigning state weights and element importance weights. A list of recommended element weights is presented to FDOT as well as a methodology for calculating the BHI. A revised list of preservation actions was formulated to be compatible for use in the BMS software, based on the description of bridge elements, their condition states, and various levels and extents of defects in the FDOT Bridge Inspection Guide. New transition times for deterioration between states were developed to enhance the migration of the Pontis deterioration model to the BMS software. The action effectiveness model was revised, based on the new bridge element inspection manual. Based on historical costs and some assumptions, preservation unit costs and other cost parameters were provided as necessary to run the BMS software. Finally, the research team developed the migration of preservation benefits and optimization results to the BMS software, and performed the necessary enhancements to the Project Level Analysis Tool to support decision making at FDOT. KW - AASHTO Manual for Bridge Element Inspection KW - Bridge management systems KW - Bridge members KW - Costs KW - Decision support systems KW - Florida KW - Implementation KW - Inspection KW - Methodology KW - Software KW - Structural health monitoring UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_MNT/FDOT-BDV30-977-07-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419061 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608669 AU - Auer, Ashley AU - Feese, Shelley AU - Lockwood, Stephen AU - Booz Allen Hamilton AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - History of Intelligent Transportation Systems PY - 2016/05 SP - 56p AB - Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) capabilities have matured significantly over the past 25 years since the ITS Joint Program Office was created, and this document celebrates the advances in this field and explores its exciting future, while also serving as a guide for future ITS research programs. The United States stands now at the cusp of revolutionary changes to its transportation system, including connected and automated vehicles, making it a particularly apt time to look back at the history of ITS and reflect on what can be learned to help shape the future. KW - Forecasting KW - History KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Research projects KW - Technological innovations KW - United States UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59263/download1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418799 ER - TY - SER AN - 01608637 JO - Analysis Brief PB - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Fatal Crashes Involving Drivers Recorded as Asleep or Fatigued, 2013 PY - 2016/05 SP - 3p AB - In 2013, 30,057 fatal crashes took place on US roadways, with 11.8 percent (3,541) involving at least 1 large truck. This analysis reviews fatal crashes in which the large truck driver was recorded as being fatigued at the time of the crash. Based on data contained in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), in 2013, there were 59 fatal crashes involving a large truck where the large truck driver was coded as being “asleep or fatigued”. These crashes accounted for 1.7 percent of all large truck fatal crashes. As driver fatigue is recorded as a driver-related factor on police accident reports (PARs), it is often under-reported. NHTSA has acknowledged that there are inherent limitations to FARS data with respect to determining the presence of fatigued drivers. In 2013, roughly 75 percent of large truck crashes with fatigue recorded as a driver-related factor were single-vehicle crashes, while 20 percent involved two vehicles and 5 percent involved three or more vehicles. KW - Crash characteristics KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Fatigue (Physiological condition) KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Truck crashes KW - Truck drivers KW - United States UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59253/RRA-15-026b-Fatigued_Drivers-Analysis_Brief-_Final-508C_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418796 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608617 AU - VanFrank, Kevin AU - VanMilligen, Mike AU - Biel, Tim AU - CME Transportation Group AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Cold In-Place Recycling Using Solventless Emulsion – Phase IV (Emulsion Qualification and Long-Term Field Performance) PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 67p AB - This report looks into how a successful Cold In-Place solventless emulsion behaves and how the emulsion break test developed in Phase III of this project demonstrates that behavior. Modifications to the test have been made to improve the consistency of the test. A modified laboratory procedure is proposed. The report also considers the factors contributing to successful field performance. Six Cold In-Place Recycled Asphalt Pavement (CIR) projects done over the last eight years were cored. These samples were subjected to Density, Stability and Fracture Energy determination. Results from these tests were compared to a Performance Index designed to normalize age, overlay condition and CIR condition. It was determined that, while poor performing projects exhibited similar stability to high performing projects, the poor performers exhibited low density and low fracture energy compared to the good performers. KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Cold in-place recycling KW - Cores (Specimens) KW - Density KW - Emulsions KW - Field studies KW - Fracture tests KW - Overlays (Pavements) KW - Pavement performance KW - Stability (Mechanics) UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59281/uconowner.gf_n_28384310006922524.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418788 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608589 AU - Kolleda, Joshua AU - Garcia, Dominie AU - Poling, Tyler AU - Booz Allen Hamilton AU - Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority AU - Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase I Security Management Operational Concept - Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 129p AB - The Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment Program is intended to develop a suite of applications that utilize vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication technology to reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, and decrease emissions. These CV applications support a flexible range of services from advisories, roadside alerts, transit mobility enhancements and pedestrian safety. The pilot will be conducted in three Phases. Phase I includes the planning for the CV pilot including the concept of operations development. Phase II is the design, development, and testing phase. Phase III includes a real-world demonstration of the applications developed as part of this pilot). This document presents the Security Management Operating Concept (SMOC). It provides guidance material in regards to security and privacy for the THEA Deployment Phase I. The document is presented based on identifying the impacts of security breaches regarding confidentiality, integrity, and availability along with the potential threats. It is important to note that security requirements in the SMOC are developed to address privacy by design. Additional references for security analyses, V2V security, the Security Credential Management System, and connected vehicle application security needs are included. KW - Implementation KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Pilot studies KW - Privacy KW - Security KW - Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority KW - Transportation planning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59264/FHWA-JPO-16-312.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418793 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608563 AU - Gruberg, Richard AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - An Assessment of the Safety Performance of Farm Vehicles Subject to Exemptions Under MAP-21 PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 56p AB - This report presents the methodology and findings from an analysis conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA’s) Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology, with support from the Office of Field Operations, in response to the requirement in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) that a safety study of covered farm vehicles be performed. The analysis includes: (1) A determination of the best way to identify covered farm carriers and their vehicles in the databases maintained by FMCSA; (2) Estimates for the number of covered farm carriers, covered farm vehicles, and drivers of covered farm vehicles; (3) Estimates of driver and vehicle out-of-service (OOS) rates, based on inspections of covered farm vehicles and their drivers; (4) Estimates of crash rates for covered farm carriers; and (5) An assessment of regulations in each State which are identical to the Federal regulations subject to exemption under MAP-21 for covered farm vehicles. KW - Crash rates KW - Databases KW - Drivers KW - Estimates KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Farm vehicles KW - Methodology KW - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) KW - Regulations KW - U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration KW - Vehicle safety UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59251/RRA-14-003-MAP21_Farm_Study_Full_Report-_Final-508C_.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418783 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608559 AU - Howe, Gavin AU - Xu, Guogang AU - Hoover, Dick AU - Elsasser, Devin AU - Barickman, Frank AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Commercial Connected-Vehicle Test Procedure Development and Test Results – Intersection Movement Assist PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 150p AB - This report is one of four that documents National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA’s) test track research performed to support development of objective test procedures to evaluate the safety applications of commercial vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) equipment. The primary focus of this research was on developing the test procedures, with a secondary goal of evaluating the performance of the prototype V2V safety applications. Objective test procedures were developed to evaluate a range of safety applications including intersection movement assist (IMA), blind spot warning/lane change warning (BSW/LCW), forward collision warning (FCW), and emergency electronic brake light (EEBL) warning. This report documents the IMA test procedures and the results of testing commercial vehicles with the developed procedures. The prototype V2V equipment was observed to track potential IMA threats, but the IMA warnings and alerts issued from the V2V equipment on the trucks evaluated in this study occurred very early. Due to the early warnings it was not possible to fully evaluate some of the test procedures. Future testing with commercial vehicles equipped with V2V technology will be required to fully develop the IMA objective test track procedures and performance metrics. KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Intersections KW - Performance measurement KW - Prototype tests KW - Test procedures KW - Test tracks KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications KW - Warning devices UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash Avoidance/Technical Publications/2016/812276_TruckV2VReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417092 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608550 AU - Saito, Mitsuru AU - Sanchez, Greg H AU - Schultz, Grant G AU - Brigham Young University AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Calibration of Automatic Performance Measures – Speed and Volume Data: Volume 2, Evaluation of the Accuracy of Approach Volume Counts and Speeds Collected by Microwave Sensors PY - 2016/05//Final Report SP - 167p AB - This study evaluated the accuracy of approach volumes and free flow approach speeds collected by the Wavetronix SmartSensor Advance sensor for the Signal Performance Metrics system of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), using the field data collected by JAMAR counter boards for free flow approach volumes and a TruCam LiDAR gun for approach speeds. The Advance sensor is primarily designed for dilemma zone reduction. It does not have the capability to differentiate vehicles between lanes, but the Advance sensor currently used has a detection range of up to 600 ft. and has the capability to track vehicles approaching the intersection. UDOT wanted to use this capability to get added values from their investment in the Advance sensors. The approach volume accuracy was analyzed with three factors: sensor position, number of approach lanes, and approach volume level. The results showed that the high accuracy is achieved when the number of approach lanes is low, or closer to one-lane, and the approach volume level is low. The overall range of accuracy for the approach volume counts was found to range from approximately 77.8% (22.2% undercount) to 105.7% (5.7% overcount). The accuracy of approach speeds was analyzed with two factors: the number of lanes and offset position of the lanes relative to the location of the speed gun. The offset position was first tested and found not to affect the accuracy of approach speeds. In general, the difference in means was approximately ±2 mph and was not considered practically significant. The 85th percentile speed for sites with more than 50 samples were then evaluated. For these sites, the average difference in 85th percentile speed was -0.43 mph, the biggest negative difference being -1.6 mph, and the biggest positive difference being 1.5 mph. A Bootstrapping analysis was then performed to predict the expected distribution of speed differences in 85th percentile speeds. This analysis also showed the 85th percentile speeds by the LiDAR gun and the Advance sensor were not significantly different for practical traffic engineering applications. KW - Accuracy KW - Data collection KW - Evaluation KW - Field studies KW - Free flow speeds KW - Laser radar KW - Microwave detectors KW - Performance measurement KW - Sensors KW - Signalized intersections KW - Traffic volume KW - Utah UR - http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=28384521790001597 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59200/59280/uconowner.gf_n_28384521790001597.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1418786 ER - TY - SER AN - 01608546 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - The Universal Simple Aging Test PY - 2016/05 SP - 8p AB - This document is a technical summary of the unpublished Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) report The Universal Simple Aging Test (USAT) and Low Temperature Performance Grading Using Small Plate Dynamic Shear Rheometry: An Alternative to Standard RTFO, PAV, and BBR for HMA and WMA. This TechBrief provides an overview of the Universal Simple Aging Test (USAT), which is an alternative to use of standard rolling thin-film oven (RTFO) and pressure aging vessel (PAV) testing for asphalt binders. Also, the USAT can be applied to emulsion residue recovery and oxidative aging of the residue. KW - Aging (Materials) KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Bituminous binders KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Oven tests KW - Pressure aging vessels KW - Rheometers KW - Test procedures KW - Warm mix paving mixtures UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/15054/15054.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1417609 ER -