Transit Banning Policies Get New Research

Transit system riders sometimes act in a manner that is inappropriate. Their actions may disturb, distress, or even harm transit operators, other transit personnel, or other riders. Because of these actions, many agencies have established policies to exclude or expel riders from vehicles and facilities for varying periods of time, depending on the offense and the system.

Transit Exclusion Policies in Public Transportation Systems (TCRP Synthesis 173), released this past week, documents the use of transportation exclusion policies and their effectiveness in North American transit systems.

How Colorado Staved Off a Traffic Nightmare with Geofoam and TRB's Research

In 2019, the Colorado Department of Transportation (DOT) was faced with a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) bridge abutment failing catastrophically, closing US 36 between Denver and Boulder. The geotechnical design subconsultants suggested the use of geofoam blocks to fast-track theproject and get the embankment reconstructed prior to winter.

"Geofoam: Colorado’s Innovative Answer to an Emergency Highway Repair," by Stephen Harelson, details how TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program research provided design guidelines and material and construction suggestions, as well as the engineering properties of the geofoam material and a summary of successful case histories. The article is one of the features in the September-December 2023 edition of TR News (Issue 347), TRB's magazine.

Congratulations Committee Award Winners

Kudos to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project! The volunteer members of TRB’s Standing Technical Committee on Public Engagement and Communications named the ADOT and WSP project team as the 17th annual winner in their Communicating Concepts with the Public competition. The project is Arizona’s largest urban freeway reconstruction effort, requiring the full closure of major freeways near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Drivers, stakeholders, and students were invited for walking tours and demonstrations around the bridge removal process, providing an up-close view and unique educational opportunity.

The news coverage from the TRB Annual Meeting continues, including ITS International's feature on transportation innovations, the AASHTO Journal's look at "the transportation agency of the future," Government Technology's examination of recycled roadways that charge electric vehicles, and Geosynthetics Magazine's takeaways from the new-materials panel with U.S. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg. We have also summarized much of the news coverage of the conference.

Each of the the three videos produced at the TRB Annual Meeting now have more than 1,000 views. Take a look at our YouTube channel.

The Federal Railroad Administration is working with the National Academies and TRB on a study of freight trains longer than 7,500 feet. Progressive Railroading has the latest details.