cooperative research programs transportation research board 1 transportation research board national...

Cooperative Research ProgramsTransportation Research Board1

Transportation Research Board

National Cooperative Rail

Research Program

AASHTO Standing Committee on Rail Transportation

Jacksonville, Florida

September 21, 2010


TRB Cooperative Research Programs

National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) - 1962

FHWA - AASHTO - TRB

Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) - 1992 FTA - APTA - TRB

Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) - 2005 FAA – ACI - AAAE – NASAO- ATA - TRB


TRB Cooperative Research Programs

National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP) - 2006

RITA - TRB

Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program (HMCRP) - 2006

PHMSA - TRB


Coming soon …

National Cooperative Rail Research Program (NCRRP)

FRA – AASHTO – AAR – APTA – NARP - TRB


Highways (NCHRP) $ 37.5 M

Transit (TCRP) $ 10.0 M

Airports (ACRP) $ 15.0 M

Freight (NCFRP) $ 3.4 M

HazMat (HMCRP) $ 1.1 M

Rail (NCRRP) – Coming Soon $ 5.0 M

Approximate Annual Funding levels:


NCRRP--Basics Authorized in PRIIA Legislation $5.0 million per year starting in FY 2010 through FY

2013 To cover freight, intercity passenger (including HSR),

and commuter rail (FRA-Regulated Systems) Applied, problem solving research National Academy of Sciences (i.e., TRB) to

administer as per PRIIA Governing board to be selected by Secretary, USDOT FY 2010 funding from HSR pot ($5.0 Million)


NCRRP--Status as of 9/21/2010 FRA-NAS NCRRP Memorandum of Agreement--

DOT/FRA Signature In Process NCRRP FY2010 Grant--FRA Approval in Process U.S. DOT Appointment of NCRRP Governing Board

in Process Solicitation of Potential Research Topics Underway

through FRA and Relevant AASHTO, APTA, TRB Committees

First Meeting of NCRRP Governing Board Expected Late 2010/Early 2011 to Select FY 2010 Research Projects


NCRRP– Governing Board 21 Voting Members

- 4 Freight Rail, 1 Alaska Railroad

- 1 Amtrak, 2 Intercity Passenger, 2 Commuter Rail

- 4 State DOTs

- 2 Railway Labor

- 3 Private Sector and/or University

- FRA Administrator, Associate Administrator of Railroad and Policy Development

7 Non-Voting, ‘Ex-Officio” Members

- AAR, APTA, AASHTO, EPA, FAA, NARP, TRB


Potential NCRRP Products: Guides and Specifications Software products Product enhancements New or improved models/tools Guidebooks/handbooks Improved operations and services Testing/evaluation techniques


Involvement in NCRRP

Submit a Potential Research TopicServe on a CRP Project PanelServe as a Research ContractorUse the Research Results


Related CRP Products/Projects

NCHRP Report 657, Guidebook for Implementing Passenger Rail Service on Shared Passenger and Freight Corridors (Published 2010):

Provides improved principles, processes, and methods to support agreements on access, allocation of operation and maintenance costs, capacity allocation, operational issues, future responsibilities for infrastructure improvements, and other fundamental issues that affect the ultimate success of shared-use passenger and freight agreements between public and private railroad stakeholders.


Related CRP Products/Projects TCRP Report 130, Shared Use of Railroad Infrastructure

with Noncompliant Public Transit Rail Vehicles: A Practitioner’s Guide (Published 2009):

Provides a business case for the shared use of non-FRA-compliant public transit rail vehicles (e.g., light rail) with freight operations and offers a suggested business model for such shared-use operations. Identifies the advantages and disadvantages of shared-use operations and the issues and barriers that can arise in the course of implementation. Includes a section that identifies and evaluates available and emerging technology, operating procedures, and techniques that could be used to minimize the risks associated with sharing of track between non-FRA-compliant public transit rail vehicles and freight railroad operations.


Related CRP Products/Projects

NCFRP Project 30, Web-Based Screening Tool for Shared-Use Rail Corridors (contract pending)

Objective: to develop a web-based tool to enable states and passenger rail operators to perform preliminary feasibility screening of proposed shared-use passenger and freight rail corridor projects


Related CRP Products/Projects NCHRP Project 8-85, The Comprehensive Economic Effects

of Highway-Rail At-Grade Crossing Crashes (RFP Active)Objective: to develop a usable model for evaluating the benefits of crossing changes

intended to reduce crash costs.

NCHRP Project 8-86, Capacity Modeling Guidebook for Shared-Use Passenger and Freight Rail Operations

(final scoping pending) Objective: to develop a detailed guidebook on capacity modeling techniques for

state transportation agency staff and other public entities


National Cooperative Freight Research Program


NCFRP Publications to Date NCFRP Report 1, Public and Private Sector

Interdependence in Freight Transportation Markets NCFRP Report 2, Institutional Arrangements for

Freight Transportation Systems NCFRP Report 3, Separation of Vehicle—CMV-Only

Lanes NCFRP Report 4, Representing Freight in Air Quality

and Greenhouse Gas Models NCFRP Report 5, North American Marine Highways


NCFRP Projects in Publication NCFRP Project 2, Impacts of Public Policy on the

Freight Transportation System NCFRP Project 4/7, Operational and Low-Cost

Improvements to Freight Transportation System Performance

NCFRP Project 6, Freight-Demand Modeling to Support Public-Sector Decision Making

NCFRP Project 12, Specifications for Freight Transportation Data Architecture


NCFRP Projects Underway NCFRP Project 3, Performance Measures for Freight

Transportation (October 2010) NCFRP Project 5/8, Framework and Tools for

Estimating Benefits of Specific Freight Network Investment Needs (December 2010)

NCFRP Project 11, Identification and Evaluation of Freight Demand Factors (December 2010)

NCFRP Project 14, Truck Drayage Practices (October 2010)


NCFRP Projects Underway NCFRP Project 15, Understanding Urban Goods

Movements (January 2011) NCFRP Project 19, Truck Tolling-Understanding

Industry Tradeoffs when Using or Avoiding Tolls (June 2011)

NCFRP Project 20, Guidebook for Developing Sub-National Commodity Flow Data (March 2011)

NCFRP Project 23, Economic and Transportation Factors for Siting Freight Intermodal and Warehouse Distribution Facilities (November 2010)


NCFRP Projects Underway NCFRP Project 24, Preserving and Protecting Freight

Infrastructure and Routes (February 2011) NCFRP Project 25, Freight Trip Generation and Land

Use (April 2011) NCFRP Project 26, Freight Transportation Cost Data

(September 2011) NCFRP Project 27, Reducing Freight System Emissions

and Impacts through Environmental Benchmarking (June 2011)


NCFRP Projects Underway NCFRP Project 28, Truck Idling Scoping Study (October

2011) NCFRP Project 29, New Dedicated Revenues for

Freight Transportation Investment (November 2010)


NCFRP Projects Pending NCFRP Project 17(2), Barriers and Constraints to

North American Marine Highways NCFRP Project 22, Applying Benefit-Cost Analysis to

Freight Project Selection: Lessons from the Corps of Engineers

NCFRP Project 30, Web-Based Screening Tool for Shared-Use Rail Corridors

NCFRP Project 31, Guidebook for Sharing Freight Transportation Data


NCFRP Projects Pending NCFRP Project 32, Impact of Smart Growth on

Metropolitan Goods Movement NCFRP Project 33, Public-Sector Sustainability

Strategies Addressing Supply Chain Air Emissions NCFRP Project 34, Alternative Technologies for Ocean

Container Freight Movements NCFRP Project 35, The Great Lakes Region Impacts on

the Intermodal Freight System


TRB website www.trb.org

• Information on NCHRP, TCRP, ACRP, NCFRP, HMCRP, NCRRP

• Search engine• Project Info since 1988:

Anticipated / Active / Completed

• CRP publication lists / ordering info

• Requests for proposals• Registration form for

notification of RFPs

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