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Pedestrian and Bicyclist Research at TRB

mode_pedestrians_iconThe mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. This page highlights recently released TRB reports, meeting announcements, requests for proposals, and other announcements related to pedestrians and bicyclists. In addition, it includes links to selected pedestrian and bicyclist research-related activities taking place at the federal and state levels, and within the academic and international transportation communities. Finally, this page also highlights and provides links to TRB programs and activities, which are the source of most of TRB’s pedestrian and bicyclist-related research products.

What's New

TRB Pedestrians and Bicyclists-Related Programs and Activities

Biking Tourism and Effects on Local, Regional and National Levels: A Literature Review and Case Study on Biking Tourists in Varberg and Gotland, Sweden
December 6, 2013
VTI, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, has released a report that explores the benefits from bicycle tourism and the beneficiaries from a developed bicycle trail network. This report is written in Swedish and contains an English summary.
Improving the Cost-Benefit Analysis of Integrated PT, Walking and Cycling
December 6, 2013
The New Zealand Transport Agency has released a report that explores an evaluation framework for estimating the cost-benefit analysis of integrating public transportation (PT) with walking and cycling.
RFP: Enhancing Airport Wayfinding for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities
December 4, 2013
TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) has issued a request for proposals to develop a guidebook on pedestrian wayfinding systems that allow the elderly and persons with disabilities to travel independently within airports. Proposals are due January 28, 2014.
Critical Issues in Transportation: 2013Critical Issues in Transportation: 2013
December 2, 2013
TRB’s Executive Committee periodically identifies a set of critical issues in transportation to focus attention on their likely impact on the nation’s economy and quality of life. The discussion of the critical issues identified in this document is intended to facilitate debate and to encourage research leading to their resolution. Previous editions of Critical Issues in Transportation have hig...
2014 TRB 93rd Annual Meeting: Exhibit Deadline Ends December 6, 2013, and Patron Opportunities Still Available2014 TRB 93rd Annual Meeting: Exhibit Deadline Ends December 6, 2013, and Patron Opportunities Still Available
November 26, 2013
Opportunities are still available for businesses and other organizations to showcase their products and services and to show their support for transportation research and innovation through purchasing a commercial exhibit and becoming an Annual Meeting Patron at the TRB 93rd Annual Meeting, January 12-16, 2014, in Washington, D.C. The exhibit application deadline ends Friday, December 6, 2013. ...
Warm Wetted Sand for Skid Control of Walkways and Bike Paths: Benefits and Drawbacks of the Method Evaluated in Umeå
November 22, 2013
VTI, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, has released a report that discusses the benefits and drawbacks of using warm, wetted sand on walkways and bike paths by considering factors such as measurements of friction and road conditions. This report is written in Swedish and contains a summary in English.
Traffic Signal Systems 2013, Volume 2Traffic Signal Systems 2013, Volume 2
November 4, 2013
TRB’s Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2356 contains 14 papers that review an intelligent dilemma-zone protection system for a high-speed rural intersection; adaptive signal control in Germany; queue length under connected vehicle technology; a coordinated optimization model for signal timings of full continuous flow intersections; and, transit p...
Development of Estimation Methodology for Bicycle and Pedestrian Volumes Based on Existing Counts
November 1, 2013
The Colorado Department of Transportation has released a report that discusses how pedestrians and bicyclists have been considered in the planning, design, and operation of transportation facilities.
Operational Guidance for Bicycle-Specific Traffic Signals in the United States
November 1, 2013
The Oregon Department of Transportation has released a report that summarizes the literature, current engineering design and operational guidance documents, and survey results of bicycle-specific signals deployments.
America’s Rails with Trails: A Resource for Planners, Agencies, and Advocates on Trails Along Active Railroad Corridors
October 25, 2013
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has released a report that examines characteristics of 88 rails-with-trails in 33 states so as to provide stakeholders with a resource to increase awareness and advance polices for trail development.

National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
NCHRP conducts research in problem areas that affect highway planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance nationwide.
Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
TCRP is an applied, contract research program that develops near-term, practical solutions to problems facing transit agencies.
Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Problems
TRB's Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Problems searches out and synthesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute an Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) report series, Synthesis of Transit Practice.
Cooperative Research Programs
TRB's Cooperative Research Programs Division manages several cooperative research programs that frequently produces reports that have relevence to issues outside of the program's core focus areas.
Technical Activities Standing Committees
TRB's Technical Activities Division provides a forum for transportation professionals in all modes and functions to identify research needs and to share information on research and issues of interest. The Division's staff of specialists in each mode and discipline work with a network of volunteers to carry out activities on behalf of TRB sponsors and the transportation community, including the TRB Annual Meeting, conferences and workshops, publications, visits to each state, and responses to inquiries. This network includes members and friends of over 200 standing committees, supplemented by designated TRB representatives in each state, over 150 universities, and 35 transit agencies.
Research in Progress in this Subject Area
TRB's Research in Progress (RiP) Database now contains more than 11,900 current or recently completed transportation research projects. Most of the RiP records are projects funded by federal and state departments of transportation. University transportation research is also included. The RiP Database also serves as a clearinghouse of University Transportation Centers ongoing research.
Research Needs in this Subject Area
An important function of TRB is to stimulate research that addresses concerns, issues, or problems facing the transportation community. In support of this function, TRB Technical Activities standing committees identify, develop, and disseminate research need statements (RNS) for use by practitioners, researchers, and others.
Research Completed in this Subject Area
TRB's TRID is integrated database that combines the records from TRB's Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) Database and the OECD's Joint Transport Research Centre’s International Transport Research Documentation (ITRD) Database. TRID provides access to over 900,000 records of transportation research worldwide.