Ignition Magazine: News from TRB's IDEA Programs - Spring/Fall 2008

The latest issue of Ignition, a periodic news magazine from TRB's Studies and Special Programs Division, examines three projects designed to make rail waysides and grade crossings safer, as well as machine-vision technology to automate rail care inspection, predicting and preventing rockfall, train location information for emergency responders, and technology for rail/wheel adhesion, and more.

Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) programs provide start-up funding for promising but unproven innovations in surface transportation systems. The programs’ goal is to foster ingenious solutions that are unlikely to be funded through traditional programs.  Managed by the Transportation Research Board, IDEA programs are supported by the member state departments of transportation of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.