Blue Ribbon Awards for TRB Standing Technical Committees
The TRB Technical Activities Council (TAC) Blue Ribbon Committees Program recognizes exemplary best practice standing technicalcommittee activities and the volunteer efforts associated with those activities. The Blue Ribbon Committees serve as role models, with committee Chairs and members sharing their experiences with others.

2023

• Identifying and Advancing Ideas for Research: Seismic Design and Performance of Bridges Committee for being visionary and proactive in addressing new and critical challenges to improve seismic design and retrofitting practices; and Airfield and Airspace Performance Committee for identifying new areas of transportation research, developing innovative research ideas, and cultivating subcommittees to advance the research field.
• Attracting and Preparing the Next Generation of Professionals and Scholars in TRB: Transportation Related Noise and Vibration Committee for increasing scholar, practitioner, and young member involvement.
• Moving Research Ideas into Transportation Practice: Freight Planning and Logistics Committee for leveraging existing TRB resources innovatively to create an impact beyond TRB.
• Contributing to Improving The Management and Operation of TRB Committees: Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Committee for completing a major strategic planning effort from 2018 to 2019, organizing a 2021 strategic planning workshop, and, engaging with other TRB committees to advance research.
• Increasing the Diversity of Committee Membership: Freeway Operations Committee for engaging diverse participation through resetting committee membership and amplifying inclusive involvement and outreach; and Rail Transit Infrastructure Design and Maintenance Committee for improving gender balance through dedicated outreach.

2022

• Identifying and Advancing Ideas for Research: Quality Assurance Management for Plan-Do-Check-Act: Improving the process to champion RPSs to develop enhanced QA processes
• Attracting and Preparing the Next Generation of Professionals and Scholars in TRB: Urban Freight Transportation Committee for implementing a successful model by culturing a collaborative and supportive learning environment, providing involvement in committee activities, and providing mentoring and networking opportunities for leadership roles
• Moving Research Ideas into Transportation Practice: Transportation Needs of National Parks and Public Lands Committee for Multi-prong Success: Capitalizing on new funding source for public lands research and re-engaging state representatives to fund a research need through the NCHRP program, and Low Volume Roads Committee for 2019 International Low Volume Roads Conference and Workshops
• Contributing to Improving the Management and Operation of TRB Committees: Equity in Transportation Committee for planning and hosting of the Inaugural TRB Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity (CATE)
• Increasing the committee membership and friends, especially from groups that are historically under-represented in transportation: International Trade and Transportation Committee for best practices in attracting and retaining members and friends from historically under-represented groups

2021

• No awards presented

2020

• Identifying and Advancing Ideas for Research: Urban Freight Transportation Committee
  
• Attracting and Preparing the Next Generation of Professionals and Scholars in TRB Operations and Preservation: Young Members Subcommittee
• Moving Research Ideas into Transportation Practice Joint Nomination: Geometric Design Committee and Operational Effects of Geometrics Committee
• Contributing to Improving the Management and Operation of TRB Committees: Transportation Education and Training Committee
  

2019

• Identifying and Advancing Ideas for Research: Roadside Safety Design Committee for identifying, prioritizing, and advancing research needs through engagement with AASHTO technical committee; and Statewide Multimodal Transportation Planning Committee (Honorable Mention) for identifying and advancing research needs into successfully funded research problem statements using multiple forums for convening planning practitioners.
• Attracting and Preparing the Next Generation of Professionals and Scholars in TRB: Managed Lanes Committee for promoting young professionals into prominent committee roles.
• Moving Research Ideas into Transportation Practice: Strategic Management Committee for strategic decision making in real time through interactive, multi-modal war games workshop, and Transportation Asset Management Committee (Honorable Mention) for promoting the implementation of transportation asset management through its conference.
• Contributing to Improving the Management and Operation of TRB Committees: Public Transportation Planning and Development Committee for streamlining the paper review process for efficiency and committee member engagement; Highway Traffic Monitoring Committee (Honorable Mention) for advancing highway traffic monitoring through strategic research (e-Circular E-C227); and Urban Freight Transportation Committee (Honorable Mention) for engaging a passionate global membership and disseminating urban freight innovation to stakeholders.

2018

• Community Building & Mentoring: Logistics of Disaster Response and Business Continuity Committee for utilizing interactive tabletop exercises for educating and communicating current good practices in resilience, and Traffic Control Devices Committee for conducting the Traffic Control Device Student Challenge to attract the next generation of professionals and accelerate their careers;
• Advancing Research: Steel Bridges Committee for coordination with industry and AASHTO in generating Research Needs Statements which resulted in practical, high-value research projects, and for promoting the implementation and dissemination of their results;
• Communications: Technology Transfer Committee for leading in partnering with academia, private sector, and public agencies to advance the state of bringing research results to implementation, and Roadside Operations Committee for developing the Virtual Vegetation Management University (V2MU): a list-serve that brings together academia, public and private sector vegetation management professionals to find solutions to various problems; and
• Contributing to TRB and the Transportation Community: Intermodal Freight Transport Committee for working with the freight industry to listen, observe, absorb, and then base research on real-world, day-to-day challenges, and the International Cooperation Committee (Honorable Mention) for mainstreaming an international perspective in transportation research and promoting international cooperation in transportation.

2017

• Community Building & Mentoring: Construction Management Committee for turning research needs statements into funded research projects through industry outreach and collaboration;
• Advancing Research: Highway Capacity and Quality of Service Committee for promoting and sponsoring transportation research that has established a broad range of tools applied by practitioners, researchers, educators, and policymakers;
• Communications: Rail Transit Systems Committee for innovation in communication through development of a committee history report, introduction of LinkedIn connections, and enhancement of e-mail communications; and
• Contributing to TRB and the Transportation Community: Vehicle–Highway Automation Committee and the Intelligent Transportation Systems Committee for leading the international community for road vehicle automation through the automated vehicle symposia, and the Performance Management Committee (Honorable Mention) for applying a new performance management framework to enhance TRB’s strategies and the success of the organization

2016

• Community Building & Mentoring: Rail Freight Transportation Committee for implementation of the “SummerRail” conference, creating capacity, mentoring, and interconnectedness across the entire Rail Group and beyond;
• Advancing Research: Transportation History Committee for development of a transportation history blog, production of historical exhibits, and writing historical content for TR News;
• Communications: Regional Transportation Systems Management and Operations Committee for developing a coordinated TSMO Research Program with peer organizations, and writing historical content for TR News, and Ecology and Transportation Committee (Honorable Mention) for creating a newsletter for internal and external audiences; and
• Contributing to TRB and the Transportation Community: Transportation Planning Applications Committee for planning and organizing the Transportation Planning Applications Conference.

2015

• Community Building & Mentoring: Committee on Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics for engaging young diverse participants through innovative and inclusive outreach; and collaboration in research, education and training;
• Advancing Research: Transportation Asset Management for turning research needs statements into NCHRP funded research projects; and
• Contributing to TRB and the Transportation Community: Standing Committee on Roundabouts for facilitating implementation of roundabouts through innovative dissemination and outreach of research and best practices, and the Joint Subcommittee on Active Traffic Management (Honorable Mention) for advancing advanced traffic management concept as innovative approach to improve safety and travel."

2014

• Communications: Travel Survey Methods ABJ40 (Policy & Organization Group-Data & Information Systems Section) for “Ensuring that the travel survey community has access to the best and most up-to-date information, documentation, and details on survey methods." 
• Community Building & Mentoring: Women's Issues in Transportation ABE70 (Policy & Organization Group-Policy Section) for “Cooperatively pursuing activities with the Women’s Transportation Seminar that enhance the professional development and career advancement of women in the industry.”
• Advancing Research: Operational Effects of Geometrics & Geometric Design Committee (joint effort) AHB65 & AFB10 (Operations & Preservation Group-Operations Section; Design & Construction Group-Design Section) for “Jointly developing a strategic geometric design research program in consultation with AASHTO Technical Committee on Geometric Design.”
• Contributing to TRB and the Transportation Community: Conduct of Research ABG10 (Policy & Organization Group-Research & Education Section) for “Championing and leading a variety of TRB activities, special initiatives and ongoing partnerships contributing to TRB and the transportation research community.”
• Contributing to TRB and the Transportation Community: Urban Transportation Data and Information Systems ABJ30 (Policy & Organization Group-Data & Information Systems Section) for “Expanding the depth of research on urban transportation data through a number of joint subcommittees devoted to emerging transportation data issues.”

2013

• Communications: Planning & Environment Group ADA60 (Planning & Environment Group.  Transportation System Policy, Planning and Process Section) for “Communicating Concepts with John and Jane Q. Public.”
• Community Building & Mentoring: Railroad Operation Safety AR070 (Rail Group) for “Young Members Scholarship Program.”
• Advancing Research: Highway Safety Performance ANB25 (Systems Users Group; Safety Section) for “Highway Safety Manual.”
• Contributing to TRB and the Transportation Community: Transportation Network Modeling ADB30 (Planning & Environment Group; Travel Analysis Methods Section) for “Improving Connections with Practitioners.”

Process and Schedule
Nominations will be requested from Sections and Groups each year.  Each Section/Group may nominate one or more of their committees in each of the four categories. Nominations are due to the TAC in September.  

The description of the Committee’s best practice activities shall be no longer than 500 words and must relate specifically to the category for which the committee is being nominated. Activities do not have to be limited to the current year, but should include recent activities up to and including the current year. Nominations of committees that won previous Blue Ribbon Committee Awards are acceptable providing that the nomination is based primarily on activities/programs other than those for which the committee won an earlier award.

A subcommittee of the TAC will review the nominations based on the selection criteria and recommend selection of Blue Ribbon Committees in each of the four categories.  The subcommittee may also recommend an honorable mention in each category.  The recommendations will be considered by the full TAC during its fall conference call and final selections will be made.