Transportation Research Board 2020 Annual Report (2021)

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TRB • 2020 Annual Report 19 TRB’s 2021 Annual Meeting Embraces a Virtual Setting Because the need for knowledge hasn’t changed, TRB’s 100th Annual Meeting (TRBAM) will be conducted as a virtual event over a series of dates throughout January 2021. The decision to go virtual was made in the interest of the health and safety of all meeting attendees in light of COVID-19. Many sessions and workshops will focus on the spotlight theme “Launching a New Century of Mobility and Quality of Life.” Through an interactive virtual event platform, attendees will be able to join from anywhere in the world; experience presentation and poster sessions, workshops, exhibits, and committee meetings; and, most importantly, connect with other attendees—just as they have all come to expect from TRBAM each January. Upcoming Work on COVID-19 and Equity Some of the biggest challenges of 2020 were already on TRB’s radar with research in the works (see box, page 20). Research that was started before the pandemic may now point to new directions in understanding current micromobility practice and policies in the United States and methodologies for calculating overall impacts, as well as return on investment. Transit employees who operate vehicles are essential and are vulnerable to COVID-19. Consequently, the new guide for bus operator workforce management will address recruiting, training, retaining, and rewarding of these important employees. Questions of system equity are not new to public transit services and, as the pandemic has disproportionately affected people of color and those in blue-collar essential services positions, equity is becoming a central focus in transportation. A playbook for addressing inclusion in mobility for traditionally underserved populations is under way. Forthcoming TRB syntheses will assess the equity impacts of bus network redesigns and will examine the coordination of public transit with investments in affordable housing policies. 2021 and the Future As we look to the future—100 years into the future—I believe our industry will pivot away from talking in terms of “transportation” and will be fully focused on “mobility.” Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, Commissioner, New Jersey DOT

20 TRB • 2020 Annual Report Some communities are weighing the economic, social, and environmental benefits of fare-free public transportation against the costs and benefits of current fare payment systems and available capacity for increased ridership. A study will examine the benefits, costs, and trade-offs to consider in eliminating partial or full public transportation fares. Another synthesis will document the impacts on revenue and equity of implementation of fare capping in U.S. transit agencies. Guides are also expected to explore issues around general policing and people experiencing homelessness in public transportation. TRB will continue to focus on transportation accessibility for people with disabilities. A highly anticipated consensus study expected in 2021 will assess and evaluate the conditions under which it may be technically feasible to equip passenger aircraft with in-cabin restraint systems for motorized and nonmotorized wheelchairs. The study is expected to advise on further actions for needed research, data, and technical analyses to inform public policy decisions about whether and how such systems may be used on commercial aircraft. In terms of public transportation, studies will test a smartphone app meant to aid users with visual impairments in navigating public bus systems, as well as research that will help set the stage for consistency in the design, installation, and usability of tactile walking surfaces for people with reduced mobility in multimodal transportation. Two new standing committees also are addressing ongoing research related to COVID-19 and equity: the Transportation and Public Health Committee and the Equity in Transportation Committee. 2021 Critical Issues Update TRB’s Critical Issues in Transportation 2019 reflects the issues the Executive Committee charged TRB’s programs and committees to focus on.37 Transportation issues change quickly and have already developed since publication. TRB PROJECTS RELATED TO COVID-19 AND EQUITY NCHRP Synthesis Project 20-05/Topic 52-13 Shared Micromobility Policies, Permits, and Practices https://bit.ly/36AwARu NCHRP Project 08-36/Task 62 Best Practice Methodology for Calculating Return on Investment for Transportation Programs and Projects https://bit.ly/35vg0CY TCRP Project F-28 Practitioner’s Guide to Bus Operator Workforce Management https://bit.ly/3eXICrF TCRP Project B-47 Impact of Transformational Technologies on Underserved Populations https://bit.ly/3lwkU8m TCRP Synthesis Project J-07/Topic SA-52 Assessing Equity and Identifying Impacts Associated with Bus Network Redesigns https://bit.ly/3pqjkaH TCRP Synthesis Project J-07/Topic SB-34 Coordination of Public Transit Services and Investments with Affordable Housing Policies https://bit.ly/3eZGIXu TCRP Project J-11/Task 39 Evaluation Framework for Fare-Free Public Transportation https://bit.ly/2IzcVcC TCRP Synthesis Project J-07/Topic SH-21 Transit Fare Capping: Balancing Revenue and Equity Impacts https://bit.ly/36wXtWh TCRP Project J-05/Topic 20-03 Policing and Public Transportation https://bit.ly/38FUy05 TCRP Project J-11/Task 40 Homelessness: A Guide for Public Transportation https://bit.ly/3lvZWXh Study on the Feasibility of Wheelchair Restraint Systems in Passenger Aircraft https://bit.ly/35vgAAE Transit IDEA Project J-04/IDEA 91 Comprehensive Wayfinding for All (CWall) https://bit.ly/3ks9HnZ TCRP Project B-46 Tactile Wayfinding in Transportation Settings for Travelers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired https://bit.ly/2Iz1z8t

TRB • 2020 Annual Report 21 Endnotes 1 http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/general/trb_strategic_ plan.pdf 2 “Tell Us ‘Our’ Story” responses can be found at https:// trbcentennial.nationalacademies.org/our-story/tell-us-our- story-challenge-responses. 3 www.nap.edu/catalog/25472/the-transportation-research- board-1920-2020-everyone-interested-is-invited 4 www.trb.org/main/CallforRNSTransportationAndPandemics. aspx 5 www.nap.edu/catalog/25635/analysis-of-recent-public- transit-ridership-trends 6 www.nap.edu/catalog/25709/zero-emission-vehicles- forecasting-fleet-scenarios-and-their-emissions-implications 7 www.nap.edu/catalog/25842/guidebook-for-deploying-zero- emission-transit-buses 8 www.nap.edu/catalog/25744/incorporating-the-costs-and- benefits-of-adaptation-measures-in-preparation-for-extreme- weather-events-and-climate-change-guidebook 9 www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/the-role-of-public- transportation-and-mobility-management-in-an-era-of-new- and-expanding-shared-mobility-options 10 www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/181449.aspx 11 www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/lead-emissions-from- piston-powered-general-aviation-aircraft 12 www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/181388.aspx 13 www.nap.edu/catalog/25691/long-term-infrastructure- program-letter-report-january-2-2020 14 www.nationalacademies.org/event/05-28-2020/acrp-insight- event-flight-plan-to-recovery-preparing-airports-and-their- business-partners-for-the-return-of-the-flying-public 15 https://vimeo.com/showcase/7164384 16 www.trb.org/AboutTRB/MinorityStudent.aspx 17 www.nap.edu/catalog/25720/workforce-optimization- workbook-for-transportation-construction-projects 18 www.nap.edu/catalog/25741/attracting-retaining-and- advancing-women-in-transit 19 www.nap.edu/catalog/25919/airport-workforce-programs- supporting-employee-well-being 20 http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/162145.aspx 21 www.nap.edu/catalog/23568/combining-mixed-use-flight- operations-safely-at-airports 22 www.nap.edu/catalog/25757/strategic-issues-facing- transportation-volume-7-preservation-maintenance-and- renewal-of-highway-infrastructure 23 www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/180526.aspx 24 www.nationalacademies.org/event/03-23-2020/trb-webinar- transportation-covid-19-practices-from-other-disease- outbreaks 25 www.nationalacademies.org/event/04-08-2020/trb-webinar- the-supply-chain-and-covid-19 26 www.nationalacademies.org/event/06-01-2020/trb-webinar- how-much-will-covid-19-affect-travel-behavior 27 www.nationalacademies.org/event/07-15-2020/trb-webinar- transportation-asset-management-in-a-covid-19-world 28 To see these and other blog posts, visit www. nationalacademies.org/trb/blog. 29 https://youtu.be/YkT4UZL-tpo 30 The article can be found at www.washingtonpost.com/local/ trafficandcommuting/the-gao-told-the-government-in-2015- to-develop-a-plan-to-protect-the-aviation-system-against- an-outbreak-it-never-happened/2020/03/24/81cf1926-65- 55-11ea-b3fc-7841686c5c57_story.html. The ACRP report can be found at www.nap.edu/catalog/25367/airport-roles- in-reducing-transmission-of-communicable-diseases. 31 The article can be found at www.nytimes.com/ interactive/2020/03/13/upshot/mystery-of-missing-bus- riders.html. The project can be found at https://apps.trb.org/ cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4524. 32 The articles can be found at www.kpvi.com/news/ national_news/s-c-interstates-have-backlog-of-problems/ article_0f1b17ad-31e2-5666-aa3c-d97c567f1e4b.html, www.charlestonchronicle.net/2020/07/19/south-carolina- interstate-systems-rate-of-fatalities-bridge-deterioration- travel-increase-and-congestion-among-highest-in-u-s, and https://thetandd.com/news/local/s-c-interstates-have- backlog-of-problems/article_0604ebb6-6c68-5e12-9257- 623cd451411b.html. To see The Future Interstate Report, visit www.nap.edu/resource/25334/interstate. 33 www.wpri.com/news/transportation/report-majority-of-ris- interstate-bridges-in-need-of-replacement 34 www8.nationalacademies.org/pa/projectview.aspx? key=51840 35 https://stories.usatodaynetwork.com/flying-while-disabled/ bathroom-accessibility 36 http://news.mit.edu/2020/stiffer-roadways-improve-truck- efficiency-emissions-0611 37 www.nap.edu/catalog/25314/critical-issues-in- transportation-2019 Mobility technology and services update regularly, the population is shifting locations and behaviors in response to the pandemic, and the changing economy requires new ways of thinking about financing. In response to the focus on COVID-19’s impact on transportation and on social and racial equity issues in transportation, TRB will be issuing addenda to the 2019 document addressing these two topic areas.