TR News Magazine
TR News is TRB's bimonthly magazine, which features timely articles on innovative and state-of-the-art research and practice in all modes of transportation. It also includes brief news items of interest to the transportation community, "research pays off" articles, profiles of transportation professionals, workshop and conference announcements, new book notices, news of TRB activities, and the TRB Annual Report.
For a detailed explanation of how to submit articles or other information, please
see this page. If your questions aren't answered there, contact
TRNews@nas.edu.
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TR News may be purchased individually or ordered on an annual subscription basis. Please contact
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A compilation of titles in
TR News since January 2002, when TRB began posting complete issues of the magazine online, is accessible by the link below. Full issues of
TR News are posted online four months after their publication. Each title includes a short description of articles included in the publication, a link to the full text of the issue (as it becomes available), and a link to
TRB's electronic bookstore.
April 11, 2024
The intercity bus industry experienced unprecedented growth before the COVID-19 pandemic and seemed poised for further expansion. The industry embraced technology to provide dynamic scheduling and pricing, booking and boarding were simplified through customer-friendly applications and electronic ticketing, and customers were enticed by free Wi-Fi and onboard entertainment. " Intercity Buses: Plann...
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February 29, 2024
AI technologies have fueled advances in autonomous driving and intelligent transportation systems, for example, enabling the public in Phoenix, San Francisco, and other cities to hail a self-driving taxi from their smartphone apps. Transportation professionals also are tapping computer-vision technologies to manage transportation assets, collect traffic data, and dynamically adjust traffic signals...
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February 22, 2024
When gauging how roads, rails, or runways affect the societies they run through, the numbers often paint an incomplete picture. To illuminate the impact of transportation on tribal communities, the TRB Standing Committee on Native American Transportation Issues took an imaginative leap last year and announced a Call for Artwork. The competition reflected the committee’s focus on highlighting and s...
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February 20, 2024
"This year, TRB and members of the International Coordinating Council are supporting an initiative I am leading to establish the African Transportation Research Alliance, referred to by some as 'TRB in Africa,'" says Margaret-Avis Akofio-Sowah, a global organizational change management lead for WSP and a TRB volunteer who is featured as the Transportation Influencer in the January-March 2024 editi...
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February 07, 2024
The January-March 2024 issue of TR News is available online and in print in full to subscribers. The cover and table of contents is available online to non-subscribers. Feature articles in the issue consider the human factor in maritime transportation safety, the intercity bus industry’s post-pandemic struggle to recover and its ramifications, and strategies for reducing roadside fire risks....
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February 05, 2024
The September-December 2023 issue of TR News —with a cover feature on Transportation in Rural America—is available online in full to both subscribers and non-subscribers. Feature articles in the issue explore topics such as the availability of automated vehicles and associated infrastructure, how research and workshops inform transportation along low-volume roads, and how a vast network of airport...
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January 23, 2024
In 2019, the Colorado Department of Transportation (DOT) was faced with a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) bridge abutment failing catastrophically, closing U.S. 36 between Denver and Boulder. The geotechnical design subconsultants suggested the use of geofoam blocks to fast-track the project and get the embankment reconstructed prior to winter. "Geofoam: Colorado’s Innovative Answer to an Emer...
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December 15, 2023
Rural aviation in Alaska is critical for providing access to essential services and supporting the state’s mostly rural way of life. However, current airport infrastructure faces significant operational and maintenance challenges. "Wheels Up! Alaska’s Rural Air Service," by Rebecca Douglas and Dylan Blankenship, details how the state’s geographical environment calls for the Alaska Department of Tr...
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November 13, 2023
The July-August 2023 edition (Issue 346) of TR News explores the theme of transportation-related advancements in accessibility and mobility. From individuals with disabilities that affect the senses and physical movement to the concerns of older adults and those with invisible disabilities that present cognitive issues, the authors look at innovations and their applications in myriad s...
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November 06, 2023
In the transportation industry, individuals with disabilities should comprise part of a diverse workforce and can be included in recruitment and retention initiatives. "Opening Doors: Including People with Disabilities in the Transit Workforce," by Judy Shanley, Shayna Gleason, and Patricia Greenfield, offers an overview of strategies and is one of the feature articles in the July-August 2023 edit...
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October 20, 2023
Most people are willing to assist others when there are visual cues of a disability, such as a wheelchair or guide dog. However, many individuals have disabilities that are not visible and can pose signifi cant transportation accessibility challenges for them. "Invisible Disabilities: Seeing the Unseen," by Steven Jones, Roger Mackett, and Julia Castillo, is one of the feature articles in the July...
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September 28, 2023
The May-June 2023 issue of TR News (Issue 345) examines the theme of transportation planning on public lands. Authors look at active transport in state parks, forecasting recreational travel demand, the innovations the National Park Service uses to collect data, and much more. To subscribe to TR News, sign up through MyTRB.org. Subscription rates include postage. Subscribe ...
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September 20, 2023
Over the past five years, researchers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute developed and implemented a simple and practical indirect tension asphalt cracking test (IDEAL-CT) for use during asphalt balanced mix design and quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) testing. "Indirect Tension Asphalt Cracking Test: Ensuring Asphalt Mix Designs for Durable Pavements," by Fujie Zhou and Kelly W...
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August 31, 2023
National and state parks welcome millions of visitors annually, but seasonal surges can jam roads and overcrowd facilities. A TRB National Highway Cooperative Research Program project is harnessing smartphone data to develop recreational travel-demand models aimed at helping public lands transportation planners better forecast and manage congestion. "Peaks and Valleys: Forecasting Recreational Tra...
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August 25, 2023
Over the past several decades, as insect populations have declined and natural habitats across the nation have disappeared, highway roadsides have emerged as critical sites of interest for pollinating insect conservation efforts. "Bugs in My Basement Freezer: And Other COVID-Conscious Changes to Pollinator Field Research," by Kaitlin Stack Whitney is one of the feature articles in the March-...
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