Transportation Research Board 2021 Annual Report (2022)

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20 / TRB 2021 AnnuAl RepoRT the world. A few specific examples of our broad portfolio of work include the following: • Research is under way on NCHRP guidelines for roadside management and technology that can benefit safety, ecology, and the economy. • Another NCHRP project will assess regula- tor air pollution dispersion models to better quantify the impacts of transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions. • An ACRP publication will help clarify the re- lationship between air service and economic development. • Airports and travelers can expect further research from ACRP to understand and mitigate the risk of communicable disease transmission. TRB also will continue its work on the full range of topics and issues of concern to its The National Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academies, adopted a new strategic plan in early 2021, defining the orga- nizational vision, mission, and values.¹³ TRB is working actively to develop a new strategic plan, with input from staff and volunteers, to be in alignment with the National Research Coun- cil strategic plan. It will particularly emphasize anticipating and preparing for current and future transportation-related challenges and opportunities; expanding TRB’s impact; and ensuring TRB’s continued creativity, resilience, and sustainability. The plan is scheduled to be adopted in mid-2022. Upcoming Work on Climate Change, Equity, COVID-19, and Economic Recovery Forthcoming research will pay further attention to the most crucial topics facing the nation and 2021 and the Future

TRB 2021 AnnuAl RepoRT / 21 standing technical committees and research programs. Consensus reports in the works will cover topics from aviation safety trends and metrics for transportation equity to pipeline automatic shutoff valves and repurposing infra- structure plastic waste. The year 2021 has been unusual for every- one. At TRB, nearly all events and meetings were held virtually, so we look forward to 2022 and hope to hold in-person meetings and conferences as the conditions of the pandemic allow. Some of those upcoming events include • The TRB Annual Meeting in January in Wash- ington, D.C.; • The Conference on Sustainability and Emerg- ing Transportation Technology in March in Irvine, California; • The Symposium on Managed Lanes in May in Atlanta, Georgia; • The International Conference on Round- abouts in May in Monterey, California; and • TRANSED: Mobility, Accessibility, and De- mand Response Transportation Conference in September in Seattle, Washington. Endnotes 1 For more, visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/topics. 2 View the video at https://youtu.be/IBMgn5Ivm3c. 3 This article, which cites the TRR paper “Deep Learning- Based Visual Identification of Signs of Bat Presence in Bridge Infrastructure Images: A Transfer Learning Approach,” is available at https://theconversation.com/artificial-intelligence-can-help- highway-departments-find-bats-roosting-under-bridges-166806. 4 For more, see https://www.greencarcongress. com/2021/08/20210811-resilience.html. 5 To read the report, visit https://transportationtodaynews.com/ news/23724-report-recommends-usdot-include-resilience-factors- when-considering-projects. 6 For more, see https://grist.org/regulation/avgas-lead-epa- aviation-san-jose-reid-hillview. 7 “Finding New Funds for the Interstate Highway System” can be accessed at https://www.wsj.com/articles/finding-new-funds-for- the-interstate-highway-system-11626021590. 8 To read the blog post, visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/ trb/blog/steps-for-transportation-workforce-diversity-outlined-in- trb-research. 9 The paper is available at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ full/10.1177/03611981211037232. 10 To read the blog post, visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/ trb/blog/laws-and-safety-efforts-can-prevent-distracted-driving. 11 The blog post can be found at https://www.nationalacademies. org/trb/blog/work-zones-need-detailed-research-planning-and- technology-to-be-made-safe. 12 To read the blog post, visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/ trb/blog/passenger-transportation-takes-off-in-new-directions. 13 To view the National Research Council strategic plan, visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/documents/link/ web?IdcService=GET_ILE&dLinkID=LD03D446F0BA296DA9440E BB9739B64B92A9477E7306&item=fFileGUID%3aDB4DC1F0F8C6 D4707DAA110A4790523122A000124DB5&scsOriginalFileName=n rc-sp-final.pdf. Paul Mackie Director, TRB Communications/Media, Office of the Chief Communications Officer Gary Walker Senior Deputy Director, TRB Program Finance, Office of the Chief Financial Officer Russell W. Houston TRB Associate Executive Director Patrice A. Davenport Director, Strategic Program Development