Building information modeling (BIM) has been used in the vertical construction industry since the 1970s. In the last decade, the worldwide transportation industry has been pushing for the implementation of BIM for bridges and infrastructures. This process revolutionizes the way projects are delivered and, to be successful, it requires the cooperation of all parties involved in the realization of the structure. TRB's Transportation Research Circular E-C282: Building Information Modeling for Bridges and St...

An important operational characteristic of an airport is the length of its longest runway. The longest runway determines the types of aircraft that can use the airport and dictates the operational limitations at the airport. The TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program's ACRP Web-Only Document 54: Development of a Small Aircraft Runway Length Analysis Tool provides a user-friendly computer tool to help airport planners and designers estimate runway length requirements for a variety of aircraft and design...

Dynamic curbside management has been the purview of cities, with much of the relevant research and guidance directed toward local transportation agencies. However, state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and other regional agencies can be important partners for these local entities because, in many cases, roadways and other curb zone elements are part of the regional or state network. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Web-Only Document 340: Dy...

The November-December 2021 issue of TR News —with a cover feature on collaboration and innovation at the MnROAD Research Facility—is available in full online. Other feature articles in the issue include Airport Cooperative Research Program guidance on best design practices for service animal relief areas, worship spaces, lactation areas, and more; developing the transportation workforce; and infrastructure preservation and renewal. This is Issue 336. To subscribe to TR News, sign up through MyTRB.org. Su...

Many technical and institutional issues related to estimating and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) lie across a wide spectrum of the activities undertaken by state departments of transportation (DOTs). The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Web-Only Document 308: Methods for State DOTs to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Transportation Sector documents the research effort for an NCHRP project that focused on developing a guide for state DOTs on reducing GHG emission...

The September-October 2021 issue of TR News —with a cover feature on what the transportation industry learned from 9/11—is available in full online.  Other feature articles in the issue focus on how, since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11), transportation has broadened its role to include response and operations—from traffic incident management as a multiagency function to aviation security. But in the 20 years since 9/11, natural disasters, technology changes, and pandemics have pr...

The 2021 Annual Report summarizes TRB’s accomplishments in each of its major program areas and how TRB has served the nation and the global transportation professional community throughout the year. TRB provides leadership in transportation improvements and innovation through trusted, timely, impartial, and evidence-based information exchange, research, and advice regarding all modes of transportation. TRB is a program division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). The...

The July-August 2021 issue of TR News —with a cover feature on research needs for the marine transportation system of the future—is available in full online.  Other feature articles in the issue include members of the Marine Board and TRB’s Marine Group standing committees investigating critically important topics for innovation and research in, and transformation of, the marine transportation system to help achieve necessary strides in emissions reduction, automation, big data, and resiliency by 20...

Although the need for a more effective set of short- and long-term transportation resilience strategies is increasingly obvious and urgent, many knowledge gaps and institutional barriers still exist. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Research Report 975: Transportation System Resilience: Research Roadmap and White Papers highlights significant knowledge gaps within AASHTO and state departments of transportation, presents a 5-year research plan that addresses these gaps, and di...

The March - April 2021 issue of TR News —with a cover feature on TRB's 100th Annual Meeting—is available in full online.  Other articles in the issue explore mobility and human trafficking, near-road air quality, and how to make safer roadway crossings for small wildlife. This is Issue 332. To subscribe to TR News, sign up through MyTRB.org. Subscription rates include postage. Subscribe based on if your mailing address is outside North America or in North America .