What's New in Energy

Electric vehicle supply equipment for visitors to national parks are evaluated in Best Practices for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Installations in the National Parks , a report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The report summarizes notable takeaways and makes recommendations to help ensure the success of future charging installation projects.

The success and impact of activities through the Clean Cities coalition is summarized in Clean Cities Coalitions 2018 Activity Report , a report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center. The DOE works with local Clean Cities coalitions across the country as part of its Technology Integration Program. These efforts are intended to help busine...

A primary goal of the Standing Technical Committee on Aviation Economics and Forecasting, that continues to this day, is to help inform the FAA’s annual forecast of aviation activity. The findings of the FAA forecast are especially important for predicting the financial needs of the air traffic control system (ATC) and feed directly into the annual federal budget process. The FAA forecast in tu...

The Human Factors Workshop had a prominent place among the workshops that crowd the day before the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting. The oldest workshop, it dates to 1967. Not only did the workshop introduce new ideas to TRB, it became a pathway for leadership. Among these new leaders was a psychologist who had switched careers to dive headfirst into highway safety research. H...

TRB officially turns 100 on November 11, 2020. To help celebrate the centennial TRB is asking you to “Tell Us ‘Our’ Story.” This month’s question is: How has TRB helped enhance the quality of life, safety, and/or economy of your physical community? Please submit your responses in to this month's question by January 31, 2020. TRB welcomes all stories: small or large, profound or light-hearted, ...

Ways in which governors can respond to energy efficiency, clean energy, transportation electrification, and cyber and physical protection are outlined in the State Energy Toolkit , a website from the National Governors’ Association. The toolkit includes an overview of technologies and key policy trends; a summary of opportunities, challenges, and key state solutions; and examples of solutions f...

The January 12 - 16, 2020 TRB Annual Meeting generated headlines, podcasts, and video from the various press on hand to cover more than 5,000 presentations in nearly 800 sessions and workshops. Catch up on your reading, watching, and listening!   Video   C SPAN 2020 Transportation Policy Agenda   Automation Technology and Transportation     Podcast   Land Line Agen...

Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles in the United States are assessed in Current State of NOx Emissions From In-Use Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles in the United States , a report from the International Council on Clean Transportation. NOx emissions are a significant contributor to ambient air quality issues and ozone pollution in the United States.

Presentations from the 2020 Annual Meeting are now available on the interactive program . To see presentations, log into the program, then search for the session you are interested in.  If approved for posting by the speaker, the presentations are listed under the scheduled presentations towards the bottom of the page. Click the ‘View Presentation’ button to view. (If there is no pres...

On January 14, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing to discuss how the maritime industry could become carbon-free. Witnesses from the public and private sectors provided testimony. The witness statements and a webcast of the hearing are available online .

We hope you had a wonderful experience at the 2020 TRB Annual Meeting. Thank you for joining us. The meeting may be over, but this is a great time to jump start your interactions with TRB. Subscribe & follow: Weekly newsletter TR News print subscription TRR Journal Social media Be a friend: Receive email updates and volunteer opportunities. Log into MyTRB , update your Profile and navigate ...

Your Future in Transportation, a new video produced especially for the TRB Centennial Celebration, is now available. You can view it on the Centennial website's homepage or watch it here. Critical to TRB’s and the transportation community’s future is a diverse workforce that can creatively deal with the innovations that will define transportation in the future. This video highlights the excitem...

TRB is pleased to announce that the TRB Centennial Book is now available for purchase. In The Transportation Research Board, 1920–2020: Everyone Interested Is Invited , author Sarah Jo Peterson tells the story of how people and institutions created and have continued to shape TRB. In a compelling narrative accompanied by more than 150 images exploring the history of transportation and research,...

A high-efficiency Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) system for electric vehicles (EVs) is investigated in Design of a Feedback-Controlled Wireless Converter for Electric Vehicle Wireless Charging Applications , a report from the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University. WPTs may be able to mitigate the challenges of EVs, including short driving ranges, long charging times, and h...

Autonomous vehicles (AV) took center stage at the Chair’s Luncheon of the Transportation Research Board’s Annual Meeting this week. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced “AV 4.0,” a new DOT-White House initiative created to unify AV efforts across 38 federal government entities, focusing chiefly on the potential of increased safety with less human error. One part ...

Autonomous vehicles (AV) took center stage at the Chair’s Luncheon of the Transportation Research Board’s Annual Meeting this week. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced “AV 4.0,” a new DOT-White House initiative created to unify AV efforts across 38 federal government entities, focusing chiefly on the potential of increased safety with less human error. One part ...

The key challenges and opportunities for improving long-haul trucking efficiency in China are identified in Barriers and Opportunities for Improving Long-Haul Freight Efficiency in China , a briefing from the International Council on Clean Transportation. Heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) make up a small percentage of total vehicle sales in China but is responsible for a large portion of fuel used, be...

The global maturity and market status of battery electric and fuel cell technology is discussed in Battery Electric and Fuel Cell Trains , a report from the Institute of Transport Economics at the Norwegian Centre for Transport Research. Cities and regions may deploy battery electric and fuel cell technologies to improve air quality and reduce noise in the cases when rail sections and tracks ar...

TRB gathered a group photo at the Annual Meeting to celebrate attendees and a record year of attendance at 13,900+. The result was a magnificent display of many of the world's best and brightest thinkers in the world of transportation, also showing what a multimodal group the annual meeting brings together of people from all over the world. For the full-size photo that allows you to scroll clos...

TRB released a new video, Your future in transportation , at the TRB Annual Meeting. As the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine turns 100 on November 11, 2020, we are focused on the role of research and taking the lessons learned into the future of transportation. Along with the video, we released a companion book, The Transportation...

Intermodal terminal design and operations are now facing different kinds of challenges, with escalating volumes, rising customer expectations, and increased community concerns over emissions and traffic congestion. The Standing Committee on Intermodal Freight Terminal Design and Operations (AT050) has evolved by both broadening the scope of the intermodal terminal issues it addresses and foster...

Congratulations to TRB Division Committee chair Chris Hendrickson! On Saturday, January 11, Dr. Hendrickson received the Council of University Transportation Centers’s CUTC-HNTB Lifetime Achievement Award for Transportation Education and Research. He is recognized for decades of research and professional leadership as well as his unparalleled impact on the field of transportation through nurtur...

The Wisconsin DOT issues both single- and multi-trip permits for Oversize–Overweight (OSOW) vehicles. As the number of OSOW vehicle permits issued in Wisconsin have increased in recent years, the management and analysis of OSOW permit data has become more labor-intensive and time-consuming. This "Research Pays Off" feature in  TR News edition 324 (November-December 2019), by Hani Titi, Nic...

Problem statements are now being accepted for the FY 2021 Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Program (BTSCRP) identify potential research needs and form the basis for selection of the annual BTSCRP research program. Problem statements should be no longer than three pages, and should be sent in a Microsoft Word attachment to BTSCRP@NAS.EDU . Problem statements are due by February 21,...

If you’re an aviation professional, you are probably aware of the complexities of airport fueling facilities now that the industry has been altered by the advent of more fuel-efficient aircraft. TRB is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, February 12, 2020, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM ET that will outline the business aspects of an airport-operated fueling facility. Presenters will describe inventory ma...

Providing light beyond the limits of the roadway travel lanes benefits drivers’ visual performance, spectral content of light-emitting diode (LED) sources should be a design consideration, and there are not currently any health impacts from properly designed roadway lighting are among the findings of this survey report. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's pre-publication dra...

The lighting industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. The optical system design of legacy high-intensity discharge (HID) luminaires was restricted to the lamp, refractor, and reflector design, which had limits in the distribution of the light, controls, and adaptability. Roadway luminaires have moved beyond this design methodology to include the vast possibilities presented by so...

Nearly 14,000 people – including industry leaders, policymakers, administrators, and researchers from government, industry, and academia – gathered for the Transportation Research Board’s 99th Annual Meeting (you can still register at this link too)  in Washington, D.C., from Jan. 12-16, 2020. TRB is celebrating its centennial with the launch of a book chronicling the history of how the o...

Airports worldwide are setting aggressive zero- or low-emissions targets. To meet these targets, airports are deploying new strategies, adopting innovative financing mechanisms, and harnessing the collective influence of voluntary emissions and reporting programs. In tandem, new and affordable zero- or low-emissions technologies are rapidly becoming available at airports. The TRB Airport Cooper...

The TRB “Tell Us ‘Our’ Story centennial activity is designed to allow as many of you (TRB’s volunteers and friends) as possible to participate in the TRB Centennial Celebration through the submission of your stories. The “Tell Us ‘Our” Story” Centennial activity consists of a series of monthly questions that will help capture your stories. According to Sharid Amiri, Senior Transportation Engin...