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WORKSHOPS
The 2008 Announcement (PDF) provides general workshop, meeting registration, and hotel reservation information. Most workshops are held concurrently. Workshop attendees are required to register for the TRB Annual Meeting. There are no additional fees for attending workshops, except for the Human Factors Workshops, which have limits on attendance.
Sort by:
Date | Subject | Committee
Saturday, January 12, 2008 | Sunday, January 13, 2008 | Thursday, January 17, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Shoreham
DAWG Forum on Pavement Performance Data Analysis
A. Robert Raab, Transportation Research Board, presiding
Sponsored by Data Analysis Working Group (DAWG) Committee
The TRB Data Analysis Working Group (DAWG) will sponsor this forum to discuss methods of analysis of pavement performance data. Briefings will be presented on techniques for extracting, processing, and analyzing pavement performance databases as well as on preliminary results of applications of these techniques. Pavement researchers, designers, and managers and others interested in the analysis of data describing the development of distresses in pavements are encouraged to attend.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Shoreham
Safety Management Systems Implementation
Amiy Varma, North Dakota State University, presiding
Sponsored by Aircraft/Airport Compatibility Committee and Airfield and Airspace Capacity and Delay Committee
An airport safety management system (SMS) provides a systematic framework and a proactive approach to help address hazard, risk, and severity of aircraft accidents and incidents; runway incursions during approaches; takeoffs; and ground operations. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted a standard for SMS that has been applicable to international airports since November 2005. The FAA has developed guidance on SMS implementation in the United States and is in the process of updating the SMS Advisory Circular (AC 150/5200-37, Introduction to Safety Management Systems for Airport Operators). Airport operators in the United States have safety programs in place that have resulted in today’s high level of aviation safety. These programs can form the basis of a more comprehensive SMS, development of which is relevant for both big and small airports and will require effective and innovative partnerships among FAA, ICAO, airport authorities, airport consultants and contractors, researchers, and various other stakeholders with an interest in enhancing airport safety. During this workshop, perspectives of ICAO, FAA, the National Association of State Aviation Officials, and Airports Council International will be presented. In addition, some implementations of SMS will be discussed, including a recent SMS at Abu Dhabi International Airport, in the United Arab Emirates. Progress on and results from two current Airport Cooperative Research Program efforts on development of SMS will also be presented.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Integration of Planning and Environmental Analysis in Transportation
Andy Fekete, RBA Group; Martin Palmer, Washington State Department of Transportation; Carol Legard, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; Antony F. Opperman, Virginia Department of Transportation; Joseph Burns, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Michael Culp, Federal Highway Administration, presiding
Sponsored by Environmental Analysis in Transportation Committee; Ecology and Transportation Committee; and Historic and Archeological Preservation in Transportation Committee
This workshop is designed for both practitioners and researchers to provide an understanding of how resource planning and transportation planning are being integrated to ensure coordinated and transparent results yielding solutions that protect the environment and advance the delivery of transportation projects. Joint planning (in keeping with Sections 6001, 3005, and 3006 of SAFETEA-LU) has received increasing emphasis. The workshop will examine (a) the objectives of integrated planning and environmental analysis from a broad legal and strategic perspective and (b) selected case studies in a variety of issues to convey the successes and the shortcomings of integrated transportation planning related to the natural resource, cultural resource, and social environments.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
How to Design and Build Quieter Pavements
Robert Otto Rasmussen, The Transtec Group, Inc.; Judith L. Rochat, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, presiding
Sponsored by Transportation-Related Noise and Vibration Committee
This full-day workshop has two primary objectives: to educate the transportation industry about the fundamentals of tire-pavement noise and quieter pavements and to update the transportation industry about the state of the practice in designing and building quieter pavements. The morning session, Tire-Pavement Noise 101, will be based on the successful FHWA workshop of the same name, managed by Mark Swanlund of the Office of Pavement Technology and Mark Ferroni of the Office of Natural and Human Environment. Instructors will include Rob Rasmussen, of the Transtec Group; Bob Bernhard, of Purdue University; and Paul Donavan, of Illingworth & Rodkin. The afternoon session, on the state of the practice, will include a practicum session that brings in additional invited speakers including Andre Smit, of the National Center for Asphalt Technology; Paul Wiegand, of the National Center on Concrete Pavement Technology; representatives from state departments of transportation; and national and international leaders in this field. Specific topics will include better practices for designing and building quieter pavements, available measurement technologies, and the status of quiet pavement research programs both nationwide and worldwide.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Addressing Data and Integration Issues for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency MOVES Model
Joon H. Byun, Federal Highway Administration, presiding
Sponsored by Transportation and Air Quality Committee
The workshop will investigate the latest research and cooperative efforts to ensure that transportation and air quality agencies have or are developing sufficient data sources so that the U.S. EPA MOVES model will produce robust results when used for regulatory and planning purposes. The workshop will also look at the challenges of integrating the MOVES model with in-use transportation models for analysis at both the metropolitan and regional levels as well as at the project level.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
State-of-the-Art Strategies, Tactics, and Technologies for Railway Track Inspections
Sponsored by Railway Maintenance Committee
The focus of this workshop is on the current state of the art in track inspection strategies, tactics, and technologies. Topics will include approaches for inspector training; the challenges faced in meeting regulatory requirements and operating constraints; and data management and the use of inspection information for maintenance planning. All aspects of track inspection will be addressed including visual inspections, track geometry measurements, rail flaw inspections, track strength assessments, and substructure evaluations.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Shoreham
Measuring and Managing the Shared Use of Rail Infrastructure
Anthony Perl, Simon Fraser University, Canada, presiding
Sponsored by Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Committee; Commuter Rail Transportation Committee; and Local and Regional Rail Freight Transport Committee
The financial, management, and policy principles and practices behind shared use of rail infrastructure in North America will be explored. There will be presentations on the economics of sharing rail infrastructure, the best practices in negotiating and implementing shared use arrangements, and the potential for new approaches to shared use by intercity, commuter, and freight rail operators. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to engage team members from the recently launched NCHRP Project 08-64, "A Guidebook on Improved Principles, Processes, and Methods for Shared-Use Passenger and Freight Rail Corridors."
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Shoreham
Review and Analysis of Freight Transportation Markets and Relationships
Sponsored by Freight Transportation Economics and Regulation Committee and Freight Systems Group
The purpose of this workshop is to review an interim report of the National Cooperative Freight Research Program Project, "Review and Analysis of Freight Transportation Markets and Relationships," in order to gather input from a representative cross section of freight industry stakeholders and constituents, including federal, state, and local transportation agencies and economic development offices; transportation academic institutions; freight carriers; shippers; industry associations and trade groups; environmental groups; and appropriate community groups. The review of the interim report will be a major step toward completion of the project's objective, which is development of a freight primer that will offer public-sector decision makers a deeper understanding of the importance of freight, the factors that drive private freight decisions, and the interaction of public policy with the public- and private-sector decision-making processes. The primer will provide guidance and a discussion framework for public-sector decision makers with an improved understanding of how public policies influence freight transportation markets and private freight decisions.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
Technologies and Connection Details for Accelerated Bridge Construction
Ramankutty Kannankutty, Minnesota Department of Transportation, presiding
Sponsored by Construction of Bridges and Structures Committee and General Structures Committee
The purpose of this workshop is to present technologies and connection details that are available for development of accelerated bridge construction projects. Included will be presentations on accelerated bridge techniques, equipment, and connection details. The new FHWA manual titled "Connection Details for Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems" will be used as the basis for the discussion, which will include an example of an accelerated bridge project. Connection details will be selected and a full schematic bridge design will be developed. Case studies of past accelerated bridge projects will also be presented.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
Construction of Concrete Unbonded Overlays: Don’t Miss the Opportunity
Gregory Dean, American Concrete Pavement Association, presiding
Sponsored by Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Construction Committee
Agencies today do more pavement rehabilitation and less new construction than ever before. As infrastructure ages and requires renewal, concrete unbonded overlays are a viable option, but many agencies are not well versed in this construction technique. In this workshop the unique aspects of unbonded overlays will be explained and the many success stories and new construction techniques will be described. The workshop will also discuss the design decision to use overlays that are thinner than typical concrete pavements. Key criteria that make unbonded overlays an appropriate solution will be discussed and case studies will be shared.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
Doctoral Student Research in Bituminous Materials and Mixtures
Andrew Braham, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Stacey Diefenderfer, Virginia Transportation Research Council; Andrea Kvasnak, National Center for Asphalt Technology, presiding
Sponsored by Characteristics of Bituminous Materials Committee and Characteristics of Bituminous Paving Mixtures to Meet Structural Requirements Committee
This workshop provides the opportunity for doctoral students to present the results of their ongoing research in asphalt materials and mixtures. The presentations will help students by giving them feedback on their research efforts, allowing them to develop and practice presentation skills, and give them the opportunity to meet and interact with graduate student peers.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
Geosynthetics and Cost-Effective Pavement Preservation
Khalid A. Farrag, Gas Technology Institute; Barry R. Christopher, Christopher Consultants, presiding
Sponsored by Geosynthetics Committee
Geosynthetics have proved to extend the life of pavement systems for subgrades containing fine-grained soils by preventing long-term contamination of the unbound pavement layers. Newer applications of reinforcement of the base with geosynthetics equally appear to provide significant improvements in the performance of base-course materials. However, geosynthetics do not appear to be directly incorporated into current pavement design practice, and these materials are significantly underutilized for such applications. A panel of pavement designers, agency regulators, academia, and geosynthetics experts will discuss and review the dichotomy of this technology: whether geosynthetics provide cost-effective performance improvements, why they are not directly incorporated into pavement design, and whether they have a broader application as an integral part of pavement systems. Audience participation is encouraged.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
Recent Developments in Characterization of Aggregate Shape, Angularity, and Texture
Linbing Wang, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Erol Tutumluer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, presiding
Sponsored by Mineral Aggregates Committee
Particle shape, texture, and angularity are among the aggregate properties that have a significant effect on the performance of hot-mix asphalt, hydraulic cement concrete, and unbound base and subbase layers. These aggregate properties vary widely with the type and source of aggregates and processing techniques. Several new methods for measuring aggregate shape, texture, and angularity characteristics have been developed and refined in recent years. This workshop is intended to bring recent ready-to-implement developments and discoveries in this field to highway engineers, researchers, and the aggregate industry. The workshop will cover the following topics: aggregate composition and its effects on shape, texture, and angularity; review of the influence of aggregate shape, texture, and angularity on material properties and performance of pavement layers, including resistance to pavement distresses and the contribution of aggregates to pavement skid resistance; analysis methods for measuring the shape, texture, and angularity of aggregates; systems for measuring aggregate shape, texture, and angularity, including optical, X-ray CT, and laser-based systems; use of the recently developed analysis methods and systems in aggregate specifications and in quality control and quality assurance procedures; and development of performance models for pavement layers that account for aggregate characteristics.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Shoreham
Highway Watch Training Program
Yuko J. Nakanishi, Nakanishi Research and Consulting, presiding
Sponsored by Critical Transportation Infrastructure Protection Committee
This workshop is cosponsored by the AASHTO Special Committee on Transportation Security. Attendees of the workshop will become trained and certified in the Highway Watch, the roadway sector's national safety and security program, which uses the skills, experiences, and "road smarts" of America's transportation workers to help protect the nation's critical infrastructure and the transportation of goods, services, and people. The program conducts antiterrorism and safety-awareness training for highway professionals, and then observations collected from its members though its Highway Watch Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) are shared and analyzed. The Highway Watch ISAC collaborates with law enforcement, federal intelligence agencies, and transportation industry leaders. In addition to sharing information, Highway Watch helps to enhance preparedness in transportation through its Emergency Planning and Education Center (EPEC). EPEC assists the transportation sector to prepare for potential terrorist attacks or natural disasters through research and technology demonstrations.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Challenges in Modeling Transportation Network Vulnerability
Gary Nelson, Homeland Security Institute, presiding
Sponsored by Critical Transportation Infrastructure Protection Committee; Critical Transport System Protection Analysis, Integration and Operations Planning and Management Subcommittee; and International Activities Committee
Transportation planning has evolved to predict and meet social trends in commerce while incorporating changing technologies. The concept of risk--in terms of dealing with uncertain and extreme contingencies--rarely is explicit. The events of September 11, 2001, and emphasis on homeland security have brought new attention to the protection of transportation infrastructure and the accommodation of transportation demands from emergency scenarios. Existing planning practices and institutions generally have to be modified to deal adequately with the extreme contingencies, but within the context of efficient construction, operation, and commerce. New institutional alliances are also being promoted as transportation planning must increase collaboration with emergency management agencies and give more attention to operational issues. This workshop will present innovations and experience in research and practice that address these issues. The scope of the presentations will cover academic, regional planning, and international endeavors to adapt transportation planning to security issues.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Practical and Institutional Issues in the Transition to Activity-Based Models
Sponsored by Moving Activity-Based Approaches To Practice Task Force; Traveler Behavior and Values Committee; and Transportation Demand Forecasting Committee
Previous TRB sessions and workshops on activity-based modeling methods have focused on the behavioral theory and the technical aspects of the models. In this panel session, we will learn about the practical aspects of the transition to these methods within the institutional frameworks of US regional, state and county government agencies. Speakers from several agencies that have implemented or are in the process of implementing new activity-based models will give their unique perspectives on a number of topics, including: obtaining funding and board/decision-maker approval; the transition process from the previous models to the new ones; the roles and responses of staff and partner agencies; and the features of the new models that have proven most appealing or problematic in practice.
We envision this as a very interactive workshop. The format will be a panel session with very short speaker presentations on followed by general audience discussion on each topic.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Innovative Doctoral Transportation Research by Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship Recipients
Sponsored by Planning and Environment Group
This workshop features innovative research by second- and third-year Ph.D. Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship recipients on a broad array of significant transportation topics including congestion management, infrastructure investment, safety, commercial vehicle security, and technology transfer.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Transportation Investment from Other Perspectives: Sustainable Funding in the Context of Broader Fiscal and Public Policy Pressures
Suzanne H. Sale, Federal Highway Administration, presiding
Sponsored by Taxation and Finance Committee
This workshop will consider surface transportation funding in the broader context of fiscal challenges and policy issues facing project sponsors in the coming decades through a review of recent and ongoing state- and project-specific case studies, as well as a roundtable discussion of key fiscal and policy decision drivers that can be expected to change the landscape for transportation funding in the longer term. In particular, the workshop will examine implications for public funding, road pricing, and tax policy in light of significant economic, energy, environmental, and even social challenges that likely will affect transportation policies and investment decisions. Policy deliberations about the future of surface transportation should acknowledge and be informed by these external factors, regardless of the extent and nature of various public (tax-based) and private (user-based) funding sources being promulgated. Examples of questions that may be addressed include the following: To what extent are current and potential surface transportation funding sources consistent with longer-term policy goals in other sectors (e.g., energy security and environmental preservation)? Are there ways to advance transportation investment policies and programs more in keeping with other policy objectives and spending priorities? What factors other than transportation facility user signals (e.g., road pricing) should be utilized in assessing the viability and desirability of potential funding sources? What market signals outside of the transportation sector may be important or unavoidable? What other means should be employed by federal, state, or local governments, or all three, to improve the investment decision-making process? Does the evolving mix of tax and user-based revenue streams imply that changes need to be made to the current planning process for surface transportation investments? How should governments decide when it is appropriate to subsidize investments that cannot be funded directly by users (what are the criteria and mechanisms for allocating public resources to certain investments that cannot be "monetized" up front)? Considering local government revenue possibilities and restrictions, what key equity and feasibility factors help determine the likely funding sources? What potential future responsibilities have been identified for the federal government and how might they influence federal funding policies (including tax measures)?
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Bus Rapid Transit for Africa and Asia: Issues and Answers
Sponsored by International Activities Committee and Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Committee
There is broad consensus among most urban transport professionals that bus rapid transit (BRT) is an appropriate and potentially attractive rapid transit mode for developing as well as developed cities. BRT offers the performance and capacity to attract and accommodate likely developing city travel markets. It can be much less expensive to construct and simpler to operate and maintain than rail-based alternatives that provide the same direct service coverage, making it a more affordable, financially sustainable option to consider as part of public transport improvement programs. On the other side of the equation, the implementation and operating environments in most developing cities are very different from those of developed cities. These environments present significant challenges to successful development and operation of BRT projects. Much of or most public transport in the developing cities of Africa and Asia is provided by the informal sector with virtually unlimited entry and loose regulatory regimes and dominated by private individuals or small companies operating minibuses. The network of primary road coverage in most developing cities is sparse, and secondary road and sidewalk networks are most often nonexistent. Though operating labor is inexpensive, the ability of customers to pay fares high enough to sustain high-performance, high-quality public transport such as BRT is limited. The Annual Meeting provides a unique venue for a multidimensional workshop addressing the special issues of creating successful BRT applications in the developing cities of Africa and Asia.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Output- and Performance-Based Road Contracts
Sponsored by International Activities Committee; Transportation and Sustainability Committee; and Performance Measurement Committee
Output- and performance-based road contracts (OPRCs) developed from the earlier contracts for performance-based management and maintenance of roads (PMMR). They are an alternative to the traditional works contracts under which payment is based on the quantity of work executed. Under OPRCs, contractors are paid for achieving specified outcomes, such as a certain road condition over a prolonged period of time, which is normally several years. If structured correctly, OPRC programs can effectively maintain pavements while at the same time contribute to improved social welfare and local economic conditions. OPRCs are now increasingly used worldwide to rehabilitate, upgrade, and maintain roads, and there is an increasing demand for such operations.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Shoreham
Impact of Rural Roads
Sponsored by International Activities Committee and Low-Volume Roads Committee
This workshop is designed for professionals working on rural road issues in developing country contexts. The workshop will draw on recent research and may include highlights from the Low-Volume Roads Conference held in June 2007 in Austin, Texas. Case studies investigating both the macroeconomic effects of rural road programs and studies of the local impact of road investment will be considered. In addition, there will be a discussion of the methodologies employed. Since millennium development goals were adopted in 2000 as the world’s common goal for poverty alleviation, rural roads have been receiving renewed interest in their role of helping to reduce poverty and assist with social service delivery. To this end, governments and donor agencies are currently spending many billions of dollars on rural road programs in developing countries and it is important that effective planning procedures be adopted. This year marks the halfway point toward the target year of 2015, making this workshop particularly timely and an opportunity to reflect on how rural roads have contributed to the agenda, as well as to exchange ideas on how to move forward in achieving solid outcomes through rural roads.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Innovations in Transportation for Developing Countries
Sponsored by International Activities Committee and Transportation in the Developing Countries Committee
Many developing countries are adopting new and innovative technologies for resolving their transport problems. They are able to leapfrog the traditional long development cycle by implementing proved solutions from developed and other developing countries. This approach is enabling them to become more efficient and competitive in the delivery and management of their transport services and infrastructure. This workshop will present examples of innovative technologies adopted as part of transport projects financed by the World Bank from around the world. It will be of interest to both practitioners and researchers interested in experiences from different countries. The workshop will cover technologies in road management, intelligent transport systems, traffic management and public transport, as well as the integration of transport into E-government solutions. The workshop will include information to assist policy makers and public institutions manage the transition and expectations, as well as avoid the pitfalls that can plague implementations of new technologies.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Transportation in Developing Urban Areas: Addressing Air Quality and Climate Change Issues
Sponsored by International Activities Committee and Transportation Demand Management Committee
Developing countries will see a dramatic increase in urban population in the coming decades. The population increase will be accompanied by income growth, which is the basis for the expected strong increase in private car use. Demand management in developing countries seems to be even more difficult than it is in developed countries. What are the opportunities to avoid congestion and local air pollution, which strongly restrict the functionality of cities and their contribution to national economic development? What is urban transport policy’s contribution to reducing CO2 emissions? The workshop is designed to help practitioners and researchers to find answers to these questions and to help identify an urban transport policy agenda for rapidly growing metropolitan areas.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Transforming Transportation Organizations: Building and Sustaining Relationship Networks
Sponsored by Strategic Management Committee and Management and Productivity Committee
This workshop continues the discussion held at the TRB 2007 summer meeting in Chicago on transforming transportation organizations. Organizational transformation is one of TRB's critical issues. The AASHTO CEO Forum that was held in September 2006 focused two of its three topics on this subject area. Much of the attention to date has been centered on service delivery and management of the transportation system. The workshop will focus on addressing the needs of transportation agencies to adapt their organizations to meet the challenges of 21st-century transportation: less money, growing congestion, aging infrastructure, and information integration, among others. Emerging frontiers on how departments of transportation (DOTs) can improve organizational effectiveness through innovative mechanisms using existing resources will be explored. These frontiers include how stakeholders can be partners and agents in accomplishing an agency’s mission, how to apply performance incentives in public agencies, how to translate accountability into tangible mechanisms that a DOT can apply, and what it takes to make transportation agencies more agile. This workshop will bring together practitioners with hands-on experience and researchers to share and discuss ideas for proactively managing organizational development.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Challenges and Issues Concerning New Systems for Transportation Finance and Congestion Management
Sponsored by Congestion Pricing Committee
This workshop will explore challenges and issues concerning transportation finance and congestion management. Should the optimal technology to implement a mileage- and congestion-based transportation finance system be awaited, or should such systems be introduced now, with available technologies? How could the move from variable pilot projects to broad-based deployment of a new system of transportation finance and congestion management be accomplished? How could the public be prepared for the launch of such a new system? Are key transportation stakeholders going to embrace or fight these changes? Are political leaders ready to take on this challenge? Are people ready to embrace a new paradigm for tackling the chronic problems of transportation funding and congestion? This workshop will initiate a discussion on these topics, which will be continued through committee meetings and sessions during the rest of this Annual Meeting.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Using Taxis Effectively in Paratransit Services
Elizabeth H. Ellis, KFH Group, Inc., presiding
Sponsored by Paratransit Committee
The workshop will focus on how paratransit systems can use taxis
effectively, either as a supplement to paratransit services or integrated with paratransit services. The perspectives of the paratransit operators and taxi companies will be presented, along with the results of the TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program Research Report B-30 "Optimal Split of Dedicated and Nondedicated Service for Demand-Responsive Paratransit."
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration and Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance Systems: Current Status and Future Research Needs
Sponsored by Traffic Signal Systems Committee
Vehicle-infrastructure integration (VII), cooperative intersection collision avoidance systems (CICAS), and more general vehicle-infrastructure cooperative (VIC) systems, if fully deployed, will enable nearly ubiquitous vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications with the potential for far-reaching changes to transportation operations and management. It is anticipated that applications using these communications systems can significantly improve transportation safety, mobility, and productivity. In this workshop, results from the VIC and CICAS summer workshops (held in San Jose, California, in July 2007) will be presented. These presentations will include the status of the VII and CICAS initiatives, including the road map for deployment, preliminary results of proof-of-concept tests, and current research activities being conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation, FHWA, state departments of transportation, industry, and universities. Results of workshop breakout discussions about the most important remaining research needs will also be presented.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management: Safety, Clearance, and Communications
Sponsored by Freeway Operations Committee
The National Traffic Incident Management Coalition (NTIMC) is working to establish a National Unified Goal (NUG) for traffic incident management. This goal centers on three major issues: responder safety, safe quick clearance, and prompt reliable interoperable communications. This workshop will answer questions such as what NUG is, why it is needed, how will it be achieved, and what future directions are. In addition, the workshop will present lessons learned in scene management from the perspective of traffic management systems and traffic operations centers and the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as it relates to traffic incidents.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
Doctoral Student Research in Transportation Operations and Traffic Control
David A. Noyce, University of Wisconsin, Madison, presiding
Sponsored by Traffic Control Devices Committee; Traffic Signal Systems Committee; Highway Capacity and Quality of Service Committee; Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics Committee; Work Zone Traffic Control Committee; and Operational Effects of Geometrics Committee
This half-day workshop consists of reports of Ph.D. student research on transportation operations and traffic control. Reports of recently completed (or nearly completed) Ph.D. dissertations and research in progress are welcome.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Increasing Utilization, Impact, and Effectiveness of Research and Development: Stakeholder Involvement Strategies in Evaluation
Michael Coplen, Federal Railroad Administration; Joyce Ranney, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, presiding
Sponsored by Railroad Operational Safety Task Force and System Users Group
For R&D to be useful, stakeholder involvement is crucial. This workshop discusses different evaluation methods for involving stakeholders throughout the entire R&D life-cycle--from design to implementation to final products and reports--to increase the utilization, impact, and knowledge transfer of federally funded R&D programs in transportation.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
Future of Geometric Design and Graduate Student Research Summaries
David R. McDonald, Hanson Professional Services, Inc., presiding
Sponsored by Geometric Design Committee and Operational Effects of Geometrics Committee
In this two part workshop, there will be discussion on the committee’s vision of geometric design and research reports on graduate student geometric design research.
Part A. How can we support the future needs of Geometric Design?
The AFB10 committee addresses the design of highway and street geometric elements that affect efficient traffic operations and safety. The committee focuses on the research, development, documentation, and presentation of geometric design criteria, standards, and methods. The committee also encourages the adoption of revised geometric design criteria, standards, and methods into operational guides for both state and local governments. The challenge is to create a framework to enhance geometric design by leading the development of criteria and guidelines for safe and efficient roadway space sensitive to user needs, vehicle characteristics, and the human and natural environment.
The workshop will begin with an overview of the Geometric Design committee’s evolution over the past year.
• Process taken to reorganize the committee,
• Revised organizational structure,
• Goals and vision of the committee (including how to support geometric design research, how this committee will interact with other TRB committees / subcommittees, how we will interact with AASHTO, and how to engage people in our activities), and
• Time for consensus building.
Part B. Graduate Student Research.
Graduate students will report on geometric design research. Reports of recently completed or nearly complete dissertations and theses will be presented.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Shoreham
Context-Sensitive Solutions and Managing Effective Public Involvement: Stop the Pain and Increase the Gain
Scott D. Bradley, Minnesota Department of Transportation, presiding
Sponsored by Context Sensitive Design/Solutions (CSD/CSS) Task Force; Public Involvement in Transportation Committee; and Landscape and Environmental Design Committee
Context-sensitive solutions (CSS) is a collaborative, multidisciplinary, and integrated approach that relies heavily on meaningful stakeholder and public involvement to plan, develop, and maintain transportation systems and facilities in a manner that preserves or enhances aesthetic, scenic, historic, environmental, and community assets in balance with safety and mobility needs. At the very least, meaningful public involvement should be a purposeful planning and implementation of a program for engagement of potentially affected stakeholders and interested parties in transportation decision making, planning, and project development. Meaningful public involvement should improve and sustain processes and decisions in seeking out and co-creating solutions; it should not sell solutions. Public involvement is required by federal law, and the federal rule making for the recent SAFETEA-LU transportation reauthorization legislation further heightens the requirements and expectations for public involvement in transportation planning and project development. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) has been among the leaders in both CSS and public involvement and published “Hear Every Voice: A Guide to Public Involvement at Mn/DOT” in June 1999. Mn/DOT has undertaken a renewed effort, with the assistance of the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) past president and certified master trainer Patricia Van Gorp, to create and deploy Hear Every Voice II as a total revamping and updating of their guidance, as a statewide public involvement plan, with a comprehensive training curriculum offering to mainstream current best practices and SAFETEA-LU compliance. Scott Bradley, of Mn/DOT and TRB Context-Sensitive Design and Solutions Task Force chair, and Patricia Van Gorp, of Beacon Associates International and IAP2, will lead this interactive workshop to share and discuss critical aspects, foundations, best practices, and the appropriate selection of techniques from the toolbox for this approach to planning and managing effective public involvement in transportation.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Shoreham
Using a Pavement Management System to Locally Calibrate Models in Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide
Peter J. Stephanos, Maryland State Highway Administration, presiding
Sponsored by Pavement Management Systems Committee; Rigid Pavement Design Committee; Flexible Pavement Design Committee; and Strength and Deformation Characteristics of Pavement Sections Committee
This workshop will present best practices to locally calibrate the performance models within the new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide by using a pavement management system. The workshop will include presentations on best practices used across the country to calibrate models, guidance on effective approaches to calibrate models, case studies from lead states that have taken steps to calibrate models, and elements of a pavement management system that are essential to effectively calibrate models.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
Validation of Advanced Flexible Pavement Modeling with Accelerated Pavement Testing Data
Imad L. Al-Qadi, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, presiding
Sponsored by Full-Scale and Accelerated Pavement Testing Committee and Advanced Models to Understand Behavior and Performance of Asphalt Mixtures Subcommittee
The state of the art of modeling pavement materials and pavements continues to advance as formulations for inelastic constitutive modeling take cues from thermodynamics, chemistry, and other sciences. Such advanced models provide better numerical tools to describe the behavior of pavement materials in primary response (strain, stress) and secondary response (distresses, cracking, permanent deformation). However, the laboratory setting is more often the choice to validate advanced models, and if validation is done appropriately, it should be under conditions that are considerably different from those for calibration--different temperature, load rate, stress conditions, and sample geometry conditions. The ultimate condition for validation is in the field, where layered pavement structures are loaded by live tires repeatedly. Increases in computational power also provide more opportunities to apply advanced models where it has been traditionally too costly in time. However, it is generally understood that direct application and prediction of pavement structural responses throughout a meaningful period with advanced material models is still out of reach for real pavements under operating conditions. Considering the impact of the major variables--such as traffic load and axle and tire spectra, temperature fluctuations and gradients, aging, and so forth--is not realistic. Fortunately, accelerated pavement testing (APT) experiments control many of these variables, providing a common ground for APT and modeling. Sufficient variables may be eliminated that an advanced materials model can be applied to a meaningful scenario, allowing the costs (time and money) associated with developing and validating advanced pavement material models to be evaluated in terms of potential benefits of improved pavement response prediction and also provide means to make necessary alterations and adjustment to advanced pavement material models. This workshop will focus on the relationship between recent model development and the data collected for APT and its utilization for the validation of the developed models. The workshop will cover the following areas: (a) identification of specific aspects of APT that are important to the modeling community--materials scientists, computational mechanics, chemists, and others--and which aspects of APT are of lesser concern; (b) development of realistic material characteristics that would be required for laboratory calibration of an advanced model; (c) discussion of appropriate APT experiments for advanced model validation and identification of which variables are controlled and what is being measured in the APT (instrumentation); (d) current experience in model validation and prediction based on APT experiments; and (e) identification of areas in which models can be improved when APT data are available.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
Fundamentals of Pavement Deflection Analysis: Methods for Backcalculation with Application to Mechanistic Pavement Design
Cheryl Allen Richter, Federal Highway Administration, presiding
Sponsored by Strength and Deformation Characteristics of Pavement Sections Committee; Rigid Pavement Design Committee; Flexible Pavement Design Committee; and Pavement Rehabilitation Committee
Pavement deflection testing has become a common and reliable tool for pavement evaluation. But how should the data be evaluated? As the move is made toward the use of mechanistic design for pavement rehabilitation projects, it is important to understand the fundamentals of deflection data analysis. The workshop will begin with a general overview of the subject, followed by an introduction to data analysis methods and advice on how to interpret the results. Examples of mechanistic pavement design applications at the project level will be given. A period for general discussion will be included. The need for screening of data to avoid spending time analyzing poor data will be emphasized and illustrated with real project data. Several computer programs used for backcalculation will be demonstrated.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
ProVAL: Profile Viewing and Analysis Software
George K. Chang, The Transtec Group, Inc., presiding
Sponsored by Surface Properties - Vehicle Interaction Committee
This workshop is designed to familiarize attendees with the current version of FHWA's Profile Viewing and Analysis (ProVAL) software; refresh some of the key fundamentals of pavement profiling and analysis methods; inform attendees of the advantages, limitations, and pitfalls related to analyzing and interpreting pavement profiles; and provide an interactive and hands-on approach throughout the workshop.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Marriott
Introduction to Road Tunnel Ventilation
Jesus Rohena, Federal Highway Administration, presiding
Sponsored by Tunnels and Underground Structures Committee
This workshop is a primer on road tunnel ventilation. It covers types of ventilation systems, analysis methods, equipment, and operations. The findings of the Memorial Tunnel Fire Ventilation Test Program will be presented, including SOLVENT, which is a computational fluid dynamics program for ventilation analysis. Ventilation issues include control of vehicle emissions during normal operations and smoke control during fire emergencies. Requirements of National Fire Protection Association Standard 502, Road Tunnels, Bridges and other Limited Access Highways, will also be discussed. Recent experience in tunnel emergency events emphasizes the importance of rapid response during emergencies to support motorist evacuation and first responders. Recent projects will be discussed.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Shoreham
Guidelines for Historic Road Corridors
Robert W. Hadlow, Oregon Department of Transportation, presiding
Sponsored by Geometric Design Committee
NCHRP is currently developing guidelines for managing and improving historic road corridors. The effort focuses on the development of guidelines and management recommendations that will integrate safety, roadway performance, and historic preservation for historic roads. The first part of the workshop will provide participants with an overview of the current state of the practice in historic road corridor design and management. Results from an extensive survey of professional practitioners involved in historic roadway management and design will be shared. A list of issues and needs related to design and management identified in the research of current practices will be presented. The second part of the workshop will include small-group facilitated sessions to gather ideas from participants on potential design recommendations and guidelines to address the issues and needs of historic corridors.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
U.S. Department of Transportation National Crossing Inventory File
Sponsored by Statewide Transportation Data and Information Systems Committee
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory File database is available on the FAA website, which governmental agencies, railroads, and independent researchers can use to research the many aspects of any of the 277,000 crossings in the nation. Combined with the Crossing Accident-Incident File, the inventory file identifies the most risky crossings for improvements by using the Accident Prediction Model. This workshop will cover the background and purpose of the file, how it works, how updates are obtained, how crossing numbers are assigned, and how to access data. It will include explanations of the DOT accident prediction formula, the GradeDec software, the responsibility for updating (state or railroad), policy and procedures for updating, the new revised inventory form with the added data elements, and the revised file structure. The workshop will include state transportation agency perspectives on the maintenance, management, and use of the rail-crossing file.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Data Stewardship: Lessons Learned and Benefits
Sponsored by Transportation Asset Management Committee; Statewide Transportation Data and Information Systems Committee; and Information Systems and Technology Committee
Data stewardship is key to successful and efficient decision making--especially in road inventory and asset management. This workshop is the culmination of a trilogy of workshops jointly sponsored by TRB committees on asset and information systems, which began in 2006 with a session on defining and understanding requirements of data stewardship. That workshop was followed by a another in 2007 on benchmarking data stewardship best practices from other industries. The current workshop aims at showcasing actual cases of data stewardship in state departments of transportation, including description of data stewardship organizational architectures, technologies used, and implementation practices. The workshop will also address the role of metadata and data standards in the successful implementation of data management systems. The topics will also focus on documented lessons learned and best practices gained through actual implementation of data stewardship. Presentations will include discussions of data stewardship benefits and the means for quantifying such benefits, as well as discussion about road maps for effective implementation of data stewardships and troubleshooting tools.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Application of Passenger Travel Data for National, State, and Local Congestion Performance Measurement
Sponsored by Travel Survey Methods Committee and National Transportation Data Requirements and Programs Committee
Passenger travel data like the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) coupled with other data programs like the Census Transportation Planning Product (CTPP) and Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) provide a wealth of information about the people who use the system under congested conditions. This workshop will address how passenger travel data can be used to evaluate potential programs, forecast program outcomes, set baseline travel demand measures, and measure performance. The core focus of the workshop will be on how data programs such as NHTS, HPMS, and census data can be used to set baseline measures of the demand-side causes of congestion. The workshop will also touch on behavioral travel demand measures in the areas of safety and intermodalism.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Hilton
Traffic Sensing: Application of Sensing and Planning
Sponsored by Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing Applications Committee
The workshop is intended to provide an overview of the transportation applications of the current and new generations of sensing equipment and the role these may have in the development of planning tools and live diversion advice. This overview will encompass the development of live information feeds that have played a role in guidance and traffic information systems, but will also look at the potential for intelligent sensing, which can be further applied to the creation of live traffic restriction (of the types used in London and proposed in some other U.K. cities). The presentations will provide a strong introduction to the forms of technologies currently in use and begin to introduce the theories behind them.
Human Factors in Transportation
Advance registration and fee required
This program of participatory workshops covers topics chosen for timely insights into current practice and ongoing research.
Users of information on human factors; researchers studying human factors in transportation system design, safety and operations; and practitioners involved in the design and operation of transportation systems should attend. The fee includes coffee service, luncheon, and a reception. Dr. Thomas B. Sheridan, Senior Research Fellow, Volpe National Transportation Center and Professor Emeritus, MIT will be the keynote lunch speaker; his address is titled, Human Factors in Automated Future Transportation”.
The Human Factors Workshops are sponsored by the following committees: Safe Mobility of Older Persons; Vehicle User
Characteristics; User Information Systems; Simulation and Measurement of Vehicle and Operator Performance; Visibility;
Pedestrians; Railroad Operational Safety; and Alcohol and Other Drugs in Transportation.
Workshop sessions run concurrently—use the Registration Form to select one of the following 8 sessions. Tickets received
on site will indicate the room locations.
Keynote Address: Human Factors in Automated Future Transportation
Thomas B. Sheridan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
A. Operator Performance Modeling: Case Studies and Emerging Opportunities
John D. Lee, University of Iowa; Judith Burki-Cohen, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, presiding
Sponsored by Vehicle User Characteristics Committee
The techniques and challenges in modeling vehicle operator performance will be discussed. Following a general discussion of modeling purposes, processes, and approaches, experts will present case studies applying cognitive, behavioral, physical, and control-theoretic models to pilot and driver performance. Application areas include driver state assessment, design to minimize distraction, and aviation safety. Finally, an initiative to share driver behavioral data for model development and validation will be launched and an update on international activities will be provided.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
B. Identifying Safety Trends and Accident Precursors for Proactive Prevention
Terry T. Shelton, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Denise McCafferty, American Bureau of Shipping, presiding
Sponsored by Vehicle User Characteristics Committee
Participants will analyze how best to develop robust safety trend and accident precursor information for accident prevention. Innovative combination and interpretation of various safety data sources can enable safety professionals to proactively justify appropriate safety-based initiatives without the heretofore obligatory precursor accident. With the understanding of how to combine and better mine data from the host of data sets that are available as its goal, the workshop will be a combination of presentation, case review, and group discussion.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
C. Developing Useful Human Factors Guidelines for Transportation Systems: Practical Tools and Procedures
John L. Campbell, Battelle Memorial Institute, presiding
Sponsored by Vehicle User Characteristics Committee
There is a growing information gap between the advanced and diverse status of human-machine systems and the availability of human factors design criteria that can be used during the system design process. In response to this gap, both industry and government have initiated a number of recent efforts to develop human factors guidelines. Historically, however, human factors guidelines have not always been well received by system designers because of such factors as weak research support, limited applicability, restrictiveness of design standards, and difficulty of developing repeatable performance standards. By using a series of case studies drawn from recent guideline-development efforts, this session will describe the role of human factors guidelines in system design, obstacles to the acceptance of guidelines, and the art and science of developing effective human factors guidelines. Participants can expect to be involved in exercises and group discussions on selecting and evaluating both guideline content and presentation formats for guidelines. This session is aimed at both developers and end users of human factors guidelines and will emphasize practical tools for guideline development.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
D. Looking Backward, Thinking Backward: Hindsight Judgment of Human Error in Accident Investigation
Michael Dillich, Foresight Reconstruction, Inc.; John M. Gobelbecker, Foresight Reconstruction, Inc., presiding
Sponsored by Vehicle User Characteristics Committee
This workshop will address two natural judgmental biases, hindsight and counterfactual thinking, within the context of investigating operator error in transportation accidents. Wisdom born of the event restricts the ability to appreciate accident situations as they unfolded from the point of view of those involved and to learn appropriate remedial lessons. The primary theme will be Fischhoff’s research, which demonstrated that those who know how things turned out have trouble believing that others didn’t see what was coming.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
E. Digital Billboards on the Highway: A Bright Future?
Jerry Wachtel, Veridian Group, Inc., presiding
Sponsored by User Information Systems Committee
Billboards have existed since there were roadways. Although their pros and cons have been debated for 60 years, it is their influence on traffic flow and safety that has been most controversial. Now this controversy is being renewed thanks to the advent of large digital billboards that can display extremely bright images of broadcast quality. This workshop will consider the evolution of roadside billboards and the technologies now in use and under development and will examine the issues from all perspectives. The goal will be recommendations for how, when, and under what circumstances digital roadside billboards might be used and the conditions under which they should be restricted.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
F. Evaluation of Evidence-Based Assessment Tools for Older Drivers: Translating Research to the Roadway
Karlene K. Ball, University of Alabama, Birmingham; Beth Stalvey, Consultant, presiding
Sponsored by Safe Mobility of Older Persons Committee
Research on the risk factors for unsafe driving practices and crash risk among older adults have led in recent years to the development of multiple driver assessment and training tools administered by individuals, clinics, and departments of motor vehicles. However, few tools have been evaluated for their validity in predicting driver safety. This workshop will summarize recent research on the linkages between evidence-based assessment tools and actual driving behavior and on-road driving performance.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
G. Roundabouts: Shared Use by Pedestrians and Drivers
Ronald Granger Hughes, North Carolina State University, presiding
Sponsored by Roundabouts Task Force
While modeling and simulation tools are frequently used to address vehicle interactions (i.e., traffic), they have not traditionally been used to address interactions between pedestrians and vehicles. Researchers involved in NCHRP Project 3-78 have been working on quantifying critical behavioral and system-level attributes of such interactions, one of the most poorly understood from a data standpoint being the likelihood of drivers' yielding to pedestrians. The researchers will talk about work currently being conducted in this area and go over the analytical and human factors rationale for the treatments to be evaluated by Project 3-78 in the field. They will discuss the VISSIM modeling work that has been done to support the proposed treatments. Results from several research studies on driver and pedestrian behavior will be presented, followed by discussion of pedestrian and driver attributes and issues in coding interactions in simulation programs. The workshop will conclude with a discussion of the type of research that is needed to improve capabilities to effectively represent pedestrian-vehicle interactions as a component of overall system-level design and evaluation.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
H. Toward Best Practices for Ethical and Privacy Issues in On-Road Driving Research
Daniel V. McGehee, University of Iowa; James R. Sayer, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute; Susan T. Chrysler, Texas Transportation Institute, presiding
Sponsored by Vehicle User Characteristics Committee
As increased availability of low-cost video and vehicle instrumentation enables researchers to gather enormous amounts of detailed information about driver behavior, researchers are in a good position to address a complex array of associated ethical and privacy issues. With case studies and other past experience, the workshop will concentrate on the identification of ethical and privacy problems, ideas, and solutions with the aim of working toward a set of definitions and guidelines that could be considered best practices in the conduct of on-road driving research.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m., Marriott
Long-Term Pavement Performance State Coordinators' Meeting
Victor M. Mendez, Arizona Department of Transportation, presiding
Sponsored by Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Committee
As in the past, this annual LTPP State Coordinators' Meeting provides an excellent opportunity for all attendees to discuss LTPP plans, progress, and experiences with federal, state, provincial, industry, and academic colleagues. This year’s meeting includes presentations reviewing the activities and accomplishments of the previous year, plans for this year, and major issues concerning LTPP data collection, analysis, and product development.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 12:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Hilton
Cutting Carbs in the Transportation Sector: International Efforts to Address Global Climate Change
Janette Sadik-Khan, City of New York; Michael D. Meyer, Georgia Institute of Technology; Jorge A. Prozzi, University of Texas, Austin, presiding
Sponsored by International Activities Committee; Environment and Energy Section; Transportation Policy Section; Transportation Energy and Alternative Fuels Committee; Transportation and Air Quality Committee; Transportation Demand Management Committee; Congestion Pricing Committee; and Transportation and Sustainability Committee
Global climate change is an issue that transcends national and international borders and involves all modes of transportation. This workshop will offer the current thinking on global climate change and showcase specific legislative and programmatic actions being taken around the world to cut carbon emissions generated by the transportation sector. Key public officials, private-sector operators, researchers, practitioners, and subject matter experts will highlight efforts in their domain that focus on cutting carbon emissions.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Shoreham
Aviation Planning for Sustainability
Darcy Zarubiak, Jacobs Consultancy, presiding
Sponsored by Environmental Impacts of Aviation Committee
This workshop is designed for aviation industry professionals that are attempting to integrate sustainability in to their daily business decisions. Decision criteria that will be examined will include economic, environmental and social sustainability. The workshop will feature a series of short presentations by aviation professionals describing their experience at applying sustainability and how it has impacted corporate decision making and their budgets. The workshop will also examine how the "Plan-Do-Check-Act" management approach, typical of an EMS (environmental management system), can be applied to sustainability. Finally, the workshop will describe triple bottom line decision making and how to approach life cycle cost analysis.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Wayside Transit Noise Predictions Used to Supplement the FTA Noise Impact Methodology
Steven Wolf, Parsons Brinckerhoff, presiding
Sponsored by Transportation-Related Noise and Vibration Committee
Some of the practices currently used to supplement the FTA transit noise guidance methodologies will be presented. Topics include vertical propagation of wayside train noise; evaluation and prediction of wheel squeal noise; prediction of at grade and grade crossing noise; wayside noise from train horns; and innovative wayside noise mitigation measures.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Shoreham
Assessing the Costs of Railroad Freight Service
Sponsored by Local and Regional Rail Freight Transport Committee
The workshop will focus on the economics of railroad freight operations, including both fixed and variable cost components, with an emphasis on local and regional railroad freight operations. Economic fundamentals for various types of rail operation will be presented and compared, including movement of traditional carload freight, intermodal freight, and unit bulk freight. Differences between Class I and shortline economics will be discussed. Rail costs will also be compared with those of competing modes. The workshop should help attendees interested in funding or promoting rail freight operations to better assess the financial implications.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Issues in Highway Quality Assurance
Orrin Riley, Orrin Riley PE PC, presiding
Sponsored by Management of Quality Assurance Committee
Technical and economic issues associated with highway quality management programs will be addressed. A panel of agency and industry personnel who have been instrumental in the development and implementation of statistically based quality assurance specifications will lead the discussion. Likely issues to be addressed include the following: percent within limits necessity, effectiveness, and alternatives and effectiveness and cost of contractor acceptance testing. These topics should be of interest to agency and industry personnel who routinely deal with construction and materials testing.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
How to Achieve Smoothness in Asphalt Pavements
Dale S. Decker, Dale S Decker LLC, presiding
Sponsored by Characteristics of Bituminous-Aggregate Combinations To Meet Surface Requirements Committee; General Issues in Asphalt Technology Committee; and Flexible Pavement Construction and Rehabilitation Committee
The purpose of this workshop is to provide a forum for the discussion of various construction techniques and measurements of pavement smoothness that influence pavement performance. Smoothness is an important pavement characteristic because it affects not only ride quality but also vehicle operating costs, fuel consumption, and maintenance costs. Smoothness can be defined as the variation in surface elevation that induces vibrations in traversing vehicles. The international roughness index (IRI) is one of the most common ways of measuring smoothness in managing pavements. The new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide defines pavement functional adequacy by an acceptable IRI at the end of design life.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
The Promise of Nanotechnology for Concrete
James D. Grove, Center for Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Technology; Surendra P. Shah, Northwestern University; Bjorn Birgisson, University of Florida; Florence Sanchez, Vanderbilt University, presiding
Sponsored by Nanotechnology-Based Concrete Materials Task Force
The mechanical behavior of concrete materials depends to a great extent on structural elements and phenomena that are effective on a micro- and nanoscale. Recent research on nanotechnology-based modification and engineering of concrete materials presents a breakthrough in materials engineering. The basic concept behind nanomodification of materials is that of “bottom-up” engineering. It starts with engineered modifications to the molecular structure with the aim of affecting the bulk properties of the material and can significantly improve mechanical performance, volume change properties, durability, and sustainability. The introduction of nanotechnology into concrete materials promises to deliver high-performance, sustainable, "designer" materials for specific applications and needs. This workshop highlights the practical implications of nanotechnology for concrete materials. The presenters will be key industry leaders in the cement and admixture industries as well as researchers working in this rapidly emerging area.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Inclinometer Instrumentation for Transportation Projects
George Machan, Landslide Technology, presiding
Sponsored by Soils and Rock Instrumentation Committee and Engineering Geology Committee
The last national publication on inclinometers was in 1977, and applications and practices have expanded and improved since then. In 2007 the workshop-sponsoring committees developed a Transportation Research Circular on the use of inclinometer instrumentation on transportation projects. This workshop provides information on the state of the practice through presentations on key topics by authors of the circular and experts in instrumentation. The following aspects will be presented: overview of the new circular, three representative applications (guidance based on case histories), data evaluation and diagnostics, automated data acquisition, and developing technology (inclinometer arrays). The workshop will conclude with a panel discussion.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Implementation of LRFD Design for Bridge Substructures
Robert E. Kimmerling, PanGeo Inc., presiding
Sponsored by Foundations of Bridges and Other Structures Committee
State departments of transportation are required to design bridge substructures with the AASHTO load and resistance factor design (LRFD) code. The objective of this workshop is to present various states' experiences and status in the practical implementation of LRFD in geotechnical and substructure design. Presentations will include case histories of an actual implementation of LRFD for a bridge project and state experiences with implementation of LRFD into everyday design of substructures from a policy and procedure point of view.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Shoreham
Bridge and Tunnel Safety and Security
Jeffrey L. Western, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, presiding
Sponsored by Critical Transportation Infrastructure Protection Committee; Structures Section; General Structures Committee; Tunnels and Underground Structures Committee; and Federal Highway Administration Committee
U.S. bridges and tunnels have many safety and security concerns. The collapse of the I-35W/Mississippi River Bridge in Minnesota, the fire collapse of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge off-ramp in California, the Big Dig ceiling collapse, the hurricane-damaged bridges, and the events of September 11, 2001, reveal the vulnerabilities of the nation's transportation infrastructure. Initially guided by the AASHTO Task Force on Transportation Security, significant research has been conducted under TRB's Cooperative Research Program with AASHTO and FHWA, as well as other pooled-fund and FHWA-sponsored research projects, to enhance the safety and security of the nation’s bridges. The AASHTO Special Committee on Transportation Security, FHWA, Transportation Security Administration, TRB, and others continue to address bridge and tunnel safety and security at the national level. This workshop provides an update on national bridge events and activities in the past year. The intended audience are those interested in protecting the nation's bridge and tunnel infrastructure, including state bridge engineers and other bridge owners, consultants, academia, and industry partners.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Shoreham
Benefits and Costs of Freight Movement: How Do We Balance Environmental Costs and Benefits?
Thomas H. Wakeman, Stevens Institute of Technology; Michael H. Belzer, Wayne State University, presiding
Sponsored by Marine Group; Freight Systems Group; and Trucking Industry Research Committee
The environmental challenges attached to freight gateways and freight corridors have become increasingly complicated in terms of public health costs, public health perceptions, Not-in-My-Backyard reactions to freight projects, and a NEPA process that has become an extremely costly series of legal challenges. This workshop will consider new approaches to measuring the benefits and costs of freight movement and assess the growing impact that environmental issues, particularly air emissions, have on efforts to expand freight capacity and efficiency.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Right-Sizing Your Public Involvement Program
Judy Meyer, Public Information Associates; David Kuehn, Federal Highway Administration; David Vomacka, CH2M Hill, presiding
Sponsored by Public Involvement in Transportation Committee
This workshop will provide participants with hands-on experience in developing an appropriate public involvement program for a particular type of planning effort. Three levels of planning will be discussed: the regional or metropolitan planning organization; corridor feasibility or alternatives; and the specific project (such as an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement). Participants will consider a range of communications tools and techniques in developing the public involvement programs.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Integrated Urban Models in Practice: Decision Support for Sustainable Urban Growth
Sponsored by Transportation Demand Forecasting Committee; Transportation and Land Development Committee; Integrated Transportation and Land Use Joint Subcommittee; and Moving Activity-Based Approaches To Practice Task Force
The primary purpose of this workshop is to provide case studies of operational integrated transportation–land use models in North America and Europe and to demonstrate ways in which these models are being used in practice to guide transportation investment and land development decision making for sustainable urban growth. Many urban planning organizations are still not familiar with the concept of integrated modeling or are not conversant with the extent to which modern integrated urban models are increasingly being used in practical planning settings. This workshop will briefly define what is meant by integrated urban modeling, the motivation for using integrated models within urban land use and transportation planning, and what the current state of the practice is. The majority of the workshop will then focus on a set of case studies of operational integrated models and their policy analysis applications presented by the planning organizations using these models. Throughout the workshop emphasis will be on the policy analysis capabilities and impacts of these models rather than on their technical details. Thus, it is hoped that the workshop will be of particular interest to planning and modeling directors and managers with responsibility for urban planning, policy analysis, and decision making.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Doctoral Student Research in Transportation Modeling
David J. Lovell, University of Maryland, College Park, presiding
Sponsored by Transportation Network Modeling Committee; Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics Committee; Transportation Demand Forecasting Committee; Traveler Behavior and Values Committee; and Telecommunications and Travel Behavior Committee
This half-day seminar consists of reports of Ph.D. student research on transportation modeling and travel behavior. Reports of recently completed or nearly completed Ph.D. dissertations and research in progress are featured.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Developing Performance Measures for Context-Sensitive Solutions and Community Impact Assessment
Leigh Blackmon Lane, Louis Berger Group, Inc.; Scott D. Bradley, Minnesota Department of Transportation, presiding
Sponsored by Social and Economic Factors of Transportation Committee; Context Sensitive Design/Solutions (CSD/CSS) Task Force; Performance Measurement Committee; and Public Involvement in Transportation Committee
Community impact assessment (CIA) is a multidisciplinary and iterative process that enables transportation professionals to evaluate the effects of transportation project delivery on a community and its quality of life. Context-sensitive solutions (CSS) is a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that involves all stakeholders in providing a transportation facility that fits its settings. It is an approach that leads to preserving and enhancing scenic, aesthetic, historic, community, and environmental resources while improving or maintaining safety, mobility, and infrastructure conditions. These processes are mutually inclusive and depend on one another for optimum transportation decision making. Although neither of these concepts are new and in fact are supported by numerous laws, regulations, and policies including the most recent SAFETEA-LU legislation, there is heightened visibility and importance around these processes, which promote developing transportation solutions preserving, protecting, and even enhancing quality of life. CIA is a an integral component of CSS because it defines the human environmental context, and both reflect the desired outcome--developing a transportation solution that best fits the needs of the community. In order to advance the state of the practice in both CSS and CIA, it is critical to develop performance measures for both outcome and process goals for transportation project delivery. The workshop will consist of presentations and facilitated discussion of the relationship between CIA and CSS, focusing on the development of meaningful performance measures. Invited speakers will include representatives of state departments of transportation that have integrated CIA and CSS into their policy, planning, and development processes and external stakeholder groups that have been actively involved in the development of performance measures for transportation projects.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Accessible Transportation and Pedestrian Infrastructure in Less-Developed Countries
Christopher G. B. Mitchell, Consultant, United Kingdom, presiding
Sponsored by Accessible Transportation and Mobility Committee
Steps to make public transport and pedestrian infrastructure more accessible and safer in less-developed countries helps the whole population because a majority of all journeys are made on foot or by bus or train. This workshop will provide presentations on accessible bus rapid transit in less-developed countries, the mobility and safety of older and disabled pedestrians, international experience with accessible public transport and taxis, and the development of accessible bus stops and low-floor buses in India. It will include a summary of the main outputs from the 11th International Conference on Transport and Mobility for Elderly and Disabled People (TRANSED 2007).
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Shoreham
Global Road Safety
Anthony Bliss, World Bank, presiding
Sponsored by International Activities Committee
This workshop is designed for both practitioners and researchers to provide an update on developments in global road safety, with a special emphasis on activities targeting improved road safety outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. The workshop will build on initiatives following the release of the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention launched by the World Health Organization and the World Bank in 2004 and subsequent UN General Assembly resolutions addressing the global road safety crisis. It will provide ample opportunity for discussion and debate on this growing public health priority.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Corruption Risk Management in the Transportation Sector
Sponsored by International Activities Committee and Transportation in the Developing Countries Committee
This workshop focuses on the comparative experience and approaches developed by a variety of countries at different levels of development to ensure that transport investments derive maximum value for money and avoid corruption. Transport budgets in developed and developing countries often account for up to 10% to 20% of the national budget. Leakage due to corruption may range between 5% and 20% of transaction costs and even more in some instances. A 2006 estimate by the American Society of Civil Engineers suggests that 10% of the US$4 trillion spent annually on construction worldwide is lost to corruption, or between US$390 billion and $400 billion. The international business community, the public sector, agencies, and governments are increasingly concerned about the effectiveness and integrity of public investment and development aid. The transport sector, because of its size, is a primary target. At the same time, it has been a leading sector in the development of gradually more sophisticated procurement and risk management procedures in response to the growing public expectations of transparency, efficiency, and good governance. This workshop is designed to highlight the vulnerabilities to corruption in the transport sector and methods, mechanisms, and approaches that are currently being used to mitigate and manage such risk in a variety of country situations. The workshop sessions will cover risk management areas such as cost estimation and improved business practices in road agencies, risk smart procurement, involvement of civil society, and comprehensive corruption action planning and implementation that have been used by a variety of governments and agencies in the transport sector.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Shoreham
Transforming Transportation Organizations, Part 2: Strategic Executive and Data Partnerships
Sponsored by Strategic Management Committee and Data and Information Systems Section
As a follow-up to the morning workshop on partnering for success in transforming transportation organizations, this two-part workshop will feature presentations by four senior executives (CEOs or deputy CEOs). These leaders have championed the successful implementation of initiatives in their agencies through strategic use of data to effect major positive impacts. They will share the ingredients that made their initiatives succeed and the lessons learned. In the second part of the workshop, the audience and presenters will hold a dialogue on future opportunities for executives' use of data and partnerships to make continuing improvements.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Marriott
Presentations That Won't Leave Your Audience in the Dark!
Patricia L. Lees, Kansas City Missouri Public Schools, presiding
Sponsored by Technical Activities Council
Learn speaking tips, techniques for preparing high-quality presentations, and on-site troubleshooting techniques. All Annual Meeting attendees are welcome.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Street-Running Bus Rapid Transit and Light-Rail Transit Operations
Herbert S. Levinson, Consultant; Samuel L. Zimmerman, World Bank, presiding
Sponsored by Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Committee; Bus Transit Systems Committee; and Light Rail Transit Committee
The workshop will focus on best practices for accommodating bus rapid transit (BRT) and light-rail transit (LRT) in on-street operation in urban areas. Issues to be addressed will include desirable street characteristics to accommodate premium transit, effective traffic signalization, parking control, general traffic accommodation strategies, safe accommodation of pedestrians to and from stations, and overall safety considerations in design and operation. Several speakers from successful BRT and LRT operations and those in final planning and design will share their experiences. This workshop will be of particular interest to those planning new BRT and LRT systems for which substantial on-street running is anticipated, including those from underdeveloped countries in which allocation of street space for transit is most difficult because of the sheer number of pedestrians, bicycles, and general traffic sharing the roadway.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Shoreham
Simulation Modeling and Analysis for Traffic Evacuation
Sponsored by Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics Committee; Highway Capacity and Quality of Service Committee; Freeway Operations Committee; and Traffic Signal Systems Committee
There is substantial interest in traffic evacuation throughout the traffic analysis and simulation community. Many public agencies and research institutions have been using simulation modeling to prepare traffic evacuation plans for a wide range of scenarios. However, there are many technical challenges for an analyst in conducting such an analysis. The purpose of this workshop will be to highlight best practices, lessons learned, innovative applications, and recent research regarding this topic. A variety of issues will be covered, such as individual facility evacuations, large regional evacuations, contraflow lane modeling, traveler information strategies, multimodal evacuation strategies, driver behavior during evacuations, and calibration and validation of simulation models for evacuations.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Design for Fish Passage at Roadway-Stream Crossings
Rollin H. Hotchkiss, Brigham Young University, presiding
Sponsored by Hydrology, Hydraulics and Water Quality Committee
FHWA is in the process of developing a hydraulic engineering circular on the design for fish passage at roadway-stream crossings. The proposed circular (Phase II) will use a recently completed FHWA synthesis report (Phase I) on the topic as a base reference. This workshop will present the issue of fish passage at culverts using the completed synthesis report and will cover the following topics: culverts as potential barriers to fish passage, creation of a culvert inventory and assessment and priority-ranking of culverts for rehabilitation or replacement, currently available design procedures for culvert design for fish passage, and construction, maintenance, and inspection issues. Completed examples of projects will be shown and an open discussion will be held on research needs for the future.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Shoreham
Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide Workshop
Kenneth W. Fults, KWF Pavement Consulting, presiding
Sponsored by Flexible Pavement Design Committee; Pavement Management Systems Committee; Pavement Monitoring, Evaluation and Data Storage Committee; Full-Scale and Accelerated Pavement Testing Committee; Pavement Rehabilitation Committee; and Strength and Deformation Characteristics of Pavement Sections Committee
The workshop will include topical areas covering local calibration, materials characterizations, and traffic and axle weight data and will feature a discussion by at least two state departments of transportation on implementation issues. Time will be set aside for questions and answers.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Analysis Practices and Techniques for Steel Bridges: Interactive Workshop
Karl E. Barth, West Virginia University, presiding
Sponsored by Steel Bridges Committee and Methods for Analyzing Steel Bridges Subcommittee
Tools, techniques, and guidelines related to the analysis of steel bridge systems continue to advance at a rapid pace. Therefore, there is a need to keep researchers and practitioners who complete these analyses informed of recent advancements in this area. Modifications to the AASHTO LRFD bridge design specifications coupled with recent activities of other organizations, such as the collaboration between AASHTO and the National Steel Bridge Alliance, have resulted in specific advancements to analysis approaches and techniques for curved and skewed steel structures that are also of interest. The goal of this interactive workshop is to provide an update on the state of the art of steel bridge analysis practices and techniques from a combination of researchers, practitioners, and software developers.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Load and Resistance Factor Design of Concrete Bridge Superstructures
Shrinivas Balkrishna Bhide, Portland Cement Association, presiding
Sponsored by Concrete Bridges Committee
Since the mandatory implementation of the load and resistance factor (LRFD) bridge design specifications in October 2006, there has been an ever-increasing need for the design community to have an understanding of the new specifications. In an effort to further familiarize the design community with the requirements of the new specifications, this workshop will focus on new provisions introduced in the LRFD specifications.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Advanced Pavement Analysis Methods for Backcalculation and Mechanistic-Based Design
Halil Ceylan, Iowa State University; Roger W. Meier, The University of Memphis; Erol Tutumluer, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, presiding
Sponsored by Strength and Deformation Characteristics of Pavement Sections Committee and Modeling Techniques in Geomechanics Committee
Artificial neural networks (ANNs) and computational intelligence-based analysis and modeling have been emerging areas of importance and interest in geotechnical and pavement engineering. Several factors have stimulated this interest, the most notable being the recognition of the promise of certain information-processing characteristics apparent in the brain that have eluded capture within conventional computing schemes. These notable advantages include the ability to learn and generalize from examples, to produce meaningful and cost-effective solutions to various problems even when input data contain errors or are incomplete, to adapt solutions over time to compensate for changing circumstances, and to process information rapidly. These nontraditional computational intelligence techniques have already proved to outperform traditional modeling counterparts in solving various complex engineering problems. The recent adoption and use of ANN modeling techniques in the new NCHRP Project 1-37A Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide for AASHTO has especially emphasized the successful use of neural nets in geomechanical and pavement systems. Yet many practitioners still have a lack of understanding and are currently skeptical of the use of ANNs and other computational intelligence systems. This workshop is intended to help overcome these obstacles by providing practicing engineers with sources of necessary background information and an overall better understanding and at the same time to foster the use of ANNs and other nontraditional computational intelligence techniques in geotechnical and pavement engineering applications related to transportation facilities.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Automated Survey of Pavement Distress
Kelvin C.P. Wang, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Hosin David Lee, University of Iowa, presiding
Sponsored by Pavement Monitoring, Evaluation and Data Storage Committee
The survey of pavement distresses is a critical component in pavement evaluation and rehabilitation. State and local highway agencies are increasingly relying on distress data for their pavement management systems. In recent years, there has been substantial progress in data acquisition and data automation. In particular, laser-based illumination technology has solved the decades-old problem of not being able to obtain shadow-free images of pavements. Software-based processing techniques allow comprehensive evaluation of various types of pavement distresses. This workshop will review the state-of-the-art developments for automated distress surveys, including data collection and data interpretation. Another main thrust of the workshop is presentations by federal, state, and local agencies on their experiences in using various techniques in data acquisition and processing. Suppliers and vendors of technologies will demonstrate their latest wares during the presentations.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Recommended Revisions to AASHTO Guidelines for Traffic Data Programs
Sponsored by Statewide Transportation Data and Information Systems Committee and Highway Traffic Monitoring Committee
The first edition of the AASHTO Guidelines for Traffic Data Programs was published in 1992. Since then many advances have been made in traffic monitoring procedures, so an updated Recommended Guidelines document was recently completed as an NCHRP study. The objective of the guidelines is to improve the quality of the traffic information that supports decisions at all levels of the transportation profession. To realize this objective, this document is a reference for professional traffic monitoring and establishes recommended national traffic monitoring practices that reflect advances made in the last several years. This workshop will provide an overview of the Recommended Guidelines and feature speakers at the national and state levels to discuss the new guidelines.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Data Processing Procedures for Integrating Archived Intelligent Transportation Systems Data into Planning Data Systems
Shawn M. Turner, Texas Transportation Institute, presiding
Sponsored by Urban Transportation Data and Information Systems Committee; Information Systems and Technology Committee; and Highway Traffic Monitoring Committee
A recent NCHRP survey of state departments of transportation identified several barriers to integrating data generated by intelligent transportation systems (ITS) into planning data systems. One of the most frequently mentioned barriers was the lack of guidelines for using incomplete archived ITS data to calculate annual traffic statistics. The goal of this Archived Data User Service joint subcommittee workshop is to work toward a consensus on the various data processing approaches required to integrate ITS-generated data into planning data systems. The most common approaches include imputation, aggregation, and annual statistics calculation. Several presentations will describe approaches that are currently being used or are proposed, and workshop participants will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these and other approaches. It is envisioned that a research circular or similar white paper will be produced after the workshop to document discussions, consensus procedures, and future research needs.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Observing Complex Choice Behavior with Stated-Preference Experiments: Innovations in Design
Sponsored by Travel Survey Methods Committee and Traveler Behavior and Values Committee
This workshop focuses on the tension that exists between extended stated-preference (SP) experiments that allow the study of complex behavior and the limited information processing capacities of decision makers. Although extended SP experiments potentially result in more valid models, they often involve more complex measurement tasks with higher respondent burden and decreased reliability as a result. Recently, various experimental design methods have been proposed that aim at limiting the measurement task and respondent burden, such as uniform designs and D-efficient designs. In this workshop on SP design, contributions to this topic are made by two tutorials on extensions of standard SP experiments and by two tutorials on recently proposed methods to limit the measurement task. Papers on each of the tutorials will be available in advance of the workshop at http://www.travelsurveymethods.org/SP.asp.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Remote Sensing Technologies for Transportation Applications
Robert Walker, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, presiding
Sponsored by Information Systems and Technology Committee; Statewide Transportation Data and Information Systems Committee; Critical Transportation Infrastructure Protection Committee; Geographic Information Science and Applications Committee; and Geospatial Data Acquisition Technologies in Design and Construction Committee
This half-day workshop will consider practical uses of satellite and airborne collected remotely sensed data, its derived information, and attendant geographic information system (GIS)-based algorithms and software tools for use in transportation department functions. Other technologies developed by the U.S. Department of Defense such as RADAR and infrared tags that have transportation applications will be reviewed. Results of the Transportation Applications of Restricted Use Technology (TARUT) Study funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Michigan Department of Transportation will be discussed with an emphasis on lessons learned and next steps. Additional case studies will be presented to demonstrate the broader application of these emerging tools. Implications of the adoption of these new technologies on information technology systems and emerging Internet map services for visualization will also be presented.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
Improving Geospatial Data to Support Transportation Safety
Sponsored by Geographic Information Science and Applications Committee and Safety Data, Analysis and Evaluation Committee
Improving traffic safety involves identifying high-crash locations with spatial data and information science technologies and deploying proved mitigation strategies. Potential benefits include saving lives, reducing injuries, and promoting a better quality of life. However, these goals can only be achieved through improvement of data accuracy, evaluation, integration, and analysis in a wide range of areas such as engineering, emergency response, enforcement, and education. Automation, integration, and the use of advanced technologies also play vital roles. This workshop provides an informative session based on experiences and insights on the effective use of geographic information systems to enhance traffic safety. It will include discussions on the following aspects: innovative strategies, methods, and technologies for collecting crash data; issues with geocoding and linear-referencing crash data; innovative methods and new technologies to collect noncrash data (such as road inventories, traffic operations, and other assets) and new data sources; integration of crash data and noncrash data; and methods to identify high-crash or high-risk locations.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Marriott
Using Information Technologies to Support Better Construction Management IV
Trefor P. Williams, Rutgers University; Paul M. Goodrum, University of Kentucky; Ioannis Brilakis, University of Michigan, presiding
Sponsored by Information Systems and Technology Committee and Construction Management Committee
This popular half-day workshop will examine emerging technologies and technology tools for improving data collection, communications, and management as well as automation of information management and knowledge discovery that will improve the way construction projects are managed. The participants will examine technologies that are in various phases of development for use on construction job sites. It is expected that examining technologies at various points along the development pipeline will allow the workshop attendees to better understand which new technologies can be leveraged today to increase the production of construction and which technologies might likewise be used in the future. Topics of interest include on-site and site-office communications; intelligent automation of construction tasks; knowledge extraction and management; infrastructure conditioning assessment, modeling, and sensing; integration of project information into visualization and simulation models; project control systems and field management technologies; and communication, collaboration, and coordination technologies. Workshop participants will be asked to generate a list of research topics.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Hilton
How to Make Maximum Use of Qualitative Information
Shinya Kikuchi, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Ghassan Abu-Lebdeh, Michigan State University, presiding
Sponsored by Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing Applications Committee
The information used in transportation takes many forms. Traditionally, the data that take the form of natural language, approximate numbers, and incomplete data are considered difficult to deal with or sometimes not precise enough, and thus they are often discarded or not seriously taken into account. Yet, after all, most transportation analyses involve data and knowledge bases that are perceptive, language-based inference, and language-based interpretation of the results. In recent years, various artificial intelligence (AI) methods have been developed to treat these nonquantitative data and argue for the scientific credibility of the analysis. This workshop presents the current developments in handling different types of data and knowledge and shows how to apply such techniques to transportation analysis. Included in the presentation are fuzzy set theory, possibility theory, probability theory, data mining, and other techniques for formalizing informal knowledge. Expert presentations will be followed by an audience discussion and exchange of experiences on real-world application of such approaches.
Sunday, January 13, 2008, 4:00 p.m.-5:45 p.m., Marriott
So You Want To Be a Transportation Professional?
Sponsored by Operations Section and Technical Activities Council
Aspiring transportation professionals have many possible career paths in front of them, and they can benefit greatly from the experience of others who have gone before them. The purpose of this workshop is to give undergraduate students, graduate students, and others who are thinking about entering the transportation field an opportunity to hear from and speak to professionals who currently work in the public, private, and academic sectors. Each speaker will describe the essential work and environmental characteristics associated with a particular career path, identify the key traits that employers typically look for in employees, and discuss key issues and characteristics that employees should look for in prospective employers. The workshop concludes with a period of open discussion in which the audience is invited to engage the speakers and other sector representatives in additional dialogue and discussion.
Thursday , Jan 17 2008 8:00AM - 12:00PM , Hilton
Building the 21st Century Workforce: Creating a National Strategy
Sponsored by Transportation Education and Training Committee (ABG20)|Management and Productivity Committee (ABC20)|Maintenance and Operations Personnel Committee (AHD15)|Policy and Organization Group (AB000)
The transportation workforce has been a key topic of discussion in recent years. Several initiatives have led to the conclusion that the transportation workforce is critical to all transportation organizations, whether public, private, or academic. The Transportation Research Board Executive Committee identified the workforce as a critical issue for the transportation industry, and TRB standing committees recently confirmed that it remains a critical issue. The cross-group session on the 21st century workforce at the 2007 Annual Meeting was a success, resulting in more than 120 participants, who met for four hours. Key points raised by the panel and recommendations raised by breakout participants are as follows: (a) drawing on key issues identified in the session on building the 21st century workforce at the 2007 Annual Meeting, draft a strategic plan for building the national transportation workforce; (b) share the draft with transportation industry groups such as AASHTO, the American Public Transportation Association, the American Road Builders Association, and others; TRB groups; and participants from the 2007 21st century workforce session; discuss and strengthen the plan and especially develop the objectives and actions in the proposed 2008 Workshop on the 21st Century Workforce; form a 21st century transportation workforce community to implement the final national plan for the 21st century workforce.
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