Re: Review of the TRB Research Needs Statement Datatbase

Date: May 20, 2010To: TAC Members and Mark NormanFrom: Karla Karash on behalf of Mary Lou Ralls-Newman, Ron Knipling, and Daniel RothRe: Review of the TRB Research Needs Statement Datatbase1 Overview The TAC Strategic Plan includes a strategy which is Identify research needs, monitor ongoing research, and ensure the effective sharing of research results. Key to this strategy is the provision and maintenance of the Research Needs Statement (RNS) Database, which is intended to be the repository of the research statements developed by the standing committees of TRB. The purpose of this review was to provide a top down assessment of the database to see how well it covers the nine TRB Critical Issues from the publication Critical Issues in Transportation, 2009 Update. This review was one of the 2010 action items from the TAC Strategic Plan. The nine Critical Issues are: Congestion  Energy, Environment, and Climate Change  Infrastructure  Finance  Equity  Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Mitigation  Safety  Institutions  Human and Intellectual CapitalEach of these Critical Issues was researched by one member of the team. The content of our review was to summarize from the RNS Database the number of statements that directly respond to the each TRB critical issue, say something about the Groups contributing, note if there are obvious gaps, and give examples of the types of research statements in the areas. In researching the content of the RNSs, the team also tried to assess whether the particular sub- topics mentioned in the TRB Critical Issues brochure were covered for each Critical Issue. We were also looking for ways to make the RNS database more useful for helping with the 3rd TAC strategy to identify research needs, monitor ongoing research, and ensure the effective sharing of research results.The level of review was dependent somewhat on the number of research statements found— some issues were covered by hundreds of statements, while others contained many fewer statements. The level of review had to be more cursory for the issues with large numbers of statements. Findings are summarized by issue, and the full review is contained in attachments to this report. The committee suggests that this review should be regarded as preliminary—but Preliminary Draft Review 1 that it still may be sufficient to suggest actions that can be taken to strengthen the RNS database.In researching the content of the RNS, the team also tried to assess whether the particular sub- topics mentioned in the TRB Critical Issues brochure were covered for each Critical Issue.Overall ObservationsThe RNS database provides a large and valuable source of research needs as developed by the vast array of TRB Committees with many topics covering the critical problems being faced by the transportation field.Table 1-1 shows the findings about the coverage of Critical Issues by RNSs: As can be seen, Critical Issues like “Congestion”, “Energy, Environment, and Climate Change”, “Infrastructure”, “Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Mitigation”, and “Safety”, appear to be adequately covered. Other areas such as “Finance”, “Equity”, “Institutions”, and “Human and Intellectual Capital” appear to be less well covered. Table 1-1: Summary of Critical Issues by RNSCritical Issue Coverage and Gaps Identified Est. of Committees/ Groups Relevant Participating RNS Congestion Appears to be well covered in all 117 All Groups except Legal topic areas mentioned under Congestion in the TRB Critical Issues brochure. The subject of NAFTA has the least coverage. Energy, Appears to be well covered, Over 90 Statements come from 8 Environment, and particularly due to the Groups and Special Task Climate Change contributions of the Special Task Force on Climate Change Force on Climate Change and and Energy Energy. Areas not covered as well include particulates and production and distribution of alternative energy sources. Infrastructure Appears to be well covered in all 72 Statements come from 8 topic areas mentioned under Groups dominated by Design Infrastructure in the TRB Critical and Construction Group and Issues brochure. Looking by Operations and Preservation mode, a number of RNSs were Group identified for pavements and bridges. A few RNSs were identified for runways and rail, but no RNSs were identified for locks, channels, or terminals.Preliminary Draft Review 2 Critical Issue Coverage and Gaps Identified Est. of Committees/ Groups Relevant Participating RNS Finance Does not appear to be well 18 Many from AB000, one from covered, but it is difficult to identify AP000 RNSs that deal with finance in the database. Highways well covered, transit less so, aviation and waterways not at all. Equity Does not appear to be well 18 4 Groups and Special Task covered. Committee on Force/10 committees Environmental Justice in participated Transportation contributed 7. Emergency Moderately to well covered 54 5 Groups/11 Committees Preparedness, Response, and Mitigation Safety Appears to be well covered in 338 Nearly all groups have many topic areas. Appears less RNSs, with heavy well covered in older driver concentration in AF000, safety, young driver safety, AH000 and AN000 motorcycle safety, crash prevention/avoidances, driver licensing/graduated licensing, crashworthiness/occupant protection, drowsy/asleep, inattention/distraction, and safety culture. All modes well covered except aviation and marine. Institutions Does not appear to be well 9 5 Groups and 9 Committees. covered Groups AD000, AB000, AP000, AH000, and AV000. Also the Special Task Force on Climate Change and Energy Human and Does not appear to be well 26 5 Groups/18 Committees Intellectual Capital covered. Few RNS were concerned with attracting young people into the transportation profession or training and educating the profession in multiple disciplines that may be necessary to enhance success in transportation innovation in the futureSome recommendations for consideration given this analysis are:Preliminary Draft Review 3  Where the RNS database appears to have gaps in coverage of Critical Issues, identify committees (and their sub-committees) whose scope fits with Critical Issue topic area; then request that each prepare RNSs.  An improvement in the RNS database would be to add categories which correspond with the TRB Critical Issues, particularly those with less coverage. Such a change would make it easier to find appropriate statements, and might encourage committees to think in terms of these issues.  TRB should continue to provide training and encourage committee members to participate in training on how to write RNS. Reviewers sometimes found it difficult to quickly identify the objectives of statements. Detailed reports on each Critical Issue follow:Preliminary Draft Review 4 2 Congestion—Increasingly Congested Facilities across All Modes This review describes the TRB critical issue of increasingly congested facilities across all modes and summarizes, from a high-level review of the research needs statements (RNS) database, the number of statements related to this issue. Also provided are sponsoring TAC Groups and committees, apparent gaps, and a listing of congestion RNSs. Statement of the Issue, taken from “TRB Critical Issues in Transportation, 2009 Update”If the 20th century can be called the era of building, the 21st may be called the era of congestion. According to the annual Texas Transportation Institute report on urban mobility, “Congestion has grown everywhere in areas of all sizes. Congestion occurs during longer portions of the day and delays more travelers and goods than ever before.”Although estimates are imprecise, congestion costs Americans roughly $78 billion per year in today’s dollars and wastes 2.9 billion gallons of gasoline. Improved transportation system operations, high occupancy vehicle lanes, expanded public transit, and many other transportation demand management strategies have hardly slowed the rate of increase. Airports, ports, and railroads are straining to meet demand, but highway congestion is most familiar, because 87 percent of all passenger trips are made in private vehicles.New road capacity will be needed in the rapidly growing metropolitan areas that are expected to absorb tens of millions of new inhabitants in the next three to four decades. As the population continues to grow, however, metropolitan areas can choose between continued sprawl or more concentrated patterns of development that would support transit options. Transit becomes more cost-effective as population densities increase. Yet a metropolitan area often may comprise many different jurisdictions, and the land use plans of the government agencies that regulate development are rarely coordinated with investment decisions about transportation facilities.Improved coordination and collaborative decision making about investment decisions are a necessity, but building new highways and transit systems cannot solve the problem of congestion. Improved system operation, more sophisticated user fees, and improved information for users about the system’s performance also may be necessary.Businesses suffer because of congestion. Longer travel times increase transport costs, and the lack of reliable delivery compels firms to hold more inventory or to add extra time for shipments. Accommodating forecasted growth in freight volumes will not be possible with the negligible planned expansions of the networks that support each mode. West Coast ports may be unable to handle the staggering projected growth in Asian trade over the next 20 years—even with significant increases in port productivity—because of landside constraints on rail and highway systems. Although some businesses may relocate away from congestion, scale and network economies concentrate shipping patterns. Booming trade after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), combined with new security procedures, has caused significant congestion and cost Preliminary Draft Review 1 increases at border crossings with Mexico and Canada and on corridors serving NAFTA markets.The overriding issue for freight policy is to maximize efficiency—and to develop incentives for doing so. The cost of moving goods affects the bottom line of American companies competing in world markets. Greater public investment to relieve bottlenecks may improve efficiency— perhaps even in facilities that formerly were exclusively private—but careful analysis should precede the investments. Improved understanding of the benefits and costs of such investments is vital to making the best choices in a globally competitive world.Findings from the Research Needs DatabaseNo “Subject Category” of “Congestion” is provided. An “Advanced Search” of the keyword “congestion” identified 117 RNSs. The breakdown of those RNSs by Group is shown in Table 2-1. As can be seen, the Policy and Organization Group and the Operations and Preservation Group sponsored the largest number with 31 and 30 RNSs, respectively. The two committees sponsoring the most RNSs are ABE25 Congestion Pricing with nine RNSs and AHB40 Highway Capacity and Quality of Service with 11 RNSs, as shown in the complete congestion RNSs listing in Table 2-3 at the end of this report.Table 2-2: Congestion” RNSs by GroupNumber of Number of Sponsoring Group or TAC Special Task Force RNSs CommitteesA0020T, Special Task Force on Climate Change & Energy 6 -AB000: Policy and Organization Group 31 12AD000: Planning and Environment Group 14 9AF000: Design and Construction Group 8 5AH000: Operations and Preservation Group 30 12AL000: Legal Resources Group 0 0AN000: System Users Group 12 3AP000: Public Transportation Group 7 4AR000: Rail Group 3 2AT000: Freight Systems Group 4 1AV000: Aviation Group 1 1AW000: Marine Group 1 1The “congestion” RNSs were further reviewed by topics discussed in the TRB Critical Issues report. The numbers of RNSs resulting from the keyword searches are shown in Table 2-2. Preliminary Draft Review 2 Table 2-3: Congestion Topics and Number of RNSs in each TopicKeyword Search Number of RNSsCongestion and demand management 8Congestion and freight 25Congestion and investment 19Congestion and land use 29Congestion and NAFTA 1Congestion and reliability 14Congestion and transit 34ObservationsThe TRB Critical Issue of Congestion is discussed in 117 RNSs, including several from TAC’s Special Task Force on Climate Change & Energy. All TAC Groups except Legal Resources have at least one “congestion” RNSs. As can be seen in Table 2-1, the Policy and Organization Group and the Operations and Preservation Group sponsored the largest number of RNSs, and the two committees sponsoring the most RNSs are ABE25 Congestion Pricing and AHB40 Highway Capacity and Quality of Service.While this was a high-level review, it appears that congestion is being addressed in all topic areas discussed in the TRB Critical Issues report. NAFTA-related issues have the least coverage, with only one RNS.General observations include: 1) the RNSs are written in various formats, and increased consistency would aid viewers in more readily understanding the needs and research objectives of the RNSs; and 2) it would be good to have each of the TRB Critical Issues as a separate “Subject Category”; this would require individual evaluation of each RNS listed in Table 2-3 to be sure the objectives of the RNSs are actually related to “congestion” since this review was based on keyword searches. Preliminary Draft Review 3 Table 2-4: RNSs Related to Congestion“Congestion” RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupUnderstanding and Reducing the Contribution of A0020T, Special Task Force on TAC-level Landside Traffic to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Climate Change and Energy Emissions at Airports Task ForceInduced Demand from Operational Efficiency, and the Impact on GHG Emissions (Part 2 -- Analysis)Induced Demand from Operational Efficiency, and the Impact on GHG Emissions (Part 1 -- Synthesis)Improved Operational Efficiency and the Impact on Greenhouse Gas EmissionsQuantify and Incorporate Environmental Benefits into Life Cycle Costing Models for Common Roadway Construction PracticesComprehensive Evaluation Framework for Climate Change Analysis in TransportationPerformance Measures for Highway Stimulus ABC30, Performance Policy & Spending and Related Economic Impacts Measurement OrganizationStrategies to Align Goals and Performance Measures Across Public AgenciesPerformance Measurement and Evaluation of Tolling and Congestion Pricing Project Benefits and System ImpactsDevelop a Framework and Methodology for Incorporating Environmental Factors into Performance Management ProgramsCost of Alternative Finance Systems ABE20, Transportation EconomicsDistribution of the Value of Travel Time SavingsPreliminary Draft Review 4 “Congestion” RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupTransitioning from High Occupancy Toll (HOT) ABE25, Congestion Pricing Lanes to Full Facility/System Pricing: Identify and Address Design and Operation IssuesThe Effects of Congestion Pricing on Trip ReliabilityThe Effects of Vehicle Miles of Travel Pricing on Travelers in Different Income GroupsDiversion to Arterials under Congestion PricingDifferentiating the Benefits of Congestion Pricing on both Commercial and Non-Commercial Users of Priced FacilitiesIntegrating Transit with Road Pricing ProjectsRoad Pricing Concepts and Projects: Educating & Informing User Groups & The PublicManaged Lanes and Heavy-Duty VehiclesTruck Tolling: The Role of Freight Markets and Industry Characteristics in Decision MakingHow Major Cities Can Optimize Demands on Public ABE30, Transportation Issues Street Space in Major U.S. CitiesCritical Infrastructure - Travel Demand Analysis ABE40, Critical Transportation and Forecasting Infrastructure ProtectionTransit Revenue and Inventory Security GuidebookStandard TDM Evaluation Techniques and Tools ABE50, Transportation Demand and Regional/National Impact Estimation Factors ManagementMethod to Set Regional Expectations for TDM Performance Indicators/Realistic TargetsEconomic value of TDM impacts to community development; role of TDM in community vitality and regenerationImpact of Women's Employment on Children's ABE70, Women's Issues in Mode to and from School TransportationPreliminary Draft Review 5 “Congestion” RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupHow Does Travel Behavior as a Young Person Affect Travel as an Adult?Standardization of Spatial Symbologies ABJ20, Statewide Transportation Data and Information SystemsIncorporating Traffic Safety Risk Management into the Asset Management ProcessUse and Potential of Longitudinal Surveys for ABJ40, Travel Survey Methods Travel Models (SR)Applications of Geographic Information Technology ABJ60, Geographic Information to Improve the Travel Demand Forecasting Science and Applications ProcessSuccessful Partnerships for Data Development ABJ90, Freight Transportation DataScoping Study for a Freight Data Exchange NetworkApplication of Data Visualization and Visual ABJ95, Visualization in Analytics to Freight Operations and Logistics at the Transportation Sub-National LevelThe Visualization of System Operation: The Need to Integrate Modeling and SimulationLinks Between Statewide Transportation Planning ADA10, Statewide Multimodal Planning & and Asset Management Practices Transportation Planning EnvironmentThe Economic Impact of Transportation Systems ADA40, Transportation Needs on Gateway Communities of National Parks and Public LandsThe Economic Impact of Public Lands Transportation Systems on Gateway CommunitiesDeveloping Public Transit Performance Metrics and Target Levels for Discretionary TravelGeographical and Occupational Clustering of ADB20, Telecommunications Telecommuters and Travel BehaviorPreliminary Draft Review 6 “Congestion” RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupRepresentation of Space and Time in Demand ADB40, Transportation Forecasting Models Demand ForecastingPolicy Sensitivity: Trip-Based vs. Tour- and Activity- Based ModelsAnalysis of Property Value Impacts of ADC10, Environmental Analysis Transportation Projects in TransportationData Sources for MOVES ADC20, Transportation and Air QualityAnalytic Methods for Evaluating the Economic ADD10, Transportation and Development Consequences of New Technologies Economic Development and InnovationsImpacts of Linking Transportation Infrastructure ADD30, Transportation and Investment to Development Land DevelopmentImplications of Goods Movement in Transportation and Land Use PlanningThe Cost of Highway Pricing for Specific ADD50, Environmental Justice Populations in TransportationResearch on Current and Potential Transportation Related Environmental and Health Related Benefits and Burdens Associated with the Transport of FreightGeometric Design Guidelines for Major Intersection AFB10, Geometric Design Design & Alternatives to Accommodate Multimodal Users ConstructionInvestigation of Alternative Geometric Design Highway Design Processes: Strategic Research ProgramStandards and Specifications for Utility Data AFB70, Utilities SubmissionsSee-Ahead Technologies for Directional DrillingSystem Performance of Accelerated Bridge AFF50, Seismic Design and Construction (ABC) Connections in Moderate-to- Performance of Bridges High Seismic RegionsPreliminary Draft Review 7 “Congestion” RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupCulvert and Storm Drain Inspection Manual AFF70, Culverts and Hydraulic StructuresCulvert and Storm Drain Management SystemAlternative Contracting Methods and Delivery AFH10, Construction Systems to Facilitate Faster Management Construction/ReconstructionQuantifying Benefits and Costs of Regional AHB10, Regional Operations & Transportation Systems Management and Transportation Systems Preservation Operations Management and OperationsAnalyze the Issues that Influence Widespread AHB15, Intelligent Deployability of Automated Transportation Transportation Systems Systems, such as Human Attitudes Toward Automation and Impacts on Transportation and Community DevelopmentMaximizing Freeway Throughput under Threat of AHB20, Freeway Operations Flow BreakdownOperational Requirements for Freeway Managed LanesTraffic Signal Retiming: Triggers, Methods, and AHB25, Traffic Signal Systems PrioritiesUpdate to the Traffic Signal Timing ManualAutomated Vehicle Guidance for Mobility Services AHB30, Vehicle-Highway AutomationPlanning Analysis of Oversaturated Conditions AHB40, Highway Capacity and Quality of ServiceGuidelines on Coordinating Roadway Facilities With Development DensitiesAssessment of Simulation Tools for Unsignalized IntersectionsModeling Procedure for Congested Arterial FacilitiesFreight Impact on Highway Capacity and Level of Preliminary Draft Review 8 “Congestion” RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupService for Urban ConditionsMoving America Over the Road -- Trucking's Impact on Highway Capacity and Level of ServiceApplying Multimodal LOS to Areawide AnalysisTraffic Operational Analysis Methods for Additional Two-Lane Highway TypesSaturation Flow Rate Model Verification and ValidationDelay and Queue Model ValidationDetermine Geometric Delay Impacts and 3-Point Interchange Analysis for Interchange Ramp TerminalsEmission Modeling as Related to Traffic AHB45, Traffic Flow Theory Characteristics and CharacteristicsInvestigation of Synchronized Traffic Flow and Modeling Traffic Flow Instability on FreewaysExploration of Monitoring Techniques of Traffic CharacteristicsLife Cycle Cost Analysis of Innovative Design AHB55, Work Zone Traffic Strategies to Reduce the Number and Duration of Control Highway Work ZonesEconomic Effects of Highway-Rail, At-Grade AHB60, Highway/Rail Grade Crossing Crashes CrossingsGeometric Design Guidelines for Major Intersection AHB65, Operational Effects of Alternatives to Accommodate Multimodal Users GeometricsInvestigation of Alternative Geometric Design Highway Design Processes: Strategic Research ProgramUsing Visualization to Communicate the Benefits of AHB70, Access Management Access Management to the PublicUpdate of the TRB Access Management ManualPreliminary Draft Review 9 “Congestion” RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupQuantifying the Air Quality Impacts of Implementing Access ManagementDevelopment of National Service Level Criteria for AHD10, Maintenance and the Interstate and National Highway System Operations Management(Note: NAFTA-related RNS)Determining Actual Cost of Performing Routine & Preventive Maintenance Operations on Highway SystemsIntegrating Safety into Regional Capital ANB10, Transportation Safety Systems Users Improvement Programming Processes: Best Management Practices and Recommended ProceduresDevelopment of an All-User Detection-Based ANF10, Pedestrians Intersection Signal System Capable of Intelligent Traffic ManagementDeterminants of Success: Best Practices for Evaluating Safe Routes to School ProgramsDevelopment of a Methodology to Evaluate the Impacts of Constructing Missing SidewalksThe Effect of Roadway Features on Vehicle SpeedsThe Relationship Between of Increases in Traffic Volume and Speeds and Pedestrian Accidents in Residential CommunitiesIdentifying the Tools and Resources Necessary to Integrate Pedestrian Trips into Transportation ModelsCase Studies of Model City/County Ordinances that Support a Vibrant Pedestrian NetworkDevelopment of Design Standards and Guidance ANF20, Bicycle Transportation for Separated Bikeways Adjacent to RoadwaysLiability Aspects of Bikeway DesignationMotorists Perceptions of Bicyclists on RoadwaysPreliminary Draft Review 10 “Congestion” RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupEnhancing Travel Surveys for Non-Motorized TravelPerformance Measures for Societal Goals AP010, Transit Management Public and Performance TransportationCompendium of Emerging (New) Short-Term AP020, New Public Public Transportation Technologies Transportation Systems and TechnologyShared-Use Vehicle Systems: Expanding Car- Sharing to Other Modes for Improved Transit LinkagesImproving Transit Efficiency through Evolution to a Shared Electric-Powered Transportation NetworkResearch Needs for New Public Transportation Systems and TechnologiesTransit Response to HOV and HOT lanes AP050, Bus Transit SystemsDevelopment of Rail Capacity Standards AP070, Commuter Rail TransportationEstimating Density of Rail Use in Planning for AR010, Intercity Passenger Rail Rail Intercity Rail NetworksOptimizing Northeast Corridor Use with Price and Frequency ChangesComparative Analysis of the No-Build Alternative AR020, Passenger Rail for High-Speed Rail Projects Equipment and Systems IntegrationIntermodal Connections for the Transportation of AT045, Intermodal Freight Freight Containers by Pneumatic Capsule Pipelines Transport SystemsConsolidating Freight Movement Origins and Destinations at Inland Distribution CentersLand Use, Transportation, and other Issues Associated with Major Intermodal Cargo Hubs in Metropolitan AreasPublic-Private Partnerships for Increasing Capacity Preliminary Draft Review 11 “Congestion” RNSs Sponsoring Committee Group in Rail CorridorsImpact of Congestion Policies on Demand at AV020, Aviation System Aviation Neighboring Airports PlanningControlling Air Emissions At Marine Port Terminal AW030, Marine Environment Marine OperationsPreliminary Draft Review 12 3 Energy, Environment and Climate Change- Extraordinary Challenges Statement of the Issue: America relies heavily on the most energy-intensive means of transportation—highway travel and aviation. Transportation’s voracious appetite for—and almost exclusive reliance on— petroleum-derived fuels makes the United States highly dependent on foreign sources of energy. Transportation consumes more than 7 million more barrels of petroleum daily than are produced domestically. In addition to requiring U.S. military commitments in unstable parts of the world, the imports drive up the balance-of-trade deficit, which reached historic high levels in 2008. The dependence of the U.S. economy and lifestyles on foreign sources of fuel has renewed interest in alternative transportation fuels, as well as in increased domestic production. Many different alternatives have been introduced—such as electric power, hydrogen, and biodiesel— but much additional research and development is required before a clear alternative emerges. The development of adequate production or distribution structures for any alternative will take decades, adding urgency to the search for suitable substitutes. Forecasts of conventional petroleum resources indicate a peak of production between 2020 and 2050, which will create a gap between supply and demand that alternative fuels must meet. Efforts to reduce reliance on imported fuels have been undermined by national policy, which limited the increases in motor vehicle fuel economy for new cars for more than a decade before increasing standards in 2007. Increasing the fuel tax or taking other initiatives to reduce consumer demand remain politically unpopular. Taxes on fuels in the United States are the lowest among industrialized nations, and travel per capita is the highest. Most energy issues are inextricably intertwined with environmental consequences. Transportation contributes to a variety of environmental problems—for example, by affecting land consumption and water quality—but air emissions are the most urgent. Petroleum-based fuels have significant impacts on the environment, including greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution. About 48 percent of the U.S. population lives in areas that fail to meet federal clean air standards. The Environmental Protection Agency has focused recent concern on fine particulate matter— 2.5 microns in size—which more and more studies have linked to adverse effects on human health. The diesel engines of trucks, trains, buses, and ships are major sources of fine particulates. Despite substantial reductions in vehicle emissions in recent decades, many areas have yet to attain the specified levels, and the new standards for particulates will place many more counties and metropolitan areas out of attainment and therefore subject to federal sanctions. Preliminary Draft Review 1 A growing consensus associates global warming with fossil fuel consumption; the transportation sector accounts for roughly 30 percent of all fossil fuel consumption, and the share is rising. Any measure to reduce carbon-based fuel consumption significantly will have to involve the transportation sector. In May 2009, Congress was debating proposals to reduce CO2 emissions, including reducing travel, and the administration announced plans to meet new fuel economy standards by 2016 instead of 2020. Well structured policies will reduce CO2 emissions by making travel more efficient. Because of travel’s link to the economy and personal lifestyles, poorly structured policies may also reduce prosperity and social welfare. In addition to reducing emissions of gases that contribute to climate change, the transportation sector must begin adapting to the consequences of climate change—for example, by inventorying assets that are vulnerable to more frequent flooding and wind damage; using probabilistic models in planning for upgraded designs; and conducting the research needed to revise design standards and operational practices in flood-prone areas .Findings from the Research Needs DatabaseThere are categories for “Energy” showing 55 needs statements and for “Environment” showing 59 statements, with some overlap between the categories. There are over 90 statements altogether.There is broad participation from Groups and Committees in this topic, with 8 Groups participating and the Special Task Force on Climate Change and Energy. Not all of these are directly focused on the topics of energy, environment and climate change—but may mention this as an outcome of the main research work.Table 3-5: Groups and Committees Contributing RNS in the Areas of Energy and EnvironmentGroup Committees TAC Special Task Force A0020T, Special Task Force on Climate Change and Energy (40)Policy and Organization Group (AB000) ABE30, Transportation Issues in major U.S. Transportation Policy Section (ABE00) Cities (1) Management and Leadership Section ABE50, Transportation Demand Management (ABC00) ABC30: Performance Measurement Public Transportation Group (AP000) AP020, New Public Transportation Systems and Technology AP025: Public Transportation Planning & Development Planning and Environment Group (AD000) ADC80, Alternative Transportation Fuels (4) Environment and Energy (ADB00) ADC70, Transportation Energy (5) Social, Economic, and Cultural Issues ADC20, Transportation and Air Quality (2) Section(ADD50) ADC30, Ecology and Transportation (4) ADC10, Environmental Analysis in Transportation (6)Preliminary Draft Review 2 Group Committees ADD50, Environmental Justice in Transportation Marine Group (AW000) AW030, Marine Environment (2) (AT000) AT030, Agricultural Transportation AT040, Transportation of Hazardous Materials (2) Operations and Preservation Group (AH000) AHB70, Access Management AHB00, Operations AHB25, Traffic Signal Systems AHD00, Maintenance and AHD60, Maintenance Equipment Preservation AHD10, Construction Management AHD65, Winter Maintenance Design and Construction Group (AF000) AFB40, Landscape and Environmental Design AFB00, Design (6) AFH00, Construction AFB30, Low-Volume Roads (3) AFK00, Bituminous Materials AFB50T, Task force on Context Sensitive Design/Solutions AFK40, Characteristics of Bituminous Aggregate Combinations to Meet Surface requirements AFH10, Construction Management Aviation Group (AV000) AV030: Environmental Impacts of Aviation (6)Of the long list of statements included in the database, there are 40 contributed by the Special Task Force on Climate Change and Energy, with many of these being recently entered. These statements are particularly focused on planning and policy related issues mentioned in the TRB Critical Issues description of “Energy, Environment and Climate Change.” The following tables show a quick categorization of problem statements into categories mentioned in the Critical Issues description and also in more traditional areas concerned with the environment. Since some statements might have gone in multiple subtopic areas, the categorization is somewhat arbitrary.Table 3-6: RNS Falling into Topics Mentioned in the Critical Issues DescriptionCritical Issue Subtopic RNS from the Special Task Other TRB Force on Climate Change Committees and Energy Research on alternative fuels 6 7 Transportation effects on land 8 consumption and water quality (also includes noise) Transportation effects on air 3 7 quality with emphasis on particulates Policies, planning and 23 7 methodologies to reduce energy consumption or greenhouse gasesPreliminary Draft Review 3 Critical Issue Subtopic RNS from the Special Task Other TRB Force on Climate Change Committees and Energy Transportation effects on 3 4 global warming Adaption of transportation 4 3 sector to climate changeTable 3-7: RNS Falling in Other Environmental AreasOther Issue Areas Other Committees Hazardous Materials 2 Context Sensitive Design 5 Environmental Compliance 7 Ecology 5The TRB Critical Issue explanation mentioned two items that do not seem well covered. These are: The problem of particulates as a special air pollution concern. There were 3 RNS that mentioned particulates, one looking at the likely increase due to increases in freight, one dealing with modeling calibration, and one dealing with diesel engine retrofit.  The problem of production and distribution of alternative energy sources: There were 2 RNS statements that mentioned production/distribution of alternative energy. One looked at lifecycle costing and another looked at freight transportation infrastructure investment needs. ObservationsThe TRB Critical Issue of Energy, Environment and Climate Change appears to be well covered by RNS, with over 90 in these two categories. The Special Task Force on Climate Change and Energy has played a particularly important role in providing that coverage by providing RNS that focus on the impact of various modes (including aviation, freight and transit) and that call for research into planning techniques and policy issues to deal with climate change. Without these additions, some of the areas, particularly the policy and planning areas, would not be well covered with RNS. Thus in this case it appears helpful to employ a Special Task Force that had members who were very familiar with the TRB Critical Issues.Table 3-8: List of Statements in the Energy and Environment CategoriesCommittee Title of Research Need Statement A0020T: Special Task Analysis of Synergies between Transit, Land Use and Pricing Force on Climate Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Change and Energy A0020T Improved Modal Operating Profiles for Comparisons with Transit A0020T Transformative Public Transportation Solutions for Reducing Preliminary Draft Review 4 Committee Title of Research Need Statement Greenhouse Gas Emissions A0020T The Role of Public Transit Service as a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy A0020T Reducing GHG Emissions from Freight Movements Through Comprehensive Port/Gateway Planning A0020T Implications of Climate Change for Rail and Barge Freight Demand, Services and Networks A0020T Carbon Footprint of Supply Chains A0020T Assessment of Potential Emissions Due to Proposed Increase in Freight Tonnage A0020T Clean Freight Corridors A0020T Impact of Non-CO2 Emissions from Jet Aircraft A0020T Understanding and Reducing the Contribution of Landside Traffic to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions at Airports A0020T Assessment of the Potential for a Climate Change "Truth in Advertising" Initiative for the Transportation Sector A0020T Promoting Eco-Driving to Reduce GHG Emissions A0020T Induced Demand from Operational Efficiency, and the Impact on GHG Emissions (Part 2 -- Analysis) A0020T Induced Demand from Operational Efficiency, and the Impact on GHG Emissions (Part 1 -- Synthesis) A0020T Improved Operational Efficiency and the Impact on Greenhouse Gas Emissions A0020T Quantify and Incorporate Environmental Benefits into Life Cycle Costing Models for Common Roadway Construction Practices A0020T The Effects of Various Aspects of Climate Change on Transportation Infrastructure A0020T Driving and the Built Environment Part II A0020T The Energy and Climate Impacts of Alternative Modes of Transportation A0020T Identify and Develop Climate Change Modeling Outputs and Climate Scenarios to Support Transportation Agencies in Assessing Climate Risks and Adaptation Strategies A0020T Develop Climate Change Indicators/Model Outputs to Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transportation A0020T Develop Standardized Process to Incorporate Climate Change into the Planning Process A0020T Assessment of Potential Emissions Reductions from Linear Motor Systems A0020T Assessment of Costs Associated with Hydrogen as an Alternative Fuel A0020T Assessing the Impact of Leakage on the Effectiveness of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard A0020T Analyzing Infrastructure and Supply Chain Requirements to Support the Transition to High Efficiency/Low GHG Emitting Light-Duty Vehicles A0020T Assessing the Limits of Advanced Biofuel Supply on Transportation A0020T Analysis of Social Costs and Benefits of Advanced Biofuels andPreliminary Draft Review 5 Committee Title of Research Need Statement Other Low Carbon Fuels A0020T Assessing Inter-City Passenger and Inter- and Intra-City Freight Transport Energy and GHG Intensities A0020T Life Cycle Analysis of Alternative Fuels for Trains, Planes, and Ships A0020T Assessing Direct and Indirect Lifecycle GHG Impacts of Advanced Fuels and Vehicles A0020T Adaptation as a Defensive Strategy to Address Climate Variability Impacts on Critical Transportation Infrastructure A0020T Framework to Enable Multiple Agencies to Develop Policies Relating Climate Change and Infrastructure Protection A0020T Educational Materials Linking Climate Change and Transportation A0020T Compilation and Analysis of Court Decisions Regarding Greenhouse Gas (GHS) Emissions A0020T GHG Reduction Strategies as Potential "Offset Credits" A0020T Cap and Trade and Transportation Sector Specific Policies A0020T Collaborative Decision-Making Framework for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation A0020T Comprehensive Evaluation Framework for Climate Change Analysis in Transportation ABE30, Transportation Major Cities' Adaptation to Global Climate Change Issues in Major U.S. CitiesAP020, New Public Improving Transit Efficiency through Evolution to a Shared Transportation Electric-Powered Transportation Network Systems and Technology AT030, Agricultural Alternative Fuels, Multimodal Freight Transportation Transportation Access/Efficiency and Infrastructure Investment Needs ADC80, Alternative Developing Better Ways to Measure the Number of Alternative Transportation Fuels Fuel and Advanced Technology Vehicles ADC80 Assessment of Fuel Cell Vehicle Societal Benefits ADC80 Assessment of Pathways to Advanced Vehicles ADC80 Analyzing the Sustainability of Various Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles in Selected Niche Vehicle Markets ADC70, Information Required for Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Transportation Energy Goods Movement ADC70 Reassessing Modal Energy Intensities ADC70 Potential Travel Responses to Alternative Highway Pricing and Financing Systems and the Impact of Fuel Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions ADC70 Analysis of Alternatives to CAFE for Increasing Fleet Fuel Economy ADC70 Fuel Economy and Global Warming: Understanding Consumer Behavior and the Increasing Awareness of the Link Between Fuel Consumption and Global WarningPreliminary Draft Review 6 Committee Title of Research Need Statement AT040, Transportation Increasing Transportation of Alternative Fuels Impact on of Hazardous Hazardous Materials Transportation Materials AT040 Development of an Environmental Hazard Assessment System for the Transport of Hazardous Materials AHB70, Access Quantifying the Air Quality Impacts of Implementing Access Management Management ABE50, Transportation Method to Set Regional Expectations for TDM Performance Demand Management Indicators/Realistic Targets AFB40, Landscape Context Sensitive Design to Influence Operating Speeds and Environmental Design AFB40 Cost-Benefit Analysis of Landscape-Scale Water Quality Treatments AFB40 Stormwater Hydraulic Detention and Pollutant Removal Properties of Compost Blankets on Highway Fill Slopes AFB40 Plant/Soil Zones to Prevent Movement of Copper and Zinc from Roads AFB40 Remediation of Areas Treated with Residual Herbicides AFB40 Managing the Effects of Magnesium Chloride on Roadside Vegetation AP025 Public Reducing Greenhouse Gas through Coordination of Transportation Development, Pricing, and Taxation Planning and Development AFB30, Low-Volume Modeling, Identification of Risk Assessment and Categorization Roads Impact of Climate Change on Low Volume Road Systems AFB30 Rural Roads in the Federal Aid Program Due to New Agricultural, Mining and Logging Economies AFB30 Managing Environmental Impacts of Erosion And Sedimentation From Local Rural Roads in the Federal Aid Program Due to New Agricultural, Mining and Logging Economies AV030, Environmental GHG Inventory as Part of a Sustainability Program Impacts of Aviation AV030 INM and EDMS Model Validation and Verification AV030 Noise Metrics Beyond the 65 DNL/CNEL AV030 Uncertainty Assessment of the FAA Environmental Assessment Tools (AEDT and APMT) AV030 Identification of Improvements in Environmental Review and Compliance Processes AV030 Development of Aircraft and Airport Hazardous Air Pollutant Assessment Guidelines ABC30, Performance Develop a Framework and Methodology for Incorporating Measurement Environmental Factors into Performance Management Programs AFB50T, Task Force CSS and Sustainability in Transportation on Context Sensitive Design/SolutionsPreliminary Draft Review 7 Committee Title of Research Need Statement ADC20, Traffic Activity Data for Hot-Spot Analysis Transportation and Air Quality ADC20 Effectiveness of Air Quality Public Education Programs AW030, Marine Controlling Air Emissions At Marine Port Terminal Operations Environment AW030 Improving the Adoption of Ballast Water Treatment Systems AHD60, Maintenance What is the Best Methodology for Achieving the "Passive" Equipment Diesel Particulate Filter Retrofit of Existing DOT Diesel Engine Fleets While Eliminating Service Delivery Issues and at What Cost/Benefit? ADC30, Ecology and Enhancing Multi-Agency Coordination for Eco-System Based Transportation Transportation Project Planning ADC30 Effects of Chemicals on Roadside Vegetation and Identification of Best Management Practices ADC30 Identify Species At Risk From Transportation-Related Impacts ADC30 Evaluation Of Environmental Effects of Cured-In-Place Pipe (Culvert) Rehabilitation ADC10, Development of Environmental Performance-Based Mitigation Environmental Systems Analysis in Transportation ADC10 Intellectual Property Rights for Environmental Data and Information ADC10 Maintaining Diversity in Wetlands Mitigation Sites ADC10 Transportation Environmental Analysis Electronic Index ADC10 Onsite and Offsite Effects of Converting Gravel or Native Roads to Pavement ADC10 Predicting Soil Loss on Highway Systems Based on a Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) Specific to Highway Site Conditions AFK40, Treatments and Quantification for Noise Reduction and Characteristics of Improved Surface Characteristics Bituminous-Aggregate Combinations To Meet Surface Requirements AFH10, Construction Best Practices for Managing Environmental Restrictions and Management Requirements AHD65, Winter Properties of Mixed Winter Roadway Chemicals Maintenance AHB25, Traffic Signal Update to the Traffic Signal Timing Manual Systems ADD50, Climate Change, Displacement, and EJ Populations Environmental Justice in TransportationPreliminary Draft Review 8 Preliminary Draft Review 9 4 Infrastructure: Enormous, Aging Capital Stock to Maintain This review describes the TRB critical issue of a large aging national infrastructure inventory that needs to be maintained and summarizes, from a high-level review of the research needs statements (RNS) database, the number of statements related to this issue. Also provided are sponsoring TAC Groups and committees, apparent gaps, and a listing of infrastructure RNSs. Statement of the Issue, taken from “TRB Critical Issues in Transportation, 2009 Update”The United States built an enormous transportation infrastructure in the 20th century; replacement would cost trillions of dollars. Roads, bridges, locks, channels, runways, terminals, and rail lines are made of durable materials that appear capable of lasting for many more decades—but will not. On the inland waterways, for example, approximately half of the locks maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are more than 50 years old, in use beyond their designed service lives. Maintaining and upgrading the infrastructure is costly. For example, to maintain for the next 20 years the condition and performance of the nation’s huge inventory of roads and transit systems, given their current and projected use, would cost all units of government approximately $95 billion per year. Addressing only the deficient structures and pavements that would be cost-beneficial investments and improving system performance would cost approximately $154 billion per year. Actual capital expenditures are about $80 billion. Research can yield cost-saving innovations to extend the service life of these assets—for example, with advanced technologies to identify problematic components that can be replaced or repaired before failing. Even taking into account such innovations and the tens of billions of dollars invested annually by all levels of government on surface transportation, the federal government estimates that the current investment is not sufficient.Lack of system preservation and rehabilitation produces a downward spiral. Deteriorating infrastructure is largely invisible to the public; generating public support for funding rehabilitation and reconstruction, therefore, is difficult. This problem is not unique to transportation— America’s sewers, water systems, and public school facilities also are suffering from deferred maintenance. The short-term savings from deferred maintenance, however, have a price— proportionately greater rehabilitation costs later. This strategy also raises user costs in the interim, through delays and the wear and tear on vehicles. Raising the visibility and developing financial support for system preservation is critical to the 21st century transportation system.Findings from the Research Needs DatabaseWhile no “Subject Category” of “Infrastructure” is provided, there are a number of subject categories related to the infrastructure, e.g., Bridges and Other Structures, Pavements, Pipelines, Railroads, and Terminals and Facilities. However, in reviewing the topics discussed in the TRB Critical Issues report, the more appropriate “Subject Category” for maintaining an enormous aging capital stock is “Maintenance and Preservation” which has 72 RNSs. The breakdown of the “Maintenance and Preservation” RNSs by Group is shown in Table 4-1 which Preliminary Draft Review 1 also includes several additional RNSs identified with advanced searches for topic areas “preventive maintenance,” “port” and “maintenance,” “maintenance” and “preservation,” “system preservation,” etc. These additional searches were done to identify RNSs from additional Groups. In the topic reviews it was found that the majority of the additional RNSs are sponsored by committees identified in the “Maintenance and Preservation” subject category. Therefore, Table 4-2 at the end of this report is a partial listing that includes all RNSs identified in the “Maintenance and Preservation” subject category and a few additional RNSs identified in the advanced searches.Table 4-9: Infrastructure RNSs by Group – Partial ListingNumber of Number of Sponsoring Group or TAC Special Task Force RNSs CommitteesA0020T, Special Task Force on Climate Change & Energy 1 -AB000: Policy and Organization Group 2 2AD000: Planning and Environment Group 3 3AF000: Design and Construction Group 31 17AH000: Operations and Preservation Group 36 11AL000: Legal Resources Group 0 0AN000: System Users Group 4 2AP000: Public Transportation Group 1 1AR000: Rail Group 1 1AT000: Freight Systems Group 0 0AV000: Aviation Group 1 1AW000: Marine Group 1 1In an attempt to determine the adequacy of coverage of preventive maintenance and preservation in the various modes as listed in the TRB Critical Issues report, an advanced search was done with “preventive maintenance” and infrastructure components of pavements, bridges, locks, channels, runways, terminals, and rail lines; and also “preservation” and each infrastructure component. A number of RNSs were identified for pavements and bridges. A few RNSs were identified for runways and rail, but no RNSs were identified for locks, channels, or terminals.ObservationsThe TRB Critical Issue of Infrastructure is discussed in more than 80 RNSs from nine Groups and TAC’s Special Task Force on Climate Change & Energy. All TAC Groups except Legal Preliminary Draft Review 2 Resources and Freight Systems were found to have at least one infrastructure RNSs. As can be seen in Table 4-1, the Design and Construction Group and the Operations and Preservation Group sponsored the largest number of RNSs, and the two committees sponsoring the most RNSs are AHD60 Maintenance Equipment and AHD65 Winter Maintenance.While this was a high-level review, it appears that preventive maintenance and preservation are addressed for pavements and bridges in a number of RNSs, addressed for runways and rail in a few RNSs, and not addressed for locks, channels, and terminals. Table 4-10: RNSs Related to Infrastructure – Partial ListingInfrastructure RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupThe Effects of Various Aspects of Climate Change A0020T, Special Task Force on TAC-level on Transportation Infrastructure Climate Change and Energy Task ForceTransitioning from High Occupancy Toll (HOV) ABE25, Congestion Pricing Policy & Lanes to Full Facility/System Pricing: Identify and Organization Address Design and Operation IssuesIntegrated Assessment of Freight Data Needs for ABJ90, Freight Transportation Management and Policy Decisions DataBalancing System Preservation and Capacity ADA50, Transportation Planning & Building in Planning and Programming Programming, Planning, and Environment Systems EvaluationEffects of Chemicals on Roadside Vegetation and ADC30, Ecology and Identification of Best Management Practices TransportationThe Cost of Highway pricing for Specific ADD50, Environmental Justice Populations in TransportationInvestigation of Alternative Geometric Design AFB10, Geometric Design Design & Highway Design Processes: Strategic Research Construction ProgramBarrier System Maintenance Procedures AFB20, Roadside Safety DesignModeling, Identification of Risk Assessment and AFB30, Low-Volume Roads Categorization Impact of Climate Change on Low Volume Road SystemsPreliminary Draft Review 3 Infrastructure RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupMatching As-Built Infrastructure with As-Designed AFB80, Geospatial Data Acquisition Technologies in Design and ConstructionCost-Benefit Analysis of Accuracy & Precision in LocationDelivery of Pavement Distress Data from AFD10, Pavement Automated Systems Management SystemsIntegration of Pavement Management Systems into the Overall DOT Asset Management SystemsDevelop a Methodology for Asset Valuation of Pavement InfrastructureQuality and Impact of Night Construction on Pavement Life (runway maintenance)Development of University Level Training Modules AFD60, Flexible Pavement for Pavement Design, Pavement Management and Design Pavement RehabilitationDetermination of the Required Elements for a Recycling Pavement Design GuideConstruction Factors Which Influence Flexible Pavement PerformanceDevelopment of Mechanistic Roughness Model for Flexible Pavements Based on Vehicle-Pavement InteractionDevelopment of Guidelines for Consideration of AFD80, Strength and Temperature Effects in Rigid Pavement Deflection Deformation Characteristics Analysisof Pavement SectionsUsing the LTPP Database to Determine Pavement Service LifeRoughness Characterization and Resulting Effects AFD90, Surface Properties - on Vehicle Performance Vehicle InteractionRefinement of Smoothness Requirements for WIM SystemsPreliminary Draft Review 4 Infrastructure RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupCost–Benefit Analysis of Nondestructive Evaluation AFF40, Field Testing and Technologies for Bridge Condition Assessment Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of Transportation StructuresSystem Performance of Accelerated Bridge AFF50, Seismic Design and Construction (ABC) Connections in Moderate-to- Performance of Bridges High Seismic RegionsDevelopment of AASHTO LRFD Guide AFF60, Tunnels and Specifications for Rehabilitation and Underground Structures Strengthening of Existing Highway and Rail Transit TunnelsImprove Safety of Public and Workers during AFH10, Construction Highway Reconstruction and Maintenance ManagementAnalysis of Nighttime Construction Activities and Impacts on Safety, Quality, and ProductivityProblem Statement LL 2.4. Design, Construct, and AFH50, Portland Cement Evaluate Concrete Overlays Concrete Pavement ConstructionBinder Fatigue, Fracture, and Healing and its AFK20, Characteristics of Contribution to Hot-Mix Asphalt Fatigue Bituminous Materials PerformancePerformance-Based Asphalt Binder Specifications for Chip Seals ApplicationsDesign Guidelines to Prevent Damage to Asphalt AFK40, Characteristics of Pavements from Water Intrusion Bituminous-Aggregate Combinations To Meet Surface RequirementsMeasurements of Moisture Content of Asphalt ConcreteAggregate Quality Requirements for Thin Maintenance TreatmentsPreliminary Draft Review 5 Infrastructure RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupTreatments and Quantification for Noise Reduction and Improved Surface CharacteristicsInfluence of Potassium Acetate Deicers on AFN30, Durability of Concrete Durability of ConcreteQuantifying Long-Term Performance of Draped AFP10, Engineering Geology and Flexible Fence Rockfall Protection SystemsWidening Embankments over Soft Soils: Stability AFS10, Transportation and Differential Settlement EarthworksAccelerated Construction Methods to Repair Roadway SlidesDevelopment of Guidelines for Safe and Effective AHB55, Work Zone Traffic Operations & Use of Truck Mounted Attenuators in Work Zones Control PreservationLife Cycle Cost Analysis of Innovative Design Strategies to Reduce the Number and Duration of Highway Work ZonesRelationship Between Maintenance Cost and Level AHD10, Maintenance and of Service Operations ManagementDevelopment of National Service Level Criteria for the Interstate and National Highway SystemResearch Program to Establish Environmental Best Management Practices Based on Quantitative Measurement of Highway Construction, Maintenance and Operations ActivitiesDetermining Actual Cost of Performing Routine & Preventive Maintenance Operations on Highway SystemsHighway Construction and Maintenance Workforce AHD15, Maintenance and Recruitment and Retention Operations PersonnelUse of Crack Treatments as a Pavement AHD25, Sealants and Fillers for Preservation Technique: Value Assessment Joints and CracksEffectiveness of Crack Sealing Reservoir Cutting MethodsPreliminary Draft Review 6 Infrastructure RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupImprovement or Development of Corrosion AHD30, Structures Inspection Techniques for Highly Stressed High- Maintenance Strength Wires Used in Bridge StructuresDetermining the Performance and Effectiveness of Thin Bituminous-Based Surface Treatments as a Waterproofing Overlay for Reinforced Structural Concrete Bridge DecksHow Cost Effective are Bridge Preventive Maintenance Procedures?Addressing Corridor and Network Effects in Bridge AHD35, Bridge Management Management SystemsSimple Bridge Security InspectionModifying the Bridge Health Index to Account for All Bridge DefectsBridge Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Synthesis of PracticeModelling the Evolution of Reinforcing Steel AHD45, Corrosion Corrosion and Concrete Structure Deterioration as Affected by Chloride IngressThe Effect of Cracking in High Performance Concretes on Reinforcement Corrosion and Structural DurabilityVegetation Effects on Sub Base Drainage Relating AHD50, Roadside Maintenance to Pavement Preservation OperationsPavement Marking Friction Requirements AHD55, Signing and Marking MaterialsComparison of Fleet Funding, Management, and AHD60, Maintenance Charge Back Systems to Develop Optimum Fleet Equipment EfficiencyDevelopment of an Automated Traffic Cone Placement and Retrieval Vehicle/Trailer to Improve Work Zone SafetyPreliminary Draft Review 7 Infrastructure RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupWhat is the Best Methodology for Achieving the "Passive" Diesel Particulate Filter Retrofit of Existing DOT Diesel Engine Fleets While Eliminating Service Delivery Issues and at What Cost/Benefit?Avoiding Buried InfrastructureStandardized Equipment ClassificationsStandardization of Warning Lights for Highway Maintenance and Service EquipmentAssessment of the Impact on DOT Fleets of the Transition from SAE to ISOUse of Performance Measures in DOT Fleet OperationsGuidebook for Effective Use of Privatization and Outsourcing in DOT Equipment Fleet OperationsDemonstrating A Systematic, Multi-Criteria AHD65, Winter Maintenance Approach to Deicer SelectionWinter Road Maintenance Research RoadmapEconomic Benefits of Winter Highway MaintenanceDesigning the Optimal Mechanism for Procuring Snow and Ice Control Services from Commercial Vendors Properties of Mixed Winter Roadway ChemicalsEffect of Solar Loading and Radiational Cooling on Pavement Surface TemperatureBrainstorming Winter Maintenance Practices for 2025Intersection Control Life Cycle Costs ANB75T, Task Force on System Users RoundaboutsLiability Aspects of Bikeway Designation ANF20, Bicycle TransportationPreliminary Draft Review 8 Infrastructure RNSs Sponsoring Committee GroupSystematic Data Collection of Crashes on Shared Use PathwaysSafety and Operational Impacts Of Properly Designed Bike LanesA Guidebook for Bus Fleet Maintenance Staffing AP035, Transit Fleet Public Maintenance TransportationCrash Walls vs. Guard Rails in Urban Transit AR055, Rail Transit Rail Projects InfrastructureImproving Signal and Traction Power System Stability While Reducing Stray Current Corrosion for DC-Powered Transit SystemsSurface Treatments for Grooved Hot-Mix Asphalt AV070, Aircraft/Airport Aviation Surfaced Runways CompatibilityMarine Environmental Windows: Beyond Process AW030, Marine Environment Marine to PerformancePreliminary Draft Review 9 5 Finance: Inadequate Revenues Statement of the Issue: Despite the modest reduction in travel in 2008, the difference between transportation demand and supply has become so great that the increase in congestion experienced by travelers should come as no surprise. All modes must contend with aging infrastructure and capacity problems, without adequate revenues to respond. In part, the mismatch results from the methods of financing publicly owned facilities: For highways, the financing system based on gas taxes, established more than 50 years ago, has served the nation well but has not kept up in recent years with demand and with the effects of inflation on revenues.  A variety of taxes on air passengers and airport users supports the nation’s airports and air traffic control system. Revenues from users are not keeping pace with the increased demands on the air traffic control system, causing a gap in funding. Federal support to airports is shrinking, and uncertainties about carrier lease payments are reducing airport capital funding, even as passenger demand grows.  Waterways face different problems—80 percent of the funding for the Marine Transportation System comes from the budgets of several federal agencies, which are constrained by federal spending limits in response to the large deficit. Many ports require regular dredging to maintain operations and foster growth. Trust funds for this purpose have surpluses that are not being drawn down to limit the federal budget deficit.  After several decades of increased funding, and despite sharp increases in ridership in recent years, the nation’s public transit systems face considerable financial problems. The expansion of transit systems expands the requirements for operating funds, which largely come from fares and from state and local government sources. These sources are not increasing as fast as demand.Until the sharp run-up in gasoline prices in 2005, public opinion polls showed that voters favored fuel tax increases if the revenues would be devoted to improvements in roads and transit systems. In response to capital needs in surface transportation, states and localities are opening up other sources of revenue, such as sales taxes, road tolls, and other user fees. In the November 2008 general election, voters approved 72 percent of state and local referenda to raise or extend taxes dedicated to transportation. Although new revenue streams are needed, some tax sources —such as sales taxes — place a disproportionate burden on people who have low incomes. Moreover, these fundamental shifts in financing have significant implications for a national, systems-level approach to transportation policy.The private sector also faces problems. With large increases in the interstate movement of goods, the nation needs steady growth in railroad capacity. Railroads are expanding their capital investments but are unlikely to generate sufficient revenues over the next 20 years to expand supply to meet the demand projected by U.S. DOT. The air transport system also is experiencing difficulties, with declining demand because of the recession and high fuel prices Preliminary Draft Review 1 leading to bankruptcies and precipitating merger proposals between competitors. These proposals pose difficult policy choices for regulators, who must weigh the risk of company failure against the loss of the competitive pressures that benefit consumers.The past finance strategies for public investment in highways and aviation have much to recommend them: they are funded by users, are inexpensive to administer, and have provided steady revenues for building new capacity and operating systems. But exclusive reliance on these approaches cannot continue.The fuel tax will remain a viable source of funding for highway and transit for another 10 to 15 years, but a transition to new sources is necessary. New technology is making direct charging at the time of highway use possible, and this could be combined with debt financing or revenue bonds repaid with user fees. Wiser investment of scarce resources, along with revenue-raising mechanisms that offer incentives for users to choose the most cost-effective means of travel, will become a larger component of transportation finance.Findings from the Research Needs DatabaseCoverage of the “Finance” IssueThere are 107 RNSs listed in the “Finance” “Subject Category”. However, a closer inspection reveals that only 18 are directly related to finance or cost-recovery or user fees. The rest are mostly technical in nature, and many include cost-benefit decision-making related to technologies and practices. But it is unclear why they are in the Finance category. One typical example is “Optimizing Flexible Pavement Performance Based on Aggregate Physical Properties.” It is possible that the person/team responsible for assigning keywords to RNSs is attributing any RNS that related to the cost of transportation technologies as being a “Finance” topic.An “Advanced Search” using keyword “finance” produced only 14 entries. Committee ABC10 (Strategic Management) has an RNS for a Guidebook to PPPs, yet this RNS was not identified in the Finance category. ABC20 (Management and Policy) also has an RNS on PPPs, and it too is not in the Finance category. ABE20 (Transportation Economics) has a topic “Cost of Alternative Finance Systems”, but ABE10 (Taxation and Finance) has no RNS at all. ABE25 (Congestion Pricing) – a committee which inherently fits with the Finance critical issue, has 9 RNSs (commendable!), yet most are not in the Finance category. AP025(2) has two finance-related RNSs, but only one is listed in the Finance category.In summary, it would be hard for a user of the RNS database to readily identify those RNSs covering the kinds of finance issues outlined in the Critical Issues. Moreover, some coverage of finance topics is uneven across the committees, including the lack of RNSs from the one single TRB committee with “Finance” in its name. (Note however that this committee ABE10 is a very active committee, regularly sponsoring TRB conferences and sessions.)Among the modes, funding and financing for highways and to a lesser extent transit is covered by the RNSs. Aviation and waterways appear not to be covered at all. Preliminary Draft Review 2 Table 5-11: Committees Publishing RNSs on FinanceABE10 Taxation and Finance zero ABE25 Congestion Pricing 8 ABE40 Critical Transport Infrastructure 2 Protection AV020 Aviation System Planning 1 (effect of congestion pricing on demand) AP025 Public Transport Planning 1 ADC70 Transportation Energy 1 ABC30 Performance Measurement 1 ADD50 Environmental Justice 1 ADA40 National Parks and Public Lands 1 AHD60 Maintenance Equipment 1 ABE20 Transportation Economics 1Preliminary Draft Review 3 6 Equity: Burdens on the Disadvantaged Statement of the Issue: New financing arrangements to replace fuel taxes must take into account the impacts on the disadvantaged. A passenger transportation system dominated by the automobile generates challenges for those with limited incomes or physical disabilities or for those who do not drive. The cost of transportation is growing—in the past decade, the percentage of income devoted to transportation increased by almost 9 percent, which has placed a burden on those with the lowest incomes. Low-income households often depend on the car instead of on transit because, in many areas, no other mode is sufficient for getting to work, child care, shopping, or for other essential trips—except in a few large center cities with extensive transit. The sharp rise in fuel prices since 2005 has increased the burdens on the disadvantaged. The most disadvantaged—those without access to a car—usually are women and often are racial or ethnic minorities; rely on transit, taxis, and walking; and therefore have the most limited mobility and accessibility. The scale of the problem was revealed by the tens of thousands of New Orleans residents who lacked the private means to evacuate or places to go for safety before Hurricane Katrina struck. As the population ages, more people will have to give up driving and with it the mobility that defined their adult life. Most older people are aging in place—that is, staying on where they have resided as adults—so that the majority of older Americans are remaining in automobile- dependent areas. Losing the ability to drive poses a hardship, particularly when adult children live far away. Reduced mobility results in greater loneliness and depression, increased incidence of certain negative health outcomes, and lower life satisfaction. Seniors without automobiles are more isolated than peers who are able to drive. Disadvantaged persons without automobile access in rural areas are particularly isolated. By 2025, almost 25 percent of the population—a total of 65 million people—will be more than 65 years old. American society is not prepared to meet the mobility needs of the tens of millions of older citizens who will be unable to drive in coming years. Disadvantaged populations also bear the brunt of negative side effects from transportation facilities. In urban areas, the adverse health effects of vehicle emissions disproportionately affect members of ethnic, low-income households, who are more likely to reside near freeways, ports, intermodal facilities, or airports. When siting or expanding facilities to address congestion, policy makers seeking equitable solutions for travelers and nearby communities also must take into account the disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged populations.Findings from the Research Needs DatabaseThere is no “Equity” category. Thus a search has to be done under “Advanced Search” using keywords. Eighteen research needs statements were found after examining statements under keywords “equity”, “disadvantaged”, “elderly”, and “Environmental Justice (EJ)”. Many more statements turned up with these keywords, but only 18 seemed to apply.Preliminary Draft Review 1  7 statements are directly concerned with equity as this is the main focus of the research.  11 statement are partially concerned about equity, mentioning it as one of the objectives or including it as a task.Several problem statements deal with the particular issues discussed in the TRB statement defining equity as a critical issue in transportation. For example: Problems of the higher cost of fuel and fuel taxes on lower income groups is covered in two statements  Problems of air pollution and its impact on local communities from transportation facilities is covered in two statements.  Problems of methods to deal with a growing population of elders who cannot drive (particularly in rural areas) is covered in two statements exploring alternative models for providing transportationOther issues are not so well covered: Problem of isolation of elderly persons when they have to give up driving.  Problem of unequal burden on the disadvantaged from siting of transportation facilities. This was being looked at in terms of tradeoffs between local needs and regional/national needs, but not focused directly on EJ communities.Related issues which are covered, but not with a focus on equity: Congestion pricing and the equity issues versus the advantages.The 18 statements dealing with equity came from a special task force under A0000 and four different groups. Ten different committees contributed to these statements. As might be expected, seven of the RNS came from ADD50, Environmental Justice in TransportationTable 6-12: Groups and Committees with RNS Related to EquityGroup Committees TAC Special Task Force A0020T, Special Task Force on Climate Change and EnergyPolicy and Organization Group (AB000) ABE25, Congestion Pricing (2) Transportation Policy Section (ABE00) ABE50 Transportation Demand Management and Leadership Section Management (ABC00) ABC30, Performance Measurement (2) Public Transportation Group (AP000) AP020, New Public Transportation Systems and Technology AP060, Paratransit AP010, Public Transportation Preliminary Draft Review 2 Group Committees Management and PerformancePlanning and Environment Group (AD000) ADB40, Transportation Demand Travel Analysis Methods Section (ADB00) Forecasting Social, Economic, and Cultural Issues ADD50, Environmental Justice in Section(ADD50) Transportation (7)Marine Group (AW000) AW030: Marine EnvironmentObservationsThe critical issue of equity is not well covered by research needs statements, although as appropriate for this cross-cutting issue, committees from four different groups have dealt with the issue. Several RNS touch on the issue in developing performance measures, or considering local impacts of transportation facilities, but equity is not clearly called out as a key motivating issue.It would be useful to have an “equity” category to help capture these statements.Table 6-13: Illustrative StatementsTitle Sponsoring Description Committee Establishing Equity ADD50, Directly concerned with equity: Develop a Measures for Environmental Justice set of equity indicators consistent with Environmental in Transportation environmental justice principles, and Justice Cost-Benefit figure out how to use along with Analyses traditional measures such as cost/benefit.The Effects of Vehicle ABE25, Congestion Directly concerned with equity: The objective Miles of Travel Pricing Pricing of this research is to identify how various on Travelers in VMT pricing structures may impact travelers Different Income – broken down by the income group of those Groups travelers. Assessing the Impact ADD50, Directly related to equity: Identify of New Transportation Environmental Justice methodologies that may be adapted to Investments and in Transportation assess the impact of new transportation Emerging investments and emerging transportation Transportation technologies on traditionally under-served Technologies on groups. Apply those methodologies to a Traditionally Underserved Groups pilot study to test their ability to generate results that are useful to decision makers concerned about how traditionally underserved social groups may benefit from new transportation investments and emerging transportation technologies.Preliminary Draft Review 3 Title Sponsoring Description Committee The Impact of the ADD50, Directly related to equity: Develop Transportation Environmental Justice common measures of safety impacts of System on the Safety in Transportation the use of transportation modes, vehicles, of Minority and facilities on minority populations and Populations use these measures to determine differential impacts on minority populations compared to nonminority populations Methods for ADD50, Directly related to equity; ID information Determining Environmental Justice on demographic data in rural areas and Population in Transportation suggest methods to project population Characteristics in change—to improve on what is available Rural Areas for in the census Community Impact Assessments and Improved Public Involvement TDM Strategies for ABE50 Transportation Directly related to equity issue of non- Seniors/Elderly Demand Management driving seniors—Explore other models for (Senior Pool, providing transportation to non-driving Volunteer Driving elderly and recommend options to Services) integrate such models with more traditional services Next Steps for Car- AP020, New Public Some concern with equity: Among 11 tasks, Sharing: Strategies, Transportation one task has an equity focus: Car-sharing is Challenges, and Systems and being targeted at low-income residents as Impacts Technology part of Job Access Reverse Commute programs in King County, WA and the San Francisco Bay Area. The contractor will assess the impacts of these and similar programs, focusing on overall travel behavior including transit ridership. Note this statement equates “accessibility” with “equity” Policy Sensitivity: ADB40, Partially concerned with equity: One objective Trip-Based vs. Transportation is to compare activity based models with trip Tour- and Activity- Demand Forecasting based models in the area of equity and Based Models environmental justice sensitivities, such as effects of transportation and development scenarios on low-income or transit-dependent households Analysis of Social A0020T, Special Task Equity is one component of this research: Costs and Benefits Force on Climate Objective is developing an accounting of Advanced Change and Energy framework that delineates the appropriate Biofuels and Other dimensions and boundaries of the social Low Carbon Fuels costs to be considered. Such a framework should capture impact disparities and equity Preliminary Draft Review 4 Title Sponsoring Description Committee concerns among affected stakeholders.Identifying and ABC30, Performance May touch on equity: Use of existing data using existing data Measurement sources to support less traditional sources to support performance measures which may result in the use of other or benefits to sustainable transportation, the less traditional environment, quality of life, and social equity. performance measures.Performance TRB ABC30 Brief mention of equity in examining potential Measurement and Committee on use of toll allocations. Evaluation of Tolling Performance and Congestion Measurement Pricing Project (Note there is a note that this was funded Benefits and by NCHRP in 2008) System ImpactsRoad Pricing ABE25, Congestion Small mention of equity: The research would Concepts and Pricing seek to highlight techniques for encouraging Projects: Educating dialogue on critical issues related to road & Informing User pricing, including the disposition of revenues, Groups & The the effects on economic activity, means of addressing equity concerns, and issues of Public privacy. Economic Viability ADD50, Some relationship to equity: The research and Community Environmental Justice will involve a review of projects where Impact Assessments in Transportation economic development has been the in Transportation primary, stated project purpose and need Decision Making of a proposed roadway expansion project. One task is that the researcher must consider the impacts on different social and economic communities to examine the equitable distribution of the costs and benefits of project development. Current and Potential ADD50, Indirectly related to equity: Look at the Transportation Environmental Justice impact of diesel pollution on health. Issue Related in Transportation arises due to growth in freight. Environmental and Health Related Benefits and Burdens Associated with the Preliminary Draft Review 5 Title Sponsoring Description Committee Transport of Freight Controlling Air AW030 Marine Indirectly related to equity: ID air quality Emissions at Marine Environment standards that could be implemented Port terminal industry-wide to reduce air emissions. ID Operations efforts to balance local air quality concerns with freight movement framework. [Note that this together with the above RNS look at the issue of local impacts of air pollution from Freight, and that this may include equity issues if EJ communities are most impacted, but this is not directly stated] Climate Change, ADD50 Environmental Indirectly concerned with equity: Displacement and CJ Justice in Determining the impact on public Populations Transportation transportation systems in areas where displaced persons end up after disasters like Katrina. Maximizing Benefits AP060 Paratransit Indirectly related to equity—determining and Addressing how to increase success of volunteer Challenges of driver programs and determining how Volunteer Driver they complement or compete with other Transportation transportation providers Programs Performance AP010 Transit Indirectly related to Equity: Research into Measures for Societal Management and measures appropriate for the broad set of Goals Performance goals motivating a public transit systems, including (potentially) serving the EJ populationPreliminary Draft Review 6 7 Emergency Preparedness, Response and Mitigation: Vulnerability to Natural Disasters and Terrorist Strikes Statement of the Issue: Each year, 45 to 75 presidentially declared disasters exceed local capacity and require state and federal assistance. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquakes are the recent events that have placed the most stresses on emergency management and response. Historically, severe storms have been the most prevalent disasters; as the climate changes, storms with heavy winds, flooding, and surges may become more frequent.Transportation agencies have begun developing an all-hazards approach to preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural and human-made disasters, but much work remains. For example, the additional cost to secure highway and transit assets and enhance traffic management during emergencies is estimated at $3.6 billion annually through 2015.Throughout the world, transportation is the most common target of terrorists, because people congregate in vehicles, terminals, and airports. The 2004 terrorist bombings of passenger trains in Madrid and of transit lines in London attest to the difficulty of protecting against such attacks.The federal government responded to the tragic events of September 11, 2001, by creating the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which combined 22 federal agencies and entities. The amalgamation faced significant challenges – as indicated when one of the incorporated agencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, struggled to respond to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast. Although progress has been made, DHS faces many major challenges.Transportation security initiatives have included increases in passenger and baggage screening at airports, requirements to scan all inbound containers, and security checks for drivers of hazardous cargo trucks – and more initiatives are unfolding. Yet the obstacles are daunting, as DHS works to make transportation more secure without sacrificing important benefits – such as privacy and efficiency – and determines who should have to pay for the added costs of security. The federal government has directed tens of billions of public dollars more in annual funding for aviation security than for the security of other modes, which are equally vulnerable. The risks and the resulting costs are real. For example, a credible threat of a security violation in the supply chain could shut down container movements worldwide. The negative impact on the economy would be enormous if tens of thousands of in-transit containers were stalled for days or weeks in a search for the suspected item.Although security strategies that are excessively costly or inconvenient are not sustainable, irrevocable changes are being made in the planning, design, and operation of transportation facilities to meet emerging security risks. The challenge is to develop strategies that are cost- effective, efficient, and integrated into the operations of the transportation system.The slow and ineffective evacuations from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 pointed to the importance of having plans that can be executed and of ensuring that intergovernmental Preliminary Draft Review 1 collaborations are effective. In addition, the evacuations highlighted the need to plan and provide for transportation facilities that are adequate for response to, and recovery from, terrorist attacks and natural disasters.Findings from the Research Needs DatabaseA search of the keyword “emergency” yielded 54 hits, responses. “Security” also yielded 54 hits. “Terrorism OR terrorist” yielded 16 hits. “Evacuation” yielded 9 hits. Among these keywords, there was moderate-to-high overlap in the RNSs retrieved. Below are shown some of the Groups, Sections, and Committees represented, and 30 illustrative RNSs relating to the topic. Among committees, ABE40 (Critical Transportation Infrastructure Protection) has produced 13 RNSs, by far the most of any committee. In all, five groups, seven sections, and 11 committee are represented among the 30 RNSs accessed.ObservationIt appears that emergency preparedness and related issues are moderately to well-covered by Research Needs Statements. Thirty RNSs relating to the topic were accessed, and others not shown in the above table may be partially related. Moreover, this review may not have captured all relevant RNSs. Table 7-14: Groups, Sections, & Committees RepresentedGroup Committees AB000: Policy and Organization Group ABE40, Critical Transportation ABE00: Section - Transportation Policy Infrastructure Protection ABJ00: Section - Data and Information Systems ABJ50, Information Systems and Technology AD000: Planning and Environment Group ADA10, Statewide Multimodal ADA00: Section - Transportation System Policy, Transportation Planning Planning and Process ADA60, Public Involvement in Transportation AF000: Design and Construction Group AFB70, Utilities AFB00: Section - Design AFF20, Steel Bridges AFF00: Section - Structures AFF50, Seismic Design and Performance of Bridges AH000: Operations and Preservation Group AHB10, Regional Transportation Systems AHB00: Section - Operations Management and Operations AHD00: Section - Maintenance and AHB20, Freeway Operations Preservation AHD35, Bridge Management AT000: Freight Systems Group AT040, Transportation of Hazardous MaterialsPreliminary Draft Review 2 Table 7-15: Illustrative Statements: RNSs Related to Emergency Preparedness, Response, & Mitigation Sponsoring Title Committee Description/Comments Cost Management and ABE40, Critical Research to aid jurisdictions and agencies, Cost Recovery Tools for Transportation especially Departments of Transportation, as Emergencies and Infrastructure they seek to identify and manage the costs of Evacuations Protection disasters and emergencies and as they consider policies for cost recovery Transit Cyber Security ABE40, Critical Define the cyber infrastructure within transit Guidebook Transportation agencies, identify the threats and Infrastructure vulnerabilities of this infrastructure, and Protection determine which security measures should be implemented to address them. Guidebook on Emergency ABE40, Critical Training related to the National Incident Management / NIMS Transportation Management System (NIMS), a Training Infrastructure comprehensive, national approach to incident Protection management. Guidebook on Emergency ABE40, Critical Develop a Guidebook on Emergency Management / NIMS Transportation Management / National Incident Management Training Implementation Infrastructure System (NIMS) Training Implementation and and Performance Protection Performance Measures. Describe effective Measures training for different target audiences, training and trainee assessment guidelines, and recommended performance measures to support competence and preparedness among transportation personnel. Catastrophic ABE40, Critical Develop a reference that synthesizes best Transportation Transportation practices for preparing for and responding to Emergency Management Infrastructure catastrophic emergencies, especially Guidebook Protection pandemics and provides guidance for translating these practices into existing transportation emergency management programs. Costs and Financing of ABE40, Critical Develop a comprehensive working document, Transportation Security: Transportation a roadmap, to be used as a basis for a National Policy and Infrastructure national strategy and policy for Critical Planning Roadmap Protection Transportation Infrastructure Protection (CTIP). Contraflow traffic best ABE40, Critical Identify best practices and recommendations practices and contraflow Transportation for use of contraflow during no-warning during no-warning Infrastructure emergency evacuations. emergencies ProtectionDevelopment of ABE40, Critical Training to improve the preparedness, Infrastructure Protection Transportation operating capabilities, and coordination Preliminary Draft Review 3 Sponsoring Title Committee Description/Comments Training Standards and Infrastructure among security personal and responsible Implementation Strategy Protection agencies.Use of Modeling and ABE40, Critical Develop guidelines for best and novel Simulation in Planning, Transportation practices of modeling infrastructure security Design, Operation, and Infrastructure operations. Coordination of Security Protection Operations - Multi-modal and Inter-modalIntegration of Security ABE40, Critical Develop strategy and identify synergies that Training into Routine Transportation exist among security training and operations Operations Training Infrastructure training and ways they can be used to fulfill Protection security training needs in the context of a traditional planning and budgeting process. Development of ABE40, Critical (Title is self-explanatory.) Integrated Infrastructure Transportation Protection System for Infrastructure protecting various types of Protection transportation infrastructure with infrastructure type-specific detection and alert presentation on security violation Effective Way of ABE40, Critical Develop a comprehensive, adaptable and Developing and Transportation easy-to-use protection database to mitigate Maintaining the Critical Infrastructure the existing and emerging threats to the Infrastructure Protection Protection transportation system. DatabaseInformation Assurance in ABE40, Critical Identify the issues surrounding information Transportation Security Transportation transfer across modal lines, covering critical Infrastructure security issues. Protection Protecting our Cyber ABE40, Critical Conduct research to deter cyber attacks Infrastructure Transportation against infrastructure computer networks and Infrastructure information technology (IT) systems. Protection Common List of Services ABJ50, Includes emergency management as one of for State DOT Information Information six common service categories. Systems Systems and TechnologyNew Stakeholder ADA10, Addresses need to reach out to a broader set Outreach Emphasis in Statewide of stakeholders in the Statewide Planning Statewide Transportation Multimodal process. Engage organizations at multiple Preliminary Draft Review 4 Sponsoring Title Committee Description/Comments Planning Transportation governmental levels that deal with emergency Planning response and management, law enforcement, international border security, ports of entry for foreign cargo, and more. Public Involvement ADA60, Public Research on tools and strategies to ensure Related to Disaster Involvement in the participation of the public and other Preparedness Transportation stakeholders in the development of disaster preparedness plans, as they relate to the multimodal transportation infrastructure. Education of First AFB70, Utilities Survey of State Departments of Respondent Utility Transportation (DOTs) and utility companies Responsibilities that have recently dealt with catastrophic events to determine best practices for responding immediately to utility damage and resulting outages. Utilities Subjected to AFB70, Utilities Survey of State DOTs in states that have Adverse Conditions been subjected to recent earthquakes and hurricanes to determine best practices for repairing or replacing damaged utilities that remain in service. Transportation and Utility AFB70, Utilities Develop methodologies to help transportation Infrastructure and utility decision makers better understand Interdependencies how various infrastructure sectors interrelate in their operations, including emergency operations. Risk Control for Highway AFF20, Steel Develop a rational approach to risk control for Bridges Bridges bridges, including risk assessment procedures, criteria for acceptable risk levels (target reliability), and risk control practices. Development of Design AFF50, Seismic Develop and validate innovative design Strategies for Bridges Design and strategies to create deformation compliant Crossing Active Performance of bridges that can resist the forces generated Earthquake Faults Bridges by earthquakes. Performance Based AFS30, Conduct analyses to incorporate performance Design of Foundation Foundations of based design objectives considering extreme Elements and Earth Bridges and events in the design of foundations for Structures for Extreme Other Structures bridges and other structures. These include Event Loadings earthquakes and ship collisions with bridges.Preliminary Draft Review 5 Sponsoring Title Committee Description/Comments Quantifying Benefits and AHB10, Regional Develop information about the costs and Costs of Regional Transportation benefits of RTSMO to identify gaps in data Transportation Systems Systems about regional implementation of Management and Management and transportation systems management and Operations Operations operations; to identify factors that have been limiting implementation of RTSMO; and to specify and detail potential approaches and opportunities for more widespread implementation. Related work: NCHRP 127 on Emergency Transportation Operations; Integrated Corridor Management Program.Security/Hardening of AHB20, Freeway Develop recommended practices on Transportation Operations increasing or “hardening” the security of Management Systems Transportation Management Systems (traffic controls, freeways, etc.). Simple Bridge Security AHD35, Bridge Establish a security checklist and manual for Inspection Management bridges; e.g., site, structural, foundations, traffic patterns (pedestrian and/or vehicles), monitoring (sensors) and physical security (cameras, gates, etc.) issues. Bridge Network Security AHD35, Bridge Establish a tool for optimum allocation of Evaluation Method Management state security budget for the bridge network within a state. Transportation AT040, Provide a consistent guideline document for Emergency Response Transportation of use by emergency responders and handlers Guidelines for Hazardous Hazardous for managing transportation incidents Materials Materials involving hazardous materials.Assessment of AT040, Outline a comprehensive approach to Opportunities to Integrate Transportation of hazardous cargo transportation that and Supplement Safety Hazardous addresses both safety and security issues. and Security Measures for Materials Hazardous Materials TransportationPreliminary Draft Review 6 8 Safety: Insufficient Improvement Statement of the Issue: The United States has been the world safety leader in all transportation modes but has fallen behind in the mode that accounts for 95 percent of transportation fatalities and serious injuries. Countries such as Australia, Germany, Great Britain, and Sweden have surpassed the United States in road safety. The successes of these nations are partly the result of strategies such as stricter laws on safety belt use, extensive crackdowns on alcohol and drug-impaired driving, increased restrictions on teenage driving, and automated enforcement of traffic signals and speed limits.The United States continues to be a world leader in introducing safer vehicle and road technologies. Most past gains stem from the improved crashworthiness of vehicles. Additional safety gains are possible from side air bags, electronic stability control, and other crash- avoidance technologies.These kinds of improvements enhance occupant protection and reduce vehicle collisions, but do not directly address pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist deaths, which account for about 26 percent of the total. The strategic highway safety plans of many states are introducing improvements to roads, traffic operations, driver licensing, and emergency medical services. These comprehensive improvements will increase safety for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, but will do so incrementally over time.Sharply reducing annual road deaths requires more than improved vehicle and road technology. Driver Behavior – speeding, reckless driving, and alcohol or drug impairment – must be addressed. Citizens expect continual improvements in safety, and the rate of improvement from vehicle and road standards has been considerable. But the next major improvements in safety from technology are not expected for many more years.Behavioral interventions have proved successful in other nations. The United States has lessons to learn from these nations in building public support and developing the political will to introduce measures that until now have received only limited implementation – such as stricter crackdowns on impaired driving, additional restrictions on high-risk drivers, and automated enforcement.Findings from the Research Needs DatabaseA search of the keyword “safety” yielded 338 hits. Perusal of the retrieved RNS list suggested that most were indeed related to highway/driving safety, though many were related to other types of safety such as highway construction safety. Further specification of the search yielded the following number of hits for several broad modal descriptors:  Transportation safety: 233 hits  Public safety: 141 hits  Highway safety: 204 hits  Road safety: 85 hits  Traffic safety: 189 hitsPreliminary Draft Review 1  Vehicle safety: 118 hits  Driver safety: 55 hits  Crash: 88 hits  Accident: 50 hits  Rail safety: 28 hits  Intermodal safety: 15 hits  Transit safety: 61 hits  Bus safety: 19  Aviation safety: 6 hits  Flight safety: 2 hits  Marine safety: 7 hits  Maritime safety: 2 hits  Technology AND safety: 76 hits  Fatal: 21 hits  Injury OR injuries: 65 hits.The next set of searches looked at different segments of the motor vehicle fleet and different types of highway and other transportation users. This yielded the following:  Pedestrian safety: 71 hits  Bicycle safety: 34 hits  Older driver safety: 9 hits  Young driver safety: 4 hits  Truck safety: 29 hits  Motor carrier safety: 6 hits  Motorcycle safety: 6 hits.The next set of searches looked at specific highway safety research and intervention topics, including many of those mentioned in the critical issue topic discussion. This yielded the following:  Safety management: 98 hits  Safety education: 34 hits  Crash prevention: 5 hits  Crash avoidance: 3 hits  Driver licensing: 5 hits  Graduated licensing: 5 hits  Traffic enforcement: 38 hits  Automated enforcement: 7 hits  Crashworthiness: 1 hit  Occupant protection: 1 hit  Seat belt OR safety belt: 10 hits  Alcohol: 18 hits  Drug: 3 hits  Drowsy OR asleep: 1 hit  Night driving: 7 hits  Inattention: 3 hitsPreliminary Draft Review 2  Distraction: 2 hits  Speeding: 8 hits  Speed: 122 hits (many related to “system” speed rather than highway speeds)  Reckless: 1 hit  Intersection safety: 45 hits  Safety culture: 1 hit  Emergency medical system: 3 hits.An attempt was made to search the keyword “transportation safety” by TRB Group, using an advanced search. Unfortunately, the search timed out for those groups most represented in the safety area, so it was not possible to complete the search. Qualitatively, it appears that almost every TRB group is represented, with heavy representations for AF000 (Design and Construction), AH000 (Operations and Preservation), and AN000 (System Users).ObservationThe topic of transportation safety, and in particular highway safety, is strongly represented within TRB and in the RNS database. Among transportation modes, all appear to be well- represented except for aviation and marine.Based on the number of RNSs retrieved (with no consideration of quality or specific issue coverage), the following users, topical areas, and interventions appear to be well-represented:  Pedestrian safety  Bicycle safety  Truck safety  Safety management  Safety education  Traffic enforcement  Alcohol  Speed  Intersection safety.In contrast, the following areas appear to be underrepresented in the RNS database relative to their importance as safety issues:  Older driver safety  Young driver safety  Motorcycle safety  Crash prevention/avoidances  Driver licensing/graduated licensing  Crashworthiness/occupant protection  Drowsy/asleep  Inattention/distraction  Safety culture.Preliminary Draft Review 3 As noted, the above assessment was based entirely on the number of RNS hits with only a cursory look at RNS content. Specialists in the above fields might consider reviewing RNSs relevant to their areas to make more in-depth and content-based assessments. Preliminary Draft Review 4 9 Institutions: Mismatched Statement of the Issue: 20th century institutions mismatched to 21st century missions.The large-scale changes described earlier distinguish the mission of transportation system providers in the 21st century from that of system providers in the early 20th century. The required institutional responses are not new but have greater urgency with the new demands and the other critical issues that have been highlighted. Meeting 21st century requirements will include: Adopting a systems perspective instead of a modal perspective;  Integrating priorities across levels of government more effectively;  Emphasizing operations instead of expansion;  Improving the balance between national and local interests; and  Expediting a decision-making process that has become slow and cumbersome.The fragmentation of authorities and of decision making and regulatory structures inhibits the ability to address problems from a systems perspective for highways, waterways, public transit, railroads, air transportation, and pipelines. At the federal level, for example, U.S. DOT comprises separate modal administrations, and responsibilities for waterways are vested in several other federal departments. Most state DOT organizational structures have a similar modal bias.With so much infrastructure in place, managing the loosely connected system of modes has become as important as expanding and maintaining it. Better management might reduce the need for some expansion, but the institutional barriers are considerable. More movement of freight by water along coastlines may relieve some highway and rail congestion, for example, but the endeavor would face many challenges, requiring the collective dedicated efforts of different federal departments, state governments, and disparate industry interests to succeed.At the local level, state DOTs, counties, and cities own and operate road systems, and special authorities or city or county departments own and operate public transit. These institutional structures inhibit coordinated planning and investment. Progress is being made, for example, as metropolitan areas engage in multimodal planning, but more changes are required before travelers perceive the system to be seamless. Within metropolitan areas, road and transit organizations often act independently, and cities, counties, and states often have different priorities for the facilities they own.For the past half century, highway agencies primarily have been builders. The state DOTs, in particular, had the fundamental purpose of building and maintaining the Interstate system and other intercity highways. Although expansion will continue in high-growth areas, state DOTs increasingly are expected to serve as system operators. A management mission for the future may include more direct charging for the use of facilities, to supplement or replace other user Preliminary Draft Review 1 fees. State and metropolitan transportation organizations, however, were not designed or prepared to manage the political and technical challenges of this transition.For decades, a general trend in the public sphere has been to decentralize decision making; the results are not always consistent with the development or pursuit of a national transportation policy. Increasingly, cities or even neighborhoods make decisions about public services, new development projects, or highways. Communities that gain this power find few projects acceptable, which bodes poorly for efficient freight movements in the future. Decisions about ports, for example, are made locally, and port communities can reject the burden of the financial and social costs of expanding freight movements, disregarding the regional or national economic benefits that accrue beyond their borders. Moreover, a decline in federal funding has led to more funding from local sources, which justifies more local control. The large share of state and local infrastructure funding referenda that pass is explained in part by strategy—many of the successful measures fund priority projects identified by the local public and include local oversight of the special funds. The shift in authority and funding responsibility to the local and state levels raises fundamental questions about what the federal role should be.The decision-making process for transportation investments has become slow and cumbersome. Although environmental review, for example, has greatly decreased the negative impacts of transportation projects, the review process can extend more than a decade. Lack of consensus on what should be built—and where—can delay or abort socially worthy projects indefinitely, compounding congestion. Moreover, consensus often comes at a vastly higher cost than early estimates, as illustrated by Boston’s Central Artery–Tunnel project, the “Big Dig.”Findings from the Research Needs DatabaseCoverage of the “Institutions” IssueThere are few RNSs which directly tackle any of the five institutional sub-issues indentified in the Critical Issue definition. Only Nine (9) RNSs take direct aim at these historically thorny institutional issues.As a long-time member of a TRB Committee myself, and now as a Group Chair, I am conscious of the guidance we have that TRB committees are not to get involved in policy-making. In addition, relatively few committees (in relation to the total number of committees) have a scope which extends beyond the boundaries of their respective modes. Of those committees that ostensibly do or could have a multi-modal (or multi-government-level) point of view, relatively few have published RNSs which in my view cover the “institutions” critical issue.Recommendation: identify committees (and their sub-committees) whose scope cuts across the kinds of institutional boundaries suggested by this Critical Issue; then request that each prepare RNSs. Several such committees are included in the two tables below.A (surprisingly) small number of RNSs exist around the sub-issue of operations (asset preservation) versus expansion, yet few touch on the institutional basis for solutions, focusing instead on more technical reasoning for shifting this balance.Preliminary Draft Review 2 Recommendation: The “Institutions” Critical Issue would seem to be a strong candidate for having a “subject category” created specifically to help identify the relevant RNSs, and to spot the lack of coverage of this topic.Table 9-16: Committees Publishing RNSs related to the Institutions critical issueCommittee RNSs touching on RNSs explicitly on the Institutions subtopic of Institutions [name issues of RNS] AFD10 Pavement Management 1 0 Systems AHD30 Structures Maintenance 1 0 ADA10 Statewide Multimodal 2 1 [Links Between Statewide Transportation Planning Transportation Planning and Asset Management Practices] ABC30 Performance Measurement 1 1 [Strategies to Align Goals and Performance Measures Across Public Agencies] ADA50, Transportation Programming, 1 (tangentially) + 1 1 [Balancing System Planning, and Systems Evaluation Preservation and Capacity Building in Planning and Programming] ABC10, Strategic Management 3 1 [Defining the Next Generation DOT: An Integrated Mobility Company?] AP025(2), Public Transportation 2 2 [Multi-Modal Planning and Planning and Development Research NEPA] [Transit at the Land Needs Use Decision-Making Table] AHB10, Regional Transportation 1 1 [Quantifying Benefits and Systems Management and Operations Costs of Regional Transportation Systems Management and Operations] AV030, Environmental Impacts of 1 1 [Identification of Aviation Improvements in Environmental Review and Compliance Processes] A0020T, Special Task Force on 1 1 [Framework to Enable Climate Change and Energy Multiple Agencies to Develop Policies Relating Climate Change and Infrastructure Protection] TOTALS 15 9Preliminary Draft Review 3 Table 9-17: Committees With No Published RNSs despite Potentially Relevant Committee ScopeCommittee ABC40, Transportation Asset Management ABG50, Transportation History ADA20, Metropolitan Policy, Planning, and Processes ADD40, Transportation and Sustainability AL020, Transit and Intermodal Transportation Law AP025, Public Transportation Planning and DevelopmentPreliminary Draft Review 4 10 Human and Intellectual Capital: Inadequate Investment in Innovation Statement of the Issue: The nation faces many significant transportation challenges. Public investment to stimulate innovation in transportation services and products, however, has been declining for years, in real terms and as a share of agency budgets. Even with a 36 percent increase in research funding in the recent federal surface transportation authorization, the investment in transportation research and development is small by any measure.In 2005, public-sector investment in transportation research and development was only 0.015 percent of the GDP. This tiny share is sharply lower than the nearly 0.07 percent of the early 1970s. Coupled with the declining support is the growth in the earmarking of research budgets —the designation of funds to specific institutions to carry out research. Earmarking bypasses the role of merit review and competition in ensuring scientific quality and reduces the ability of funding agencies to carry out a coherent research investment strategy.Transportation and health care account for similar proportions of the GDP, but the federal investment in health care research is more than 10 times greater than its investment in transportation research. Transportation has not kept up with other sectors— such as manufacturing and medicine—in taking advantage of new technology to improve efficiency or to develop better products. The cost structure of the private portions of the transportation sector and the substantial public ownership of most transportation infrastructure make it unlikely that private funding will fill the research and development gap.When research budgets are inadequate, the collection of information about topics of great interest is inevitably insufficient. In transportation, for example, the most important single statistic is the amount of travel or movement of people and goods. Yet the lack of data on travel constrains wise investments in projects and the understanding of the consequences of alternative policy choices.An active research and development program in laboratories and universities attracts the brightest students. Research and development funding supports university graduate programs, which are the source of the next-generation professional workforce and leaders. The best students have little incentive for a career in transportation if the sector is not viewed as part of the leading edge of research. Research and development is needed in more areas than science and engineering. Many of the critical issues involve complex policy choices that require insights from several disciplines.With the current problems in hiring capable workers, and with the projections for retirements in the public and private sectors, attracting more and better students into transportation careers is critical. Given the complexity of the issues to be addressed, workers will need a wider range of skills and training than the current workforce possesses. The future workforce will need to address an ever increasing reliance on technology; alternative means of finance; increased contracting for services; more partnering with private freight modes; operating transportation as a system; and new approaches to balance transportation objectives with goals for energy, environment, equity, security, and safety. Preliminary Draft Review 1 Findings from the Research Needs DatabaseApplicable research subject categories in the RNS database are “Education and Training” with 52 RNS and “Research” with 69. However, most all of these were not concerned with research in innovative methods, attracting young people into the transportation profession, and training and educating the profession in multiple disciplines that may be necessary to enhance success in transportation innovation in the future. Searches were also done using keywords “innovation” and “data collection methods” in response to the mention of the need to increase innovation in transportation and to improve data collection methods. A listing of topics found is contained at the end of this discussion. Altogether a quick analysis turned up 26 RNS in this critical issues area.Table 10- 1 below shows the Groups, Sections and Committees contributing directly relevant RNS. Five groups are involved and 18 committees. Surprisingly, there were not many offerings from the Research and Education Section. Table 10-18: Groups and Committees with RNS Related to Human CapitalGroup Committees Policy and Organization Group (AB000) ABC10, Strategic Management(2) Transportation Policy Section (ABE00) ABE40, Critical Transportation Management and Leadership Section Infrastructure Protection (2) (ABC00) ABE70, Women’s Issues in Research and Education Section (ABG00) Transportation (2) Data and Information Systems ABE80, Native American Transportation Section(ABJ00) Issues ABG30, Technology Transfer ABJ 40, Travel Survey Methods ABJ95, Visualization in Transportation Planning and Environment Group (AD000) ADA10, Statewide Multimodal Transportation System Policy, Planning & Transportation Planning Process (ADA00) ADA60, Public Involvement in Environment and Energy Section (ADC00) Transportation ADC10, Environmental Analysis in Transportation ADC20, Transportation and Air Quality Design and Construction Group (AF000) AFD60, Flexible Pavement Design Pavement Management Section (AFD00) AFD80, Strength and Deformation Construction (AFH00) Characteristics of Pavement Sections AFH10, Construction Management Operations and Preservation Group (AH000) AHB15, Intelligent Transportation Operations Section (AHB00) Systems (5) Maintenance and Preservation Section (AHD00) AHB70, Access Management AHD15, Maintenance and Operations Personnel System Users Group (AN000) ANB23T, Task Force on Highway Safety Safety Section (ANB00) Workforce Development (2)Preliminary Draft Review 2 ObservationsThe identified RNS do deal with the areas of innovative data collection (particularly the AHB15 Committee on Intelligent Transportation Systems. There may be other areas of research into innovative methods that were not identified in this quick analysis.There were several problem statements dealing with various aspects of education and training of the workforce in transportation. However, there were limited RNS dealing with the issue of cross-training the transportation worker of the future in multiple disciplines.It was surprising that there were not more offerings from the Research and Education Section.Table10- 2 shows some of the more relevant statements in the RNS database.Table 10-19: Relevant RNS in the area of Human CapitalCommittee Statement Title ABC10, Strategic Successful Strategic Planning Practices Management ABC10, Strategic Management and Innovation - Innovation Case Studies ManagementABE40, Critical Integration of Security Training into Routine Operations Training Transportation Infrastructure Protection ABE40 Development of Infrastructure Protection Training Standards and Implementation Strategy ABE70, Women's Issues Effective Programs for Developing Successful Career Paths for in Transportation Women in TransportationABE70 Are Women Limited by Transportation Opportunities? ABE80, Native American An Evaluation of Data Management Practices in Indian Country Transportation Issues ABG30, Technology Early Integration of Technology Transfer into the Research Transfer ProcessABJ40, Travel Survey Multiple Survey Collection Methods to Improve Travel Survey Methods Response Rates (NM) ABJ95, Visualization in Development of an Education and Training Curriculum and Transportation Courseware for Transportation Visualization ADA10, Statewide New Stakeholder Outreach Emphasis in Statewide Transportation Multimodal Transportation Planning Planning ADA60, Public University-Level Education in Public Involvement Involvement in Transportation ADC10, Environmental Comparative Analysis of Geophysical Remote Sensing Analysis in Transportation Technologies for Integration into Departments of Transportation Preliminary Draft Review 3 Committee Statement Title Environmental Decision-Making Process ADC20, Transportation Effectiveness of Air Quality Public Education Programs and Air Quality AFD60, Flexible Development of University Level Training Modules for Pavement Pavement Design Design, Pavement Management and Pavement RehabilitationAFD80, Strength and Development of a Strategic Research Program for the Next Deformation Generation of Mechanistic Pavement Models Characteristics of Pavement Sections AFH10, Construction Alternative Contracting Methods and Delivery Systems to Facilitate Management Faster Construction/ReconstructionAHB15, Intelligent Develop Improved Intersection Control Strategies and Controllers Transportation Systems Based on Availability of Ubiquitous Probe DataAHB15 Develop New Traffic Management Methods, in a New Paradigm Based on Use of Ubiquitous Probe Vehicle DataAHB15 Determine How Best to Obtain O/D Data from Probe Vehicles, with Varying Degrees of Privacy ConstraintsAHB15 Develop Improved Vehicle Positioning TechnologiesAHB15 Develop and Evaluate Wireless Communication Technology Alternatives to DSRC for V2I, I2V and V2V Data Transfers, and Backhaul Infrastructure to Support Roadside Equipment (RSE, Especially in Rural Areas)AHB70, Access Using Visualization to Communicate the Benefits of Access Management Management to the Public AHD15, Maintenance and Highway Construction and Maintenance Workforce Recruitment Operations Personnel and RetentionANB23T, Task Force on Investigation of International Highway Safety Issues and Training Highway Safety Needs Workforce Development ANB23T Creating a Demand for Road Safety EducationPreliminary Draft Review 4

Re: Review of the TRB Research Needs Statement Datatbase

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