Transportation Research Board 2021 Annual Report (2022)

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TRB 2021 AnnuAl RepoRT / 1 W e are pleased to present this an-nual report for the Transporta-tion Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on behalf of the TRB Executive Committee, the thousands of volunteers in- volved in TRB committees and research panels, and the TRB staff. This year required continued adaptability and resilience as the country en- dured a second year confronting the COVID-19 pandemic. TRB’s volunteers and staff overcame the challenges and accomplished much for our sponsors, our stakeholders, and the nation, which we summarize for you on the following pages. Throughout the year, TRB was able to fulfill its mission to provide leadership in transporta- tion improvements and innovation through trusted, timely, impartial, and evidence-based information exchange, research, and advice regarding all modes of transportation. This was accomplished through the hard work and dedication of more than 8,000 volunteers who are friends and members of TRB’s various com- mittees and research panels, as well as TRB’s 130 staff members. Much of TRB’s work was done virtually during 2021, while continuing to meet TRB’s high standards for quality, objectiv- ity, independence, nonpartisanship, integrity, excellence, and an evidence basis in all that we do. The 2021 TRB Annual Meeting was held virtually for the first time in the organization’s 101-year history. More than 20,000 people par- ticipated, which broke the record set in 2020 of more than 14,000 Annual Meeting attendees. This included many who had never attended our conference. Many committee meetings had two to three times or more attendees than at 2020’s in-person event. Dorval R. Carter, Jr., President of the Chicago Transit Authority, pre- sented the 2021 Thomas B. Deen Distinguished Lecture, with a focus on equity in transporta- tion. His lecture was then posted on YouTube and has since been viewed more than 5,500 times on various platforms. Throughout the year, TRB’s 177 standing technical committees continued to address current and emerging issues within their scope, including the priority issues of recovering from COVID-19’s impact on transportation, support- ing the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic, adapting to and mitigating climate change, and addressing transportation-related racial and social equity issues. These commit- tees helped TRB host 10 specialty conferences and cosponsored more than 20 others virtually, including several that were postponed from 2020. In addition, TRB hosted more than 110 webinars during the year. TRB’s multimodal Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) continued unabated through- Welcome A Message from TRB Leadership

2 / TRB 2021 AnnuAl RepoRT out 2021, with 105 publications that ranged from very specific technical topics to broader policy issues. TRB also issued several consen- sus study reports that offered impactful advice to the federal government and others on impor- tant policy issues. This annual report is organized around and provides information on progress made in achieving the six goals in TRB’s strategic plan, which was adopted by the TRB Executive Com- mittee in June 2019. These goals are: 1. Information Exchange 2. Research 3. Advice 4. Collaboration 5. Workforce Development 6. Communications We are confident that TRB accomplished a great deal in each of these six areas during 2021. As TRB looks to 2022 and beyond, we hope to once again be able to meet in person to exchange ideas, share best practices, advance research, collaborate in addressing transporta- tion-related challenges, and interact with pro- fessional colleagues and friends. No matter the format, TRB will continue to provide leadership in finding solutions to complex transportation- related problems facing society and in sharing these solutions widely. As we begin a new year, we hope that you will actively participate in TRB’s convening, research, and advising activities; take advantage of the numerous resources that TRB makes available to the transportation professional community; and learn from the brightest and best who make TRB the premier transporta- tion research organization that it is. By doing so, you will have the opportunity to contribute to solving some of the most vexing transpor- tation-related challenges facing the nation and the world. The need for TRB’s leadership has never been greater. TRB will continue to adapt to the rapid changes taking place in transporta- tion and in society to ensure that we rise to the challenge. We are all TRB, and we all must work together to provide leadership to create a better future. We look forward to having you join with us in this journey. Thank you for all that you do for TRB! Susan Shaheen TRB Executive Committee Chair Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Co-Director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at University of California, Berkeley Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr. TRB Executive Committee Vice Chair Chief Executive Officer of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority Neil J. Pedersen TRB Executive Director