Recent train crashes in Ohio, Greece, Egypt, and elsewhere have put rail safety high on the radar. The causes of rail disasters can be complicated, varied, and sometimes unknown, and TRB and the National Academies have been researching and providing advice on rail safety for many years.
These studies have been wide-ranging. We have investigated the efficacy of various braking systems, whether transporting liquefied natural gas by rail tank car is viable, the safety performance of tank car shipments of crude oil, and much more.
Most recently, a study of freight trains longer than 7,500 feet is underway using an expert study committee. The study was requested by the U.S. Congress and is sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration.
TRB's studies and advice contribute to safer rail systems in the U.S. and internationally.
Roads and traffic are primary causes of habitat and genetic fragmentation, wildlife mortality, and reduced resilience to climate change. Read the feature article about wildlife-crossing solutions online and subscribe to read the rest of the November-December 2022 edition (Issue 342) of TR News, TRB's magazine.
Developing a Highway Framework to Conduct an All-Hazards Risk and Resilience Analysis (NCHRP Research Report 1014)
Toward a 21st Century National Data Infrastructure: Mobilizing Information for the Common Good (National Academies)
March 15 - TRB Webinar: State-of-the-Art Traffic Signal Simulation Tools and Platforms
March 16 - TRB Webinar: The Jury is Still Out—The Latest on Recycled Plastic Waste in Asphalt
March 16 - Join the open sessions of the Impacts of Trains Longer Than 7,500 Feet Meeting 4.
March 20 - TRB Webinar: Using 0.7-inch Strands for Better Bridge Design
April 4 - TRB Webinar: Performance of Concrete Overlays on Asphalt Pavement
April 5 - TRB Webinar: Bridge Management Systems for Strategic Asset Management
July 23-26 - Register now for TRB's Workshop on Transportation Law!
LED Applications on Traffic Control Devices proposals due April 21
U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – Building Community Support for Impaired-Driving Enforcement
U.S. Federal Railroad Administration – NDE Methods for Corrosion Monitoring in Railroad Tank Cars
U.S. Federal Highway Administration – Developing Crash Modification Factors for Mini-Roundabouts
U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research – Does the US Have an Infrastructure Cost Problem? Evidence from the Interstate Highway System
U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research – Ride-Sharing Markets Re-Equilibrate
Oregon Department of Transportation – Oregon’s Transportation Electrification Infrastructure Needs Analysis (TEINA)
Minnesota Department of Transportation – Pedestrian User Experience at Roundabouts
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute – Automated Last Mile Connectivity for Vulnerable Road Users – Real-World Low Speed Autonomous Vehicle Deployment
Edison Electric Institute – Electric Vehicle Sales and the Charging Infrastructure Required Through 2030
Street lighting can reduce pedestrian crashes at night by about 50% and result in a 23% reduction in nighttime car crashes, according to TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program, as cited in LAist.
Much more research is needed on the resilience of airports to climate change impacts, notes Brookings, citing TRB's Airport Cooperative Research Program.
POLITICO digs into the many political battles under way in the U.S. railroad space, and it cites TRB letter reports on whether faster brakes are more effective than standard brakes.