Transportation Research Board 2020 Annual Report (2021)

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2 TRB • 2020 Annual Report TRB’s Mission and Work Celebrating 100 Years of Transportation Research TRB officially celebrated its 100th anniversary on November 11, 2020. TRB’s mission—to promote innovation and progress in transportation through research—is as pertinent today as it was in 1920. TRB’s volunteers and friends helped “Tell Us ‘Our’ Story” throughout the year.2 Every month, you shared your stories, which are our stories. We were honored to receive more than 200 in all and you will see quotes from these stories throughout this report. An official recounting of TRB’s history was published in the Centennial book, The Transportation Research Board, 1920–2020: Everyone Interested Is Invited.3 More than 5,300 books were distributed during the 2020 TRB Annual Meeting. Convening, Researching, and Advising TRB’s mission is to provide leadership in transportation improvements and innovation through trusted, timely, impartial, and evidence-based information exchange, research, and advice regarding all modes of transportation. TRB’s mission is accomplished through the hard work and dedication of nearly 11,000 volunteers and a staff of 133 professionals. In addition to the record 14,035 attendees at the 2020 TRB Annual Meeting, TRB brings together volunteers through standing committees, panels, forums, conferences, workshops, meetings, and webinars. The TRB Annual Meeting is the leading annual event for transportation

TRB • 2020 Annual Report 3 researchers and professionals to access and share the latest in transportation research. In response to travel restrictions around the ongoing pandemic, convening opportunities continued virtually— allowing even wider participation from the transportation community. In 2020, 4,646 individuals served on TRB’s standing technical committees. In addition, more than 14,000 volunteers contributed to committee activities as Friends. TRB’s Technical Activities Division convenes these committees, overseeing and managing the committees’ activities in support of TRB’s mission and strategic goals. Ann Brach is Director of the division. TRB manages hundreds of research projects and publications annually. TRB’s journal, The Transportation Research Record (TRR), publishes nearly 1,000 peer-reviewed papers each year. TRB’s bimonthly magazine, TR News, features timely articles on new and state-of-the-art research and practice, transportation news, “research pays off” articles, profiles of transportation professionals, workshop and conference announcements, new book notices, and news of TRB activities. TRB manages four research programs in highways, public transit, airports, and behavioral traffic safety through its Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) division, with total budgets of more than $60 million. Contractors conduct the actual research and more than 5,800 volunteers serve on CRP oversight committees and project panels. In 2020, CRP produced more than 140 publications. Christopher Hedges is Director of this division. TRB Consensus Reports are the result of research performed by committees of volunteer experts who are supported by staff from the Consensus and Advisory Studies Division. More than 40 TRB Consensus Reports have contributed to changes in legislation in the United States, and, in 2020, approximately 175 volunteers served on committees for this program. Tom Menzies is Director of this division. Either in response to requests from sponsoring agencies or on its own initiative, TRB’s internationally recognized Marine Board identifies research needs and provides a forum for the exchange of information on new technologies, laws and regulations, economics, the environment, and other issues affecting the marine transportation system; port operations; coastal engineering; and marine governance. Dr. Martha Grabowski, McDevitt Distinguished Chair in Information Systems, Le Moyne College, Syracuse, New York, and Senior Research Scientist, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, began her two-year term as Marine Board Chair in November 2020. Scott Brotemarkle of TRB’s Technical Activities Division serves as the Marine Board’s Program Director. Chris Hedges, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Tom Menzies, Director, Consensus and Advisory Studies Ann Brach, Director, Technical Activities