Transportation Research Board 2016 Annual Report (2016)

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32 | TRB 2016 Annual Report tr b A d m i n i st e r s six cooperative re-search programs: ▪ The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in cooperation with the Fed- eral Highway Administration (FHWA); ▪ The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), sponsored by the Federal Transit Admin- istration (FTA); ▪ The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), sponsored by the Federal Aviation Ad- ministration (FAA); ▪ The National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP), sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R); ▪ The Hazardous Materials Cooperative Re- search Program (HMCRP), sponsored by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin- istration (PHMSA); and ▪ The National Cooperative Rail Research Pro- gram (NCRRP), sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). During 2016, these programs produced 117 publications on a range of topics valuable to practitioners. nAtionAl cooperAtive highwAy reseArch progrAm A forum for coordinated and collaborative re- search, NCHRP addresses issues integral to the functions of state departments of transportation (DOTs) and to the work of transportation profes- sionals at all levels of government and private practice. Since 1962, NCHRP has helped the trans- portation community find practical solutions to pressing problems and develop and apply innova- tions to improve current practices. The AASHTO Standing Committee on Research (SCOR) serves as the governing board for NCHRP. Support for NCHRP comes from voluntary contributions from the state DOTs. NCHRP’s close association with AASHTO and its position within the National Academies of Sciences, En- gineering, and Medicine have enabled the pro- gram to carry out research with sound, practical, and nationally important results. Stakeholder involvement throughout the NCHRP process guarantees that the program addresses high-pri- Cooperative Research Programs Director Chris Hedges leads a spring meeting of the AASHTO Standing Com- mittee on Research (SCOR), which selected projects for the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) in fiscal year 201 7. cooperAtive reseArch progrAms

TRB 2016 Annual Report | 33 ority research needs and develops products that are ready for implementation by transportation practitioners. NCHRP manages projects in research areas that range from highway and bridge planning, materials, design, construction, and operations, to economics and finance, policy, land use, envi- ronmental issues, and workforce development. The results of these research projects have ap- peared in 1,378 publications in the NCHRP Re- port and NCHRP Synthesis of Highway Practice series, in addition to 400 Research Results Di- gests and 71 Legal Research Digests, as well as 304 other documents published electronically. AASHTO selected 16 continuing projects and 37 new projects in 2016. Each NCHRP project follows an approved research plan under the guidance of a panel of technical specialists and experienced practitioners. The panel defines the scope of work, selects the contractor through a competitive proposal process, and monitors the research from beginning to end. The panel’s par- ticipation ensures the credibility of the research findings, facilitating adoption by AASHTO, state DOTs, and other organizations. NCHRP panels convened for more than 153 project meetings in 2016; more than 2,130 vol- unteers offered their time, energy, and expertise as panel members, attending meetings and re- viewing materials, primarily for the challenges and the satisfaction of making contributions to the field. Most NCHRP research projects have recommended specifications and have produced manuals and guidelines that have had a direct impact on practice, and the program often part- ners with AASHTO to ensure that the state DOTs learn about and deploy the products. Examples of NCHRP successes can be found in the Impacts on Practice series.1 1 www.trb.org/nchrp/nchrpimpactsonpractice.aspx. Highlights of 2016 Connected and Automated Vehicles With the rapid development and deployment of connected and automated vehicle technologies, state DOTs need research on the effects of these technologies and on preparing for their wide- spread use. NCHRP Project 20-102 seeks to (a) identify critical issues that state and local trans- portation agencies and AASHTO will face with connected and automated vehicles, (b) conduct research to address those issues, and (c) engage in technology transfer and information exchange. Project tasks under way include policy and planning related to the societal impacts and mar- ket decisions;  regulations and policies on uses in transit operations; challenges for truck freight operations; strategic communications planning; road markings for machine vision; implications for motor vehicle codes; dedicated and priority- use lanes; incorporating the impacts into region- al transportation planning and modeling tools; John S. Halikowski Chair AASHTO Standing Committee on Research (January–October) Sherry E. Little Chair TCRP Oversight and Project Selection Committee (January–June) Paul Jablonski Chair TCRP Oversight and Project Selection Committee (June–) Cheryl A. Burke Chair HMCRP Technical Oversight Panel Kitty Freidheim Chair ACRP Oversight Committee Christopher J. Hedges Director Cooperative Research Programs A self-driving, low-speed shuttle developed by Local Motors. The effects of automated vehicles, and preparations for their widespread use, were examined in NCHRP Project 20-102. (Photo: Matthew Lesh, Local Motors)

34 | TRB 2016 Annual Report lic health through air quality, safety, noise, and incentives or disincentives for physical activity. Transportation agencies need to understand the complex relationships between transportation and public health to develop strategic goals and objectives. ▪ Transformational Technologies. Transforma- tional or disruptive technologies can be expected to displace the status quo and change forever the way people live and work. Examples in transpor- tation include connected and automated vehi- cles; bicycle sharing in urban centers; carsharing, such as Car2Go and Zipcar; on-demand shared ride services, such as Uber and Lyft; hybrid and other alternative-fueled vehicles; and drones, e- retailing, and 3-D printing. Each of these is the subject of extensive research, but collectively these technologies will change the nature and role of the future DOT. Transformational tech- nologies will affect the planning, building, opera- tion, and maintenance of transportation systems. Transportation agencies need to understand the impacts of transformational technologies to de- velop strategic goals and objectives. Implementation Planning NCHRP has emphasized the development of practical products for immediate implementa- tion by practitioners. In recent years, SCOR has prioritized activities that can expedite the imple- mentation process—such as developing products in different formats for different target audien- ces, engaging stakeholders through workshops and peer exchanges, conducting demonstrations cybersecurity implications; effects on travel de- mand; business models for the deployment of infrastructure; data needs and collection; and data management strategies for operations. Research Roadmaps SCOR elected to develop research roadmaps in three critical strategic areas in 2016: freight transportation, transportation and public health, and transformational technologies. The road- maps will review trends, identify pressing needs, suggest priorities, and develop a program of research to enable state DOTs to understand, anticipate, and prepare for the impacts on the transportation system. ▪ Freight. As outlined in Beyond Traffic, the U.S. DOT’s 30-year plan, the nation’s ability to com- pete in global markets—and to meet the needs and expectations of consumers and industry— depends on a robust, multimodal freight trans- portation system. The U.S. freight system is under strain; roads, railways, and some airports are increasingly congested. Many ports and in- land waterways require dredging, and facilities are aging. Nevertheless, freight volume is pro- jected to increase 45 percent by 2045. Transpor- tation agencies need to understand the current and anticipated trends in the freight transpor- tation network to develop strategic goals and objectives. ▪ Transportation and Public Health. Society re- lies on efficient and effective transportation to move people and goods, create personal mobil- ity, and improve quality of life. Transportation systems, however, can have an impact on pub- With freight volume pro- jected to increase nearly 50 percent by 2045, freight is the topic of a forthcoming research roadmap. (Photo: Don Wilson, Port of Seattle) The effects of active transportation and other aspects of public health and transportation are the subject of another research roadmap. (Photo: Margaret Gibbs, pedbikeimages.org) A third research roadmap examines on-demand shared ride services and other transformative technologies. (Photo: Lyft)

TRB 2016 Annual Report | 35 Design ▪ NCHRP Report 825, Planning and Preliminary Engineering Applications Guide to the Highway Ca- pacity Manual; and ▪ NCHRP Synthesis 488, Roundabout Practices. Administration NCHRP Report 829, Leadership Guide for Strategic Information Management for State Departments of Transportation. Environment ▪ NCHRP Report 822, Evaluation and Assessment of Environmentally Sensitive Stream Bank Protection Measures; and ▪ Legal Research Digest 64, Legal Aspects of En- vironmental Permitting in the Emergency Response Environment. Traffic Management NCHRP Report 828, Guidelines for Nighttime Vis- ibility of Overhead Signs. Freight NCHRP Report 830, Multistate, Multimodal, Over- size–Overweight Transportation. Pavements and Materials ▪ NCHRP Report 817, Validation of Guidelines for Evaluating the Moisture Susceptibility of WMA Technologies; and ▪ NCHRP Synthesis 495, Use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement and Recycled Asphalt Shingles in Asphalt Mixtures. Connected and Automated Vehicles Legal Research Digest 69, A Look at the Legal En- vironment for Driverless Vehicles. of research products at sponsoring agencies, and strengthening dissemination efforts. In December 2015, SCOR approved an im- plementation plan, funded at $2 million annu- ally, and authorized NCHRP to hire a full-time implementation coordinator. NCHRP will adopt a more proactive approach to implementation and will work with project panels to develop ap- propriate implementation plans for each project. Concerted efforts will ensure that the transporta- tion community is fully aware of the availability and value of NCHRP research products. Research Results Following is a sample of the NCHRP reports pub- lished in 2016 that have particular importance to AASHTO. All reports are available on the TRB website.2 General information on all projects is available in the NCHRP Summary of Progress, December 31, 2016,3 and on the web. Project Delivery ▪ NCHRP Report 821, Effective Project Scoping Practices to Improve On-Time and On-Budget De- livery of Highway Projects; and ▪ NCHRP Report 827, Navigating Multi-Agency NEPA Processes to Advance Multimodal Transpor- tation Projects. Resilience NCHRP Synthesis 496, Minimizing Roadway Em- bankment Damage from Flooding. 2 www.trb.org/Publications/PubsTRBPublicationsbySeries.aspx. 3 http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrpannual2016. pdf. A case study in NCHRP Report 827, Navigating Multi- Agency NEPA Processes to Advance Multimodal Transpor- tation Projects, examines the Orange Line light rail extension to Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport in Texas. (Photo: Dallas Area Rapid Transit) NCHRP Report 830, Multistate, Multimodal, Oversize– Overweight Transportation, compiles and reviews permit- ting requirements for oversized freight.

36 | TRB 2016 Annual Report Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 through FY 2020 at $5 mil- lion per year. The FAST Act moved TCRP from 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53, Section 5313, a stand-alone sec- tion, into Section 5312, Public Transportation In- novation, and changed the funding source from the General Fund to the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund, ensuring funding sta- bility for the length of the act. TCRP produced 17 publications in 2016, bring- ing the total to more than 637 since the program’s inception. The following TCRP publications of particular interest were completed during the year. Operations, Maintenance, and Safety TCRP Report 183, A Guidebook on Transit-Support- ive Roadway Strategies, and Web-Only Document 66, Improving Transportation Network Efficiency Through Implementation of Transit-Supportive Roadway Strategies, are resources for improving bus speed and reliability on surface streets while addressing the needs of other roadway users, including motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The report identifies consistent and uniform strategies to reduce delay and improve reliability for transit operations on roadways; develops de- cision-making guidance for operational planning Safety and Security Legal Research Digest 71, Liability of Transporta- tion Entity for the Unintentional Release of Secure Data or the Intentional Release of Monitoring Data on Movements or Activities of the Public. trAnsit cooperAtive reseArch progrAm Initially authorized by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act and initiated un- der TRB management in July 1992, TCRP is supported by annual grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The TCRP Over- sight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee selects research for the program; the committee also serves as a subcommittee of the board of directors of the Transit Development Corpora- tion (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research affiliate of APTA. A three-way memorandum of agreement by FTA, TDC, and TRB outlines the program’s operating procedures. In its 24 years, TCRP has undertaken more than 700 research studies. Details on the program’s development since 1992 can be found in the 2016 TCRP Annual Report of Progress.4 The current surface transportation authoriz- ing legislation—the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act—passed in December 2015 and reauthorized TCRP for 5 years, from 4 http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/TCRPAnnual2016. pdf. Peggy Wilson, American Public Transportation Association, provides a status update on the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) at a TCRP Oversight and Project Selec- tion Committee meeting. Bus lane strategies are presented in TCRP Report 183, A Guidebook on Transit-Supportive Roadway Strategies.

TRB 2016 Annual Report | 37 suggests ways that transit can learn from, build on, and interface with new mobility options. The report analyzes transit and ridesourcing capacity, demand, and comparative travel times; assesses practices and regulations related to paratransit; and compiles business models and public–pri- vate partnerships that build on new technologies from the emerging shared-mobility sector. Airport cooperAtive reseArch progrAm Because airport practitioners need access to tools and knowledge that help them understand op- portunities and threats on the horizon, ACRP convenes subject matter experts to develop re- search, tools, and guidance to serve airports. Established in 2006, sponsored by FAA, and managed by TRB, ACRP is an applied research program that develops near-term practical so- lutions to problems faced by airport operators. ACRP research publications are available online at no additional cost to the industry, and in di- verse formats, such as reports, guidebooks, le- gal digests, syntheses of research, and more. To date, ACRP has committed $113 million to fund 485 research projects spanning the full spectrum of disciplines in airport operations, including airport design, construction, sustainability, law, maintenance, operations, safety, policy, plan- ning, human resources, and administration. Each research project addresses a specific industry need identified by public- and private- sector stakeholders—including airport practitio- ners, academicians, consultants, advocates, and and functional design, including information on warrants and costs; and identifies institutional structures and intergovernmental agreements that can facilitate implementation. TCRP Report 184, Maintenance Technician Staff- ing Levels for Modern Public Transit Fleets, identi- fies tools and practices to determine optimum staffing levels for maintenance technicians and analyzes variables that influence staffing needs. The report presents the MS Excel–based Main- tenance Staffing Calculator, a tool for managers to estimate the optimal number of bus mainte- nance staff to meet needs. Vehicles and Equipment TCRP Report 185, Bus Operator Workstation Design for Improving Occupational Health and Safety, pro- vides practical guidance, documents, and tools for the procurement process and bus design. The report presents strategies to develop, train, and support a bus procurement team of operators and representatives from operations, maintenance, and safety and offers training recommendations that include an ergonomics module. The report can assist transit agencies and bus manufactur- ers in integrating technologies into procurement practices and in improving bus operator worksta- tion design. Policy and Planning TCRP Report 182, Linking Transit Agencies and Land Use Decision Making: Guidebook for Transit Agen- cies, addresses the connections between transit, land use planning, and decision making about development. The guidebook provides tools for transit agencies to self-assess their readiness to participate in the land use decision-making pro- cess and to improve their interactions with key stakeholders, including local governments and developers. TCRP Report 186, Economic Impact Case Study Tool for Transit, examines the types of transit projects that are most applicable for case stud- ies, ways to measure and report the economic impacts of transit projects, and the differences between transit case studies and highway case studies. The report explores the design and de- velopment of the case study database and web tool and offers seven prototype case studies. TCRP Report 188, Shared Mobility and the Transformation of Public Transit, examines oppor- tunities and challenges for public transportation from technology-enabled mobility services and Michael Salamone, Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Manager, briefs the ACRP Oversight Committee.

38 | TRB 2016 Annual Report sadors, who can offer insight into the industry. The new ACRP Champions program for up-and- coming practitioners completed its first year and exceeded its initial goal of 100; ACRP is connect- ing champions with experienced ambassadors through the new ACRP Mentorship program. In addition, new product summary cards are helping ACRP quickly disseminate and explain the latest research results at conferences and other events. An effort to expedite the submit- tal and review process for problem statements promises to deliver research results and solu- tions to practitioners sooner. ACRP has taken measures to enhance its website, which serves as a hub of timely, no-cost tools and guidance, by tagging resources with metadata to help practi- tioners quickly find the resources they need. NextGen ACRP continues to examine the ongoing trans- formation of the aviation system with the next generation of technologies, known as NextGen. These technologies offer benefits in efficiency, the environment, safety, reliability, planning, and design for airports. In 2016, ACRP’s NextGen initiative produced ACRP Report 150, NextGen for Airports, comprising five volumes: Volume 1, Understanding the Airport’s Role in Performance-Based Navigation: Resource Guide; Volume 2, Engaging Airport Stakeholders: Guidebook; Volume 3, Resource Guide; Volume 4, Leveraging NextGen Spatial Data to Benefit Airports: Guidebook; and Volume 5, Airport Planning and Development. students—and is scoped and guided by a panel of select subject-matter experts. The research find- ings fill gaps in knowledge and practice, address persistent problems, identify best practices, and offer practical tools to help practitioners over- come common and emerging challenges. Engaging the Industry The world is more interconnected than ever be- fore—domestic economic events are felt around the globe, and environmental and technological shifts highlight global interdependence. Amid these changes, the future is bright for the air- port industry—especially for airport practitioners equipped with expert knowledge about the evo- lutions under way. ACRP helps the industry respond to inter- twined global challenges and opportunities by cultivating its own interconnections. Through more than 400 publications, events attracting a wide attendance, and initiatives to engage stake- holders, ACRP plays a key role in helping airports exchange knowledge and best practices, collabo- rate to address shared challenges, network with other professionals across distance and genera- tions, and identify and address emerging chal- lenges with timely information and tools. The ACRP Ambassadors program, for example, expanded with an emeritus program, which hon- ors and maintains contact with former ambas- Installation of solar panels at an airport facility, from ACRP Report 151, Developing a Business Case for Renewable Energy at Airports. Members of the ACRP panel on Emergency Communication Models for Persons with Disabilities and Non-English Speakers define the scope and goals of the project.

TRB 2016 Annual Report | 39 relevant, valuable guidance and tools to help practitioners successfully manage their daily operations, avoid potential threats, and leverage new opportunities for growth and innovation. nAtionAl cooperAtive freight reseArch progrAm Authorized in 2005 under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), NCFRP is spon- sored by OST-R and managed by TRB. An over- sight committee comprising a representative cross section of freight stakeholders provides program guidance. Annual funding averaged $3.4 million during SAFETEA-LU, but the Mov- ing Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) repealed NCFRP. Although the program will be closing down, all research activity funded through FY 2012 will be completed as planned. hAzArdous mAteriAls cooperAtive reseArch progrAm SAFETEA-LU authorized a pilot cooperative re- search program on hazardous materials trans- portation. HMCRP was initiated in September 2006 under the sponsorship of PHMSA to com- plement other U.S. DOT research efforts as a stakeholder-driven, problem-solving program, funding research on real-world, day-to-day op- erational issues with near- to midterm time frames. Annual funding averaged $1.1 million, but MAP-21 did not provide funding beyond FY 2012. Sustainability at Airports Today’s global economy depends on airports offering reliable and continued service despite financial and environmental pressures. Airports around the world are taking proactive steps to ensure sustainable operations on multiple fronts—from reducing reliance on fossil fuels by using renewable energy to managing water more efficiently. New titles addressing sustain- ability topics include the following: ▪ ACRP Report 158, Deriving Benefits from Alter- native Aircraft-Taxi Systems; ▪ ACRP Report 154, Water Efficiency Management Strategies for Airports; ▪ ACRP Report 151, Developing a Business Case for Renewable Energy at Airports; ▪ ACRP CD-ROM 78, Airport Terminal Building Energy Use Intensity Benchmarking Tool; ▪ ACRP Synthesis 69, Airport Sustainability Prac- tices: Drivers and Outcomes for Small Commercial and General Aviation Airports; and ▪ ACRP Web-Only Document 26, Methodology to Improve AEDT Quantification of Aircraft Taxi–Idle Emissions. Technology and Trends ACRP Report 65, Guidebook for IROPS Stakeholder Communication and Coordination, responds to passenger demand for improved communication and planning to meet passenger needs during ir- regular operations (IROPS). The report provides tools and best practices to help airports improve not only communication with passengers but also cooperation with airlines and government agencies during IROPS. As environmental dis- ruptions become more frequent, and as passen- gers expect more from airlines and airports on social media and other communications chan- nels, the focus on IROPS communication is likely to continue. A $1 million research initiative is exploring the integration of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into airports. ACRP Project 03-42, Integrat- ing UAS into Airports, will build on preceding research—including ACRP Report 144, UAS and Airports: A Primer, and ACRP Project 11-01, Topic 08-03: Evolving Law on Airport Implications by UAS Operations, in progress—to provide addi- tional guidance and information. Through engagement with stakeholders and a well-established research process, ACRP con- sistently provides the airport community with Four-quadrant gate installation on an intercity passenger rail line, an example of grade crossing design in National Cooperative Rail Research Program Report 6, Guidebook for Intercity Passenger Rail Service and Development. In 2016, the National Cooperative Freight Research Program released the report, Enhancing Sleep Efficiency on Vessels in the Tug–Towboat–Barge Industry.

40 | TRB 2016 Annual Report senior leadership team will be missed,” stated TRB Executive Director Neil Pedersen. Christopher J. Hedges, who joined TRB as a Senior Program Officer in 1999 and became Manager of NCHRP in 2014, was promoted to Director of Coop- erative Research Programs in October. Roy Mesler was promoted to Systems Analyst. Waseem Dekelbab was appointed Implementation Coordinator for NCHRP. Maina Tran joined the staff as a Web Developer; Kathy Mion came aboard as a Senior Editorial Assis- tant (part-time); and Hana Vagnerova and Gary Jenkins were hired as Senior Program Assistants. nAtionAl cooperAtive rAil reseArch progrAm Authorized by the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, NCRRP started up under TRB management in 2012 with the sponsorship of FRA. The program has carried out applied re- search on intercity rail, intermodal efficiency, capacity, interconnectivity, high-speed rail cor- ridors, and passenger and freight transportation. One year of funding was provided at $5.0 million. NCRRP released all remaining publications be- fore the end of 2016; the program has not been reauthorized. Staff News Christopher W. Jenks, TRB Director of Coopera- tive Research Programs since 2007, retired in July, after 22 years at TRB. Jenks joined TRB as a Senior Program Officer with TCRP and was appointed TCRP Manager in 1999; he managed many TCRP projects that developed products in widespread use throughout the transit industry. His commitment to the highest quality research products is much admired. “His steady, guiding hand at the helm of CRP and his input as a trusted member of the TRB Christopher W. Jenks