Research Pays Off
Transportation organizations recognize the importance of research, and public agencies are no exception; however, research is one of many competing activities in an agency's budget. To properly assess the value of research, decisionmakers must understand the potential for longer-term rewards; therefore, there is a need to demonstrate, continually, the benefits of research. Research Pays Off (RPO) articles appear in most issues of TRB's bimonthly magazine, TR News. RPO articles highlight research results that provide innovative, cost-effective solutions to important transportation-related problems. The range of these solutions is multimodal and broad.
Information on submitting a RPO article for consideration for publication in a future issue of the TR News is available online.
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subject areas listing of past Research Pays Off articles is available online.
 Research Pays Off: The Asphalt Binder Cracking Device TestApril 8, 2013 Low-temperature thermal cracking is a major type of asphalt pavement failure. State departments of transportation (DOTs) allocate significant financial resources to repair or replace cracked pavements. Properly grading asphalt binders for the expected climatic environment, however, can minimize premature pavement failure from thermal cracking. To enhance the grading process, an asphalt binder c...
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 Research Pays Off: Low-Cost and Environment-Friendly Asphalt-Treated Mixtures: Louisiana Tests DesignsFebruary 25, 2013 Asphalt cement materials are costly, and asphalt mixtures have environmental impacts. Alternatives are needed to reduce the cost and to decrease the emissions generated in production and construction without compromising performance. Asphalt-treated mixtures (ATMs) offer one alternative; however, state transportation agencies’ specifications for ATMs adversely affect the economic competitivenes...
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 Research Pays Off: Chip Seals for Improved Pavement Preservation: North Carolina’s ApproachNovember 23, 2012 Despite the apparent benefits and widespread use of emulsion-based chip seals with emulsified asphalt binders and natural mineral aggregate chips, as a preservation treatment, some state departments of transportation (DOTs) have been reluctant to adopt the technology because of limited familiarity with chip seal practices. North Carolina DOT therefore sponsored a series of research projects at ...
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 Research Pays Off: Safety Effectiveness of the HAWK or Pedestrian Hybrid BeaconJuly 25, 2012 Many roadway crossing treatments are available to address concerns about the safety of pedestrians, but only a few are appropriate for high-speed conditions or for wide crossings. In the late 1990s, Richard Nassi developed the High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk, or HAWK, pedestrian beacon. The HAWK is designed to assist in pedestrian crossings, especially at major arterials with minor street in...
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 Research Pays Off: Can Travel Training Services Save Public Transportation Agencies Money?March 21, 2012 Travel training services may offer public transportation agencies an alternative to providing increasingly costly paratransit service to customers with disabilities. Research to understand the outcomes and financial implications of travel training services, however, has been scant. To address this issue, a cost–benefit model was tested to measure the value that travel training services can prov...
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 Research Pays Off: Automated Speed Enforcement Slows Down Drivers in Work ZonesJanuary 26, 2012 More than 7,000 crashes occur annually in highway work zones in Illinois, causing approximately 2,000 injuries. The number of work zone fatalities in the state reached a peak of 44, including 5 workers, in 2003. Speeding is one of the most important contributors, affecting the frequency and severity of work zone crashes. In 2004 the Illinois Department of Transportation deployed two self-contai...
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 Research Pays Off: Warm-Mix Asphalt Heating Up in VirginiaJuly 25, 2011 Warm-mix asphalt (WMA) promises potential constructability and environmental benefits. Without proof that the technology provides an equivalent level of performance, however, some transportation agencies in the United States have questioned implementation. In 2006, the Virginia Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research (formerly ...
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 Research Pays Off: Wyoming Rural Roads Safety Program: Focusing Locally on High-Risk SegmentsMay 19, 2011 Rural roads are critical links in the U.S. transportation system, serving the travel and commerce needs of approximately 60 million Americans. Approximately 80 percent of the nation’s roadway miles traverse rural areas. Identifying high-risk rural road segments and determining the safety countermeasures that are most appropriate is a potentially efficient and cost-effective way to improve highw...
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articles may also be found online.