Ignition Magazine: News from TRB's IDEA Programs - Fall/Winter 2007

The latest issue of Ignition, a periodic news magazine from TRB's Studies and Special Programs Division, examines the comments of IDEA committee members on how the program contributes to the nation’s economic vitality, a driver alertness indication system, the Dynamic Timetable Generator for transit agencies, a system for controlling construction quality and evaluating the performance of pavement systems, a layered drainage system that drains the water from the subgrade or the base layer of pavement before saturation occurs, 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.