Revised Plan 7-24-06

Tentative Revised Research Plan July 26, 2006

Background In October 2001, a TRB committee proposed1 a second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP II) to address four strategic focus areas related to the role of human behavior in highway safety (Safety), rapid highway renewal (Renewal), congestion reduction through improved travel time reliability (Reliability), and transportation planning that better integrates community, economic, and environmental considerations into new highway capacity (Capacity). Through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, with matching funds from the Federal Highway Administration, detailed research plans2 were developed based on a funding level of $450 million and an expected total program duration of nine years. Under current legislative provisions, SHRP II will receive approximately $150 million with a total program duration of seven years. Program Re-Scoping The reductions in both funding and program duration call for extensive re-scoping of the original research plans. The re-scoping process has been ongoing for several months under the guidance of the SHRP II Oversight Committee and with the input of the four SHRP II Technical Coordinating Committees (TTCs) and other technical experts. The committees have removed research that has been or will be carried out by others, as well as activities that would have been carried out in the later years of the original nine-year duration—including some research and much implementation. Remaining projects have been re-scoped to fit smaller budgets and shorter time frames and some projects have been merged with others. 1 See TRB Special Report 260, Strategic Highway Research: Saving Lives, Reducing Congestion, Improving Quality of Life, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 2001. 2 Detailed research plans were developed under NCHRP Project 20-58. The plans are summarized in NCHRP Report 510, Summary Report: Interim Planning for a Future Strategic highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2003.

Revised Program Plan SHRP II re-scoping is not yet complete. The TCCs will continue to adjust their research plans as funding uncertainties are clarified.3 In addition, the plans will be refined throughout the course of the program in response to results of earlier SHRP II research, emerging opportunities, and potential funding fluctuations. Nevertheless, it is necessary at this time to publicize a tentative revised program plan in place of the original plans, which are largely obsolete. This revised program provides an overview of the projects that continue to be under consideration for SHRP II. It should help the research community plan for potential involvement in the SHRP II program. After a listing of these projects, brief project objective statements are provided. The original research plans may still be consulted to get a general idea of what is intended in each project.4 However, budget amounts, projects durations, and specific tasks are likely to change by the time requests for proposals (RFPs) are issued. Program Budget Under the currently anticipated funding scenario, SHRP II expects to award approximately $108 million in research contracts. Although the SHRP II Oversight Committee has not made a final determination as to the allocation of this funding among the four research focus areas, the TCCs are using the following budget targets for planning purposes: Safety: $43.2 million Renewal: $28.8 million Reliability: $18 million Capacity: $18 million Program Schedule Each year, in January, SHRP II will publicize its annual program. There will be two rounds of RFPs each year, to be advertised in June and December. Contract awards are expected to occur in August and February. RFPs will be advertised through TRB’s e-newsletter. To subscribe to the e-newsletter, contact Russell Houston at [email protected]. Table of Projects Currently Under Consideration The projects listed in this table are the outcome of a set of TCC meetings that took place in May and June of 2006. All budget amounts are approximate and 3 At this writing, there is legislation making its way through Congress that, if passed and signed into law, would affect SHRP II funding. 4 The original research plans, as well as Special Report 260 and NCHRP Report 510, are available at www.trb.org/shrpii.

are subject to change as project scopes are refined and RFPs are developed. As a result, the totals do not add up to the budget targets provided above. The Safety and Capacity TCCs have identified two tiers of priorities. In the table below, funding amounts without parentheses are first tier priorities, to be funding under the current scenario. Funding amounts in parentheses indicate second tier priorities to be pursued if additional funds become available. Similar prioritization is pending for the Renewal and Reliability focus areas. Projects for which RFPs will be advertised in the fall of 2006 are so indicated under the project title.

New Project Number

Original Project Number

Project Title Tentative Budget,

July 2006 Comments

SAFETY S01 2-1.2

2-1.3 Development of Analysis Methods using Recent Data Fall 2006 RFP

$1,500,000 This revised project merges the analysis methods tasks for both site-based and vehicle-based studies into one request. Multiple projects will be awarded to use existing data from recent studies to develop improved analytic methods.

S02 2-1.3 Integration of Analysis Methods/Development of Analysis Plan

$500,000 This project will integrate the results of the previous project and develop an analysis plan for the subsequent field studies.

S03 2-1.4 Development of Roadway Information Measurement Van

$1,500,000 The budget for this project has been increased due to the importance of obtaining accurate road-side data for the instrumented vehicle study. This project is limited to acquiring a measurement van tailored to the SHRP II data needs.

S04 2-1.4 Roadway Data Collection $2,500,000 This project will use the measurement van to collect roadway data in the study areas and integrate that data with other existing roadway data and with the naturalistic driving data

New Project Number

Original Project Number

Project Title Tentative Budget,

July 2006 Comments

S05 2-2.1 In-Vehicle Driving & Crash Risk Study—Phase I: Study Design Fall 2006 RFP

$3,000,000 2-1.1 (Legal and Privacy Issues) has been added to the scope, as well as automated video analysis tools.

S06 2-2.2 Naturalistic Driving Risk Study—Phase II: Pilot Study

$4,000,000

S07 2-2.3 Naturalistic Driving Risk Study—Phase III: Field Study

$27,000,000 ($3,000,000)

If additional funds become available, $3,000,000 will be added to this project to increase the size of the study and the number and type of research questions that can be addressed.

S08 2-2.4 2-2.5

Naturalistic Driving Risk Studies—Phase IV: Analysis and Countermeasure Implications

$4,000,000 The analysis and countermeasure implication work, originally two projects, is merged into one project.

S09 2-2.6 Site-Based Video System Design & Development Fall 2006 RFP

$1,000,000 ($1,000,000)

If additional funds become available, a pilot will be carried out in preparation for the site-based field study.

S10 2-2.7 Site-Based Study of Intersection Risk—Phase II: Field Study

($9,000,000) The site-based field study is dependent on the availability of additional funds.

S11 2-2.8 Site-Based Risk Studies—Phase III: Analysis and Countermeasure Implications

($2,000,000) The site-based analysis is dependent on the availability of additional funds.

Total for Safety $45,000,000 ($60,000,000)

RENEWAL R01 1-1.1 Utilities Location Technology

Advancements Fall 2006 RFP (phase 1)

$5,000,000

R02 1-1.2 Geotechnical Solutions for Soil Improvement and Rapid Embankment Construction

$2,000,000

R03 1-1.8 Identifying and Reducing Worker, Inspector, and Manager Fatigue in Rapid Renewal Environments

$1,250,000 Implementation activities were removed.

R04 1-2.2 Develop Bridge Designs That Take Advantage of Innovative Construction Technology

$2,000,000 Coordinate with related FHWA work.

New Project Number

Original Project Number

Project Title Tentative Budget,

July 2006 Comments

R05 1-2.3 Modular Pavement Technology

$1,000,000

R06 1-3.1 High-Speed, Non-Destructive Testing Procedures for Both Design Evaluation and Construction Inspection Fall 2006 RFP (phase 1)

$5,000,000

R07 1-4.1 1-4.3 1-4.4

Performance Specifications for Rapid Highway Renewal Fall 2006 RFP

$3,000,000

R08 1-4.2 Alternate Contracting Strategies for Rapid Renewal

$1,000,000 Project may be reduced or removed.

R09 1-4.5 Risk Manual for Rapid Renewal Contracts

$500,000 Project may be removed pending outcome of work by others.

R10 1-4.6 Innovative Project Management Strategies for Large, Complex Projects

$750,000

R11 1-5.1 Strategic Approaches at the Corridor and Network Level to Minimizing Public Disruption from the Renewal Process

$500,000 Implementation-related activities were removed. Coordinate with Capacity focus area on corridor analysis tools.

R12 1-5.3 Strategic Approaches for Financing Large Renewal Projects

$250,000 Implementation-related activities were removed.

R13 1-6.1 New Guidelines for Improving Public Involvement in Renewal Strategy Selection

$500,000 Software development tasks were removed. Scope reduced to documentation of best practices.

R14 1-6.2 New Guidelines for Improving Business Relationships and Emergency Response During Renewal Projects

$750,000 Visualization tools and software development were removed.

R15 1-6.3 Strategies for Integrating Utility & DOT Priorities Fall 2006 RFP (phase 1)

$1,000,000

R16 1-6.4 Railroad-DOT Institutional Mitigation Strategies

$400,000 Pilot testing was removed.

R17 1-6.5 Context Sensitive Construction Operations to Minimize Impact on Adjacent Neighborhoods

$750,000

New Project Number

Original Project Number

Project Title Tentative Budget,

July 2006 Comments

R18 1-7.1 Design, Installation, and Maintenance of Work Zones for High Consistency, Visibility, and Safety

$750,000 Work zone software and guidelines manual were removed. Performance measures and performance monitoring are retained.

R19 1-8.1 Durable Bridge Subsystems $3,000,000 Field demonstrations were removed. Scope focuses on monolithic designs, reducing deck joints, and alternatives to bearings.

R20 1-8.2 Design for Desired Bridge Performance

$2,000,000 Specification development and implementation were removed. Scope focuses on load and resistance factors for performance-based design.

R21 1-8.3 Composite Pavement Systems

$5,000,000

R22 1-8.4 Stabilization of the Pavement Working Platform

$1,600,000 Scope focuses on soil mixing, grouting, injection, geo-grids, geo-textiles, and soil models.

R23 1-8.5 Using Existing Pavement in Place and Achieving Long Life

$1,000,000 Scope focuses on rubblizing, crack and seat, white topping—bonded and unbonded.

R24 1-9.2 Development of Rapid Renewal Inputs to Bridge Management and Inspection Systems

$2,000,000 Scope focuses on performance-based metrics.

R25 1-9.3 Monitoring and Design of Roadways and Structures for Improved Maintenance and Security

$3,750,000 Scope reduced due to potential funding of similar work in other programs.

R26 1-10.1 Preservation Approaches for High Traffic Volume Roadways

$750,000

R27 1-10.2 Bridge Repair/Strengthening Systems

$1,500,000 Scope focuses on evaluation of options.

R28 1-10.3 Techniques for Retrofitting Bridges With Non-Redundant Structural Members

$1,500,000 Scope focuses on fracture-critical bridges nearing end of design life, standard drawings and specifications for retrofits.

Total for Renewal $48,500,000

New Project Number

Original Project Number

Project Title Tentative Budget,

July 2006 Comments

RELIABILITY L01 3-1.1 National and International

Scans of Best Practices in Traffic Incident, Weather, Work Zone, and Special Event Management Fall 2006 RFP

$1,000,000 Scope focuses on domestic scans and will review results of international scans carried out by others.

L02 3-2.2 Establishing National and Local Monitoring Programs for Mobility and Travel Time Reliability

$3,000,000 Scope focuses on local monitoring programs and addresses all facets of operations. Coordination with FHWA and NCHRP projects will provide leverage for this project, which is focused on the implementation of monitoring programs.

L03 3-2.3 Analytic Procedures for Determining the Impacts of Reliability Improvement Strategies Fall 2006 RFP

$1,750,000 The scope was modified to use an experimental design approach so that existing data collection efforts can be leveraged; it consists of 2 parts: the development of a data collection plan followed by data collection and analysis.

L04 3-2.4 Incorporating Reliability Estimation into Planning and Operations Modeling Tools

$3,000,000 Scope has 2 parts: Part 1: reliability estimates as output to planning and estimation models; Part 2: incorporating travelers’ use of reliability in travel demand forecasting models

L05 3-2.5 Incorporating Mobility and Reliability Performance Metrics into the Transportation Programming Process

$2,000,000

New Project Number

Original Project Number

Project Title Tentative Budget,

July 2006 Comments

L06 3-3.1 Institutional Architectures to Advance Operational Strategies Fall 2006 RFP (phase 1)

$3,000,000 Agencies and regions should be selected to provide a broad perspective of alternative approaches. Scope focuses on recent operating experience and inter-agency cooperation. Phase 1 budget is $1,000,000. Budget for Phase 2 has not yet been reviewed by TCC. Phase 2 involves the application of organizational strategy and evaluation. Site selection and preliminary planning could be undertaken in parallel with Phase 1.

L07 3-6.1 Identification and Evaluation of the Cost-Effectiveness of Highway Design Features to Reduce Non-Recurrent Congestion

$2,500,000

Scope is unchanged but should be updated to take advantage of any related ongoing work. Phase 1 budget is $1,000,000. Budget for Phase 2 has not yet been reviewed by TCC. Phase 2 involves refinement of Phase 1 designs and development of prototype designs.

L08 3-6.2 Incorporation of Non-Recurrent Congestion Factors into the Highway Capacity Manual

$2,000,000

L09 3-6.3 Incorporation of Non-Recurrent Congestion Factors into the AASHTO Policy on Geometric Design

$2,000,000

L10 3-7.2 Measures for Reducing Inappropriate Driver Response to Adverse Weather, Roadside Distractions, Traffic Incident Scenes, and Queues

$3,000,000

L11 3-9.1 Implementation of Alternative Traffic Operation Strategies

$4,000,000

L12 3-9.2 Advanced Queue and Traffic Incident Scene Management Techniques

$1,000,000

New Project Number

Original Project Number

Project Title Tentative Budget,

July 2006 Comments

Total for Reliability $28,250,000 CAPACITY

C01 4-3.4 4-3.6 4-2.5 With 4-1.4 4-3.1

A Framework for Collaborative Decision Making on Additions to Highway Capacity Fall 2006 RFP

$4,000,000 This project combines aspects of five of the original Capacity projects, but does not include all the tasks from these projects.

C03 4-1.5 4-1.6

Interactions between Transportation Capacity, Economic Systems, and Land Use

$3,000,000

C02 4-1.2 Systems-Based Performance Measurement Framework for Highway Capacity Decision Making Fall 2006 RFP

$1,000,000

C04 4-1.1 Improving Our Understanding of Highway Users and the Factors Affecting Travel Demand

$1,000,000 ($2,000,000)

If additional funds become available, $2,000,00 may be devoted to fundamental research on travel demand.

C05 4-1.3 Understanding the Contribution of Operations, Technology, and Design to Meeting Highway Capacity Needs

$1,000,000 ($1,000,000)

If additional funds become available, $1,000,00 may be devoted to operations modeling.

C06 4-3.2 Integrating Economic considerations in Project Development

$1,000,000

C07 4-2.5 Development of High Priority Modules to Support Collaborative Decision Making

$8,000,000 The scale of this project (the number of modules developed) will be determined by the total funding ultimately available for Capacity. All modules will follow the architecture recommended in project [4-3.4, 4-3.6, 4-2.5]

C08 4-1.4 Improving Our Understanding of Approaches to Integrate Watershed and Habitat Fragmentation Considerations into Transportation Planning and Development, with an emphasis on highways

($2,000,000) This project is dependent on the availability of additional funds.

Total for Capacity $19,000,000 ($24,000,000)

New Project Number

Original Project Number

Project Title Tentative Budget,

July 2006 Comments

Total for All Four Focus Areas $140,750,000 ($160,750,000 )

Project Objective Statements Safety S01: Development of Analysis Methods Using Recent Data

The objective of this project is to develop analytic approaches for the SHRP II risk studies and carry out a demonstration of the methods using data from recent field studies such as ACAS, RDCW, the 100-Car study and SAVME. Key aspects include the validation of crash surrogate approaches (traffic conflicts, critical incidents, near-collisions), formulation of risk measures (and possibly issues in the selection of an exposure sample), linking of roadway characteristics with naturalistic driving data and the development of data storage and retrieval methods to implement these analytic approaches with the very large data sets produced by naturalistic driving or site-based field studies. It is anticipated that 3 or 4 projects will be awarded at $250,000 to 400,000 each in response to a single request, with at least one addressing site-based methods. Project tasks include: (1) analysis of national accident data files; (2) identification of research questions; (3) development of an analysis plan that specifies risk measures to be used (including crash surrogates), independent variables, control variables and analysis methods; and (4) demonstration of the method using data from recent field studies.

S02: Integration of Analysis Methods/Development of Analysis Plan This project is a follow-on to Project S01; it will integrate the results of the awards made under that project and produce an analysis plan for the data from the SHRP II field studies.

S03: Development of Roadway Information Measurement Van Most states and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are working towards improving their base maps and incorporating them in a geographical information system (GIS). Some roadway data are generally included. However, the maps are not comprehensive in that they sometimes only cover roads under the jurisdiction of the state or MPO. More importantly, sufficient roadway data to support safety analysis focused on roadway issues are generally not available, particularly information on the shoulder such as the type and location of rumble strips, that is critical for the planned study of the relationship of road characteristics to the risk of road departure. The need for comprehensive roadway data in a GIS database has been identified as a critical need for the SHRP II safety program. FHWA has developed a Digital Highway Measurement Van (DHMV) that collects accurate and detailed roadway data while driven at highways speeds. It is anticipated that SHRP II must have the dedicated use of such a van during most of the naturalistic driving field study. It is envisioned that the desired GIS roadway database will be a

combination of data merged from existing systems and data collected with the measurement van for selected roads in the study areas. The objective of this project is to acquire (purchase or lease) a measurement van equipped to collect the roadway characteristics needed for the SHRP II naturalistic driving studies.

S04: Roadway Data Collection This project is focused on operation of the measurement van, developed in Project S03, to collect the roadway data on selected roads in the naturalistic driving study areas. Other tasks include acquiring and merging existing roadway data from states, or other sources, with the collected roadway data and linking the resulting roadway data with the naturalistic driving data.

S05: Design of In-Vehicle Driving Behavior and Crash Risk Study This project will develop the design for a field study involving 2,000 to 3,000 instrumented vehicles operated for a period of 2, and possibly 3, years. The data collection package must accommodate the needs of the analysis projects to follow. The fleet is to be split between at least two geographic areas and provide good coverage of both urban and rural areas. The study will be conducted with volunteer drivers using instrumented vehicles for their everyday use. Ideally, an instrumentation package can be developed that could be installed on many vehicle models. This would allow the subject-driver to use his or her own vehicle during the study period; the instrumentation package would be removed at the end of the experiment, leaving the car in its original condition. It is thought to be desirable to turn over the driver/vehicle pool approximately once per year by reinstalling the vehicle instrumentation package in a new driver’s vehicle. In this way a fleet of 3,000 vehicles (and instrumentation packages) will collect data on 6,000 drivers (and vehicles) over a 2-year period. This project also includes coordination with a university transportation center (UTC) that will carry out the original Project 2-1.1 (Legal and Privacy Issues in Recruiting Volunteer Drivers and Vehicles for Field Studies of Driving Safety) and application of the results of the UTC study to the naturalistic driving study design.

S06: Naturalistic Driving Risk Study—Phase II: Pilot Study A pilot test of the instrumented vehicles follows the study design. The objective of this project is to demonstrate the data collection system for the naturalistic driving risk study. The scope includes instrumenting a test fleet of 100 vehicles and operating them for a 6-month period to evaluate the data collection system. Automated video reduction systems (for fatigue or glance direction), if proposed, should be evaluated in the pilot test. The results of the pilot test will be reported and recommendations made for the full study.

S07: Naturalistic Driving Risk Study—Phase III: Field Study The objective of Phase III is to carry out the naturalistic driving field study. This project follows the pilot study and may be divided into several projects. The field study includes driver/vehicle recruitment, driver intake testing and installation of the data collection package in the owner’s vehicle, acquiring data and monitoring for quality, addressing problems encountered, investigating crashes, data processing and archiving, and preparing a report documenting the field study activities and resulting

data archive. This project is guided by the results of the sample design and pilot study.

S08: Naturalistic Driving Risk Study—Phase IV: Analysis and Countermeasure Implications

Multiple contract awards are anticipated under this project, which will provide the analysis for each research question. The objective of these contracts is to quantify the contribution of relevant driver, roadway, vehicle and environmental factors to the research question and assess the countermeasure implications of the findings. The objective of the analysis is to quantify the relationship of the factors above, either individually or in combination, to the candidate risk measures. Research questions will address the affect of driver factors such as age, gender, speeding or inattention; roadway characteristics such as edge-markings, rumble strips, grade and curvature; vehicle factors such as vehicle type (car, SUV, van, pickup); and environmental factors such as light condition or road surface condition. Quantifying the relationship of these factors, individually or in combination, will have direct countermeasure implications. The scope of this project is to acquire the data from the field study, S07, carry out the analysis described in the study design, S05, and address the countermeasure implications of the findings. These projects are conducted in parallel with the field study so that methods can be tested with the early data and refined as the project progresses. Data problems can be identified and addressed as the field study continues.

S09: Site-Based Video System Design and Development The objective of this project is to further develop the hardware and software to be

used for the site-based data collection approach. The goal is a semi-automated system that identifies the primary conflict situations and calculates the conflict severity incrementally as the vehicles move through the site. Continuous conflict, or traffic, events, should be uniquely identified so they can be extracted as a unit for analysis. For example, the minimum value of the relevant crash margin measure could be extracted for vehicle pairs observed in a particular conflict situation, such as left-turn-across-path. The goal of this project is to enhance the performance of current systems so they can meet the needs of the site-based risk study. The project includes: (1) review of previous research efforts to identify both roadway and operational variables and site-based study design methodologies; (2) identification of one or more locales with sets of intersections reflecting the roadway design and operational variables of interest; (3) identification of research questions that may be addressed employing the identified locales; (4) development of an initial experimental plan that provides for comparisons of the effects of the most salient design and operational variables using the identified locales; (5) pilot demonstration of the method comparing intersections in a single locale differing on one or two dimensions; and (6) preparation of the final detailed study plan based upon the demonstration experience.

S10: Site-Based Risk Study —Phase II: Field Study This project will follow the study design developed in S09. The objectives of this project are to: a) conduct the road-side studies identified in the previous project; and (b)

produce the resulting data sets, including post-processing required to support the subsequent analysis.

S11: Site-Based Risk Study—Phase III: Analysis and Countermeasure Implications This project is the analysis and countermeasure implication phase of the site-based risk studies. The objective is to quantify the contribution of the relevant roadway characteristics and traffic operations to the risk of specific collisions/conflicts and assess the countermeasure implications of the findings. The scope of this project is to acquire the data from the site-based field study S10, carry out the analysis described in the study design S09, and address the countermeasure implications of the findings. The project is conducted in parallel with the field study so that methods can be tested with the early data and refined as the project progresses.

Renewal R01: Utilities Location Technology Advancements

This research seeks to develop or improve tools to identify and accurately locate underground utilities during the preliminary engineering phase of project delivery. This will reduce construction delays related to relocation or unintended conflict with utilities. Utility relocation and conflict is reportedly the largest single factor causing project delay. This project will have two distinct parts: Part I will define the current state of the art in utility detection technology and define unaddressed research needs; Part II, to be initiated later, will comprise one or more contracts to develop or improve specific technologies identified in Part I.

R02: Geotechnical Solutions for Soil Improvement and Rapid Embankment Construction Alternative methods are needed to facilitate rapid roadway and embankment construction with improved long-term performance. The project will provide methods and guidelines for: (1) construction of new embankments and roadways over soft soils and (2) rapid widening of existing embankments and roadways.

R03: Identifying and Reducing Worker, Inspector, and Manager Fatigue in Rapid Renewal Environments

While there is substantial evidence that fatigue can lead to employee problems, lower work quality, and reduced safety, this issue has not been put into the context of exactly how it may impact the overall structuring, management, and operation of rapid renewal projects in the future. The project will give an overview of sleep, fatigue, and alertness and how they impact performance, teamwork, and the potential for accidents and injury. It will identify different rapid renewal scenarios and how fatigue may be minimized within each of them.

R04: Develop Bridge Designs That Take Advantage of Innovative Construction Technology

This project will develop bridge designs that consider the conditions of rapid renewal projects, incorporate features and approaches that encourage optimal construction efficiency, are easy to inspect, and meet adequate strength and serviceability requirements. The focus is on how to modify current approaches to designing various types of structures so that modern construction technologies can be fully utilized.

R05: Modular Pavement Technology Modular pavements use prefabricated segments for quick pavement replacement. Modularization can accelerate renewal by facilitating multi-tasking in lieu of sequential construction and allowing fabrication of the replacement slab off-site while subgrade and base repairs are in progress. Design procedures are needed for modular systems, as well as joint and material specifications, quality control/quality assurance procedures, and more. The research will develop design protocols for modular pavement renewal systems, perform accelerated testing, and develop detailed operation guidelines.

R06: A Plan for Developing High-Speed, Nondestructive Testing Procedures for Both Design Evaluation and Construction Inspection

This project seeks to identify and develop technologies for rapid, nondestructive testing of in situ materials or conditions for design purposes and for construction inspection. These technologies would limit traffic disruption on existing facilities during preliminary engineering investigations and provide more reliable information on actual facility condition. Similarly, rapid inspection of new construction would facilitate timely re-opening of bridges and roadways during reconstruction. This project has two parts: Part I will define explicit technology development needs; Part II will comprise one or more technology development contracts.

R07: Performance Specifications for Rapid Highway Renewal Prescriptive (or method) specifications have performed admirably in the past with an experienced workforce and fairly repetitive operations. However, rehabilitation and reconstruction projects, especially in a rapid renewal scenario, demand more creativity and innovation. However, there is no overall project quality index that rewards a contractor for exceptional quality in both process and product. Some believe the success in meeting time incentives may be coming at the expense of quality, since there is no overall measurement system. Many states are experimenting with warranties to improve product quality, reward high performing contractors, and reduce inspection work force requirements. Warranties are controversial but may be an important part of the future rapid renewal contracting mix. This project seeks to: (1) improve product quality and extend facility service life, (2) reward contractor performance, (3) assure work is performed properly, and (4) reduce inspection work force requirement. Tasks under this project may include: developing alternative specification language that is less prescriptive, adequately describes the performance required in the final product, and is contractually sound and defensible; developing performance specification language that works effectively and properly in contracts to design, build, maintain, operate, warrant, transfer; identifying rapid renewal project goals and performance indices; developing incentives, and experimenting with new contract clauses; examining in detail the current warranty situation; identifying ways to make it more “balanced” from a risk perspective; and adding enhancements such as early release or incentive rewards.

R08: Alternate Contracting Strategies for Rapid Renewal Many states are looking at contracting options that might accelerate project completion time, reduce overall costs, improve quality, and reward contractors for exceptional performance. However, there are inherent risks associated with any new

contracting procedure. It is important to fully understand and evaluate different options and apply those that will return the most benefit to the state. This research will assess contracting strategies, develop a decision tool to assist agencies in selecting appropriate strategies, and evaluate strategies used on experimental projects.

R09: Risk Manual for Rapid Renewal Contracts This project addresses the general lack of understanding of risk and risk transfer decisions associated with alternate contracting approaches. This project will develop a risk assessment manual for departments of transportation. The manual could be used to determine the nature of risk, risk transfer, risk management, and risk mitigation from a contractual and life-cycle point of view.

R10: Innovative Project Management Strategies for Large, Complex Projects Large projects involve complex logistical requirements, contractual procedures, multiple contracts, and regulatory requirements that need careful planning and execution for design and construction. The unique requirements of a mega project include how contractors work on large projects, what organizational setup is required to make it a success, what the effective contractual arrangements are, and what the impact of FHWA requirements on the outcome of a mega project is. This project will address the managerial and workforce challenges associated with rapid renewal projects and develop innovative and effective project management strategies for project owners and contractors for large complex projects.

R11: Strategic Approaches at the Corridor and Network Level to Minimize Public Disruption from the Renewal Process

DOTs recognize the need to examine renewal projects along with new construction projects within an entire corridor in order to develop reasonably accurate timelines and budgets. Additionally, many DOTs are examining regional networks with multiple corridors in order to assess the impact of constructing multiple corridors simultaneously. Without a new approach to constructability of the corridor, however, the negative impact on the traveling public and the local communities may increase dramatically. This project consists of developing a new corridor planning process that will integrate a constructability assessment and construction packaging strategy early in the planning process; address the impact of multiple corridor and project work on regional network flow; establish the limits of work to minimize disruption during construction; minimize downstream construction requirements that will cause disruption; and improve timelines and optimize budget considerations from both an initial and life-cycle analysis.

R12: Strategic Approaches for Financing Large Renewal Projects DOTs expect increasing pressure to organize and build mega projects. One of the very first criteria for determining the scope of a renewal project is the available funding needed to build the project, whether conventionally or in an expedited fashion. Over the last decade, several DOTs have bundled work into relatively high-cost packages in order to complete work expeditiously while minimizing disruptions. These mega projects, while generally credited with getting the job done quickly, may have had significant impacts on the entire state highway program. Without new money and/or new tools other than borrowing against the future to leverage existing resources, much of the research and process improvement to deal with renewal with

minimum disruption may be unrealized. This project will develop creative financing strategies for this expected increase in large renewal projects.

R13: New Guidelines for Improving Public Involvement in Renewal Strategy Selection Successful renewal projects engage the public and other agencies early and communicate plans continuously throughout. The renewal agency must embrace public input to the design, which affects the environmental and human impacts of the project during and after renewal. Resource agencies and affected interest groups should be contacted early and provided the opportunity for two-way communication. This project will document best practices regarding how project owners address the needs of various public groups, including resource agencies and special interest groups. Because much of the communication process involves visualization, this project will also identify advances in engineering animation technologies that would improve the ability to communicate dimensions, impacts on property, and project phasing. This project will be coordinated with related work in the Capacity area.

R14: New Guidelines for Improving Business Relationships and Emergency Response During Renewal Projects

Both business activity and response to emergencies are impacted by highway renewal work. Changes resulting from renewal work can affect businesses and increase the response time of emergency services. Work zones introduce the potential for accidents, and revised traffic patterns increase the potential for crashes. For businesses, this project will capture information from design and construction phasing plans to show a business what will happen in its immediate environment over time. For emergency responders, the project will develop guidelines on how to ensure that responders are aware of all street and bridge closings and areas of increased congestion at each project phase so they can revise their routes in response to changing access conditions.

R15: Strategies for Integrating Utility and Transportation Agency Priorities in Highway Renewal Projects

Utility relocation is reportedly the largest single cause for delay in delivery of reconstruction projects. This project seeks to identify appropriate institution arrangements that will lead to better coordination and cooperation among departments of transportation and public utilities. This contract may undertake a series of charettes or workshops involving joint DOT and public utility review of plans for future construction projects to test the appropriateness of various new procedures.

R16: Railroad–DOT Institutional Mitigation Strategies Railroads are private entities that own and maintain their own rights of way and provide their own financing for improvements. The stance that a railroad will take with regard to a highway renewal project will depend, to some extent, on the benefits that it receives from the project and the disincentives for not cooperating. This project will provide the forum for railroad–DOT collaboration and the framework for model business agreements.

R17: Context-Sensitive Construction Operations to Minimize Impact on Adjacent Neighborhoods

Context-sensitive solutions help agencies mitigate a given project’s impact on the neighborhood or community surrounding the site. This concept should be carried beyond the design phase through construction, maintenance, and operation. By planning and implementing context-sensitive construction, the contractor ensures that work can proceed efficiently, while the impact on the adjacent community is minimized. This research will extend context-sensitive design principles into the specific applications related to rapid renewal construction operations to minimize the impact of renewal projects on their surroundings.

R18: Design, Installation, and Maintenance of Work Zones for High Consistency, Visibility, and Safety

Despite the advancement in traffic control techniques, more than 800 deaths per year nationwide are still attributed to crashes in work zones. As more facilities require renewal and growth in highway demand is projected to increase 50% by 2020, the challenge becomes more significant. This project will develop performance measures for work zones to establish consistent traffic control, geometric configuration, and traffic control devices in work zones across the country, particularly on high-volume roadways.

R19: Durable Bridge Subsystems Historically, durability has been a problem for bridge subsystems, especially bridge bearings and deck joints. If these subsystems could be designed with enhanced durability characteristics, or if they could be eliminated (e.g., joints), disruptions could be significantly reduced and structures could be expected to last longer after they undergo renewal efforts. This research will develop bridge systems that minimize or eliminate deck joints and bearings in order to allow rapid construction and long life.

R20: Design for Desired Bridge Performance Current bridge design specifications do not address new materials, modular components, and other issues associated with renewal. This research will develop comprehensive design procedures that integrate material performance (including durability), construction practices, and structural performance that will lead to more predictable and longer service life.

R21: Composite Pavement Systems Composite pavements have great potential to provide a long-lasting pavement needing minimal maintenance. However, the behavior of composite pavements is not well understood. This research will develop performance models and design procedures for new composite pavements; develop material requirements for all layers of the composite pavement, including the subgrade; recommend construction and quality control procedures for composite pavements; and develop a long-term evaluation program to provide for future refinements of the design procedures and models.

R22: Stabilization of the Pavement Working Platform Subgrade preparation and base construction constitute time-consuming stages when building new or replacement pavements. This research seeks to improve

pavement performance and increase the speed of construction by integrating the behavior of the unbound pavement layers into the overall performance of the pavement for new construction and rehabilitation and by investigating rapid mechanical and chemical soil stabilization technologies for pavements. The project will develop guidelines and design procedures for each treatment.

R23: Using Existing Pavement in Place and Achieving Long Life On roadways that have acceptable geometric features, renewal can be greatly accelerated and costs reduced if the existing pavement can be incorporated into rapid renewal projects without having to be removed. Some of the techniques include rubblizing and crack and seat for ACC over PCC pavements and concrete over concrete, concrete over asphalt, and concrete over asphalt/concrete for PCC overlays. There is insufficient knowledge, experience, and confidence, however, in these techniques on very high-volume, high-load roadways, especially for projects looking for long life (50 years or longer). This project will provide reliable procedures that allow project owners to identify when an existing pavement can successfully be used in place and how to incorporate it into the new structural pavement to achieve long life.

R24: Development of Rapid Renewal Inputs to Bridge Management and Inspection Systems

Rational bridge management systems are an important tool for bridge owners. If these management systems are developed properly, decisions for bridge rehabilitation, repair, and replacement can be made that significantly increase bridge life. This project will enhance PONTIS and provide the ability to more accurately model in-service performance. Developing and tailoring a management system to correspond to the specific needs of renewal systems makes this effort unique compared to current work in progress on existing bridge management systems.

R25: Monitoring and Design of Structures for Improved Maintenance and Security Bridge monitoring is an important tool for determining bridge performance, developing and validating effective design specifications, and ensuring bridge security. Standards for protocols, data collection, and processing are needed for monitoring bridges in a cost-effective and efficient manner. This project will investigate cost-effective monitoring technologies for the nation’s infrastructure systems.

R26: Preservation Approaches for High Traffic Volume Roadways Extending facility service life through the timely use of preservation techniques has been an important activity of highway agencies for many years. However, on very high traffic volume roadways and bridges, traditional preservation techniques can be highly disruptive and/or of limited effectiveness. This project seeks to identify new or improved techniques suitable for high-traffic conditions. The project comprises three largely independent parts addressing strategies for asphalt pavements, concrete pavements and bridges. These parts could be contracted separately.

R27: Bridge Repair/Strengthening Systems Significant speed of construction, minimized traffic disruption, and reduced costs can be achieved by repairing or strengthening existing structures rather than replacing them. Systems are needed to repair and strengthen structures quickly and simply with good connections and other details that are economical and that produce long-lasting performance. This research will evaluate options for bridge repair and strengthening systems.

R28: Techniques for Retrofitting Bridges with Nonredundant Structural Members One particular class of steel bridges that requires special attention is fracture-critical bridges, many of which are nearing the end of their design lives. Failure of a member in a fracture-critical bridge would likely force the closing of the bridge, resulting in major traffic disruption. Often, fracture-critical bridges must be shut down, or other highways they cross must be shut down, so that inspections can be performed. This research will study the concept of redundancy, recommend a definition of “nonredundant,” and develop renewal techniques for removing nonredundant characteristics.

Reliability L01: Identification of Best Practices for Improving Travel time Reliability

The objective of this project is to develop a baseline of knowledge from practices in the U.S. and other countries for dealing with the management of traffic incidents, weather, work zones, and special events. Because standards of practice have not been developed, and experiences in different agencies and in different countries are not well documented, there is much to be learned by examining the best practices of exemplary agencies and documenting them. Experience in the U.S. will be assembled through national scans; European experience will be drawn from recent FHWA/NCHRP international scanning tours and direct contact with individual agencies.

L02: Establishing National and Local Monitoring Programs for Mobility and Travel Time Reliability

The objectives of this project are to (1) develop metrics (measures) for mobility and travel time reliability for recurrent and nonrecurrent delay and events (e.g., work zones or traffic incidents); and (2) establish data collection and analysis programs to support mobility and reliability monitoring. These metrics will be characterized both geographically and by their relationship to recurrent and nonrecurrent sources of delay, including traffic incidents, work zones, weather, special events, traffic control, and inadequate capacity. A prototype monitoring program for local data collection will be designed.

L03: Analytic Procedures for Determining the Impacts of Reliability Improvement Strategies

The objective of this project is to quantify the effects of reliability mitigation strategies on performance metrics. Currently little is known about how various strategies aimed at improving reliability affect delay and travel time variability and it is imperative that these relationships be developed if agency decision makers are going to be able to

use the strategies effectively. The project will develop a data collection plan, collect data (leveraging exist data collection efforts), and perform analyses.

L04: Incorporating Reliability Estimation into Planning and Operations Modeling Tools The objectives of this project are to (1) develop the capability to produce reliability metrics as outputs in planning and operations models; and (2) determine how travel demand forecasting models can use reliability estimates to produce revised estimates of travel patterns. In order for reliability issues to be part of the transportation investment decision-making process, these models must have the ability to estimate reliability as a function of highway and traffic conditions. This is significant for both planning future improvements and evaluating current deployments. Phase 1 will focus on developing open source code for incorporation into a wide variety of models, including those supported by the private sector. Phase 2 will focus on providing travel demand forecasting models with the capability of accounting for the effect of travel time reliability on travel patterns.

L05: Incorporating Mobility and Reliability Performance Metrics into the Transportation Programming Process

The objective of this project is to determine how performance metrics can be used to develop short- and long-term strategies addressing mobility and reliability so that performance measures can be incorporated into the transportation investment process. While it is important to move beyond merely reporting on performance to incorporating performance measures into the transportation investment process, the procedures for doing so have not been developed and the effect on traditional capital expenditures has not been determined. This project will make use of case studies to determine the best procedures for accomplishing this and will require working closely with several transportation agencies in a pilot effort.

L06: Institutional Architectures to Advance Operational Strategies The objective of this project is to identify the organizational structures and operating schemes aimed at improving travel time reliability by promoting intra- and inter-agency cooperation. Topics to be addressed include agency objectives and priorities; organizational roles and responsibilities for operations; human and financial resources; benchmarks and performance standards for gauging the effectiveness of operations programs; support for effective interagency communications during events; and professional values, culture, and conventions. A wide variety of traffic operations activities including traffic incident management programs, regional ITS architectures, 511 traveler information systems, cross-jurisdictional traffic control, and data sharing (real-time and archived) will be considered.

L07: Identification and Evaluation of the Cost-Effectiveness of Highway Design Features to Reduce Nonrecurrent Congestion

The objective of this project is to identify and assess promising facility design features and evaluate their cost-effectiveness for reducing delays due to incidents, work zones, weather, special events, and other causes of nonrecurrent congestion. Many of the features that have the potential to reduce nonrecurrent delay currently are not included in standard highway design guides because of their perceived costs and the lack of quantified information on the cost savings to the facility operator and the general public over the life of the project.

L08: Incorporation of Nonrecurrent Congestion Factors into the Highway Capacity Manual

The objective of this project is to develop data on the impacts of the different causes of nonrecurrent congestion on highway capacity and to incorporate this information into the performance measure and level of service estimation procedures of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). The HCM is used by designers to determine the appropriate size of a facility to meet future demand levels, but the impacts of weather and work zones on freeway capacity currently are illustrated by a limited number of studies conducted outside the U.S. Moreover, the methodologies contained in the HCM for predicting delay, speed, queuing, and other performance measures for alternative highway designs currently are not sensitive to incident management techniques and other operation/design measures for reducing nonrecurrent congestion.

L09: Incorporation of Nonrecurrent Congestion Factors into the AASHTO Policy on Geometric Design

The objective of this project is to develop design guidance on the facility design features that support the reduction of delays due to traffic incidents, work zones, special events, and other causes of nonrecurrent congestion and to get this guidance into standard practice. The AASHTO Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets is the main document used by state DOTs and other public agencies to develop designs for freeways, conventional highways, and urban streets. However, it currently does not identify or provide guidance on the placement and dimensions of facilities designed to support incident management and to reduce the impacts of work zones.

L10: Measures for Reducing Inappropriate Driver Response to Adverse Weather, Roadside Distractions, Traffic Incident Scenes, and Queues

The objective of this project is to identify and quantify the potential effectiveness of various measures to reduce inappropriate driver response to adverse weather conditions and roadside activity. Drivers often fail to respond appropriately to adverse weather conditions or activities on the roadside (e.g., due to work zones, breakdowns, or emergency vehicle response). They either fail to slow down sufficiently to correct for reduced visibility and stopping distance capability under poor weather or when in a work zone, or they slow down too much to get a look at nearby construction or emergency response activity (rubbernecking). The project involves experiments with driving simulators to evaluate countermeasures.

L11: Evaluating Alternative Traffic Operation Strategies The objective of this project is to identify operating strategies that successfully mitigate congestion problems caused by disrupted traffic flows and the methods used to get them implemented. While some agencies are aggressive in using traffic control measures and operations plans to improve travel conditions for a range of reasons, others address only relatively major or crisis events or only use a few of the many potential strategies available to them. Agencies that are aggressive in operations improvements have a strong operations focus many have developed applications strategies, institutional structures, and management support that differ from other agencies.

L12: Improving Traffic Incident Scene Management The objective of this project is to improve how incident scenes are responded to and managed by police, fire, emergency management and transportation personnel. Multiple agencies are often involved in responding to traffic incidents, particularly major ones, and incident scenes can quickly become confusing and dangerous places for both motorists and responders. Nevertheless, as the response to an incident progresses, responders have to manage safety and provide positive traffic guidance and balance safety concerns against the need to clear the scene or to facilitate traffic movement (e.g., transport of victims, safety of responders, fatal crash investigations).

Capacity C01: A Framework for Collaborative Decision Making on Additions to Highway Capacity

The objective of this project is to identify the decisions that must be made to deliver highway capacity, identify the common elements of success from completed highway projects, and develop the information and communication requirements and the supporting systems architecture needed to support collaborative decision making. This project will be conducted in three phases. Phase 1 will examine successful decision-making processes. Phase 2 will design a more responsive and integrated project screening process. Phase 3 will develop the architecture and standards framework for the needed decision support tools.

C02: Systems-Based Performance Measurement Framework for Highway Capacity Decision Making

The objective is to develop a performance measurement framework that reflects economic, mobility, accessibility, safety, environmental, watershed, habitat, community, and social considerations for use in integrated systems planning and project development. The framework will become and integral component of collaborative decision making and decision support tools. The scope of this project is to create flexible frameworks to support system performance measurement that individual agencies can tailor to meet their needs. The performance measurement framework will be incorporated into the collaborative decision-making products of the SHRP II Capacity program.

C03: Interactions between Transportation Capacity, Economic systems, and Land Use The objectives of this project are: (1) to better understand the contribution of transportation, especially highway capacity improvements, to the economic performance and land value of regions; and (2) to develop methodologies for capturing the regional economic effects of highway capacity projects. Strengthening the economic vitality of a region is the primary reason for investing in transportation capacity. Elements of improving economic vitality include reducing congestion, improving safety, reducing pollution, or improving the quality of life, but at the root, the issue is improving the economy of the region. The scope of this project is to develop methods and tools to better represent the contribution of highway projects to a region’s economic performance, including the impact on land values.

C04: Improving Our Understanding of Highway Users and the Factors Affecting Travel Demand

The objective is to fill information gaps regarding critical relationships that define the demand for passenger and freight travel, with particular emphasis on congestion and pricing, so that travel demand models can be further improved to reflect the system-wide effects of highway capacity expansion decisions. This project will build on work being conducted by others, such as the Travel Model Improvement Program, to increase our fundamental understanding of highway users and the factors and forces affecting the demand for highway travel, with particular emphasis on the effects of congestion and pricing on passenger and freight demand for highways. The project should also review external forces that affect travel demand, such as population growth, workforce participation rates, just-in-time-delivery, and growth in imports due to manufacturing shifts oversees. This project will identify trends in passenger and freight travel demand and induced demand, and produce a guide for incorporating these factors into travel demand models. If sufficient funds are available, this project should extend fundamental research on travel demand in areas recommended by the Expert Task Group.

C05: Understanding the Contribution of Operations, Technology, and Design to Meeting Highway Capacity Needs.

The objective is to develop approaches for re-defining highway capacity, given improvements in operations, vehicle technology, context sensitive design, and other developments, so that highway capacity projects reflect transportation-as-a-system considerations. If sufficient funds are available, this project should also include a task to operationalize the findings of the primary research in software that can be incorporated into the collaborative decision making modules developed under the systems architecture in Project C01.

C06: Integrating Economic Considerations into Project Development The objective is to develop and apply the necessary institutional mechanisms and analytic frameworks for ensuring that project decisions reflect economic development considerations in the affected region

C07: Development of High-Priority Modules to Support Collaborative Decision Making This project has evolved from the original concept of a “virtual work station” into a set of decision support modules. The highest-priority modules will be developed with SHRP II funding under this project. It is anticipated that third parties will develop or improve other modules following the systems architecture recommended by Phase III of Project C01.

C08: Improving our Understanding of Approaches to Integrate Watershed and Habit Fragmentation Considerations into Transportation Planning and Development, with an Emphasis on Highways

This project will develop approaches for integrating watershed and habitat fragmentation considerations into transportation planning and development, with a focus on highways, so that environmental stewardship, enhancement, and impact mitigation can be improved at the systems level. The findings of the project would be incorporated into the collaborative decision making framework and decision support modules.