You are encouraged to register and make your hotel reservation online now! Reduced advance registration fees for the TRB Annual Meeting, January 10-14, 2010, in Washington, DC, end November 30th. Annual Meeting registration is required to secure a hotel reservation. At the time of registration, you will have the ability to make your hotel reservations. Room blocks at Annual Meeting hotels are selling fast. The TRB $207 single room rate is the Washington, DC, government per diem. Reserve your room early for the best availability.

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, TRB’s Freight Systems Group and Marine Group committees are cosponsoring a series of four consecutive sessions that will focus on lessons the freight sector has learned from the global economic crisis, during the TRB 89th Annual Meeting, January 10-14, 2010, in Washington, DC. To learn more about this series of sessions, search on “Session 418,” without the quotation marks, in the Annual Meeting Interactive Program . These sessions are part of an array of freight- and marine-related sessions that will be taking place throughout the Annual Meeting.

As part of a Tuesday, January 12, 2010, poster session during the TRB 89th Annual Meeting, January 10-14, 2010, in Washington, DC, attendees will have the opportunity to engage researchers on the results of their high-risk and innovative projects that were funded by TRB’s Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) programs. The Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the member states of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials sponsor four IDEA programs that promote innovation beyond the scope of traditional research programs in the areas of transit, safety, high-speed rail, and highways. The IDEA poster session will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

TRB will conduct a web briefing or "Webinar" on Wednesday December 16, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST that will explore maintenance practices for pavement marking retroreflectivity to comply with the Federal Highway Administration’s revised Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.  Participants must register at least 24 hours in advance of the start of the Webinar, space is limited, and there is a fee for non-TRB Sponsor employees.

The research projects to be undertaken by TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) as part of its Fiscal Year 2010 activities have been identified and are now available for review. Requests for Proposals related to the individual projects are expected to be issued starting in late February 2010 with proposals due in April and May 2010.

TRB's National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) is soliciting nominations of individuals to serve on oversight panels for new projects being established under NCFRP's fiscal year 2010 program. Nominees should have expertise directly relevant to the proposed project topic. The nomination of women and members of minority groups is encouraged. Panels for the new research projects are scheduled to meet starting in March 2010. Panel members are prohibited from submitting or participating in preparation of proposals on projects under their jurisdiction. A preliminary description of the FY 2010 projects and additional information on the nomination process are available online. Nominations are due January 22, 2010. NCFRP is an applied, contract research program with the objective of developing information that will be used to improve the efficiency, reliability, safety, and security of the nation’s freight transportation system. 

TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) is soliciting nominations for members of panels that will oversee individual TCRP research projects as part of its Fiscal Year 2010 activities. Nominees should have expertise directly relevant to the issues being addressed by the project. The nomination of women and minority candidates is encouraged. Panels for the new research projects are scheduled to meet during January/February 2010. Additional information is available online on the Fiscal Year 2010 TCRP research projects; the panel member nomination process; the deadlines for submissions; and the roles, responsibilities, and restrictions associated with panel membership.  Nominations are due December 18, 2009.

TRB will conduct a web briefing or "Webinar" on Monday, November 23, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST that will explore the basics of pavement management to manage highway assets, improve services, and make decisions on repairs. An overview of the topic and case studies will be discussed.  Participants must register at least 24 hours in advance of the start of the Webinar, space is limited, and there is a fee for non-TRB Sponsor employees.

TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) has issued a request for proposals to analyze the extent to which National Fire Protection Association and International Civil Aviation Organization aircraft rescue and firefighting standards beyond FAR Part 139 requirements may be expected to reduce fatalities and/or mitigate serious injuries associated with aircraft accidents on or directly adjacent to airport property. Proposals are due December 11, 2009.

TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) has issued a request for proposals to assess whether warm-mix asphalt (WMA) technologies adversely affect the moisture susceptibility of flexible pavements and to develop guidelines for identifying and limiting moisture susceptibility in WMA pavements. Proposals are due January 14, 2010.