FHWA Research and Technology Evaluation Program Summary Report Spring 2016

Executive Summary

The Federal Government has the responsibility to fund and conduct research and technology (R&T) activities of national interest that will lead to solutions to highway transportation issues and significantly advance technology innovation with a clear public benefit when private investment is neither present nor sufficient.⁽¹⁾ In 2003, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) leadership adopted a strategic management framework called the Corporate Master Plan (CMP) for Research and Deployment of Technology & Innovation.⁽²⁾ Performance evaluation and measurement together form a major part of the CMP. FHWA shapes and executes a national R&T program comprising eight research components. Four of these components take place under the guidance of the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) in McLean, VA. TFHRC leadership has adopted a Strategic Plan to guide the Center’s continued development and capitalize on its significant accomplishments.⁽³⁾ The research evaluation efforts described in this report focus directly on Goal 5 of the Strategic Plan: Research activities and outcomes are appropriately advanced through effective alignment of resources, dissemination of knowledge, and technology transition. In support of the CMP and the Strategic Plan, FHWA’s R&T program has developed a research agenda to:⁽⁴⁾

• Communicate the agenda to external customers, stakeholders, and within FHWA.
• Provide a means for input and comment across the entire FHWA R&T portfolio.
• Open opportunities for greater R&D coordination and collaboration.
• Support system performance measures.
• Guide the investment of FHWA resources.

This report furthers the research agenda, summarizing 16 evaluations currently being conducted by staff at Volpe, The National Transportation Systems Center sponsored by FHWA’s R&T Program. The evaluations are grouped into two waves. The first wave consists of six retrospective evaluations and four prospective evaluations. The second wave consists of six evaluations, all prospective. The report provides more detail about evaluations that are closer to completion. Many of the evaluations leverage both qualitative data (e.g., document review, semistructured interviews) and quantitative data (e.g., website statistics) to trace the diffusion of FHWA R&T recommendations, track the adoption of those recommendations, and determine the impact of adoption. An overview of the initial findings for the six retrospective evaluations is provided below. All findings can be found in the main text of this report and are discussed in more detail in the respective final reports for each project.

Adaptive Signal Controls (ASC) ⁽⁵⁾

• FHWA’s development and outreach activities, particularly its Every Day Counts (EDC) program, played a major role in overcoming initial reluctance in the market to adopt ASC technologies.
• FHWA-funded teams and FHWA-influenced technology firms have continued to develop ASC systems that improved travel time and reduced congestion.

Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS)⁽⁶⁾

• FHWA activities raised awareness and understanding of GRS-IBS technology and construction guidelines among the majority of stakeholders interviewed.
• The pace of GRS-IBS bridge construction increased and FHWA activities supported local stakeholders. Ongoing analysis seeks to clarify links between FHWA activities and GRS-IBS deployment.

Gusset Plates ⁽⁷⁾

• FHWA’s technical expertise in bridge infrastructure and its prior history of working with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was critical during the I–35W bridge investigation.
• FHWA’s commitment to bridge research and the decision to jointly fund the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) effort accelerated the research timeline, resulting in faster development of revised specifications for load rating and designing gusset plates.

National Household Travel Survey (NHTS)⁽⁸⁾

• Nearly half of the publications using the 2014 NHTS are in the transportation field has increased. with the share of nontransportation publications growing and website data access increasing.
• Interviews suggest that NHTS informs policy and legislative decisions within transportation and other fields such as: The FHWA Report to Congress, The Nation’s Highways, Bridges and Transit: Conditions and Performance Report; U.S. DOT Secretary Foxx’s “Beyond Traffic” Report; calculations of the model year Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards (CAFÉ); and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) ten year agenda, Healthy People 2020. The nature and extent of the impact on these decisions remains unclear.

Roadside Revegetation ⁽⁹⁾

• Use of Roadside Revegetation: An Integrated Approach to Establishing Native Plants helps to reinforce already mandated agency policies to end users.⁽¹⁰⁾
• Survey respondents and interviewees believed guide implementation has generally improved erosion, sustainability and environmental stewardship, and visitor experience outcomes.

Roundabouts ⁽¹¹⁾

• FHWA R&T’s research activities throughout the 1990s led to a significant increase in the amount of published material on roundabouts in the United States.
• FHWA efforts have helped to shape State policies towards roundabouts and have changed the attitude of transportation professionals towards roundabouts as an intersection alternative.

The remaining 10 evaluation teams do not yet have initial findings. The prospective wave 1 projects are continuing to refine evaluation plans with results expected over the next few years. Wave 2 projects have recently launched and evaluation planning will continue throughout the next year.

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms