TY - ABST AN - 01577460 TI - Pedestrian Crash Modification Factors Study AB - The objective of this research project is to identify crash modification factors (CMFs) for pedestrians and to evaluate CMF selections. KW - Crash characteristics KW - Crash injuries KW - Pedestrian vehicle interface KW - Pedestrians KW - Traffic crashes UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1370714 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577040 TI - Foundation Characterization Program (FCP) AB - The characterization of bridge foundations is complex. Bridges can be supported by shallow or deep foundations of varying footing geometries and materials. Footings can be square, circular, or rectangular. Foundations can be pedestal masonry stone footings or massive cofferdam footings. Piles can be present with or without pile caps and may be battered or vertical. Piles can be made of concrete (round, square, cylinder, or octagonal), steel (H-piles or round pipe sections), or timber. Deep foundations can be precast concrete piles, drilled shafts, or auger-cast concrete piles. The top of footings or pile caps can be buried underneath riprap, backfill mud, or channel soils. Additionally, design or as-built drawings of foundations are sometimes not available and technologies for determining foundation condition are expensive and sometimes unreliable. The goal of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is to identify methods to quantify and clarify these unknowns. The Foundation Characterization Program (FCP) attempts to determine one or more of the following: Foundation type (shallow versus deep, or a combination).Elevation of the base of the foundation (e.g. pile tip elevation).Foundation geometry (width, length, and depth), which includes checking the accuracy of as-built plans.Material type (foundation materials, including concrete, masonry, stone, steel, or timber).Integrity (foundation condition, such as corroded steel, rotted wood, or cracked or defective concrete).Foundation load-bearing capacity.Pile distribution – Target avoidance for foundation rehabilitation or underpinning.Remaining service life of the foundation.Subsurface characterization and imaging of soil and rock. KW - Bearing capacity KW - Bridge foundations KW - Classification KW - Cofferdams KW - Concrete KW - Footings KW - Pile caps KW - Piles (Supports) UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1370358 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577151 TI - Characterizing Existing Hot-Mix Asphalt Layer Damage for Mechanistic Pavement Rehabilitation Design AB - The increasing focus on existing hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavement rehabilitation by State departments of transportation (DOTs) as HMA pavements are the predominant pavement type in the United States, State DOTs require local calibration of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) HMA overlay of existing HMA pavement methodology. Although this methodology is a great improvement on the 1993 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) HMA overlay design procedure, it has significant shortcoming, such as: (1) The Level 1 procedure for characterizing existing HMA pavement structural capacity/condition based on falling weight deflectometer (FWD) deflection testing, coring, extraction of cores, and lab characterization of the HMA cores binder and volumetric properties has to date not been calibrated. (2) The Level 2 and 3 procedures, though calibrated, are based on pavement surface distress and condition rating making it at best highly subjective. The need to review, enhance as needed, and calibrate the MEPDG Levels 1, 2, 3 procedures for characterizing existing HMA pavement structural capacity/condition.  The purpose of this research is as follows: (1) Develop and calibrate objective methodologies for characterizing existing HMA pavement damage for HMA and portland cement concrete (PCC) overlay design that will, as a minimum, be enhancements to current MEPDG Level 1, 2, and 3 methodologies. (2) The new methodologies must be compatible with the Interim AASHTO MEPDG Level 1, 2, and 3 methodologies. (3) The new methodologies must be practical and implementable within the current AASHTO Interim MEPDG framework. KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Overlays (Pavements) KW - Pavement design KW - Pavement distress KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - State departments of transportation KW - United States UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1370388 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01577827 TI - HG-6: Development/Deployment of Protocol for Evaluating and Approving Innvation in Geotech Materials AB - No summary provided. KW - Development KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Innovation KW - Materials UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1370868 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624424 AU - Department of Transportation TI - Although FAA Has Taken Steps To Improve Its Operational Contingency Plans, Significant Work Remains To Mitigate the Effects of Major System Disruptions PY - 2017/01/11/Audit Report SP - 23p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operates a vast network of facilities and communication, navigation, and surveillance equipment for managing air traffic throughout the United States. In recent years, FAA has experienced several major system failures that required individual air traffic control (ATC) facilities to declare “ATC-Zero,” which means the inability to provide any air traffic control services. For example, on September 26, 2014, an FAA contract employee deliberately started a fire that destroyed critical FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) equipment at the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (Chicago Center) in Aurora, Illinois. This single event disrupted air traffic across the country and made normal air traffic operations impossible for more than 2 weeks. In August 2015, the Chairmen and, in November 2015, the Ranking Members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Subcommittee on Aviation requested that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) review the causes of recent disruptions and whether FAA possesses the ability to manage air traffic control crises that arise within the National Airspace System (NAS). Also, the Committee asked that OIG review FAA’s response to the October 2015 radar room flood at the Austin-Bergstrom air traffic control tower/TRACON in Austin, Texas. Consistent with this request, the objectives were to assess (1) the effectiveness of FAA’s operational contingency plans and the actions taken to mitigate the impact of recent air traffic control system disruptions and (2) FAA procedures for updating operational contingency plans in light of recent events. KW - Air traffic control KW - Air traffic control facilities KW - Austin-Bergstrom International Airport KW - Contingency planning KW - Hazards and emergency operations KW - Service disruption KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/FAA%20Responses%20to%20Major%20ATC%20System%20Disruptions%20Final%20Report%5E1-11-17.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445499 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625550 AU - Sprung, Michael J AU - Smith, Sonya AU - Liu, Mindy AU - Nguyen, Long AU - Beningo, Steve AU - Chambers, Matthew AU - Ford, Chester AU - Goworowska, Justyna AU - Jahanmir, Sean AU - Department of Transportation TI - Pocket Guide to Transportation 2017 PY - 2017/01//20th Edition SP - 71p AB - The Pocket Guide to Transportation is a quick reference guide to significant U.S. transportation statistics. This 20th Edition includes the following eight sections: Major Trends; Infrastructure; Moving People; Moving Goods; Safety; Performance; Economy; and Environment. A glossary is provided. The Pocket Guide now features an innovative smart phone app. KW - Economics KW - Environment KW - Freight transportation KW - Handbooks KW - Infrastructure KW - On time performance KW - Passenger transportation KW - Statistics KW - Transportation KW - Transportation safety KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://www.bts.gov/sites/bts.dot.gov/files/docs/COMPLETE_Pocket%20Guide%202017.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442268 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624688 AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - National Public Transportation Safety Plan PY - 2017/01//Version 1.0 SP - 61p AB - The purpose of the National Public Transportation Safety Plan or National Safety Plan, is to guide the national effort in managing the safety risks and safety hazards within the U.S. public transportation systems. This National Safety Plan is comprised of four chapters and two appendices. Chapter I discusses the need for the Plan and the status of safety performance within the transit industry. Chapter II provides a framework for applying safety management system (SMS) to a transit agency. Chapter III lays out the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA’s) strategic approach to safety performance. This chapter sets forth FTA’s safety vision and mission and establishes safety performance measures for all modes of public transportation, which are designed to monitor improvement of safety performance in day-to-day operations. This chapter also describes how FTA will collect and disseminate safety performance data; and, based on that data, set national goals for improving the transit industry’s safety performance. Chapter IV provides information about the actions FTA has taken to improve transit safety performance, voluntary minimum safety performance standards for procurement of heavy and light rail vehicles and minimum performance standards for operations, and information about other sources of technical assistance. KW - Improvements KW - Information dissemination KW - Performance measurement KW - Procurement KW - Public transit KW - Risk management KW - Standards KW - Strategic planning KW - Transit authorities KW - Transit safety KW - U.S. Federal Transit Administration KW - United States UR - https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/National%20Public%20Transportation%20Safety%20Plan_1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1446593 ER - TY - SER AN - 01624417 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities For the First 9 Months of 2016 PY - 2017/01 SP - 3p AB - A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first 9 months of 2016 shows that an estimated 27,875 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. This represents an increase of about 8 percent as compared to the 25,808 fatalities that were reported to have occurred in the first 9 months of 2015. The third quarter of 2016 represents the eighth consecutive quarter with increases in fatalities as compared to the corresponding quarters in the previous years. Preliminary data reported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the first 9 months of 2016 increased by about 70.0  billion miles, or about a 3.0-percent increase. The fatality rate for the first 9 months of 2016 increased to 1.15 fatalities per 100 million VMT, up from 1.10 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first 9 months of 2015. The actual counts for 2015 and 2016 and the ensuing percentage changes and rates from 2015 to 2016 will be further revised as the final file for 2015 and the annual reporting file for 2016 are available next year. These estimates may be further refined when the projections for the whole of 2016 are released in late March 2017. KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Forecasting KW - Traffic crashes KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812358 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445493 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624397 AU - Purslow, Marc Alan AU - EWI AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Weld Repair of Manganese Frogs for Enhanced Performance PY - 2017/01//Final Report SP - 126p AB - When special trackwork contact surfaces (such as manganese-steel turnout frogs) become worn and damaged, they can be repaired to extend their lifetime, but current repair methods typically cannot return these surfaces to their original durability. Since worn or damaged frogs in freight and shared corridors have a detrimental effect on ride quality and increase life cycle costs, improved repair processes can extend the service life of frogs and improve the safety and efficiency of rail operations. In this project, EWI developed a new flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) procedure to repair manganese frogs. When EWI tested a repaired frog in simulated revenue service conditions at the Transportation Technology Center, the test results show a significant improvement in the durability of the repair as compared to traditional repair methods. Future work plans include revenue service trials, as well as refinements to weld procedures and materials. KW - Durability KW - Electric arc welding KW - Frogs (Railroads) KW - Repairing KW - Simulation KW - Welds UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16875 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445504 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624266 AU - Van Houten, Ron AU - Malenfant, Louis AU - Blomberg, Richard D AU - Huitema, Bradley E AU - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - The Effect of High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance With Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws: Four-Year Follow-Up PY - 2017/01//Final Report SP - 29p AB - This is a follow-up to a previous study titled High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance With Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws to determine the extent observed increases in driver yielding in the previous study persisted nearly 4 years after the high-visibility enforcement intervention program ended. The study involved no new enforcement or publicity. Observers collected data on staged and naturally occurring crossings at the same six sites used in the previous study and at the same six spillover effect sites where no enforcement had taken place. The same observation procedures were used as in the original study. Results showed yielding behavior continued on an upward trend with both the enforcement and generalization sites exhibiting significantly higher rates of driver yielding during the follow-up than at the end of the intervention almost 4 years earlier. Yielding rates averaged 76.5% at the enforcement sites and 77.0% at the generalization sites. Thus, above and beyond the significant increase documented by the original study from before to immediately after the intervention, this study showed an additional significant increase in yielding from the end of the intervention to the follow-up. The results suggest a notable and continuing increase in general deterrence, a fundamental change in driver behavior and courtesy to pedestrians crossing the road, or both. However, a caveat of the increased yielding results is that it is unknown if similar changes took place in surrounding localities that may suggest additional factors affecting change other than the high-visibility enforcement (HVE) program. KW - Behavior KW - Compliance KW - Crosswalks KW - Drivers KW - Gainesville (Florida) KW - Pedestrians KW - Right of way (Traffic) KW - Safety programs KW - Traffic law enforcement KW - Yielding UR - https://one.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812364_HighVisibilityEnfDriverCompPeds4YearFollowUp.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442729 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622754 AU - Bureau of Transportation Statistics TI - Port Performance Freight Statistics Program: Annual Report to Congress 2016 PY - 2017 SP - 167p AB - In Section 6018 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, Congress requires the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to establish “a port performance statistics program to provide nationally consistent measures of performance of, at a minimum—the Nation's top 25 ports by tonnage, the Nation's top 25 ports by 20-foot equivalent unit; and the Nation's top 25 ports by dry bulk… [and] submit an annual report to Congress that includes statistics on capacity and throughput at the ports.” The Port Performance Freight Statistics Working Group (Working Group), composed of representatives from Federal, labor, port, private sector associations, and other organizations as specified in FAST Act Section 6018, advised BTS during preparation of the first report and transmitted final recommendations to the BTS Director on December 4, 2016. The Working Group’s recommendations will be evaluated for future implementation. With only a year to convene this advisory Working Group and produce the first report, BTS limited its initial efforts to publishing existing, nationally consistent measures of port capacity and throughput. BTS plans to expand and improve the measures in future editions as resources and appropriations permit. This first edition explains the criteria used to define ports and the measures used to determine the top 25 ports in each category; describes the nationally consistent measures of port capacity and throughput that are currently available; and outlines plans for BTS to expand and improve statistics on port capacity and throughput in the future. Section 5 contains selected statistics for each of the top 25 ports including channel depth, dedicated container terminals, number of cranes, vessel calls, cargo tonnage, container volume, and top commodities. KW - Annual reports KW - Commodities KW - Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act KW - Freight traffic KW - Port capacity KW - Port traffic KW - Ports KW - Statistics KW - United States KW - Water traffic UR - https://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/PPFS_Annual_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445766 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624426 AU - Li, Zihui AU - Thomas, Robert J AU - Lazama, Diego AU - Peethamparan, Sulapha AU - Clarkson University AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) in Cement Free Alkali Activated Sustainable Concrete PY - 2016/12/19/Final Report SP - 68p AB - This report summarizes the findings of an experimental evaluation into alkali silica reaction (ASR) in cement free alkali-activated slag and fly ash binder concrete. The susceptibility of alkali-activated fly ash and slag concrete binders to deleterious ASR was evaluated in accordance with relevant ASTM standards. Also, ASR resistance of Alkali activated fly ash and slag concrete was compared to that of ordinary portland cement concrete (OPC) while exposed to ASTM C 1293 and ASTM C1567 tests. Special attention was given to assess the effectiveness of existing ASTM test methods (ASTM C 1293 and C1567) in identifying the occurrence of ASR in alkali-activated concrete (AAC). Additionally, influence of activator parameters including effect of binder type, activator concentration, activator type and solution to bonder ratio to the resistance of ASR in AAC was also evaluated. Finally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses were used to confirm or repudiate the ASTM standard test results. KW - Admixtures KW - Alkali silica reactions KW - ASTM C 1293 KW - ASTM C1567 KW - Binders KW - Electron microscopy KW - Fly ash KW - Portland cement concrete KW - Slag KW - Test procedures UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/Final-Report-Alkali-Silica-Reaction.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445502 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624408 AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - 2015 Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges, and Transit: Conditions & Performance. Report to Congress PY - 2016/12/16 SP - 544p AB - This document is intended to provide decision makers with an objective appraisal of the physical conditions, operational performance, and financing mechanisms of highways, bridges, and transit systems based on both their current state and their projected future state under a set of alternative future investment scenarios. It consolidates conditions, performance, and financial data provided by States, local governments, and public transit operators to present a national-level summary. Some of the underlying data are available through the Department of Transportation's (DOT’s) regular statistical publications. The future investment scenario analyses are developed specifically for this report and provide projections at the national level only. This report draws primarily on 2012 data. In assessing recent trends, many of the exhibits presented in this report present statistics for the 10 years from 2002 to 2012. Other charts and tables cover different periods, depending on data availability and years of significance for particular data series. The prospective analyses presented in this report generally cover the 20-year period ending in 2032. Chapter topics include: personal travel and highway freight movement; trends in highway and transit system characteristics; current physical conditions; safety; sustainability and operational performance; revenue sources and expenditure patterns; capital investment and future performance; and investment scenarios. Special topics include: issues pertaining to pedestrian and bicycle transportation and transportation systems serving Federal and Tribal lands. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Bridges KW - Condition surveys KW - Finance KW - Forecasting KW - Freight traffic KW - Highway safety KW - Highways KW - Public transit KW - Transit safety KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/2015cpr/pdfs/2015cpr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445505 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01620425 AU - Boisvert, Denis AU - New Hampshire Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Polyurethane Foam for Roadway Stabilization NH Route 129, Loudon, NH PY - 2016/12/12/Final Report SP - 22p AB - This report summarizes the evaluation of the performance of polyurethane foam as a method of roadway stabilization for a rural roadway experiencing substantial frost heaving. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) is responsible for many roads which have evolved from gravel roadways and were not constructed with a full aggregate layer. These “unconstructed” roads often experience significant to severe frost heaving due to poor soil conditions and/or inadequate drainage. Segments of NH Route 129 received polyurethane injection in 2011 and 2013. Observations of the roadway indicated rutted conditions begin to return after several years, meaning that the soil displacements continue to occur in the spring as the frost leaves the soil. The goal of the treatment was to improve stability to the point where the roadway could be considered as a candidate for pavement preservation treatments. The failure to meet that goal means that the cost benefits of the resulting improvements are not adequate to implement this research. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Dislocation (Geology) KW - Evaluation KW - Frost heaving KW - Loudon (New Hampshire) KW - Pavement performance KW - Polyurethane foams KW - Rural highways KW - Rutting UR - http://www.nh.gov/dot/org/projectdevelopment/materials/research/projects/documents/FHWA-NH-RD-15680H.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440863 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01615650 AU - Ahearn, Meghan AU - Boeker, Eric AU - Gorshkov, Slava AU - Hansen, Andrew AU - Hwang, Sunje AU - Koopmann, Jonathan AU - Malwitz, Andrew AU - Noel, George AU - Reherman, Clay AU - Senzig, David AU - Solman, Gina Barberio AU - Tosa, Yasunari AU - Wilson, Andrew AU - Zubrow, Alexis AU - DiPardo, Joe AU - Majeed, Mohammed AU - Bernal, Jose AU - Biederman, Andrew AU - Dinges, Eric AU - Rickel, Denise AU - Yaworski, Michael AU - Hall, Clifford AU - Augustine, Stephen AU - Foley, Ryan AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) Technical Manual: Version 2c PY - 2016/12/09/Final Report SP - 398p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Environment and Energy (FAA-AEE) has developed the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) version 2c software system with the support of the following development team: FAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), ATAC Corporation, Metron Aviation, Wyle Laboratories, CSSI, Inc., Foliage, MIT, and Georgia Tech. AEDT 2c models aircraft performance in space and time to estimate fuel consumption, emissions, noise, and air quality consequences. AEDT is designed to process individual studies ranging in scope from a single flight at an airport to scenarios at the regional, national, and global levels. This Technical Manual describes the technical methodology in AEDT 2c. KW - Air quality KW - Aircraft KW - Aircraft exhaust gases KW - Aircraft noise KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Fuel consumption KW - Performance KW - Technical manuals UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59900/59999/AEDT2c_TechManual.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427771 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619019 AU - Department of Transportation TI - FAA Lacks a Risk-Based Oversight Process for Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems PY - 2016/12/01/Audit Report SP - 20p AB - The growing demand for commercial Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)—for purposes ranging from filmmaking and precision agriculture to package delivery— presents one of the most significant safety challenges for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in decades. Analysts predict that as much as $93 billion will be invested in the technology worldwide over the next 10 years. FAA recently forecasted 1.9 million units in potential annual sales of UAS in 2016, which could increase to 4.3 million units sold annually by 2020. Historically, FAA limited commercial UAS operations due in part to the lack of regulations governing their use. To address this regulatory gap, Congress granted FAA the authority in Section 333 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 to determine whether some UAS could operate prior to the establishment of regulations without an airworthiness certificate. Using this authority, FAA has approved over 5,500 commercial UAS to operate by exempting them from regulatory requirements. Additionally, in December 2015, FAA began requiring small UAS owners to register with FAA. Since then, FAA has received more than 500,000 UAS registrations. FAA also recently released the small unmanned aircraft rule, which defines the operational limitations and pilot requirements for small UAS (i.e., systems weighing less than 55 pounds). As OIG reported in 2014, UAS operations present new safety oversight challenges for FAA. Given the significant and complex challenges of safely integrating UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS) and the increasing number of UAS operations, OIG conducted an audit of FAA’s processes for approving civil UAS operations and overseeing the safe operation of UAS. The objectives were to assess (1) FAA’s process for exempting civil UAS from regulatory requirements and (2) FAA’s safety oversight processes for civil UAS operations. KW - Aviation safety KW - Civil aviation KW - Drone aircraft KW - National Airspace System KW - Oversight KW - Regulation KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/FAA%20Oversight%20of%20UAS%20-%20Final%20Report%5E12-01-16_0.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1439977 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625809 AU - Dickman, Dana AU - Falbo, Nick AU - Durrant, Steve AU - Gilpin, Joe AU - Gastaldi, Gena AU - Chesston, Collin AU - Morrill, Prescott AU - Ward, Chloe AU - Walker, Wade AU - Jones, Bryan AU - Cheng, Cat AU - Portelance, Jillian AU - Kack, David AU - Gleason, Rebecca AU - Lonsdale, Taylor AU - Nothstine, Kathy AU - Morgan, Jack AU - Pressly, Rob AU - Alta Planning + Design AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 134p AB - The Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks report is a resource and idea book intended to help small towns and rural communities support safe, accessible, comfortable, and active travel for people of all ages and abilities. It provides a bridge between existing guidance on bicycle and pedestrian design and rural practice, encourages innovation in the development of safe and appealing networks for bicycling and walking in small towns and rural areas, and shows examples of peer communities and project implementation that is appropriate for rural communities. KW - Accessibility KW - Bicycle lanes KW - Bicycle travel KW - Bicycling KW - Bikeways KW - Multimodal networks KW - Pedestrians KW - Rural areas KW - Safety KW - Sidewalks KW - Small towns KW - Transportation planning KW - Walking KW - Walkways UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/small_towns/fhwahep17024_lg.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442742 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625556 AU - Balk, Stacy A AU - Jackson, Steven AU - Philips, Brian H AU - Leidos, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Human Factors Study: Experiment 2—Merging Behavior PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 38p AB - This study is the second in a series of four experiments exploring human factors issues associated with the introduction of cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC). Specifically, this study explored drivers’ abilities to merge into a stream of continuously moving vehicles in a dedicated lane. Participants were asked to complete one of three different types of merges in the Federal Highway Administration Highway Driving Simulator: Merge with non-CACC vehicle into a left dedicated lane without CACC platooning and varying vehicle gaps; Merge with CACC vehicle into the middle of a CACC platoon or continuous stream of vehicles without speed assistance; and Merge with CACC vehicle into a CACC platoon with longitudinal speed assistance. As measured by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index, drivers’ perceived workload was significantly less for both groups that drove with the CACC system engaged than for the group that was required to manually maintain speed the entire drive. Perhaps surprisingly, participant condition did not significantly affect physiological arousal as assessed by galvanic skin response (GSR). However, across all groups, GSR was significantly greater during the merges than during cruising/straight highway driving time periods. The participants who drove with the CACC system during the merges (as defined by the operation of the system) did not experience any collisions. Both groups that were required to manually adjust speed to merge into the platoon of vehicles experienced collisions in 24 (18 percent) of the merges, suggesting that some gaps may be too small for drivers to merge into at high speeds. An alternative explanation, supported by participant feedback, is that drivers expect others to act in a courteous manner and to create larger gaps for entrance onto a freeway - something that may not be possible in real-world CACC deployment. KW - Cooperative adaptive cruise control KW - Driver workload KW - Driving simulators KW - Galvanic skin response KW - Human factors KW - Merging traffic UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/16057/16057.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442271 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625555 AU - Vandervalk, Anita AU - Jeanotte, Krista AU - Snyder, Dena AU - Bauer, Jocelyn AU - Leidos, Incorporated AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - State of the Practice on Data Access, Sharing, and Integration PY - 2016/12 SP - 123p AB - The purpose of this state-of-the-practice review was to lay both technical and institutional foundation for all aspects of the development of the Virtual Data Access Framework. The review focused on current data sharing and integration practices among State and local agencies, example data environments, technical integration formats, and business rules for integration and sharing. State, local, and regional transportation operators, planners, and data professionals can use this report to enhance their data sharing and integration efforts by building on the experiences and effective practices of other agencies documented in this report. KW - Business rules KW - Data access KW - Data integration KW - Data management KW - Data sharing KW - Local government agencies KW - State departments of transportation KW - State of the practice KW - Universities and colleges UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/operations/15072/15072.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442273 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625554 AU - Hooks, John M AU - Foden, Andrew AU - Rodriguez-Otero, Yamayra AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - FHWA LTBP Summary—Findings from the New Jersey Bridge Deck PY - 2016/12//Summary Report SP - 11p AB - This summary report focuses on some of the key findings that resulted from the investigation of the deck of the bridge selected for participation in the Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program pilot study located in New Jersey (“New Jersey pilot bridge”). Constructed and opened to traffic in 1969, the bridge has a multigirder steel superstructure consisting of one span supported on two reinforced concrete abutments and has a cast-in-place reinforced concrete deck with stay-in-place forms. A 6.75-inch-thick reinforced concrete deck with a latex modified concrete (LMC) overlay (nominal thickness of 1.25 inches) distributes live loads to the steel beams. An asphalt overlay was placed in 2010. The weather exposure and environmental conditions in central New Jersey represent a mixed-humid climate, as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy’s climate zones. The bridge is exposed to frequent freeze-thaw cycles and application of deicing agents. The investigation of the New Jersey pilot bridge included detailed visual inspections performed on the top and underside of the deck, deck overhangs, superstructure, and substructure elements. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques were used on the deck, and core samples were taken of the deck and piers. The experience and findings from the New Jersey pilot bridge will be combined with those from the other pilot bridges to streamline field activities, strengthen testing protocols, and plan for investigations of large numbers of bridges in the future. KW - Bituminous overlays KW - Bridge decks KW - Cast in place structures KW - Concrete overlays KW - Cores (Specimens) KW - Freeze thaw durability KW - Inspection KW - Latex modified concrete KW - Long-Term Bridge Performance Program KW - New Jersey KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Reinforced concrete KW - Stay-in-place forms UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/ltbp/16070/16070.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442269 ER - TY - SER AN - 01625552 JO - Traffic Safety Facts PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2015 Data: Motorcycles PY - 2016/12 SP - 9p AB - In this fact sheet for 2015, the motorcycle information is presented in the following sections: Overview; Registration; Environmental Characteristics; Crash Involvement; Speeding; Age; Motorcycle Engine Size; Licensing and Previous Driving Records; Alcohol; and Helmet Use and Effectiveness. Key findings are as follows: In 2015, there were 4,976 motorcyclists killed—an 8-percent increase from the 4,594 motorcyclists killed in 2014. An estimated 88,000 motorcyclists were injured during 2015, a 3-percent decrease from the 92,000 motorcyclists injured in 2014. Per vehicle mile traveled in 2014 (latest available data), motorcyclist fatalities occurred nearly 27 times more frequently than passenger car occupant fatalities in traffic crashes. Twenty-seven percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2015 were riding without valid motorcycle licenses. In 2015, motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were found to have the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers than any other vehicle types (27% for motorcycles, 21% for passenger cars, 20% for light trucks, and 2% for large trucks). Forty-two percent of motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2015 were alcohol-impaired. Motorcycle riders killed in traffic crashes at night were three times more frequently alcohol-impaired than those killed during the day in 2015. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that helmets saved 1,772 motorcyclists’ lives in 2015, and that 740 more could have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn helmets. In States without universal helmet laws, 58 percent of motorcyclists killed in 2015 were not wearing helmets, as compared to 8 percent in States with universal helmet laws. KW - Age KW - Crash injuries KW - Driver licensing KW - Drunk driving KW - Engine size KW - Fatalities KW - Helmet use KW - Motorcycle crashes KW - Motorcycle helmets KW - Motorcycles KW - Motorcyclists KW - Nighttime crashes KW - Registrations KW - Single vehicle crashes KW - Speeding KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Universal motorcycle helmet law UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812353 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442083 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625551 AU - Inman, Vaughan W AU - Jackson, Steven AU - Philips, Brian H AU - Leidos, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Human Factors Study: Experiment 1—Workload, Distraction, Arousal, and Trust PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 45p AB - This study set out to examine the following diverse questions regarding cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) use: Does CACC reduce driver workload relative to manual gap control? Does CACC increase the probability of driver distraction relative to manual gap control? Does CACC result in reduced driver arousal relative to manual gap control? Does CACC result increase the ability to avoid a crash when exposed to an extreme braking event? Will drivers trust the CACC system? These questions were addressed in an experiment conducted in the Federal Highway Administration Highway Driving Simulator. A total of 49 licensed drivers were tested, with 12 or 13 participants in each of 4 groups. All of the groups drove in the third position in a five-vehicle platoon in which all of the other vehicles were equipped with simulated CACC. The groups differed as to whether the participant vehicle was equipped with CACC and the type of event at the end of the drive that disturbed the longitudinal spacing of the platoon. As assessed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index, the CACC system did reduce perceived driver workload relative to driving without cruise control. CACC users appeared slightly more likely to engage in diversionary activities (e.g., listening to the car radio) than control group drivers. CACC yielded a substantial and statistically reliable reduction in the probability of a crash. No evidence was obtained to suggest that use of CACC leads to lower levels of driver arousal than manual gap control. Participants showed a great deal of trust in the CACC system. In a situation where all of the control participants used the brake to maintain a comfortable gap, only 2 of 36 CACC users overrode the system with the brake or accelerator. KW - Attention KW - Cooperative adaptive cruise control KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Distraction KW - Driver workload KW - Driving simulators KW - Human factors UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/16056/16056.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442272 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625549 AU - Inman, Vaughan W AU - Jackson, Steven AU - Philips, Brian H AU - Leidos, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Human Factors Study: Experiment 3—The Role of Automated Braking and Auditory Alert in Collision Avoidance Response PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 26p AB - This report is the third in a series of four human factors experiments to examine the effects of cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) on driver performance in a variety of situations. The experiment reported here was conducted in a driving simulator scenario in which the subject driver was embedded in a platoon of CACC-equipped vehicles. The experiment explored the interaction effect of the presence or absence of an auditory warning with the presence or absence of automated braking on drivers’ responses to a maximum deceleration crash avoidance event. The subject was in the fourth position in a five-car platoon. Dependent measures were crash avoidance (yes/no), manual brake reaction time (seconds), and adjusted time to collision (seconds). The results indicated that a crash avoidance safety benefit was achieved with full CACC (warning and automated braking) but not otherwise. Brake reaction times were longer when automated braking was present, but without the auditory alarm, about half the drivers took too long to react. KW - Auditory warnings KW - Automatic braking KW - Cooperative adaptive cruise control KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Driver performance KW - Driving simulators KW - Human factors KW - Reaction time KW - Time to collision UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/16058/16058.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442270 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624686 AU - Cuelho, Eli AU - Western Transportation Institute AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of a ¾-Inch Minus Base Course Type A Specification for Montana PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 121p AB - Gravel bases are a critical component of roads, providing drainage, structural support, and load distribution within the pavement structure. Montana specifications currently exist for a 2-inch minus (Grade 5A) and 1½-inch minus (Grade 6A) crushed base course (CBC); however, gravel sources in parts of Montana are becoming limited, making the option to use a ¾-inch gravel base desirable. The objective of this project was to develop a standard specification for a new gravel base course with nominal maximum aggregate size of ¾ in. This was accomplished by conducting a review of current ¾-inch minus specifications from around the U.S., using that information to generate a preliminary specification to create ¾-inch minus mixes, testing the material properties of these mixes, and modifying these mixes to determine the effect changes in the gradation primarily had on its strength, stiffness and permeability. Based on the results of multiple statistical evaluations as well as qualitative comparisons, it was concluded that a ¾-inch minus gradation specification will perform at least as well as Montana’s existing CBC-6A materials and better than CBC-5A materials. Gradation limits for a new ¾-inch minus, Grade 7A, crushed base course were suggested; however, the practicality of producing mixes that fit within the suggested gradation limits still needs to be determined. KW - Aggregate gradation KW - Aggregate mixtures KW - Aggregate tests KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Gravel KW - Montana KW - Permeability KW - Shear strength KW - Specifications KW - Statistical analysis KW - Stiffness UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/research/DOCS/RESEARCH_PROJ/CRUSH_BASE_SPEC/Final_Report.PDF UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1446852 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624420 AU - Federal Transit Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - First Annual Report on the FAST Act Section 3006(b) Pilot Program for Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility Fiscal Year 2016 PY - 2016/12 SP - 16p AB - This report provides information on projects selected for the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Section 3006(b) pilot program for innovative coordinated access and mobility grants program for fiscal year (FY) 2016. In total, 19 projects were selected totaling $7,211,518. Demand for this program exceeded available funds, as FTA received 78 project proposals requesting $28 million from 34 states. FTA’s selected projects for FY 2016 are diverse and are piloting innovative concepts and collecting data to prove the value of linking transportation options with medical appointments. Projects are assessing new technology innovations and piloting more efficient ways to schedule a ride, leveraging creative community partnerships, testing systems for coordinating trips, and demonstrating and deploying real-world solutions meeting the three goal areas: increased access to care, improved health outcomes and reduced costs. KW - Access KW - Annual reports KW - Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act KW - Grant aid KW - Health care KW - Medical trips KW - Mobility KW - Public transit KW - State departments of transportation KW - U.S. Federal Transit Administration UR - https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/Pilot%20Program%20for%20Innovative%20Coordinated%20Access%20and%20Mobility%20FY%202016%20Report%20to%20Congress_0.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442744 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624419 AU - McGormley, Jonathan C AU - Lindenberg, Richard E AU - Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Incorporated AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Guidelines for Transportation of Long Prestressed Concrete Girders PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 294p AB - This research study investigates the behavior of two long prestressed concrete girders during lifting and transportation from the precast yard to the bridge site, with a particular focus on cracking concerns during transport. Different response measurements were recorded, including dynamic strains, dynamic accelerations, rigid body motion measurements, thermal, and girder location using global positioning system (GPS) tracking. The monitoring results indicate that higher tensile strain events occurred during transport of the girders than during lifting of the girders at the yard or bridge site. Local events during transportation of both girders produced strains that exceeded the theoretical cracking strain determined by the research team. Potential cracking events were not associated with high dynamic accelerations; instead, they occurred at lowspeed (<10 mph) sharp turns (90 deg. with tight radii) where the jeep tongue was attached to the girder. Based on analysis of the girders in this study and previous related research, cracking strains were readily experienced during girder transport and prior to erection. This research presents technical data obtained from two long prestressed concrete girders during transport and handling. KW - Acceleration (Mechanics) KW - Cracking KW - Dynamic structural analysis KW - Girders KW - Global Positioning System KW - Guidelines KW - Prestressed concrete KW - Tension UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2016/FR_567.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445567 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624418 AU - Otto, Jay AU - Finley, Kari AU - Ward, Nicholas J AU - Western Transportation Institute AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Connecticut Department of Transportation AU - Iowa Department of Transportation AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Idaho Transportation Department AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - New Hampshire Department of Transportation AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - An Assessment of Traffic Safety Culture Related to Engagement in Efforts to Improve Traffic Safety PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 114p AB - This final report summarizes the methods, results, conclusions, and recommendations derived from a survey conducted to understand values, beliefs, and attitudes regarding engagement in behaviors that impact the traffic safety of others. Results of the study provide a better understanding of safety citizenship behaviors and associated beliefs thus informing how to grow these beliefs in communities – thereby creating a culture that achieves greater improvements in traffic safety. A survey was developed based on an augmented integrated model of behavior and was implemented with adults age 18 and older from the U.S. using mailed and internet-based methods. About half of the people who responded to the survey indicated they had been in a situation in the past 12 months when someone was not wearing a seat belt or was reading or texting while driving. Of those who indicated they were in a situation to intervene, more than half did. They were more likely to intervene with others who were socially closer to them (e.g., family and friends) than with those more socially distant (e.g., acquaintances or strangers). Most people had favorable attitudes and beliefs about intervening. Analysis revealed that the perception of whether most people do intervene (e.g., the perceived descriptive norm) was strongly correlated with intervening behavior. Similarly, most people who responded to the survey had favorable attitudes about strategies involving policy or rules to increase seat belt use or decrease reading or typing on a cell phone while driving. Recommendations for growing intervening behaviors are provided. KW - Attitudes KW - Behavior KW - Culture (Social sciences) KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Recommendations KW - Seat belt use KW - Surveys KW - Text messaging KW - Traffic safety UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/research/docs/research_proj/tsc/SAFETY_CITIZENSHIP_FINAL_REPORT.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445566 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624405 AU - Jin, Xia AU - Shams, Kollol AU - Florida International University AU - National Center for Transportation Systems Productivity and Management AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Department of Transportation TI - Examining the Value of Travel Time Reliability for Freight Transportation to Support Freight Planning and Decision-Making PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 189p AB - This report presents the findings of a valuation study recently conducted in Florida to quantify the freight users’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the improvement of transportation-related attributes, particularly reliability. A stated preference (SP) survey was developed and administered between January and May 2016. The survey collected responses from 150 shippers, carriers, and forwarders. After rigorous data checking and validation, econometric models, including mixed and multinomial logit models, were developed to estimate the users’ WTP for the improvement of transportation time and reliability. Preference heterogeneity in WTP was also explored by commodity group, product type, and various other shipment characteristics, including shipping distance and weight. Model results indicated that the value of reliability (VOR) values ranged from $17.00 to $177.00 per shipment-hour and $1.38 to $10.20 per ton-hour, while the value of time (VOT) values ranged from $12.00 to $277.00 per shipment-hour and $0.50 to $23.00 per ton-hour among the user groups. Carriers were found with the lowest WTP compared to other freight users. The results showed large variations in WTP values when user heterogeneity sources were considered. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence in quantifying VOR for freight transportation and the impacts of user heterogeneity on the valuation of reliability. The study results will help advance the understanding of the impacts of the performance of transportation systems on the freight industry. The report also provided a brief discussion on the approaches to incorporating VOR in the benefit-cost analysis (BCA) for project evaluation and accommodating the effect of unreliability into demand models. KW - Carriers KW - Decision making KW - Florida KW - Freight transportation KW - Freight transportation support businesses KW - Logits KW - Reliability KW - Stated preferences KW - Surveys KW - Travel time KW - Value of time UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_PL/FDOT-BDV29-977-15-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442735 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624401 AU - Ng, Kam Weng AU - Von Quintus, Harold L AU - Ksaibati, Khaled AU - Hellrung, Daniel AU - Hutson, Zachary AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Characterization of Material Properties for Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design in Wyoming PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 113p AB - The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) recently transitioned from the empirical American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Design for Design of Pavement Structures to the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) as their standard pavement design procedure. A comprehensive field and laboratory test program was conducted in Wyoming to characterize the properties of unbound soil materials. The field test program included falling weight deflectometer (FWD), dynamic cone penetration (DCP), standard penetration test (SPT), soil sampling and pavement distress survey. The laboratory test program included standard soil classification tests, R-value test, standard Proctor compaction test, and resilient modulus (Mr) test in accordance with a protocol by modifying the AASHTO T-307 procedure. All test data was stored and managed by an electronic WYOming MEPDG Database (WYOMEP). Using the FWD data, in-place resilient modulus (MR) of each pavement layer was back-calculated using MODCOMP6 and EVERCALC. For MEPDD Level 2 input, correlation studies were performed to adjust back-calculated modulus to laboratory-derived modulus, calibrate constitutive models, develop relationships between resilient modulus and other soil properties, and develop Mr design tables. Furthermore, tables of unbound soil properties were established for MEPDG Level 3 input. Finally, seven pavement designs were evaluated and compared to achieve the target threshold values and reliability level. The design comparisons and resulting outcomes or predicted distresses for a range of new pavement and rehabilitation designs were presented. The outcomes of these trial examples were used to provide revisions to the 2012 WYDOT MEPDG User Guide. KW - Backcalculation KW - Field tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Mechanistic-empirical pavement design KW - Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide KW - Modulus of resilience KW - Subgrade materials KW - Wyoming UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1447176 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624273 AU - Ramirez, Anthony AU - Berning, Amy AU - Kelley-Baker, Tara AU - Lacey, John H AU - Yao, Julie AU - Tippetts, A Scott AU - Scherer, Michael AU - Carr, Katherine AU - Pell, Karen AU - Compton, Richard AU - Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Drug and Alcohol Crash Risk: A Case-Control Study PY - 2016/12//Draft Final Report SP - 190p AB - This study used a “case-control” design to estimate the risk of crashes involving drivers using drugs, alcohol or both. Data was collected in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for 20 months. The study obtained biological measures on more than 3,000 crash drivers at the scenes of the crashes, and 6,000 control (comparison) drivers. Control drivers were recruited one week after the crashes at the same time, day of week, location, and direction of travel as the crash-involved drivers. Data included 10,221 breath samples, 9,285 oral fluid samples, and 1,764 blood samples. Oral fluid and blood samples were screened and confirmed for the presence of alcohol and drugs. The crash risk associated with alcohol and other drugs was estimated using odds ratios that indicate the probability of a crash occurring over the probability that such an event does not occur. If a variable (alcohol and/or drugs) is not associated with a crash, the odds ratio for that variable will be 1.00. A higher or lower number indicates a stronger relationship between the probability of a crash occurring and the presence of that variable (alcohol and/or drugs in the driver). Confidence intervals (CIs) of an odds ratio indicate the range in which the true value lies—with 95 percent confidence. Alcohol: Alcohol was the largest contributor to crash risk. The unadjusted crash risk estimates for alcohol indicated drivers with a breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of .05 grams per 210 liters (g/210L) are 2.05 times more likely to crash than drivers with no alcohol. For drivers with BrACs of .08 g/210L, the unadjusted relative risk of crashing is 3.98 times that of drivers with no alcohol. When adjusted for age and gender, drivers with BrACs of .05 g/210L are 2.07 times more likely to crash than drivers with no alcohol. The adjusted crash risk for drivers at .08 g/210L is 3.93 times that of drivers with no alcohol. Drugs: Unadjusted drug odds ratio estimates indicated a significant increase in crash risk. For the active ingredient in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), this yielded an unadjusted odds ratio of 1.25. However, after adjusting for gender, age, race/ethnicity, and alcohol, there was no indication that any drug significantly contributed to crash risk. The adjusted odds ratios for THC were 1.00, 95 percent CI [.83, 1.22], indicating no increased or decreased crash risk. Odds ratios for antidepressants were .86, 95 percent CI [.56, 1.33]; narcotic analgesics were 1.17, 95% percent drugs as an overall category were .99, 95 percent CI [.84, 1.18], and prescription and over-the-counter medications were 1.02, 95 percent CI [.83, 1.26]. Alcohol and Drugs: Analyses found no statistically significant interaction effects when drivers were positive for both alcohol and drugs. Although initial analyses suggested that the combination of alcohol and other drugs were contributors to increased crash risk, additional analyses adjusting for other risk factors indicated no significant effect. When both alcohol and other drugs were consumed, alcohol alone was associated with crash risk. KW - Crash risk forecasting KW - Drugged drivers KW - Drunk drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Probability KW - Traffic crashes KW - Virginia Beach (Virginia) UR - https://one.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/impaired_driving/pdf/812355_DrugAlcoholCrashRisk.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442731 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624264 AU - Ramirez, Anthony AU - Berning, Amy AU - Kelley-Baker, Tara AU - Lacey, John H AU - Yao, Julie AU - Tippetts, A Scott AU - Scherer, Michael AU - Carr, Katherine AU - Pell, Karen AU - Compton, Richard AU - Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - 2013–2014 National Roadside Study of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers: Alcohol Results PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 76p AB - This report describes the alcohol results from the 2013–2014 National Roadside Survey (NRS), a national field study to estimate the prevalence of alcohol-, drug-, and alcohol-plus-drug-involved driving, primarily among nighttime weekend drivers, but also daytime Friday drivers. This study involved a random sample of drivers at 300 locations across the continental United States. The sites were selected through a stratified random sampling procedure. Data was collected during one 2-hour Friday daytime session (either 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.) at 60 locations and during four 2-hour nighttime periods (10 p.m. to midnight and 1 to 3 a.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights) at 240 locations. Data included observational and biological samples. Biological samples included breath-alcohol measurements from 9,455 respondents, oral fluid samples from 7,881 respondents, and blood samples from 4,686 respondents. This report focuses on the alcohol breath-test results, presents the 2013−2014 prevalence estimates for alcohol-involved driving, and compares them with the four previous NRS studies. The data indicates a continuing trend of decreasing alcohol-involved driving on U.S. roads during weekend nights over the five NRS studies, including a large change in the percentage of drivers who were alcohol positive, from 36.1% in 1973 to 8.3% in 2013-2014, and an 80% reduction in the percentage of drivers with breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) and higher, from 7.5% in 1973 to 1.5% in 2013-2014. KW - Alcohol breath tests KW - Drunk drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Field studies KW - National Roadside Survey KW - Night KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Weekends UR - https://one.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812362_2013-2014NRSAlcoholReport.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442730 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622782 AU - Kendrick, Christine M AU - National Institute for Transportation and Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Improving the Roadside Environment through Integrating Air Quality and Traffic-Related Data PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 164p AB - Urban arterial corridors are landscapes that give rise to short and long-term exposures to transportation-related pollution. With high traffic volumes, congestion, and a wide mix of road users and land uses at the road edge, urban arterial environments are important targets for improved exposure assessment to traffic-related pollution. Applying transportation management strategies to reduce emissions along arterial corridors could be enhanced if the ability to quantify and evaluate such actions was improved. However, arterial roadsides are under-sampled in terms of air pollution measurements in the United States and using observational data to assess such effects has many challenges such as lack of control sites for comparisons and temporal autocorrelation. The availability of traffic-related data is also typically limited in air monitoring and health studies. The work presented here uses unique long-term roadside air quality monitoring collected at the intersection of an urban arterial in Portland, Oregon to characterize the roadside atmospheric environment. This air quality dataset is then integrated with traffic-related data to assess various methods for improving exposure assessment and the roadside environment. KW - Air quality KW - Air quality management KW - Arterial highways KW - Intersections KW - Pollutants KW - Portland (Oregon) KW - Roadside KW - Traffic data KW - Urban highways UR - http://ppms.trec.pdx.edu/media/project_files/NITC-D-958_Improving_the_Roadside_Environment_through_Integrating_Air_Quality_and_Traffic-_Related_Data.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442275 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622659 AU - Truxillo, Donald M AU - MacArthur, John AU - Brady, Grant AU - Hammer, Leslie AU - Bauer, Talya N AU - Portland State University AU - Portland State University AU - National Institute for Transportation and Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Oregon Department of Transportation TI - Evaluation of a Supervisor Training Program for ODOT’s EcoDrive Program PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 52p AB - Eco-driving consists of using energy-efficient approaches to driving aimed at reducing fuel consumption and, ultimately, CO₂ emissions. A previous study found that an EcoDrive informational campaign was effective at increasing the use of eco-driving behaviors, but only when employees perceived that their supervisor supported the program and when they were personally motivated to perform the eco-driving behaviors. In order to build upon the findings of the previous study, the present study focused on increasing the use of eco-driving behaviors through an informational eco-driving campaign combined with supervisor training to support the use of eco-driving practices. The authors found that, in general, participants reported using eco-driving behaviors more often in the follow-up surveys compared to baseline measures. However, the authors did not find direct support for the supervisor training intervention providing an incremental increase in eco-driving behaviors and attitudes compared to the informational campaign alone. On the other hand, the authors did find that supervisor support, frequency of communication about eco-driving, and the percentage of employees who viewed the EcoDrive materials were greater in the supervisor training group compared to the control group. Additionally, employees in the supervisor training group rated the EcoDrive materials as more useful compared to the control group. Based on these findings, the supervisor training seemed to be effective in improving indicators of supervisor support; however, it may be that the limited sample size did not allow the authors to find statistically significant differences between the two groups in eco-driving behaviors. In this report the authors discuss in more detail the basis for this study, the implementation of the intervention, the results, and potential explanations for the findings in order to inform future studies. The authors also provide a detailed account of the methodology used in this study. KW - Attitudes KW - Behavior KW - Ecodriving KW - Employees KW - Evaluation KW - Ohio Department of Transportation KW - Supervisors KW - Surveys KW - Training UR - http://ppms.trec.pdx.edu/media/project_files/NITC-RR-781_I4y60rb.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442278 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622656 AU - Huijser, Marcel P AU - Camel-Means, Whisper AU - Fairbank, Elizabeth R AU - Purdum, Jeremiah P AU - Allen, Tiffany D H AU - Hardy, Amanda R AU - Graham, Jonathan AU - Begley, James S AU - Basting, Pat AU - Becker, Dale AU - Western Transportation Institute AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - US 93 North Post-Construction Wildlife-Vehicle Collision and Wildlife Crossing Monitoring on the Flathead Indian Reservation between Evaro and Polson, Montana PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 159p AB - The US Highway 93 North reconstruction project on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana represents one of the most extensive wildlife-sensitive highway design efforts to date in North America. The reconstruction of the 56 mile (90 km) long road section included the installation of wildlife crossing structures at 39 locations and approximately 8.71 miles (14.01 km) of road with wildlife exclusion fences on both sides. The mitigation measures were aimed at improving safety for the traveling public through reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and allowing wildlife to continue to move across the road. This report summarizes research conducted between 2002 and 2015. The research focused on the effectiveness of the mitigation measures in reducing collisions with large mammals, and the use of the crossing structures (specifically by white-tailed deer, mule deer, and black bear). In addition, the effectiveness of wildlife guards (similar to cattle guards), wildlife jump-outs and a human access point was evaluated. Finally, the researchers conducted cost-benefit analyses and formulated recommendations. KW - Before and after studies KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Fences KW - Flathead Indian Reservation KW - Highway design KW - Highway safety KW - Montana KW - Recommendations KW - Traffic crashes KW - Wildlife crossings UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/research/docs/research_proj/wildlife_crossing/phaseii/PHASE_II_FINAL_REPORT.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442370 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622654 AU - Schultz, Grant G AU - Mineer, Samuel T AU - Saito, Mitsuru AU - Gibbons, Joshua D AU - Siegel, Scott A AU - MacArthur, Peter D AU - Brigham Young University AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Roadway Safety Analysis Methodology for Utah PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 200p AB - This research focuses on the creation of a three-part Roadway Safety Analysis methodology that applies and automates the cumulative work of recently-completed roadway safety research. The first part is to prepare the roadway and crash data for analysis. The second part is to perform the network screening statistical analysis; rank the segments by state, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) Region, and county; and select segments of interest. The third part is to compile and publish the Roadway Safety Analysis reports for the selected segments of interest. These parts are accomplished using automation tools and graphical user interfaces. The Roadway Safety Analysis methodology allows future iterations of the Utah Crash Prediction Model (UCPM) and the Utah Crash Severity Model (UCSM) analysis and compilation of the Roadway Safety Analysis reports to be conducted in a user-friendly environment. A series of critical data columns were identified to communicate the need for data consistency for future iterations of this safety research. An example of the entire process of the Roadway Safety Analysis methodology is given to illustrate how the three parts tie together. The overall process has automated data processing tasks that save time and resources for the analyst to investigate possible safety measures for segments of interest. Recommendations for future highway safety research are given, including continued development of the Roadway Safety Analysis methodology, an analysis of intersections and horizontal curves, the implementation of the Roadway Safety Analysis methodology to other states, and the advancement of safety countermeasures and geospatial tools for highway safety research. KW - Crash analysis KW - Crash data KW - Crash risk forecasting KW - Crash severity KW - Highway safety KW - Information processing KW - Methodology KW - Recommendations KW - Statistical analysis KW - Utah UR - http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=32660013774464684 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442081 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622653 AU - Allahham, Jafar AU - Bordelon, Amanda AU - Li, Lingkun AU - Rayaprolu, Siddartha AU - University of Utah, Salt Lake City AU - Utah Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Review and Specification for Shrinkage Cracks of Bridge Decks PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 48p AB - An existing standard method ASTM C157 is used to determine the length change or free shrinkage of an unrestrained concrete specimen. However, in bridge decks, the concrete is actually under restrained conditions, and thus free shrinkage test methods do not represent the same condition of bridge decks and are not correlated to infield bridge deck shrinkage. An alternative for restrained shrinkage is to use one of the two existing standards American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) T334-08 or ASTM C1581. In these two restrained test methods, the concrete is cast in the circumference around an inner steel ring. The purpose of this study was to construct the apparatus for the AASHTO T334-08 method to estimate the cracking age of concrete mixtures that may be used in bridge decks. In the processes of the apparatus setup, several limitations to the method were discovered, such as the influence of the surrounding environment and the repeatability of the method. Thus, an additional study was done to evaluate the sensitivity of shrinkage measurements (ASTM C157 and AASHTO T334-08) in different surrounding environments, with different mix designs (e.g., varying w/cm, binder content and aggregate size), and different concrete specimen thicknesses. Overall, it was confirmed that most mixtures did not even indicate any cracking unless a high cement volume content of 24% with no coarse aggregates was tested using the existing AASHTO T334-08 restrained ring method. A thinner ring (2” of concrete instead of 3”) had a decreased age of cracking. The free shrinkage ASTM C157 is still the easiest, and a relatively fast method to use and can provide relative comparisons between different mixtures or between different environments. KW - Admixtures KW - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials KW - Bridge decks KW - Cracking KW - Mix design KW - Shrinkage KW - Specifications KW - Test procedures KW - Thickness UR - http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/uconowner.gf?n=32698707987695563 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442080 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622506 AU - Ohlms, Peter B AU - Roy, Kayleigh M AU - Virginia Transportation Research Council AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - When Main Street Is a Highway: Addressing Conflicts Between Land Use and Transportation PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 42p AB - Major at-grade regional thoroughfares in Virginia are a source of conflict for planners because of the corridors’ dual, often competing, roles. For many Virginians, these routes are critical highways for cross-state travel, commuting, and movement of freight, with an emphasis on mobility and expectations of high travel speeds and limited stopping. For local residents in both long-established and developing communities, these corridors sometimes function as the community’s “main street,” providing access to homes and businesses, often at the cost of regional mobility. The purpose of this study was to identify solutions to this main street / highway conflict through a review of relevant regulations, identification of planning solutions that could be implemented by localities and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and the highlighting of resources that could help with the process of identifying and implementing solutions. In addition, case studies were selected to serve as examples of how the conflict between local access and through mobility has been managed by public agencies in various contexts. The main street / highway conflict is fundamentally an issue of transportation and land use coordination. No individual solution can fully address the conflict. Because VDOT has limited influence over land use and development along state highways, a practice of strong interagency coordination, cooperation, and public participation is necessary. As VDOT develops roadway projects, it must respond to concerns of local stakeholders, in part by demonstrating how engineering solutions can lead to locally desired outcomes. The study recommends that VDOT consider the previously mentioned issues in refining an existing planning process for arterial highways that may reflect the main street / highway conflict. It also recommends that VDOT ensure that its planners working on major regional thoroughfares are familiar with (1) relevant design manuals, treatments, and concepts, such as context-sensitive urban thoroughfare design and unconventional intersection designs; and (2) methods to facilitate interagency coordination and public participation. KW - Access control (Transportation) KW - Arterial highways KW - Case studies KW - Development KW - Land use KW - Land use planning KW - Mobility KW - Recommendations KW - Regulations KW - Transportation planning KW - Virginia UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/17-r13.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442186 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622376 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Environmental Justice Considerations for Connected and Automated Vehicles PY - 2016/12 SP - 5p AB - Connected vehicles (CVs) and automated vehicles (AVs) are two rapidly emerging technologies with the potential to transform our communities and transportation system on a larger scale than anything we have seen since the construction of the U.S. Interstate Highway system. These technologies have justifiably led to high expectations for increased safety and mobility. CVs and AVs also hold strong promise to address the transportation needs of environmental justice (EJ) populations, but barriers to access may affect the full realization of the technologies’ benefits. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) defines EJ populations as low-income populations or minority populations who will be affected similarly by a proposed program, policy, or other activity funded by FHWA. As policy discussions, planning, and implementation for CVs and vehicle automation proceed, decision-makers should consider equity concerns and pursue policies to ensure that EJ populations do not experience disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects. Adverse effects may include the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits of FHWA programs, policies, or activities (FHWA Order 6640.23A). KW - Environmental justice KW - Equity (Justice) KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Policy KW - Technological innovations UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_justice/publications/cv_av/cvav.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441068 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622375 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Environmental Justice and Tolling: A Review of Tolling and Potential Impacts to Environmental Justice Populations PY - 2016/12 SP - 4p AB - Increasingly, tolling has become an integral part of transportation infrastructure as cities and States respond to urban mobility challenges and face decreased funding for transportation projects. Toll revenues are often essential to pay the capital cost of the toll facility, as well as its operations and maintenance. Expanded use of tolling has also been promoted during the last several Federal-aid Highway Program authorization periods. Environmental Justice (EJ) populations can be affected by tolling, but the impacts vary widely by context and type of project (i.e., full facility tolling or partial facility tolling; a.k.a., “managed lanes”). This fact sheet describes different planning-level tolling scenarios and their potential impacts on EJ populations as well as a project-level evaluation of tolling projects and questions that should be answered to understand the socioeconomic impact of tolls. KW - Environmental justice KW - Evaluation KW - Impacts KW - Socioeconomic factors KW - Tolls UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmental_justice/publications/ej_and_tolling/ejandtolling.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441067 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622374 AU - Baas, Jessica AU - Galton, Rachel AU - Biton, Anna AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - FHWA Bicycle-Pedestrian Count Technology Pilot Project – Summary Report PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 34p AB - This report summarizes the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)’s one-year Bicycle-Pedestrian Count Technology Pilot Project. The purpose of the pilot project was to increase the organizational and technical capacity of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to establish and operate effective bicycle and pedestrian count programs, and to provide lessons learned for peer agencies across the country. FHWA selected ten MPOs from across the country to participate in the pilot, and this report highlights their experiences with identifying count locations; selecting and installing count technology; and collecting and using the count data. The report concludes with the key benefits and lessons learned identified by the MPOs throughout the course of the project. KW - Bicycle counts KW - Cyclists KW - Information processing KW - Location KW - Metropolitan planning organizations KW - Pedestrian counts KW - Pilot studies KW - Traffic counting KW - Traffic counts UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/countpilot/summary_report/fhwahep17012.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441066 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622373 AU - Sundaram, Narayana AU - ENSCO, Inc. AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Force Environment Evaluation of Stub Sills on Tank Cars Using Autonomous Over-the-Road Testing of the Instrumented Tank Car PY - 2016/12//Draft Final Report SP - 66p AB - Fractures have been observed on stub sill tank cars for many years. Undetected and unattended, these fractures can develop into a variety of tank car failures. While tank car ruptures are rare, the potential for a catastrophic hazmat release has made this a critical issue within the industry. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) contracted with ENSCO, Inc., to instrument and run an instrumented tank car over the road in autonomous measurement mode. The instrumentation and data collection focused on assessing the load environment seen by tank cars in regular service under full load conditions. Testing was conducted to collect data from the instrumented tank car over approximately 3,700 miles in the United States. The following key conclusions and recommendations are inferred from testing and analysis: (1) The high magnitude events that seem to cause damage to the stub sill are observed in yards and are attributed to train handling. Track geometry, specifically short chord vertical profile, is a contributing factor causing high vertical coupler force events, but typically is not a contributing factor for high longitudinal coupler force events. (2) If the coupling speeds are limited, the forces imparted to the stub sills would be kept lower than the yield limit for steel, reducing the occurrence of fractures in stub sills on tank cars. (3) A low-cost system can be developed for measuring vertical and longitudinal coupler forces in service. KW - Couplers KW - Data collection KW - Evaluation KW - Fracture mechanics KW - Instrumented vehicles KW - Load tests KW - Railroad tracks KW - Recommendations KW - Tank cars KW - Train operation UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16829 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440802 ER - TY - SER AN - 01622268 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Popovics, John S AU - Spalvier, Agustin AU - Hall, Kerry S AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of PCC Pavement and Structure Coring and In Situ Testing Alternatives PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 135p AB - The objectives of this research are to evaluate core strength correction factors considering a range of pertinent factors that are encountered in the field, and to investigate more practical core field curing practices that provide best estimates of in‐place concrete strength. The effect of core condition (including presence of embedded rebar) and core conditioning procedures (dry and wet) on the measured compressive strength of the core sample was considered. Another objective of the research was to evaluate the utility of practical non‐destructive testing (NDT) methods for estimating in‐place concrete strength that could be used to reduce the amount of required coring or to provide an estimate of in situ strength for locations that cannot be cored, such as in precast prestressed beams. The results of in‐place cylinder and core strength tests were statistically compared. This study shows that using dry‐conditioned cores with the correction factors 1.05 for PV/SI cores without rebar, 1.08 for PV/SI cores with rebar, and 1.03 for PS cores without rebar yields the most confident strength estimations. Dry‐conditioned core strength data show less variability than the data from wet‐conditioned cores. The presence of rebar had minor effect on core strength. Non‐destructive testing methods can be used to establish correlation curves to estimate in‐place strength; several methods were characterized analyzing their variability and sensitivity. Results from this study can assist the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in establishing procedures to estimate the in‐place strength of concrete with greater accuracy; such information could be used by IDOT to improve implementation of pay‐for‐performance specifications for Portland cement concrete (PCC) construction. KW - Comparative analysis KW - Compressive strength KW - Concrete pavements KW - Construction management KW - Cores (Specimens) KW - Field tests KW - Nondestructive tests KW - Quality control UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=5109 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440561 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622261 AU - Chesner, Warren H AU - McMillan, Nancy J AU - Chesner Engineering , P.C. AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Real Time Laser Scanning of Aggregate Materials in Highway Construction PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 62p AB - The quality and service life of the roadways that make up the highway transportation infrastructure are dependent upon the selection and use of high quality aggregate materials. Five state transportation agencies participated in this Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) study, which was designed to demonstrate the use of laser scanning as a means to assess, in real-time, the quality of aggregate used in highway construction. Participating states included Kansas, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. The referenced technology is based on a process referred to as Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). In this process, a high-powered laser pulse is used to excite atoms that make up the aggregate. This excitation results in the emission of light from a range of unique wavelengths (spectrum) that can be thought of as a “fingerprint” of the material. The development of a database of spectra or fingerprints of many aggregate materials with known engineering properties provides the basis for employing numerical techniques (models), similar to “fingerprint matching,” to identify the properties of unknown aggregate material. Scanning data generated in this demonstration show that the technology can differentiate between approved and unapproved aggregate sources. It has the potential to quantify specific test parameters such as acid insoluble residue (AIR), Micro-Deval loss, and specific gravity, as well as to identify the presence of deleterious materials, such as reactive chert, ASR and ACR, and D-cracking susceptible aggregate. It can be used to identify the aggregate source or sources of a stockpile of unknown material(s). A total of 113 aggregates supplied by the participating states were laser-scanned using a field prototype system located in a field materials testing laboratory in South Bethlehem, New York. The analyses in this demonstration focused on specific gravity (bulk and SSD) and absorption, D-cracking, acid insoluble residue, Micro-Deval, and Los Angeles (LA) Abrasion Loss. The results show that laser scanning can successfully predict the properties of aggregate, opening up a whole new way of analyzing aggregate materials. Based on the results presented, recommended future work is outlined, some of which has been initiated and presented herein to refine the scanning and modeling process to enhance data quality. KW - Absorption KW - Acid insoluble residue KW - Aggregates KW - D cracking KW - Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy KW - Laser scanning KW - Los Angeles Abrasion Test KW - Micro-Deval Abrasion Test KW - Quality control KW - Real time information KW - Specific gravity UR - http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/docpop.aspx?clienttype=html&docid=9750838 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440694 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01620428 AU - Tayabji, Shiraz AU - Brink, Wouter AU - Applied Research Associates AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - FHWA Project R05 IAP Funded Project Case Study: Texas Precast Concrete Pavement Intersection Demonstration Project PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 35p AB - The production use of precast concrete pavement (PCP) has come a long way over the last 15 years. The technology is gaining wider acceptance in the U.S. for rapid repair and rehabilitation of concrete pavements as well as for heavily trafficked asphalt concrete pavements and intersections. Several U.S. highway agencies, including Caltrans, Illinois Tollway, and the New Jersey, New York, and Utah State Departments of Transportation, have implemented the PCP technology, and other agencies have constructed demonstration projects. In the U.S., the PCP technology is being used on concrete pavements for intermittent repairs (full-depth joint repairs or full panel replacement) and for continuous applications (longer length/wider area rehabilitation) with service life expectations of at least 20 years for intermittent repairs and at least 40 years for continuous applications, without significant future corrective treatment. The use of PCP on asphalt pavements includes the replacement of ramps, intersections and bus pads. The Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) Project R05 was conducted from 2008 to 2012 to develop technical information and guidelines that would encourage the rapid and successful adoption of PCP technology. In 2013, the SHRP2 Implementation Assistance Program (IAP) was created to help State DOTs, metropolitan planning organizations, and other interested organizations deploy SHRP2-developed products to deliver more efficient, costeffective solutions to meet the complex challenges facing transportation agencies. On March 28, 2014, the Federal Highway Administration—in partnership with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials—announced the selection of several transportation agencies receiving implementation and technical assistance awards as part of round 3 of the SHRP2 IAP. The Texas Department of Transportation, one of the agencies selected as a lead adopter of Project R05 technology, received an award of $300,000 to help offset the cost of constructing a PCP project. This case study report provides details of the 2016 PCP use for rehabilitation of a distressed asphalt concrete pavement at the intersection of Route 97 and Route 72 in McMullen/LaSalle County, Texas. KW - Asphalt concrete pavements KW - Case studies KW - Demonstration projects KW - Intersections KW - Precast concrete pavements KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Strategic Highway Research Program 2 KW - Texas UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/pubs/hif17017.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440804 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01620427 AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Department of Transportation TI - Transportation Empowerment Pilot: LadderStep, 2015-2016 Report PY - 2016/12 SP - 30p AB - The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) launched the Ladders of Opportunity Transportation Empowerment Pilot (LadderSTEP) in 2015 to foster sustainable economic development related to planned transportation projects. The pilot’s goal was to build and restore connections, develop workforce capacity, and catalyze neighborhood revitalization in seven cities—Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; Phoenix, Arizona; and Richmond, Virginia. The Volpe Center (Volpe), part of the research arm of DOT based in Cambridge, MA, facilitated communications among staff involved with LadderSTEP to learn about their experiences with the pilot. Volpe collected information through three sources: Community Solutions Trainings, Stakeholder Interviews, and Review of LadderSTEP Resources. This report describes key achievements of each city and summarizes themes related to four topic areas: Results and Impacts, Obstacles, Best Practices, and Recommendations for Future Work. KW - Atlanta (Georgia) KW - Baltimore (Maryland) KW - Baton Rouge (Louisiana) KW - Best practices KW - Charlotte (North Carolina) KW - Economic development KW - Federal aid KW - Indianapolis (Indiana) KW - Phoenix (Arizona) KW - Recommendations KW - Richmond (Virginia) KW - Stakeholders KW - Sustainable development KW - Transportation UR - https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/LadderSTEP_2015-2016_Report_December_2016_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440533 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01620426 AU - Dusicka, Peter AU - Lopez, Alvaro AU - Portland State University AU - Oregon Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Impact of Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake on the Seismic Evaluation Criteria of Bridges PY - 2016/12//Technical Report SP - 163p AB - A large magnitude long duration subduction earthquake is impending in the Pacific Northwest, which lies near the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ). Great subduction zone earthquakes are the largest earthquakes in the world and are the sole source zones that can produce earthquakes greater than M8.5. For this reason, structures such as reinforced concrete bridges are facing high seismic hazards and risk. The seismic risk used for the bridge design and retrofit is defined by hazard maps of ground acceleration values. The maps combine multiple regional sources of ground shaking using a Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA). Each source has a different intensity, probability of occurrence, and distance to a specific location. One key source of ground shaking in PSHA in Oregon is from the Cascadia Subduction Zone; however, a CSZ has several potential scenarios (M8.3 and M9.0) that can have significantly different ground motion estimates as a standalone event than what is captured in the values derived from PSHA. In this study, a computer model called CSZ14 was developed to obtain the acceleration values expected from a full rupture CSZ event. These values were also compared to previous CSZ models as well as to uniform hazard of various return periods from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) hazard adopted in 2002, which continues to be used for the current design of bridges. Also, the increased duration of a CSZ earthquake may result in more structural damage than expected. Recent long duration subduction earthquakes occurred in Maule, Chile (Mw 8.8, 2010) and Tohoku, Japan (Mw 9.0, 2011) are a reminder of the importance of the effect ground motion duration on structural performance. As part of the research on the potential impacts, the dynamic performance of circular reinforced concrete bridge columns was experimentally evaluated using shake table tests by comparing the column response from crustal and subduction ground motions. Three continuous reinforced columns and three laps-spliced columns were tested using records from 1989 Loma Prieta, 2010 Maule and 2011 Tohoku. The results demonstrated that duration of the motion can affect the imposed damage and the displacement capacity of the bridge column. KW - Cascadia Subduction Zone KW - Columns KW - Earthquake resistant design KW - Earthquakes KW - Evaluation KW - Oregon KW - Reinforced concrete bridges KW - Retrofitting KW - Risk analysis KW - Seismicity KW - Time duration UR - http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP_RES/ResearchReports/SPR770_Cascadia_Subduction.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440933 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01620251 AU - Legge, Gordon E AU - Downey, Chris AU - Giudice, Nicholas A AU - Tjan, Bosco S AU - University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Indoor Airport Wayfinding for Blind and Visually Impaired Travelers PY - 2016/12//Technical Note SP - 40p AB - By conservative estimates, more than 4 million Americans have impaired vision, with the prevalence rising as the population ages. Wayfinding in complex public spaces, such as airport terminals, poses a major challenge for this group and adversely affects their mobility and quality of life. Wayfinding refers to the ability to find one’s way to a desired destination. In an airport, critical wayfinding tasks include finding and passing through security, reaching a departure gate, traveling between gates to make a connecting flight, finding the baggage claim and ground transportation (taxi, bus, or rail), and finding relief stations for service animals. These wayfinding tasks must often be accomplished under time pressure. Other important wayfinding tasks include finding bathrooms, restaurants, and ticketing kiosks. This project had three objectives: (1) to describe the demographics and wide range of visual impairment and wayfinding needs within the target population; (2) to explore challenges and solutions related to specific factors affecting airport wayfinding by visually impaired people; and (3) to develop three types of recommendations for enhancing accessibility of airport terminals: those having a broad consensus and which can be implemented in the near future, those requiring consultation with stakeholders for which alternative solutions need discussion, and those requiring technical research and development. This technical note identifies best practices and recommendations for potentially viable solutions. This technical note is also intended to encourage discussion and raise questions for a broad audience including Federal Aviation Administration staff, airport administration, airline staff, people with interests in accessible transportation systems, vision rehabilitation specialists, visually impaired travelers, and members of the general public with an interest in accessibility. Ultimately, solutions could be found through collaboration and consensus among stakeholders. Improved wayfinding and other forms of accessibility within airports require communication and shared responsibility of two major groups—those providing airport services and the users of those services. KW - Accessibility KW - Airport terminals KW - Best practices KW - Blind persons KW - Visually impaired persons KW - Wayfinding UR - http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/Download/Airport-Safety-Papers-Publications-Detail/dt/Detail/ItemID/572/Indoor-Airport-Wayfinding-for-Blind-and-Visually-Impaired-Travelers UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440559 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01620250 AU - Hueste, Mary Beth D AU - Mander, John B AU - Baie, Reza AU - Parkar, Anagha S AU - Parchure, Akshay AU - Prouty, Jennifer Michelle AU - Sarremejane, Tristan AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Continuous Prestressed Concrete Girder Bridges. Volume 2: Analysis, Testing, and Recommendations PY - 2016/12//Technical Report SP - 271p AB - The Texas Department of Transportation designs typical highway bridge structures as simple span systems using standard precast, pretensioned girders. Spans are limited to about 150 ft due to weight and length restrictions on transporting the precast girder units from the prestressing plant to the bridge site. Such bridge construction, while economical from an initial cost point-of-view, may become somewhat limiting when longer spans are needed. This project focused on developing additional economical design alternatives for longer span bridges with main spans ranging from 150–300 ft, using continuous precast, prestressed concrete bridge structures with in-span splices. Phase 1 of this study focused on evaluating the current state-of-the-art and practice relevant to continuous precast concrete girder bridges and recommending suitable continuity connections for typical Texas bridge girders; the findings are documented in the Volume 1 project report. This report summarizes Phase 2 of the research including detailed design examples for shored and partially shored construction, results of a parametric design study, and results of an experimental program that tested a full-scale girder containing three splice connections. The parametric design study indicated that for bridges spanning from 150–300 ft, continuous precast, prestressed concrete girder bridges with in-span splices can provide an economical alternative to steel girder bridges and segmental concrete box girder construction. The tested splice connections performed well under service level loads. However, the lack of continuity of the pretensioning through the splice connection region had a significant impact on the behavior at higher loads approaching ultimate conditions. Improved connection behavior at ultimate conditions is expected through enhanced connection details. Recommendations for design of continuous spliced precast girders, along with several detailing suggestions are discussed in the report. KW - Bridge design KW - Continuous girder bridges KW - Long span bridges KW - Precast concrete KW - Prestressed concrete KW - Prototype tests KW - Recommendations KW - Shoring KW - Spliced girders KW - Texas UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6651-2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440502 ER - TY - SER AN - 01620249 JO - Traffic Safety Facts PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2015 Data: Alcohol-Impaired Driving PY - 2016/12 SP - 7p AB - Drivers are considered to be alcohol-impaired when their blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) are .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatal crash involving a driver with a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher is considered to be an alcohol-impaired-driving crash, and fatalities occurring in those crashes are considered to be alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities. The term “driver” refers to the operator of any motor vehicle, including a motorcycle. Estimates of alcohol-impaired driving are generated using BAC values reported to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and BAC values imputed when they are not reported. The term “alcohol-impaired” does not indicate that a crash or a fatality was caused by alcohol impairment, only that an alcohol-impaired driver was involved in the crash. In this fact sheet for 2015, the alcohol-impaired-driving information is presented as follows: Overview; Economic Cost for All Traffic Crashes; Children; Time of Day and Day of Week; Drivers; and Fatalities by State. This fact sheet contains information on fatal motor vehicle crashes and fatalities based on data from FARS. FARS is a census of fatal crashes in the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico is not included in U.S. totals). KW - Blood alcohol levels KW - Children KW - Drivers KW - Drunk drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Economic impacts KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Periods of the day KW - Puerto Rico KW - States KW - United States KW - Washington (District of Columbia) UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812350 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440501 ER - TY - SER AN - 01620248 JO - Traffic Safety Facts PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Traffic Safety Facts 2015 Data: State Alcohol-Impaired-Driving Estimates PY - 2016/12 SP - 13p AB - This fact sheet contains estimates of driver alcohol involvement in fatal crashes for the United States and individually for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Estimates for Puerto Rico are not included in the national estimates. Data from the current year (2015) and 10 years ago (2006) are presented for comparison. These estimates are based on data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). In this fact sheet, the 2006 and 2015 State alcohol-impaired-driving estimates are presented as follows: Definitions and Explanations; Missing FARS Alcohol Data; and State-by-State Data Tables. The State-by-State Data Tables are as follows: (1) Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities, by State and Highest Driver BAC in the Crash, 2006; (2) Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities, by State and Highest Driver BAC in the Crash, 2015; (3) Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes, by State and BAC of the Driver, 2006; (4) Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes, by State and BAC of the Driver, 2015; (5) BAC Test Status for Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Crashes, by State, 2006 and 2015; (6) Driver Fatalities, by State and BAC Test Status, 2006; (7) Driver Fatalities, by State and BAC Test Status, 2015; (8) Surviving Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes, by State and BAC Test Status, 2006; (9) Surviving Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes, by State and BAC Test Status, 2015; and (10) Percentage of Fatalities in Alcohol-Impaired-Driving Crashes and Percentage of Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes with BACs of .08 or Higher, by Region and State, 2006 and 2015. KW - Blood alcohol levels KW - Drunk drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Puerto Rico KW - States KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Washington (District of Columbia) UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812357 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440500 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01620247 AU - Rakoczy, Przemyslaw AU - Carolan, Michael AU - Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Side Impact Test and Analysis of a DOT 112 Tank Car PY - 2016/12//Technical Report SP - 91p AB - As part of a program to improve transportation safety for tank cars, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) has conducted a side impact test on a DOT-112 tank car to evaluate the performance of the DOT-112 under dynamic impact conditions and to provide data for the verification and refinement of a computational model of the tank car. The tank car was filled with water to approximately 96 percent of its volume and sealed but not pressurized. The tank car was impacted at 14.7 mph by a 297.125-pound ram car fitted with a 12- by 12-inch ram head. The ram car impacted the tank center, deforming and cracking the external jacket, but the tank’s shell was not punctured. TTCI used pre-test finite element modeling, which was performed by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, to estimate the overall response of the tank to the impact and the force-displacement response. To bring the model’s results into better agreement with the test results, several changes were made to the model. The post-test model matched the overall force-displacement and pressure-time histories better than the pre-test model. The models and tests demonstrate how the fluid response of an impacted tank car dominates the general force-displacement response, which underscores the importance of modeling fluid-structure interactions with appropriate techniques. KW - Finite element method KW - Fluid-structure interaction KW - Impact tests KW - Mathematical models KW - Railroad safety KW - Side crashes KW - Tank cars UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16807 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60567/Side_Impact_Test_of_DOT_112_Tank_Car.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440498 ER - TY - SER AN - 01619960 JO - Technote PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - De la Varga, Igor TI - Dimensional Stability of Grout-Like Materials Used in Field-Cast Connections PY - 2016/12 SP - 12p AB - The wide use of grouts and grout-like materials in the construction industry is seen in applications such as joint sealing, structural repair, and connections in prefabricated bridge elements (PBEs). Currently, different types of grouts are available (e.g., epoxy-based, cementitious-based, etc.). The selection of the most appropriate grout type is commonly based on the application in which it is used and the desired performance. Grouts for transportation applications typically require high-performance properties such as rapid strength development and superior durability characteristics. However, dimensional stability issues (i.e., expansion and shrinkage) have been observed in various applications with different grout types but especially in cases where cementitious grouts were used, due mainly to their inherent shrinking behavior. This document provides information about the current approaches to quantifying the dimensional stability of grouts and groutlike materials, including those cementitious grouts known as “non-shrink cementitious grouts (NSCGs),” and highlights some of the limitations of the test methods currently in use. Additional material testing methods to better quantify dimensional stability are also proposed, as well as strategies to help mitigate some of the shrinkage observed in these types of materials KW - Cement grouts KW - Dimensional stability KW - Grout KW - Shrinkage KW - Test procedures UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/16080/16080.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440496 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619959 AU - Tayabji, Shiraz AU - Applied Research Associates, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - FHWA Project R05 IAP Funded Project Case Study: New Britain Bus Pads Precast Concrete Pavement Demonstration Project PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 35p AB - The production and use of precast concrete pavement (PCP) has come a long way over the last 15 years. The technology is gaining wider acceptance in the U.S. for rapid repair and rehabilitation of concrete pavements as well as for heavily trafficked asphalt concrete pavements and intersections. Several U.S. highway agencies have implemented the PCP technology, and other agencies have constructed demonstration projects. In the U.S., the PCP technology is being used for intermittent repairs (full-depth joint repairs or full panel replacement) and for continuous applications (longer length/wider area rehabilitation) with service life expectations of at least 20 years for intermittent repairs and at least 40 years for continuous applications, without significant future corrective treatment. Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) Project R05 was conducted from 2008 to 2012 to develop technical information and guidelines that would encourage the rapid and successful adoption of PCP technology. In 2013, the SHRP2 Implementation Assistance Program (IAP) was created to help State highway agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and other interested organizations deploy SHRP2-developed products to deliver more efficient, cost-effective solutions to meet the complex challenges facing transportation agencies. On August 7, 2015, the Federal Highway Administration—in partnership with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials—announced the selection of 21 transportation agencies receiving implementation and technical assistance awards as part of Round 6 of the SHRP2 IAP. The Connecticut Department of Transportation, one of the agencies selected as a lead adopter of Project R05 technology, received an award of $150,000 to help offset the cost of constructing a PCP project. Connecticut also received user-incentive funds, in the amount of $75,000, for the development of plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) related technology transfer activities leading to agency-wide adoption of PCP technology. This case study report provides details of the 2016 PCP use for rehabilitation of two distressed asphalt concrete bus pads along a section of the busway of CTfastrak, a bus rapid transit system in New Britain, Connecticut. KW - Bus rapid transit KW - Bus stops KW - Busways KW - Case studies KW - CTfastrak KW - New Britain (Connecticut) KW - Pavement design KW - Precast concrete pavements KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Strategic Highway Research Program 2 UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/pubs/hif17015.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440491 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619023 AU - Knudson, Tony AU - Oregon Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - FY 2017 Oregon Transportation Needs and Issues Survey PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 78p AB - The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) collects data from Oregon residents through the Transportation Needs and Issues Survey to: assess perceptions about the transportation system; determine how the system is used; and identify transportation-related concerns. The Oregon Transportation Needs and Issues Survey was first conducted in 1993 and has been done roughly every two years. The latest survey was completed in Autumn 2016 (State fiscal year (FY) 2017). This report summarizes the results of the FY 2017 survey. For some reoccurring questions, results are also compared to past surveys. KW - Customer satisfaction KW - Needs assessment KW - Oregon Department of Transportation KW - Public opinion KW - Surveys KW - Transportation planning KW - Trend (Statistics) UR - http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP_RES/ResearchReports/TNIS2017Final_v07_121316.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1439995 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619021 AU - Jacobsen, Karina AU - Tyrell, David AU - Severson, Kristine AU - Parent, Dan AU - Martinez, Eloy AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Crash Energy Management: One- and Two-Car Passenger Rail Impact Tests Summary of Structural and Occupant Test Results PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 192p AB - Two full-scale impact tests were conducted to measure the crashworthiness performance of Crash Energy Management (CEM) equipped passenger rail cars. On December 3, 2003, a single car impacted a fixed barrier at approximately 35 mph and on February 26, 2004, two-coupled passenger cars impacted a fixed barrier at approximately 29 mph. Coach cars retrofitted with CEM end structures, designed to crush in a controlled manner, were used in the tests. These test vehicles were instrumented with accelerometers, string potentiometers, and strain gauges to measure the gross motions of each car body in three dimensions, the deformation of specific structural components, and the force-crush characteristic of the CEM end structure. Five occupant experiments were conducted onboard the test vehicles in the two-car test to measure the secondary impact conditions. Collision dynamics models were developed to predict the gross motions of the test vehicles. Crush estimates as a function of test speed were used to guide test conditions. Using the crash pulse derived from the collision dynamics model, computer models for the occupant tests were developed to determine the severity of the collision environment and predict the motions of the Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs) used in two-car tests. This report describes the details of the CEM single-car and two-car tests, and reports the findings of the structural and occupant tests. KW - Crashworthiness KW - Deformation KW - Dummies KW - Dynamic structural analysis KW - Impact tests KW - Occupant dynamics KW - Passenger cars KW - Railroad crashes KW - Vehicle design UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16797 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60568/CEM_one-car_two-car_passenger_impact_tests.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436876 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618828 AU - Khan, Mokbul AU - Bannister, William AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Overview of Drug and Alcohol Use Among Large Truck and Bus Drivers, 2011–13 PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 25p AB - This report provides a broad overview of drug and alcohol usage among large truck and bus drivers for 2011–13. Data sources for the overview are: testing results from motor carrier drug testing programs, roadside inspections on large trucks and buses, and fatal crash reports collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In addition to a 2011–13 overview of drug and alcohol usage estimates derived from a review of those sources, driver drug and alcohol usage highlights for 2013 are presented. KW - Alcohol use KW - Bus drivers KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Drug use KW - Truck drivers UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60547/RRA-15-025-Drug_-Alcohol-Broad-View-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440289 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618827 AU - Otto, Jay AU - Finley, Kari AU - Ward, Nicholas J AU - Western Transportation Institute AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - An assessment of traffic safety culture related to driving after cannabis use PY - 2016/12//Final Report SP - 80p AB - The purpose of this project was to develop a better understanding of the traffic safety culture (i.e., shared values, beliefs, and attitudes) of driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC). A survey was developed based on an augmented integrated model of behavior and was implemented using mailed and internet-based methods. Adults age 18 and older from the U.S. responded. Two states with legalized recreational use of cannabis (Colorado and Washington) were oversampled. The survey measured DUIC behavior, intention, willingness, attitudes, behavioral beliefs, perceived norms, and perceived control. About half of the individuals who had used cannabis in the past 12 months reported driving within four hours of use. Partial correlation coefficients showed that many components of the model correlated with willingness to DUIC. Significant differences in attitudes and beliefs were found between non-users of cannabis, users of cannabis, and those who DUIC. No differences in beliefs or attitudes were found between states with and without legalized recreational use laws nor between states with legalized medical use laws. Recommendations for strategies to reduce DUIC are provided. KW - Attitudes KW - Behavior KW - Drugged drivers KW - Highway safety KW - Legal factors KW - Marijuana KW - Recreational use statutes KW - Safety culture KW - Surveys KW - United States UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/research/docs/research_proj/tsc/DUIC_FINAL_REPORT.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1439979 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614925 AU - Siabil, Salar Zabihi AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Integration of Heuristics and Statistics to Improve the Quality of Network-level Pavement Condition Data PY - 2016/12 SP - 172p AB - Transportation agencies use pavement management systems (PMSs) to make efficient decisions about allocating available resources to the maintenance, rehabilitation, and renewal of their roadway networks. One of the most costly parts of the PMS process is collecting pavement condition data. The efficiency and reliability of decisions made based on PMSs depend upon the quality of this data. Thus, transportation agencies need to ensure that dollars invested in this data are well spent, and pavement condition data has the level of quality necessary to meet PMS requirements. Therefore, assessing and improving the quality of pavement management data is a major challenge for both researchers and practitioners. This study advances the quality assessment of network-level pavement condition data by answering the following questions: (a) How can we identify potential errors in pavement condition data used in PMSs? (b) How do multiple dimensions of error detection affect our ability to detect errors? (c) How does the accuracy of pavement condition data impact predictions of future road network performance? And (d) How do we measure multiple quality dimensions of pavement condition datasets? First, this research devises and implements a computational method to identify potential errors in pavement condition data, integrating conventional statistical methods and heuristics. Second, the effect of considering multiple dimensions of error detection in pavement condition data was investigated. These dimensions are based on data properties, including time series trends in pavement condition data, variability within uniform performance families, and the consistency between several performance indicators. Third, this research presents a quantitative assessment of the impact of data accuracy on the estimated remaining service life (RSL) of a roadway network as an overall measure of network health. Finally, it provides metrics for measuring data quality dimensions for pavement condition datasets. The developed technique was validated using pavement condition field data for a road network in Texas. The technique has the advantage of differentiating between extreme yet valid data points and potential errors. In addition, accounting for several properties of pavement condition data to identify potential errors improves the results of this technique. It is hoped that this research will enable pavement engineers to identify potential errors in pavement condition data, and more effectively assure data quality. KW - Accuracy KW - Condition surveys KW - Data collection KW - Errors KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Metrics (Quantitative assessment) KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavement performance KW - Quality assurance KW - Service life KW - Statistical analysis KW - Texas UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00052-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426346 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614853 AU - Rahman, Syeda Farhana AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Southwest Region University Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Modeling Deformation of Freezing Concrete: Towards the Identification of D-cracking Susceptible Aggregates and Construction of all Concrete LNG Tanks PY - 2016/12 SP - 187p AB - For many decades, degradation of concrete by freezing actions has been a primary interest of research for civil engineers. Past studies mostly relied on expensive and time-consuming experimental or semi-empirical investigations to identify the source of damage that is attributable to substandard aggregates, inadequate entrained air content, highly porous mortar or cement matrix, and use of deicing salts. Theoretical works developed in recent years do not incorporate all these factors in one single model. Very recently, concrete has gained widespread popularity as a cheap alternative to traditional material utilized for containing liquefied natural gas (LNG). Most studies documenting concrete behavior at cryogenic temperatures are obscure. Therefore, poroelastic theory, capable of incorporating aggregate and mortar properties, pore solution characteristics, air void spacing, and environmental exposure has been utilized to model damage triggering stresses and strain in concrete used for two purposes: 1) concrete pavement exposed to freezing and thawing cycles, and 2) concrete walled tanks containing LNG. The solid-liquid phase transformation equilibrium has been redeveloped to demonstrate the effect of pore solution speciation and disjoining pressure on the deformation of freezing concrete. The modeled trends are in good agreement with experimental results obtained from literature. It has been found that the damage initiating tensile stresses, exhibited at the aggregate-matrix boundary for both the air-entrained and non-air-entrained concrete, can be exacerbated by the Mandel-Cryer effect induced by the delayed relaxation of the pore pressure from the aggregate center. The model suggests that high-porosity, low-permeability aggregates are the most vulnerable to D-cracking. Concrete with low-porosity, low-permeability mortar matrix, typical of mortar containing supplementary cementitious materials and/or low water to cement ratio, can withstand freezing deformation even with a spacing factor larger than the recommended value. In addition, thermodynamic analysis shows that the disjoining force favors crystal growth, while the dissolved ions suppress the freezing point but are still capable of building high hydraulic pressure in the pore network. The authors believe that implementation of these models will help practitioners select appropriate combinations and proportions of concrete mixture constituents to build safe, economic, and durable concrete structures. KW - Aggregates KW - Air voids KW - Concrete pavements KW - Concrete structures KW - D cracking KW - Deformation KW - Freeze thaw durability KW - Freezing KW - Liquefied natural gas KW - Mix design KW - Storage tanks KW - Tanks (Containers) KW - Thermal properties UR - http://swutc.tamu.edu/publications/technicalreports/600451-00053-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426347 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622660 AU - Lautala, Pasi AU - Pouryousef, Hamed AU - Michigan Technological University AU - National University Rail Center (NURail) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Rescheduling/Timetable Optimization of Trains Along the U.S. Shared-Use Corridors – Development of the Hybrid Optimization of Train Schedules (HOTS) Model PY - 2016/11/23/Final Report SP - 105p AB - This research investigated the concept of capacity methodologies and their relationship with the capacity utilization and/or level of service (LOS) metrics. While the objective of capacity analysis is common, there are several differences between the U.S. and European rail systems that affect the approaches, tools and outcomes of analysis. For instance, the research team learned that European capacity analysis tends to be linked to the UIC 406 method, while the U.S. does not seem to have as extensive principles as the European case studies, but the methodologies vary more from one study to another. As part of this research, a hybrid simulation methodology was developed and tested to learn more about two common simulation tools/methodologies in the U.S. and Europe. In this hybrid simulation approach, an initial timetable was developed in the RTC (a U.S. based simulation software) as input for RailSys, (a European simulation software); and then the RailSys timetable compression technique was applied to investigate the trade-off between capacity utilization/LOS. The adjusted timetable developed by RailSys was then imported back to RTC as input, so the results could be validated. Although the results of this hybrid simulation approach was promising in terms of applying timetable compression technique over a U.S. single track case study; the procedure was time consuming and required significant level of expertise. To address the limitations of the hybrid simulation approach, a new analytical model, “Hybrid Optimization of Train Schedules” (HOTS) was developed. HOTS model is a multi-objective linear programming (LP) model that works together with commercial rail simulation tools to improve capacity utilization and/or LOS metrics. The HOTS model can develop a conflict-free and compressed timetable of trains under both same-order and order-free scheduling approaches for different infrastructure orientation (single and multiple-track corridors under directional or bi-directional operation approach), based on user-defined flexibility parameters. The model was tested by developing several scenarios over single and multiple-track case studies and the results were promising and comparable with commercial rail simulation tools. KW - Case studies KW - Europe KW - Level of service KW - Linear programming KW - Methodology KW - Optimization KW - Railroad traffic KW - Schedules and scheduling KW - Simulation KW - Transportation corridors KW - United States UR - http://www.nurailcenter.org/research/final_reports/MTU/NURail2013-MTU-R07_Final_Report_Rescheduling_reduced_size.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442078 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01617672 TI - Traffic Control Device (TCD) Consortium AB - This project is no longer accepting funding. Please make your commitments to project TPF-5(316) To assemble a consortium composed of regional, State, local entities, appropriate organizations and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to (1) establish a systematic procedure to select, test, and evaluate approaches to novel Traffic Control Devices (TCD) concepts as well as incorporation of results into the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD); (2) select novel TCD approaches to test and evaluate; (3) determine methods of evaluation for novel TCD approaches; (4) initiate and monitor projects intended to address evaluation of the novel TCDs; (5) disseminate results; and 6) assist MUTCD incorporation and implementation of results. KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Implementation KW - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices KW - Test procedures KW - Traffic control devices UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/281 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435390 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01617673 TI - The Influence of Vehicular Live Loads on Bridge Performance (modified 7/2013) AB - As truck weights and volumes increase and the bridge infrastructure ages, owners have a vital need to access quality truck and load performance data for bridge management and operations decision-making purposes. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of truck traffic on bridge performance. This multi-year study will collect quality truck traffic and loads data (volumes, classifications, size, weights, and other relevant data) by installing, maintaining, calibrating, and utilizing instrumentation at selected bridge sites nationally, for the purpose of calibrating bridge specifications and quantifying load-induced deterioration of bridge elements and systems to establish bridge performance and serviceability criteria for improved long-term bridge performance, management and operations. KW - Bridge management systems KW - Calibration KW - Deterioration by environmental action KW - Live loads KW - Performance KW - Truck traffic KW - Weight measurement UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/519 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435379 ER - TY - SER AN - 01625804 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Open Source Surrogate Safety Assessment Model, 2017 Enhancement and Update: SSAM v3.0 PY - 2016/11/17 SP - 2p AB - This TechBrief describes the development of an open source surrogate safety assessment model (SSAM) software with improved safety measures, 3D conflict graphics, and advanced computing enhancements. SSAM is a popular safety tool box that utilizes the microscopic traffic simulation vehicle trajectories to generate safety performance measures such as: Minimum time to collision (TTC); Minimum post-encroachment time (PET); Initial deceleration rate (DR); Maximum speed (MaxS); Maximum relative speed difference (DeltaS); Location of the conflict event (CLSP, CLEP); and Maximum “post collision” DeltaV (MaxDeltaV). KW - Microsimulation KW - Surrogate Safety Assessment Model KW - Traffic conflicts KW - Traffic safety KW - Traffic simulation KW - Vehicle trajectories UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/operations/17027/17027.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442727 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619028 AU - Department of Transportation TI - FAA Achieved Most of the Anticipated Cost Savings from Contracting Out Flight Service Stations, but Needs to Determine the Future Direction of the Program PY - 2016/11/16/Audit Report SP - 23p AB - In February 2005, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin Services, Inc. (Lockheed Martin) to operate the Agency’s 58 flight service stations in the continental US, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. At that time, the $1.8 billion contract represented one of the Federal Government’s largest efforts to contract out services outside of the Department of Defense. By contracting these services, FAA anticipated cost savings of approximately $2.2 billion over a 13-year period. In October 2005, Lockheed Martin took responsibility for the stations’ operations and approximately 2,000 FAA flight specialists and support staff became Lockheed Martin employees. In 2001, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) recommended that FAA develop a strategy to consolidate its 61 flight service stations. In 2007, OIG reported on the conversion of flight service stations to contractor operations and testified on FAA’s management controls over the initial transition. OIG found that FAA had implemented effective controls over the transition of flight service stations to contractor operations but OIG could not be certain that the controls would be sufficient to maintain the quality of services or that the Agency would achieve the anticipated savings. OIG recommended that FAA needed to improve controls in key areas, such as monitoring contractor staffing levels and user complaints. OIG self-initiated this audit as a follow-up to their 2007 audit. OIG's objectives were to (1) determine whether FAA achieved the original contract’s anticipated cost savings, and (2) assess FAA’s oversight of the program. OIG also reviewed information regarding FAA’s future plans for the program. OIG include their observations on the potential implications of planned changes for airspace users and FAA’s oversight in this report. KW - Contracting out KW - Costs KW - Flight service stations KW - Oversight KW - Savings KW - Strategic planning KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/FAA%20Flight%20Service%20Station%20Program_Final%20Report%5E11-16-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1439978 ER - TY - SER AN - 01625802 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Microscopic Traffic Simulation Models and Software: An Open Source Approach PY - 2016/11/11 SP - 4p AB - This TechBrief describes research on the development of an open source microscopic traffic simulation software with proven traffic models, advanced computing algorithms, and a distributed/cross platform application programming interface. The research was conducted between 2008 and 2017. The ETFOMM (Enhanced Transportation Flow Open-source Microscopic Model) Cloud Service (ECS) is a software product sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) “Microscopic Traffic Simulation Models and Software - An Open Source Approach” project. ETFOMM’s primary components are the core microscopic traffic simulation engine (ESE), a graphical user input editor (ETEditor), a 3D traffic visualization tool (ETAnimator), and a database in cloud service environment (ECS). ETFOMM has been tested in a Mississippi Department of Transportation Integrated Corridor Management Project, and is being used in a connected vehicle research project at the Saxton Transportation Operations Lab at FHWA’s Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center. ETFOMM supports traffic signal controller hardware-in-the-loop simulation and will support connected vehicle communication-in-the-loop simulation. KW - Cloud computing KW - Communication in the loop simulation KW - Connected vehicles KW - Hardware in the loop simulation KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Microsimulation KW - Mississippi Department of Transportation KW - Open source software KW - Traffic models KW - Traffic signal controllers KW - Traffic simulation UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/operations/17028/17028.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442728 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619029 AU - Department of Transportation AU - Leon Snead and Company TI - Quality Control Review of Audited Financial Statements for Fiscal Year 2016: Surface Transportation Board PY - 2016/11/10/Audit Report SP - 110p AB - Leon Snead & Company, P.C. of Rockville, Maryland, completed the audit of the Surface Transportation Board's (STB’s) financial statements as of and for the year ended September 30, 2016 under contract to the Office of Inspector General. Leon Snead reported one significant deficiency in internal control over financial reporting. The report did not include any instances of reportable noncompliance with tested laws and regulations. Accounting errors related to the recording of liabilities and researching and correcting of abnormal balances materially impacted STB’s June 30, 2016 interim financial statements. As a result, STB’s Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) liabilities were understated by $799,000 and undelivered orders were understated by at least $297,000. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) performed a quality control review (QCR) of Leon Snead’s report and related documentation. This QCR, as differentiated from an audit performed in accordance with generally accepted Government auditing standards, was not intended to express, and does not express, an opinion on STB’s financial statements or conclusions about the effectiveness of internal controls or compliance with laws and regulations. Leon Snead made two recommendations to strengthen STB’s financial reporting controls: (1) STB officials should ensure that unfunded FECA liabilities and FECA actuarial liabilities are calculated and included in year-end financial statements and related footnotes and (2) STB officials should ensure that significant abnormal general ledger balances are researched and corrected prior to preparation of financial reports. OIG agreed with the recommendations and is not making any additional recommendations. STB concurred with the significant deficiency, agreed with the recommendations, and committed to implementing corrective actions. KW - Auditing KW - Financial analysis KW - Liabilities KW - Quality control KW - Recommendations KW - Reports KW - U.S. Surface Transportation Board UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/STB%20Financial%20Statement%20QCR%20FY%202016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436192 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618147 AU - Department of Transportation TI - Total Costs, Schedules, and Benefits of FAA's NextGen Transformational Programs Remain Uncertain PY - 2016/11/10/Audit Report SP - 33p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is a multibillion-dollar set of initiatives intended to modernize the United States' aging air traffic system and provide more efficient air transportation. To meet these goals, FAA identified six “transformational” programs that are expected to provide a platform of capabilities necessary to support NextGen. Specifically, these programs will provide new capabilities such as a precise satellite-based surveillance system and digital data communications for air traffic controllers and pilots. FAA has invested over $3 billion in these transformational programs since 2007 and has faced challenges in implementing them. In April 2012, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported that FAA’s progress in implementing the transformational programs has been limited by a lack of finalized program requirements and that FAA had not established total program costs, schedules, or performance baselines for any of the six transformational programs. Given the importance of the transformational programs to NextGen, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation requested that OIG update the April 2012 report. Accordingly, the audit objectives were to identify (1) formal changes FAA has made to its programs’ scope, including costs and schedules, and (2) adjustments in FAA’s anticipated benefits with respect to improving the flow of air traffic and reducing Agency costs. KW - Air traffic KW - Air traffic control KW - Benefits KW - Costs KW - Implementation KW - Next Generation Air Transportation System KW - Performance measurement KW - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/FAA%27s%20Transformational%20Programs%20Report_issued%20Nov%2010_508.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435258 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616860 AU - U.S. Government Accountability Office AU - Department of Transportation TI - Independent Auditor's Report on Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures: Fiscal Year 2016 Excise Tax Distributions to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and the Highway Trust Fund PY - 2016/11/09 SP - 20p AB - This audit was performed by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) at the request of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to assist the OIG in ascertaining whether the net excise tax revenue distributed to the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) and the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, is supported by underlying records. The procedures performed related to (1) transactions that represent the underlying basis of amounts distributed from the General Fund to the AATF and the HTF during fiscal year 2016, (2) the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) quarterly AATF and HTF excise tax receipt certifications prepared during fiscal year 2016, (3) the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Tax Analysis’s (OTA) estimates of excise tax amounts to be distributed to the AATF and the HTF for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2016, and (4) the amount of net excise taxes to be distributed to the AATF and the HTF during fiscal year 2016. KW - Airport and Airway Trust Fund KW - Excise tax KW - Highway Trust Fund KW - Internal Revenue Service KW - Records management KW - Revenues KW - Taxes KW - U.S. Department of the Treasury UR - http://www.gao.gov/assets/690/680906.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429221 ER - TY - SER AN - 01618810 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Traffic Bottlenecks: Identification and Solutions PY - 2016/11/04 SP - 4p AB - This document is a technical summary of the Federal Highway Administration report, “Traffic Bottlenecks: Identification and Solutions” (FHWA-HRT-16-064). This TechBrief describes research on modernized congestion identification and cost-effective mitigation strategies that are not dependent on advanced vehicle technology. The research was conducted between 2013 and 2016. KW - Bottlenecks KW - Congestion management systems KW - Detection and identification KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic mitigation UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/operations/16064/16064.pdf UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/operations/17019/17019.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1437079 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618682 AU - Markiewicz, Alexandra AU - Fisher, Frances AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - National Park Service TI - Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Transportation Assistance Group Report PY - 2016/11/02/Final Report SP - 66p AB - The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site (NHS), a National Park Service (NPS) site, in Plains, Georgia currently comprises four distinct sites associated with former President Jimmy Carter: The Boyhood Farm, where he was raised; the Plains Depot, which was the headquarters of his 1976 Presidential Campaign; the former Plains High School, where he attended grades 1 through 11; and the Carter Compound, the house where the former President currently resides. This last site is closed to the public as the Carters are in residence; the other three sites are open to the public. The four sites are located within 2.5 miles of each other, on separate parcels of land. The disconnected nature of the three publicly accessible sites makes facilitating visitor movement among them challenging. The sites are integrated with commercial and residential areas in Plains and sit on either side of US 280, a US highway running through Georgia and Alabama. Navigation and safety for visitors are therefore major concerns for the Park. This report summarizes the key issues related to navigation and safety and identifies next steps the Park and key stakeholders can take to alleviate these issues. KW - Bicycle travel KW - Jimmy Carter National Historic Site KW - National Park Service KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Signs KW - Tourists KW - Transportation planning KW - Visitor transportation systems KW - Wayfinding UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60412/DOT-VNTSC-NPS-17-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436167 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01617686 AU - Department of Transportation TI - Improvements in FTA’s Safety Oversight Policies and Procedures could Strengthen Program Implementation and Address Persistent Challenges PY - 2016/11/02/Audit Report SP - 23p AB - The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has a critical and evolving role in the safety of the Nation’s rail transit systems. Under the State Safety Oversight (SSO) program created in 1991,1 FTA oversees SSO agencies (SSOA) that monitor the safety of rail transit agencies. In 2012, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) identified actions for FTA to take if it were granted enhanced rail transit safety oversight and enforcement authority as well as challenges it could face. Shortly thereafter, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) enhanced FTA’s safety authority, including allowing it to assume SSO responsibilities in the absence of an effective SSOA. Recent incidents have demonstrated weaknesses in the safety performance and oversight of some rail transit systems. For example, in January 2015, a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail train was involved in a serious incident in which 1 passenger died, and 91 people were injured. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) subsequently determined that the Tri-State Oversight Committee (TOC), the SSOA that monitored Metrorail, lacked sufficient resources, technical capacity, and enforcement authority to carry out its safety oversight responsibilities. NTSB recommended that the Department seek congressional action to specifically allow the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to assume regulatory oversight of WMATA Metrorail. In October 2015, the Secretary of Transportation directed FTA to assume direct safety oversight for Metrorail until the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia establish a fully functioning and capable SSOA. Based on previous work, OIG determined FTA may face significant challenges in carrying out its enhanced rail transit safety oversight and enforcement authority. Accordingly, OIG initiated this audit to assess FTA’s actions to assume and relinquish direct safety oversight of a rail transit agency. As part of the review, OIG is also providing an update on FTA’s progress toward addressing the challenges to enhanced safety oversight as identified in 2012. The review did not assess which Operating Administration—FTA or FRA—was better suited to assume direct safety oversight of WMATA. OIG identified criteria including laws, regulations, FTA guidance, the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government (Green Book), and prior work. OIG reviewed documentation and interviewed officials from FTA, WMATA, SSOAs, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). KW - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) KW - Oversight KW - Policy KW - Rail transit KW - State Safety Oversight program KW - Transit safety KW - U.S. Federal Transit Administration KW - Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/FTA%20Safety%20Oversight%20Final%20Report%5E11-02-2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1434761 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01617675 TI - Stormwater Testing and Maintainability Center AB - The specific aim of this proposal is to provide funding for the Stormwater Technology Testing Center (STTC) calibration through completion, refinement, and testing of run protocols and business procedures. Proper calibration is essential to assure fair, repeatable, and defensible results when measuring maintainability. In support of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) research initiatives (for SP&R funds), the STTC and associated calibrated protocols and procedures will be ideal for downstream Technology Transfer opportunities nationwide. Further, once the facility is fully operational with calibrated run protocols and procedures, stormwater treatment research will be possible, and the run protocols and procedures can be applied to new testing facilities. KW - Calibration KW - Drainage KW - Runoff KW - Technology transfer KW - Test facilities KW - Test procedures UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/607 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435437 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01625793 TI - Case Study/Beta Test of Updated Model Motorcoach Curriculum AB - Facilitation services to manage this beta test will be acquired from an expert bus industry consultancy. Recommendations for candidate participants will be sought through bus industry associations and other channels. This will include consideration of a number of carriers and schools. There is also the possibility of a volunteer manufacturer converting the Microsoft (MS) Word and PowerPoint materials into online or blended materials. Ways to ensure that the final curriculum will become an ongoing industry product (with updates as necessary) will be explored. KW - Bus transportation KW - Case studies KW - Driver training KW - Education and training methods KW - Motor Coach KW - Telecommunications UR - www.fmcsa.dot.gov UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1455186 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624400 AU - Laustsen, Kelly AU - Mah, Susan AU - Semler, Conor AU - Nordback, Krista AU - Sandt, Laura AU - Sundstrom, Carl AU - Raw, Jeremy AU - Jessberger, Steven AU - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill AU - Kittelson & Associates AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Coding Nonmotorized Station Location Information in the 2016 Traffic Monitoring Guide Format PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 127p AB - The purpose of this guide is to make it easier for users to understand how the Traffic Monitoring Guide (TMG) format describes the information that should be collected when counting multimodal users, as well as how to format that information correctly. Successfully encoding count data in the TMG format is very important for obtaining the greatest value from collected counts. As with the motorized formats, the TMG nonmotorized format will be the required format for data submitted to the Traffic Monitoring Analysis System (TMAS), a national database maintained by the Federal Highway Administration that is currently being extended to receive nonmotorized count data. This guide walks through the TMG format and provides examples from a variety of counting scenarios. KW - Coding systems KW - Data collection KW - Handbooks KW - Nonmotorized transportation KW - Traffic counting KW - Traffic surveillance UR - https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/tmg_coding/fhwahep17011.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445973 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624399 AU - Conway, Alison AU - Wang, Xiaokun AU - Chen, Quanquan AU - Schmid, Joshua AU - City College of New York AU - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Freight Costs at the Curbside PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 60p AB - This research aims to evaluate the different parking conditions that drivers face in critical areas of New York City, to examine the variables that impact their curbside behavior, and to develop recommendations to improve curb management. To accomplish this task, this study includes three major components: (1) an international review of literature and best practices; (2) a case study investigating existing parking availability and parking violation behavior in varying land use areas of Manhattan, New York City using available datasets from the NYC Department of City Planning, NYC Department of Finance and the NYC Department of Transportation; and (3) a case study employing a survival analysis modeling approach to investigate the relationship of parking duration with operator and regulatory factors using field data collected from a related study. Results from these analyses suggest that there are overall, spatial, and temporal mismatches between parking supply available to commercial vehicles in NYC and modern freight demands. The report identifies a number of specific considerations that should be taken into account when determining zoning requirements, curb regulations, and street designs in an urban area with limited curbside space. KW - Behavior KW - Best practices KW - Case studies KW - Commercial drivers KW - Curb side parking KW - Freight traffic KW - Literature reviews KW - New York (New York) KW - Parking KW - Parking regulations KW - Parking violations KW - Recommendations KW - Urban areas UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/Final-Report-Freight-Costs-at-Curbside.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445495 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01623572 AU - Hammond, Rebecca L AU - Hanowski, Richard J AU - Miller, Andrew M AU - Soccolich, Susan A AU - Farrell, Laura J AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Distraction and Drowsiness in Motorcoach Drivers PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 147p AB - Despite the large number of motorcoaches in the United States, there has been limited research on motorcoach operations. With more than 15 billion miles traveled per year and the transport of millions of people, crashes, when they occur, can involve multiple injuries and deaths. Driver error is often cited as a factor in these crashes, with distraction and drowsiness being primary concerns. The current study analyzed naturalistic driving data from two motorcoach fleets, 43 instrumented motorcoaches, and 65 drivers. Data analyzed for this study were collected from May 2013 to July 2014. The data set produced 1,086 valid safety critical events (SCEs) events, including 17 crashes. To support the analyses, 4,600 baseline epochs (normative driving) were identified and coded. Four sets of analyses focused on the following: Secondary and driving-related task engagement; Environmental conditions; Eye glance analyses; and Drowsiness. Task types with the highest risk (odds ratios) were: reaching for an object; external distractions; and a novel distraction for motorcoach drivers, intercom use. Very few SCEs were coded with high drowsiness. This study provides needed insight into motorcoach operations, but additional studies are needed to further investigate domain-specific issues. KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Bus crashes KW - Bus drivers KW - Buses KW - Data analysis KW - Distraction KW - Drowsiness KW - Safety-critical events UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60466/15-017-Distraction_and_Drowsiness_in_Motorcoach_Drivers-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60467/15-017_b_-BRIEF-Distraction_and_Drowsiness_in_Motorcoach_Drivers-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441077 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01623571 AU - Miller, Andrew M AU - Krum, Andrew AU - Golusky, Mark AU - Joslin, Spencer AU - Deal, Victoria AU - Soccolich, Susan AU - Hanowski, Richard J AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Advanced System Testing Utilizing a Data Acquisition System on the Highways (FAST DASH), Safety Technology Evaluation Project #3: Novel Convex Mirrors PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 120p AB - An independent evaluation of a set of novel prototype mirrors was conducted to determine whether the mirrors perform as well as traditional production mirrors across the basic functions of field of view (FOV), image distortion, and distance estimation. Driver acceptance of prototype mirrors was evaluated, as well. The study involved a controlled test with research staff and a static evaluation with recruited participants on the Virginia Smart Road’s static test area (STA). Controlled testing determined capabilities by assessing the maximum FOV presented to specific individuals. The static evaluation allowed participants to provide feedback regarding the prototype mirrors. Driver ratings indicated a preference for the way production mirrors handled image distortion and an overall preference for production mirrors on trucks. Analyses show a larger FOV with increased distortion in prototype over production mirrors, with no difference in accurately measuring distances. Recommendations are presented for next steps of mirror development, a follow-up controlled test on the Virginia Smart Road, and field operational testing with fleets using these prototype mirrors. KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Convex mirrors KW - Distance perception KW - Distortion (Optics) KW - Exterior mirrors (Vehicles) KW - Field of view KW - Motor carriers KW - Prototypes KW - Recommendations KW - Virginia Smart Road UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60468/15-021-FAST_DASH_3-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441082 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01623570 AU - Krum, Andrew AU - Bowman, Darrell S AU - Soccolich, Susan AU - Deal, Victoria AU - Golusky, Mark AU - Joslin, Spencer AU - Miller, Andrew AU - Hanowski, Richard J AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Advanced System Testing Utilizing a Data Acquisition System on the Highways (FAST DASH), Safety Technology Evaluation Project #2: Driver Monitoring PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 100p AB - An independent evaluation of a non-video-based onboard monitoring system (OBMS) was conducted. The objective was to determine if the OBMS system performed reliably, improved driving safety and performance, and improved fuel efficiency in a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operation. The study involved a controlled test on the Virginia Smart Road and a naturalistic field test with a CMV fleet. Controlled testing demonstrated capabilities for the field test. The field test demonstrated OBMS reliability with positive effects for safety but inconclusive effects for fuel efficiency. A reliability analysis indicated the OBMS provided speeding and seatbelt violations accurately 86 and 100 percent of the time, respectively. An analysis using the rate of safety-critical events (SCEs) per 10,000 miles found no reduction in SCEs from intervention to baseline. However, a trend analysis of violation frequency per 1,000 miles over vehicle operation weeks showed a significant drop in speeding violations (37 percent) and seatbelt violations (56 percent) from the baseline phase to the first 2-week intervention period. A subset of participating drivers in the field study were surveyed and indicated the OBMS was easy to use and felt it had a positive impact on their performance. Recommendations are presented for both system providers and fleets. KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Commercial vehicle operations KW - Driver monitoring KW - Field tests KW - Fuel consumption KW - Onboard monitoring KW - Reliability KW - Safety-critical events KW - Truck drivers KW - Virginia Smart Road UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60403/16-002-FAST_DASH_Final_Report-Evaluation_2-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60426/16-002-FAST_DASH_Final_Report-Evaluation_2-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441081 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01623568 AU - Hickman, Jeffrey S AU - Knipling, Ronald R AU - Olson, Rebecca L AU - Fumero, Maria C AU - Blanco, Myra AU - Hanowski, Richard J AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Light Vehicle-Heavy Vehicle Interaction Data Collection and Countermeasure Research Project PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 196p AB - The Light Vehicle-Heavy Vehicle Interaction (LV-HV) Data Collection and Countermeasure Research Project leveraged data from the Drowsy Driver Warning System Field Operational Test (DDWS FOT) to investigate a set of research issues relating to driver performance and crash causation, and not directly related to the safety benefits of the DDWS. The four priority issues and study topics selected for exploratory investigation and analysis included: Analysis of HV safety events, including LV-HV vehicle interactions; Assessment of crashes and near-crashes, and identification of countermeasures; Identification of driving patterns and work/rest schedules; and Calculation of driver risk. The data collected in the DDWS FOT between May 2004 and May 2005 encompassed approximately 50,000 hours of naturalistic driving (ND) completed by 95 volunteer commercial driver participants. The collection of additional data from other commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in different operational settings (employing a more extensive set of event analysis variables) is planned for the future. KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Car-truck interaction KW - Commercial drivers KW - Commercial vehicle operations KW - Countermeasures KW - Fatigue (Physiological condition) KW - Rest periods KW - Safety-critical events KW - Truck crashes UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60300/60395/11-029_LV-HV_Interaction__v11__FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441085 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01623567 AU - Blanco, Myra AU - Hickman, Jeffrey S AU - Olson, Rebecca L AU - Bocanegra, Joseph L AU - Hanowski, Richard J AU - Nakata, Akiko AU - Greening, Mike AU - Madison, Phillip AU - Holbrook, G Thomas AU - Bowman, Darrell AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Investigating Critical Incidents, Driver Restart Period, Sleep Quantity, and Crash Countermeasures in Commercial Vehicle Operations Using Naturalistic Data Collection PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 225p AB - This report presents the final results of an on-road naturalistic driving data collection effort to investigate light-vehicle/heavy-vehicle (LV-HV) interactions and other safety issues related to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crash risk. The three primary focus areas in this on-road study were work/rest parameters relating to driver fatigue and incident involvement, event causation, and LV-HV interaction and applicable functional countermeasures. The primary goal of this on-road study was to investigate crashes, near-crashes, and crash-relevant conflicts from the HV driver’s perspective in order to help determine functional countermeasures. Identifying these functional countermeasures is expected to assist in the development of effective technologies, enforcement strategies, training and education programs, and other specific countermeasures to reduce CMV crashes and their associated injuries and fatalities. More than 14,500 driving hours of valid data were collected during 2,200 driving shifts with almost 26,000 on-duty hours of activity recorded by drivers in daily activity registers. The instrumented trucks covered nearly 735,000 miles during recorded driving hours. Several research questions were addressed by using these data in addition to the LV-HV interactions and countermeasures. They evaluate aspects related to the restart period and sleep patterns with respect to safety-critical events (SCEs) that happened during the data collection. A total of 2,899 SCEs were identified by data analysts and analyzed in detail. These events comprise 13 crashes (8 of which are tire strikes), 61 near-crashes, 1,594 crash-relevant conflicts, 1,215 unintentional lane deviations, and 16 illegal maneuvers. In addition, the 65,000-plus hours of collected actigraphy data were analyzed to help address some of the research questions. KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Car-truck interaction KW - Commercial drivers KW - Commercial vehicle operations KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash risk KW - Critical incidents KW - Fatigue (Physiological condition) KW - Motor carriers KW - Safety-critical events KW - Sleep KW - Truck crashes UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60300/60397/13-017-Naturalistic-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441084 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01623566 AU - Bergoffen, Gene AU - Vlahos, Nick AU - Robin, Jerry AU - Leaman, Howard AU - MaineWay Services, Incorporated AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Feasibility Study for Electronic Fitness for Duty Medical Examination Reporting and Oversight PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 108p AB - This report examines the institutional and high-level technology aspects associated with potential mandated electronic reporting of every commercial driver license (CDL) driver fitness-for-duty medical examination performed by a medical examiner on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME). To gauge views and concerns of effected stakeholders, the research team developed a “Base Scenario” outlining the elements of the potential system. A review via interviews was conducted, a similar concept administered by the Federal Aviation Administration was examined, ongoing electronic medical records initiatives in the Department of Health and Human Services were examined, and related third-party system approaches were studied. A historical review was conducted of related recommendations from Congress and other institutions, including the Commercial Driver’s License Advisory Committee. Implementation of the NRCME will improve the quality of medical examinations. However, it will not close the number of significant gaps that allow fraud. Based on the findings of these reviews and stakeholder input, three alternative approaches to a mandated electronic records system were examined, including a nationally-based system, a distributed State-based system, and a distributed medical examiner-based system. Architectural approaches were defined and analyzed relating to each approach. The researchers concluded that the most effective approach for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration consideration would be a nationally-managed system that would address the gaps. Appendix C outlines a proof of concept to test and evaluate the recommendations for implementing electronic transmission and housing of medical status and examination reports in an accessible database. KW - Commercial drivers KW - Commercial drivers licenses KW - Electronic reporting KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Fitness to drive KW - Medical examinations and tests KW - National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60300/60396/RRR-12-001-Fit-for-Duty-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441080 ER - TY - SER AN - 01623565 JO - Technology Brief PB - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - FMCSA’s Advanced System Testing Utilizing a Data Acquisition System on the Highways (FAST DASH) Safety Technology Evaluation Project #2: Driver Monitoring PY - 2016/11 SP - 2p AB - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) established the FAST DASH program to perform efficient independent evaluations of promising safety technologies aimed at commercial vehicle operations. In this second FAST DASH safety technology evaluation project, researchers evaluated an onboard monitoring system (OBMS). The tested OBMS—the waySmart® 820—is a fleet risk management system that requires fleet management interaction. The tested monitoring technology varies significantly from other OBMSs, in that it applies kinematic measures (such as accelerometers) to track aggressive driving, but it does not capture video for manager review, which may make the driver less conscious of the monitoring system. The tested OBMS includes seatbelt usage monitoring and proprietary “Speed-by-Street™” monitoring, which compares real-time vehicle speed to preexisting speed maps. A feature of the tested OBMS is its driver-vehicle interface display, which sounds an audible verbal alert when speeding, seatbelt, or aggressive driving criteria have been exceeded. Evaluation of the effectiveness and accuracy of this OBMS can serve to provide operating fleets with a better understanding of how to apply this technology, and technology vendors with a better understanding of how to improve their systems to meet the needs of fleets and their drivers. Results of the field study, which indicated that the OBMS performed reliably and had positive effects on driver performance, are summarized in this Technology Brief. KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Commercial vehicle operations KW - Driver monitoring KW - Field studies KW - Fleet management KW - Onboard monitoring KW - Risk management KW - Truck drivers UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60425/RRT-16-002b-FAST_DASH_2_Technical_Brief-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441078 ER - TY - SER AN - 01623564 JO - Technology Brief PB - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - FMCSA’s Advanced System Testing Utilizing a Data Acquisition System on the Highways (FAST DASH) Safety Technology Evaluation Project #3: Novel Convex Mirrors PY - 2016/11 SP - 2p AB - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) established the FAST DASH program to perform efficient independent evaluations of promising safety technologies aimed at commercial vehicle operations. In this third FAST DASH safety technology evaluation project, researchers evaluated a set of novel prototype mirrors to determine whether the mirrors perform as well as traditional production mirrors across the basic functions of field of view (FOV), image distortion, and distance estimation. Photographs of both types of mirrors and a summary of key findings are presented in this Technology Brief. KW - Automatic data collection systems KW - Commercial vehicle operations KW - Convex mirrors KW - Distance perception KW - Distortion (Optics) KW - Exterior mirrors (Vehicles) KW - Field of view KW - Motor carriers KW - Prototypes UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60469/RRT-15-021b-FAST_DASH_3-Technology_Brief-FINAL-508.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441079 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01623562 AU - Murray, Dan AU - Pickett, Racquel AU - Flanigan, Chris AU - American Transportation Research Institute AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Onboard Safety Systems/Trucking Industry Demographics PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 112p AB - Research sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in 2008 documented discrete safety technology investment differences that exist across motor carrier fleet sizes. In response, this research analyzed the use of onboard safety systems (OSSs) by small carriers (fewer than 50 power units), drivers/owner-operators, and the requisite OSS investment motivators and barriers. This research identified and measured OSS investment and deployment patterns within the trucking industry by mapping carrier-level OSS use with financial and operational differences by fleet size. The research findings provide guidance on the challenges and unique perspectives that various industry sectors have toward adopting OSS technologies. These technologies were limited to Stability Control Systems (SCSs), Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWSs), and Collision Warning Systems (CWSs). This information can provide industry stakeholders and Government representatives with investment thresholds and requirements, potential adoption strategies, and public-private collaboration opportunities. KW - Collision warning systems KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Electronic stability control KW - Fleet size KW - Investments KW - Lane departure warning systems KW - Onboard systems KW - Trucking KW - Trucking safety UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60300/60399/13-034-OSS-ID-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441086 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622661 AU - Qin, Xiao AU - He, Zhaoxiang AU - Wang, Hao AU - University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee AU - Rutgers University, New Brunswick AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Pavement Management System for City of Madison PY - 2016/11 SP - 146p AB - In this study, a complete pavement management system (PMS) was created and implemented in Madison, South Dakota. The system consists of a street geodatabase, development of pavement performance models and maintenance & rehabilitation (M&R) plans. The PMS database includes an accurate road geographic information systems (GIS) map and information pertinent to pavement such as street inventory, pavement conditions, traffic conditions, history of maintenance and improvement work, and costs. Pavement Condition Index (PCI) was selected as a composite pavement performance measure which incorporates distress type, quantity, and severity. Pavement condition was evaluated based on a field survey. Pavements with similar characteristics (e.g., pavement structure, traffic, weather) were grouped together because they are expected to behave and deteriorate in a similar and consistent manner under the same environment. The performance functions were then created based on pavement age and pavement conditions for each group. M&R plans were analyzed and recommended using MicroPAVER based on various budget scenarios. Four types of M&R treatment were considered: localized stopgap (safety), localized preventive treatment, global preventive treatment, and major repairs. Within the current city’s budget, several M&R five-year plans were developed, analyzed and compared by maximizing the overall pavement conditions and minimizing the percentage of poor pavement areas by the end of 2020. KW - Budgeting KW - Condition surveys KW - Geographic information systems KW - Madison (South Dakota) KW - Pavement distress KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavement performance KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) UR - http://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/downloads/mpc16-314.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442043 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622507 AU - Perdue, Nicholas Adam AU - University of Oregon, Eugene AU - National Institute for Transportation and Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Cognitive Agents and Pedestrian-Oriented Redevelopment PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 152p AB - Walking is one of the most commonplace forms of human expressions, yet the forms, motivations, and practices of walking vary greatly and are often at odds with dominant discourses in urban and transportation planning. As interest in pedestrian-oriented studies continues to grow, there is danger that dominant discourses will continue to reinforce the framing of pedestrians and the practices of walking as slower moving versions of the private automobile and ignore deeply embedded emotional, personal, and cognitive aspects. As such, understandings of pedestrian transportation and human agency during walking must be explored in increasingly human-centered terms in order to understand how changes to the material environment actually impact people and daily practices. The purpose of this dissertation is to give considerably more attention to the human elements of walking by creating a set of new theoretical and practical frameworks for deeper representations of the pedestrian in the urban space and within a larger transportation system. The three articles presented in this dissertation outline an alternative, human-centered representation of the pedestrian, providing theoretical, methodological, and practical solutions to conceptualize how soft variables such as emotion, motivation, and especially cognition influence the practices of walking. KW - Behavior KW - Cognition KW - Computer models KW - Emotions KW - Motivation KW - Pedestrians KW - Redevelopment KW - Transportation planning KW - Walking UR - http://ppms.trec.pdx.edu/media/project_files/NITC-D-975_Pedestrian_Modeling_and_Agent_Cognition.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442274 ER - TY - SER AN - 01622425 JO - Analysis Brief PB - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Analysis of FMCSA Civil Penalty Enforcement Cases, 2010–14 PY - 2016/11 SP - 5p AB - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is responsible for ensuring that all truck and bus companies, drivers and other entities regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) comply with all Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). These entities can be subject to FMCSA enforcement action taken in conjunction with compliance reviews, complaint investigations, terminal audits, roadside inspections, or other actions. These enforcement cases may result in the issuance of civil penalties (fines). This analysis brief provides an overview of the civil penalty process and an analysis of FMCSA’s civil penalty data from January 2010 through December 2014, in terms of claimed, settled, and suspended dollar amounts; violations associated with these penalties; and the time required for the Agency to process such cases. A figure is presented which provides an overview of the civil penalty process followed by FMCSA. KW - Civil penalties KW - Compliance KW - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations KW - Fines (Penalties) KW - Law enforcement KW - Motor carriers KW - Prosecution KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration KW - Violations UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60463/RRA-15-016_b__Civil_Penalties_Analysis_Brief-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441071 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622423 AU - Fitzpatrick, Kay AU - Brewer, Marcus AU - Epps, Jon AU - Stockton, Bill AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Briefing Sheets on Safety and Operations of Rural Two-Lane Highways PY - 2016/11//Technical Report SP - 16p AB - The safety and operations of Texas rural two-lane highways are being affected by increased traffic associated with the energy sector, including the unique characteristics of heavy trucks. Researchers reviewed existing conditions on select rural two-lane highways along with recent literature to develop the following two-page briefing sheets: Length and Spacing of Super 2 Passing Lanes; Operational Characteristics of Super 2 Corridors; Safety Characteristics of Super 2 Corridors; Signing and Marking on Super 2 Corridors; and Turn Lanes on Rural Highways. KW - Highway operations KW - Highway safety KW - Passing lanes KW - Road markings KW - Rural highways KW - Super 2 corridors KW - Texas KW - Traffic signs KW - Turning lanes KW - Two lane highways UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60491/0-6806-TTI-P1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441073 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622379 AU - Schneider, William AU - Miller, Tyler M AU - Holik, William A AU - University of Akron AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Route Optimization Phase 1 PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 116p AB - For winter maintenance purposes, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) deploys a fleet of approximately 1,600 snow plow trucks that maintain 43,000 lane miles of roadway. These trucks are based out of 200 garages, yards, and outposts that also house 650,000 tons of salt (ODOT, 2011). The deployment of such a large number of trucks over a vast maintenance area creates an operational problem in determining the optimal maintenance routes and fleet size. In recent years, several advances have been made in route optimization that may aid in determining the required number of trucks and the area that these trucks should maintain throughout the state of Ohio. Traditionally, ODOT has used county borders as maintenance boundaries for ODOT garages. However, by removing these borders and optimizing the snow plow routes, ODOT may benefit from a significant time and cost savings. For the purpose of route optimization, ODOT Districts 1, 2, and 10 have been selected to serve as case studies for this project. The results of this project will provide ODOT a tool to determine the minimum number of trucks needed to maintain the necessary roadways within Districts 1, 2, and 10. In addition, the project provides ODOT a tool to assign assets to specific facilities and the most optimal routes for each truck in the district. This research may result in a reduction of fleet sizes and a significant cost savings while maintaining an equal or better Level of Service (LOS). KW - Case studies KW - Costs KW - Fleet management KW - Level of service KW - Ohio KW - Optimization KW - Routes and routing KW - Snowplows KW - Winter maintenance UR - http://cdm16007.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p267401ccp2/id/14438/rec/1 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441093 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619045 AU - Mattson, Jeremy AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Department of Transportation TI - Rural Transit Fact Book 2016 PY - 2016/11 SP - 48p AB - This Fact Book provides information on transit service availability and cost to help the transit industry in the United States provide efficient and effective service to meet rural community mobility needs. Financial and operating statistics can be used by agency managers, local decision makers, state directors, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and lawmakers to assist in policy making, planning, managing operations, and evaluating performance. This publication includes rural demographic and travel behavior data as well as financial and operating statistics for agencies receiving section 5311 funding. In addition to national level data, statistics are presented by state, FTA region, tribe, and mode, as well as other agency characteristics. The rural transit data presented in this report were obtained from the Rural National Transit Database (NTD). This 2016 edition includes 2014 data from the Rural NTD as well as additional data from the American Community Survey, American Housing Survey, and National Household Travel Survey. KW - Demographics KW - Financing KW - Operating costs KW - Performance measurement KW - Public transit KW - Ridership KW - Rural areas KW - Rural National Transit Database KW - Rural transit KW - Travel behavior KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Vehicle fleets UR - http://www.surtc.org/transitfactbook/downloads/2016-rural-transit-fact-book.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1439983 ER - TY - SER AN - 01619041 JO - AASHTO Practitioner's Handbook PB - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) AU - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Complying with Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for Transportation Projects PY - 2016/11//Final Report VL - 17 SP - 34p AB - This Handbook provides an overview of Section 7 consultation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and provides advice on carrying out Section 7 consultation for transportation projects. This Handbook focuses on the consultation process primarily from the perspective of the federal action agency and the applicant. The Background Briefing section describes the legal framework for Section 7 consultation as defined in the ESA itself and in regulations issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. This section includes a flow chart illustrating the four main steps in Section 7 consultation and the findings that can be made at each step. The Key Issues to Consider section raises a series of questions for practitioners to consider when undertaking Section 7 consultation for a transportation project. This section can be used as a checklist when preparing for each step in Section 7 consultation. The Practical Tips section provides advice on how to comply with Section 7 requirements as efficiently and effectively as possible. Issues covered in the Practical Tips section of the Handbook include: preparing for Section 7 consultation, defining the action area and requesting or submitting a species list, assessing the effects of the proposed action on Section 7 resources, conducting formal consultation, conducting conference for proposed species and proposed critical habitat, coordinating Section 7 with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and other requirements, and complying with Section 7 following completion of the NEPA process. KW - Construction projects KW - Endangered species KW - Endangered Species Act KW - Environmental impacts KW - Handbooks KW - National Environmental Policy Act KW - Project management KW - Regulations UR - http://www.environment.transportation.org/pdf/programs/ph17%20esa%20final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1438692 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619037 AU - Godavarthy, Ranjit AU - Mattson, Jeremy AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Exploring Transit’s Contribution to Livability in Rural Communities: Case Study of Valley City, ND, and Dickinson, ND PY - 2016/11 SP - 68p AB - This study investigates the nexus of transit and rural livability by conducting case studies in the North Dakota communities of Valley City and Dickinson. While many factors influence the livability of a rural community, transit is an important contributor. For each of the two North Dakota communities considered, public/resident surveys, local transit rider surveys, and stakeholder interviews were conducted to understand differing opinions on livability and how transit contributes to livability. In both Valley City and Dickinson, surveys of residents showed they believe affordable housing, low crime, quality healthcare, overall cost of living, quality public schools, and available jobs are the most important factors contributing to the livability of a community. While transit was not among the top factors, survey respondents expressed considerable support for providing transit services and funding it through various sources. Residents in both cities expressed the opinion that transit should be provided in their community as a transportation option for seniors, people with disabilities, those who choose not to drive, and those who cannot afford to drive. Transit riders in both cities indicated that transit is very important to their quality of life, and stakeholders from both communities said transit is a critical lifeline for people who are elderly and/or have a disability, individuals with no vehicle, and those who cannot drive. KW - Case studies KW - Communities KW - North Dakota KW - Public transit KW - Quality of life KW - Rural areas KW - Stakeholders KW - Surveys KW - Transit riders UR - http://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/downloads/surlc16-004.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436790 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619036 AU - Elsmore, George AU - Parasuraman, Raja AU - Veolia Transportation Services, Incorporated AU - Federal Railroad Administration AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Reducing Major Rule Violations in Commuter Rail Operations: Distraction and its Mitigation with Sustained Attention Training PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 60p AB - Commuter rail accidents demonstrate the need to better understand how operator distraction affects rail safety. Veolia Transportation Services conducted two experiments in the Cab Technology Integration Laboratory (CTIL) using animated operating scenarios that were designed to simulate elements of distraction. In Study I, operational scenarios varied in task load, from baseline to low, and then to high load. The scenarios created operator distraction in locomotive engineers by means of task-load variation, which impacted both locomotive engineer performance and mental workload. Study II examined the ability of 3 hours of Sustained Attention Training (SAT) to mitigate distraction in a group of engineers. There were no statistically significant effects of SAT on any measure. However, there were trends indicating that SAT increased locomotive operator rule compliance compared to a control group that received no training. That these effects of SAT, though not statistically significant, were found consistently in the low task load condition, suggests that errors under this condition may reflect periodic lapses in attention associated with mind wandering or mental rumination. Future studies on mitigating distraction would be warranted with a larger sample of locomotive engineers and longer duration SAT. KW - Attention KW - Compliance KW - Distraction KW - Laboratory studies KW - Locomotive engineers KW - Operating rules KW - Railroad commuter service KW - Railroad safety KW - Railroad simulators KW - Training KW - Workload UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16795 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436789 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619034 AU - Fitzpatrick, Kay AU - Brewer, Marcus AU - Epps, Jon AU - Stockton, Bill AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Briefing Sheets on Safety and Operations of Rural Two-Lane Highways PY - 2016/11 SP - 16p AB - The safety and operations of Texas rural two-lane highways are being affected by increased traffic associated with the energy sector, including the unique characteristics of heavy trucks. Researchers reviewed existing conditions on select rural two-lane highways along with recent literature to develop the following two-page briefing sheets: (1) Length and Spacing of Super 2 Passing Lanes; (2) Operational Characteristics of Super 2 Corridors; (3) Safety Characteristics of Super 2 Corridors; (4) Signing and Marking on Super 2 Corridors; and (5) Turn Lanes on Rural Highways. KW - Heavy duty trucks KW - Highway corridors KW - Highway design KW - Highway operations KW - Highway safety KW - Literature reviews KW - Passing lanes KW - Road markings KW - Rural highways KW - Texas KW - Traffic signs KW - Turning lanes KW - Two lane highways UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6806-TTI-P1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435497 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619033 AU - Abbas, Ala R AU - Quasem, Tanvir AU - Smadi, Omar AU - Hawkins, Neal AU - University of Akron AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of a Pavement Marking Material Matrix for ODOT District 11 PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 157p AB - This study was initiated by Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to evaluate the performance of four pavement marking materials (fast dry traffic paint, polyester, extruded thermoplastic and epoxy) in order to determine which materials are most suitable for the environmental and traffic conditions in ODOT District 11, which contains mostly rural roads with relatively low traffic levels (average daily traffic (ADT) less than 5,000 vehicles per day) and some areas of mountainous terrain. The main focus of this study was to evaluate the performance of fast dry traffic paint and polyester as restriping materials; however, epoxy and thermoplastic were included in the evaluation for comparison purposes. The four materials were installed at 11 test sites distributed across the district on two-lane and four-lane highways having a variety of pavement types, pavement geometries, and traffic volumes. The performance of the pavement markings was evaluated in the field for a period of two years in terms of dry retroreflectivity, daytime color, and durability. Laboratory test procedures were also included to examine the quality of the glass beads used in this study. The field performance results were analyzed to determine the service life of the various marking materials. In addition, the results were used to estimate the life cycle cost of these materials and develop a material selection matrix for use in District 11. Based on the outcome of this study, it was recommended that District 11 continue to use epoxy on new asphalt and concrete surfaces and to use traffic paint for restriping applications. For two-lane roads with asphalt surfaces, it was recommended to restripe the edge lines every two years and restripe the centerlines every year. On selected roads with sharp curves that slope towards the Ohio River, it was recommended to restripe the centerlines as well as the edge lines on an annual basis to avoid run-off road crashes. For multi-lane roads with asphalt surfaces, it was recommended to restripe locations with low traffic and good pavement condition every two years and restripe all lines at locations with high traffic (ADT greater than or equal to 10,000 vehicles per day) or rough pavement condition (pavement condition rating (PCR) less than 80) every year. For all roads with concrete surfaces, it was recommended to restripe all lines every year regardless of the traffic level and pavement condition. One material that is increasingly being used in Ohio for striping and restriping applications on asphalt surfaces is spray thermoplastic. This material was not included in this study because it is not compatible with epoxy, which was previously installed on several of the test sites prior to the beginning of this project. Some districts reported favorable results from using spray thermoplastic. Therefore, District 11 is encouraged to look into using this less expensive material as an alternative for epoxy markings on new asphalt surfaces. It should be emphasized that the previous recommendations are specific to District 11 and may not be applicable to other ODOT districts due to variations in traffic levels, environmental conditions, and pavement marking material selection practices. KW - Durability KW - Evaluation KW - Field tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Life cycle costing KW - Materials selection KW - Ohio KW - Paint KW - Recommendations KW - Retroreflectivity KW - Road markings KW - Rural highways KW - Service life KW - Striping materials KW - Thermoplastic materials UR - http://cdm16007.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p267401ccp2/id/14399 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435435 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618936 AU - Chase, Steven B AU - Adu-Gyamfi, Yaw AU - University of Virginia, Charlottesville AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Fatigue-Prone Details Using a Low-Cost Thermoelastic Stress Analysis System PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 53p AB - This study was designed to develop a novel approach for in situ evaluation of stress fields in the vicinity of fatigue-prone details on highway bridges using a low-cost microbolometer thermal imager. The method was adapted into a field-deployable instrument to obtain in situ visualization of the stress concentrations present at fatigue-prone details on highway bridges subject to random truck loading. The infrared thermoelastic stress analysis (IR-TSA) system developed in this study is available for use by Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) district structure and bridge personnel to evaluate fatigue-prone details on existing bridges. VDOT plans to implement the technology to validate repairs underway at the I-64 Delta Frame Bridge in Lexington and fatigue crack arrest repairs on other steel bridges in VDOT’s inventory. Guidance will be developed on the application and practical use of the technology for incorporation into VDOT’s Manual of the Structure and Bridge Division. KW - Fatigue-prone details KW - Field tests KW - Highway bridges KW - Infrared imagery KW - Stresses KW - Thermoelastic stress analysis KW - Virginia UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/17-r8.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60520/17-r8.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1437401 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618935 AU - Segev, Eran AU - Meltzer, Neil AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - FMCSA Safety Program Effectiveness Measurement: Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM), Version 1.1 Report for Fiscal Year 2012 Interventions PY - 2016/11//Summary Report SP - 35p AB - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe), has developed a quantitative model to measure the effectiveness of motor carrier interventions in terms of estimated crashes prevented, injuries prevented, and lives saved. The model, documented in this report, is known as the Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM). This model provides FMCSA management with information needed to address the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), which requires Federal agencies to measure the effectiveness of their programs as part of the budget cycle process. It also provides FMCSA and State safety program managers with a quantitative basis for improving enforcement processes and optimizing the allocation of safety resources in the field. This report presents CIEM results for fiscal year (FY) 2012. KW - Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM) KW - Compliance KW - Government Performance and Results Act KW - Interventions KW - Motor carriers KW - Safety programs KW - U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60503/16-017-CIEM_Report-FY12-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440300 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618934 AU - Boyle, Linda Ng AU - Guo, Edith Huizhong AU - Hammond, Rebecca L AU - Hanowski, Richard J AU - Soccolich, Susan A AU - University of Washington, Seattle AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Performance Assessment of an Onboard Monitoring System for Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers: A Field Operational Test PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 134p AB - The onboard monitoring system (OBMS) field operational test (FOT) was conducted to determine whether onboard monitoring systems that provide real-time performance feedback to commercial truck and motorcoach drivers could reduce the number of safety-critical events (SCEs) experienced over time and improve drivers’ overall safety performance. This report documents the field test experience with four operational fleets (two trucking fleets and two motorcoach fleets), including 156 OBMS-instrumented vehicles and 317 commercial drivers. Fleet-level and driver-level analyses were adopted to examine the research questions on driver performance and safety. In the driver-level approach, binary logit regression and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to examine the effects of phase, carrier type, and study group on the SCE rate. The fleet-level approach examined the reduction in event rates from baseline to intervention/withdrawal phase using a cumulative binomial distribution. Under most scenarios, findings from both approaches were similar, suggesting that onboard monitoring helped to reduce critical event rates. The effectiveness of onboard monitoring was dependent on the carrier and the coaching received. Drivers’ responses to questionnaires were also analyzed to examine changes over time in their attitudes toward onboard monitoring. In general, feedback group drivers were mostly ambivalent (i.e., “neutral”) with regard to the usefulness of OBMSs. Control group drivers and safety managers tended to have higher opinions of the systems. An additional analysis, focusing on intervention and pre-intervention phases, was conducted to assess the effect of OBMSs on fleet safety, using crash and mileage data collected from the fleets and negative binomial regression methods. The findings showed that there were significant differences in crash rate estimates for Fleet H across the study phases. KW - Bus drivers KW - Commercial drivers KW - Crash rates KW - Field tests KW - Fleet safety KW - Onboard monitoring KW - Real time information KW - Safety performance KW - Safety-critical events KW - Truck drivers UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60504/15-019-OBMS_FOT_FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440299 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618933 AU - Meltzer, Neil AU - Beavan, Lauren AU - Canas, Nelson AU - Istfan, Nadeem AU - Phillips, Britt AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration TI - Motorcoach and School Bus Fire Safety Analysis PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 171p AB - This report documents a motorcoach and school bus fire safety analysis performed by the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This report aims to: 1) identify the causes, frequency, and severity of motorcoach and school bus fires in the United States, and 2) recommend ways to prevent or reduce the severity of these incidents, especially through improving the effectiveness of vehicle inspection practices. This report succeeds Volpe’s 2009 Motorcoach Fire Safety Analysis (henceforth referred to as the 2009 study), and has been expanded to include school bus fires. The 2009 study established a database of spontaneous motorcoach fires collecting information from U.S. Government, industry, and media sources and analyzed the safety risk of motorcoach fires. The study also sought to identify potential measures for risk reduction. The current report updates and expands on the 2009 study to include all motorcoach and school bus fires. KW - Buses KW - Fire causes KW - Fire prevention KW - Fires KW - Inspection KW - Risk analysis KW - School buses KW - United States KW - Vehicle maintenance KW - Vehicle safety UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60502/16-016_School_Bus_Fire_Safety_Analysis-FINAL-508C.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440298 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618831 AU - Gopu, Vijay AU - Ziehl, Paul H AU - Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Strengthening of Bridge Beams using Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 224p AB - A literature review was conducted with regard to fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening of reinforced concrete bridge beams. The literature review focused primarily on field applications and analytical and design considerations. Selected laboratory investigations related to field implementation projects are also included in the literature review. Based on the literature review and the experience of the investigators, three different strengthening systems were selected for implementation on an existing bridge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The design of the three strengthening systems involving carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) wet layup, CFRP pre-cured plates, and near surface mounted CFRP rods and their installation on spans two and three of the White Bayou Bridge in Zachary, Louisiana, are described in detail. The moment capacity of the CFRP strengthened beams increased from 15% to 32% depending on the system used. The shear capacity of the member was not an issue. The live load testing and installation of the long term monitoring system were carried out by Bridge Diagnostics Inc. (BDI) and are discussed in this report (See Appendix A). The bridge was instrumented with several strain and displacement sensors and the first set of live load tests were conducted before the bridge was strengthened using three different load paths. The second set of tests was performed with identical procedures to the first load test so that direct comparisons of the response could be made. The load tests permitted the assessment of the lateral load distribution that occurred in the structure and the confirmation that continuity was minimal. The member capacities that were calculated using the Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges, and the load rating factors for the standard AASHTO H-20, HS-20, Type 3, Type 3-3, and Type 3S3 vehicles that were computed according to the LFD rating method are presented in this report. The ultimate moment capacity of the strengthened beams and the associated load rating factors for each of the strengthening systems were calculated and compared with the un-strengthened member values. Recommendations for the installing of the CFRP reinforcement, factors to be considered in field monitoring and load testing, and a summary related to the cost of the FRP strengthening systems and the relative performance of each system are included. KW - Baton Rouge (Louisiana) KW - Beams KW - Bridges KW - Carbon fibers KW - Costs KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Literature reviews KW - Load rating (Bridges) KW - Load tests KW - Reinforced concrete KW - Strengthening (Maintenance) UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2016/FR%20384_print%20ready_in%20full.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1439985 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618830 AU - Langfitt, Quinn AU - Haselbach, Liv AU - Washington State University, Pullman AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Assessment of Lube Oil Management and Self-Cleaning Oil Filter Feasibility in WSF Vessels – Final Report PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 68p AB - This research examined the feasibility of using self-cleaning oil filtration systems in the Washington State Ferries (WSF) fleet from a three-pronged perspective: (1) filtration effectiveness, (2) environmental impact, and (3) cost impact. A pilot self-cleaning filtration system, which filters oils without using disposable filter cartridges, was installed on one vessel from which to collect data. Filtration effectiveness was analyzed using oil analysis records, by trending the values of oil properties known to be important for lubrication and which indicate oil degradation. Results showed little difference between the standard paper cartridge filtration system currently in wide use and the self-cleaning system. Environmental impact was analyzed with a life cycle assessment methodology which quantifies potential impacts based on expected operation. For the self-cleaning system, there were decreased impacts from oil and filter use, but additional diesel fuel consumed by that system outweighed the benefits in many impact categories. Cost impact was analyzed with life cycle cost analysis, which suggested that the standard system would outperform the self-cleaning system in terms of whole life cost (unless the oil lifetime could be increased by more than three-fold), again mostly due to the additional fuel use of the self-cleaning system. Therefore, if expected costs and environmental impacts are major decision points it appears that a suitable alternative system would need to consume less diesel fuel to be viable. However, the self-cleaning system analyzed in this report would likely decrease risks, such as oil spills during filter handling, and provide operational benefits due to reduced expected maintenance. The pilot system was removed following the data collection period and deployments of self-cleaning filtration systems to other WSF vessels are not expected. KW - Environmental impacts KW - Feasibility analysis KW - Ferries KW - Fuel consumption KW - Life cycle costing KW - Lubricating oils KW - Oil filters KW - Self-cleaning systems KW - Washington State Ferries UR - https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/859.1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60500/859.1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1439982 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618829 AU - Alexiadis, Vassili AU - Chu, Alice AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Department of Transportation TI - Integrated Corridor Management: Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation for the U.S.-75 Corridor in Dallas, Texas – Post-Deployment Assessment Report PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 95p AB - The U.S. Department of Transportation Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Initiative aims to advance the state of the practice in transportation corridor operations to manage congestion. Through the deployment of ICM at the two selected Demonstration Sites (Dallas, Texas and San Diego, California), this initiative thoroughly investigated and documented the impacts of the ICM deployments, especially in regards to improved agency coordination. Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) efforts assisted corridor partners to optimize their ICM deployment, and supported the broader evaluation effort for the entire ICM Initiative. Using AMS enabled corridor partners to identify the strategies to include in their ICM System that would be most effective against their specific corridor congestion issues, by providing measurable results for multiple alternatives. The focus of this ICM Post-Deployment assessment is to investigate the impacts of the ICM system in its “as deployed” state on U.S.-75 in Dallas, using AMS tools and techniques developed and refined under both the current and previous phases of the program. The localized ICM strategies deployed include improved multimodal traveler information, parking management system at park-and-ride facilities, interdependent incident response plans, route/mode shift/diversion, and increased transit capacity. A framework of the key activities required for post-deployment AMS, namely model enhancements, model calibration and validation, cluster analysis and incident matching, and alternatives analysis results, is presented in this report. Mobility performance results for the site indicate an expected annual savings of 22,004 person hours in peak directions of travel, while expected cumulative annual variability improvements for the northbound afternoon peak direction amounted to 20,145 hours. KW - Congestion management systems KW - Dallas (Texas) KW - Deployment KW - Evaluation KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Simulation KW - Strategic planning KW - Traffic models UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60490/FHWA-JPO-16-396.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440294 ER - TY - SER AN - 01618815 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Bhattarai, Rabin AU - Kalita, Prasanta AU - Gautam, Sudip AU - Howard, Heidi AU - Svendsen, Niels AU - Gambill, Daniel AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Low-Water Crossing Design Guidelines for Very Low ADT Routes in Illinois PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 151p AB - The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and local agencies monitor and regulate the 146,764 mi of roadway that are open to public travel in the State of Illinois. There are many old and aging bridges, culverts, and low-water crossings on rural low-volume roads that need to be replaced. Low-water crossings (LWCs) have been used as an economical alternative to culverts and bridges, designed without overtopping, on low-volume roads where there is low number of floods. The lack of design guidance has posed difficulty for county engineers in Illinois in deciding when, where, and which type of low-water crossing to use. The resulting structure is often either overdesigned or underdesigned. A study was conducted to design the guidelines for LWCs in Illinois at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) and support from the IDOT. The study included literature review, a LWC survey, and case studies on LWCs in Illinois. The results from a survey conducted among the county engineers in Illinois about their experience with LWCs are presented, along with commonly used LWCs, site considerations, selection criteria, and signage requirements. Design criteria and procedure for the LWCs design, construction, and best management practices are also discussed. Additionally, case studies, design examples, and permitting requirements for LWCs are included in the report. Implementation of LWC guidelines could save local agencies significant funding, due to lower construction and maintenance costs, less channel and flood plain blockage, and better adaptability and storm-proofing characteristics, as well as reduced impacts to aquatic organism passage. KW - Best practices KW - Case studies KW - Design KW - Guidelines KW - Illinois KW - Low volume roads KW - Low water crossings KW - Permits KW - Signs UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=5066 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436914 ER - TY - SER AN - 01618814 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Li, Yanning AU - Mori, Juan Carlos Martinez AU - Work, Daniel B AU - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Improving the Effectiveness of Smart Work Zone Technologies PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 130p AB - This project evaluates the effectiveness of sensor network systems for work zone traffic estimation. The comparative analysis is performed on a work zone modeled in microsimulation and calibrated with field data from two Illinois work zones. Realistic error models are used to generate noisy measurements corresponding to Doppler radar sensors, remote traffic microwave sensors (RTMS), and low-energy radar (LER). The velocity, queue length, and travel time are estimated with three algorithms based on (1) interpolation, (2) spatio-temporal smoothing, and a (3) flow model–based Kalman filter. More than 700 sensor and algorithm configurations are evaluated, and the accuracy of the resulting traffic estimates are compared with the true traffic state from the microsimulation. The nonlinear Kalman filter provides up to 30% error reduction over other velocity estimators when the RTMS spacing exceeds 2 miles and generally offers the best performance for queue and travel time estimation. KW - Algorithms KW - Illinois KW - Kalman filtering KW - Microsimulation KW - Queue length KW - Sensors KW - Traffic estimation KW - Travel time KW - Velocity KW - Work zones UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=5074 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436911 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618813 AU - Reinhall, Per G AU - Hampden, Julie AU - Dardis, Tim AU - Washington State Transportation Center AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Underwater Noise Reduction of Marine Pile Driving Using a Double Pile: Vashon Ferry Terminal Test PY - 2016/11//Research Report SP - 36p AB - Impact pile driving of steel piles in aquatic environments produces extremely high underwater sound levels. To address this problem, a double-walled pile has been developed to decrease the total noise transmitted into the water and substrate. The double-walled pile consists of two concentric steel pipe piles flexibly connected by a special driving shoe, allowing for an air gap between the two tubes. The double-walled pile is driven into the sediment by using traditional equipment that strikes the inner pile only. The air gap between the inner and outer pile and the flexible coupling prevent the radial deformation wave produced by the pile hammer from interacting with the water and the sediment. A second full-scale test of the double-walled pile technology was performed at Vashon Island, Puget Sound, Washington. A potential reduction of the peak pressure in excess of 17 dB was observed for the double pile and of 16 dB for the mandrel pile. Root mean square (RMS) levels and cumulative sound exposure levels (SEL) decreased by 13 dB and 12 dB, respectively. Use of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Geotechnical Design Manual Pile Driving Formula showed that the pile capacity of the novel piles was comparable to that of a control pile with the same outer diameter. PDA (Pile Driving Analyzer) data were also collected from both the inner and outer piles of the mandrel and double piles and will be used to modify current software for predicting drivability and stresses in the piles [WEAP (Wave Equation Analysis of Pile Driving) analysis] and for estimating load capacity after driving [CAPWAP (Case Pile Wave Analysis Program) analysis]. KW - Case Pile Wave Analysis Program (CAPWAP) KW - Double-walled piles KW - Ferry terminals KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Noise control KW - Pile driving KW - Puget Sound KW - Underwater sound KW - Vashon Island (Washington) KW - Wave equations UR - https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/861.1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60499/861.1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436910 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618812 AU - Kociolek, Angela AU - Craighead, Lance AU - Brock, Brent AU - Craighead, April AU - Western Transportation Institute AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluating Wildlife Mortality Hotspots, Habitat Connectivity and Potential Accommodation in the Madison Valley, Montana PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 229p AB - The Madison Valley is situated in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and plays a key role in connecting this ecologically intact ecosystem to other intact areas of the Central Rockies, particularly the wildlands of central Idaho and the Selway-Bitterroot Ecosystem. US 287 and MT 87 were hypothesized to form a partial barrier for wildlife movement between protected lands around Yellowstone National Park, Hebgen Lake, and a large block of core wildlife habitat on public lands in the Gravelly, Snowcrest, and Centennial Mountains. These highways also bisect important winter range for ungulates. Traffic volumes are likely to increase in coming years, along with risk to motorists and impacts on wildlife. The overall objective of this project was to investigate the effect of the major highways in the Madison Valley on wildlife mortality and movement patterns. If data such as these are available in the early planning stages of highway projects, accommodation measures can be built into planned construction in a way that minimizes cost. The study area, in the Madison Valley, Montana, covered approximately 90 miles along the US 287 corridor from Norris Hill to the junction of US 191, including the portion of MT 87 from the US 287 junction to Raynolds Pass on the Montana-Idaho border. Wildlife carcass data were systematically collected three times per week, year-round for two years and then analyzed to determine patterns in carcass locations and identify hotspots. Animal location and movement data were also collected year-round over the two-year period, and photo monitoring was used to qualitatively assess species movement at 11 existing culverts and bridges. Data were also incorporated from other sources including recent telemetry data from state and federal agencies. All data gathered were analyzed in the context of highway safety, infrastructure, wildlife use, habitat, and connectivity linkage zones, with special attention paid to ungulates and forest carnivores. A major outcome of this project was a geographic information system (GIS) database of the study area that has the potential to help the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and other agencies increase efficiency and effectiveness of transportation and natural resource planning. This report presents the results of temporal and spatial analyses of wildlife road mortality data and animal use patterns and exploratory models examining the drivers of carcass locations in the vicinity of the highways. Recommendations are made for possible wildlife-highway accommodation measures involving MDT in partnership with other stakeholders. Similar methods applied to other areas may guide transportation agencies in making highway design improvements to reduce or eliminate wildlife road mortalities while increasing connectivity for wildlife. KW - Carnivores KW - Ecosystems KW - Habitat (Ecology) KW - High risk locations KW - Highway design KW - Highway safety KW - Madison Valley (Montana) KW - Road kill KW - Ungulates KW - Wildlife KW - Wildlife crossings UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/research/docs/research_proj/madison_valley/Final_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436908 ER - TY - SER AN - 01618811 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - Pickrell, Timothy M AU - Li, Hongying (Ruby) TI - Seat Belt Use in 2016—Overall Results PY - 2016/11 SP - 4p AB - Seat belt use in 2016 reached 90.1 percent, up from 88.5 percent in 2015; this was a statistically significant increase at the 0.05 level. This result is from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), the only survey that provides nationwide probability-based observed data on seat belt use in the United States. The NOPUS is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Seat belt use has shown an increasing trend since 2000, accompanied by a steady decline in the percentage of unrestrained passenger vehicle (PV) occupants killed during the daytime. The 2016 survey also found the following: Seat belt use for occupants in the West is higher than in the other regions, Northeast, Midwest, and South, in 2016; Seat belt use continued to be higher in the States in which vehicle occupants can be pulled over solely for not using seat belts (“primary law States”) as compared with the States with weaker enforcement laws (“secondary law States”) or without seat belt laws; Seat belt use for occupants in rural areas increased significantly from 86.8 percent in 2015 to 89.5 percent in 2016; and Seat belt use for occupants of vans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) increased significantly from 90.3 percent in 2015 to 92.3 percent in 2016. KW - National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) KW - Primary enforcement laws KW - Regional analysis KW - Rural areas KW - Seat belt use KW - Sport utility vehicles KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Vans UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812351 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436769 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618149 AU - Filosa, Gina AU - Poe, Carson AU - Sarna, Maya AU - Federal Transit Administration AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center TI - Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Transit Investment Development: Programmatic Assessment PY - 2016/11 SP - 55p AB - The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to disclose and analyze the environmental effects of their proposed actions. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) currently believes that assessing the effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change for transit projects at a programmatic level is practicable. This programmatic assessment serves to (1) report on whether certain types of proposed transit projects merit detailed analysis of their GHG emissions at the project level and (2) be a source of data and analysis for FTA and its grantees to reference in future environmental documents for projects in which detailed, project-level GHG analysis is not vital. KW - Environmental impact analysis KW - Estimates KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Forecasting KW - Greenhouse gases KW - National Environmental Policy Act KW - Pollutants KW - Public transit UR - https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/FTA_Report_No._0097.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60507/GHG_emissions_from_transit_investment.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435257 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618012 AU - Cohn, Jesse AU - Sperling, Elliot AU - Fehr & Peers AU - Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Improving Pedestrian and Bicycle Connectivity During Rehabilitation of Existing Bridges PY - 2016/11//White Paper Series SP - 15p AB - The purpose of this white paper is to: (1) Acknowledge that pedestrian and bicycle considerations should be addressed at the State, local, and regional planning levels per the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations, (2) Demonstrate that providing pedestrian and bicycle facilities as part of bridge rehabilitation projects is a win-win for communities for a broad range of reasons, and (3) Share case studies summarizing the positive effects of providing new and improved bicycle and pedestrian connections. These themes and case studies will help to demonstrate the need for investing in bicycle and pedestrian facilities during bridge rehabilitation projects and they will assist transportation practitioners and decision makers planning these infrastructure upgrades. Questions that practitioners should consider in the planning and design process are highlighted at the end of this white paper to encourage ongoing conversation and dialogue about improving multimodal access on bridges. KW - Bicycle facilities KW - Bridge design KW - Bridges KW - Case studies KW - Cyclists KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Pedestrian areas KW - Pedestrians KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/cms/downloads/PBIC_WhitePaper_Bridges.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435136 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01617687 AU - Shin, Hyeon-Shic AU - Lee, Young-Jae AU - Dadvar, Seyedehsan AU - Bharti, Shilpi AU - Morgan State University AU - Maryland State Highway Administration AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - The Development of Local Calibration Factors – Phase II: Maryland Freeways and Ramps PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 239p AB - The goal of the study was to develop local calibration factors (LCFs) for Maryland freeways in order to apply the predictive methods of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) to the state. LCFs were computed for freeway segments, speed-change lanes, and signalized and stop-controlled ramp terminals (intersections of the entrance/exit ramps and the crossroads). Ramps (facilities connecting local roads to freeway travel lanes) and collector-distributor roads were excluded from the study due to insufficient historical crash data. LCFs for the studied facility types were smaller than 1.0, implying on average Maryland had fewer crashes than predicted crashes estimated by the HSM predictive method during the study period. LCFs for ramp terminals were extremely low. Due to potential under-reporting of property damage only (PDO) crashes on ramps, it is recommended that applying LCFs developed with PDO crashes should be done with caution. The report concludes with a discussion on the interpretation of LCFs and data limitations. It should be noted that Baltimore City was not part of this study. KW - Calibration KW - Crash rates KW - Freeways KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Manual KW - Maryland KW - Ramps (Interchanges) KW - Speed change lanes UR - http://www.roads.maryland.gov/OPR_Research/MD-16-SHA-MSU-4-6_LCF-II_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1434763 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01617468 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Gigliotti, Dana AU - Scurry, Karen TI - What Drives Highway Safety Improvements? PY - 2016/11 VL - 80 IS - 3 AB - Changes to FHWA's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) now require states to employ performance-based measures to assess the number and rate of fatalities and injuries. The HSIP final rule outlines three policy changes related to updates of strategic highway safety plans, the content of HSIP reports, and the subset of the fundamental data elements of the Model Inventory of Roadway Elements. The safety performance management rules establish five safety performance measures to carry out the HSIP; align the definition of serious injuries with that in the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria; and institute a process for reporting safety targets. Data driven safety analysis is used to help states quantify the impact of decisions. KW - Data analysis KW - Highway safety KW - Highway Safety Improvement Program KW - Performance measurement UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16novdec/06.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435161 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01617467 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Caniglia, Julie TI - A Crown Jewel of Bikeways PY - 2016/11 VL - 80 IS - 3 AB - The Midtown Greenway, a 5.5 mile bikeway with an east-west route through Minneapolis, sees more than one million trips per year. The mostly level bikeway runs below grade in a former railroad right of way that had become an unpleasant dumping ground. This article describes the planning and implementation of the Greenway and notes that it has spurred real estate development. KW - Bikeways KW - City planning KW - Economic development KW - History KW - Minneapolis (Minnesota) KW - Planning KW - Real estate development UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16novdec/05.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435160 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01617466 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Davis, Norah TI - The Road Is a Park, and the Park Is a Road PY - 2016/11 VL - 80 IS - 3 AB - The Natchez Trace Parkway, established as a national park in 1938, extends almost 450 miles from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi. The parkway commemorates a footpath used by Native Americans. Of 442 bridges on the parkway, of particular interest is the award-winning Double Arch Bridge at the park's northern terminus. KW - Arch bridges KW - History KW - Natchez Trace Parkway KW - National parks KW - Parkways KW - Tennessee UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16novdec/04.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435159 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01617465 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Weingroff, Richard F AU - Hayman, Sherry TI - Wondrous Rides through Nature’s Wonders PY - 2016/11 VL - 80 IS - 3 AB - Roads made the the natural wonders of the national parks in the United States accessible to many. This article traces the history of the development National Park Service (NPS), established in 1916, and the surveying, planning, construction of roads and highways to access the national parks. It describes the NPS partnership with the Bureau of Public Roads and later FHWA to build and maintain this valuable infrastructure. KW - History KW - Intergovernmental partnerships KW - National Park Service KW - National parks KW - U.S. Bureau of Public Roads UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16novdec/03.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435158 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01617464 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Filosa, Gina AU - Stahl, Leslie AU - Miller, Steven AU - McArthur, Katherin TI - Keeping Climate Impacts at Bay in Boston PY - 2016/11 VL - 80 IS - 3 AB - Possible future impacts from climate change have prompted the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to develop a program to evaluate the vulnerability of the state's infrastructure. Boston's Central Artery/Tunnel is the subject of a data-driven project to assess its stability and evaluate future measures to increase resiliency. This article describes data collection, hydrodynamic analysis and mathematical modeling, and outlines the next steps for reviewing and implementing adaptation options. KW - Boston (Massachusetts) KW - Central Artery/Tunnel Project KW - Climate change KW - Environmental impacts KW - Massachusetts Department of Transportation KW - Sustainable development KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16novdec/02.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435157 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01617463 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Albee, Matthew AU - Peach, Kara AU - Shaw, Jeffrey AU - Soika, Jonathan TI - Targeting the Crosshairs PY - 2016/11 VL - 80 IS - 3 AB - With support from FHWA, many states have developed Intersection Safety Implementation Plans (ISIPs) as part of their Strategic Highway Safety Plans. ISIPs detail specific implementation plans, countermeasures, strategies, deployment and required funding. FHWA has made the Systematic Safety Project Selection Tool available to states to provide guidance on conducting systematic safety analyses. This article describes how several states are putting ISIPs into action to improve intersection safety. KW - Highway safety KW - Intersection Safety Implementation Plan KW - Intersections KW - State departments of transportation KW - Strategic Highway Safety Plan KW - Strategic planning UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16novdec/01.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435156 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616866 AU - Diefenderfer, Brian K AU - Sánchez, Miguel Díaz AU - Timm, David H AU - Bowers, Benjamin F AU - Virginia Transportation Research Council AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Structural Study of Cold Central Plant Recycling Sections at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) Test Track PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 44p AB - In 2012, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) contracted with the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) to install, instrument, and monitor three pavement test sections at the NCAT Test Track during the 2012-2014 track cycle. The work consisted of constructing, instrumenting, and trafficking the test sections with heavily loaded trucks until approximately 10 million 18-kip equivalent single axle loads (ESALs) were applied. Embedded instruments were installed to capture the temperature and pavement response from truck loading. The three test sections, having a length of 200 ft each, consisted of two different asphalt overlay thicknesses placed on top of a five-in cold central-plant recycled base. One of the three sections also contained a cement-stabilized base designed to simulate a full-depth reclaimed layer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the three test sections constructed using cold central plant recycling (CCPR) over the initial 2-year track cycle. The performance was documented by analyzing the results of laboratory testing from collected cores, as well as deflection testing from falling weight deflectometer, temperature, pressure, and strain measurements from embedded instruments, and surface-observable deterioration of the pavement sections. The study found that none of the three sections showed any surface-observable deterioration after 10 million ESALs of loading. Throughout the cycle, the average measured strain from Section N3 (having a 6-in asphalt overlay) was 40% less at 68°F than that of Section N4 (having a 4-in asphalt overlay). The strain from Section S12 (having a 4-in asphalt overlay and a cement-stabilized foundation) was approximately 69% and 49% less than the strain levels for Sections N3 and N4, respectively, at 68°F. The structural layer coefficient of the CCPR material was estimated to range from 0.36 to 0.39 based on falling weight deflectometer testing. The temperature-normalized asphalt mixture/CCPR modulus of Section S12 was found to increase with respect to time. This indicates that the cement-stabilized foundation is increasing in strength over time, likely attributable to continued curing of the layer. The study recommends that VDOT continue to emphasize the use of pavement recycling methods for new pavement construction and pavement rehabilitation projects. To this end, VDOT will work to identify locations for future pavement recycling projects where performance data suggest that maintenance activities take place more often than the average. VDOT will also review existing memoranda with district pavement management and design staff that state pavement recycling should be considered for projects where it is a viable option. This study shows that the three pavement designs used in the three test sections constructed at the NCAT Test Track to be adequate for a minimum of 10 million ESALs and likely much longer. This report is an interim report in that the test sections are still being trafficked. A final report will be prepared upon the completion of testing. KW - Deflection tests KW - Deterioration KW - Equivalent single axle loads KW - Heavy duty trucks KW - National Center for Asphalt Technology KW - Overlays (Pavements) KW - Pavement performance KW - Recycled materials KW - Structural analysis KW - Temperature KW - Test sections UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/17-r9.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429119 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616864 AU - Sun, Carlos AU - Edara, Praveen AU - Nemmers, Charles AU - Balakrishnan, Bimal AU - Qing, Zhu AU - Zhang, Sandy AU - Hopfenblatt, James AU - Naderi, Ehsan AU - Schoelz, Michael AU - Silva, Raul AU - Metz, Jeremy AU - Shetley, Ben AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Midwest Transportation Center AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Driving Simulator Study of J-Turn Acceleration/Deceleration Lane and U-Turn Spacing Configurations PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 72p AB - The J-turn, also known as RCUT (Restricted Crossing U-Turn) and Superstreet, is an innovative geometric design that can improve intersection safety. Even though this design has been in use in several states for many years, there is very little research-based guidance for several design parameters. A driving simulator study was conducted to analyze the parameters of lane configuration, U-turn spacing, and signage. Two lane configurations were examined: 1) acceleration/deceleration configuration where acceleration and deceleration lanes are provided and 2) deceleration only configuration where only deceleration lanes are provided. Lane configuration was found to be the most important parameter affecting J-turn safety based on speed-differentials. The only significant interaction effect among parameters was between lane configuration and U-turn spacing. The acceleration/deceleration configuration performed better than the deceleration only configuration with 66.3% fewer safety critical events. Vehicle trajectories and average lane change locations showed that U-turn spacing impacted significantly the acceleration/deceleration configuration (e.g. average merge locations changed by 96% to 101%) but not the deceleration only configuration. No strong preference was demonstrated by the study subjects for either the directional or the diagrammatic signage style. This report presented the first human factors study of the J-turn focused on developing design guidance. This human factors approach complements other traditional approaches such as crash analysis and micro-simulation. KW - Acceleration lanes KW - Deceleration lanes KW - Drivers KW - Driving simulators KW - Highway design KW - Highway safety KW - Human factors KW - Turning traffic KW - U turns KW - Vehicle trajectories UR - https://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TR201515/cmr16-018.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60474/cmr16-018.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60474/cmr16-018_Table.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429211 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616863 AU - Boeckmann, Andrew AU - Lindsey, Eric AU - Runge, Sam AU - Loehr, J Erik AU - University of Missouri, Columbia AU - Missouri Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Instrumentation and Monitoring of Rustic Road Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil (GRS) Integrated Bridge System (IBS) PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 76p AB - An instrumentation and monitoring system was implemented for a geosynthetic reinforced soil (GRS) integrated bridge system (IBS) constructed in Boone County, Missouri in 2014. The project location is subjected to relatively frequent flash flooding, which was a significant consideration in the design of the bridge and the design of the monitoring system. The monitoring system includes 26 surveying points on the bridge exterior to monitor external movement; settlement plates and inclinometers to monitor vertical and horizontal exterior movement, respectively; earth pressure cells to monitor total stresses within the abutment backfill; and vibrating wire piezometers to monitor pore pressures and drainage within the abutment backfill. The GRS-IBS was monitored for a period of 19 months after construction. The monitoring period included several high-water events, but none overtopped the bridge. The results indicate satisfactory performance, including negligible external and internal movements and rapid backfill drainage in response to groundwater level increases. KW - Boone County (Missouri) KW - Bridge abutments KW - Bridge construction KW - Earth pressure KW - Floods KW - Geosynthetics KW - Instrumentation KW - Mechanically stabilized earth KW - Monitoring UR - https://library.modot.mo.gov/RDT/reports/TR201417/cmr16-019_reduced.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60473/cmr16-019_reduced.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429210 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616862 AU - Bryce, James M AU - Katicha, Samer W AU - Diefenderfer, Brian K AU - Flintsch, Gerardo W AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Virginia Transportation Research Council AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Analysis of Repeated Network-Level Testing by the Falling Weight Deflectometer on I-81 in the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Bristol District PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 39p AB - This study was undertaken in an effort to determine the required time between subsequent rounds of network-level pavement deflection testing using a falling weight deflectometer (FWD) on the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT’s) interstate system. Network-level deflection testing was conducted in two separate years (2006 and 2011) on Interstate 81 in VDOT’s Bristol District. The testing was conducted using the FWD at an interval of 0.2 miles in the right-hand lane (travel lane) of the interstate. The objective of this study was to analyze the results from the 2011 testing and compare them to the results obtained from the 2006 study to determine if the previously completed FWD survey of VDOT’s entire interstate network needed to be repeated. First, deflection values that were obtained from pavement segments that received treatments between the two sets of tests were identified and omitted from any comparison. Second, the two datasets were compared directly (i.e., without accounting for errors) and were modeled to account for the expected errors in the data defined as the root mean square of the difference between 2006 and 2011 measurements. The results of the 2011 testing showed lesser deflection and greater structural number values when compared to the data collected in 2006. A characterization of the errors implicit in each set of measurement showed that the errors outweigh the changes in deflection values from the two datasets. Therefore, it was not possible to quantify a recommended time between subsequent rounds of deflection testing on the pavement network. Since the literature shows significant benefits to conducting pavement deflection testing on the network, VDOT will continue this practice based on local needs and as budgetary constraints allow. KW - Analysis KW - Deflection tests KW - Falling weight deflectometers KW - Interstate highways KW - Pavement distress KW - Test procedures KW - Time intervals KW - Virginia UR - http://vtrc.virginiadot.org/PubDetails.aspx?PubNo=17-R6 UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/17-r6.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429195 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616861 AU - Lane, Leigh AU - Anolik, Allison AU - Morris, Anne AU - Louis Berger AU - Anne Morris and Associates AU - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Practitioners Peer Exchange Environmental Justice Roadmap PY - 2016/11 SP - 52p AB - The Center for Environmental Excellence by the Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), hosted a national peer exchange in Washington, D.C., on February 17 and 18, 2016. During this two-day event, participants reviewed the current state of the practice for integrating environmental justice (EJ) into transportation decision-making processes. The peer exchange brought together 13 State Department of Transportation (DOT) agencies from across the United States (U.S.) and representatives from 6 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to share lessons learned, case studies, challenges, and opportunities for addressing EJ during the transportation planning and project development phases (includes all phases following planning). The peer exchange participants identified eight focus areas: role of EJ in transportation decision-making, peer networks, agency collaboration, inter-agency collaboration, EJ household demographics, EJ data & analysis, training, and community engagement. In addition to the peer exchange, the Center for Environmental Excellence hosted a webinar on May 18, 2016, with more than 350 participants. Through a series of poll questions, webinar participants provided further input into the current state of the practice and considerations for each focus area. KW - Case studies KW - Decision making KW - Environmental impacts KW - Environmental justice KW - Low income groups KW - Metropolitan planning organizations KW - Peer exchange KW - State departments of transportation KW - State of the practice KW - Transportation planning UR - http://environment.transportation.org/pdf/2016_environmental_justice_peer_exchange/ejrm_1_v6.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429265 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616247 AU - Howe, Gavin AU - Xu, Guogang AU - Hoover, Dick AU - Elsasser, Devin AU - Barickman, Frank AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Commercial Connected Vehicle Test Procedure Development and Test Results – Blind Spot Warning/Lane Change Warning PY - 2016/11//Final Report SP - 141p AB - This report is one of four documenting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA’s) test track research performed to support development of objective test procedures to evaluate the safety applications of commercial vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) equipment. The primary focus of this research was on developing the test procedures, with a secondary goal of evaluating the performance of the prototype V2V safety applications. Objective test procedures were developed to evaluate a range of safety applications including intersection movement assist (IMA), blind spot warning/lane change warning (BSW/LCW), forward collision warning (FCW), and emergency electronic brake light (EEBL) warning. This report documents the BSW/LCW test procedures and the results of testing commercial vehicles with the developed procedures. The prototype V2V equipment was observed to be capable of tracking potential BSW/LCW threats, but occasionally the equipment would not recognize that a vehicle was in the V2V equipment determined blind spot warning zone due to the equipment’s error in estimating the lateral range between the vehicles. The V2V equipment determined blind zone was different for each side of the vehicle evaluated in this study (shorter on right side). When the turn signals were activated, the blind zone was extended by a time based on the closing speed of the approaching vehicle. The BSW/LCW test procedures are generally well developed, but the blind zone definition for commercial vehicles/tractor-trailers combinations needs to be further refined. KW - Blind spots KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Connected vehicles KW - Lane changing KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Test procedures KW - Test tracks KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications KW - Warning systems UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash Avoidance/Technical Publications/2016/812317_ConnectedVeh.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429537 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616245 AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - The Economic Impact of Civil Aviation on the U.S. Economy PY - 2016/11 SP - 36p AB - The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA’s) 2016 Economic Impact Report offers the latest available data from 2014 on the economic benefits of air passenger and air cargo transportation from activities by commercial airlines, air couriers, airports, tourism, aircraft and avionics manufacturing, and aviation research and development. An addition to this year’s report is a look at aviation’s contribution to productivity growth. While output of the air transportation industry ranked 41st among 63 industries in 2014, it is the seventh leading contributor to the national productivity growth and has the second highest productivity growth rate among the industries. KW - Air cargo KW - Civil aviation KW - Economic benefits KW - Economic impacts KW - National economy KW - Passenger service KW - Productivity KW - United States UR - https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/2016-economic-impact-report_FINAL.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429380 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616876 AU - Fini, Elham (Ellie) H AU - Lamarre, Ahmed AU - Nezhad, Shahrzad Hossein AU - North Carolina A&T State University AU - Center for Highway Pavement Preservation AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Developing a Test Method to Investigate Water Susceptibility of Joint and Crack Sealants PY - 2016/10/31/Final Project Report SP - 65p AB - Sealants are commonly used to insulate cracks and joints preventing water from entering the underlying structure. However, extended exposure of sealants to water has shown to negatively impact sealants properties causing gradual degradation of sealant performance. While there have been many studies on characterizing sealant performance in dry conditions, there has been no comprehensive experimental tests to evaluate crack sealants water susceptibility based on a fundamental material property. This study introduces five laboratory tests to investigate the effect of water exposure on different crack sealants commonly used in cold, moderate and hot climates. Sealants were acquired in collaboration with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Experimental plan includes several thermo-mechanical and surface characterization tests. Crack sealants’ rheological properties and relaxation time was measured using a Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR). Sealants’ creep compliance was measured using an extended Bending Beam Rheometer (BBR). In addition, a direct adhesion test was incorporated using a Direct Adhesion Test (DAT) machine to determine the load required to bring sealant specimen to adhesion failure. Surface tension was measured using a Goniometer. A higher reduction in surface tension indicates sealant has more susceptibility to water. Chemical structure and formation of any new functional groups was tracked using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The extent of change in aforementioned sealant properties before and after water conditioning was used as indicators of sealant susceptibility to water. The experiments results were compared against sealants’ field performance data obtained through the Pooled-Fund Crack Sealant Consortium led by the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. KW - Adhesion KW - Before and after studies KW - Laboratory tests KW - Moisture content KW - Permeability KW - Relaxation (Mechanics) KW - Sealing compounds KW - Surface tension KW - Test procedures UR - http://www.chpp.egr.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/CHPP-Report-NCAT1-2016.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60407/CHPP-Report-NCAT1-2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429190 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619048 AU - Rose, David AU - Isaac, Lauren AU - Shah, Keyur AU - Blake, Tagan AU - Dechambeau, Brian AU - Biton, Anna AU - Parsons Brinckerhoff, Incorporated AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Transit Asset Management Guide: Focusing on the Management of Our Transit Investments PY - 2016/10/30 SP - 272p AB - To advance transit asset management, this guide provides a transit-specific asset management framework for managing assets individually and as a portfolio of assets that comprise an integrated system. The guide provides flexible, yet targeted guidance to advance the practice and implementation of transit asset management. Objectives of the guide: (1) Explain what transit asset management is and what the business benefits to an agency are; (2) Provide an enterprise asset management framework and business model that agencies can refer to as “best practice”; (3) Describe the elements of transit asset management plan; (4) Detail, for each major asset class, the major enabling components of asset management: inventory, condition assessment, performance analysis and modeling, risk management, and lifecycle cost management; and (5) Guide organizations through the migration from their current baseline to high-performance asset management. KW - Asset management KW - Best practices KW - Handbooks KW - Implementation KW - Life cycle costing KW - Performance measurement KW - Public transit KW - Risk management UR - https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/FTA_Report_No._0098.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60542/FTA_Report_No._0098.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436982 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624404 AU - Ali, Ayman AU - Mehta, Yusuf AU - Rowan University AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Truck Driver Fatigue Assessment Using a Virtual Reality System PY - 2016/10/17/Final Report SP - 24p AB - In this study, a fully immersive Virtual Reality (VR) based driving simulator was developed to serve as a “proof-of-concept” that VR can be utilized to assess the level of fatigue (or drowsiness) truck drivers typically experience during real-life driving conditions. This study also involved examining the impact of varying driving conditions (i.e., weather conditions and driving time (day or night)) on drivers’ fatigue measure. To fulfill these goals, four drivers (two fatigued and two unfatigued) were allowed into the developed VR-based driving simulator to drive a VR-based truck at varying driving conditions. These conditions included clear day time, rainy day time, clear night time, rainy night time, foggy day time, rainy foggy day time, foggy night time, and rainy foggy night time conditions. Two fatigue measures (sway ratio and reaction time) were introduced and computed (or measured) using the VR-based simulator for all drivers. The computed measures were analyzed using multi-factor statistical analysis (ANOVA) procedures. The simulations conducted and the results obtained showed that VR-based driving simulators are a viable alternative to traditional driving simulators when developing technologies that assess drivers’ drowsiness (or fatigue) levels. The results also showed that sway ratio and reaction time fatigue measures were successful at characterizing the fatigue levels of drivers. This is the case because these measures were capable of clearly distinguishing between the two groups of drivers. It was also found that the sway ratio fatigue measure was influenced by weather conditions (mainly rainy conditions) employed during VR-based simulations. KW - Driving simulators KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Fatigue (Physiological condition) KW - Periods of the day KW - Reaction time KW - Statistical analysis KW - Truck drivers KW - Virtual reality KW - Weather conditions UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/Final-Report-Truck-Driver-Fatigue-Assessment.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445494 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616107 AU - Mollenhauer, Michael AU - Noble, Alexandria M AU - Doerzaph, Zachary R AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Mobile User Interface Development for the Virginia Connected Corridors PY - 2016/10/15/Final Research Report SP - 33p AB - The purpose of this research and development activity was to build a mobile application with a low-distraction user interface appropriate for use in a connected vehicle (CV) environment. To realize their full potential, future CV applications will involve communicating information to and from drivers during vehicle operation. Mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets may be a reasonable hardware platform to provide this communication. However, there are concerns that a potential increase in driver interaction with CV applications may lead to driver distraction and possible negative impacts on driving safety. The prototype mobile device user interface that was designed and created during this project can be used to test new CV applications, validate their impact on driver safety, and inform future mobile device user interface standards for driving applications. KW - Connected vehicles KW - Distraction KW - Mobile applications KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Prototypes KW - Smartphones KW - Tablet computers KW - Traffic safety KW - User interfaces (Computer science) UR - http://cvi-utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Mollenhauer_Mobile-User-Interface-Development-for-the-Virginia-Connected-Corridors_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428102 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616102 AU - Viray, Reginald AU - Gorman, Thomas AU - Doerzaph, Zac AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Radar-Based Over-the-Air Message Generator for Accelerating Connected Vehicle Deployment PY - 2016/10/15/Final Research Report SP - 38p AB - The market penetration levels needed to realize the full safety, economic, and environmental benefits of connected vehicle (CV) systems will not be met for some time. During the transition, it would be beneficial if data on non-CVs could be measured and included within the real-time CV data stream. Conceptually, a connected vehicle with advanced sensors, such as radar, could measure the dynamics of adjacent vehicles and, in addition to broadcasting its own Basic Safety Message (BSM), broadcast a pseudo BSM representing the non-connected vehicles. This project investigated the use of radar sensors to compute the position, speed, and heading of a non-connected vehicle (non-CV) for packaging into a pseudo BSM. An algorithm was developed to estimate the speed, position, and heading of a nearby non-CV via speed, Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, and radar data from the CV. Field tests were conducted with two vehicles on the Virginia Smart Road and on public roads in the New River Valley of Virginia. The field tests were designed to cover a variety of vehicle formations, traffic densities, velocities, and roadway environments. The final results showed that 67.9% of the position estimates were within 3 m of the measured position along the x-axis (longitudinal) and within 1.5 m of the measured position along the y-axis (lateral). Heading and speed estimates were generally excellent. Although the estimated position accuracy was lower than desired, the data that were collected and analyzed were sufficient to suggest ways to improve the system, such as fusing the radar data with camera-based vision data or using a more accurate GPS. KW - Algorithms KW - Connected vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Field tests KW - Global Positioning System KW - Heading KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Non-connected vehicles KW - Position fixing KW - Radar KW - Speed KW - Virginia KW - Virginia Smart Road UR - http://cvi-utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Viray_Radar-Based-Over-The-Air-Message-Generator-for-Accelerating-Connected-Vehicle-Deployment_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428107 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619049 AU - Hegarty, Christopher AU - MITRE Corporation AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center TI - GPS/GNSS Antenna Characterization GPS‐ABC Workshop V PY - 2016/10/14 SP - 22p AB - One component of the Department of Transportation’s Global Positioning System (GPS) Adjacent Band Compatibility Study is the characterization of Global Positioning System/Global Navigation Satellite System (GPS/GNSS) receiver antennas. Such characterization is needed to: (1) Compare radiated and conducted (wired) test results; and (2) Apply interference tolerance masks (ITMs) to use cases where adjacent band transmitters are seen by GPS/GNSS receiver antennas at any direction besides zenith (antenna boresight). This presentation held at RTCA, Washington, DC, October 14, 2016, summarizes characterization data obtained thus far including: Gain patterns for 14 external antennas: Right‐hand/left‐hand circular polarization (RHCP/LHCP), vertical (V), and horizontal (H) polarizations and 22 frequencies: 1475, 1490, 1495, 1505, 1520, 1530, 1535, 1540, 1545, 1550, 1555, 1575, 1595, 1615, 1620, 1625, 1630, 1635, 1640, 1645, 1660, and 1675 MHz; Approximate L1 RHCP relative gain patterns for 4 antennas integrated with receivers; Saturation measurements for the 14 external (all active) antennas; and All antennas provided by the USG. KW - Antennas KW - Global Navigation Satellite System KW - Global Positioning System KW - Workshops UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60235/4-GPS_ABC_Antenna_Characterization_v10142016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436220 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618937 AU - Markiewicz, Alexandra AU - McCoy, Kevin AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Regional Cooperation and Performance-Based Planning and Programming in Indiana: A Regional Models of Cooperation Peer Exchange Summary Report PY - 2016/10/14/Final Report SP - 21p AB - This report highlights key themes identified at the “Regional Cooperation and Performance-Based Planning and Programming in Indiana” Peer Exchange held on May 25, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Regional Models of Cooperation Initiative, which is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), sponsored this event. KW - Indiana KW - Multijurisdictional planning KW - Peer exchange KW - Performance based planning KW - Performance based programming KW - Regional planning KW - Transportation planning UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60515/peer_report_IN_2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440303 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616880 AU - Department of Transportation TI - Insufficient Guidance, Oversight, and Coordination Hinder PHMSA’s Full Implementation of Mandates and Recommendations PY - 2016/10/14/Audit Report SP - 57p AB - The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has long faced criticism from Congress for its lack of timeliness in implementing statutory requirements—mandates—and recommendations from National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), and Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports. In addition, in 2005, OIG reported that PHMSA needed to address long-standing pipeline and hazmat mandates and NTSB recommendations. The Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee expressed concerns over the time PHMSA has taken to establish new regulations for railroad tank cars carrying crude oil and to implement mandates from the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011. The Ranking Member requested that OIG conduct this audit of PHMSA’s pipeline and hazmat safety programs. The objectives were to assess PHMSA’s (1) progress in addressing congressional mandates and recommendations from NTSB, GAO, and OIG issued or open since 2005; (2) process for implementing mandates and recommendations, including any impediments to Agency action; and (3) efforts to coordinate and address Operating Administrations’ (OAs') safety concerns. OIG conducted this work in accordance with generally accepted Government auditing standards. OIG reviewed PHMSA’s 263 mandates and recommendations open since 2005, and analyzed 26 of these as case studies. Of the 26 case studies, 12 involved rulemakings and the other 14 involved studies and other non-rulemaking activities. The case studies included: mandates and recommendations issued and resolved after January 1, 2011, through rulemaking or non-rulemaking activities. OIG also reviewed PHMSA’s processes for working with other OAs on hazmat safety. OIG interviewed staff from the Secretary of Transportation’s Office of General Counsel, PHMSA, NTSB, GAO, relevant OAs, and two trade associations. KW - Case studies KW - Coordination KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Hazardous materials KW - Implementation KW - Office of Inspector General KW - Oversight KW - Pipelines KW - Policy, legislation and regulation KW - Recommendations KW - U.S. Government Accountability Office KW - U.S. National Transportation Safety Board KW - U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/PHMSA%20Progress%20Implementing%20Mandates%20and%20Recommendations%20Final%20Report%5E10-14-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427434 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616881 AU - Department of Transportation TI - DOT Cybersecurity Incident Handling and Reporting is Ineffective and Incomplete PY - 2016/10/13/Audit Report SP - 18p AB - An effective response to cyber incidents minimizes disruptions to information systems and data losses. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) self-initiated this audit because of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT’s) large number of information systems that contain sensitive data. The audit objective was to determine whether DOT has effective cyber security monitoring in place for its networks and information systems. Specifically, OIG assessed DOT’s policies and procedures for (1) monitoring, detecting, and eradicating cyber incidents, and (2) reporting incidents and their resolutions to appropriate authorities. OIG conducted this work in accordance with generally accepted Government auditing standards. OIG reviewed policy documentation, including the Department’s Cyber Security Incident Response Plan (IRP). OIG interviewed personnel in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), personnel at the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Air Traffic Organization, subject matter experts at the Cyber Security Management Center’s (CSMC) Security Operations Center, and staff at FAA’s National Airspace System’s (NAS) Cyber Operations (NCO) and DOT’s Common Operating Environment (COE). During these interviews, OIG was briefed on the processes for detecting and handling incidents. OIG determined that while OCIO has established an incident handling and reporting process, it cannot fully detect, prioritize, or report incidents. This lack of full oversight inhibits OCIO’s ability to ensure DOT’s compliance with critical Federal cybersecurity requirements. Recommendations are included to improve the effectiveness of DOT’s cyber security incident handling and response. KW - Computer security KW - Detection and identification KW - Information systems KW - Monitoring KW - Oversight KW - Policy KW - Recommendations KW - Reports KW - U.S. Department of Transportation UR - https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/DOT%20Cybersecurity%20Incident%20Handling%20and%20Reporting%20Final%20Report_REDACTED%5E10-13-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428734 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619050 AU - Overton, Ryan AU - NEXTRANS AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Trine University TI - Develop Preliminary Engineering Design and Study the Benefits of Providing an Access to the Indiana Toll Road at State Road 327 near Orland, IN PY - 2016/10/05/Final Report SP - 13p AB - A new toll road exit is proposed at the intersection of I-80/90 and SR 327 in Orland, Indiana. The new exit is needed to facilitate travel for a proposed manufacturing plant to be established on a 500-acre site east of SR 327 and south of I-80/90. The construction will consist of on and off ramps that connect to both the east and westbound lanes of the toll road and a single toll plaza. There will be a small parking lot and a utility building next to the toll plaza. A bridge will be needed over the toll road so vehicles can access the toll road from the east and west. Finally, the new access road will connect to SR 327 that is already in place. This report includes the preliminary design aspects for the proposed new toll exit, the understanding of the project, what services were provided, and an estimated construction cost for the project. KW - Costs KW - Highway design KW - Indiana KW - Ramps (Interchanges) KW - Road construction KW - Toll roads UR - http://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/nextrans/assets/pdfs/139TUY2.1%20Develop%20Preliminary%20Engineering%20Design%20and%20Study%20the%20Benefits%20of%20Providing%20an%20Access%20to%20the%20Indiana%20Toll%20Road%20at%20State%20Road%20327%20near%20Orland_Final%20Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60470/139TUY2.1_20Develop_20Preliminary_20Engineering_20Design_20and_20Study_20the_20Benefits_20of_20Providing_20an_20Access_20to_20the_20Indiana_20Toll_20Road_20at_20State_20Road_20327_20near_20Orland_Final_20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435263 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622380 AU - Swanson, James A AU - Rassati, Gian Andrea AU - Dues, Eric F AU - University of Cincinnati AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Fracture Critical Analysis Procedures and Design and Retrofit Approaches for Pony Truss Bridges in Ohio PY - 2016/10/01/Final Report SP - 148p AB - The study outlined in this report aimed to quantify the available redundancy in pony truss bridge systems constructed using standard designs and practices in the state of Ohio. A method of conducting refined three-dimensional nonlinear finite element analyses that can be used to assess the level of redundancy in bridge pony systems was developed and used to study the performance of pony truss bridges. It was found that when they are properly detailed and constructed, deck systems in pony-truss bridge can be inherently redundant. To a lesser extent, it was also found that truss members in properly designed and constructed bridges can also be redundant. KW - Bridge decks KW - Bridge design KW - Failure analysis KW - Finite element method KW - Fracture properties KW - Ohio KW - Retrofitting KW - Truss bridges KW - Trusses UR - http://cdm16007.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p267401ccp2/id/14340 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440985 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01625878 TI - Examining FMCSA Vision Standard for CMV Drivers and Waiver Program AB - The aim of this research is to review the current visual requirements, concentrating on the requirements for visual acuity and visual fields, for CMV drivers and consider the limitations. The current standard requires drivers to have: • A distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye without corrective lenses or visual acuity separately corrected to 20/40 (Snellen) or better with corrective lenses; • A distant binocular acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in both eyes with or without corrective lenses; • A field of vision of at least 70 degrees in the horizontal Meridian in each eye; • The ability to recognize the colors of traffic signals and devices showing standard red, green, and amber. In this age of evidence-based standards, it is pertinent to justify the current visual acuity standards. Driving research is fraught with limitations associated with the multi-factorial nature of the task and the difficulties in accessing accurate crash data. Studies have only shown a weak link between visual acuity and crash rates. Additionally, this study will assess the proportion of people, particularly the aging CMV drivers, who fail to meet the current visual requirements. KW - Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety act of 1986 KW - Driving KW - Safety UR - www.fmcsa.dot.gov UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1455336 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01625854 TI - Data Repository (Naturalistic Driving and Other Datasets) AB - The goal of this project is to develop a secure Data Repository that can host data sets used in various FMCSA research and technology initiatives and to develop standards and supporting documents for a third party to be able to leverage collected data in past, ongoing, and future studies conducted by FMCSA. KW - Drivers KW - Future KW - Research KW - Safety KW - Studies KW - Technology UR - www.fmcsa.dot.gov UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1455315 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01625799 TI - Motor Carrier Human Factors Support: Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Fracking-Related Crashes AB - Some of the challenges related to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) travel to and from fracking regions and the transportation of fracking materials are: the increase in truck traffic surrounding areas that are not typically exposed to the conditions, and the availability of hours-of-service (HOS) exceptions for oilfield operations. There have also been concerns raised about the consistency of enforcement of HOS rules among the States. For example, there is a 24-hour restart exemption for operators (with “highly specialized training”) of equipment constructed for oilfield operations. These operators are not required to count detention time at well sites as on-duty time. This exemption is sometimes applied to drivers of CMVs who are transporting fracking materials; however, CMV drivers who are simply transporting fracking materials do not have the “highly specialized training” that oilfield equipment operators have, thus they fall outside of the applicable status for use of the exception. This project seeks to identify and analyze CMV crash trends in the energy-producing regions of the country that are using hydraulic fracking mining methods. KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Energy resources KW - Hours of Service Act KW - Hydraulic fracturing KW - Mining and extractive industries KW - Oil exploration KW - Rest periods KW - Truck crashes KW - Truck traffic UR - www.fmcsa.dot.gov UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1455234 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01625798 TI - Compliance and Safety Impact of Household Goods (HHG) Motor Carriers AB - An interagency agreement (IAA) is being developed between the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA’s) Research Division to allow Volpe’s support of technical research on two studies: Compliance and Safety Impact of HHG Motor Carriers and commercial motor vehicles (CMV) Fracking-Related Crashes. The Compliance and Safety Impact of HHG Motor Carriers study will examine the compliance and safety rates of the HHG motor carrier population, consisting of both carriers and brokers. The CMV Fracking-Related Crashes study will review the occurrence rates of fracking-related CMV crashes as well as the implications of factors specific to a fracking environment in these crashes. KW - Commercial vehicle operations KW - Compliance KW - Hydraulic fracturing KW - Interagency relations KW - Motor carriers KW - Safety KW - Truck crashes UR - www.fmcsa.dot.gov UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1455226 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625553 AU - Leshchinsky, Dov AU - Leshchinsky, Ora AU - Zelenko, Brian AU - Horne, John AU - Parsons Brinckerhoff AU - ADAMA Engineering, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Limit Equilibrium Design Framework for MSE Structures with Extensible Reinforcement PY - 2016/10 SP - 132p AB - Current design of reinforced soil structures in the U.S. distinguishes between slopes and walls using the batter angle as a criterion. Using a unified approach in limit state design of reinforced ‘walls’ and ‘slopes’ should diminish confusion while enabling a wide and consistent usage in solving geotechnical problems such as complex geometries and soil profiles. Limit equilibrium (LE) analysis has been used successfully in the design of complex and critical structures (e.g., tall dams) for many decades. Limit state analysis, including LE, assumes that the design strength of the soil is mobilized. Presented is a LE framework, limited to extensible reinforcement, which enables the designer to find the tensile force distribution in each layer required at a limit state. This approach is restricted to Allowable Stress Design (ASD). Three example problems are presented. KW - Allowable stress design KW - Case studies KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Limit equilibrium KW - Limit state design KW - Mechanically stabilized earth KW - Retaining walls KW - Slopes UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/geotech/pubs/hif17004.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442077 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619962 AU - Newton, Diane AU - Vick, Cary AU - Raboy, Kelli AU - Pearmine, Adrian AU - Hubbard, Elliot AU - Leidos AU - DKS Associates AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Integrated Corridor Management and the Smart Cities Revolution: Leveraging Synergies PY - 2016/10 SP - 28p AB - Because smart cities and integrated corridor management (ICM) are so fundamentally similar in terms of their requirements and objectives, this primer focuses on opportunities for co-deployment synergies and how approaches and lessons learned from one initiative can be translated to the other. The institutional relationships, operational processes, and technical methods developed as part of the successful ICM deployment may be extended across different regions and across different public service areas as part of a broader smart cities program. Both ICM and the smart cities philosophies share the same challenges inherent in coordinating among various stakeholders. This primer is intended to encourage these groups to think broadly about how to go about creating smart cities and how ICM can help achieve each stakeholder group’s goals. KW - Deployment KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Smart cities KW - Stakeholders KW - Telecommunications KW - Transportation corridors KW - Urban areas UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16075/fhwahop16075.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440493 ER - TY - SER AN - 01619051 JO - AASHTO Practitioner's Handbook PB - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Implementing Eco-Logical: Integrating Transportation Planning and Ecological Decision Making SN - 9781560516293 PY - 2016/10 VL - 16 SP - 20p AB - This handbook is intended to introduce transportation practitioners to a method of integrating ecological interests into transportation planning to address natural resource conservation and restoration priorities at a regional scale, and to establish a more reliable and efficient delivery program for projects with partner agencies. Issues covered in this Handbook include: (1) Engaging resource and regulatory agencies as planning partners; (2) Adopting an ecological framework for planning; (3) Prioritizing resources for conservation and restoration; (4) Developing a future transportation program in partnership with agencies and stakeholders to minimize impacts and direct mitigation efforts; (5) Establishing programmatic agreements for project review, permitting, and mitigation crediting; and (6) Maintaining the framework and the partnership. KW - Conservation KW - Decision making KW - Ecology KW - Handbooks KW - Implementation KW - Project delivery KW - Stakeholders KW - Strategic Highway Research Program 2 KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.environment.transportation.org/pdf/programs/ph16-1%20v7%20press.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436172 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618833 AU - Alexiadis, Vassili AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Department of Transportation TI - Integrated Corridor Management: Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation for the I–15 Corridor in San Diego, California—Post-Deployment Analysis Plan PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 47p AB - Post-Deployment Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) activities focus on identifying impacts and benefits of the “as-deployed” Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) system. The “as-deployed” ICM strategies may differ from “as-planned” ICM strategies. The differences could include ICM strategies that are not successfully deployed, ICM strategies that are deployed differently from planned because of technical issues, and ICM strategies that are deployed differently to take advantage of enhancements or impacts not anticipated before deployment. Further, Post-Deployment AMS activities take full advantage of site-specific traveler behavior and response characterization efforts conducted by the Volpe Center and the ICM Evaluation contractor activities included in the post-deployment efforts. The objective of the Post-Deployment AMS efforts is to ensure that the models and methodologies can sufficiently replicate and evaluate corridor conditions and the proposed ICM strategies after ICM deployment. In this stage, the AMS contractor and the Demonstration site staff will confirm, refine, and validate the parameters/assumptions that serve as the basis for the ICM strategies in these models. These updated and enhanced models and methodologies can provide further insight on ICM implementation and other operational benefits that will help guide the demonstration projects, future ICM deployments, as well as assist in the evaluation activities. This Post-Deployment Analysis Plan for the I–15 Corridor outlines the various tasks associated with the application of the ICM AMS tools and strategies to this corridor in order to support the post-deployment analysis and demonstration of the proposed ICM system, and assist in the evaluation effort. KW - Deployment KW - Evaluation KW - Integrated corridor management KW - San Diego (California) KW - Simulation KW - Strategic planning KW - Traffic models UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60489/FHWA-JPO-16-393.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440293 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618832 AU - Alexiadis, Vassili AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Department of Transportation TI - Integrated Corridor Management: Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation for the U.S.-15 Corridor in Dallas, Texas—Post-Deployment Analysis Plan PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 52p AB - Post-Deployment Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) activities focus on identifying impacts and benefits of the “as-deployed” Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) system. The “as-deployed” ICM strategies may differ from “as-planned” ICM strategies. The differences could include ICM strategies that are not successfully deployed, ICM strategies that are deployed differently from planned because of technical issues, and ICM strategies that are deployed differently to take advantage of enhancements or impacts not anticipated before deployment. Further, Post-Deployment AMS activities take full advantage of site-specific traveler behavior and response characterization efforts conducted by the Volpe Center and the ICM Evaluation contractor activities included in the post-deployment efforts. The objective of the Post-Deployment AMS efforts is to ensure that the models and methodologies can sufficiently replicate and evaluate corridor conditions and the proposed ICM strategies after ICM deployment. In this stage, the AMS contractor and the Demonstration site staff will confirm, refine, and validate the parameters/assumptions that serve as the basis for the ICM strategies in these models. These updated and enhanced models and methodologies can provide further insight on ICM implementation and other operational benefits that will help guide the demonstration projects, future ICM deployments, as well as assist in the evaluation activities. This Post-Deployment Analysis Plan for the U.S.-75 Corridor outlines the various tasks associated with the application of the ICM AMS tools and strategies to this corridor in order to support the post-deployment analysis and demonstration of the proposed ICM system, and assist in the evaluation effort. KW - Dallas (Texas) KW - Deployment KW - Evaluation KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Simulation KW - Strategic planning KW - Traffic models UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60488/FHWA-JPO-16-392.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440292 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618685 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Traffic Monitoring Guide PY - 2016/10 SP - 473p AB - This edition of the Traffic Monitoring Guide (TMG) is intended to provide the most up to date guidance to State highway agencies about the policies, standards, procedures, and equipment typically used in a traffic monitoring program. The TMG presents recommendations to help improve and advance current programs with a view toward the future of traffic monitoring and with consideration for recent transportation legislation resulting from the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Improvements in traffic data collection technology since the publication of the TMG in 2001 have allowed States to improve their data collection processes and to streamline quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures, thereby replacing manual procedures with automated ones. New technology also now enables States to collect data on nonmotorized travel, including bicycle and pedestrian traffic. This new capability is addressed in more detail in Chapter 4. The use of nonmotorized travel data and information supports analysis regarding the impacts to the transportation network (on volumes and safety) resulting from the use of bicycles as an alternative travel method. The new technologies and procedures for traffic monitoring presented in this Guide are supplemented (in the appendices) with practical examples from State experiences with improving traffic monitoring programs. This edition of the TMG also includes new data formats as an option for reporting traffic data. These new formats are known as the Per Vehicle Formats for reporting volume, speed, vehicle classification, and vehicle weight data. Data formats are also provided for reporting nonmotorized data for those States with capabilities to collect this type of data. This edition of the TMG has been developed with considerable input from State traffic data program managers and the vendors who design and build traffic data collection equipment. This approach has resulted in a guidance document that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) anticipates will continue to be beneficial to States in improving their business processes, technology, and equipment used to successfully manage their traffic monitoring programs. KW - Data collection KW - Data formats KW - Data quality KW - Equipment KW - Guidelines KW - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) KW - Nonmotorized transportation KW - State departments of transportation KW - Technological innovations KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic surveillance UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/tmguide/tmg_fhwa_pl_17_003.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436155 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618151 AU - Al-Kaisy, Ahmed AU - Ewan, Levi AU - Western Transportation Institute AU - Montana Department of Transportation AU - Department of Transportation TI - Assessment of Montana Road Weather Information System: Site Prioritization Model for Montana RWIS PY - 2016/10 SP - 21p AB - This interim report presents the development of an environmental sensor station (ESS) site prioritization model as part of the overall project to assess the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Road Weather Information System (RWIS). MDT, like many other state departments of transportation (DOTs), continues to expand their RWIS programs. As agencies expand their RWIS programs, they are often faced with the challenge of selecting a limited number of ESS sites from a larger pool of proposed sites given the limited budgets available. Traditionally, regional and statewide ESS site selection has typically been a subjective process relying primarily on DOT personnel and meteorologist judgement as discovered in Task 2: State of the Art Review. Therefore, there is a need for an objective prioritization model for proposed ESS, which should guide future RWIS expansion and ensure maximum utility (benefits) from new ESS installations. The work performed in this task and presented in this report aims at developing a model for assessing the merit of proposed new ESS sites which could serve as a guide for RWIS system expansion in a region or at the state level. Such a model can help MDT in prioritizing the installation of new ESS sites on a regular basis. The model may also be used in finalizing the exact location of a proposed site along a specific corridor to ensure an optimum output is obtained. KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Location KW - Montana KW - Road weather information systems KW - Sensors KW - Strategic planning UR - http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/research/DOCS/RESEARCH_PROJ/RWIS_ASSESS/Task_7.PDF UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435261 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616898 AU - Macias, Roberto AU - Villa, Juan Carlos AU - Aldrete, Rafael Manuel AU - Manzano, David Salgado AU - Rajbhandari, Rajat AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Cross Border ITS Systems with Traffic Management Centers: Technical Report PY - 2016/10//Technical Report SP - 164p AB - The Traffic Management Centers (TMCs) in Texas play a vital role in managing traffic operations in many of major metropolitan areas. TMCs have deployed extensive detection, monitoring, and communication infrastructure to allow Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) operators to manage incidents and reduce collisions; provide traveler information through roadside assets; provide traffic status to broadcast media; and support work zone monitoring and construction information. Currently there is no cross-border TMC or traveler data exchange along the Texas/Mexico border to inform the traveling public of the traffic conditions on the other side of the border, so travelers do not have information on traveling conditions between border sister-cities. Researchers evaluated the current state of the practice and future plans in Mexico to advance intelligent transportation systems, and developed a framework and an action plan for TxDOT to lead the deployment of cross-border TMCs and share data to improve the traffic conditions along the Texas/Mexico border and adjacent border cities. KW - Data sharing KW - Implementation KW - Information dissemination KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - International borders KW - State of the practice KW - Texas KW - Traffic control centers KW - Traveler information and communication systems KW - United States-Mexico Border UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6879-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428815 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616897 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Cybersecurity Best Practices for Modern Vehicles PY - 2016/10 SP - 22p AB - This document describes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA's) nonbinding guidance to the automotive industry for improving motor vehicle cybersecurity. Vehicles are cyber-physical systems and cybersecurity vulnerabilities could impact safety of life. Therefore, NHTSA’s authority would be able to cover vehicle cybersecurity, even though it is not covered by an existing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard at this time. Nevertheless, motor vehicle and motor vehicle equipment manufacturers are required by the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, to ensure that systems are designed free of unreasonable risks to motor vehicle safety, including those that may result due to existence of potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities. NHTSA believes that it important for the automotive industry to make vehicle cybersecurity an organizational priority. This includes proactively adopting and using available guidance such as this document and existing standards and best practices. Prioritizing vehicle cybersecurity also means establishing other internal processes and strategies to ensure that systems will be reasonably safe under expected realworld conditions, including those that may arise due to potential vehicle cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The automotive cybersecurity environment is dynamic and is expected to change continually and, at times, rapidly. NHTSA believes that the voluntary best practices described in this document provide a solid foundation for developing a risk-based approach and important processes that can be maintained, refreshed and updated effectively over time to serve the needs of the automotive industry. KW - Automobile industry KW - Best practices KW - Computer security KW - Motor vehicles KW - Risk assessment KW - Vehicle safety UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nvs/pdf/812333_CybersecurityForModernVehicles.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428799 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616896 AU - Bektas, Fatih AU - Cai, Wenjing AU - Wang, Kejin AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Midwest Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Aggregate Freezing-Thawing Performance Using the Iowa Pore Index PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 33p AB - In cold climates, the use of non-durable aggregate leads to premature pavement deterioration due to damage caused by freezing-thawing cycles. Differentiating durable and non-durable aggregates is a crucial yet challenging task. The frost durability of coarse aggregate has been reported to be related to its pore structure; however, existing test methods to identify pore structure are often not cost-effective. There is a need for a quick, reliable, and cost-effective aggregate test whose results correlate well with aggregate freezing-thawing performance. The Iowa pore index test has been used by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) for three decades as a supplemental decision-making tool. This study investigated the relationship between the Iowa pore index and the freezing-thawing performance of aggregates as measured by three other test methods: Canadian Standards Association (CSA) A23.2-24A, Test Method for the Resistance of Unconfined Coarse Aggregate to Freezing and Thawing; ASTM C88, Standard Test Method for Soundness of Aggregates by Use of Sodium Sulfate or Magnesium Sulfate; and an unconfined freezing-thawing test using conditioning according to ASTM C666, Standard Test Method for Resistance  of  Concrete to Rapid Freezing and Thawing. The following results were observed: (1) The aggregates with a non-carbonate origin outperformed the carbonate aggregates in all three tests. (2) The Iowa pore index was found to correlate fairly well to the aggregate performance measured by the unconfined freezing-thawing test using ASTM C666 conditioning and the CSA A23.2-24A test. The correlation of the Iowa pore index to the ASTM C88 test was poor. (3) The aggregates with high volumes of micropores performed poorly compared to the aggregates with low volumes of micropores. The correlation between the volume of micropores in an aggregate and the freezing-thawing performance was fairly strong. KW - Aggregate tests KW - Alternatives analysis KW - ASTM International KW - Canadian Standards Association KW - Carbonates KW - Coarse aggregates KW - Freeze thaw durability KW - Freeze thaw tests KW - Iowa KW - Iowa Department of Transportation KW - Pavement performance KW - Pores (Geology) UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/aggregate_freezing-thawing_using_Iowa_pore_index_w_cvr.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60300/60357/aggregate_freezing-thawing_using_Iowa_pore_index_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428768 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616892 AU - Katicha, Samer W AU - Ercisli, Safak AU - Flintsch, Gerardo W AU - Bryce, James M AU - Diefenderfer, Brian K AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Virginia Transportation Research Council AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Enhanced Pavement Deterioration Curves PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 40p AB - This report describes the research performed by the Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure (CSTI) at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to develop a pavement condition prediction model, using (negative binomial) regression, that takes into account pavement age and pavement structural condition expressed in terms of the Modified Structural Index (MSI). The MSI was found to be a significant input parameter that affects the rate of deterioration of a pavement section with the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) suggesting that the model that includes the MSI is, at least, 50,000 times more likely to be closer to the true model than the model that does not include the MSI. For a typical pavement at 7 years of age (since the last rehabilitation), the effect of reducing the MSI from 1 to 0.6 results in reducing the critical condition index (CCI) from 79 to 70. The developed regression model predicts the average CCI of pavement sections for a given age and MSI value. In practice, the actual CCI of specific pavement sections will vary from the model-predicted condition because many (important) factors that affect deterioration are not considered in the model. Therefore an empirical Bayes (EB) method is proposed to better estimate the CCI of a specific pavement section. The EB method combines the recorded CCI of the specific section with the CCI predicted from the model using a weighted average that depends on the variability of individual pavement sections performance and the variability of CCI measurements. This approach resulted in improving the prediction of the future CCI, calculated using leave one out cross validation, by 21.6%. KW - Aging (Materials) KW - Bayes' theorem KW - Deterioration KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Pavement performance KW - Regression analysis KW - Service life KW - Structural analysis KW - Virginia UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/17-r7.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429005 ER - TY - SER AN - 01616891 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Automated High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Saturate, Aromatic, Resin, and Asphaltene Separation PY - 2016/10 SP - 8p AB - Dividing a material into its constituent parts is necessary to define its composition. These compositional analyses are useful in binder formulation through blending, rejuvenation, and modification, as well as prediction of physical performance. Normal phase chromatographic separation methods for oils have been around for several decades. One early version of this type of analysis divides a crude oil or asphalt into saturate, aromatic, resin, and asphaltene (SARA) fractions. Asphaltene determinator (AD) is a novel automated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based asphaltene separation process developed by Schabron and Rovani. Following an injection of 2  mg of a petroleum oil or vacuum residuum, asphaltenes precipitate onto a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-packed column in an excess of heptane. The asphaltenes are then selectively dissolved with stronger, more polar solvents to quantitatively give three fractions of asphaltenes. Using this system, coupled on the front end to separate the asphaltenes, the maltenes can then be separated into saturates, aromatics, and resins/polars (SAR) fractions, resulting in a fully automated SARA separation. The research team concluded that automated SAR-AD separation identifies real content differences between asphalt binders that allow correlations between chemical content and physical properties. More work is needed to further develop and validate these correlations. KW - Asphaltene KW - Binder content KW - Bituminous binders KW - Chromatography KW - Mechanical analysis UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/15055/15055.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427383 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616890 AU - Jobson, Tom AU - Huangfu, Yibo AU - Washington State University, Pullman AU - Department of Transportation TI - Impact of Cold Climates on Vehicle Emissions: The Cold Start Air Toxics Pulse PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 38p AB - This project measured cold start emissions from four vehicles in winter using fast response instrumentation to accurately measure the time variation of the cold start emission pulse. Seventeen successful tests were conducted over a temperature range of -4°C to 10°C in winter 2015 at the Washington State University campus. Vehicle cold starts are thought to be a significant source of air toxic compounds in cold winter environments due to the rapid increase in mass emission rates with decreasing temperature. The authors used a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer for high time resolution measurement of the emissions the air toxic compounds benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, in addition to toluene and C₂-alkylbenzenes. Measured molar emission ratios relative to toluene in the cold start pulse were compared with cold start emission profiles for E10 fueled vehicles used in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) 2014 model. The authors found that the measured acetaldehyde-to-toluene emission ratio was about a factor of 8 greater than the emission ratio used in MOVES2014. Measured formaldehyde-to-toluene emission ratios were a factor of 5 greater. The study suggests that emission of the air toxics acetaldehyde and, likely, formaldehyde is significantly underestimated in wintertime by the MOVES2014 model. KW - Air pollution KW - Aldehydes KW - Benzene KW - Cold starts (Driving) KW - Environmental impacts KW - Formaldehyde KW - Frigid regions KW - Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) KW - Pollutants KW - Washington (State) KW - Winter UR - http://cem.uaf.edu/media/208427/final_report-with-toc_fp_tj.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427382 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616889 AU - Lyon, Craig AU - Persaud, Bhagwant AU - Scopatz, Robert AU - Himes, Scott AU - Albee, Matt AU - Lee, Thanh AU - VHB AU - Persaud Lyon, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigating the Impact of Lack of Motorcycle Annual Average Daily Traffic Data in Crash Modeling and the Estimation of Crash Modification Factors PY - 2016/10 SP - 150p AB - The development of safety performance functions (SPFs) and crash modification factors (CMFs) requires data on traffic exposure. The analysis of motorcycle crashes can be especially challenging in this regard because few jurisdictions collect motorcycle traffic volume data systematically. To address this challenge, the project team conducted several analyses to explore (1) how much predictive power for an SPF is lost when motorcycle volumes are unknown and how this lack of information may affect the development of CMFs for motorcycle crashes, and (2) alternative methods for deriving accurate predictions of motorcycle crashes or motorcycle volumes. The results of the analyses show that when motorcycle volumes are not known, using total average annual daily traffic (AADT) on its own is sufficient for developing SPFs and CMFs. The potential bias due to missing motorcycle-specific AADT is sufficiently negligible where it exists so as not to preclude SPF and CMF development. The project team also concluded that attempting to predict motorcycle volumes is not possible using typically available roadway and county-level data. Improvement could possibly be found in trip generation type modeling at a disaggregate scale, although given the success of SPF development using total AADT, such an effort may not be worthwhile. A more significant issue in developing motorcycle crash SPFs and CMFs is working with relatively rare crash types. In the analyses undertaken, SPFs could not be developed for all motorcycle crash types or site types. More evidently, in the estimation of CMFs using simulated data, the CMF value varied significantly between simulation runs due to the low frequency of motorcycle crashes. In terms of research gaps, a database is needed that includes implemented countermeasures expected to affect motorcycle crashes along with the location, date of treatment, and treatment description. This information would aid researchers in identifying treatments that are feasible for study. The report also identifies several research gaps related to analytical methods, related gaps, and data limitations. KW - Annual average daily traffic KW - Crash data KW - Crash modification factors KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Motorcycle crashes KW - Motorcycles KW - Safety Performance Functions KW - Traffic data KW - Traffic volume UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/16054/16054.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428237 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616888 AU - Kahane, Charles J AU - Bowhead Logistics Solutions, LLC AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Comparison of 2013 VMT Fatality Rates in U.S. States and in High-Income Countries PY - 2016/10 SP - 33p AB - Traffic fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles of travel (VMT) in 2013 are estimated for the 44 U.S. States and the 43 high-income comparison countries with populations of 1,000,000 or more. States and comparison countries are assigned to four groups based on population density, urbanization, and climate (factors that influence fatality rates). Within each of these four groups, the rates for U.S. States are similar to the comparison countries of Western, Northern, and Southern Europe as well as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; they are usually lower than in the high-income countries of Eastern Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. These findings point to an international commonality in safety challenges and underline the importance of global collaboration in identifying and sharing techniques for improving road safety. KW - Climate KW - Countries KW - Fatalities KW - Population density KW - States KW - Statistical analysis KW - Urbanization KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812340 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428235 ER - TY - SER AN - 01616886 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Jiang, Zhoutong AU - Jadaan, Khair AU - Ouyang, Yanfeng AU - University of Illinois, Urbana AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Speed Harmonization—Design Speed vs. Operating Speed PY - 2016/10//Final Report IS - 16-021 SP - 92p AB - When the actual operating speed on the roads exceeds the design speed, which is common on rural highways, the roadway design may become problematic from a safety point of view. This report presents a new methodology that summarizes the relationship between design speed and operating speed, as well as the safety impacts of various geometric elements. A comprehensive literature review and a series of interviews with Illinois county engineers were conducted to summarize the current roadway design and maintenance practices and their impacts on Illinois roadway safety. An integrated modeling framework that includes modules for (1) geometric design simulation, (2) operating speed‐profile prediction, and (3) crash rate prediction, is proposed. Based on this research, a benefit–cost analysis was also developed to quantify the economic benefits of various strategies for roadway safety improvement. All models were programmed into an Excel VBA‐based computer tool to facilitate decision making. The outcome of this project may be suitable for implementation in a wide range of application contexts. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Crash risk forecasting KW - Design speed KW - Geometric design KW - Geometric elements KW - Highway safety KW - Illinois KW - Literature reviews KW - Methodology KW - Operating speed KW - Rural highways KW - Simulation UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=5056 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60432/getfile3.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428735 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616257 AU - Lococo, Kathy H AU - Stutts, Jane AU - Staplin, Loren AU - TransAnalytics, LLC AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Medical Review Practices for Driver Licensing, Volume 1: A Case Study of Guidelines and Processes in Seven U.S. States PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 230p AB - This report is the first of three examining driver medical review practices in the United States and how they fulfilled the basic functions of identifying, assessing, and rendering licensing decisions on medically at-risk drivers. The aim was not to identify an optimal medical review method, but rather to document strengths and weaknesses of a variety of approaches. This report presents the methods used to group the diverse medical review practices across the 51 driver licensing agencies into four broad medical review structures, describes selection of States for case study, and identifies strengths and weaknesses associated with each of the four medical review structures. The classification scheme was based on (1) whether a State had a Medical Advisory Board (MAB); and (2) whether in-house medical professionals performed case review. The seven States for case study were: Maine and North Carolina (States with MABs and medical professionals on the licensing agency case review staffs [MAB & MP]); Texas and Wisconsin (States with MABs and where administrative staff perform case reviews [MAB & Admin]); Ohio and Washington (States with no MABs and where administrative staffs perform case reviews [Admin Only]); and Oregon (no MAB but with medical professionals on the licensing agency case review staff [MP Only]). The authors contacted each case study State and followed up with telephone interviews and e-mail queries where more information was needed. Although programs within targeted medical review structures varied considerably, each allowed the State to determine whether a driver flagged as potentially medically unfit posed an unacceptable crash risk. Preliminary data from the case study States suggests that having an MAB, and/or having medical professionals on the case review staff, may convey some advantages to the driver medical review process with respect to identifying at-risk drivers, and the assessment of referred drivers. The four case study States with MABs and the MP Only State had more comprehensive medical guidelines in place, and were the only States among those in the case study that provided legal immunity to physicians who voluntarily reported an at-risk driver. Both measures may encourage physician referrals. The two Admin Only States relied heavily on the opinion of the driver’s physician regarding fitness to drive, as well as testing carried out at local licensing offices. In contrast, States with MABs were more likely to base licensing decisions on whether medical standards were met. Practices in the MP Only State were a hybrid of the two. States with MABs and/or medical professionals on their staffs also generally had a broader range of licensing options available. However, appeals were lowest in the two Admin Only States. Finally, having medical professionals on staff, or having paid MABs perform reviews, was not always associated with a higher overall cost per case, although the lowest cost was found for one of the Admin Only States. Volume 2 describes the findings of data collected prospectively, by following 500 people in each case study State through their medical review process and Volume 3 describes the medical review guidelines and practices in each State and the District of Columbia. KW - Case studies KW - Diseases and medical conditions KW - Driver licensing KW - Guidelines KW - Maine KW - Medical Advisory Boards KW - Medical policy KW - North Carolina KW - Ohio KW - Oregon KW - Reporting medical impairment KW - State of the practice KW - Texas KW - Washington (State) KW - Wisconsin UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812331-MedReviewforLicensing.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429538 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616256 AU - Jenness, James W AU - Boyle, Linda Ng AU - Lee, John D AU - Chang, Chun-Cheng AU - Venkatraman, Vindhya AU - Gibson, Madeleine AU - Riegler, Kaitlin E AU - Kellman, Daniel AU - Westat, Incorporated AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - In-Vehicle Voice Control Interface Performance Evaluation PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 112p AB - The purpose of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) project titled, In-Vehicle Voice Control Interface Performance Evaluation was to conduct empirical research about the use of voice control systems (VCS) by drivers and potential measures that could be used for evaluating possible distraction from using these systems while driving. An on-road, contextual interview study was conducted in Rockville, Maryland, and Seattle, Washington, to identify drivers’ existing patterns of use and interaction errors encountered with VCS while driving. Differences were observed between those who used original equipment VCS and those who used portable smart devices that were paired to the vehicle. In total, the research team noted 22 themes that characterized participants’ interactions with VCS. Most notably, drivers often had trouble using their VCS but did not necessarily blame the system for the errors or the lengthy system interactions that they experienced. Interactions frequently included several types of errors including speech recognition errors. These results suggest that an evaluation protocol based solely on error free trials would not be representative of many VCS interactions commonly experienced by users while driving. Two other studies were conducted in controlled laboratory environments. Participants interacted with a “Wizard of Oz” voice control system while they performed a surrogate driving task with a driving simulator or with a computer-based collision detection task (CDT). Cognitive load was measured by performance on the ISO Tactile Detection Response Task (TDRT). Eye glance measures, based on Visual-Manual NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines for In-Vehicle Electronic Devices were also used. Results indicated that both TDRT performance and eye glance measures may be appropriate for evaluation of VCS and that the CDT protocol yielded similar results to the driving simulator protocol. The findings of these studies will inform development of Phase 3 of NHTSA’s Driver Distraction Guidelines. KW - Cognitive load KW - Distraction KW - Driver performance KW - Driver vehicle interfaces KW - Drivers KW - Errors KW - Glance behavior KW - In-vehicle technologies KW - Speech recognition KW - Voice control systems UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash Avoidance/Technical Publications/2016/8122314_In_VehVoiceCntrlItrfacePerformEval.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429535 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616255 AU - Stevens, Scott AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Driver Acceptance of Collision Warning Applications Based on Heavy-Truck V2V Technology PY - 2016/10//Research Report SP - 70p AB - Battelle conducted a series of driver acceptance clinics (DACs) with heavy-truck drivers to gauge their acceptance of collision-warning applications using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology. This report describes the results from Volpe’s independent analysis of DAC data, in particular data generated from intersection collision warnings (intersection movement assist, or IMA), forward collision warnings (FCW), blind spot/lane change warnings (BSW/LCW), and emergency electronic brake light (EEBL) warnings of hard braking by one or more vehicles ahead. A total of 112 subjects drove trucks towing 53-foot semitrailers through scripted maneuvers on closed courses and rated their impressions in surveys. The results indicated high acceptance in each of five criteria used to define driver acceptance; usability, perceived safety benefits, understandability, desirability, and security and privacy. The majority of subjects viewed the system as no more distracting to use than a car radio, but nonetheless thought it would result in drivers paying somewhat less attention to the road. There was no effect of age on acceptance. Warnings had both auditory and visual components and the combination of the two was preferred to either the visual or auditory components alone (although, for the visual component, some subjects felt uneasy with having to take their eyes off the road to see the screen). KW - Acceptance KW - Collision warning systems KW - Driver support systems KW - Driver vehicle interfaces KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Trailers KW - Truck drivers KW - Vehicle safety KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov//DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash Avoidance/Technical Publications/2016/812336_HeavyTruckDriverClinicAnalysis.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60413/812336_HeavyTruckDriverClinicAnalysis.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429536 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616240 AU - Bullough, John D AU - Rea, Mark S AU - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute AU - New Jersey Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Optimizing Work Zone Lighting PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 60p AB - Work zones are inherently complex and confusing visual environments, where the usual patterns of traffic flow are perturbed, and where lights used by workers for task visibility can create glare not only to workers but to nearby drivers. The use of delineation and signage, in addition to warning lights that may be flashing, can all contribute to "visual chaos." The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) commissioned the present study to address and begin to overcome these issues. The objective of the present study was to identify the needs of workers and drivers in different work zone environments, and to review existing knowledge about ways in which lighting practices and technologies can be deployed to provide workers with sufficient illumination while minimizing glare and confusion to all individuals in and near the work zone. Following a literature review of recently published information on lighting and traffic control in work zones, and a questionnaire of safety engineers, technical analyses of illumination systems, signage and delineation materials, and warning lights were undertaken. The results of the technical analyses led to the development of several preliminary guidelines for illumination system selection/layout, application of sign and delineation devices and materials, and the use and control of warning lights to provide workers and nearby drivers with visual information in work zones. Implementation of the preliminary guidance in the present report can assist NJDOT in improving visual conditions in several different types of work zones through lighting that maintains visual performance while reducing glare and distraction from excessively bright lights. KW - Glare KW - Lighting KW - New Jersey KW - Road markings KW - Traffic signs KW - Visual performance KW - Warning lights KW - Work zone safety KW - Work zone traffic control KW - Work zones UR - http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/research/reports/NJ-2016-004.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429120 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616148 AU - Riding, Kyle A AU - Albahttiti, Mohammed T AU - Kansas State University Transportation Center AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Concrete Pavement Quality Control Testing Requirements Needed for the Super Air Meter PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 34p AB - Concrete freeze-thaw durability is prominently linked to the air void system within the concrete. Concrete pavements in Kansas undergo repetitive freeze-thaw cycles. Total air content measurements currently used on fresh concrete do not provide any indication of the air void size distribution. The Super Air Meter (SAM) addresses this issue by providing the air content and an additional number, the SAM number, which is claimed by the manufacturer to correlate to the concrete hardened air void spacing factor. In order to determine the variability and the frequency of testing needed for the SAM test, 16 sites across Kansas were investigated. The SAM test was performed at least once for every hour of paving. This study found that the SAM number has a 154 percent higher coefficient of variation per site than the total air content. It was also seen that there is a correlation between the air content and the SAM number. It is recommended that the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) perform the SAM test at least four times per site per day. KW - Air content KW - Air voids KW - Concrete pavements KW - Freeze thaw durability KW - Kansas KW - Measuring instruments KW - Paving KW - Quality control UR - http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/docpop.aspx?clienttype=html&docid=9703231 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428255 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616108 AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Workforce Development Summit – Implementing, Disseminating, and Modeling Ladders of Opportunity – Proceedings PY - 2016/10 SP - 81p AB - Recipients of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA’s) Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development grants and FTA partners gathered for a one-day event, the Workforce Development Summit: Implementing, Disseminating, and Modeling Ladders of Opportunity, on June 7, 2016, to share information, network, and learn from each other as they addressed the workforce development challenges facing the transit industry. The summit was hosted by FTA and the National Transit Institute. The Innovative Public Transportation Workforce Development Program assists in the development of innovative programs and activities in public transportation that address the human resource needs of public transportation operators and build pathways to long-term careers in the public transportation industry. The event featured presentations from FTA grantees, individuals from FTA, and FTA partners. Discussions focused on the workforce challenges facing the industry, innovative projects conducted by grant recipients, collaboration opportunities and the importance of partnerships, funding opportunities, and performance measurement. This proceedings report documents the presentations and discussions from the event. KW - Career development KW - Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act KW - Human resources management KW - Labor force KW - Public transit KW - Transit operating agencies KW - Transportation careers KW - Workforce development UR - https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/FTA_Report_No._0096.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428236 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01615655 AU - Hooker, Michael J AU - Osborn, David A AU - Chamberlain, Michael J AU - Warren, Robert J AU - Miller, Karl V AU - University of Georgia, Athens AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Efficacy of Road Underpasses for Minimizing Bear-Vehicle Collisions on the 4-Lane Section of Georgia Highway 96 – Phase I PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 54p AB - The Central Georgia Bear Population, the smallest of Georgia’s three populations of American black bear (Ursus americanus), is of special concern due to its size and potential isolation from other bear populations. Plans to widen Georgia State Route 96 (SR 96), which bisects the Central Georgia Bear population, has potential to negatively impact the population. Highway underpasses are being planned to mitigate these impacts. During 2012-2014, the authors used global-positioning-system (GPS)-tracking and remote, infrared trail cameras to document bear crossings along SR 96. The authors evaluated landscape characteristics associated with 212 (210 by GPS-collared bears plus two photographs) crossings using a resource selection function approach and generalized linear mixed models. Distance between SR 96 and forest edge was positively associated with bear crossings. Bear crossings were generally concentrated with 169 (79.7%) crossings generated by seven bears occurring within a 3-km segment of SR 96. Based on their research results and evaluation of habitat features, the authors recommended placing underpasses in these locations and eliminating two underpasses that had been planned at locations along SR 96 that either received very little use by our GPS-collared bears or had less suitable habitat for bears. The authors also recommended eliminating the proposed fencing design alongside the roadway because it was not likely to decrease the potential of bears accessing the roadway. Furthermore, the fencing had the potential for allowing bears to become “entrapped” within the highway right-of-way, which might increase the chance of a bear-vehicle collision if a bear was unable to easily escape the roadway because of the fencing. Rather than fencing, the authors recommended that vegetation management be used to connect underpass openings to forest edges along the highway rights-of-way. Georgia Department of Transportation adopted the authors' recommendations and saved $1.18 million on the future construction costs for this project. KW - Animal behavior KW - Animal vehicle collisions KW - Black bears KW - Georgia KW - Habitat (Ecology) KW - Highway planning KW - Underpasses KW - Vegetation control KW - Wildlife crossings UR - http://g92018.eos-intl.net/eLibSQL14_G92018_Documents/11-29.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427696 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01615181 AU - Cleary, Timothy AU - Bosch, Marc Serra AU - Kreibick, Jim AU - Anstrom, Joel AU - Mineta National Transit Research Consortium AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Pennsylvania State University, University Park TI - Safety of Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide Battery Packs in Transit Bus Applications PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 144p AB - The future of mass transportation is clearly moving toward the increased efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction of hybrid and electric vehicles. With the introduction of high-power/high-energy storage devices such as lithium ion battery systems serving as a key element in the system, valid safety and security concerns emerge. This is especially true when the attractive high-specificenergy and power chemistry lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) is used. This chemistry provides great performance but presents a safety and security risk when used in large quantities, such as for a large passenger bus. If triggered, the cell can completely fuel its own fire, and this triggering event occurs more easily than one may think. To assist engineers and technicians in this transfer from the use of primarily fossil fuels to battery energy storage on passenger buses, the Battery Application Technology Testing and Energy Research Laboratory (BATTERY) of the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute (LTI) in the College of Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University partnered with advanced chemistry battery and material manufacturers to study the safety concerns of an NCA battery chemistry for use in transit buses. The research team ran various experiments on cells and modules, studying rarely considered thermal events or venting events. Special considerations were made to gather supporting information to help better understand what happens, and most importantly how to best mitigate these events and/or manage them when they occur on a passenger bus. The research team found that the greatest safety concern when using such a high-energy chemistry is ensuring passenger safety when a cell’s electrolyte boils and causes the ventilation of high-temperature toxic material. A cell-venting event can be triggered by a variety of scenarios with differing levels of likelihood. Also, though the duration of a venting event is relatively short, on the order of just a few seconds, the temperature of the venting material and cell is extremely high. During a venting event, the high-pressure, burning gases tend to burn holes in nearby packaging materials. Most interestingly, the team discovered that following a venting event the large-format cells tested immediately reached and remained at extremely high external skin temperatures for very long periods, on the order of hours. The majority of this report covers the testing designed to better understand how high-energy cells of this chemistry fail and what materials can be used to manage these failures in a way that increases passenger survivability KW - Electric buses KW - Equipment tests KW - Failure analysis KW - Hybrid vehicles KW - Lithium batteries KW - Transit buses KW - Vehicle safety KW - Vehicle tests UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1247-safety-of-lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum-oxide-battery-packs-in-transit-buses.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm5324hvx/1/producer%2FCA-MNTRC-16-1247.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427347 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01615176 AU - Czerwinski, David AU - Hartling, Xu Cissy AU - Zhang, Jing AU - Mineta Transportation Institute AU - California Department of Transportation AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - The US Transit Bus Manufacturing Industry PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 92p AB - Manufacturing buses for the US transit market has been a challenging business over the last several decades. It is a small market with volatile demand. Many manufacturers have gone bankrupt, left the market, or been acquired by competitors. Manufacturers of transit buses in the US must comply with a wide range of operational and design regulations. The most salient policy areas include regulating emissions, disabled access, procurement, alternative fuels, the Altoona Test, pooled purchases and piggybacking, spare ratios, workforce training, minimum useful life, Buy America, and research & development (R&D). The purpose of this report is to provide policy makers with an update on the state of the industry, an analysis of how government policies are impacting the industry, and suggestions for policies that can help the industry move forward and thrive to best serve the transit-riding public. KW - Environmental policy KW - Manufacturing KW - Pollutants KW - Procurement KW - Regulations KW - Transit buses KW - Transit operating agencies KW - United States UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1234-US-transit-bus-mfg-industry.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm5gb6s1d/1/producer%2FCA-MTI-16-1234.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60258/1234-US-transit-bus-mfg-industry-brief.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427093 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01615132 AU - Fitzpatrick, Kay AU - Das, Subasish AU - Contreras, Adrian AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Center for Advancing Transportation Leadership and Safety (ATLAS Center) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Is Age a Factor in Crashes at Channelized Right-Turn Lanes? An Exploration of Potential Relationships PY - 2016/10//Final Research Report SP - 46p AB - The objective of this research was to determine if a relationship exists between crashes and right-turn lane design characteristics with specific consideration of the age of the driver. The research team used crash data of selected intersections in Texas for a six-year period (2009–2014) to perform this study. The types of right-turn lane design considered for analysis included shared lane with island, shared lane with island and dedicated downstream lane, right-turn lane with island, right-turn lane with island and dedicated downstream lane, and shared lane. An examination of the distribution of drivers by miles driven and by involvement in right-turn-related crashes showed that younger drivers were involved in more crashes despite driving less than older age groups. This could be representative of the inexperience or the likelihood of risk-taking behaviors of younger drivers. The characteristics that were examined included right-turn treatment type, presence of a dedicated departure lane, corner radius, and width of the channelized island. For most of the comparisons, the distribution of drivers by age showed similar patterns regardless of the type of right-turn treatment or other right-turn lane characteristic studied— younger drivers are having a disproportional number of crashes. The distribution of drivers by width of the channelized island (measured along the receiving roadway) did indicate that the widest channelized islands might be associated with more older-driver crashes. A larger sample size or a different study method, perhaps a before-after method, might be needed to verify this observation. A field investigation along with a safety before-after study could also illustrate whether older drivers have greater difficulties or compensate for the difficulties by positioning their vehicle differently on approaches or, perhaps, avoiding these intersections. KW - Age KW - Crash data KW - Drivers KW - Highway design KW - Right turn lanes KW - Texas KW - Traffic crashes KW - Traffic islands UR - http://www.atlas-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ATLAS-2016-14-Final-Research-Report-Fitzpatrick.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60268/ATLAS-2016-14_-_Final_Research_Report_-_Fitzpatrick.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426828 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614960 AU - Tuleubekov, Kairat AU - CSRA International, Incorporated AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Replacement of FAARFIELD Tandem Factors With Cumulative Damage Factor Methodology PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 27p AB - The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) adopted FAA Rigid and Flexible Iterative Elastic Layered Design (FAARFIELD) as its standard thickness design procedure for airport pavements in September 2009. FAARFIELD includes a layered elastic analysis routine for flexible pavement design and a three-dimensional finite element structural analysis routine for rigid pavement design. The current FAARFIELD design procedure for flexible pavements accounts for the effect of aircraft gears in tandem as part of the pass-to-coverage (P/C) ratio computation. The result is a two-part P/C ratio consisting of a wander-related factor multiplied by a tandem factor. The tandem factor is computed as a straight-line interpolation between the number of wheels in tandem (for shallow structures) and unity (for deep structures). The objective of this report is to accompany the source code implementation of replacing the current method using a tandem factor with an alternative calculation, in which the cumulative damage factor (CDF) due to wheels in tandem is computed based on the subgrade linear elastic strain response. The report contains a comparison of CDFs for flexible pavements under tandem axle gear loads (two dual-gear and three dual-gear configurations), as computed by the current method (FAARFIELD Version 1.4) and by the new method. The report also contains a comparison of CDF computed by the new method with the CDF computed for multiple wheel sets in tandem using the Alizé-Aircraft program, which was developed by the Institut français des sciences et technologies des transports, de l'aménagement et des réseaux - French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Spatial Planning, Development and Networks (IFSTTAR) and the French Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGAC). KW - Cumulative damage factor KW - Flexible pavements KW - Gears KW - Layered elastic analysis KW - Linear elasticity KW - Pavement design KW - Subgrade (Pavements) KW - Tandem axle loads KW - Thickness UR - http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/DesktopModules/FlexNews/DownloadHandler.ashx?id=27da949a-f6c0-4c5d-9880-5ba2df9db2f7&f=TC-TN-16_46_Replacement%20Module%20for%20Tandem%20Gears.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427116 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614958 AU - Higgins, Christopher AU - Gillins, Daniel AU - Scott, Michael AU - Todorovic, Sinisa AU - Javadnejad, Farid AU - Varakantham, Shravya AU - Oregon State University, Corvallis AU - Oregon Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Image Processing, Analysis, and Management Tools for Gusset Plate Connections in Steel Truss Bridges PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 119p AB - This report details the research undertaken and software tools that were developed that enable digital images of gusset plates to be converted into orthophotos, establish physical dimensions, collect geometric information from them, and conduct specification-based and nonlinear finite element analyses of the connections. A software package, GussetImageProcessing.jar, was written that allows the user to process the images, remove the perspective, establish scale, identify the gusset plate boundaries, identify and group fasteners to truss members, and collect the geometric information to conduct AASHTO-LRFR connection ratings on the processed digital images. A separate software package, zGusset.tcl, uses the open-source program OpenSees as the analysis engine and is used to perform non-linear finite element analysis of a gusset plate model. To organize and query the collection of large numbers of high-fidelity quantitative images, a new approach was developed using Geographic Information System (GIS) to link images spatially across various geometric scales, temporally across inspection intervals, and to associate relevant metadata to the image view. KW - Digital images KW - Finite element method KW - Geographic information systems KW - Gusset plates KW - Image processing KW - Orthophotographs KW - Software KW - Steel bridges KW - Structural connections KW - Truss bridges UR - http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP_RES/ResearchReports/5259_Imaging_Tools.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60287/5259_Imaging_Tools.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427202 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614855 AU - Hosteng, Travis AU - Phares, Brent AU - Himschoot, Alexander AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Midwest Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Economic Impact of Multi-Span, Prestressed Concrete Girder Bridges Designed as Simple Span versus Continuous Span PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 39p AB - The objective of this study was to determine the economic impact of designing pre-tensioned prestressed concrete beam (PPCB) bridges utilizing the continuity developed in the bridge deck as opposed to the current Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) method of utilizing standardized spans treated as simply supported. This work consisted of a literature search and review, survey of other highway agencies, design comparisons, and cost-benefit analysis. The design review consisted of comparisons of the standard design practices in terms of material use and cost from a review of electronically published design manuals, standards, and practices for state DOTs. Furthermore, the design review examined design cost, as determined by design hours spent to produce final bridge plans using the different design methodologies from state DOT survey respondents. The cost-benefit analysis was based on construction costs from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI) (with corrections to account for the different years the costs were recorded and the different regional bridge locations) and material and design costs from the design review. Based on the evidence included in the final report for this project, the researchers concluded that simple span designs have a lower initial cost compared to continuous designs, in terms of construction cost and design time. The lower construction cost demonstrated by the simple span designs in contradiction to theoretical material efficiencies in continuous design is an indicator that many of the continuous designs utilized are not optimized to the extent possible. While significant recent research has been completed on optimization methods for prestressed concrete bridge design, the majority of them remain undeveloped for practical application. Due to the lack of strong evidence in favor of either design method in terms of long-term cost and performance, the research team concluded that simple span designs are preferable at this time. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Bridge construction KW - Bridge design KW - Continuous girder bridges KW - Economic impacts KW - Literature reviews KW - Optimization KW - Prestressed concrete bridges KW - State departments of transportation KW - Surveys UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/multi-span_prestressed_concrete_girder_bridges_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425902 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614346 AU - Noland, Robert B AU - Puniello, Orin T AU - DiPetrillo, Stephanie AU - Mineta National Transit Research Consortium AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy TI - The Impact on Transit-Oriented Development on Social Capital PY - 2016/10//Final Report AB - This paper focuses on the ability of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) to improve social capital and interactions within a community. The expectation is that TOD has a positive impact on the lifestyle and activities of individuals who reside, work, and frequent these locations, and that this can include increases in social capital. Using data from a survey of transit station locations in New Jersey, the authors examine how proximity to the station and various built environment variables are associated with different measures of social capital, derived from responses to survey questions. These questions inquire about respondents’ perceptions of their neighborhood as a place to live, sense of community, knowing their neighbors, trust, and whether their community is a good place to raise a child. The authors also include a question on volunteering in the community. These questions reflect various domains of social capital as established in the literature. Results generally do not support the hypothesis that social capital is associated with transit station proximity and TOD. Features of the built environment, proxied by population and employment density, are also not associated with increased social capital, and in some cases have a negative association. While there are some limited positive associations with some of the social capital variables, one of the strongest indicators is living in a detached family home. KW - Neighborhoods KW - New Jersey KW - Public participation KW - Rail transit KW - Rail transit stations KW - Social benefits KW - Social capital KW - Transit oriented development UR - http://transweb.sjsu.edu/PDFs/research/1252-transit-oriented-development-impact-on-social-capital.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm53n6rbq/1/producer%2FCA-MNTRC-16-1252.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426339 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614000 AU - Hale, Mark R AU - Koros, Anton AU - Federal Aviation Administration AU - CSSI, Incorporated AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Wildlife Surveillance Concept: Human-in-the-Loop Laboratory Demonstration PY - 2016/10//Technical Note SP - 76p AB - This report evaluates alternative methods for introducing enhanced bird threat information into the Air Traffic Control (ATC) environment. It is part of a larger multifaceted Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) effort to reduce significant bird strikes at civil airports nationwide. The FAA Airport Safety Research and Development Section sponsored the Advanced Concept Development and Validation Branch to develop and mature a concept to provide near real-time bird threat information directly to ATC personnel in the Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT). Specifically, the Wildlife Surveillance Concept (WiSC) Human-in-the-Loop Laboratory Demonstration focused on evaluating several notional display options for presenting this enhanced information to Certified Professional Controllers (CPCs) in the ATCT environment. Six CPCs from ATCT facilities traveled to the William J. Hughes Technical Center Research Development Human Factors Laboratory (RDHFL) to participate in this simulation study over the course of 2 weeks in March 2015. Participants were recruited from among the facilities with the most significant bird strike incidents as identified in the FAA National Wildlife Strike Database. The simulation took place in the RDHFL’s ATCT simulator. The simulation environment consisted of the Distributed Environment for Simulation, Rapid Engineering, and Experimentation ATC simulator and the Target Generator Facility. Scenarios were developed with representative Philadelphia International Airport operations and a simplified aircraft traffic mix and volume for use in the simulator. A total of four research conditions were provided to each participant. Questionnaire data, over-the-shoulder supervisor ratings, and push-to-talk communications related to controller performance and preference using small-sample inferential statistical methods were analyzed. One of the key underlying themes observed regarding WiSC presentation preference was the tradeoff between information quality and the potential impact on workload. The WiSC target condition clearly provided the most accurate, complete, and useful bird threat information to controllers without significantly increasing workload over the baseline ratings. However, workload measures were lower in the WiSC text and WiSC supervisor conditions compared to the baseline and WiSC target condition. KW - Air traffic control simulators KW - Air traffic controllers KW - Bird strikes KW - Birds KW - Data quality KW - Human in the loop simulation KW - Surveillance KW - Wildlife KW - Workload UR - http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/Download/Airport-Safety-Papers-Publications-Detail/dt/Detail/ItemID/570/Wildlife-Surveillance-Concept-Human-in-the-Loop-Laboratory-Demonstration UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426819 ER - TY - SER AN - 01613992 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Implementation of Remaining Service Interval Concept PY - 2016/10 SP - 6p AB - This document is a technical summary of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) report, "Application and Validation of RSI Framework to Pavements" (FHWA-HRT-16-053). The goal of this project was to demonstrate and to validate the application of the pavement remaining service interval (RSI) concept with real data. This TechBrief first describes the RSI concept and then addresses the following key questions: Does the RSI concept work? How can RSI benefit highway agencies? What do agencies need to do to implement RSI? KW - Asset management KW - Implementation KW - Level of service KW - Life cycle costing KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavements KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Remaining service interval KW - Service life UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/16066/16066.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426738 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613991 AU - Shan, Haoyin AU - Kilgore, Roger AU - Shen, Jerry AU - Kerenyi, Kornel AU - Genex Systems, LLC AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Updating HEC-18 Pier Scour Equations for Noncohesive Soils PY - 2016/10//Laboratory Report SP - 32p AB - A dataset of 594 bridge pier scour observations from two laboratory and three field studies was compiled. The dataset served as the testing ground for evaluating potential enhancements to the pier scour tools for noncohesive soils in Hydraulic Engineering Circular 18 (HEC-18). In the current (fifth) edition of HEC-18, there are two primary equations for pier scour in noncohesive soils. One is the general equation applicable to most situations, including clear water and live bed conditions. The second is a coarse bed material equation recommended only for use under clear water conditions with coarse bed materials. The objective of this research was to determine if the coarse bed materials equation could be used for conditions beyond those under which it is currently limited. A framework for evaluating the two equations was developed using qualitative and quantitative tools. The coarse bed equation is referred to as the Hager number/gradation coefficient (HN/GC) equation because it references the use of both in the equation formulation. After adjusting the HN/GC equation to a target reliability index of 2.0, it was evaluated on its ability to predict scour for a wide range of conditions in noncohesive soils. Partitioned subsets of the data based on key conditions—including the HEC-18 coarse bed criteria, clear water versus live bed transport conditions, gradation, and median grain size—were used for the evaluation. The equation performed reasonably consistently in all partitioned datasets, leading to the conclusion that it may be used for a broader range of conditions. A subgroup of pier group scour observations was assessed to determine if the equation could also be used for pier groups. The equation performed better for single piers but offered a basis for predicting local scour at pier groups. Considering these findings, the modified HN/GC equation is recommended for use on a broader range of noncohesive soil conditions for pier scour. Recommended limits for application of the equation are as follows: (1) clear water or live bed conditions (V sub 1/V sub c,50 < 5.2), (2) sands, gravels, and cobbles (0.0079 inches (0.2 mm) < D₅₀ < 5 inches (127 mm)), (3) gradation coefficients (σ) less than 7.5, (4) Froude number less than 1.7, and (5) single piers. KW - Bridge piers KW - Data files KW - Equations KW - Granular soils KW - Mathematical prediction KW - Scour UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/16045/16045.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426739 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613988 AU - Rada, Gonzalo R AU - Visintine, Beth A AU - Bryce, James AU - Thyagarajan, Senthil AU - Elkins, Gary E AU - Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Application and Validation of Remaining Service Interval Framework for Pavements PY - 2016/10//Draft Final Report SP - 118p AB - The pavement remaining service interval (RSI) terminology was developed to remove confusion caused by the multitude of meanings assigned to the various forms of pavement remaining service life (RSL). The RSI concept considers the complete maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) activity of the pavement system and does not simply consider the end of life as promulgated by the RSL philosophy. The goal of this project was to demonstrate and further develop the application of the pavement RSI concept using real data from two State pavement management systems and the Highway Performance Monitoring System 2010+ dataset. Project-level analysis addressed gaps in the network- and strategic-level analyses. The results from the validation efforts support the conclusion that the RSI represents a valid approach to determining and communicating future M&R needs of a pavement instead of defining pavement life using a single number as in RSL. Those results also show that RSL is essentially not related to the time until the next pavement treatment in an optimal strategy. KW - Data files KW - Highway Performance Monitoring System KW - Optimization KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Pavement management systems KW - Pavements KW - Rehabilitation (Maintenance) KW - Remaining service interval KW - Service life UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/16053/16053.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426737 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613987 AU - Wilmot, Chester AU - Greensword, Marlon AU - Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigation into Legislative Action Needed to Accommodate the Future Safe Operation of Autonomous Vehicles in the State of Louisiana PY - 2016/10//Final Report SP - 133p AB - This report addresses the matter of autonomous vehicles and the regulation of their operation in the state of Louisiana. It was prepared in response to a request from the Louisiana State Legislature to study the subject of autonomous vehicles and provide recommendations on legislative and regulatory action to best accommodate this emerging technology. The methodology employed included reviewing the state of the art as published in the literature and other media, noting practice in other states, considering agencies involved and the role they have, and identifying the main issues facing the development of autonomous vehicles today. What was found is that there is an exponential growth in interest in the subject, both officially and among the public at large, that some unrealistic expectations as to what autonomous vehicles will be able to accomplish is beginning to be challenged, and that two paths in the development of autonomous vehicles are being followed: one involving incremental growth toward full automation and the other an attempt to produce a fully autonomous vehicle directly. The general consensus is to place as little restriction and regulation on the development of autonomous vehicles as possible at the moment so that innovation is inhibited as little as possible. At the same time, the potential benefits of uniformity or standardization among states is recognized but any proposals in this regard are limited to suggestions at the moment. KW - Autonomous vehicles KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Legislation KW - Louisiana KW - Regulation KW - State laws UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2016/FR%20571.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426521 ER - TY - SER AN - 01613788 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Crash Stats PB - National Center for Statistics and Analysis TI - Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities for the First Half (Jan-Jun) of 2016 PY - 2016/10 SP - 2p AB - A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first half of 2016 shows that an estimated 17,775 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. This represents an increase of about 10.4 percent as compared to the 16,100 fatalities that were reported to have occurred in the first half of 2015. The second quarter of 2016 represents the seventh consecutive quarter with increases in fatalities as compared to the corresponding quarters in the previous years. Preliminary data reported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the first 6 months of 2016 increased by about 50.5 billion miles, or about a 3.3-percent increase. The fatality rate for the first half of 2016 increased to 1.12 fatalities per 100 million VMT, up from 1.05 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first half of 2015. The actual counts for 2015 and 2016 and the ensuing percentage changes and rates from 2015 to 2016 will be further revised as the final file for 2015 and the annual reporting file for 2016 are available next year. These estimates may be further refined when the projections for the first 9 months of 2016 are released in late December. KW - Fatalities KW - Fatality Analysis Reporting System KW - Forecasting KW - Traffic crashes KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States KW - Vehicle miles of travel UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812332 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425804 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01603678 AU - Loftus-Otway, Lisa AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - NEPA Assignment Training Powerpoints and Quizzes PY - 2016/10 SP - 221p AB - The objective of these training materials is to provide National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Assignment information to all professionals involved in the NEPA process. Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) staff helped identify six groups to receive the training: consultants, engineers, environmental specialists, local government staff, elected officials, and management. Six PowerPoints were developed specifically for these groups. The PowerPoints contain sections that outline an introductory review of NEPA and an explanation of how NEPA Assignment has changed the general responsibilities held by these six groups. An overview of what to expect and develop for different project classifications lays the foundation for project delivery of Categorical Exclusions (CEs), Environmental Assessments (EAs), and Environmental Impact Statement (EISs). Major aspects of implementing the NEPA process across all project classifications are outlined, such as project initiation and quality assurance and control. Finally, real-world examples are used to illustrate how important each person’s role is to the larger NEPA process under assignment, and to provide examples of where and how mistakes can take place. Also provided here are five quizzes (for all but the elected official group), which similarly use examples from practice to assess the user’s understanding of the material. KW - Environmental impact statements KW - Implementation KW - National Environmental Policy Act KW - Project delivery KW - Quality assurance KW - Quality control KW - Texas KW - Training UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6866-P1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1411139 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625808 AU - Zeilinger, Chris AU - Community Transportation Association of America AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Developing and Advancing Effective Public Involvement and Environmental Justice Strategies for Rural and Small Communities PY - 2016/09/30/Research Report SP - 42p AB - The objective of this research was to help transportation planners, practitioners and other decision makers in rural areas and other smaller communities develop effective, locally appropriate, replicable strategies for public involvement in transportation planning and programming, especially to engage environmental justice communities in working with transportation planners to co-create strategies that will mitigate or avoid prospective environmental justice issues. Working initially with six competitively selected planning organizations in rural and urban areas of less than 200,000 population, the research found that effective practices for public involvement in transportation planning required as diverse a set of strategies in smaller metropolitan areas as in those with much larger populations, but smaller areas’ planning agencies have correspondingly smaller staffs, and must be selective in their use of various public involvement strategies. KW - Environmental justice KW - Public participation KW - Rural areas KW - Small towns KW - Strategic planning KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/public_involvement/publications/effective_strategies/fhwahep17023.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442743 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624429 AU - Bechtel, Andrew AU - College of New Jersey AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Effect of Implementing Lean-on Bracing in Skewed Steel I-Girder Bridges PY - 2016/09/30/Final Report SP - 23p AB - Skew of the supports in steel I-girder bridges cause undesirable torsional effects, increase cross-frame forces, and generally increase the difficulty of designing and constructing a bridge. The girders experience differential deflections due to the skewed supports, and undesirable effects arise when the girders are linked transversely. Before the placement of the deck, the main method of linking the girders transversely is through the use of cross-frames. The cross-frames are designed to provide stability during construction and distribute transverse loads through the bridge girders; this is their primary role. Cross-frames also help control differential displacement during deck placement and distribute vertical loads in the bridge’s elastic and inelastic ranges. The cross-frames are not specifically designed for these tasks; these are the secondary roles of the cross-frames. Lean-On bracing has been proposed to reduce skew effects caused by traditional cross-frames. While having been shown to improve skew effects, the alternative cross-frame designs have not been evaluated on the effect they have on the cross-frames’ secondary roles. This paper describes a study of the effects Lean-On bracing has on the secondary roles of cross-frames. Three-dimensional Finite Element Models were used to perform a study involving changes in skew angle and cross-frame design. The rotation of the girders, maximum cross-frame stresses, load distribution, and differential displacement between the girders were used to characterize the behavior of the bridges. For the bridge type studied, the only major difference in performance was that the maximum cross-frame stresses were reduced for the bridges modeled with Lean-On bracing. KW - Bracing KW - Bridge design KW - Bridge members KW - Deflection KW - Finite element method KW - Frames KW - Girder bridges KW - Girders KW - Skew bridges KW - Steel bridges UR - http://www.utrc2.org/sites/default/files/Final-Report-Effect-of-Implementing-Lean-On-Bracing.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445501 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618013 AU - Gates, Timothy J AU - Savolainen, Peter T AU - Stapleton, Steven AU - Kirsch, Trevor AU - Miraskar, Santosh AU - Wayne State University AU - Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Development of Safety Performance Functions and Other Decision Support Tools to Assess Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety PY - 2016/09/30/Final Report SP - 89p AB - A field study was performed at 40 uncontrolled midblock crosswalks and 26 signalized intersections on lowspeed roadways selected from the areas surrounding three major urban college campuses across lower Michigan. An array of existing traffic control devices existed at the study sites, including various crosswalk marking strategies, along with additional treatments, such as pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs), rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs) and single in-street R1-6 signs. The sites also collectively included a diverse set of roadway and traffic characteristics, including crossing widths, number of lanes, and median presence, along with vehicular, pedestrian, and bicyclist volumes. Three primary evaluations were performed for the midblock segments and signalized intersection study sites, including: driver yielding compliance, vehicle-pedestrian conflicts, and non-motorized traffic crash data. The yielding compliance study found that the type of crosswalk treatment has a strong influence over driver yielding compliance. While yielding compliance improves substantially when crosswalk markings are utilized, the highest compliance rates are achieved when an additional enhancement device (i.e., RRFB, PHB, or R1-6 sign), is also provided. To supplement small crash sample sizes at the study sites, Michigan statewide pedestrian and bicyclist crash data were collected and utilized to develop safety performance functions (SPFs) and other methods for predicting pedestrian and bicyclist crashes at road segments and intersections. Because pedestrian and bicyclist volumes were not available statewide, each model was developed for pedestrian and bicycle crashes based solely on vehicular annual average daily traffic (AADT). In general, the models showed that pedestrian and bicycle crashes tend to increase with increasing traffic volumes. However, even in the highest volume cases, only a fraction of crashes involved a pedestrian or bicyclist. Pedestrian and bicycle crashes were further estimated based on the respective proportion of the Michigan specific SPF models for total crashes. The primary limitation towards prediction of pedestrian and bicycle crashes is the lack of a reliable exposure data to represent the amount of pedestrian or bicyclist activity on a given segment or intersection. KW - Bicycle crashes KW - Compliance KW - Crash rates KW - Crash risk forecasting KW - Crosswalks KW - Decision support systems KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Field studies KW - Michigan KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrian-vehicle crashes KW - Safety Performance Functions KW - Signalized intersections KW - Traffic control devices KW - Urban areas KW - Yielding UR - http://www.wmich.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/u883/2016/TRCLC_14_06_Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60477/TRCLC_14_06_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435143 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616901 AU - Hancock, Kathleen AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Applications of Connected Vehicle Infrastructure Technologies to Enhance Transit Service Efficiency and Safety PY - 2016/09/30/Final Research Report SP - 41p AB - Implementing Connected Vehicle Infrastructure (CVI) applications for handheld devices into public transportation transit systems would provide transit agencies and their users with two-directional information flow from traveler-to-agencies, agencies-to-traveler, traveler-to-vehicle, and vehicle-to-traveler. This information flow could improve the efficiency of services provided by the agency and enhance the safety of travelers and drivers. This project developed an architectural framework for two CVI applications: (1) an application for dynamic demand-response transit (DRT) services and (2) an enhanced traveler safety application that allows individuals to notify a transit vehicle that they are within a specified distance of the vehicle’s current stop location. A limited simulation was performed to evaluate the potential of using this location information with respect to a transit vehicle to provide flexibility for that vehicle to remain at a stop for a limited time, minimizing passenger wait time and exposure to potential safety issues, specifically during night operations. An annotated bibliography of resources used for this study is also provided. KW - Demand responsive transportation KW - Evaluation KW - Mobile applications KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Periods of the day KW - Public transit KW - Simulation KW - Transit safety KW - Traveler information and communication systems KW - Waiting time UR - http://cvi-utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Hancock_Applications-of-Connected-Vehicle-Infrastructure-Technologies-to-Enhance-Transit-Service-Efficiency-and-Safety_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427386 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616900 AU - Shin, Hyeon-Shic AU - Callow, Michael AU - Farkas, Z Andrew AU - Lee, Young-Jae AU - Dadvar, Seyedehsan AU - Morgan State University AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Measuring User Acceptance of and Willingness-to-Pay for CVI Technology PY - 2016/09/30/Final Research Report SP - 122p AB - The increased prevalence of Connected Vehicles (CVs) is expected to provide significant safety benefits to roadway users. Estimates indicate that the use of CVs will reduce non-impaired driver crashes by 80 percent. To ensure that the full benefits of CVs are realized, it is critical for transportation professionals to develop effective deployment strategies. However, the large number of unknowns currently makes this difficult. For instance, there are (1) no clear-cut deployment strategies due to a methodological void; (2) overly optimistic adoption estimates; and (3) no unified roadmaps to which state and local governments must conform. Current studies suggest that understanding drivers’ perceptions, needs, and acceptance of CVs will provide rich information for solving these unknowns. As price is a serious barrier to CV technology proliferation, the primary goal of the current study is to use an adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis to estimate drivers’ acceptance of and willingness to pay (WTP) for CVs through a simulation of participants’ purchasing decisions. Results show that, with regard to the acceptance of safety features, acceptance of “collision warning packages” was the highest. Comparisons of WTP considering several socioeconomic variables found that drivers between the ages of 40 and 49 years, African-Americans, those with less than a bachelor’s degree, and those with a higher budget for vehicle purchase were positively related to WTP. Results also indicate that, at every age, women are more concerned about safety than are men. While the study did not find statistical differences in WTP between men and women, women’s budgets for vehicle purchases were lower than men’s, and women reported significantly less prior knowledge of CVs. Also, women 50 and older appear less interested in CV technologies. As a result of these findings, the research team suggests that government agencies showcase CV technologies’ safety benefits via media catering to mature women and at family-oriented public events. KW - Acceptance KW - Attitudes KW - Consumer preferences KW - Crash avoidance systems KW - Drivers KW - Gender KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Simulation KW - Socioeconomic factors KW - Willingness to pay UR - http://cvi-utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Shin_Measuring-User-Acceptance-and-Willingness-To-Pay-for-CVI-Technology_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427385 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616899 AU - Lee, Young-Jae AU - Thomas, Clayton AU - Dadvar, Seyedehsan AU - Morgan State University AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Applications of Connected Vehicle Infrastructure Technologies to Enhance Transit Service Efficiency and Safety PY - 2016/09/30/Final Research Report SP - 190p AB - Many transit agencies provide real-time operational information and trip-planning tools through phone, Web, and smartphone applications. These services utilize a one-way information flow from transit agencies to transit users. Current smartphone technology and connected vehicle infrastructure (CVI), however, can allow a two-directional information flow from users to transit agencies and back. This report provides a literature review on the state of current transit apps; proposes a system architecture for a smartphone app that allows for dynamic flexible routing and increased transit user safety; and presents the results of a survey conducted on the perception and acceptability of the model app. Survey results were analyzed in terms of safety, efficiency, and privacy for different demographic, travel behavior, and geographic characteristics. Results showed that users did not significantly consider the privacy issues (7.1 on a scale from 1 [least acceptable] to 10 [most acceptable]) but believed that it could improve nighttime safety (7.3/10.0). Users believed that the app could improve nighttime pedestrian safety if it were connected to the police department (7.8/10.0). This app was also expected to improve transit efficiency and increase ridership, and is eventually recommendable (7.3/10.0). The least expected improvement was daytime safety (6.4/10.0), which is reasonable and expectable. KW - Acceptance KW - Literature reviews KW - Mobile applications KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Periods of the day KW - Public transit KW - State of the practice KW - Surveys KW - Transit safety UR - http://cvi-utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Lee_Applications-of-Connected-Vehicle-Infrastructure-Technologies-to-Enhance-Transit-Service-Efficiency-and-Safety_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428798 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614961 AU - Magalotti, Mark AU - Hu, Yuan AU - Bariyeh, Halima AU - University of Pittsburgh AU - Pennsylvania Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Identifying Impediments and Solutions to Sidewalk Project Implementation in Pennsylvania PY - 2016/09/30/Final Report SP - 77p AB - The purpose of this research project was to evaluate the implementation issues of sidewalk projects that are funded through various federal programs administrated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). This evaluation has identified specific problems through a review of past and current projects in the Safe Routes to School (SRTS), Transportation Enhancements (TE), Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative (PCTI) programs and the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) as well as surveys of other departments of transportation and case studies. Recommendations to address identified implementation issues to assist PennDOT and project sponsors with completion of sidewalks projects were made in the areas of project programming and funding applications; project implementation process improvements; and state and local government coordination. KW - Case studies KW - Coordination KW - Financing KW - Implementation KW - Local government KW - Pennsylvania KW - Programming (Planning) KW - Safe Routes to School (Program) KW - Sidewalks KW - State departments of transportation KW - State government KW - Surveys UR - http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_PDF_FILES/Documents/Research/Complete%20Projects/Planning/Identifying_Impediments_and_Solutions_to_Sidewalk_Project_Implementation_In_PA.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60288/Identifying_Impediments_and_Solutions_to_Sidewalk_Project_Implementation_In_PA.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60300/60356/Identifying_Impediments_and_Solutions_to_Sidewalk_Project_Implementation_In_PA.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427115 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614945 AU - Bandara, Nishantha AU - Jensen, Elin AU - Holt, Frank AU - Lawrence Technological University AU - Michigan Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluating the Use of Tow Plows in Michigan PY - 2016/09/30/Final Report SP - 227p AB - The main objective of this project is to identify the cost-benefit of Tow Plow usage on different routes in order to determine where Tow Plows can be included in the snow maintenance fleet in a safe and economical manner. During this study, state-of-the-practice information on Tow Plows was gathered through a comprehensive literature review and Tow Plow usage survey. The survey was conducted among highway agencies in the snowy regions of the United States and Canada. A field evaluation of the Tow Plow was performed on several different types of snow routes during a few winter storms with varying severity. The field evaluation included gathering data related to visual condition of the pavement behind the Tow Plow and regular plow, operating speed of the snow plows, friction level of the pavement behind the different types of plows, and the traffic condition behind the snow plows. Based on the collected data, conclusions indicate that there is no statistically significant difference in friction levels behind the different types of plows and operating speeds were also compatible between snow plows. Although, the traffic conditions behind a Tow Plow were severe during winter maintenance operations, overall travel delay during the winter storms was significantly less as verified by analyzing traffic speed data collected during winter storms. The cost-benefit of using the Tow Plow and the most cost effective equipment combination were determined by using winter maintenance cost data reported by Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) personnel and traffic delay data computed by using observed traffic speed during winter storms. A training video for Tow Plow operators was also developed as part of this research project. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Evaluation KW - Field studies KW - Friction KW - Literature reviews KW - Michigan KW - Operating speed KW - Snow removal KW - Snowplows KW - State of the practice KW - Surveys KW - Towing vehicles KW - Traffic delays KW - Training KW - Transportation departments UR - http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/SPR1623_TowPlows_537649_7.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60484/SPR1623_TowPlows_537649_7.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426355 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01612991 TI - National Survey of Drowsy Driving Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors AB - In the United States a number of surveys have asked drivers if they have fallen asleep while driving, and the survey results have shown which demographic characteristics are predictive of falling asleep while driving. These surveys have also shown that the public sees drowsy drivers as a dangerous risk on the roads. In recent years there have been a number of drowsy driving laws proposed throughout the United States, and laws were recently passed in New Jersey and Arkansas. Unfortunately not much is known about drowsy driving knowledge or attitudes, or how laws may impact these characteristics. The primary objective of this project is to conduct a nationally representative survey of a randomly selected sample of drivers on their attitudes, behavior and awareness of drowsy driving. A secondary objective is to collect additional survey data in New Jersey and/or Arkansas. Understanding the public’s attitudes and knowledge is an important step in designing and deploying education and other countermeasures that will impact the incidence of drowsy driving across the United States. KW - Arkansas KW - Attitudes KW - Awareness KW - Behavior KW - Countermeasures KW - Distraction KW - Driving KW - Drowsiness KW - Laws KW - New Jersey KW - Surveys KW - United States UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425723 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01612990 TI - Rear Seat Belt Law Evaluation AB - The 2014 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) found observed seat belt use to be 14 percent lower in the backseat than in the front. The rear seat occupant protection problem is also underlined by the fact that in 2014 the percentage of people dying unrestrained in the backseat was 11 percent higher than for people dying in in the front. Part of the explanation appears to be attributable to differences in State laws. In 2016 there are 22 States without laws requiring all occupants to buckle up, and NOPUS found observed rear seat belt use in States without a rear seat law was 14 percent lower than in States requiring belt use in all seating positions. The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the effect of an all positions seat belt law. This evaluation will include how the law is implemented, public awareness surrounding the law, the effect of the law on seat belt use, and its effect on crashes, injuries, and fatalities. A secondary objective is to monitor legislative activity and describe the legislative process relating to all seating positions seat belt laws. Conducting the current research could provide evidence for legislators to support the passing of more rear seat belt laws. KW - Awareness KW - Crashes KW - Fatalities KW - Laws KW - Occupant protection devices KW - Rear seat occupants KW - Seat belt use KW - United States UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425722 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619053 AU - Haghshenas, Hamzeh AU - Nabizadeh, Hesamaddin AU - Kim, Yong-Rak AU - Santosh, Kommidi AU - University of Nebraska, Lincoln AU - Mid-America Transportation Center AU - Nebraska Department of Roads AU - Federal Highway Administration AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Research on High-RAP Asphalt Mixtures with Rejuvenators and WMA Additives PY - 2016/09/27/Final Report SP - 76p AB - This study is to evaluate the mechanical and chemical properties of the asphalt concrete (AC) mixture, fine aggregate matrix (FAM), and binder modified by three different rejuvenators and warm mix asphalt (WMA) additive. In this regard, for testing of AC mixtures, the dynamic modulus, dynamic creep, and semicircular bending (SCB) fracture tests were conducted. For testing of FAM mixtures, three types of strain-controlled torsional oscillatory shear tests (i.e., strain sweep, frequency sweep, and time sweep) and the static creep-recovery tests were employed for comparative purposes. For binders, the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, saturates-aromatics-resins-asphaltenes (SARA) analysis, dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to characterize the physicochemical and mechanical aspects of the asphalt binders. Based on test and analysis results, the rejuvenators can soften the materials, increase the rutting potential and may mitigate moisture damage resistance, while improving cracking and fatigue resistance of the asphaltic mixtures. A comparison between AC mixtures and corresponding FAM mixtures revealed the interrelationships between the two length scales. From the binder tests, it appears that the rejuvenators decrease either carbonyl or sulfoxide or both indices. Addition of rejuvenators to the mixture of recycled asphalt binder and virgin binder led to a decrease in the amount of asphaltenes. Furthermore, rejuvenators improved colloidal instability index (CII), which implies that the aged binder has become more stable due to rejuvenation. The AFM phase images of binders indicated that the softening effect of rejuvenators corresponds to the mechanical test results from DSR. KW - Additives KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Bituminous binders KW - Cracking KW - Fine aggregates KW - Laboratory tests KW - Mechanical tests KW - Mix design KW - Moisture damage KW - Pavement performance KW - Reclaimed asphalt pavements KW - Warm mix paving mixtures UR - http://roads.nebraska.gov/media/6708/finalreportm016.pdf UR - http://www.roads.nebraska.gov/media/6708/finalreportm016.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60501/finalreportm016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435434 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618834 AU - Zinke, Scott AU - Mahoney, James AU - University of Connecticut, Storrs AU - Connecticut Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Reviewing the Testing Protocol for Density Cores Collected from CTDOT during the 2012 and 2013 Construction Seasons PY - 2016/09/27/Final Report SP - 37p AB - Density of cores that are cut from the roadway following compaction on new pavements in Connecticut is used as a quality indicator. This density needs to be determined accurately as it impacts payment. Cores need to contain material from the placed surface without mix adhering to underlying layers in order to be determined accurately. In addition, when cut cores do not have a smooth bottom surface, density may not be able to be determined accurately. More than 1,100 cores from the 2012 and 2013 construction season were collected and analyzed to determine what level of surface relief (or texture depth) would affect accurate measurement, and thus require saw cutting. It was determined that when more than 4.5 mm of surface relief exists on the bottom of a core it should be saw cut to a planar condition to avoid density measurement errors. A gauge was developed at the University of Connecticut to measure texture depth when it is not readily evident that it is greater than 4.5 mm. Recommendations include saw cutting core bottoms to remove underlying material attached to the pavement to be tested, as well as when surface relief is in excess of 4.5 mm. It is further recommended that cores containing less than 4.5 mm of surface relief and having no underlying material attached be measured in their existing condition because there is no benefit gained when saw cutting these cores. KW - Accuracy KW - Asphalt pavements KW - Connecticut KW - Cores (Specimens) KW - Density KW - Paving KW - Quality control KW - Saw cutting KW - Testing protocol UR - http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dresearch/CT-2281-F-15-8.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60555/CT-2281-F-15-8.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1439970 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01612998 TI - Older Driver Rearview Video Systems AB - In 2014 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a rule requiring rear visibility technology in all new passenger vehicles by May 2018 to significantly reduce the risk of fatalities and serious injuries caused by backover crashes. While research has shown that rearview video systems (RVSs), when used appropriately, can reduce crash risk, a number of drivers with RVSs report that they ignore them and instead rely on mirrors to avoid obstacles when backing. Previous research by NHTSA and others has found that training can improve drivers' ability to use the systems effectively. Older adults in particular may benefit from this type of training because they are likely to be less comfortable with technology and therefore have more difficulty learning to use these systems than younger adults. In addition, older drivers, particularly ones with age-related stiffness in the spine, may gain the benefit of fewer pedal misapplications if they learn to use the systems effectively. Using an RVS and mirror to check behind the vehicle, instead of turning to the right to check before backing, could help the driver retain his or her position in the seat and thereby reduce the risk of pedal errors. The objective of this study is to assess driving performance of older adults using inside and outside rearview mirrors compared to using an RVS while operating a motor vehicle in reverse. After documenting participants' performance, the project will develop and evaluate an RVS training protocol that addresses the errors identified during the performance period. KW - Backing (Driving) KW - Cameras KW - Crash injuries KW - Driver training KW - Fatalities KW - Rearview mirrors KW - Risk assessment KW - Visibility UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425823 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01613026 TI - Managing the Human and Vehicle Factors of Fatigue AB - The need for sleep is an inescapable biological phenomenon that when not met leads to widespread and deleterious effects on the mind and body. Sleepiness, without fail, results in cognitive and behavioral decrements that can contribute to diverse negative outcomes including poor school performance, accidents at work, long-term physical and mental health consequences, and, most pertinent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes resulting in injuries and death. As such, NHTSA is interested in drowsy driving's impact on our Nation's roads. While NHTSA has made research contributions throughout the years, including our frequently cited report from the 1998 Expert Panel on Driver Fatigue and Sleepiness and our ongoing work on in-vehicle drowsy driving detection, many research gaps still exist that, if closed, would provide substantial progress toward understanding the impact of drowsy driving as well as offering potential solutions to problems it causes. This project will focus on gathering experts across the vehicle industry, government, and academia to share and produce new research and programs related to the human factors of fatigue management in vehicles by organizing a meeting and evaluating and reporting on the overall impact of the meeting in regards to in-vehicle technologies, safety and regulations. KW - Cognition KW - Crash injuries KW - Driver performance KW - Fatigue (Physiological condition) KW - Impaired drivers KW - Sleep disorders KW - Traffic crashes UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425963 ER - TY - CONF AN - 01622663 AU - Chandra, Divya C AU - Markunas, Rebecca AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center TI - Line Pilot Perspectives on Complexity of Terminal Instrument Flight Procedures PY - 2016/09/25 SP - 10p AB - Many new Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Instrument Flight Procedures (IFPs) are being developed as the United States transforms its airspace to improve safety and efficiency. Despite significant efforts to prepare for operational implementation of new IFPs, the process does not always go smoothly. The primary goal of this study was to understand what makes IFPs difficult from the perspective of line pilots. The authors spoke to 45 professional pilots in small groups. The pilots reviewed, briefed, and discussed six IFPs in an office setting. The authors extracted a comprehensive list of subjective complexity factors by observing pilot briefings and gathering pilot feedback. Then the authors organized the list into a framework that captures a variety of types of complexity. The authors define a subjective complexity factor as one that requires an extra mental or physical step by the pilot. IFP design parameters (e.g., the number of transitions and flight path constraints) are a main driver for subjective complexity for line pilots. Unusual IFP designs can result in novel chart depictions that are unfamiliar and more difficult to use. In turn, novel chart formats may have inconsistencies that increase subjective complexity. Participants also mentioned factors that are outside the control of IFP designers, such as weather, fatigue, and aircraft performance or equipment. The authors separate out these as operational complexity factors. The broad nature of the pilot interviews also provided insights into how pilots use charts today, in the context of the modern flight deck. A full report on the study is in preparation. U1 - 35th Digital Avionics Systems ConferenceIEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS)AIAAA Digital Avionics Technical CommitteeSacramento,California,United States StartDate:20160925 EndDate:20160930 Sponsors:IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS), AIAAA Digital Avionics Technical Committee KW - Aeronautical charts KW - Air pilots KW - Aircraft pilotage KW - Flight paths KW - Human factors KW - United States UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60100/60125/Line_pilot_perspectives_on_complexity_of_terminal_flight_procedures.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428256 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01611914 TI - Improving the Quality of Highway Profile Measurement AB - The objectives of this project are to: (1) deliver sample procurement specification, maintenance guidelines; (2) direct and support development and maintenance of pavement profile analysis software: (3) establish criteria for profile verification and assist with development of validation sites; (4) develop and deploy pavement profile reference device(s) and a traceable verification process; and (5) provide technical support for the Road Profile Users' Group and conduct annual face-to-face meetings in conjunction with the group. KW - Guidelines KW - Highway maintenance KW - Profilometers KW - Quality control KW - Specifications KW - Validation UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/605 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424080 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01611913 TI - Enhancement to the Intelligent Construction Data Management System (Veta) and Implementation AB - Using ICDM-Veda as a tool/platform, the objectives of this effort are to incorporate features and enhancements such as the following: (1) Analysis platforms; (2) Filtering, computations, modeling, etc.; (3) Management of database and project files; (4) Enhancements and additions to existing logic and coding to facilitate efficiency and added features; (5) Mapping; (6) Mapping performance, print feature; (7) Correlation analyses; (8) Correlations between different data sets (intelligent compaction, thermal profiling, ground penetrating radar (GPR), pavement smoothness, falling weight deflectometer (FWD), density, etc.; (9) Spot tests; (10) Management of conventional spot test data (import, filtering, mapping, correlations); (11) Data import and mapping; (12) Import data sets from ProVAL, ground penetrating radar, and delimited text data; (13) Contract administration; (14) Automated items needed to administer geo-spatial technologies during construction for quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA)); - Data import/mapping, acceptance, basis of measurement and documentation of quantities; (15) Asset management; and (16) Mapping of final project QC/QA data collection for use as a supplement Pavement Management Systems. KW - Asset management KW - Construction KW - Correlation analysis KW - Data analysis KW - Data files KW - Data management KW - Intelligent agents KW - Mapping KW - Pavement management systems KW - Software UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/583 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424087 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613829 AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Department of Transportation TI - Truck Side Guard Specifications: Recommended Standard PY - 2016/09/23 SP - 2p AB - This document is intended to be used by (1) public or private medium/heavy-duty truck fleets considering adding side guards; (2) jurisdictions or customers that require side guards through policy or procurement; (3) manufacturers of side guards; and (4) truck manufacturers and dealers. The specifications are based on previously published Volpe recommendations (Reports DOT-VNTSCDCAS-14-01 and DOT-VNTSC-SFMTA-16-01) and may be referred to as the “Volpe side guard standard” or “Volpe side guard specifications.” This standard can be used as a basis for design, production, testing, review, and procurement of side guards and side-guard-equipped vehicles. KW - Side crashes KW - Specifications KW - Trucking safety KW - Trucks KW - Underride guards KW - Vehicle design KW - Vehicle sides UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60000/60063/Truck_Side_Guard_Specifications.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60000/60063/Volpe_USDOT_side_guard_specification_final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424912 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614861 AU - Williams, Billy M AU - Rouphail, Nagui M AU - Kim, Sangkey AU - Song, Tai Jin AU - North Carolina State University, Raleigh AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Incident Management Assistance Patrols – Assessment of Benefits/Costs, Route Selection, and Prioritization PY - 2016/09/21/Final Report SP - 176p AB - The North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT’s) Incident Management Assistance Patrol (IMAP) program provides a critically important service to North Carolina’s traveling public. The highly trained and well-equipped IMAP operators protect motorist safety while minimizing congestion and improving system reliability. While the costs of deploying IMAP routes are not trivial, the benefits are tangible and significant for locations where the patrols are truly needed. Therefore, it is essential that the NCDOT have appropriate and effective tools and methodologies for evaluating the costs and benefits of existing and potential IMAP deployments and for prioritizing route expansion alternatives. The NCDOT has operated a highly successful and expanding IMAP program over the last two decades. Demand for continued system expansion is coming up against trends in budget tightening and workforce downsizing. The trends are nationwide and have fueled a parallel trend toward private operation of freeway service patrols. These trends in service patrol deployment and service delivery have been accompanied by a sustained national and international research thrusts providing important implementable findings in transportation system modeling and experimental knowledge in the safety and efficiency improvements that can be achieved through the provision of freeway service patrols. Therefore, in pursuing this research project, NCDOT desired a synthesis of lessons learned and best practices as well as development of a methodology to incorporate this knowledge, along with applicable recent research findings, into a process that will enable criteria-based selection and prioritization of future IMAP system expansion. The project outcomes have addressed these needs. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Best practices KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Freeway service patrols KW - Incident management KW - Methodology KW - North Carolina KW - Route choice KW - Strategic planning UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/RNAProjDocs/2014-12Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426172 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616165 AU - Li, Zongzhi AU - Du, Lili AU - Liu, Yi AU - Illinois Institute of Technology AU - NEXTRANS AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Optimal Signal Timing Design for Urban Street Networks Under User Equilibrium Based Traffic Conditions PY - 2016/09/20/Final Report SP - 102p AB - In the ever-growing travel demand, traffic congestion on freeways and expressways recurs more frequently at a higher number of locations and for longer durations with added severity. This becomes especially true in large metropolitan areas. Particular to the urban areas, excessive crowdedness caused by inefficient traffic control also results in urban street networks operating in near or over-saturated conditions, leading to unpleasant travel experience due to long delays at intersections. As a consequence, the recurrent traffic congestion on roadway segments and vehicle delays at intersections inevitably compromise energy efficiency, traffic mobility improvement, safety enhancement, and environmental impacts mitigation. All too often, neither restraining travel demand nor expanding system capacity is desirable and practical. Conversely, effectively utilizing the capacity of the existing transportation system has been increasingly thought of as the solution to congestion relief. With respect to the urban street networks, developing effective means for urban intersection signal optimization becomes essential to reduce intersection delays. Conventional signal timing optimization methods use historical traffic data and assume that traffic flows will remains unchanged after the implementation of new signal timing plans. Traffic flows are assumed to be constant, but in fact, when signal timing plans change, travel times for some travel routes will alter, which requires drivers in the network to adjust their choice of travel routes to arrive at the destinations, and result in redistribution of traffic in the network. Therefore, the effects of interactions between signal timing plans and traffic flows need to be explicitly taken into consideration. This study introduces a new methodology that jointly considers signal timing optimization and traffic assignment in an overall analytical framework that contains model formulations under assumptions consistent with real world situations. Such a framework is well suited for applications in real world cases. Specifically, the overall optimization framework is formulated as a bi-level optimization problem. In the proposed basic model, at the upper level, a traffic signal timing optimization problem for urban network is introduced to minimize system total travel time by optimizing signal green splits. At the lower level, a static user equilibrium problem is formulated for networkwide traffic assignment. In the vehicle delay estimation, the time-dependent stochastic delay model in the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM 2010) is employed and formulated as Variational Inequality constraints, what allow the state-of-the-art MPEC solver, GAMS/NLPEC, to solve the problem for a local optimal effectively and efficiently. The bi-level optimization model is first tested using a small network (the test network) and a computational experiment using a subarea network in the Chicago central district is conducted to assess the practicality of the model formulation in real world applications. In order to import more reality to the basic model and also consider the potential system benefit that comes from different signal phasing design, an enhanced model is developed based on the basic model by employing integer and binary variables. Formulating the problem with binary variables allows for the selection of proper phasing design. Heuristic solution methods are proposed and tested using the test network. KW - Bilevel optimization KW - Chicago (Illinois) KW - Heuristic methods KW - Highway Capacity Manual 2010 KW - Optimization KW - Traffic assignment KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic delays KW - Traffic flow KW - Traffic signal timing KW - Urban areas KW - User equilibrium UR - http://www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/nextrans/assets/pdfs/new/135IITY2.1%20Signal%20Timing%20Optimization%20for%20Large%20Scale%20Urban%20Networks%20under%20Dynamic%20Traffic_Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428240 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614874 AU - Rockwell Collins AU - Federal Railroad Administration TI - Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Positive Train Control (PTC) Implementation Planning Guide PY - 2016/09/19/Version 1.1 SP - 129p AB - The purpose of this document is to provide general guidance to railroads for planning and implementing any Positive Train Control (PTC) system. While several PTC systems have received Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Type Approval in the United States, including Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System (ACSES) and Incremental Train Control System (ITCS), this document focuses primarily on the tasks necessary to implement the Interoperable Train Control (ITC) PTC System, leveraging the Association of American Railroad (AAR) ITC PTC standards and industry practices to provide guidance for achieving interoperability with Class I railroads that also are implementing an ITC PTC system. In addition, many of the subjects covered in the document are useful for the implementation of any PTC system. This document also addresses tasks required of railroads that operate as tenants on PTC-enabled subdivisions as well as tasks required of host railroads that own, operate, and dispatch trains on PTC-enabled subdivisions. KW - Association of American Railroads KW - Implementation KW - Interoperability KW - Positive train control KW - Railroads KW - Standards KW - Transportation planning KW - U.S. Federal Railroad Administration UR - http://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16714 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425896 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614933 AU - Rainwater, Chase AU - Nachtmann, Heather L AU - Adbesh, Fereydoun AU - University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AU - Maritime Transportation Research and Education Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Optimal Dredge Fleet Scheduling within Environmental Work Windows PY - 2016/09/15/Final Research Report SP - 52p AB - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) annually spends more than 100 million dollars on dredging hundreds of navigation projects on more than 12,000 miles of inland and intra-coastal waterways. Building on previous work with USACE, this project expands logic-based mathematical programming solution approaches to address more realistic dredge scheduling challenges faced by the USACE. In previous work, both mixed-integer and constraint programming formulations were developed to allocate dredge resources to projects system-wide while adhering to various limitations such as so-called environmental restrictions that define when dredging cannot take place due to migration patterns of different species (e.g. turtles, birds, fish, and other wildlife). In addition, dredge equipment resource availability and varying equipment productivity rates that impact project completion times were considered. In this study the authors extend the previously developed constraint programming model, adding flexibility to address more of USACE’s needs. The extended model allows for partial dredging during restricted periods, variable jobs sizes, multiple dredges working on a job, multiple dredging equipment trips to the same job, dredge maintenance and varying operation rates/costs. The result of this research is a more applicable decision tool that can be used by USACE to determine the appropriate dredge fleet and the optimal operations associated with that fleet for a given set of jobs and their characteristics. KW - Decision support systems KW - Dredging KW - Environmental impacts KW - Optimization KW - Programming (Mathematics) KW - Scheduling KW - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers UR - http://martrec.uark.edu/research/optimal.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60265/optimal.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426382 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613845 AU - Palframan, Kelly Donoghue AU - Alden, Andrew S AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Reducing School Bus/Light-Vehicle Conflicts Through Connected Vehicle Communications PY - 2016/09/15/Final Research Report SP - 49p AB - This project aimed to develop and test a concept for improving the safety of school bus transportation using connected vehicle technology. The project consisted of three key steps that led to a final road study: 1) conducting focus groups with light vehicle drivers and school bus drivers to determine what type of in-vehicle school-bus related information they would like to receive/send; 2) developing a concept of operations to accommodate driver desires; and 3) evaluating the effect of an in-vehicle message that warns of a stopped school bus ahead. In the road study, researchers evaluated each driver’s response through analysis of vehicle kinematics (speed, longitudinal acceleration, and jerk) when a bus was staged either beyond a “School Bus Stop Ahead” roadside sign or beyond the point at which a similar in-vehicle message was presented. Driver responses for each condition were compared to a baseline condition that described their driving behavior when no bus was present on the roadway. The results showed a nearly immediate response to in-vehicle messages, whereas the corresponding roadside sign messages provided little evidence of modifying driver behavior prior to visually observing a stopped school bus in the roadway. KW - Behavior KW - Driver information systems KW - Drivers KW - Evaluation KW - Kinematics KW - Light vehicles KW - Mobile communication systems KW - School buses KW - Traffic safety KW - Warning signs UR - http://cvi-utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Palframan_School-Bus-Vehicle-Conflicts_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425868 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618686 AU - Gransberg, Douglas AU - Kovel, Jacob AU - Pines, David AU - Stahl, Jane AU - Zhou, Bin (Brenda) AU - Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering AU - Connecticut Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Strategies for Improving Transportation Project Delivery Performance PY - 2016/09/14/Final Report SP - 204p AB - The objective of this study was to identity practices for improving transportation project delivery performance for the various contracting methods that are applicable for the Connecticut Department of Transportation's (CTDOT’s) use. The report is structured in two parts. Part A covers overall project deliverability and Part B is focused on environmental review processes and permitting. An overview of the study’s recommendations is as follows: CTDOT leadership should articulate the department’s vision and objectives for project delivery performance and continue to foster and improve internal relations to instill a shared production culture and team orientation among designers, engineers, environmental regulators, and associated construction entities; to achieve the goals as set forth in the state’s transportation capital program plans, it is expected that CTDOT and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will require additional staffing and flexibility to engage consultants to fill staffing gaps, especially to meet short-term needs; key project delivery performance measures should be established to monitor processes using data-driven analysis to identify areas for improvement, and justify needed funding and staffing levels; a useful strategy for improving constructability and ensuring the success of all projects, regardless of the project delivery method used, is early and continuous contractor and regulator involvement to enable design and constructability to be considered concurrently; to enhance environmental benefits and minimize environmental impacts of a project, a holistic design approach should be used that includes early and collaborative discussions between designers, construction managers, and environmental regulators, and the practice of sequential design reviews for environmental considerations should be replaced with over-the-shoulder reviews where environmental considerations are integrated into overall project design; CTDOT should use the project delivery method and contractor selection method that best fits a project’s challenges and objectives to achieve potential benefits; a consultant should be engaged to guide the development and implementation of alternative contracting methods (ACMs) processes, and for training CTDOT staff in all aspects of scoping, procurement and contracting, and managing the relationships between CTDOT and design and construction project teams in the use of ACMs. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Connecticut Department of Transportation KW - Constructability KW - Consultants KW - Contracting KW - Holistic approach KW - Infrastructure KW - Project delivery KW - Strategic planning KW - Transportation projects UR - http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dresearch/CT-2298-F-16-1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60492/CT-2298-F-16-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436157 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01612994 TI - Visual Scanning Training for Older Drivers AB - In 2013, 14% of the U.S. population was 65 or older; however, this population accounted for 17% of driver fatalities. Previous National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) research showed that the oldest drivers, those in their 70s, and to a greater extent those 80 and older, were more likely than middle-aged drivers to have made an error that contributed to the crash. These errors often involved failure to obey traffic control devices or to yield to oncoming traffic. In most instances the older driver simply failed to notice the hazard. A 2013 NHTSA report, “Validation of Rehabilitation Training Programs for Older Drivers,” examined a group of older drivers who completed Visual Treatment Protocol (VTP) training, which was designed to help older adults gather more visual information from the driving environment. The training method showed promise in improving driver performance and could be administered by Occupational Therapists without the relatively scarce Driver Rehabilitation Specialist credential. The goal of this project is to extend the 2013 findings for VTP described above to explore the training method's effect on an older driver's ability to make use of visual stimuli in the driving environment. If the training’s effectiveness can be substantiated, it could provide a lower cost, readily available refresher training method for reducing crash risk, particularly for multiple vehicle crashes that the data show are particularly problematic for older drivers. KW - Aged drivers KW - Driver performance KW - Traffic crashes KW - Training programs KW - Visual perception UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425758 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616154 AU - Miller, Rawlings AU - Arthur, David AU - Barami, Bahar AU - Breck, Andrew AU - Costa, Stephen AU - Lewis, Kristin AU - McCoy, Kevin AU - Morrison, Emma AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Department of Transportation TI - Hampton Roads Climate Impact Quantification Initiative: Baseline Assessment of the Transportation Assets & Overview of Economic Analyses Useful in Quantifying Impacts PY - 2016/09/13/Technical Baseline Report SP - 173p AB - The Hampton Roads Climate Impact Quantification Initiative (HRCIQI) is a multi-part study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Climate Change Center with the goals that include developing a cost tool that provides methods for voluntary grantee consideration of financial impacts in infrastructure planning due to climate change and severe weather. This Baseline Study, conducted in collaboration with several DOT modes, and based on extensive consultation with regional governmental, military and industry stakeholders, summarizes available data, methodologies, and tools to inform a robust analysis of the economic impacts of climate change and severe weather-related disruptions on the region’s transportation infrastructure. DOT chose to study the Hampton Roads region based on its unique attributes, including its: extreme vulnerability to sea level rise impacts, that is beginning to threaten transportation system and military operations; strategic significance as home to the nation’s largest concentration of federal facilities, including the world’s largest naval station; and the partnership opportunities afforded through the Intergovernmental Pilot Program and its partner’s deep expertise in analyzing and addressing these impacts. DOT is intending to conduct follow-on work building on this Baseline Study. KW - Asset management KW - Climate change KW - Economic analysis KW - Economic impacts KW - Floods KW - Hampton Roads (Virginia) KW - Impact studies KW - Infrastructure KW - Military facilities KW - Sea level KW - Transportation planning KW - Weather conditions UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60100/60161/Hampton_Roads_Climate_Impact_Initative.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428258 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618014 AU - Kim, Dae AU - Smith, C Scott AU - Connors, Elyse AU - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo AU - Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Travel Behavior of Blind Individuals before and after Receiving Orientation and Mobility Training PY - 2016/09/08/Final Report SP - 24p AB - In this pilot study, the authors devised, tested, and refined a protocol for evaluating the travel behavior of blind individuals. Preliminary analyses of the pilot study data suggest that the new method involving Global Positioning Systems (GPS), accelerometers, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), will enable the collection of objective, quantitative, and valid measures of blind individuals’ travel behavior and Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training’s effectiveness. Preliminary analysis results from a small sample of blind travelers describe the individuals’ trip distances, trip frequencies, trip destinations, trip modes, travel times, whether assisted or not, and perceived ability to get around. With the completion of the full-scale study (proposed for FY 2016-18), the authors may be able to recommend changes to current O&M training to allow more active, confident, and safe travel by blind individuals in their communities. The authors may also discover characteristics of the physical environment that inhibit access by blind pedestrians and are more amenable to mitigation through good transportation planning (e.g., geometric design of intersections) than through O&M training. KW - Accelerometers KW - Before and after studies KW - Blind persons KW - Geographic information systems KW - Global Positioning System KW - Methodology KW - Mobility KW - Pilot studies KW - Training KW - Travel behavior KW - Travel time KW - Trip length KW - Wayfinding UR - http://www.wmich.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/u883/2016/TRCLC_Final_Report_15_04.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60479/TRCLC_Final_Report_15_04.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435145 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01617674 TI - Development of Next Generation Liquefaction (NGL) Database for Liquefaction-Induced Lateral Spread AB - The primary outcome of this research is a vetted and community database of seismic, topographical, geotechnical and horizontal displacement measurements pertaining to case histories of liquefaction-induced lateral spread for further research and model development by other researchers and investigators under the auspices of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research (PEER) Center (http://peer.berkeley.edu/). Secondary outcomes will be web host and publishing required to house and disseminate this database and its supporting information. This project has the following research objectives: (1) develop peer-reviewed and consistent methodology for data documentation and archiving of lateral spread case histories, (2) develop quality assurance protocols for assessing and documenting data quality, (3) develop methods and/or protocols to quantify uncertainties associated with the collected data, (4) populate the case history database with well-documented examples of liquefaction-induced lateral spread, (5) review screening criterion used in evaluating lateral spread potential, (6) disseminate the database for general use using web-based software tools. KW - Databases KW - Deformation KW - Geological activities and processes KW - Liquefaction KW - Technological forecasting UR - http://www.pooledfund.org/Details/Study/601 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435355 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618835 AU - Gopalakrishna, Deepak AU - Garcia, Vince AU - Ragan, Ali AU - English, Tony AU - Zumpf, Shane AU - Young, Rhonda AU - Ahmed, Mohamed AU - Kitchener, Fred AU - Serulle, Nayel Ureña AU - Hsu, Eva AU - ICF International AU - Wyoming Department of Transportation AU - Trihydro Corporation AU - McFarland Management, LLC AU - University of Wyoming, Laramie AU - Department of Transportation TI - Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Concept Phase 1, System Requirements Specification (SyRS), ICF Wyoming PY - 2016/09/02/Final Report SP - 126p AB - The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s (WYDOT) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment Program is intended to develop a suite of applications that utilize vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication technology to reduce the impact of adverse weather on truck travel in the I-80 corridor. These applications support a flexible range of services from advisories, roadside alerts, parking notifications and dynamic travel guidance. Information from these applications are made available directly to the equipped fleets or through data connections to fleet management centers (who will then communicate it to their trucks using their own systems). The pilot will be conducted in three Phases. Phase I includes the planning for the CV pilot including the concept of operations development. Phase II is the design, development, and testing phase. Phase III includes a real-world demonstration of the applications developed as part of this pilot. This document presents the high-level Systems Requirement Specifications (SyRS) for the physical objects and applications identified in the Concept of Operations document. The SyRS document provides testable requirements based on the user needs identified by the pilot site and will be used as the basis for system design activities. The document also supports the pilot site’s partnership and vendor selection process by setting clear expectations of various physical objects and applications that will be procured, integrated and demonstrated as part of the pilot. KW - Connected vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Fleet management KW - Pilot studies KW - Specifications KW - System requirements KW - Trucking KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications KW - Weather conditions KW - Wyoming UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60494/FHWA-JPO-16-291.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440295 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612168 AU - Martinelli, David R AU - Unnikrishnan, Avinash AU - West Virginia University, Morgantown AU - Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Preston Educational Engineering Resources (PEER) PY - 2016/09/01/Final Report SP - 11p AB - The goal of the Preston Educational Engineering Resources (PEER) program has been to promote awareness of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) opportunities related to transportation and engineering and the educational background needed among high school and middle school students in rural areas. The PEER program was implemented in schools in rural Preston County, West Virginia, with two primary features. (1) Lessons and exercises were presented in Preston County classrooms by West Virginia University engineering students who were just a few years older than the target students, and thereby employing a peer dynamic to STEM learning. (2) The lessons and exercises were pre-certified to meet the required learning objectives of the intended math and/or science classes, which served as the context for the program. Therefore, teachers were not impeded in the progress of their learning outcome obligations, but were actually accelerated by the program. The Preston County Schools technology integration specialists and the EdVenture Group teamed with West Virginia University (WVU) engineering students (mentors) and faculty to develop lectures and exercises for middle and high school students that focus on teaching important STEM concepts in a transportation context. The engineering student mentors visited Preston County Schools and conducted hands-on and engaging presentations that were enhanced by the dynamic created by the closeness in age and life experience. KW - College students KW - Education KW - Engineering students KW - High school students KW - Mentors KW - Middle school students KW - Preston County (West Virginia) KW - Preston Educational Engineering Resources (PEER) KW - Rural areas KW - Science, Techology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) KW - Transportation careers KW - Transportation engineering KW - West Virginia University UR - http://www.mautc.psu.edu/docs/WVU-2013-01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424202 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625812 AU - Goetz, Andrew R AU - Jonas, Andrew E G AU - Brady, Sylvia AU - University of Denver AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Innovative Approaches to Improved Intermodal Transportation Infrastructure Funding and Financing through Public-Private Partnerships: A Denver Case Study PY - 2016/09 SP - 70p AB - For many years, cities and states in the U.S. have been facing a shortage of funding for transportation infrastructure. Increasingly, public entities are turning to the private sector for help with building, financing, or operating major transportation projects. Until recently, most of the transportation public-private partnerships (PPPs or P3s) in the U.S. have been toll roads or bridge projects. The purpose of this research is to examine the recent use of transit public-private partnerships (PPPs or P3s) in the Denver Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) FasTracks program, a 2004 voter-approved $4.7 billion transit expansion program. After a shortfall in funding, RTD partnered with several private consortia to enable the FasTracks program to move forward. The authors identified five transit PPPs in the FasTracks program with varying levels of private sector participation: Eagle P-3 commuter rail; Denver Union Station redevelopment; U.S. 36 bus rapid transit; I-225 light rail; and North Metro commuter rail. Using in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and policymakers in the Denver region, the authors seek to identify the degree to which the P3s in Denver have been successful and could serve as a model for transit infrastructure expansion in other metropolitan regions in the U.S. KW - Bus rapid transit KW - Case studies KW - Denver (Colorado) KW - Denver Union Station KW - FasTracks (Denver, Colorado) KW - Financing KW - Light rail transit KW - Public private partnerships KW - Public transit KW - Railroad commuter service UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012-19FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445634 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625548 AU - Petek, Kathryn AU - Mitchell, Robert AU - Ellis, Hollie AU - Shannon and Wilson, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - FHWA Deep Foundation Load Test Database Version 2.0 User Manual PY - 2016/09 SP - 77p AB - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) began the development of the first version of the Deep Foundation Load Test Database (DFLTD) in the 1980s. Over 1,500 load tests were collected and stored for various types of piles and drilled shafts in different soil conditions. As part of a new FHWA research study initiated in 2014 to investigate and update FHWA technical references for the design of large diameter open-end piles (LDOEPs) using the load and resistance factor design (LRFD) framework, load tests on LDOEPs had to be collected. As part of this task, an updated version of the FHWA Deep Foundation Load Test Database (DFLTD v.2) was created, bringing in all of the existing data as well as the new data collected during this study. This DFLTD v.2 user manual provides an overview and instruction and the use of the new deep foundation load test database developed for the project. The document describes database installation procedures and the DeepFoundationView module. This user manual also describes the database query tools along with the process for data retrieval, data entry, and data visualization. KW - Bridge foundations KW - Computer program documentation KW - Databases KW - Deep foundations KW - Drilled shafts KW - Large diameter open-end piles KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Load tests KW - Piles (Supports) KW - Software KW - Soil conditions UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/bridge/dfltd/17034.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442726 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622664 AU - Sandoval, Gerardo Francisco AU - University of Oregon, Eugene AU - National Institute for Transportation and Communities AU - Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Making Transit-Oriented Development Work in Low-Income Latino Neighborhoods: A comparative case study of Boyle Heights, Los Angeles and Logan Heights, San Diego PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 79p AB - This research project is a continuation of a previous National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC)-funded study. The first study compared the MacArthur Park transit-oriented development (TOD) in Los Angeles to the Fruitvale Village TOD in Oakland. The findings from this new study further validate the key findings from the first study. This new comparative case study analyzed the extension of Los Angeles’ Gold Line into Boyle Heights and the revitalization linked to Boyle Heights due to two TODs built in that neighborhood. The author concludes from all four cases that TODs can help serve as catalysts for neighborhood revitalization in low-income communities by paying attention and building upon endogenous forms of cultural, political, financial and built capital that exist in these neighborhoods. Residents and neighborhood activists should play a meaningful role in the development process in order to make the new investments in these communities beneficial to these barrios. The new transportation infrastructure investments will increase pressures of gentrification and, hence, the author offers specific strategies and tools that urban planners and transportation policymakers can implement to help create more equitable outcomes in these barrios while mitigating for gentrification risks. Strategies learned from these case studies include building affordable housing, supporting Latino culturally relevant public spaces (Latino/barrio placemaking), investing in community-based public arts, and collaborating with activists in the neighborhoods to make these TODs more community oriented. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Case studies KW - City planning KW - Equity (Justice) KW - Hispanics KW - Los Angeles (California) KW - Low income groups KW - Neighborhoods KW - San Diego (California) KW - Transit oriented development UR - http://ppms.trec.pdx.edu/media/project_files/NITC-RR-762_Making_Transit-Oriented_Development_Work_in_Low-Income_Latino_Neighborhoods.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442279 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622387 AU - Wennink, Audrey AU - Denbow, Rich AU - Wemple, Beth AU - Cambridge Systematics AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - MPO Guidebook for Using Safety as a Project Prioritization Factor PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 62p AB - This Guidebook provides options for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in use of safety as a project prioritization factor. The guidebook includes six types of approaches and details potential criteria, analysis methods, pros, cons, data, and resource needs, for implementing these approaches at basic, intermediate and advanced levels. The project included a literature review, interviews with MPOs, and definitions of recommended approaches. The research team reviewed Metropolitan Transportation Plans (MTP) and Transportation Improvement Programs (TIP) for 52 MPOs identified as potentially employing good practices in project prioritization and consideration of safety. The research team conducted interviews with nine MPOs identified as having a well-defined project prioritization process that explicitly considers safety. KW - Handbooks KW - Implementation KW - Literature reviews KW - Metropolitan planning organizations KW - Performance measurement KW - Safety KW - State of the practice KW - Transportation planning UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/transportation_safety_planning/publications/mpo_guidebook/fhwahep16090.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441070 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619964 AU - Vavrik, William AU - Raghunathan, Deepak AU - Sadasivam, Suri AU - Schierholz, Jeanna AU - Applied Research Associates, Incorporated AU - Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Sharing Work Zone Effective Practices for Design-Build Projects PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 136p AB - Design-build projects are becoming more prevalent as agencies seek to speed up projects to leverage resources through growing use of public-private partnerships, accelerated project timelines, and contracting out design work. There is a need, however, to explore differences between design-build processes and traditional design-bid-build processes and to produce additional best practices and guidance for agencies, owners, and stakeholders in design-build projects. This project constitutes the second phase of previous work to develop these resources. The specific objectives of this project are to identify and share best practices and guidance on work zone management, quality assurance, and transportation management plan (TMP) development for design-build projects. This information is packaged within this report as a series of lessons learned, best practices, tools for developing TMPs, and sample checklists. This material is presented in five chapters briefly summarized as follows: “Chapter 2: Lessons Learned and Best Practices in Design-Build Projects” presents bulleted lists of lessons learned and best practices in design-build projects, organized around a variety of pertinent issues and subjects in design-build processes; “Chapter 3: Transportation Management Plan Development Tools for Design-Build Projects” presents development tools for the development of TMPs in general as well as for the development of TMP components including Temporary Traffic Control Plans, Traffic Incident Management Plans, and Public Information and Outreach Plans; “Chapter 4: Quality Assurance Tips for Work Zones in Design-Build Projects” presents a concise, bulleted tip list for managing work zones in design-build projects; “Chapter 5: Quality Assurance Checklists for Work Zones in Design-Build Projects” presents a series of sample inspection checklists to aid design-builders and owners/agencies in conducting quality assurance (QA) for work zones in various phases of design-build projects; and “Chapter 6: Additional Checklists to Support Design-Builders and Owners/Agencies” presents an additional series of sample checklists to support design-builders and owners/agencies in various processes of design-build projects. KW - Best practices KW - Design build KW - Lessons learned KW - Quality assurance KW - Transportation management plans KW - Work zone traffic control UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16049/fhwahop16049.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440495 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619963 AU - Dowling, R AU - Jenior, P AU - Nevers, B AU - Neudorff, L AU - Kittelson and Associates, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Applying Performance Based Practical Design Methods to Complete Streets - A Primer on Employing Performance-Based Practical Design and Transportation Systems Management and Operations to Enhance the Design of Complete Streets PY - 2016/09//Technical Report SP - 48p AB - This Primer explains how the application of performance-based practical design (PBPD) principles combined with transportation system management and operations strategies (Operations strategies) can promote the consideration and application of Complete Street design principles to a wider range of contexts. Complete Streets often involve a reduction or re-purposing of the number of motor vehicle travel lanes on the street. This frees up space for safety and operational improvements benefiting more users of the street: auto drivers, truck drivers, transit passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. PBPD, combined with operations strategies, enables the designer to consider applying Complete Street design concepts to a wider range of contexts. The result is a street system that cost-effectively meets the needs of the diverse users of the streets and the objectives of the agency. KW - Complete streets KW - Highway design KW - Highway operations KW - Operational improvements KW - Performance based design KW - Safety improvement KW - Strategic planning KW - Transportation system management KW - Urban highways UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16059/fhwahop16059.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440494 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619055 AU - Pickrell, Timothy M AU - Li, Hongying (Ruby) AU - KC, Shova AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Occupant Restraint Use in 2015: Results From the NOPUS Controlled Intersection Study PY - 2016/09 SP - 33p AB - This report presents results from the 2015 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) Controlled Intersection Study. NOPUS is the only nationwide probability-based occupant restraint use survey. The National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducts this survey annually. The 2015 NOPUS found that seat belt use continued to be higher for females (90.7%) than for males (86.6%). Seat belt use among male drivers increased from 84.3% in 2014 to 86.6% in 2015. Seat belt use in the rear seat (74.8%) was lower than in the front seat (88.5%). Overall restraint use for children under 8 years old in 2015 was 89.8% compared to 90.9% in 2014. KW - Age groups KW - Children KW - Front seat occupants KW - Gender KW - Intersections KW - National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) KW - Rear seat occupants KW - Restraint systems KW - Seat belt use KW - Surveys KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812330 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435483 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619054 AU - Worth, Monica AU - Guerrero, Sebastian AU - Meyers, Alan AU - Leidos AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - 2016 Freight Quick Facts Report PY - 2016/09 SP - 48p AB - The U.S. freight transportation system consists of a vast network of roads, railways, navigable channels, and pipelines that connect hundreds of seaports, airports, and intermodal facilities in the movement of raw materials and finished products throughout the country. This report provides practitioners and the public at large with a user-friendly source of information about this vital system, focusing on answering a wide-range of freight-related questions, particularly about how the sector has changed over the past several years. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the extent and usage of freight infrastructure in the United States. Chapter 2 discusses the impacts of this freight transportation system on the economy, environment, and society. Chapter 3 concludes by summarizing key freight trends and providing an overview of policy and funding issues in the sector. KW - Commodity flow KW - Economic impacts KW - Environmental impacts KW - Financing KW - Freight traffic KW - Freight transportation KW - Infrastructure KW - Policy KW - Social impacts KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16083/fhwahop16083.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435482 ER - TY - SER AN - 01618818 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Hein, David K AU - Rao, Shreenath AU - Lee, Hyung TI - Bases and Subbases for Concrete Pavements PY - 2016/09 SP - 11p AB - This Tech Brief presents an overview of best practices for the design and construction of bases and subbases for concrete pavements and their effects on performance. Section headings are as follows: Background; Rigid Pavement Layer Configuration; Design Considerations for Base/Subbase; Design of Base/Subbase for Rigid Pavements; Materials for Base and Subbase; Construction of Base and Subbase; Cost Considerations; European Practices - A Brief Summary; and Summary and Conclusions. KW - Aggregates KW - Base course (Pavements) KW - Concrete pavements KW - Costs KW - Europe KW - Granular bases KW - Pavement design KW - Recycled materials KW - Rigid pavements KW - Road construction KW - Subbase (Pavements) KW - Subbase materials KW - United States UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/concrete/pubs/hif16005.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1437078 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618817 AU - Tia, Mang AU - Lawrence, Adrian AU - Do, Tu Anh AU - Verdugo, David AU - Han, Sangyoung AU - Almarshoud, Mohammed AU - Ferrante, Brandon AU - Markandeya, Ananya AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Maximum Heat of Mass Concrete – Phase 2 PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 416p AB - The main findings and recommendations from this study are as follows: (1) The database of adiabatic temperature rise tables which was developed in this study can be used in the DIANA software for the modeling of mass concrete structures. (2) Classification of segmental bridge sections should be based on local volume-to-area ratio (V/A), which excludes extremities, when it is used to identify if a certain segmental bridge section is considered as a mass concrete structure. (3) Recommended values for thermal properties of various insulating materials and soils to be used in thermal analysis of mass concrete structures are given. (4) The results of thermal analysis indicate that a typical drilled shaft with a diameter of over 4 feet would have a maximum temperature differential that exceeded the limit of 35 °F (19.4 °C) set by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). However, the four drilled shafts placed in this study did not show any visible cracks in spite of the high temperature differential, both calculated and measured. It is recommended that further investigation be undertaken to determine if the criterion for mass concrete could be relaxed for drilled shafts. (5) Prediction equations for estimating 28-day compressive strength from compressive strength at other curing times for ternary blend mixes were recommended. It is recommended a more extensive testing program be conducted to verify and refine the developed equations. (6) It is recommended that the developed interface software DIANA Input File Generator (DIFG) be used by FDOT personnel for quick thermal analysis of rectangular concrete footings and cylindrical concrete drilled shafts. KW - Compressive strength KW - Concrete bridges KW - Concrete structures KW - DIANA (Software) KW - Drilled shafts KW - Equations KW - Florida KW - Florida Department of Transportation KW - Mass concrete KW - Rectangular footings KW - Thermal analysis UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_SMO/FDOT-BDV31-977-07-rpt.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60543/FDOT-BDV31-977-07-rpt.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1437077 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618816 AU - Wang, Kejin AU - Wen, Zhiyou AU - Choi, Sungyu AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Midwest Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Development of an Eco-Friendly, Cost-Effective Biogrout for Concrete Crack Repair PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 59p AB - Typical concrete crack repair uses chemical sealants or surface treatment agents, which are often expensive and harmful to the environment. The goal of this study was to develop an eco-friendly, cost-effective biogrout for concrete crack repair. A biocement was developed using microbiologically induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology. A biomass of urease-producing bacteria (UPB) (e.g., bacillus sphaericus), urea, and a soluble calcium solution were used for the MICP process. The study included two major parts. The first part was to develop a new soluble calcium solution for MICP by dissolving a limestone powder, a by-product from a limestone quarry, into an acetic acid-rich stage fraction 5 (SF5) solution derived from biomass pyrolysis and a fractionation system. The second part was to study mortar crack repair using MICP technology. The results indicated that the properties of the new soluble calcium solution for MICP could be optimized from the study of different limestone powder-to-SF5 ratios, potential of hydrogen (pH) values of the obtained solutions, and procedures for applying the UPB and media (urea/calcium solutions) for calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) precipitation (i.e., MICP treatment). Using such a soluble calcium solution as a replacement for calcium chloride (CaCl₂) in the MICP process produced desirable CaCO₃ precipitation. The properties of the sand samples cemented using the limestone-SF5 calcium solution were comparable to those of the sand samples reported in previous studies, where CaCl₂ was commonly used as a soluble calcium solution. Cracks in mortar samples repaired using the MICP technology gradually healed with an increasing number of MICP treatment cycles. The samples treated with MICP had a significant reduction in water permeability. While water-treated samples were too weak to test, the MICP-treated samples had splitting tensile strength (TS) ranging from 32 to 386 kPa after 21 treatment cycles. For the samples having an initial average crack width of >0.52 mm, the TS clearly increased with the CaCO₃ content resulting from the MICP treatment. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) study suggested that there were two different forms of CaCO₃ on the crack surface of cracked mortar samples: one was vaterite and the other calcite. The CaCO₃ crystals had a size ranging from 5 to 20 μm, and they formed a porous matrix that filled in the mortar cracks. KW - Bacteria KW - Biogrouts KW - Calcium carbonate KW - Concrete KW - Cracking KW - Repairing UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/eco-friendly_cost-effective_biogrout_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1437031 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618155 AU - Hannigan, Patrick J AU - Rausche, Frank AU - Likins, Garland E AU - Robinson, Brent R AU - Becker, Matthew L AU - Ryan R. Berg & Associates, Incorporated AU - National Highway Institute AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Geotechnical Engineering Circular No. 12 Design and Construction of Driven Pile Foundations - Comprehensive Design Examples PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 299p AB - This document presents comprehensive design examples for driven pile foundations on highway structures. The worked design examples supplement the material presented in FHWA-NHI-16-009 and FHWA-NHI-16-010, the primary Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidance documents on driven pile foundations. The worked Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) design examples address strength, service and extreme limit state considerations for a two span bridge structure in highly variable subsurface conditions. Pile foundation design examples in cohesionless, cohesive, and layered soil profiles are presented as well as pile design on hard rock. The worked examples follow the step by step design and construction process outlined in Chapter 2 of FHWA-NHI-16-009 (Geotechnical Engineering Circular No. 12 – Volume I Design and Construction of Driven Pile Foundations). . KW - Construction KW - Design KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Highway bridges KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Load limits KW - Pile driving KW - Pile foundations KW - Soil profiles UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/geotech/pubs/gec12/nhi16009_v3.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1434994 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618154 AU - Hannigan, Patrick J AU - Rausche, Frank AU - Likins, Garland E AU - Robinson, Brent R AU - Becker, Matthew L AU - Ryan R Berg and Associates, Incorporated AU - National Highway Institute AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Geotechnical Engineering Circular No. 12 – Volume II Design and Construction of Driven Pile Foundations PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 573p AB - This document presents information on the analysis, design, and construction of driven pile foundations for highway structures. This document updates and replaces FHWA NHI-05-042 and FHWA NHI-05-043 as the primary Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidance and reference document on driven pile foundations. The manual addresses design aspects including subsurface exploration, laboratory testing, pile selection, aspects of geotechnical and structural limit states, as well as technical specifications. Construction aspects including static load tests, dynamic tests, rapid load tests, wave equation analyses, dynamic formulas and development of driving criteria, as well as pile driving equipment, pile driving accessories, and monitoring of pile installation inspection are also covered. Step by step procedures are included for most analysis procedures and design examples. This volume addresses static load tests, dynamic testing and signal matching, rapid load testing, wave equation analysis, dynamic formulas, contract documents, pile driving equipment, pile accessories, driving criteria, and construction monitoring. KW - Analysis KW - Construction KW - Construction equipment KW - Contracts KW - Design KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Load tests KW - Manuals KW - Pile driving KW - Pile foundations UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/geotech/pubs/gec12/nhi16009_v2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1434993 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618153 AU - Hannigan, Patrick J AU - Rausche, Frank AU - Likins, Garland E AU - Robinson, Brent R AU - Becker, Matthew L AU - Ryan R. Berg & Associates, Incorporated AU - National Highway Institute AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Geotechnical Engineering Circular No. 12 – Volume I Design and Construction of Driven Pile Foundations PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 559p AB - This document presents information on the analysis, design, and construction of driven pile foundations for highway structures. This document updates and replaces FHWA NHI-05-042 and FHWA NHI-05-043 as the primary Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidance and reference document on driven pile foundations. The manual addresses design aspects including subsurface exploration, laboratory testing, pile selection, aspects of geotechnical and structural limit states, as well as technical specifications. Construction aspects including static load tests, dynamic tests, rapid load tests, wave equation analyses, dynamic formulas and development of driving criteria, as well as pile driving equipment, pile driving accessories, and monitoring of pile installation inspection are also covered. Step by step procedures are included for most analysis procedures and design examples. This volume covers the foundation selection process, site characterization, geotechnical design parameters and reporting, selection of pile type, geotechnical aspects of limit state design, and structural aspects of limits state design. KW - Construction KW - Design KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Manuals KW - Materials selection KW - Pile driving KW - Pile foundations KW - Surveying KW - Ultimate load design UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/geotech/pubs/gec12/nhi16009_v1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1434992 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618152 AU - Raustad, Richard AU - Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Cost Analysis of Workplace Charging for Electric Vehicles PY - 2016/09 SP - 17p AB - This report examines the life-cycle costs associated with the operation of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and the impact that plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging may have on commercial building electricity cost. This study assumed that a utility electric meter was attached to each charging station and that 10 kWh of energy was required to replenish the energy consumed during a typical 35-mile daily work commute. Residential electricity costs were assumed to be $0.128/kWh. Commercial electric utility rates for a non-demand rate class were assume to be $0.10/kWh while costs for a commercial demand rate class are $0.06/kWh plus a monthly peak demand cost of $11/kW. Through a life-cycle assessment of typical EVSE equipment, including first cost and maintenance and operating costs, it was found that AC Level 1 or 2 workplace charging can be similar to or lower in cost than charging at home. KW - Commuters KW - Costs KW - Electric vehicle charging KW - Electric vehicles KW - Electricity KW - Life cycle costing KW - Workplaces UR - http://fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/pdf/FSEC-CR-2030-16.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435198 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616910 AU - Chen, Feng AU - Ma, Xiaoxiang AU - Chen, Suren AU - Colorado State University, Fort Collins AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Investigation of Interaction between Traffic Safety, Law Enforcement and Environment PY - 2016/09 SP - 55p AB - For highways located in different counties and cities across the country, specific conditions of weather, terrain, traffic characteristics, highway conditions, population and economic development are all different. Driving environments, traffic accidents and injury risks have strong interactions, which have not been fully explored. To effectively mitigate traffic accidents and injury severity on these highways, both rational risk prediction and law enforcement efforts are important. This study conducts an investigation on interactions between those traffic accidents, various driving environments and also mitigation efforts, such as law enforcement. This study began with a literature review on state-of-the-art traffic accident prediction and mitigation. A comprehensive historical data analysis of traffic accidents in Colorado was conducted. Insights were given about interactions between traffic safety, critical variables, and terrain conditions. By developing advanced traffic accident frequency and injury severity prediction models, trends of two major interstate highways and of the entire state’s highways could be discussed. Due to the lack of site-specific law enforcement data, the study related to law enforcement is still preliminary and focuses on a review study of existing law enforcement efforts in the United States. KW - Colorado KW - Crash risk forecasting KW - Data analysis KW - Injury severity KW - Law enforcement KW - Literature reviews KW - State of the art KW - Surface course (Pavements) KW - Traffic crashes KW - Traffic safety KW - Weather conditions UR - http://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/downloads/mpc16-311.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428930 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616909 AU - Bauer, Jocelyn AU - Platman, Deena AU - Grant, Michael AU - Smith, Michael AU - Hurtado, Renee AU - Martin, Lindsay AU - Su, Peng AU - Ma, Jiaqi AU - Leidos AU - DKS Associates AU - ICF International AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Planning for Transportation Systems Management and Operations within Corridors – A Desk Reference PY - 2016/09 SP - 140p AB - This Desk Reference is designed to equip State, regional, and local transportation operations and planning professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively plan for and implement transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) within a corridor. Its purpose is to support transportation planners and operations staff to plan for and apply TSMO activities within corridors to achieve a more reliable, efficient, and livable outcome from their existing and planned transportation infrastructure. This document highlights a planning for operations approach at a corridor level to focus on issues, such as mobility, reliability, and safety, from a multimodal perspective and provides a variety of tools to advance TSMO within corridors. KW - Implementation KW - Mobility KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Reliability KW - Safety KW - Transportation corridors KW - Transportation operations KW - Transportation planning KW - Transportation system management UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16037/fhwahop16037.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428888 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616908 AU - Wilson, Bryan AU - Seo, Ah Young AU - Sakhaeifar, Maryam AU - Texas A&M Transportation Institute AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Performance Evaluation and Specification of Trackless Tack PY - 2016/09//Technical Report SP - 142p AB - Several trackless tack products have come to market in Texas; however, there are currently no specifications to ensure the products have trackless properties and adequate bond strength. The objectives of this project were to (1) evaluate the tracking resistance of different trackless tacks, (2) evaluate bond strength and other construction parameters of different trackless tacks, (3) construct test sections in the field to evaluate performance, and (4) develop test procedures and specifications for trackless tack. For tracking resistance, a track-free time test and a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tackiness test both distinguished between trackless tack and conventional tack. The DSR test further distinguished among stiff-residue and soft-residue trackless tacks. For bond strength of laboratory samples, all samples had acceptable bonding, but stiff-residue trackless tack had the highest bond energy, followed by soft-residue trackless tack, conventional tack, and then no tack. Higher ambient and hot mix asphalt (HMA) compaction temperatures improved bonding. Bonded trackless tack samples were resistant to fatigue cracking and cold temperature delamination. Bond strengths from field samples were considerably lower (15–95 psi) than for lab-molded samples (100–200 psi) and varied among different overlay projects. This was likely due to different project conditions (e.g., pavement surfaces, HMA overlay designs, compaction temperatures). In most cases tack rate did not affect the bond strength. The researchers recommend adopting the DSR tackiness test and track-free time test to qualify trackless tack materials. The researchers also recommend adopting the shear bond strength test. Draft test methods and a trackless tack material specification are provided. KW - Bond strength (Materials) KW - Delamination KW - Evaluation KW - Fatigue cracking KW - Pavement performance KW - Shear tests KW - Specifications KW - Tack coats KW - Test procedures KW - Test sections KW - Texas UR - http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6814-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428816 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616905 AU - Radja, Gregory A AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - Department of Transportation TI - National Automotive Sampling System – Crashworthiness Data System, 2015 Analytical User’s Manual PY - 2016/09 SP - 152p AB - The National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) Crashworthiness Data System (CDS) provides an automated, comprehensive national traffic crash database. Data collection is accomplished at 24 geographic sites, called Primary Sampling Units (PSUs). These data are weighted to represent all police reported motor vehicle crashes occurring in the USA during the year involving passenger cars, light trucks and vans that were towed due to damage. This manual and the NASS 2014 Crashworthiness Data System's Data Collection, Coding and Editing Manual (a separate 2015 manual wasn’t created) are the primary documentation supporting the automated 2015 file. KW - Computer program documentation KW - Crash data KW - Data collection KW - Databases KW - National Automotive Sampling System - Crashworthiness Data System KW - Sampling KW - Traffic crashes UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812321 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428765 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616253 AU - Nichols, J L AU - Chaffe, R AU - Solomon, M G AU - Tison, J AU - Preusser Research Group, Incorporated AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Evaluation of a Rural Seat Belt Demonstration Program in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 42p AB - Three southeastern States initiated high-visibility enforcement campaigns to address lower seat belt use in their rural areas than in non-rural areas. Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee conducted four waves of intensified enforcement and media from November 2008 to May 2010. The May campaigns were conducted just prior to the national Click It or Ticket campaigns. Combining activity, awareness and usage data from all three States, there was a significant positive correlation between media expenditures and awareness of rural seat belt messages. Two awareness indices correlated highly with usage and achieved statistical significance: awareness of rural seat belt messages and perceived risk of a ticket for not buckling up. While the significant correlations between awareness measures and belt usage suggest that the message got through to drivers, comparison of changes in belt use in the rural demonstration program (RDP) versus the control areas produced mixed results. Seat belt usage increased significantly in the targeted rural areas of all three States, but it also increased at about the same rate in the control areas in two of the States. Only Georgia provided evidence of a rate of increase in rural usage greater than experienced in the control area, which may have been partially due to the use and public awareness of checkpoints. KW - Demonstration projects KW - Florida KW - Georgia KW - Law enforcement KW - Mass media KW - Rural areas KW - Seat belt use KW - Tennessee UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812328-RuralSeatBeltDemoRegion4.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429539 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616239 AU - Holmes, LaTanya AU - Song, Miao AU - Neurauter, Luke AU - Doerzaph, Zac AU - Britten, Nicholas AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Validations of Integrated DVI Configurations PY - 2016/09 SP - 128p AB - This report documents a multi-phased effort that oversaw the development and proof-of-concept validation of an integration architecture (IA) prototype designed to manage message presentation within a connected vehicle environment. A connected vehicle system (CVS) prototype was developed along the parameters defined during prior phases of research within the Human Factors for Connected Vehicles (HFCV) program. Following rounds of development and internal testing, participants were recruited to experience the CVS within a simulated connected vehicle environment. Thirty-two participants evaluated the system iteratively for two rounds, two groups per round, by driving the same pre-determined test route, designed to maximize exposure to various roadway environments. The first round relied on a think-aloud approach in an effort to capture as much subjective feedback as possible, with the intent to identify possible changes that should be made both based on observations made by researchers and preferences suggested by participants. Adjustments were made, creating a user-modified configuration that was then directly compared to the original configuration within a more normative driving environment in the second round. Objective and subjective measures were collected and analyzed in accordance with the targeted research questions. Ultimately, this effort demonstrates the need and resulting impact of a defined IA in managing message presentation in a CV environment. KW - Connected vehicles KW - Driver vehicle interfaces KW - Human factors KW - Messages (Communications) KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Validation KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov//DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash Avoidance/Technical Publications/2016/812310_ValidationsIntegratedDVIconfigurations.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429381 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616237 AU - Howe, Gavin AU - Xu, Guogang AU - Hoover, Dick AU - Elsasser, Devin AU - Barickman, Frank AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Commercial Connected Vehicle Test Procedure Development and Test Results – Emergency Electronic Brake Light PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 109p AB - This report is one of four documenting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA’s) test track research performed to support development of objective test procedures to evaluate the safety applications of commercial vehicles with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) equipment. The primary focus of this research was on developing the test procedures, with a secondary goal of evaluating the performance of the prototype V2V safety applications. Objective test procedures were developed to evaluate a range of safety applications including intersection movement assist, blind spot warning/lane change warning, forward collision warning, and emergency electronic brake light (EEBL) warning. This report documents the EEBL test procedures and the results of testing commercial vehicles with the developed procedures. The prototype V2V equipment was capable of tracking potential EEBL threats, but had some issues when vehicles were on curved roadways. The V2V equipment on these trucks did not issue hard braking event flags and was not able to suppress EEBL alerts when the driver applied corrective action under the conditions tested. KW - Commercial vehicles KW - Connected vehicles KW - Emergency electronic brake lights KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Test procedures KW - Test tracks KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://www.nhtsa.gov/DOT/NHTSA/NVS/Crash Avoidance/Technical Publications/2016/812327-ElectronicBrakeLight.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429382 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616157 AU - Senzig, David A AU - Liu, Sandy AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - Rotorcraft performance data for AEDT: Methods of using the NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft tool for developing data for AEDT’s Rotorcraft Performance Model PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 33p AB - This report documents use of the NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft (NDARC) helicopter performance software tool in developing data for the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA’s) Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT). These data support the Rotorcraft Performance Model (RPM) developed for AEDT. The methods are primarily intended to support helicopters which do not have sufficient information in their flight manuals to develop data using the methods documented in DOT-VNTSC-FAA-16-03. The process of developing performance data for RPM using NDARC is detailed for a piston engine training helicopter. KW - Aviation Environmental Design Tool KW - Helicopters KW - Performance KW - Rotorcraft UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60100/60119/Rotorcraft_performance_data_for_AEDT_final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428257 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01615652 AU - Dirks, Lise AU - Sriraj, P S AU - Harris, Joseph Irwin AU - Ghosh, Shreya AU - University of Illinois, Chicago AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - The Illinois One-Click Transportation Resource Center PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 52p AB - Over 22 million U.S. veterans live in America. This population is expected to increase as older veterans live longer and as active members of the armed forces leave the service. Forty percent (40%) of these veterans are over 65 years old; which surpasses the percentage of senior citizens in the general public. Veterans have higher disability rates and more severe disabilities than others. The number of disabled post-911 veterans will likely increase more than 50% between 2013 and 2018. Unemployment among young disabled veterans remains high. Federal, state and local governments have initiated policies and programs to meet post-war veterans’ needs, including community services, job-training, and medical care. They also have instituted programs to address the needs of aging veterans, who may be isolated because of diminishing volunteer transportation networks. To better serve these veterans, federal, state, and local governments have increasingly been incorporating public transportation into these programs. The Federal Transit Administration funded the Veterans Transportation and Community Livability Initiative (VTCLI) which was led by the National Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility. The goal of this initiative was to address the transportation needs of veterans and their families by promoting coordinated transportation services and disseminating information about them. The program funded “One-Click/One-Call” centers to connect veterans and their families with all available transportation options. These centers are designed to provide information on transportation services, and where feasible, to assist in scheduling and dispatching coordinated transportation services. “One-Click/One-Call” centers seek to address all transportation needs, including access to veterans’ services, community services and amenities, job access, education, child care, and social and recreational activities. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) was awarded a Veterans Transportation and Community Livability Initiative grant with the Urban Transportation Center (UTC) at the University of Illinois Chicago as sub-recipient. They used this grant to create a “One-Click Transportation Resource Center” to inform Illinois veterans and their families about existing transportation services throughout Illinois. The Urban Transportation Center built upon the existing Tranpro Information Management System, which houses the Illinois Public and Specialized Transportation Provider Inventory. They incorporated the Illinois Bus Network project, a trip planner for accessing commercial bus and rail operators, as well as veterans’ transportation services in Illinois that the Veterans Administration and the Illinois Veterans Assistance Commissions provide. They also included car-sharing and ride-sharing options. The “One-Click Transportation Resource Center” website therefore offers the user transportation solutions based on location; type of service; and veteran, senior, and/or disability status. KW - Access KW - Aged KW - Dispatching KW - Illinois KW - Information dissemination KW - Mobility KW - Persons with disabilities KW - Public transit KW - Quality of life KW - Resource centers KW - Scheduling KW - Veterans UR - https://utc.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/One-Click-Final-Report__1_reduced.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427695 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614940 AU - Bridgelall, Raj AU - Rafert, James B AU - Tolliver, Denver D AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - Mountain-Plains Consortium AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Remote Sensing of Multimodal Transportation Systems PY - 2016/09 SP - 51p AB - Hyperspectral remote sensing is an emerging field with many potential applications in the observation, management, and maintenance of the global transportation infrastructure. This report describes the development of an affordable framework to capture hyperspectral images and models to classify the images. The framework and models enable new approaches to plan, analyze, and assess the performance of multimodal transportation systems. Every hyperspectral image frame contains information in wavelengths that extend well beyond those that humans are capable of seeing or perceiving. The rapid size and cost reduction of both unmanned aircraft systems and hyperspectral image sensors enable easy scaling of the framework. Scaling is achieved simply by conducting multiple parallel missions to achieve broad area coverage at affordable prices. The authors showcase the general utility of the framework to enhance models used for roadway congestion forecasting, railway condition monitoring, and pipeline risk management. The authors offer additional insights by demonstrating a specific utility of the framework and models for the rapid detection of hazardous spills. Practitioners who utilize the framework and models to implement hyperspectral remote sensing platforms will benefit from greater situational awareness to make informed decisions in transportation systems development, operations, and maintenance. KW - Condition surveys KW - Detection and identification systems KW - Drone aircraft KW - Multimodal transportation KW - Remote sensing KW - Risk management KW - Spills (Pollution) UR - http://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/downloads/mpc16-313.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60300/60363/mpc16-313.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60300/60364/mpc16-313-brief.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426341 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614875 AU - Anderson, Keith AU - Littleton, Kevin AU - Weston, Jim AU - Uhlmeyer, Jeff S AU - Johnson, Brett AU - Dunham, Scott AU - Van De Bogert, Stephen A AU - Washington State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Use of a Double Chip Seal to Correct a Flushing Hot Mix Asphalt Pavement in Washington State - Final Report PY - 2016/09//Final Report Experimental Feature 10-01 SP - 56p AB - A double chip seal was applied to an existing hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavement to mitigate severe flushing that existed throughout the project. Special care was taken to adjust the amount of binder used to account for the degree of flushing in the existing pavement. The double chip seal was effective for approximately two years before flushing began to appear through the seal. After five years the flushing extended throughout the project in the wheel paths of both lanes. The origin of the flushing in the double seal was judged to be from the underlying HMA and not the double seal. For this particular HMA pavement a double chip seal was not the long term solution. The double seal and underlying HMA pavement will be removed by grinding and replaced with a new HMA pavement. KW - Bituminous binders KW - Bleeding (Pavements) KW - Chip seals KW - Hot mix asphalt KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Washington (State) UR - https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/760.2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426240 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614867 AU - Kamga, Camille AU - Aslam, Nadia AU - Thorson, Ellen AU - University Transportation Research Center AU - New York State Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - NYSDOT Research Peer Exchange: Creating an Effective SPR Research Program PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 38p AB - This report summarizes the results of the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) State Planning and Research (SPR) research peer exchange held in Albany, New York, on September 23-24, 2015. Managers and staff from NYSDOT’s Transportation Research and Development Bureau (TRDB) of the Engineering Division and the Research and Policy Studies Section (RPSS) of the Policy and Planning Division hosted this peer exchange, which focused on the skills, training, experience and expertise needed to create and manage an effective SPR research program to effectively deliver research, development, and technology transfer (RD&T) projects and activities. Representatives from three State DOTs (the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, New Jersey Department of Transportation, and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, United States Department of Transportation (OST-R/USDOT), and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) joined representatives from NYSDOT and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-New York Division to exchange ideas, share experiences, best practices and lessons learned in RD&T program management. KW - Best practices KW - Massachusetts Department of Transportation KW - New Jersey Department of Transportation KW - New York State Department of Transportation KW - Peer exchange KW - Pennsylvania Department of Transportation KW - Research management KW - State departments of transportation KW - Technology transfer UR - https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/technical-services/trans-r-and-d-repository/C-14-06%20NYSDOT%20Research%20Peer%20Exchange%20Final%20Report_Sept%202016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426279 ER - TY - SER AN - 01614866 JO - Civil Engineering Studies, Illinois Center for Transportation Series PB - University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign AU - Vavrik, William R AU - Dwyer, Carmine E AU - Brink, Wouter C AU - Larson, Gregg AU - Applied Research Associates, Incorporated AU - Illinois Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Software Simulation of Road Weather Information System PY - 2016/09 IS - 16-020 SP - 46p AB - A road weather information system (RWIS) is a combination of technologies that collects, transmits, models, and disseminates weather and road condition information. Sensors measure a range of weather‐related conditions, including pavement temperature and status (wet, dry, snow), subsurface pavement temperature, wind speed and direction, precipitation, water level conditions, humidity, and visibility. These data are transmitted to automated warning systems, traffic operations centers, emergency operations centers, and road maintenance facilities for decision support. The Enhanced Integrated Climatic Model (EICM) is a computerized heat and moisture flow model that simulates changes in pavement and subgrade properties. It has evolved over the past 40 years and is a key module in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Pavement ME Design software. Using the EICM as a software‐based RWIS can “virtualize” the data that would be gathered by conventional RWIS hardware and software systems. The software‐based RWIS stations would provide current conditions as well as pavement temperature forecasts to supplement or replace hardware in the RWIS network. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of the EICM to determine pavement surface temperature for winter maintenance operations. Detailed pavement information at Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Tollway, and McHenry County RWIS locations was collected and used to model pavement surface temperatures with the EICM. The modeled pavement surface temperatures were compared with the measured pavement surface temperatures from the RWIS sensors. Data analysis showed that, when the pavement materials are used at the correct thickness and recommended default values are used for material types, a reasonable pavement surface temperature prediction can be obtained. Using these recommended default values for thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and shortwave absorptivity results in a reasonable modeled pavement temperature that can be used for understanding future snow and ice potential from forecast weather data. KW - Data analysis KW - Enhanced Integrated Climatic Model KW - Evaluation KW - Illinois KW - Pavements KW - Road weather information systems KW - Sensors KW - Simulation KW - Software KW - Surface temperature KW - Thermal properties KW - Winter maintenance UR - https://apps.ict.illinois.edu/projects/getfile.asp?id=5037 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60428/getfile.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425883 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614864 AU - Dong, Jing AU - Lu, Chaoru AU - Liu, Chenhui AU - Hawkins, Neal AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Iowa State University, Ames AU - Midwest Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Assessing Segment- and Corridor-Based Travel-Time Reliability on Urban Freeways PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 87p AB - Travel time and its reliability are intuitive performance measures for freeway traffic operations. The objective of this project was to quantify segment-based and corridor-based travel time reliability measures on urban freeways. To achieve this objective, a travel-time estimation model and a travel-time reliability prediction framework were developed. The proposed travel-time estimation model considers spatially correlated traffic conditions. Segment-level and corridor-level travel-time distributions were estimated using travel time estimates and compared with estimates based on probe vehicle data. Corridor-level travel-time reliability measures were extracted from travel-time distributions. The proposed travel-time estimation model can well capture the temporal pattern of travel time and its distribution. For the corridor-level travel-time reliability prediction framework, travel time observations are classified based on weather conditions, segment travel-time distributions are estimated, and segment travel-time distributions are synthesized to corridor travel-time distributions. The segment travel-time distribution estimation model was found to capture the pattern of actual travel-time distributions and could adequately represent the short-term corridor-level travel-time distributions. The proposed travel-time reliability prediction framework provides a systematic way to estimate real-time and near-future corridor travel-time reliability by considering weather impact. A Vissim simulation calibrated to Iowa compared travel-time distribution based on simulated data to that based on probe vehicle data. The simulated travel-time distribution is similar to the travel-time distribution based on probe data. KW - Estimating KW - Forecasting KW - Freeways KW - Highway corridors KW - Iowa KW - Probe vehicles KW - Reliability KW - Simulation KW - Travel time KW - Urban highways KW - VISSIM (Computer model) KW - Weather conditions UR - http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/research/documents/research-reports/segment-_and_corridor-based_travel_time_reliability_w_cvr.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425901 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614863 AU - Guin, Angshuman AU - Rodgers, Michael O AU - Gbologah, Franklin AU - Purcell, Roger AU - Georgia Tech Research Corporation AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of the Cost-Effectiveness of Illumination as a Safety Treatment at Rural Intersections PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 110p AB - This research study seeks to improve current understanding of the relationship between rural intersection safety and different illumination levels. It uses three parallel studies: a survey of rural intersection illumination practices among US state departments of transportation (DOTs), a safety analysis of rural intersection illumination, and a benefit-to-cost analysis of rural intersection illumination. These parallel studies indicate the following: (1) Most DOTs do not consider cost-effectiveness in rural intersection illumination projects; (2) There is little or no benefit to rural intersection illumination beyond a threshold of 12 lux; (3) Illuminance levels lower than the minimum recommended value or 8 lux could provide significant safety benefit; and (4) Any rural intersection that does not require electrification would be cost-effective for illuminances not exceeding 12 lux. The cost-effectiveness of other intersections must be determined based on overall costs, annual average daily traffic (AADT), crash rate, and a target benefit-to-cost ratio that signifies the DOT’s required level of cost-effectiveness. This research study provides a companion benefit-to-cost spreadsheet model to facilitate tradeoff analysis by DOTs. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Crash rates KW - Georgia KW - Highway safety KW - Intersections KW - Lighting KW - Luminance KW - Rural highways KW - State departments of transportation KW - Surveys UR - http://g92018.eos-intl.net/eLibSQL14_G92018_Documents/14-32.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60225/14-32.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425900 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614860 AU - Tarefder, Rafiqul A AU - Rahman, A S M Asifur AU - University of New Mexico, Albuquerque AU - SOLARIS University Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Nevada Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Interconversion of Dynamic Modulus to Creep Compliance and Relaxation Modulus: Numerical Modeling and Laboratory Validation - Final Report PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 61p AB - Viscoelastic material functions such as time domain functions, such as, relaxation modulus and creep compliance, or frequency domain function, such as, complex modulus can be used to characterize the linear viscoelastic behavior of asphalt concrete in modeling and analysis of pavement structure. Among these, the complex modulus has been adopted in the recent pavement Mechanistic-Empirical (M-E) design software AASHTOWare-ME. However, for advanced analysis of pavement, such as, use of finite element method requires that the complex modulus function to be converted into relaxation modulus or creep compliance functions. There are a number of exact or approximate methods available in the literature to convert complex modulus function to relaxation modulus or creep compliance functions. All these methods (i.e. exact or approximate methods) are applicable for any linear viscoelastic material up to a certain level of accuracy. However, the applicability and accuracy of these interconversion methods for asphalt concrete material were not studied very much in the past and thus question arises if these methods are even applicable in case of asphalt concrete, and if so, what is the precision level of the interconversion method being used. Therefore, to investigate these facts, this study was undertaken in an effort to validate a numerical interconversion technique by conducting representative laboratory tests. Cylindrical specimens of asphalt concrete were prepared in the laboratory for conducting complex modulus, relaxation modulus, and creep compliance tests at different test temperatures and loading rates. The time-temperature superposition principle was applied to develop broadband linear viscoelastic material functions. A numerical interconversion technique was used to convert complex modulus function to relaxation modulus and creep compliance functions, and hence, the converted relaxation modulus and creep compliance are compared to the laboratory tested relaxation modulus and creep compliance functions. The comparison showed good agreement with the laboratory test data. Toward the end, a statistical evaluation was conducted to determine if the interconverted material functions are similar to the laboratory tested material functions. KW - Asphalt concrete KW - Asphalt concrete pavements KW - Creep KW - Dynamic modulus of elasticity KW - Laboratory tests KW - Numerical analysis KW - Relaxation (Mechanics) KW - Validation KW - Viscoelasticity UR - http://www.unr.edu/Documents/engineering/solaris/Tarefder%20Final_Report_SOLARIS_Numerical_Interconversion.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1426350 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614858 AU - Chu, Xuehao AU - National Center for Transit Research AU - Federal Transit Administration AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration AU - Florida Department of Transportation TI - Guidebooks for Estimating Total Transit Usage through Extrapolating Incomplete Counts PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 103p AB - This report provides guidance for transit agencies to estimate transit usage for reporting to the National Transit Database (NTD) when their counting procedure that is designed to perform full counts misses some trips. Transit usage refers to unlinked passenger trips (UPT), passenger miles traveled (PMT), and average passenger trip length (APTL) in terms of annual totals and annual average daily by schedule type for annual reporting and monthly total UPT for monthly reporting. The guidance is provided in two self-contained guidebooks for bus and rail, respectively. Bus service includes all four fixed-route bus modes defined in the NTD: motor bus (MB), commuter bus (CB), bus rapid transit (RB), and trolleybus (TB). Rail includes light rail (LR), streetcar rail (SR), and hybrid rail (YR). For both mode types, the guidance focuses on data from automatic passenger counters (APC). The guidance details a methodology for determining transit usage for each mode type through stratified extrapolation of incomplete counts rather than intentional sampling with APCs. The guidance views the total transit usage determined from the methodologies as estimates rather than 100% counts. It also views each methodology as an alternative sampling technique. The guidance identifies the conditions under which transit agencies may estimate annual total transit usage with this methodology as a pre-certified alternative sampling technique. For example, agencies must pass an equivalence test by demonstrating that their APC data are statistically equivalent to paired manual data within ±7.5% at the 95% confidence level. The guidance provides detailed steps for agencies to conduct the equivalence test in an Excel environment. When agencies meet the identified conditions and follow the guidance, they may use Appendix A in each guidebook as the document of certification by a qualified statistician for the alternative sampling technique. For the NTD program, the guidance fills a gap in current NTD guidance and will result in more accurate UPT and PMT data. For agencies, it prevents under-reporting and saves the need to hire a qualified statistician for certifying the methodology as an alternative sampling technique. KW - Bus transit KW - Estimating KW - Extrapolation KW - Handbooks KW - Methodology KW - National Transit Database KW - Passenger counting KW - Passenger miles KW - Rail transit KW - Ridership KW - Statistical sampling KW - Trip length UR - http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Guidebooks-for-Estimating-Total-Transit-Usage-FINAL.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425882 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01614856 AU - Kubas, Andrew AU - Kayabas, Poyraz AU - Vachal, Kimberly AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - North Dakota Department of Transportation AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - The Effects of Legislatively-Mandated Sobriety on First-Time and Repeat DUI Offenders in North Dakota PY - 2016/09 SP - 52p AB - The 24/7 Sobriety Program is an intervention strategy mandating that impaired driving offenders remain sober as a condition of bond or pre-trial release. The goal is to monitor the most at-risk offenders in North Dakota and require that these individuals remain sober in order to keep roadways safe from hazardous drivers. As a component of the program, offenders are required to submit to twice-a-day blood alcohol concentration tests, ankle bracelet monitoring, drug patches, or urinalysis as a monitoring technique. If a program participant fails to remain sober, the individual is sent directly to jail. In 2013, House Bill 1302 – which mandated longer enrollment periods for repeat DUI offenders – went into effect. This project seeks to understand if the passing of this legislation altered behavioral performance of participants in the program. It also addresses potential deterrent effects stemming from the program. Results show that participants significantly improve crash and citation metrics after enrolling in the program. Longer sentencing periods appear to have stronger deterrent effects. Individuals who participate in the program multiple times have an above-average likelihood of relapsing into negative behavior. These individuals typically perform positively when enrolled in the program, but recidivate shortly after completing program mandates. Other programs may be more appropriate for these individuals as they represent the North Dakota driver population which likely has issues with alcohol abuse and self-control. KW - Behavior KW - Crash rates KW - Drunk drivers KW - Drunk driving KW - Legislation KW - North Dakota KW - Offenders KW - Recidivism KW - Safety programs UR - http://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/downloads/dp-290.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425903 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613857 AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Federal Automated Vehicles Policy: Accelerating the Next Revolution In Roadway Safety PY - 2016/09 SP - 116p AB - For the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the excitement around highly automated vehicles (HAVs) starts with safety. Two numbers exemplify the need. First, 35,092 people died on U.S. roadways in 2015 alone. Second, 94 percent of crashes can be tied to a human choice or error. An important promise of HAVs is to address and mitigate that overwhelming majority of crashes. DOT is also encouraged about the potential for HAV systems to use other complementary sensor technologies such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) capabilities to improve system performance. The benefits don’t stop with safety. Innovations have the potential to transform personal mobility and open doors to people and communities—people with disabilities, aging populations, communities where car ownership is prohibitively expensive, or those who prefer not to drive or own a car—that today have limited or impractical options. Cities will reconsider how space is utilized and how public transit is provided. Infrastructure capacity could be increased without pouring a single new truck load of concrete. HAVs may also have the potential to save energy and reduce air pollution from transportation through efficiency and by supporting vehicle electrification. Recognizing this great potential, this Policy sets out an ambitious approach to accelerate the HAV revolution. The remarkable speed with which increasingly complex HAVs are evolving challenges DOT to take new approaches that ensure these technologies are safely introduced (i.e., do not introduce significant new safety risks), provide safety benefits today, and achieve their full safety potential in the future. To meet this challenge, the U.S. must rapidly build our expertise and knowledge to keep pace with developments, expand our regulatory capability, and increase our speed of execution. This Policy is an important early step in that effort. This Policy is issued as agency guidance rather than in a rulemaking in order to speed the delivery of an initial regulatory framework and best practices to guide manufacturers and other entities in the safe design, development, testing, and deployment of HAVs. In the following pages, the authors divide the task of facilitating the safe introduction and deployment of HAVs into four sections: (1) Vehicle Performance Guidance for Automated Vehicles; (2) Model State Policy; (3) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA’s) Current Regulatory Tools; and (4) New Tools and Authorities. KW - Best practices KW - Highway safety KW - Implementation KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Performance measurement KW - Policy KW - Regulations KW - U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration KW - United States KW - Vehicle performance UR - https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/AV%20policy%20guidance%20PDF.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424209 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613854 AU - Vachal, Kimberly AU - Benson, Laurel AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - North Dakota Department of Transportation AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - Seat Belt Use on North Dakota Rural Roads, 2016 PY - 2016/09 SP - 37p AB - North Dakota crash reports show that nearly 82% of fatal crashes occurred on non-interstate rural roads over the past five years. A total of 5,535 driver observations were collected at 143 sites across 24 rural counties. Seat belt use was found to be significantly different on rural highways and in rural towns. Highway seat belt use rose slightly from 67.2% in 2015 to 67.8% in 2016. Average observed highway use rates ranged from 55.5% to 82.0% on rural highways in individual counties and from 20.2% to 58.3% in rural towns between 2014 and 2016. The survey indicates a 19.5 percentage point increase in rural highway seat belt use compared to average use between 2009 and 2011. Seat belt use remains significantly higher in the eastern regions compared to the west. KW - Highway safety KW - North Dakota KW - Rural areas KW - Rural highways KW - Seat belt use KW - Trend (Statistics) UR - http://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/downloads/dp-289.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424752 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613848 AU - Pantalone, Giulia AU - Blanco, Elena de la Rosa AU - Wilcox, Karen AU - Partnership for AiR Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction AU - Federal Aviation Administration TI - TASOPT Engine Model Development: A PARTNER Project 48 Report PY - 2016/09 SP - 68p AB - This report describes the development of a new engine weight surrogate model and High Pressure Compressor (HPC) polytropic efficiency correction for the propulsion module in the Transport Aircraft OPTtimization (TASOPT) code. The goal of this work is to improve the accuracy and applicability of TASOPT in conceptual design of advanced technology, high bypass ratio, small-core, geared and direct-drive turbofan engines. The engine weight surrogate model was built as separate engine component weight surrogate models using least squares and Gaussian Process regression techniques on data generated from NPSS/WATE++ and then combined to estimate a “bare" engine weight—including only the fan, compressor, turbine, and combustor—and a total engine weight, which also includes the nacelle, nozzle, and pylon. The new model estimates bare engine weight within ±10% of published values for seven existing engines, and improves TASOPT's accuracy in predicting the geometry, weight, and performance of the Boeing 737-800. The effects of existing TASOPT engine weight models on optimization of D8-series aircraft concepts are also discussed. The HPC polytropic efficiency correction correlation, which reduces user-input HPC polytropic efficiency based on compressor exit corrected mass flow, was implemented based on data from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). When applied to TASOPT optimization studies of three D8-series aircraft, the efficiency correction drives the optimizer to increase engine core size. KW - Accuracy KW - Case studies KW - Compressors KW - Engine components KW - Mathematical models KW - Optimization KW - Propulsion KW - Regression analysis KW - Turbofan engines KW - Weight UR - http://partner.mit.edu/sites/partner.mit.edu/files/report/file/tasopt-eng-mod-dev-proj48.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424574 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613840 AU - Rupnow, Tyson AU - Collier, Zachary AU - Raghavendra, Amar AU - Icenogle, Patrick AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Portland Cement Concrete with Internal Curing Capabilities PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 56p AB - Proper curing is a key to durable and sustainable concrete structures. When a concrete mixture is designed, delivered, poured, and consolidated, curing is the last and the most critical part for a quality final product. Insufficient curing of concrete will cause cracking in the concrete and in turn leads to a non-durable and nonsustainable concrete structure. The centrifuge test method for determining aggregate free moisture is superior to the paper towel test method in terms of expediency and repeatability of results. The laboratory results showed that the fresh concrete properties are unaffected by the use of lightweight fine aggregate for internal curing purposes. The compressive strength and modulus of elasticity results were determined to be the same or slightly higher when using lightweight fine aggregate for internal curing purposes. Flexural strength of concrete containing large amounts of lightweight fine aggregate was shown to be reduced slightly compared to the control. The surface resistivity values of the internally cured concrete (ICC) were shown to increase indicating better hydration of the concrete mixture. Field trial placements showed that the ICC performs well. The West Congress project showed reduced cracking at one year over the control sections and the Ada project showed significantly less cracking over the control about nine months after placement of the ICC sections. The section placed without curing compound has yet to crack for the 150 pcy ICC mixture placement, and this is the worst case scenario. The reduced cracking will lead to longer service life and a more durable structure. In both cases, the contractor noted easier finishability characteristics and that, “ICC is just like normal concrete.” Based upon the laboratory and field results, a standard lightweight fine aggregate replacement rate between 225 and 275 pcy is suggested for implementation. KW - Compressive strength KW - Concrete curing KW - Cracking KW - Durability KW - Evaluation KW - Field tests KW - Fine aggregates KW - Flexural strength KW - Laboratory studies KW - Portland cement concrete UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2016/FR_569.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424585 ER - TY - SER AN - 01613827 JO - Traffic Safety Facts - Research Note PB - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AU - Pickrell, Timothy M AU - Li, Hongying (Ruby) AU - KC, Shova TI - Driver Electronic Device Use in 2015 PY - 2016/09 SP - 9p AB - The percentage of passenger vehicle drivers text-messaging or visibly manipulating handheld devices remained constant at 2.2 percent in 2015. Driver handheld cell phone use decreased from 4.3 percent in 2014 to 3.8 percent in 2015; this was not a statistically significant decrease. These results are from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), which provides the only nationwide probability-based observed data on driver electronic device use in the United States. The NOPUS is conducted annually by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2015 NOPUS found that handheld cell phone use continued to be higher among female drivers than male drivers. It also found that handheld cell phone use continued to be highest among 16- to 24-year-old drivers and lowest among drivers 70 and older. KW - Age groups KW - Automobile drivers KW - Cellular telephones KW - Gender KW - National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) KW - Text messaging KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812326 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424580 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613813 AU - Chun, PilJin AU - Fontaine, Michael D AU - Virginia Transportation Research Council AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of the Impact of the I-66 Active Traffic Management System PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 70p AB - Construction of a Virginia Department of Transportation project to install an Active Traffic Management (ATM) system on Interstate-66 (I-66) from U.S. 29 in Centreville to the Capital Beltway (I-495) was completed in September 2015. The project was constructed to improve safety and operations on I-66 through better management of existing roadway capacity. The main components of the ATM system were advisory variable speed limits (AVSL), queue warning systems (QWS), lane use control signs (LUCS), and hard shoulder running (HSR). Since ATM is still a relatively new approach in the United States, there was a need to analyze the effects of the I-66 ATM. Thus, a before-and-after study was conducted to quantify its effectiveness. The study used “after” data from October 2015-February 2016 (21 weeks) for the operations analysis and data from October 2015-December 2015 (13 weeks) for the safety analysis. Operations and safety evaluations were performed using limited data, so the results should be considered preliminary. The operational measures of effectiveness (MOEs) included ATM utilization rate, average travel time, travel time reliability, and total travel time delay. The safety MOEs included crash rates by type and severity and incident frequency. These MOEs were analyzed using INRIX travel time data, limited traffic volume point sensor data, police crash reports, and iPeMS traffic incident data. Segment-level analysis was performed to determine the segments that benefitted the most from ATM implementation. From this segment-level analysis, it was determined that HSR was the ATM component that led to most of the improvements on I-66. The results of the study indicate that the ATM produced positive operational and safety benefits across multiple MOEs. The ATM generally had limited operational and safety impacts during the weekday peak periods and some impacts during the midday and off-peak weekday periods. Average weekday travel times during the midday period in the off-peak direction typically improved by 2% to 6%. However, weekday peak period travel times and travel time reliability in the peak direction continued to degrade after ATM installation. This was not surprising given that HSR was already in use during the weekday peak periods before ATM activation and there has been a historic trend of increased travel times on the corridor. There were large operational benefits on weekends, with average travel times and travel time reliability improving by approximately 10% during the weekend peak periods. The weekend improvements were most likely due to the activation of HSR, which had not been active during weekends before ATM implementation, so the additional capacity served to alleviate congestion after activation. The safety analysis showed promising results for weekends, but no solid conclusions could be formed because of the limited data available for the safety analysis. A planning-level benefit-cost ratio was calculated based on the initial operational and safety benefits. The ATM had a benefit-cost ratio of 1.54 based on conservative assumptions that used only weekend operational improvements. This indicates that the I-66 ATM was a cost-efficient solution for improving operations and safety on I-66. The study recommends expansion of ATM in Virginia and further study. KW - Advanced traffic management systems KW - Before and after studies KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Crash rates KW - Crash severity KW - Evaluation KW - Highway capacity KW - Highway operations KW - Highway safety KW - Paved shoulders KW - Time periods KW - Travel time KW - Variable speed limits KW - Virginia UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/17-r5.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425725 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613806 AU - Sheppard, D Max AU - Dompe, Philip E AU - Gosselin, Mark S AU - Demir, Hȕseyin AU - INTERA Incorporated AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Development of Wave and Surge Atlas for the Design and Protection of Coastal Bridges in South Louisiana – Phase 2 PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 167p AB - This report summarizes the work performed by INTERA Incorporated (INTERA), for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) on Phase 2 of LTRC project No. 10-4ST, “Development of Wave and Surge Atlas for the Design Protection of Coastal Bridges in South Louisiana.” In Phase 1 (Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) project No. 10-4ST, Final Report 528), a Level III storm surge/wave analysis provided the design water level and wave parameters needed to compute wave loads. This analysis entailed (1) hindcasting 50 of the most severe tropical storms and hurricanes that have affected Louisiana coastal waters over the past 160 years including hindcasting alternative paths for a select number of those storms resulting in a total of 124 hindcasts, and (2) performing extreme value analyses on water elevation and wave heights throughout the area covered by the model to obtain 100-year design meteorological /oceanographic (met/ocean) conditions. The results from the extreme value analyses provided the data for the Wave and Surge Atlas. The atlas is presented in a geographic information system (GIS) database for ease of access and use. Those data provided the input to determine the vulnerability of selected DOTD coastal bridges to design storm surge and wave loads. This phase includes (1) developing parameters for additional return periods (5-, 10-, 25-, and 50-year) from the results of the hindcasted storms in Phase 1; (2) develop a Surge/Wave Atlas for maximum values of the actual hurricane/tropical storm-induced water elevation, wave height and peak period and wind speed for the study area over the past 160 years; (3) developing a Surge/Wave Atlas for maximum values of the actual + path shifted hurricane/tropical storm-induced water elevation, wave height and peak period, and wind speed for the study area over the past 160 years; (4) Developing an American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Wave Load Calculation Program (Visual Basic Program) based on the AASHTO Guide Specifications [1]; (5) providing a training session for DOTD employees so that DOTD will be able to update or modify the program as needed for future code changes; and (6) computing the forces and moments on the remaining spans on the bridges determined to be vulnerable and generate PDF files of the bridge information and the forces and moments along the entire bridge, and adding PDF pop-ups to the locations of all bridges determined to be vulnerable. KW - Analysis KW - Atlases KW - Bridges KW - Coasts KW - Databases KW - Geographic information systems KW - Hurricanes KW - Louisiana KW - Risk assessment KW - Storm surges KW - Water waves KW - Wave height UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2016/FR_568.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424584 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613797 AU - McCann, Katie AU - Fontaine, Michael D AU - Virginia Transportation Research Council AU - Virginia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Investigation of Driver Speed Choice and Crash Characteristics During Low Visibility Events PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 58p AB - In Virginia, sections of Interstate-77 (I-77) and I-64 in mountainous parts of the state have significant recurring fog events. These locations have also been the sites of several chain reaction crashes involving more than 50 vehicles during fog. These crashes were typically caused by drivers traveling too fast for the visibility conditions. To improve safety on the I-77 corridor, the Virginia Department of Transportation constructed a variable speed limit (VSL) system that posts dynamic speed limits based on the visibility condition. As of April 2016, the system was undergoing pre-deployment testing. Before the system was activated, it was important to understand existing driver speed choice behavior during low visibility conditions. It was possible that posting a VSL speed based only on the stopping sight distance (SSD) could create significant speed variance and decrease safety if drivers were driving much faster than conditions would warrant. In this study, crash, speed, and visibility data were examined at several locations on I-64 and I-77 where there were recurring fog events. The crash history for I-77 revealed that crashes during low visibility conditions were more likely to be severe and involve more than two vehicles than crashes during clear conditions. Mean speed analysis found that observed mean speeds exceeded safe speeds for all low visibility conditions and at all sites. In the worst visibility conditions, drivers often exceeded the safe speed by more than 20 mph. Standard deviation analysis found that speed variance did not increase as visibility decreased on I-77, but for several locations on I-64, the standard deviation was different during low visibility when compared to clear conditions. Models were developed to allow a better understanding of the relationship between speed and visibility. The models showed that although motorists reduce their speeds in low visibility, there is still a significant differential between observed speeds and the safe speed calculated using the SSD. The models showed that speeds for I-64 were much less sensitive to changes in visibility compared to I-77. A possible explanation for this difference is the presence of illuminated in-pavement markers on I-64. The improved delineation provided by these markers during foggy conditions may cause drivers to perceive less of a need to reduce speed during limited visibility. It is also possible that mean speeds in low visibility conditions are higher on I-64 because of the regular commuters who may be more comfortable driving during foggy conditions. The observed driver behavior from this study is being used as a basis for the VSL control algorithm that is being implemented in the field. A primary concern of the operators of the VSL system is that it will not be heeded by all motorists and thus will result in increased speed variance in foggy conditions. The developed model was used to create a VSL control algorithm to help bridge the gap between current driver behavior and safe speed. It is recommended that future VSL system deployments reflect existing driver behavior in the initial algorithms as well. After VSL activation, speed and crash data for I-77 should be analyzed to determine the operational and safety effects of the system. If the system on I-77 reduces the frequency and severity of crashes, improves speed limit compliance, and reduces speed variance, a similar system should be developed for I-64 using the current driver behavior models from this study as part of the initial algorithm. KW - Algorithms KW - Behavior KW - Crash data KW - Drivers KW - Fog KW - Operating speed KW - Standard deviation KW - Variable speed limits KW - Virginia KW - Visibility UR - http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/17-r4.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424724 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613778 AU - Rupnow, Tyson AU - Raghavendra, Amar AU - Collier, Zachary AU - Louisiana Transportation Research Center AU - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of Cores from Jefferson Highway Near Airline Highway PY - 2016/09//Technical Assistance SP - 114p AB - This technical assistance report documents the investigation conducted by the Louisiana Transportation Research Center (LTRC) of the cored concrete from Westbound Jefferson Highway near Airline Highway in Baton Rouge, LA. The petrographic analysis showed that the cause of cracking was primarily due to Alkali-Carbonate Reaction (ACR). Possible remedies for this section include continued patching efforts and full-depth replacement of the section since ACR cannot be mitigated with an overlay, KW - Alkali carbonate reactions KW - Baton Rouge (Louisiana) KW - Concrete pavements KW - Cores (Specimens) KW - Cracking KW - Evaluation UR - http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2016/16-03TA-C_print%20ready.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424766 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613745 AU - Twaddell, Hannah AU - Martin, Lindsay AU - Dill, Jennifer AU - McNeil, Nathan AU - Petritsch, Theodore AU - McLeod, Peyton AU - Dickman, Dana AU - Gilpin, Joe AU - ICF International AU - Portland State University AU - Sprinkle Consulting Inc AU - Alta Planning + Design AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Strategic Agenda for Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation PY - 2016/09 SP - 62p AB - This Strategic Agenda will inform the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) pedestrian and bicycle activities in the next 3 to 5 years and is being organized around four goals: (1) Networks, (2) Safety, (3) Equity, and (4) Trips. Each goal includes actions relating to (a) Capacity Building, (b) Policy, (c) Data, and (d) Research. The Strategic Agenda will inform future investments, policies, and partnerships and serves as the update to the Department of Transportation's (DOT’s) 1994 National Bicycling and Walking Study. KW - Bicycling KW - Data collection KW - Equity (Justice) KW - Networks KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Policy KW - Research projects KW - Strategic planning KW - Transportation planning KW - Travel KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - Walking UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/strategic_agenda/fhwahep16086.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424205 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613055 AU - Xu, Xiaodan AU - Xu, Yanzhi "Ann" AU - Zhao, Yingping AU - Liu, Haobing AU - Cheng, Honghan AU - Rodgers, Michael O AU - Guensler, Randall AU - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta AU - National Center for Sustainable Transportation AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Fuel and Emissions Calculator (FEC) Version 2.0 PY - 2016/09 SP - 41p AB - The Fuel and Emissions Calculator (FEC) is an operating-mode-based, life-cycle emissions modeling tool developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology researchers. The primary purpose of the FEC is to assist fleet owners and managers, regulatory agencies, and policy analysts in assessing the energy and emissions impacts of fleet alternatives. The FEC’s modeling approach estimates emissions as a function of engine load, which in turn is a function of vehicle service parameters, allowing modelers to account for local on-road operating mode conditions as model inputs. The functional modules are embedded in an Excel spreadsheet platform for all current model versions. The open platform allows users to see all input data and every calculation, which makes the model transparent and accessible for most users. With Version 2.0 of the model, an online Python version of the model has also been developed. The Python version enhances model performance, and provides functionality for advanced users who may wish to link the FEC with other modeling tools, such as travel demand or simulation models. The first Fuel and Emissions Calculator (Version 1.0), known as ‘FEC for transit fleets,’ was originally developed by Georgia Tech researchers in 2013-2014 for transit bus, shuttle bus and rail systems (ORNL and Georgia Tech, 2014). This report first summarizes the FEC Version 2.0 model’s main features. The generic methodology that is applied to all transportation modes is introduced in Chapter 2, which includes modules for scenario setting, energy consumption, onroad emission rates, life-cycle assessment, and cost-effectiveness. The model specifications for individual transportation modes are introduced in Chapter 3, and case study examples are provided to help users prepare customized analysis for their own fleets. The key considerations for establishing the online FEC are discussed in Chapter 4. Current research achievements and ongoing work to update and improve the FEC are provided in the final Chapter. KW - Calculators KW - Case studies KW - Computer models KW - Exhaust gases KW - Fuel consumption KW - Life cycle analysis KW - Public transit KW - Transportation modes KW - Vehicle fleets UR - http://ncst.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/09-26-2016-FINAL-fec-version-2-summary-ncst-report-091316_LP-092116EB-092216EB_LP-1.pdf UR - https://merritt.cdlib.org/d/ark%3A%2F13030%2Fm5qr9k2t/1/producer%2FNCST-091316.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424897 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01612308 AU - Rada, Gonzalo R AU - Nazarian, Soheil AU - Visintine, Beth A AU - Siddharthan, Raj AU - Thyagarajan, Senthil AU - Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Incorporated AU - University of Texas, El Paso AU - University of Nevada, Reno AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Pavement Structural Evaluation at the Network Level: Final Report PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 286p AB - As State transportation departments consider structural adequacy as part of their routine pavement management system (PMS) activities by incorporating deflection testing, it is important to advance their practices from measuring deflection using falling weight deflectometers, which involves a slow, stop-and-go operation and requires lane closures, to a more viable alternative for network-level pavement management applications. The development of moving deflection testing devices that can measure pavement responses at traffic speeds represents this more viable alternative. The modern versions of the moving deflection testing devices that are actively used today include the Traffic Speed Deflectometer (TSD) and a Rolling Wheel Deflectometer (RWD). The goal of this project was to establish a reliable measure of the structural condition of bound pavement layers above the unbound base layer as it deteriorates over time under traffic and environmental loading based on moving pavement deflection technology measuring at traffic speeds. Moreover, this measure needed to be robust enough in capturing the structural condition or deterioration of the pavement layer notwithstanding the seasonal and spatial variation in base and subgrade layers. As part of the project, a literature review was conducted, and questionnaires were developed for device manufacturers, owners, and users, which were then followed up by interviews. Both the TSD and RWD were found to be potentially viable devices. Based on this finding, a work plan was developed and implemented to evaluate if the two devices met a minimum set of specifications related to the structural evaluation of pavements at the network level including accuracy and precision of deflection measurements, monitoring applied load, operating speed, and distance between deflection measurements. Field evaluations and validation analyses were completed in accordance with the work plan. Ultimately, analysis methodologies and processes were developed for incorporating pavement structural information within highway agencies’ PMS applications. KW - Accuracy KW - Deflection tests KW - Deflectometers KW - Evaluation KW - Field studies KW - Literature reviews KW - Live loads KW - Pavement layers KW - Pavement management systems KW - Structural analysis KW - Testing equipment KW - Validation UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/15074/15074.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423461 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01612145 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Visintine, Beth AU - Rada, Gonzalo R AU - Bryce, James M AU - Thyagarajan, Senthil AU - Sivaneswaran, Nadarajah TI - How to Make Better Decisions on Addressing Pavement Needs PY - 2016/09 VL - 80 IS - 2 AB - New research argues that focusing on the remaining service interval is a more effective pavement management strategy than fixing the worst first or threshold-driven approaches. Monitoring the pavement network condition and forecasting its performance is necessary to plan effectively for future construction actions but multiple ambiguities are associated with commonly used terminology. Researchers working with the Federal Highway Administration are exploring an alternative terminology based on the concept of remaining service interval. The key difference between the two concepts is that while remaining service life computes the time until a pavement reaches a predefined terminal condition, remaining service interval computes the time until any treatment is applied to achieve and sustain a desired level of service over the life cycle of the assets at the minimum practicable cost. This article discusses the two concepts, implications for asset management, and validation at the project and network level. KW - Asset management KW - Definitions KW - Life cycle analysis KW - Network analysis (Planning) KW - Pavement management systems KW - Project management KW - Remaining service interval KW - Service life UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16sepoct/05.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424399 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01612140 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Sewall, Ashley A Stafford AU - Perez, William A AU - Yang, C Y David TI - Where Were You Looking? PY - 2016/09 VL - 80 IS - 2 AB - The Federal Highway Administration has equipped a test vehicle to gather eye-tracking data to better understand how drivers perceive, process and respond to changing elements in the driving environment. To measure the overall performance of this new field research vehicle and eye-tracking system, the FHWA team designed a study to collect data from a variety of drivers on various roadways. The study enabled the researchers to discover and resolve potential problems encountered while using the vehicle and provided a look at the eye-tracking and video data that could be obtained using the new vehicle. KW - Drivers KW - Eye fixations KW - Eye location KW - Test vehicles UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16sepoct/07.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424436 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01612137 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Weingroff, Richard F TI - A Great Day in America: USDOT’s 50th Anniversary PY - 2016/09 VL - 80 IS - 2 AB - The United States Department of Transportation was established in 1966 to address the diverse problems of a complex, multimodal transportation system. On the occasion of the agency's 50th anniversary, this article traces the history of the policy, economic and other considerations that lead to the establishment of the USDOT. KW - Department of Transportation Act (1966) KW - History KW - Policy, legislation and regulation KW - Transportation policy KW - U.S. Department of Transportation UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16sepoct/04.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424398 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01612134 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Nadeau, Gregory G TI - Building a Culture of Innovation PY - 2016/09 VL - 80 IS - 2 AB - Since 2009, the Federal Highway Administration has collaborated with States and other public and private stakeholders to encourage widespread use of proven, market-ready solutions to further innovation. The Every Day Counts (EDC) partnership advances innovations that speed project delivery and save lives, time, and money. Every two years, FHWA works with stakeholders to identify a new set of innovations that merit widespread deployment. This article describes how states are embracing innovation and looks ahead to the fourth round of innovations under EDC. KW - Culture (Social sciences) KW - Every Day Counts KW - Highway operations KW - Highway safety KW - Project delivery KW - State departments of transportation KW - Technological innovations KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16sepoct/01.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424391 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01612132 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Kuehn, David TI - Harnessing Technology to Ease the Way PY - 2016/09 VL - 80 IS - 2 AB - For the two million adults in the United States with vision loss, independent travel and interactions with the surrounding environment present significant daily challenges. The Federal Highway Administration’s Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program funded three projects to examine new technological solutions for wayfinding and navigation guidance for people with vision impairment. This article describes demonstrations of situation awareness and assistive navigation technologies. KW - Assistive technology KW - Barrier free design KW - Technological innovations KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration KW - Visually impaired persons UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16sepoct/03.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424397 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01612128 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Yousuf, Mohammed AU - Garfield, Kristine TI - The Power of Inclusion PY - 2016/09 VL - 80 IS - 2 AB - For people with visual, hearing, cognitive, and mobility disabilities, inadequate access to transportation options can adversely affect their quality of life. The Federal Highway Administration's Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) leads efforts to research, develop, and implement transformative solutions, applications, and systems. ATTRI focuses on four applications: smart wayfinding and navigation; pre-trip planning and visualization; shared use, automation and robotics; and, safe intersection crossings. This article describes the program and how FHWA is partnering with other agencies, research institutions and other organizations to develop and deliver solutions. KW - Accessibility KW - Automobiles for the physically disabled KW - Design KW - Persons with disabilities KW - Stakeholders KW - Technological innovations UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16sepoct/02.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424396 ER - TY - JOUR AN - 01612123 JO - Public Roads PB - Federal Highway Administration AU - Tang, Tianjia AU - McHale, Gene TI - Big Data PY - 2016/09 VL - 80 IS - 2 AB - Increases in the amount and availability of data mean the transportation community has new opportunities to track travel and understand issues in a timelier manner at both the micro and macro levels. This increase in data enables a more in-depth understanding of highway safety issues, travel behavior, and mobility, but it also demands significant technological resources and human capital investment to maintain. This article reviews a wide range of Federal Highway Administration initiatives in financial management, program administration, and transportation planning and operations involving data-driven and fact-based decision making and management. KW - Big data KW - Data collection KW - Data management KW - Decision making KW - Performance measurement KW - Security KW - Traffic data UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/16sepoct/06.cfm UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424401 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01611982 AU - Li, Hongying (Ruby) AU - Pickrell, Timothy M AU - KC, Shova AU - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration TI - The 2015 National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats PY - 2016/09 SP - 40p AB - This technical report presents results from the 2015 National Survey of the Use of Booster Seats (NSUBS), the only probability-based nationwide child restraint use survey in the United States that observes restraint use and interviews an adult occupant to collect race, ethnicity, and other data. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA’s) National Center for Statistics and Analysis conducts the NSUBS. The 2015 NSUBS found that 44.5 percent of 4- to 7-year-old children were restrained in booster seats as compared to 46.3 percent in 2013 when the last NSUBS was conducted. Restraint use for all children under 13 decreased slightly to 89.2 percent in 2015. There were some indications of premature graduation to restraint types that are not appropriate for children’s age, height, and weight along with some decline in use of appropriate restraint types in 2015 as compared to 2013. About 12.6 percent of children under age one were not in rear-facing car seats in 2015. KW - Age groups KW - Booster seats KW - Child restraint systems KW - Children KW - Occupant protection devices KW - Persons by race and ethnicity KW - Surveys KW - Trend (Statistics) KW - United States UR - https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812309 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423974 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01611967 AU - Distlehorst, Jennifer AU - Jenkins, Andrew AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Laboratory Investigation of the Use of Volcanic Ash in Concrete PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 58p AB - Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are commonly used in Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) concrete pavements and bridge decks to improve strength and permeability characteristics. The supplementary cementitious materials allowed under current KDOT specifications are all by-products of industrial processes. Volcanic ash is a natural product that has been used as a mineral admixture in concrete. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Kansas sources of volcanic ash for use in concrete as an SCM. This report will discuss all three stages of the study: material testing of the volcanic ash, testing the cementitious properties of Kansas volcanic ash, and evaluating the effects of volcanic ash on the properties of concrete such as strength and permeability. Based on the results and the subsequent analysis, it has been determined that Kansas sources of volcanic ash are not suitable for use as SCMs in concrete. Testing indicated that Kansas volcanic ash has few cementitious properties and as a result, when added to concrete, it has several possible negative effects, including increased bleed, increased set time, negative effect on strength, permeability, and finishing. The few benefits that the use of volcanic ash may provide (controlling alkali–silica reaction [ASR] and reducing shrinkage, although more testing would be necessary to completely determine the validity and extent of those benefits) are not significant enough to overcome the detrimental effects of the volcanic ash. KW - Admixtures KW - Bleeding (Pavements) KW - Durability KW - Evaluation KW - Kansas KW - Laboratory tests KW - Materials tests KW - Permeability KW - Volcanic ash UR - http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/docpop.aspx?clienttype=html&docid=9671300 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423513 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610894 AU - Jenkins, Andrew AU - Kansas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Implementation of ASTM C157: Testing of Length Change of Hardened Concrete PY - 2016/09//Final Report SP - 31p AB - The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has a history of using tests such as concrete strength, permeability, and air void structure as design and acceptance criteria on concrete paving and bridge deck projects. In 2012, the KDOT Concrete Research group concluded a study on testing the length change of hardened concrete according to ASTM C157 (2008), commonly referred to as free shrinkage. This free shrinkage test was reviewed as a possible design or acceptance test for construction projects, primarily relating to bridge decks where even minimal cracking is detrimental. ASTM C157 has been successfully implemented at KDOT’s central testing laboratory should future testing be required. However, the equipment required and the conditions under which this test is conducted would indicate that this test would have to be conducted by private laboratories and not by Kansas contractors. This may preclude this test from being incorporated as a design or acceptance requirement. KW - Acceptance tests KW - ASTM C157 KW - Bridge decks KW - Concrete tests KW - Implementation KW - Kansas Department of Transportation KW - Mix design KW - Shrinkage UR - http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/docpop.aspx?clienttype=html&docid=9661486 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422776 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622258 AU - Wallischeck, Eric AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration TI - GPS Dependencies in Transportation: An Inventory of Global Positioning System Dependencies in the Transportation Sector, Best Practices for Improved Robustness of GPS Devices, and Potential Alternative Solutions for Positioning, Navigation and Timing PY - 2016/08/31/Research Report SP - 68p AB - The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center) was asked by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Space Commercialization to analyze dependencies on Global Positioning System (GPS) positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services within the U.S. National Transportation System (NTS). The Volpe Center identified over 50 different systems and applications (including general groupings of systems or applications) that depend upon accurate, reliable and continuous availability of GPS PNT signals. In addition, the Volpe Center identified a number of best practices that can be utilized by government and civil users of GPS receivers, to improve the robustness and resilience of those devices. Finally, the Volpe Center mapped existing and emerging technologies that can be used as alternative sources of positioning, navigation and/or timing signals, in the event the GPS service is lost or degraded. KW - Air transportation KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Best practices KW - Disaster resilience KW - Freight transportation KW - Global Navigation Satellite System KW - Global Positioning System KW - Ground transportation KW - Highway transportation KW - Intelligent transportation systems KW - Pipelines KW - Public transit KW - Railroad transportation KW - System robustness KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications KW - Water transportation UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60433/DOT_VNTSC_NOAA_16_01.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440695 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618015 AU - Chinnam, Ratna Babu AU - Murat, Alper E AU - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo AU - Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Community-Aware Charging Station Network Design for Electrified Vehicles in Urban Areas: Reducing Congestion, Emissions, Improving Accessibility, and Promoting Walking, Bicycling, and use of Public Transportation PY - 2016/08/31/Final Report SP - 38p AB - A major challenge for achieving large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is an accessible infrastructure for the communities. The societal benefits of large-scale adoption of EVs cannot be realized without adequate deployment of publicly accessible charging stations due to mutual dependence of EV sales and public infrastructure deployment. Such infrastructure deployment also presents a number of unique opportunities for promoting livability while helping to reduce the negative side-effects of transportation (e.g., congestion, emissions, and noise pollution). In this phase, the authors develop a modeling framework (MF) to consider various factors and their associated uncertainties for an optimal network design for electrified vehicles. The factors considered in the study include: state of charge, dwell time, Origin-Destination (OD) pair. KW - Accessibility KW - Dwell time KW - Electric vehicle charging KW - Electric vehicles KW - Implementation KW - Infrastructure KW - Optimization KW - Origin and destination KW - Pollutants KW - Quality of life KW - Traffic congestion KW - Urban areas UR - http://www.wmich.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/u883/2016/TRCLC_15_08_Report.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60481/TRCLC_15_08_Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1435147 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613757 AU - Zhang, Guohui AU - Tarefder, Rafiqul AU - Chen, Cong AU - Wu, Qiong AU - University of New Mexico, Albuquerque AU - SOLARIS University Transportation Center AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Safety Performance Enhancement Analysis of Rumble Stripes with Elements: A Case Study on Rural Highway US 285 in New Mexico PY - 2016/08/31/Final Report SP - 136p AB - U.S. 285 is a major highway that runs through Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas with a large portion acting as a crucial corridor for the eastern portion of New Mexico, and also carries a significant portion of overturn crashes. Shoulder rumble strips are applied on both edges but these rumble strips are gradually deteriorated due to aging, traffic loading, and the change of weather. In order to reduce the potential and injury severities of overturn crashes, New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) District Two initiated a project and applied retroreflective rumble stripes with elements on existing rumble strips along U.S. 285 within NMDOT District Two jurisdiction to increase their visibility. In this project, retroreflective rumble stripes were applied by using high-durable acrylic traffic paint on existing rumble strips and then placing double drop dry elements to enhance the visual representation of edge line location as well as the angles associated with a rumble strip. With this project, this research is conducted to evaluate the safety performance of the newly implemented retroreflective rumble stripes in overturn crash occurrence prevention. In this study, a field survey was conducted to collect road users’ knowledge and opinion rumble strip and the implemented retroreflective rumble stripes regarding their safety effects, and 225 valid survey responses were collected for analysis. An empirical Bayes (EB) Before-after analysis was then conducted based on historical overturn crash data on U.S. 285 before and after the retroreflective rumble stripes were implemented. A safety performance function was trained based on crash and Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) data of U.S. 285. It is shown in the results that, on average, there is a 28.5% reduction in crash occurrences after the implementation of the retroreflective rumble stripes, indicating the effectiveness of this countermeasure in rural traffic safety improvement. KW - Before and after studies KW - Case studies KW - Countermeasures KW - Crash data KW - Evaluation KW - Field studies KW - Highway safety KW - New Mexico KW - Retroreflectivity KW - Rumble strips KW - Rural areas KW - Surveys UR - http://www.unr.edu/Documents/engineering/solaris/Zhang%20Final%20Report_August_31_2016.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424726 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01611988 AU - Rakha, Hesham AU - Bichiou, Youssef AU - Hassan, Abdallah AU - Zohdy, Ismail AU - Virginia Tech Transportation Institute AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Intersection Management Using In-Vehicle Speed Advisory/Adaptation PY - 2016/08/30/Final Report SP - 57p AB - In recent years, connected vehicles (CVs) and automated vehicles (AVs) have emerged as a realistic and viable transportation option. Research centers and companies have dedicated substantial efforts to the technology, motivated largely by the potential safety benefits that can be realized through the elimination of human error, the enhancement of mobility via reduction of congestion and optimization of trips, and the associated positive environmental impacts. Both sensors and control mechanisms are needed for this technology to succeed. The goal of this study is to make use of vehicle connectivity via vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) (i.e., exchanging information between vehicles) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) (i.e., exchanging information with the infrastructure, including intersection controllers) features, leveraging both connected and automated capabilities, to develop control algorithms/systems that deliver solutions/recommendations for connected automated vehicles (CAVs) as they proceed through intersections. The algorithms developed in this report deliver optimal and/or near-optimal solutions, which required extensive simulations and field experiments for validation. In the work described in this report, the research group combined mathematical modeling, optimal control theory, and optimization into a simulation framework that allows vehicles to cross an intersection safely, while incurring the least amount of delay. These models feature kinematic, dynamic and static constraints. Different versions of the model were developed, ranging from exact solutions that cannot be implemented in real-time to heuristic solutions that are computationally efficient. The results of the final proposed model were compared to other control techniques already implemented in the field, and demonstrated that a reduction of at least 50% in delay was achievable. An interesting byproduct of this model was the reduction in fuel consumption, and thus emissions, by more than 10%. KW - Algorithms KW - Autonomous intelligent cruise control KW - Field tests KW - Fuel consumption KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Intersections KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Optimization KW - Pollutants KW - Simulation KW - Traffic delays UR - http://cvi-utc.org/intersection-management-using-in-vehicle-speed-advisoryadaptation/ UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1423326 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613844 AU - Weber, Joey A AU - O'Keefe, Joy M AU - Walters, Brianne L AU - Arndt, Robert J AU - Indiana State University, Terre Haute AU - North Carolina Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Ecology of Virginia big-eared bats in North Carolina and Tennessee PY - 2016/08/24 SP - 60p AB - The researchers conducted a study of the springtime ecology of an isolated North Carolina-Tennessee population of the Virginia big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus), a federally endangered species. With limited data on the whereabouts of this population during the maternity season, the researchers could not adequately predict the impacts of transportation improvement projects (TIPs) such as the proposed widening of NC 105 (R-2566), which is ~3.3 km from the population's hibernacula on Grandfather Mountain, NC. The three objectives of the study were: 1) document seasonal movements and assess foraging habitat selection, 2) locate and describe springtime roosts and assess landscape-scale selection of roosting habitat, and 3) describe winter bat activity at the population's main hibernaculum. The researchers radio-tagged 44 adult bats (42 female, 2 male), located 35 roost sites (25 rock and 10 building roosts), and delineated foraging home range polygons for 10 bats. The researchers found the first known maternity roost sites for this species in NC, including a primary maternity roost on private land 14.4 km north-northwest from the hibernacula (≥ 359 bats used this roost), and the researchers found the first known roosts for Tennessee. Bats moved across NC 105, NC 194, and other roads while commuting the short distance to the primary maternity roost, but generally did not cross major roads during nighttime foraging bouts. Bats moved relatively short distances between the hibernacula and springtime roost sites (0.1-24.1 km), but covered a relatively large area while foraging (~330 ha on average) mainly over forested lands. Most bats used a primary maternity roost and ≥ 1 secondary roosts; primary roosts were larger, with cooler and more stable temperatures. The researchers detected winter bat activity at the hibernaculum, even on very cold days, and suggest further surveys to monitor the hibernating population. It is essential that the NC population of Virginia big-eared bats is able to cross NC 105 and NC 194 as they commute between their winter and summer habitats, but the researchers do not have sufficient data to adequately predict how Virginia big-eared bats will respond to widening or increased traffic. Widening NC 105 could have a negative effect on this Virginia big-eared bat population if these bats are vulnerable to collisions or the barrier effect of a larger road, or if road development and associated projects degrades the foraging and roosting habitats of this population. The researchers make recommendations for potential approaches to R-2566 that might minimize impacts to Virginia big-eared bats, as well as suggestions for future research that could lead to the development of safer crossing points over roads for this and other bat species. KW - Bats KW - Endangered species KW - Environmental impacts KW - Habitat (Ecology) KW - Highways KW - North Carolina KW - Pavement widening KW - Recommendations KW - Seasons KW - Tennessee KW - Wildlife crossings UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/RNAProjDocs/2013-35%20Appendices.pdf UR - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/planning/RNAProjDocs/2013-35%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424934 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618836 AU - Yelchuru, Balaji AU - Nevers, Brandon AU - Dowling, Richard AU - Jia, Anxi AU - Zohdy, Ismail AU - Kamalanathsharma, Raj AU - Booz Allen Hamilton AU - Department of Transportation TI - Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Programs — Calibration Report for San Mateo Testbed PY - 2016/08/22/Final Report SP - 46p AB - The primary objective of this project is to develop multiple simulation Testbeds/transportation models to evaluate the impacts of Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) connected vehicle applications and the Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) strategies. The outputs (modeling results) from this project will help the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) prioritize their investment decisions for DMA and ATDM programs. The primary purpose of this report is to document the calibration process for Analysis, Modeling and Simulation (AMS) San Mateo Testbed. The report discusses the field observed data used to calibrate the simulation models, calibration methodology, calibrated data and also the margins of error for the efforts for each baseline operational condition. KW - Active Transportation and Demand Management KW - Calibration KW - San Mateo (California) KW - Simulation KW - Traffic models UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60487/FHWA-JPO-16-377.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440291 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616912 AU - Jones, Monica L H AU - Ebert, Sheila M AU - Reed, Matthew P AU - University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute AU - Center for Advancing Transportation Leadership and Safety (ATLAS Center) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Effects of High Levels of Obesity on Driver Seat Belt Fit PY - 2016/08/18/Final Report SP - 85p AB - Obesity has been shown to increase the risks to motor vehicle occupants of some types of injury in crashes. The effects of obesity on injuries are not well understood and current prevention efforts do not effectively address the vulnerability associated with the high body mass index (BMI) cohort. Previous studies demonstrated that obesity effectively introduces slack in the seat belt restraint system by routing the belt further away from the underlying skeletal structures. These studies, however, have not measured individuals with a BMI ≥ 40 kg/m². Because approximately 5% of US adults have BMI exceeding this threshold, this study extends the previous research on the relationships between body habitus and belt fit with data from 52 male and female licensed drivers with BMI from 31 to 59 kg/m² (median 38 kg/m²). Consistent with previous research, higher BMI was associated with a lap belt position further forward and higher relative to the pelvis. On average, a person with a BMI of 40 places the belt 118 mm above and 68 mm forward of the anterior-superior iliac spine landmarks on the pelvis. Previous studies have shown mean values of 31 mm and 33 mm, respectively, for individuals with BMI 25. The data suggest a continued focus on improving restraint systems for individuals with high BMI is needed. KW - Crash victim simulation KW - Gender KW - Human body mass KW - Obesity KW - Seat belts KW - Vehicle occupants UR - http://www.atlas-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ATLAS-Final-Report-ATLAS-2016-15.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427384 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610895 AU - LaBelle, James C AU - Frève, Sheena F AU - National University Rail Center (NURail) AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Exploring the Potential for Off Peak Delivery in Metropolitan Chicago: Research Findings and Conclusions PY - 2016/08/15/Final Report SP - 95p AB - Businesses generally want to receive deliveries during their normal work hours. Truckers need to schedule deliveries to meet those demands. As a result, most truck deliveries occur during the most congested daytime traffic periods. If more businesses would accept deliveries in off peak times when there is less traffic congestion, trucks could deliver goods faster and at less cost. That would reduce congestion and cost of goods, and yield economic and environmental benefits. This report summarizes research over the past two years on possible strategies to shift more deliveries of goods to times when traffic is light – i.e., off-peak delivery (OPD) – as one way to lessen congestion in the Chicago area. The research included review of literature and case studies, data analysis, mapping, interviews and policy analysis. Findings and conclusions are presented, including the potential benefits of OPD, how various OPD programs have been implemented, challenges to achieving more OPD, how market forces affect potential for OPD, and possible strategies to achieve more OPD. The research team collaborated with the Supply Chain Innovation Network of Chicago (SINC). KW - Case studies KW - Chicago (Illinois) KW - Delivery service KW - Literature reviews KW - Mapping KW - Off peak periods KW - Scheduling KW - Supply chain management KW - Traffic congestion UR - https://utc.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/Final-OPD-Research-Report__1.1-30.pdf UR - https://utc.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/Final-OPD-Research-Report__1.31-75.pdf UR - https://utc.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/Final-OPD-Research-Report__1.76-95-1.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60283/NURail2015-UIC-R15_Final_Report_Off_Peak_Delivery.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422169 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01610876 AU - Murray-Tuite, Pamela AU - Phoowarawutthipanich, Aphisit AU - Islam, Rauful AU - Hdieb, Naser AU - Connected Vehicle/Infrastructure University Transportation Center AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Emergency Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication PY - 2016/08/15/Final Report SP - 65p AB - Emergency response vehicles (ERVs) frequently navigate congested traffic conditions to reach their destinations as quickly as possible. In this report, several efforts performed by the research group are described, including micro-simulation, field-testing, and optimization, to determine mechanisms for facilitating safe and efficient ERV travel. Micro-simulation of a network based on the Northern Virginia Connected Vehicle Test Bed examined the effect of a variety of factors on ERV travel time, including the presence of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, traffic volumes, cycle length, ERV speed distributions, non-ERV speed distributions, and traffic signal preemption. The results indicated that V2V communication could reduce travel time for an ERV in congested traffic conditions. The research group developed a V2V communication prototype to alert non-ERVs of an approaching ERV by triggering a flash of the infotainment system, followed by audible instructions to move to the left, move to the right, or stay put. Twelve drivers, aged 25 to 50, tested the V2V prototype on the Northern Virginia Connected Vehicle Test Bed during off-peak periods. Data from this field test and associated questionnaires were used to investigate reaction time to the instructions. The estimated reaction times using the developed model varied from 1.4 to 5.8 seconds. A mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP) optimization model was formulated to maximize the forward progress of ERVs by sending information to ERVs and non-ERVs within a given road segment. A single set of instructions was sent to each non-ERV, assigning them to a location out of the ERVs path. Numerical case analysis for a small, uniform section of roadway with a limited number of non-ERVs revealed the model is capable of optimizing the behavior of non-ERVs to maximize the speed of the ERV. KW - Emergency vehicles KW - Field tests KW - Microsimulation KW - Mixed integer programming KW - Optimization KW - Reaction time KW - Traffic congestion KW - Travel time KW - Vehicle to vehicle communications UR - http://cvi-utc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Murray-Tuite_Emergency-Vehicle-to-Vehicle-Communication_Final.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422714 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616913 AU - National Transportation Library TI - NTL Data Management Planning "Greenout" Bingo Self Assessment Tool PY - 2016/08/11 SP - 1p AB - This tool is designed to help assess current data management practices. Pick a dataset or research project, sit down with the data collection team, and discuss each prompt. This tool can guide data management planning (DMP) improvement by revealing best practices that are not being used or information that has not been gathered. KW - Best practices KW - Data collection KW - Data management KW - Evaluation and assessment UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60000/60084/NTL_DMP_Bingo_v01_20160811.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1427770 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619056 AU - Agaiby, Shehab S AU - Mayne, Paul W AU - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta AU - Georgia Tech Research Corporation AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Geotechnical LFRD Calculations of Settlement and Bearing Capacity of GDOT Shallow Bridge Foundations and Retaining Walls PY - 2016/08/09/Final Report SP - 160p AB - The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) codes for Load Resistance Factored Design (LRFD) regarding shallow bridge foundations and walls have been implemented into a set of spreadsheet algorithms to facilitate the calculations of bearing capacity and footing settlements on natural soils in the State of Georgia. Specifically, the approach applies to soils exhibiting drained behavior during loading, including clean to silty and clayey sands and granular soils of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and residual silty sands to sandy silts of the Appalachian Piedmont and Blue Ridge geologies. The methodology permits the sizing of foundations based on site-specific data input for a given project, using in-situ field data obtained from either: (a) standard penetration tests (SPT), (b) cone penetration tests (CPT), and/or (c) flat plate dilatometer tests (DMT). This report provides the background information concerning the equations, calculation procedures, and reference sources that are used. Specifically, the technical review covers the calculations of bearing capacity from limit plasticity theory, settlement predictions using elastic continuum solutions, and geoparameter evaluations from SPT, CPT, and DMT, as well as examples for each of these tests. KW - Algorithms KW - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials KW - Bearing capacity KW - Bridge foundations KW - Georgia KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Methodology KW - Retaining walls KW - Settlement (Structures) KW - Specifications UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60232/14-26.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436221 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613040 AU - Agaiby, Shehab S AU - Mayne, Paul W AU - Georgia Tech Research Corporation AU - Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta AU - Georgia Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Geotechnical LRFD Calculations of Settlement and Bearing Capacity of GDOT Shallow Bridge Foundations and Retaining Walls PY - 2016/08/09/Final Report SP - 160p AB - The AASHTO codes for Load Resistance Factored Design (LRFD) regarding shallow bridge foundations and walls have been implemented into a set of spreadsheet algorithms to facilitate the calculations of bearing capacity and footing settlements on natural soils in the State of Georgia. Specifically, the approach applies to soils exhibiting drained behavior during loading, including clean to silty and clayey sands and granular soils of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and residual silty sands to sandy silts of the Appalachian Piedmont and Blue Ridge geologies. The methodology permits the sizing of foundations based on site-specific data input for a given project, using in-situ field data obtained from either: (a) standard penetration tests (SPT), (b) cone penetration tests (CPT), and/or (c) flat plate dilatometer tests (DMT). This report provides the background information concerning the equations, calculation procedures, and reference sources that are used. Specifically, the technical review covers the calculations of bearing capacity from limit plasticity theory, settlement predictions using elastic continuum solutions, and geoparameter evaluations from SPT, CPT, and DMT, as well as examples for each of these tests. KW - Bearing capacity KW - Bridge foundations KW - Cone penetrometers KW - Dilatometers KW - Footings KW - Georgia KW - Geotechnical engineering KW - Load and resistance factor design KW - Retaining walls KW - Settlement (Structures) KW - Shallow foundations KW - Soil penetration test UR - http://g92018.eos-intl.net/eLibSQL14_G92018_Documents/14-26.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1425036 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01610337 TI - Secure Command and Control Link with Interference Mitigation AB - Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) control and non-payload physical (CNCP) layer is envisioned to be infrastructure-free and, thus, susceptible to multi-user interference and a wide variety of jammers. These jammers can launch arbitrary signals or noise to interfere with single or multiple communication channels across a wide spectrum of frequencies. As a result, several undesirable scenarios can occur including total loss of link, increased power consumption, packet delays or bit errors. Therefore, interference cancellation and mitigation techniques are required to establish secure communication between unmanned aircraft and control station. The main objective of this research is to evaluate vulnerabilities of UAS communication links as well as develop and implement/test multi-user interference cancellation and jamming mitigation methods. The goal of this project is to implement transceivers for UAS communications, evaluate various interference/jamming scenarios gain, and develop robust architectures to suppress different types of jammers in a wide variety of settings. This will be achieved by combining adaptive channel coding and spread spectrum techniques to realize large coding gain and jamming mitigation. This project will also introduce novel mitigation techniques based on multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) as well as exploiting the strong level of service (LOS) component. This research will conduct analysis and testing to assess and mitigate multi-user interference for all types of jamming in the evaluated radio frequency (RF) waveforms. Analyses and tests will be conducted for UAS C2 data link physical security protection addressing frequency bands of interests to SC-228 Phase 1 and Phase 2 Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. In addition, new security schemes will be proposed. KW - Aircraft operations KW - Drone aircraft KW - Interference KW - Level of service KW - Radio frequency KW - Transceivers KW - Wireless communication systems UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422582 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01610333 TI - Human Factors Consideration of UAS Procedures & Control Stations AB - This research seeks to provide guidance toward the development of new regulatory and guidance materials related to unmanned aeronautical vehicle (UAS) control station design and ergonomics, and pilot and crewmember procedures and operational requirements. This research will extend research being conducted under the ASSURE task A7 “UAS Human Factors Control Station Design Standards (plus Function Allocation, Training and Visual Observer).” This research includes two parallel, collaborating efforts. One will focus upon the development of control station requirements including (a) an evaluation of the minimum workstation control and display requirements and (b) control station ergonomics, safety, and work area design parameters. The second will focus on crewmember procedures and operational requirements. A literature survey will help to determine the operational differences between nominal and off-nominal UAS operation vs. piloting of a manned aircraft to identify minimum pilot-and-crew procedures and operational requirements. The second effort will leverage the control station study to ensure the recommendations are based upon the best practices for future control stations. KW - Control systems KW - Drone aircraft KW - Ergonomics KW - Human factors KW - Literature reviews KW - Operations KW - Safety UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1422306 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608713 AU - Federal Transit Administration TI - Track Integrity Investigation: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) PY - 2016/08/08/Final Report SP - 36p AB - This report documents the results of the track integrity investigation conducted by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) between March 21 and June 30, 2016 on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail system. The FTA WMATA Safety Oversight (FWSO) Office initiated this investigation in response to recurrent track deficiencies and defects identified during FWSO’s track inspections at WMATA, and to support follow-up on track issues identified as part of the FWSO’s Safety Management Inspection (SMI). The FWSO also used this investigation to explore systemic issues identified as part of WMATA’s investigation into a derailment near Smithsonian Station on August 6, 2015 and Tri-State Oversight Committee (TOC) three-year review into track maintenance and training at WMATA.. Finally, this report also addresses preliminary findings from the FWSO’s investigation into the July 29, 2016 derailment near East Falls Church. KW - Crash investigation KW - Derailments KW - Falls Church (Virginia) KW - Inspection KW - Maintenance of way KW - Metrorail (Washington Metropolitan Area) KW - Railroad safety KW - Railroad tracks KW - Rapid transit KW - Washington (District of Columbia) KW - Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority UR - https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/FTA%20WMATA%20Track%20Integrity%20Investigation%20Final%20Report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419112 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01607471 TI - Low Altitude Operations Safety: Part 107 Waiver Request Case Study AB - This research seeks to develop and validate a technical approach for Concept of Operations (CONOPS) analysis, risk mitigation, and experimental validation of hazard controls for successful submission of a waiver to Part 107 for Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) operations over people. The safety case and subsequent waiver language may include mitigations necessary for the waiver depending on the level of safety required by the FAA for flight over people. Per the Micro Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) Recommendations and Final Report[1], flight “over people” is defined as UAS flight directly above one or more persons. This research is based on methods developed in the Alliance for Safety System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) A4 Project and published in the UAS Characteristics Report[2] and will provide the technical justification for a requested waiver to Part 107. This research includes three parallel efforts. The first is a modeling effort underpinned by developing risk and scenario-based impact kinetic energy (KE) thresholds by way of CONOPS analysis, determination of operationally appropriate technical data requirements, test and analysis requirements, and suitable operational envelopes, and then the development and establishment of area-weighted impact KE thresholds. These thresholds, in conjunction with vehicle parameters (weight, effective areas, drag coefficients, and impact energy absorption) and ballistic models, will be used to calculate operating height-velocity diagram to ensure that vehicles do not exceed the impact KE thresholds. The second effort is verification of model inputs and outputs by way of flight and drop tests. The final effort is to develop a set of mitigations to keep the aircraft within the impact KE thresholds and/or to limit the potential of laceration and penetration injuries following blade or UAS body impacts and submit a request for waiver for a single sUAS. ________________________________________ [1] Micro Unmanned Aircraft Systems Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), ARC Recommendations Final Report, April 1, 2016 [2] FAA A4 Project Team, White Paper on UAS Characteristics for the FAA UAS Center of Excellence Task A4: Ground Collision Severity Evaluation, June 3, 2016 KW - Aircraft operations KW - Aviation safety KW - Drone aircraft KW - Flight dynamics KW - Kinetic energy KW - Risk assessment UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419006 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01613747 AU - Markiewicz, Alexandra AU - Nash, Logan AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Forest Service TI - Small Unmanned Aircraft and the U.S. Forest Service: Benefits, Costs, and Recommendations for Using Small Unmanned Aircraft in Forest Service Operations PY - 2016/08/03/Final Report SP - 35p AB - This paper provides information to Forest Service leadership about how the agency could use unmanned aircraft across different programs, especially in program areas where aircraft use is currently limited. It draws from published uses of unmanned aircraft as well as conversations with peer federal agencies that have established unmanned aircraft programs, including the Department of the Interior (DOI) headquarters and two of its bureaus; the National Park Service (NPS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). KW - Benefits KW - Bureau of Land Management KW - Costs KW - Drone aircraft KW - National Park Service KW - Recommendations KW - State of the practice KW - U.S. Department of the Interior KW - U.S. Forest Service UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/59000/59800/59804/Small_Unmanned_Aircraft_in_the_FS.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1424911 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01608712 AU - Claure, Guillermo AU - Rossini, Marco AU - Cadenazzi, Thomas AU - Morales, Carlos AU - Gooranorimi, Omid AU - Spadea, Saverio AU - De Caso, Francisco AU - Nanni, Antonio AU - RE-CAST: Research on Concrete Applications For Sustainable Transportation AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - FRP Reinforcement for Concrete: Performance Assessment and New Construction Volume III: Construction and Monitoring of the Innovation Bridge PY - 2016/08/03/Final Report SP - 46p AB - The University of Miami deliberately chose to construct a pedestrian bridge using concrete elements solely reinforced and prestressed with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites to demonstrate its commitment to innovation and sustainability. In addition to showcasing concrete reinforcing bars made of basalt and glass FRP (BFRP and GFRP), the bridge features unique BFRP forms such as continuous close stirrups used in the pier-caps and curbs as well as prefabricated BFRP cages for the auger-cast piles. The main load-carrying members of the bridge are two prestressed concrete girders of double-tee shape (as used in parking garage structures) with shortened flange overhangs. Each girder stem was prestressed with nine carbon FRP (CFRP) strands. Elements of the bridge were instrumented with vibrating-wire gages to monitor performance over time and during two load tests conducted on one of the prestressed concrete girders at the precast yard and on the completed structure, respectively. In addition to strain data, deflection measurements obtained during and after construction show field performance of the bridge to be in accordance with the predicted behavior. KW - Basalt KW - Bridge construction KW - Bridge members KW - Deflection KW - Fiber reinforced polymers KW - Footbridges KW - Glass fiber reinforced concrete KW - Load tests KW - Performance KW - Prestressed concrete bridges KW - Reinforcing bars UR - https://recast.mst.edu/media/research/recast/documents/finalreports/FRP_Reinforcement_for_Concrete_Vol_III.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1419983 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616153 AU - Hamill, Mary AU - Wacht, Mike AU - Brown, Jeff AU - Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority AU - Department of Transportation TI - Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program Phase 1, Participant Training and Stakeholder Education Plan – Tampa (THEA) PY - 2016/08/01/Final Report SP - 37p AB - The Participant Training and Stakeholder Education Plan is a high-level plan for the recruitment and training of all automobile drivers, pedestrians, transit drivers, traffic management center (TMC) operators, and installation and maintenance technicians participating in the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) Connected Vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment. The plan describes how THEA will recruit individuals to participate in the pilot; obtain the informed consent of those participants; train participants in the safe use and maintenance of relevant pilot-related technology; train transit drivers in the new aspects of their jobs; communicate with participants throughout the life of the pilot to ensure continued participation; and train participating personnel to install, document, operate, maintain and replace all hardware and software necessary for the successful operation of the pilot. KW - Bus drivers KW - Connected vehicles KW - Deployment KW - Drivers KW - Education and training KW - Pedestrians KW - Personnel KW - Pilot studies KW - Recruiting KW - Stakeholders KW - Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority KW - Technicians KW - Traffic control centers UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60200/60237/FHWA-JPO-16-318.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428942 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01625938 TI - Motor Carrier Safety Research Analysis Committee AB - The committee can provide a consistent process for recognized experts to review the Agency’s research portfolio and provide knowledgeable suggestions for addressing pressing motor carrier safety challenges and opportunities. FMCSA’s research program can benefit from the suggestions and ideas on prioritizing scarce research dollars, and increasing the quality, relevance, and dissemination of motor carrier-related research projects. These funds will be used to support the services of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in strengthening FMCSA’s Research and Technology Program to better meet the needs of the Agency’s safety mission as well as to inform commercial motor vehicle carrier enforcement, the research community, safety advocates, and industry of active and planned projects. This will be achieved through the establishment of a MCSRAC, a panel of 8–10 nationally recognized experts in transportation-related research and technology who can provide professional analysis to FMCSA on its research work. KW - Analysis KW - Motor carriers KW - Research KW - Safety KW - Transportation Research Board UR - www.fmcsa.dot.gov UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1455344 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01625937 TI - Feasibility Study for Developing a Longitudinal Study of CMV Driver Health AB - FMCSA will enter into a cooperative research agreement with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to provide partial funding for this effort. A large driver cohort will be drawn from a sample of new CMV drivers and this group will be surveyed every 5 years to understand occupational and environmental stresses and changes in aspects of driver health and fitness. KW - Health KW - Longitudinal studies KW - Prevention KW - Research UR - www.fmcsa.dot.gov UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1455343 ER - TY - ABST AN - 01625876 TI - Evaluation of Research on CMV Drivers with Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea AB - The first phase of this study is to conduct a thorough literature review to respond to select questions in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)/ Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding transportation operators with OSA. These responses will provide support to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) rulemaking team. The rulemaking team will determine if a second phase of this research is warranted based on the perceived gaps in the research literature, available data, and responses received from the general public. KW - Apnea KW - Evaluation KW - Performance KW - Research KW - Sleep UR - www.fmcsa.dot.gov UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1455317 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625814 AU - Uddin, Waheed AU - Sherry, Patrick AU - Eksioglu, Burak AU - University of Mississippi, University AU - National Center for Intermodal Transportation for Economic Competitiveness AU - Research and Innovative Technology Administration TI - Integrated Intermodal Transportation Corridors for Economically Viable and Safe Global Supply Chain PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 211p AB - Transportation infrastructure networks are essential to sustain our economy, society and quality of life. Freight transportation of consumer goods and commercial/industrial products is critical for sustainable and efficient supply chain. The primary objectives of this project are to identify major transportation corridors involving inland river ports, highway network and rail infrastructure; and to evaluate the revenue/funding aspects, economic viability, safety, and disaster resiliency of integrating selected segments of the candidate corridors. The scope of this project is limited to North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) trading partner countries of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The project investigated the aspects of multimodal freight related to congestion, intermodal integration, and impacts of fuel savings and carbon dioxide emissions. Key results of the study include: (1) This project developed geospatial maps, optimization models, benefit/cost results of proposed modal integration simulation studies, life cycle economic model results of economic and environmental impacts, and intermodal infrastructure bank proposal. (2) Theoretical consideration and associated field studies improved understanding of transportation professionals for tire/pavement interaction during braking and crash incidents. Guidelines are recommended for implementation to improve road safety. (3) Computer simulations of commodity flow through selected port(s) and freight corridor(s) with economic and sustainability analysis are used to show the importance of the intermodal integration approach for enhancing the economic competitiveness, safety, security and disaster resilience of freight transport. (4) The intermodal freight corridor case studies are used to develop a “best practice guide” for consideration by government transportation agencies, private transport operators, and other global supply chain stakeholders. (5) The developed approach of freight corridor integration studies demonstrate the assessment of economic and other societal benefits, which include reduction of wastage of hours of travel time and traffic congestion, cost avoidance of fuel wastage on highway corridors, and decrease in transportation related emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants. It is recommended that the developed approach of multimodal freight corridor studies be applied by transportation agencies to assess economic and other societal benefits, which include reduction in highway congestion and decrease in transportation related harmful emissions. KW - Air pollution KW - Canada KW - Commodity flow KW - Disaster resilience KW - Economic impacts KW - Freight transportation KW - Global supply chain KW - Highways KW - Integrated corridor management KW - Intermodal transportation KW - Mexico KW - North American Free Trade Agreement KW - Railroads KW - River ports KW - Transportation corridors KW - United States UR - http://www.ncitec.msstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012-27FR.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445637 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01625805 AU - Simpson, Amy L AU - Rada, Gonzalo R AU - Visintine, Beth A AU - Groeger, Jonathan L AU - Amec Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure, Incorporated AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Interstate Pavement Condition Sampling PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 149p AB - With the passing of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has proposed that the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data set is the data source for the national pavement performance measures. The objectives of this project are to: 1. Collect an unbiased baseline study of a statistically significant sample of the entire Interstate Highway System (IHS) and produce a report indicating the pavement condition on the IHS nationally and in each State where data were collected; 2. Determine if HPMS is an unbiased representation of the pavement condition of the IHS; 3. Recommend improvements to HPMS data collection and reporting that are necessary to either make HPMS unbiased or improve its precision, in regard to performance management and FHWA’s use of HPMS data. The project answers the following questions regarding HPMS data collection: Is two-way data collection necessary? Does data need to be collected in more than one lane in a direction? What is the optimum HPMS section length? Do all distress items require full extent reporting or is sampling adequate? Are protocols proposed by FHWA adequate for collecting and reporting distress or do they need improvement? This report documents the entire research effort, with particular emphasis on the data collection and data analyses activities. KW - Condition surveys KW - Data analysis KW - Data collection KW - Data files KW - Highway Performance Monitoring System KW - Interstate highways KW - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) KW - Pavement performance KW - Recommendations UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/asset/pubs/hif17022.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442745 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624687 AU - Bonaquist, Ramon AU - Advanced Asphalt Technologies, LLC AU - Wisconsin Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Critical Factors Affecting Asphalt Concrete Durability PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 128p AB - This research evaluated changes to the composition of asphalt concrete mixtures that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) should consider to improve the durability of flexible pavement constructed in Wisconsin. Based on a synthesis of current research, a laboratory experiment was conducted to quantify the effect of: (1) effective binder volume, (2) low temperature performance grade, (3) recycled binder content, and (4) polymer modification on the resistance of typical Wisconsin mixtures to aging and load associated cracking. For the types of mixtures normally used in Wisconsin, the laboratory experiment found mixture composition had little effect on aging; however, cracking resistance was significantly affected. The laboratory experiment produced a regression equation that was used to evaluate current WisDOT specification requirements. This evaluation concluded that recent specification changes made by WisDOT will improve the cracking resistance of asphalt concrete mixtures, with the greatest improvement occurring for overlays in the Southern Asphalt Zone. The regression equation was also used to recommend additional specification changes that WisDOT should consider. KW - Admixtures KW - Aging (Materials) KW - Asphalt concrete KW - Binder content KW - Cracking KW - Durability KW - Evaluation KW - Flexible pavements KW - Laboratory tests KW - Low temperature tests KW - Overlays (Pavements) KW - Polymers KW - Recycled materials KW - Regression analysis KW - Specifications KW - Wisconsin UR - http://wisconsindot.gov/documents2/research/14-06-revised-final-report.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1446868 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624685 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Transportation Systems Management and Operations and Performance Based Practical Design CASE STUDY 3: Demonstrating Performance-Based Practical Design through Alternative Intersections PY - 2016/08 SP - 4p AB - As states and local agencies become increasingly challenged with addressing their system performance, mobility, and safety needs in the current era of financial limitations, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is providing guidance, delivering technical assistance, and sharing resources related to performance-based practical design (PBPD). The FHWA Office of Operations is supporting the overall Agency PBPD effort by highlighting the role Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) alternatives and analysis tools can play in supporting PBPD. To illustrate the range of TSMO strategies and tools and how they can be applied by transportation planners and designers in a PBPD context, five brief case studies have been developed. This Case Study 3 illustrates how a PBDP approach can be applied by using alternative intersections. Alternative intersections can serve more vehicles than similarly sized, conventional signalized intersections and often also offer safety benefits. This case study specifically highlights one alternative intersection form—restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT). KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Case studies KW - Highway design KW - Highway operations KW - Intersections KW - Performance measurement KW - Transportation system management KW - U turns UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16039/fhwahop16039.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445979 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624683 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Transportation Systems Management and Operations and Performance Based Practical Design CASE STUDY 2: Demonstrating Performance-Based Practical Design through Urban Freeway Reconstruction PY - 2016/08 SP - 6p AB - As states and local agencies become increasingly challenged with addressing their system performance, mobility, and safety needs in the current era of financial limitations, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is providing guidance, delivering technical assistance, and sharing resources related to performance-based practical design (PBPD). The FHWA Office of Operations is supporting the overall Agency PBPD effort by highlighting the role Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) alternatives and analysis tools can play in supporting PBPD. To illustrate the range of TSMO strategies and tools and how they can be applied by transportation planners and designers in a PBPD context, five case studies were developed. This Case Study 2 illustrates how a PBPD approach can be used to analyze and make trade-offs when designing major freeway reconstruction in a constrained urban area—specifically, the reconstruction of Interstate 94 (I-94), the eastwest freeway, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT’s) study of the I-94 east-west freeway corridor included extensive safety, operational, and environmental analyses of multiple alternatives, leading to the identification of an alternative that has some features that do not meet current standards (and, therefore, require a design exception), but nevertheless meet the project needs and objectives in a cost-effective manner. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Case studies KW - Freeway operations KW - Highway design KW - Milwaukee (Wisconsin) KW - Performance measurement KW - Reconstruction KW - Transportation system management KW - Urban highways UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16034/fhwahop16034.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445981 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624681 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Transportation Systems Management and Operations and Performance Based Practical Design CASE STUDY 1: Demonstrating Performance-Based Practical Design through Analysis of High-Occupancy Toll Lanes PY - 2016/08 SP - 4p AB - As states and local agencies become increasingly challenged with addressing their system performance, mobility, and safety needs in the current era of financial limitations, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is providing guidance, delivering technical assistance, and sharing resources related to performance-based practical design (PBPD). The FHWA Office of Operations is supporting the overall Agency PBPD effort by highlighting the role Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) alternatives and analysis tools can play in supporting PBPD. To illustrate the range of TSMO strategies and how they are applied by transportation planners and designers in a PBPD context, FHWA has developed five case studies. This Case Study 1 illustrates how PBPD can be applied by analyzing managed freeway lanes on a congested urban corridor and focuses on using high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes to improve urban freeway travel and reliability. It reinforces applying a PBPD approach by drawing on various performance related analyses conducted for a HOT lane project in Miami, Florida. KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Case studies KW - Freeway operations KW - High occupancy toll lanes KW - Highway design KW - Managed lanes KW - Miami (Florida) KW - Performance measurement KW - Reliability KW - Transportation system management KW - Urban highways UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16040/fhwahop16040.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445977 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624680 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Transportation Systems Management and Operations and Performance Based Practical Design CASE STUDY 5: Demonstrating Performance-Based Practical Design through Analysis of Active Traffic Management PY - 2016/08 SP - 6p AB - As states and local agencies become increasingly challenged with addressing their system performance, mobility, and safety needs in the current era of financial limitations, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is providing guidance, delivering technical assistance, and sharing resources related to performance-based practical design (PBPD). The FHWA Office of Operations is supporting the overall Agency PBPD effort by highlighting the role transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) alternatives and analysis tools can play in supporting PBPD. To illustrate the range of TSMO strategies and tools and how they can be applied by transportation planners and designers in a PBPD context, five case studies were developed. This Case Study 5 illustrates how a PBPD approach be used to analyze and make tradeoffs when examining potential Active Traffic Management (ATM) strategies along freeways, as was done in developing ATM recommendations, a Concept of Operations and an ATM Implementation Plan for the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). KW - Active traffic management KW - Advanced traffic management systems KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Case studies KW - Freeway operations KW - Highway design KW - Implementation KW - New Jersey Department of Transportation KW - Performance measurement KW - Transportation system management UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16087/fhwahop16087.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445975 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624679 AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Transportation Systems Management and Operations and Performance Based Practical Design CASE STUDY 4: Demonstrating Performance-Based Practical Design through Regional Performance-Based Planning PY - 2016/08 SP - 6p AB - As states and local agencies become increasingly challenged with addressing their system performance, mobility, and safety needs in the current era of financial limitations, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is providing guidance, delivering technical assistance, and sharing resources related to performance-based practical design (PBPD). The FHWA Office of Operations is supporting the overall Agency PBPD effort by highlighting the role Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) alternatives and analysis tools can play in supporting PBPD. To illustrate the range of TSMO strategies and tools and how they can be applied by transportation planners and designers in a PBPD context, five case studies have been developed. This Case Study 4 illustrates how PBDP and performance-based planning and programming (PBPP) approaches can be used by metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) during the planning process to inform the selection of projects for the transportation improvement program (TIP). KW - Alternatives analysis KW - Case studies KW - Highway design KW - Highway operations KW - Metropolitan planning organizations KW - Performance measurement KW - Transportation Improvement Program KW - Transportation planning KW - Transportation system management UR - http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16038/fhwahop16038.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445980 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01624421 AU - Kockelman, Kara AU - Boyles, Stephen AU - Avery, Paul AU - Claudel, Christian AU - Loftus-Otway, Lisa AU - Fagnant, Daniel AU - Bansal, Prateek AU - Levin, Michael W AU - Zhao, Yong AU - Liu, Jun AU - Clements, Lewis AU - Wagner, Wendy AU - Stewart, Duncan AU - Sharon, Guni AU - Albert, Michael AU - Stone, Peter AU - Hanna, Josiah AU - Patel, Rahul AU - Fritz, Hagen AU - Choudhary, Tejas AU - Li, Tianxin AU - Nichols, Aqshems AU - Sharma, Kapil AU - Simoni, Michele AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Bringing Smart Transport to Texans: Ensuring the Benefits of a Connected and Autonomous Transport System in Texas PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 385p AB - This project develops and demonstrates a variety of smart-transport technologies, policies, and practices for highways and freeways using connected autonomous vehicles (CAVs), smartphones, roadside equipment, and related technologies. The intent is to maximize the benefit of these technologies in terms of improved driver safety, reduced congestion, and agency cost savings. For example, in a well-implemented system, advanced CAV technologies may reduce current crash costs by at least $390 billion per year. A poorly implemented system could significantly detract from or reverse these benefits. The project’s Phase 1, documented in this report, showcased dedicated short-range communication (DSRC)-instrumented vehicles for wrong-way driving alerts, vehicle guidance, and road-surface condition monitoring demonstrations. It developed algorithms for more accurate vehicle-position information and real-time traffic flow monitoring. It delivered statewide and national forecasts of fleet evolution, consumer preferences, and Texans’ opinions of CAV policies and technologies. It also simulated various strategies for smart ramp merges and smart intersection and network operations, under thousands of case settings, with calculated delay reductions. It anticipated emissions savings from more thoughtful automated driving and crash savings from more conflict-aware driving. It also analyzed the benefits of shared autonomous vehicle transit. Recommendations are provided for guiding Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) as technologies increasingly become available to the public, estimated to impact the U. S. economy by as much as $1.3 trillion per year. Recommendations focus on the need for increasing TxDOT in-house expertise, simulating new systems, developing policy, and updating design manuals. KW - Benefits KW - Economic impacts KW - Freeways KW - Highways KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Policy KW - Public opinion KW - Recommendations KW - Smartphones KW - Technological innovations KW - Texas KW - Traffic congestion KW - Traffic safety KW - Transportation planning UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6838-2-appx.pdf UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6838-2.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1445500 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622667 AU - Zhao, Guangyuan AU - Li, Shuo AU - Jiang, Yi AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Safety and Cost Performance of Intersection Lighting SN - 9781622604302 PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 113p AB - It has been reported that nationwide, about one quarter of the roadway travel commonly occurs after dark and half of the roadway traffic fatalities occurred at night. The nighttime traffic crash fatality rate is about three times the daytime traffic crash fatality rate. The problem may become worse at unlit or poorly lit critical roadway safety spots such as interchange, intersections, and railroad and highway crossing, particularly in adverse weather conditions. This study was conducted to investigate the lighting effects on crashes at Indiana intersections. The analysis of Indiana nighttime crash data to identify the contributing factors was conducted. The study intersection sites were selected based on crash frequencies and crash severities. Before and after field light tests were conducted to verify in-service light performance, including illuminance distribution and uniformity ratio. AGi32 simulation was also performed for three selected intersections to compare with field test results. In addition, the long term performance of demonstration luminaires at the I-74 & US 231 interchange was tracked and documented. This activity provides a better understanding of maintenance issues, cycles, and costs. Surveys to both State Highway Agencies (SHAs) and communities were conducted in order to identify perceptions from SHAs and the public toward lighting improvement. The community survey included questions such as the public attitudes to intersection lighting, effectiveness of lighting, visibility improvement, and safety improvement. To quantify safety effects of lighting at intersections, crash modification factors (CMFs) were developed by using two methodologies: before-and-after analysis and cross-sectional statistical analysis. The developed CMFs could be used to justify roadway lighting projects. Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) was conducted to determine the best lighting solution given a real project scenario. The analysis considered initial (luminaire and installation) cost, operation and maintenance cost, and energy cost. KW - Attitudes KW - Before and after studies KW - Field tests KW - Indiana KW - Intersections KW - Life cycle costing KW - Lighting KW - Luminaires KW - Luminance KW - Statistical analysis KW - Surveys KW - Traffic crashes UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284316340 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1442401 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01622392 AU - Lyn, Dennis A AU - Sangwan, Nikhil AU - Purdue University AU - Indiana Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Ecologically Aware Design of Waterway-Encapsulating Structures SN - 9781622604388 PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 57p AB - Aquatic organism passage (AOP) in waterways-encapsulating structures, particularly culverts, is of growing concern to environmental regulatory agencies, and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is seeking systematic responses to this concern in the hydraulic design of such structures. This study reviews design approaches to enhance or accommodate aquatic organism passage through culverts, and proposes a simplified design procedure that requires less data input and analysis, and yet results in a structure complying with the current regional general permit (RGP) conditions. It also makes as much use of already existing INDOT standard specifications for riprap and coarse aggregates that would be as backfill material to form a stable bed within the culvert. The simplified procedure is intended for new larger structures for which a culvert bed needs to be installed, and for expected Indiana conditions of low-gradient (<3%) and predominantly sandy or gravelly streams. Because of their larger size compared to traditional culverts, AOP-designed structures are associated with higher installation and material costs, which may however be compensated partially or wholly by lower costs over their operational lifetime. Previous work on life-cycle cost (including social/ecological costs) analysis of AOP-designed culverts was reviewed, but it is concluded that reliable data and methodologies for an adequate analysis are not yet available. The study then explores the consequences of alternative regulatory schemes formulated on the basis of habitat or biotic integrity indices. These may permit simple yet more flexible schemes with the same or even better ecological outcomes. KW - Aquatic life KW - Backfill soils KW - Culverts KW - Design KW - Indiana KW - Life cycle costing KW - Regulation KW - Specifications KW - Wildlife crossings UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5703/1288284316344 UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1441743 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619965 AU - Volpe National Transportation Systems Center AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - FHWA Research and Technology Evaluation Program Summary Report Spring 2016 PY - 2016/08//Summary Report SP - 56p AB - This report summarizes the 16 evaluations being conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA’s) Research and Technology Program. The FHWA R&T Program furthers the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center’s goal of ensuring transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness of R&T for all stakeholders. The 16 evaluations can be grouped into two waves. The first wave consists of six retrospective and four prospective evaluations, while the second wave comprises six prospective evaluations. Five evaluation teams have finished data collection and written final reports. One team has delivered a final phase I report and is preparing its phase II report. Three evaluation teams have submitted final evaluation plans while five other teams have written draft evaluation plans. Of the remaining two, one team has submitted a preliminary evaluation plan and the other is initiating planning activities KW - Evaluation KW - Research KW - Research and Technology Program (FHWA) KW - Technology KW - U.S. Federal Highway Administration UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/randt/evaluations/16071/16071.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440497 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01619057 AU - Bridgelall, Raj AU - Hough, Jill AU - Chia, Leonard AU - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute AU - National Center for Transit Research AU - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology TI - Characterization of Transit Ride Quality PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 53p AB - Strategies often proposed to combat the growing traffic congestion problems of urban environments target enhancements to increase the use of bus transit. Therefore, service providers are keen to identify and understand factors that could attract more transit riders. Other than affordability, most researchers explored convenience and stress factors such as schedule uncertainty, waiting time, travel time, crowding, noises, and smells. However, few studies evaluated the significance of ride quality. The high cost to collect and analyze roughness data likely deters such studies. This work developed a low-cost smartphone based method and associated data transforms to characterize ride quality for non-uniform speed profiles. The method distinguished between vibrations induced from road unevenness and operator behavior. The authors validated the accuracy of the method by conducting surveys to characterize the perceived roughness intensities from buses traveling routes of distinctly different roughness levels. The surveys found that smooth rides mattered to most passengers, and that rough rides could even lead to some loss of ridership. Additionally, the authors proposed a theory of roughness acclimation and provided some evidence that unlike objective measurements, subjective assessments of ride quality could lead to significant biases and inconsistencies. KW - Bus transit KW - Data collection KW - Evaluation and assessment KW - Methodology KW - Ride quality KW - Roughness KW - Smartphones KW - Surveys KW - Transit riders UR - http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/21177060-NCTR-NDSU09.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60522/21177060-NCTR-NDSU09.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1436206 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01618940 AU - Pierce, B AU - Zimmer, R AU - Burns, M AU - Battelle AU - Department of Transportation TI - Transit Bus Stop Pedestrian Warning Application: Requirements Document PY - 2016/08 SP - 67p AB - This document describes the System Requirements for the Transit Bus Stop Pedestrian Warning (TSPW) application. The requirements describe the system of interest for the implementation team including the required functions and performance along with the method of verification. The term “performance requirements” does not establish or imply a requirement for public agencies or other infrastructure owners and operators. Rather, it reflects the systems engineering process that leads to identifying how well, and under what conditions, a physical of functional attribute will function. Documentation of performance requirements allows manufacturers and suppliers to competitively design products that will satisfactorily perform in an inter-operable system, as anticipated by customers. KW - Bus stops KW - Pedestrian safety KW - Pedestrians KW - System requirements KW - Vehicle to infrastructure communications KW - Warning systems UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60500/60514/FHWA-JPO-16-360.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1440302 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01617694 AU - McVay, Michael C AU - Tran, Khiem T AU - Wasman, Scott J AU - Sullivan, Brian AU - Siriwardane, Duminidu AU - University of Florida, Gainesville AU - Florida Department of Transportation AU - Department of Transportation TI - Detection of Sinkholes or Anomalies Using Full Seismic Wave Fields: Phase II PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 181p AB - A new 2-D Full Waveform Inversion (FWI) software code was developed to characterize layering and anomalies beneath the ground surface using seismic testing. The software is capable of assessing the shear and compression wave velocities (Vs and Vp) for 1,200 cells (0.75 x 0.75 m resolution) in an 18 x 36 m (60 x 120 ft) region in 20 to 30 min on a standard laptop computer. The software, which includes a graphical software interface, allows the user to setup the test line (spacing, number of shots, and receiver), view the raw data, condition the data (filter, window, remove poor channels), preprocess the data (identify initial velocity profile), and analyze (invert) the conditioned data to obtain independent Vs and Vp results graphically or in file format (PDF). Next, a synthetic study was undertaken with the 2-D FWI software to investigate its capability of identifying 3-D voids (size, shape, and depth). Synthetic waveform data sets were generated using a 3-D finite difference model of a domain with a void of various sizes and depths, and surface-based test lines were both on the top of the void and away from the void. The synthetic waveform data sets were then analyzed by the 2-D FWI software as if they were collected from field experiments. The FWI results revealed that if the test line is on the top of a void, the maximum embedded depth at which the void can be detected is about three void diameters. In the case of test lines that are away from the void, the void can still be identified in inverted profile if the test line is near the void edge; however, the void becomes distorted and non-existent if the test line is at least one diameter from the void. The 2-D FWI software was then tested at five Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) sites with unknown soil/rock layering and both known and unknown voids at time of seismic testing. Subsequent invasive testing (standard penetration test (SPT) and cone penetration test (CPT)) was performed near or at the anomaly for validation. A comparison of the seismic results with the SPT/CPT results revealed that FWI did an excellent job of identifying soil and rock layering (e.g., soil and limestone depths at Kanapaha and Newberry, FL), identifying unknown voids (Newberry and Tallahassee, FL), and the extent of existing voids (US 441 and Gainesville, FL). As with the synthetic study, field seismic results from test lines one diameter from the void did show void distortion, but it was not present further away. Finally, the software was demonstrated and used by FDOT field personnel on a test site. The seismic equipment used for this project included both a 24-channel coupled geophone array with sledge hammer point source,a new 24-channel land-streamer, and a propelled energy generator (PEG). The land streamer and PEG may be towed behind a vehicle and used to investigate the subsurface profiles beneath a roadway (e.g., US 441). KW - Air voids KW - Detection and identification technologies KW - Elastic waves KW - Field tests KW - Florida KW - Geological surveying KW - Sinkholes KW - Software KW - Soil penetration test KW - Validation UR - http://www.fdot.gov/research/Completed_Proj/Summary_SMO/FDOT-BDV31-977-29-rpt.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60464/FDOT-BDV31-977-29-rpt.pdf UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60465/FDOT-BDV31-977-29-sum.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429670 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01617693 AU - Delatte, Norbert AU - Miller, Richard AU - Asghar, Mohammad AU - Sommerville, Alice AU - Lesak, Andrew AU - Amini, Kamran AU - Susinskas, Larisa AU - Woods, Jennifer AU - Cleveland State University AU - University of Cincinnati AU - Ohio Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Evaluation of High Performance Pavement and Bridge Deck Wearing Surface Repair Materials PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 30p AB - This project provided for a laboratory and field testing of several high performance repair materials for pavements and concrete bridge decks. The main purpose was to provide Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) with materials and procedures to shorten road and bridge closures. The project was relatively complex with several phases. First, the repair materials for testing and the locations needed to be selected. This required a thorough review of the available literature, including the practices used by other state transportation agencies. Next, the repair materials were installed on pavements and bridge decks on three separate installation projects in ODOT District 8, two by the Great Lakes Construction Company (TGLCC), and two with ODOT maintenance crews. There was a cold weather installation on bridge decks and concrete pavements in March 2014, with two products rated for low temperatures, followed by a larger installation on concrete pavement with four other products in June 2014. The first two installations were carried out by TGLCC. These installations were monitored for two years from the first installation. In June 2015, five bridge deck patches with two materials were installed by the ODOT maintenance crews. In addition, a parallel laboratory testing program of the selected materials was carried out to evaluate performance and engineering properties. Finally, the specification recommendations were developed based on the literature review and project results. The phases of the project are documented in five separate graduate theses published at Cleveland State University. KW - Bridge decks KW - Evaluation KW - Field tests KW - Laboratory tests KW - Literature reviews KW - Materials selection KW - Ohio KW - Pavement maintenance KW - Repairing KW - State departments of transportation KW - Wearing course (Pavements) UR - http://cdm16007.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p267401ccp2/id/14023 UR - http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/60000/60400/60475/Final_report_Evaluation_of_high_performance_pavement_and_bridge_deck_wearing_surface_repair_materials.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1434997 ER - TY - SER AN - 01616917 JO - TechBrief PB - Federal Highway Administration TI - Testing for Fatigue Cracking in the Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester PY - 2016/08 SP - 13p AB - This Technical Brief provides an overview of a fatigue characterization test method that can be conducted using an Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) device. This includes a description of the test as well as an introduction to how the test has evolved, what performance information the test provides about an asphalt mixture, and the accompanying stress-strain model. KW - Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester KW - Asphalt mixtures KW - Deformation curve KW - Fatigue cracking KW - Pavement performance KW - Test procedures KW - Viscoelasticity UR - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pavement/asphalt/pubs/hif16027.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1429030 ER - TY - RPRT AN - 01616916 AU - Kockelman, Kara AU - Avery, Paul AU - Bansal, Prateek AU - Boyles, Stephen D AU - Bujanovic, Pavle AU - Choudhary, Tejas AU - Clements, Lewis AU - Domnenko, Gleb AU - Fagnant, Dan AU - Helsel, John AU - Hutchinson, Rebecca AU - Levin, Michael AU - Li, Jia AU - Li, Tianxin AU - Loftus-Otway, Lisa AU - Nichols, Aqshems AU - Simoni, Michele AU - Stewart, Duncan AU - University of Texas, Austin AU - Texas Department of Transportation AU - Federal Highway Administration TI - Implications of Connected and Automated Vehicles on the Safety and Operations of Roadway Networks: A Final Report PY - 2016/08//Final Report SP - 249p AB - Advances in vehicle automation and communication can dramatically reduce the economic and comprehensive costs of U.S. crashes. This report quantifies in detail the crash-related gains of various vehicle automation and connectivity features and anticipates their near-term and long-range impacts on car crashes in Texas. It also documents the best practices for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other agencies to most cost-effectively facilitate Texans’ adoption and use of top technologies. This study estimated the adoption of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies over the long term through the use of two surveys. The study also reviewed CAVs’ impacts on safety, and estimated crash count and crash cost reductions via various CAV technologies. Finally, the report presents a benefit-cost (B-C) analysis that identifies top design and system management strategies for departments of transportation to follow, in the transition to new technologies and travel choices. This work provides practical recommendations emphasizing safety to assist TxDOT in optimally planning for these new technologies using a holistic and qualitative approach. KW - Benefit cost analysis KW - Best practices KW - Costs KW - Crash rates KW - Intelligent vehicles KW - Mobile communication systems KW - Recommendations KW - Surveys KW - Technological innovations KW - Texas KW - Texas Department of Transportation KW - Traffic safety KW - Transportation planning UR - http://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6849-1.pdf UR - https://trid.trb.org/view/1428776 ER -