National Academies Press: OpenBook
Page i
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R1
Page ii
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R2
Page iii
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R3
Page iv
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R4
Page v
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R5
Page vi
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R6
Page vii
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R7
Page viii
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R8
Page ix
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R9
Page x
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R10
Page xi
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R11
Page xii
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R12
Page xiii
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R13
Page xiv
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R14
Page xv
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R15
Page xvi
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25511.
×
Page R16

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

Research and Technology Coordinating Committee A Consensus Study Report of 032258 Vital Federal Highway display.indd 1 8/23/19 3:16 PM

Transportation Research Board Special Report 331 Subscriber Categories: Policy, Research Transportation Research Board publications are available by ordering individual publications directly from the TRB Business Office, through the Internet at www. TRB.org or nationalacademies.org/trb, or by annual subscription through organi- zational or individual affiliation with TRB. Affiliates and library subscribers are eligible for substantial discounts. For further information, contact the Transporta- tion Research Board Business Office, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 (telephone 202-334-3213; fax 202-334-2519; or e-mail TRBsales@nas.edu). Copyright 2019 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America This publication was reviewed by a group other than the authors according to the procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine. This study was sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-49527-1 International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-49527-X Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25511 Library of Congress Control Number: 2019948165

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institu- tion to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the char- ter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president. The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and ad- vice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine. Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org. The Transportation Research Board is one of seven major programs of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to increase the benefits that transportation contributes to society by providing leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. The Board’s varied activi- ties annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typi- cally include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task. Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opin- ions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies. For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.

v RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY COORDINATING COMMITTEE Timothy A. Henkel, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul, MN, Chair Kimberly L. Avery, Michigan Department of Transportation, Lansing, MI Peter Capon, Rieth-Riley Construction, Goshen, IN Paul D. Degges, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Nashville, TN William Heaslet, USF Holland Inc., Holland, MI Chris T. Hendrickson (NAE), Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA Leslie Jacobson, WSP, Seattle, WA Carol Kuester, Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Bay Area Toll Authority, San Francisco, CA Christopher M. Puchalsky, City of Philadelphia, PA Rosalie Ruegg, Technology Impact Assessment Consulting, Emerald Isle, NC Theodore Zoli, HTNB Corporation, New York, NY Transportation Research Board Staff Stephen R. Godwin, Scholar Thomas R. Menzies, Jr., Director, Consensus and Advisory Studies Joseph R. Morris, Senior Program Officer

vii Preface Congress has long recognized the importance of the highway system to the United States and the role of research, development, and technology (RD&T) transfer in improving the safety and performance of highways sup- ported with federal aid. In the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, Congress expanded the federal investment in highway RD&T. In 1992, then Federal Highway Administrator Thomas D. Larson requested the establishment of the Research and Technology Coordinating Committee (RTCC) to serve as an independent advisor to the Federal Highway Ad- ministration (FHWA) and to ensure that the new federal RD&T initiatives would be coordinated with ongoing RD&T in the states and private indus- try. FHWA has retained the RTCC as an independent advisor ever since. COMMITTEE CHARGE The RTCC’s current charge is to review “the highway research, develop- ment, technology, and deployment efforts of the Federal Highway Admin- istration. The review includes the whole process of research agenda setting, stakeholder involvement, conduct of research, peer review, deployment, and program and project evaluation.” (Box P-1 shows the committee’s full Statement of Task.) The committee monitors and reviews “FHWA’s research and technology programs and activities and advise[s] FHWA on (a) research agenda setting and coordination of highway research with states, universities, and other partners, (b) strategies to accelerate research and the deployment and adoption of innovation, and (c) potential areas where research is needed.”

viii PREFACE The members of the RTCC rotate on a regular basis. Members are drawn from the public and private sectors and academia. Current members have expertise in research, research management, and innovation; highway planning, operations, and engineering; local and regional transportation; pavements and structures; intelligent transportation systems; and freight logistics. Biographical information about the current individuals serving on the RTCC is available in the Appendix. From time to time over the years, the RTCC has also issued reports to advise Congress on the state of highway research in the United States and opportunities to strengthen the federal investment. This is the fourth such report. For nearly three decades, the RTCC has observed and advised the FHWA RD&T program as it has grown and matured into a comprehensive set of activities designed to assist state and local agencies in the highway innovation process. The program has many strengths, as well as some op- portunities for improvement, as described in the chapters that follow. The committee defined the scope of this report, consistent with its Statement of Task and with its past similar reports. The report examines the roles of FHWA and the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Pro- gram Office (ITS JPO) in fostering innovation in the U.S. highway sector. BOX P-1 Research and Technology Coordinating Committee Statement of Task This project will conduct a review of the highway research, development, tech- nology, and deployment (RD&T) efforts of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The review will include the whole process of research agenda setting, stakeholder involvement, conduct of research, peer review, deployment, and program and project evaluation. The study committee will provide strategic, research-policy level advice on topical priorities, processes, and strategies to accelerate the adoption of inno- vation. The committee will monitor and review FHWA’s research and technology programs and activities and advise FHWA on (a) research agenda setting and coordination of highway research with states, universities, and other partners, (b) strategies to accelerate research and the deployment and adoption of innovation, and (c) potential areas where research is needed. The committee will hold at least two meetings per year, issue a letter report at least annually, or periodically issue more in-depth consensus reports as requested by FHWA. These reports will be subject to the report review procedures of the Report Review Committee. In addition to providing advice to FHWA, the committee will act as the advi- sory committee for the FHWA Research Support Program. This advisory activity will entail vetting of the program’s project selections and monitoring the progress of those projects.

PREFACE ix It assesses FHWA and ITS JPO RD&T programs according to three criteria that Congress expects such RD&T to meet: whether the programs • cover the full innovation cycle, including fundamental, long-term research, and process and outcome evaluation; • address gaps not being addressed by other programs; and • conduct research on nationally significant topics not otherwise be- ing addressed. Federal law specifies additional criteria defining the federal responsibil- ity for surface transportation RD&T. The committee limited its review of the RD&T program to consideration of the criteria it judged to be most relevant to congressional decisions about the scope, structure, and funding of the program in the future. The material for this report was developed through briefings and interactions with FHWA and other U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) staff at the RTCC’s regular semi-annual meetings; responses to questions posed to FHWA and USDOT staff on highway RD&T programs; through review of public reports and documents prepared for Congress by FHWA and other USDOT agencies; examination of documentation avail- able in FHWA’s extensive RD&T website; and through analysis of USDOT and Transportation Research Board (TRB) databases of ongoing highway research. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The committee appreciates the openness and responsiveness of FHWA and USDOT staff in responding to the committee’s requests and inquiries. This report would not have been possible without the interest and support of Hari Kalla, Associate Administrator for Research, Development and Technology, FHWA (through June 2019), and members of his staff: Shana Baker, Joe Conway, Brian Cronin, Jack Jernigan, John Moulden, Cheryl Richter, Mark Swanlund, and Craig Thor. The committee also appreciates the assistance of FHWA staff members Angela Fogle, Thomas Harmon, Dave Harris, Egan Smith, Neil Spiller, and David Winter, and University Transportation Centers Program staff member Amy Stearns for providing helpful information and reports. This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and

x PREFACE responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manu- script remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Ray Chamberlain (NAE), Independent Consultant, Fort Collins, CO; Irwin Feller, The Pennsylvania State University (Emeritus), State College; Gretchen Jordan, University of Maryland, College Park; Sandra Larson, Stanley Consultants, Des Moines, IA; Michael Meyer, Consultant, Atlanta, GA; Larry Rilett, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Robert Skinner, Transportation Research Board (Retired), Falls Church, VA; and Bud Wright, American Association of State Highway and Transporta- tion Officials (Retired), Alexandria, VA. Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive com- ments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Susan Hanson (NAS), Clark University (Emerita), Worcester, MA, and Sue McNeil, University of Delaware, Newark. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies. This report was developed under the overall supervision of Thomas Menzies, Jr., Director of Consensus and Advisory Studies of TRB. Stephen Godwin, Scholar, TRB, drafted the report as directed by the RTCC. Joseph Morris, Senior Program Officer, TRB, drafted a major section of Chapter 3 and assisted in responding to the comments of peer reviewers. Karen Febey, Senior Report Review Officer, TRB, managed the report review process. Michael Covington, Senior Program Assistant, provided administrative and logistical support. Anusha Jayasinghe assisted in preparing the document for publication.

xi Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations xiii Summary 1 1 Introduction 9 Federal Highway–Related RD&T Programs and Funding, 12 Report Organization, 14 Conclusions, 15 2 Federal Highway Research, Development, and Technology in Support of Innovation 17 Large and Diverse Customer Base, 18 The Innovation Life Cycle, 20 Conclusions, 32 3 Federal Highway Administration and Intelligent Transportation System Research, Development, and Technology Programs 35 Highway RD&T and Innovation Deployment Programs, 36 HRD and TIDP Core RD&T, 36 Training and Education, 57 Intelligent Transportation Systems, 60 Conclusions, 71 Annex 3-A Surface Transportation System Funding Alternative Grantees and Funding, 74

xii CONTENTS Annex 3-B NHTSA V2V Rulemaking and FCC Spectrum Allocation, 75 Annex Conclusions, 85 4 State and University Research, Development, and Technology Programs 87 State Planning and Research Program, 87 UTC Program, 94 Comparison of FHWA, SP&R, and UTC Programs, 103 Conclusions, 107 5 Federal Highway Research and Development on Nationally Significant Issues 111 Transformational Technologies and Services, 112 Serving a Growing and Shifting Population, 117 Energy and Sustainability, 119 Resilience and Security, 120 Safety and Public Health, 122 Equity, 123 Governance, 124 System Performance and Asset Management, 125 Funding and Finance, 126 Goods Movement, 127 Institutional and Workforce Capacity, 129 Research and Innovation, 130 Conclusions, 131 Appendix: Committee Biographical Information 135

xiii Acronyms and Abbreviations 5G fifth generation cellular network technology AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ACM alternative contracting method AID Accelerated Innovation Deployment AIDPT Accelerated Implementation and Deployment of Pavement Technology ASR Alkali-Silica Reactivity ATCMTD Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment BSM basic safety message CAV connected and automated vehicle CMF crash modification factor CV connected vehicle C-V2X cellular vehicle to everything communications DOE U.S. Department of Energy DOT U.S. Department of Transportation DSRC dedicated short range communications EAR Exploratory Advanced Research program EDC Every Day Counts Program

xiv ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS FAF Freight Analysis Framework FAST Act Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (P.L. 114-94) FCC Federal Communications Commission FHWA Federal Highway Administration FY Fiscal Year GHG greenhouse gas GRS-IBS Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil-Integrated Bridge System HPC high-performance concrete HRD Highway Research and Development program IPD Innovative Program Delivery ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems JPO Joint Program Office K–12 kindergarten through 12th grade LTAP Local Technical Assistance Program LTBP Long-Term Bridge Performance program LTE Long Term Evolution (LTE is a fourth generation communications standard developed by the Third Generation Communications Project) LTPP Long-Term Pavement Performance program MAP-21 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (P.L. 112-141) MPO metropolitan planning organization NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program NCTA Internet & Television Association NDE non-destructive evaluation NHI National Highway Institute NHS National Highway System NHTS National Household Travel Survey NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration OMB Office of Management and Budget OST-R Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology R&D research and development RD&T research, development, and technology

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS xv RIP Research in Progress RTCC Research and Technology Coordinating Committee SBIR Small Business Innovation Research SCMS Security Credential Management System SHRP 2 Strategic Highway Research Program 2 SP&R State Planning and Research STIC State Transportation Innovation Council STSFA Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives TFHRC Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center TIDP Technology and Innovation Deployment Program TPM Transportation Performance Management TRB Transportation Research Board TRL technology readiness level TTAP Tribal Technical Assistance Program UHPC ultra-high performance concrete USDOT U.S. Department of Transportation UTC University Transportation Centers V2I vehicle-to-infrastructure V2V vehicle-to-vehicle V2X vehicle-to-everything

Next: Summary »
The Vital Federal Role in Meeting the Highway Innovation Imperative Get This Book
×
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

TRB Special Report 331 concludes that with sustained and adequate funding and modest improvements in research, development, and technology (RD&T), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) will continue to serve and advance the national interest and international competitiveness well into the future.

TRB’s Research and Technology Coordinating Committee, which produced the report, believes that rapidly advancing technology, new mobility services, increased urbanization, and the growing frequency of severe weather events are changing highway transportation in fundamental ways.

FHWA and ITS JPO RD&T programs, as required by Congress, are addressing a number of critical gaps not covered by other programs. And they are conducting nationally significant research, but there are compelling policy and operational issues that could justify even greater levels of RD&T investment by the two programs. Detailed future RT&D suggestions are outlined in this report, touching on a variety of issues that include autonomous-vehicle technology, energy and sustainability, growing and changing populations, resilience, goods movement, safety, and equity.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!