PUBLIC ROADS

https://highways.dot.gov Winter 2024

WINNERS
ABOVE: Flooding and mudslides severely damaged the road along 

the Gardner River in Yellowstone National Park. 

© 2023 Michael Tang.

COVERS: The bridge to the future is in the minds of the young 

with a passion for innovation and technology.

FHWA composition. Images © Gorodenkoff / 

immimagery / AdobeStock.com.

Recommended citation: Federal Highway Administration, Public Roads, Winter 2024 

(Washington, DC: 2023) https://doi.org/10.21949/1521452

FEATURE

8 The U.S. DOT’s Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law Implementation 

Team Wins Prestigious 2023 

Samuel J. Heyman Service 

to America Award 

Honorees Are Exceptional Public 

Servants Who Keep the Nation 

Running and Moving Forward

by FHWA Public Affairs

 Student Writing Competition

11 The Future of Transportation 

is Here!

FHWA Showcases the First-Ever Student 

Writing Competition Winners.

by Dr. Kelly Regal

12 Intumescent Paint Protection in 

the Transportation Industry

by Tyler Hebert

14 Proactive Safety for Vulnerable 

Road Users Leveraging 

Digital Twin Technology

by Muhammad Sami Irfan

16 The Pathway to Equitable Access: 

Enhancing Transportation 

Performance Management

by Shriya Karam

18 Investing in Resiliency: 

Addressing the Climate Issue

by Michael Tang

22 Partnering with Minority 

Serving Institutions to Advance 

21st Century Transportation 

Systems in the United States

by David Zack Magallanez

24 Highways for the Neighborhood: 

Reimagining Our Road 

Infrastructure for Community 

Integration and Development

by Joseph Tso

26 Wildlife Crossings Improve Traffic 

Safety and May Protect Biodiversity

by Joseph Parampathu

28 STEM and Transportation: Using 

Technology and Engineering 

to Drive a Safer Future for 

Teens on Roadways

by Sydney Cooper

30 Creating Safe and Equitable 

Transportation

by Rohini Kar

Winter 2024 | Vol. 87, No. 4

DEPARTMENTS

Guest Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Innovation Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Along the Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Training Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Notice

This document is disseminated under 

the sponsorship of the U.S. Department 

of Transportation in the interest of 

information exchange. The U.S. Government 

assumes no liability for the use of the 

information contained in this document.

Non-Binding Contents

Except for the statutes and regulations cited, the 

contents of this document do not have the force and 

effect of law and are not meant to bind the States 

or the public in any way. This document is intended 

only to provide information regarding existing 

requirements under the law or agency policies.
Source: FHWA.

Are you a longtime transportation 

professional conducting new 

research on a particular topic? Or 

an industry freshman looking to 

expand your knowledge base?

The Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA) has the online research tool 

that can help. 

Since 2006, “What’s New” in FHWA publications 

has been the comprehensive online resource 

for fact sheets, TechBriefs, reports, and more to 

support your research needs. These publications 

cover a wide range of topics, including:

• Roadway safety and 

enhancements.

• Pedestrian and 

bicycle safety.

• Transportation equity.

• Connected and 

automated vehicles.

• Nondestructive 

evaluations.

• Bridge innovations, 

reconstruction, and 

rehabilitation.

• Pavement technology 

and materials.

• Intersection 

improvements 

and design.

• Intelligent transportation 

systems. 

To access the list of downloadable research 

documents, visit www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications

/lists/whatsnew/index.cfm.

U.S. Department of Transportation

Pete Buttigieg, Secretary

Federal Highway Administration

Shailen P. Bhatt, Administrator

Gloria M. Shepherd, Executive Director

Office of Research, Development, and Technology

Kelly Regal, Associate Administrator 

Jack D. Jernigan, Acting Director, Office of Corporate 

Research, Technology, and Innovation Management

TaMara McCrae, Editor-in-Chief

TaMara McCrae, Distribution Manager

Editorial Board: 

E. Biondi, V. Briggs, B. Fouch, T. Hess, H. Kalla, 

M. Knopp, K. Regal, I. Rico, G. Shepherd, C. Walker 

Editorial and Design Contractor: 

Schatz Strategy Group 

R. Nemec, C. Williams, A. Jacobi, J. Love,

T. Tolbert, A. Lax, D. Davis, M. Mitchell

Public Roads (ISSN 0033-3735; USPS 516-690) 

is published quarterly by the Office of Research, 

Development, and Technology, Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), 6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, 

VA 22101-2296. The business and editorial office of 

Public Roads is located at the McLean address above. 

Phone: 202–493–3382. Email: tamara.mccrae@dot.gov. 

Periodicals postage paid at McLean, VA, and additional 

mailing offices (if applicable).

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 

Public Roads, HRTM-20, FHWA, 

6300 Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101-2296.

Public Roads is sold by the Superintendent of Documents, 

U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. 

Requests for subscriptions should be sent directly to New 

Orders, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 979050, 

St. Louis, MO 63197-9000. Subscriptions are available 

for 1-year periods. Paid subscribers should send change 

of address notices to the U.S. Government Printing Office, 

Claims Office, Washington, DC 20402.

The electronic version of Public Roads can be accessed 

through the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center 

home page (https://highways.dot.gov/research).

The Secretary of Transportation has determined that 

the publication of this periodical is necessary in the 

transaction of the public business required by law of 

this department.

All articles are advisory or informational in nature and 

should not be construed as having regulatory effect.

Articles written by private individuals contain the personal 

views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those 

of FHWA.

All photographs are provided by FHWA unless 

otherwise credited.

Contents of this publication may be reprinted, provided 

credit is given to Public Roads and the authors.

For more information, representatives of the news 

media should contact FHWA’s Office of Public Affairs at 

202–366–0660.

NOTICE

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship 

of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the interest 

of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes 

no liability for the use of the information contained in 

this document. This document does not constitute a 

standard, specification, or regulation. 

The U.S. Government does not endorse products 

or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ 

names appear in this document only because they are 

considered essential to the objective of the document; 

they are included for informational purposes only and 

are not intended to reflect a preference, approval, or 

endorsement of any one product or entity. 
2 PUBLIC ROADS

Sixty Years of the Civil Rights Act:

Examining the Legacy of FHWA’s Title VI Enforcement and 

Its Ongoing Duty to Promote Non-Discrimination 

This year marks the 60th anniversary of U.S. President 

Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act into 

law in 1964. Title VI of the act prohibits recipients 

of Federal financial assistance from discriminating based on 

race, color, and national origin. This anniversary provides an 

important opportunity for us to reflect on the effects of past 

transportation decisions as well as an opportunity to rethink 

what it means to comply with Title VI 

requirements.

The U.S. Department of 

Transportation and the Federal Highway 

Administration acknowledge that past 

transportation decisions either failed to 

consider, or consciously disregarded, the 

disproportionate impacts our actions 

would have on minorities and 

low-income communities. With this 

acknowledgement, we are now 

transforming our approach to Title VI. 

Instead of maintaining a passive approach 

to Title VI by limiting our actions to 

complaint investigations, we are taking 

proactive and strategic steps to assist our 

recipients in building their own programs 

to identify possible racial disparities and 

remedy or avoid discriminatory practices. 

Recognizing potential Title VI issues 

early on in transportation planning is key to preventing major 

enforcement heartburn later, such as delaying a major project 

or providing financial compensation to impacted persons.

While these proactive steps are a critical piece of our Title VI

approach, we are not afraid to enforce violations. FHWA’s 

legacy of modern Title VI enforcement began with a complaint 

filed in 2011, regarding bus stops in Beavercreek, OH. FHWA’s 

investigation found that the City of Beavercreek’s refusal to 

approve the construction of three bus stops created a disparate 

impact on minority residents who depended on transit services 

to access community amenities. The investigation concluded 

that the city failed to prove a connection between a legitimate 

justification (public safety) and its refusal to approve the bus 

stops. The case’s legacy was the subject of a 2016 documentary, 

Free to Ride, and is cited in the U.S. Department of Justice’s 

Title VI Legal Manual.

Within the last decade, the FHWA Office of Civil Rights 

(HCR) has come a long way in enforcing Title VI. Sometimes, 

the only recourse for persons who believe 

they have been discriminated against by a 

FHWA funding recipient is through 

FHWA’s Title VI administrative 

complaint process. FHWA receives and 

processes Title VI complaints, covering a 

wide range of topics including mega 

highway expansions, residential 

displacements, flooding, and access to 

public amenities. Through a process of 

resolving complaints by voluntary 

resolution, FHWA has worked with its 

State and local government funding 

recipients on many occasions to prevent 

and remedy discrimination. 

Transportation decisions impact the 

lives of real people who are trying to 

safely arrive to and from school and work 

as well as access healthcare and other 

essential services. Embedding Title VI 

considerations into all transportation decisions is the best way 

to provide everyone an equal opportunity to enjoy the benefits 

that transportation provides.

Irene Rico

Associate Administrator, Office of Civil Rights

Federal Highway Administration

TOP LEFT: Source: 

LBJ Library photo 

by Cecil Stoughton.

TOP RIGHT:

Source: The U.S. 

National Archives 

and Records 

Administration; 

and © Alfred 

Wekelo / Wagner 

/ AdobeStock.com.

RIGHT: Source: 

FHWA.

Guest Editorial
The Smart Community Resource Center 

What You Need When You Need It

USDOT IS MAKING RESOURCES READILY 

AVAILABLE TO ITS DEPLOYERS.

Created by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Intelligent 

Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office ( JPO), the Smart 

Community Resource Center (SCRC) helps connect States, Tribal 

governments, and local communities with the knowledge and 

expertise they need to advance their ITS and smart community 

transportation projects and programs.

The SCRC includes USDOT resources related to interoperable 

connectivity, vehicle automation, and other emerging transportation 

technologies. The SCRC offers:

• Information and Tools

• Deployment 

Support Resources

• News and Events

• Funding Opportunities

 https://www.its.dot.gov/scr

Source: USDOT.

© Tartila / AdobeStock.com.
4 PUBLIC ROADS

by TIANJIA TANG, BRIAN BROTSOS, 

YUSUF MOHAMEDSHAH, and DAVID WINTER

“

Data is the fuel and GPS. It enables us to make 

informed decisions, optimize travel, enhance safety, 

support equitable infrastructure, and ultimately 

deliver a more efficient and sustainable transportation system,” 

said Randall (Keith) Benjamin II, associate administrator for 

Highway Policy and External Affairs at the Federal Highway 

Administration.

On October 4, 2023, FHWA Executive Director Gloria 

Shepherd gave a presentation, “Effective Data Strategies in 

Delivering the U.S. Federal Highway Program,” at the XXVII 

World Road Congress (Prague 2023) as part of the event’s 

national reporting session. The talk covered five critical 

strategies FHWA has implemented to ensure quality data 

collection.

As highlighted by Executive Director Shepherd, data are 

crucial to FHWA and its decisionmaking process. FHWA’s 

ability to obtain high-quality and timely data is not a 

coincidence. Over the years, the agency has developed and 

implemented various strategies for gathering data. These 

strategies have proven reliable, especially during the 

COVID-19 pandemic, to assess weekly national travel demand.

The first strategy involves FHWA’s reliance on State 

highway agencies and the inclusion of private contractors in 

data reporting. State highway agencies own most of the traffic 

monitoring equipment installed on public roads and work with 

private contractors to operate these devices. Allowing private 

contractors to directly submit traffic data on behalf of their 

State highway agency clients streamlines the process and 

significantly improves data timeliness. This strategy has been 

highly effective in obtaining weekly traffic-flow data.

The second strategy is for FHWA to acquire data and 

information directly from private businesses. This directpurchasing approach provides FHWA with real-time travel 

speed data for the entire National Highway System, supporting 

the transportation performance management initiative and 

reducing the burden on State and local agencies.

FHWA’s third approach involves collaborating with and 

supporting private sector businesses in deploying big data and 

advanced data analytics. This cooperation with private sector 

enables the agency to gain valuable data and information that 

may not have been available otherwise, as the collaboration 

expedites research development and technology deployment. 

The FHWA national traveler origin-destination data are one 

result of such collaboration. Additionally, this collaboration 

allows FHWA to comprehensively evaluate the reliability of 

traffic data obtained through nontraditional methods (e.g., 

location-based service big data, cellular data, GPS data).

FHWA is also upgrading its big data analytics and artificial 

intelligence (AI) capabilities as one of its strategies. The agency 

recently established an advanced AI lab under the Path to 

Advancing Novel Data Analytics (PANDA) program. Through 

PANDA, FHWA wants to develop its employees’ ability to 

handle big data and AI to meet the agency’s growing 

internal needs.

The final strategy involves the ongoing reassessment of the 

agency’s data program. FHWA periodically reviews existing 

data and information programs to ensure their relevance, 

adequacy, and cost feasibility. Currently, the agency is 

conducting large-scale testing of alternative methods for 

collecting household travel behavior data through the National 

Household Travel Survey program. Furthermore, the agency is 

exploring alternative approaches to collecting and analyzing 

national motor vehicle licensed driver data as well as new data 

processing and reporting tools for the Highway Performance 

Monitoring System.

In conclusion, Executive Director Shepherd emphasized 

that while data and information do not make decisions, 

effective decisions must be data driven. FHWA is proud to 

prioritize data in delivering its highway program to the 

American people.

TIANJIA TANG, Ph.D., is the chief of FHWA’s Travel Monitoring and 

Surveys division. Dr. Tang has a B.S. in civil engineering from the 

University of Central Florida and a Ph.D. from the University of 

Arkansas. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of 

Georgia.

BRIAN BROTSOS, B.S., is an FHWA chief data officer managing 

digital solutions and data strategy. Brian has a B.S. in computer 

science from DePaul University.

YUSUF MOHAMEDSHAH, M.S., is a research highway safety specialist 

in FHWA’s Office of Safety and Operations Research and 

Development. He holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from 

Virginia Tech, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from 

Mumbai University.

DAVID WINTER, P.E, is the director of FHWA’s Office of Highway 

Policy Information. David is a registered professional engineer and 

has a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Nebraska.

For the material covered by Executive Director Shepherd, 

navigate through: https://www.piarc.org/ressources/documents

/source/XXVII-World-Road-Congress-Prague-2023-PIARC/ed8faa4

-40787-Brochure-3-XXVIIth-World-Road-Congress-Prague-2023

-PIARC-World-Road-Association.pdf.

For more information about PANDA, see 

https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/winter-2023/whatsnew.

ABOVE:

Developing strong 

data strategies is 

a key component 

to success 

for FHWA.

© ipopba / 

AdobeStock.com.

Effective Data 

Strategies in 

Delivering the 

U.S. Federal 

Highway Program

What’s New
TFHRC VIRTUAL TOUR 

PREMIERES AT TRB 

EXHIBIT BOOTH #841

Visit Labs through All-New Online Experience

See Turner-Fairbank 

Highway Research 

Center like you have 

never seen it before — from 

your computer or cellphone! 

By launching the virtual tour 

this winter, FHWA 

invites you to a 

close-up look at 

6 of the 15 cuttingedge laboratories that 

are helping to move the 

needle on transportation 

innovation and research.

While on the virtual tour, 

you can open touchpoints 

to learn more about the labs, 

equipment, and ground-breaking 

studies researchers are actively 

engaged in.

© Stock 4 You / AdobeStock.com. 

Screenshots source: FHWA.

You can check out the virtual tour at the FHWA 

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center 

booth during the Transportation Research 

Board 2024 Annual Meeting exhibit hall hours, 

or by visiting : https://highways.dot.gov/research. 
6 PUBLIC ROADS

Geosynthetics Mobile Application for Use on 

Road Construction and Maintenance Projects

by TRINETTE BALLARD

ABOVE: The 

installation 

of a drainage 

trench using a 

needle-punched 

nonwoven 

geotextile lining 

with drainage 

rock and a 

perforated 

collector pipe.

Source: FHWA.

Geosynthetics are artificial polymer materials used 

to improve soil conditions. For the transportation 

industry, using geosynthetic materials like geogrids, 

geotextiles, geocells, and erosion control materials is important 

for extending the life of a roadway and improving safety. In 

addition to roadways, geosynthetics are used with retaining 

structures, slopes, and barriers. These materials assist with 

controlling water flow, stabilizing dirt, reinforcing soil 

supporting structures, and creating barriers to protect layers of 

other materials from moisture. Using geosynthetic materials 

on projects must be applied correctly, or they will not work 

as intended. Therefore, project managers working with this 

material need access to information that will assist with the 

field installation of geosynthetic materials.

The geosynthetic industry approached the Federal Highway 

Administration about developing a manual that personnel 

can use in the field. The original plan was to create six pocket 

guides that project managers could carry onsite as a reference. 

Instead, FHWA turned to technology to revolutionize 

working with geosynthetics through the development of the 

Innovation Corner
WINTER 2024 7

Geosynthetics Field Installation Notes Tracker 

Mobile Application. This new app is also FHWA’s 

latest effort to become more environmentally 

sustainable by eliminating the use of paper when 

visiting road construction and maintenance 

projects; it also provides quick and easy access to 

information.

Joe Conway, director of FHWA’s Office of 

Innovation and Workforce Solutions’ Local Aid 

Support team, says, “We are constantly pushing 

the use of innovative solutions to State, local, and 

Tribal agencies. The mobile app presented us with 

an opportunity to do the same.”

The app was published in early 2023 in 

both the Google Play and Apple Store—free 

of charge—and is already approaching 2,000 

downloads. “The excitement we are seeing around 

the new mobile app is refreshing. We encourage 

anyone utilizing geosynthetics on road projects 

to download the app,” says Daniel Alzamora, 

senior geotechnical engineer in FHWA’s 

Resource Center.

The mobile app features a step-by-step guide 

detailing the basics of geosynthetics and how they 

are used in highway construction, from selection 

and installation to maintenance and repair. 

“Although the appropriate design of geosynthetics 

is important to performance, the selection of a 

geosynthetic that meets the design intent and 

the installation of these materials is also key to 

achieving the expected performance. This app 

provides users with information on the various 

types of products and installation procedures 

for different applications to help users be successful when utilizing 

geosynthetics,” says Alzamora. With the mobile app, users can also, 

in real time, log field notes, bookmark content, search keywords, and 

quickly access industry terms and definitions.

LEFT: The app, 

released in early 

2023, is available 

free of charge 

through several 

app stores.

Source: FHWA.

The Geosynthetics 

Field Installation 

Mobile Application 

features information 

to extend the life of 

pavement, improve 

safety, and mitigate 

erosion control 

through nine primary 

functions or types 

of geosynthetics.

Source: FHWA.

a comprehensive app that provides geosynthetic guidelines and application in highway building.

Learn how to extend the life of pavement, improve safety, and mitigate erosion 

control through these geosynthetic primary functions or types of geosynthetics:

NOW ⬇

DOWNLOAD

GEOGRIDS

geosynthetic material 

used to reinforce soil.

GEOCOMPOSITES

GEOFOAM

extremely lightweight material 

in the form of blocks used to 

safely support highway loading. EROSION CONTROL 

MATERIALS

GEOCELLS

GEONETS

GEOMEMBRANES

GEOTEXTILES

Learn how to extend the life of pavement, improve safety, and mitigate erosion 

control through these geosynthetic primary functions or types of geosynthetics:

GEOSYNTHETIC CLAY 

LINERS (GCLS)

You are one step closer to

BECOMING AN INDUSTRY EXPERT!

https://bit.ly/3WPeUJS

GEOSYNTHETICS https://apple.co/3CxPgSx

INSTALLATION 

MOBILE APP

The Geosynthetics Materials Association (GMA), 

in essence, works to expand the geosynthetics market. 

The organization provides a network to exchange 

information, solve common problems, and develop 

mutually beneficial relationships. Since they liked 

the idea of a mobile app to assist project managers 

with properly installing geosynthetic materials, GMA 

partnered with FHWA to provide applicable images and 

review its content. Fred Chuck, the executive director 

of GMA, has also been assisting FHWA with getting 

the word out about the new app and encouraging its 

use. “The engineers, agencies, contractors, and others 

involved in transportation projects will greatly benefit 

from the ease of access to information on geosynthetic 

products and applications. Additionally, use of the 

app will expand knowledge of the benefits, making 

geosynthetics more acceptable on transportation 

projects,” continues Chuck. “The mobile application 

can serve as a framework for future mobile application 

projects in FHWA. We have already received several calls 

from other offices expressing an interest,” says Conway.

For more information on the geosynthetics mobile 

app, visit: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/clas/geosynthetics/. 

To view a video on how the mobile app works, visit: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr-gRj_LIbw.

TRINETTE BALLARD is a Local Aid Support program manager 

in the Office of Transportation Innovation and Workforce 

Solutions and has been with FHWA for 16 years.
8 PUBLIC ROADS

by FHWA PUBLIC AFFAIRS

 O

n October 17, 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation Team was 

honored with the 2023 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America 

Medal for Management Excellence. These awards—also known 

as the “Sammies”—help shine a light on hardworking Federal 

teams and employees, rebuild public confidence in the Federal 

government, and inspire the best and brightest individuals 

to join and remain in Federal service. “These public servants 

demonstrate the best our Nation has to offer,” said Max Stier, 

president and chief executive officer of the Partnership for 

Public Service. He noted that the 2023 “Sammies winners, like 

many of the more than 2 million career civil servants around 

the country, work every day to confront our Nation’s biggest 

challenges.”

Meet the Bipartisan infrastructure

Law iMpLeMentation teaM

The recipients of the Management Excellence award include 

U.S. DOT employees Maria Lefevre, Executive Director of the 

Office of the Under Secretary for Policy; Paul Nissenbaum, 

Associate Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration; 

and Gloria Shepherd, Executive Director of the Federal 

Highway Administration. They and the entire Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law Implementation Team were chosen to 

receive this award due to their exceptional efforts to implement 

the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—also 

known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—which Congress 

approved in 2021. This law provided the largest investment in 

highways, railways, shipping ports, and airports in decades, and 

its funding will help repair, renew, and reinvigorate the Nation’s 

aging transportation systems.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the largest U.S. 

transportation investment since construction of the interstate 

highway system and the largest infrastructure investment 

in U.S. history. The Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA) has already released more than two dozen pieces 

of guidance and distributed over $120 billion in highway 

formula funding to states as a 

result of this law. With 1 out 

of every 4 dollars of Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law funding 

flowing through the FHWA, 

the U.S. DOT transportation 

officials knew that the law would 

require a DOT-wide effort, 

which is why they formed the 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 

Implementation Team. The 

implementation team leaders—

Lefevre, Nissenbaum, and 

Shepherd—worked with the team 

to help craft and implement the 

$1.2 trillion law, which is helping 

to modernize the country’s 

highways, bridges, shipping 

ports, railroads, airports, and 

more. “This team has successfully 

rolled out scores of new and 

expanded funding programs all 

across the country,” said Carlos 

Monje, Under Secretary of 

Transportation for Policy. “Their 

ABOVE: From left, 

Lefevre, Deputy 

Secretary of 

Transportation 

Polly Trottenberg, 

Nissenbaum, 

and Shepherd 

pose following 

the “Sammies” 

award ceremony.

© Allison Shelley 

for the Partnership 

for Public Service.

the u.s. Dot’s Bipartisan infrastructure

Law iMpLeMentation teaM wins prestigious

2023 Samuel J. Heyman Service to america award

honorees are exceptionaL puBLic servants who

Keep the nation running anD Moving forwarD
WINTER 2024 9

diligence and hard work resulted in equitable and sustainable 

programs that will improve our ability to compete globally and 

renew Americans’ faith that their government can deliver.”

For Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the achievements 

of the new law depend on successful implementation. That 

means, he said, “having excellent career staff who can take 

the existing pulleys and levers of our agency and combine 

them with the new resources that we have.” He noted that 

the implementation team “displayed creativity with a sense of 

urgency,” while bringing “passion and depth to the job.”

“Federal employees are responsible for many noteworthy 

and inspiring accomplishments that are seldom recognized 

or celebrated,” said FHWA Executive Director Gloria 

Shepherd. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 

we have the opportunity to work on historic initiatives, 

including supporting transportation safety, enhancing equity 

by reconnecting communities that were previously divided 

by transportation infrastructure, creating well-paid jobs, and 

implementing electrification, which will help reduce our 

country’s carbon footprint. I am humbled and honored to 

receive this prestigious award.”

the oscars of puBLic service

In September 2001, American businessman and lawyer Samuel 

J. Heyman founded the nonprofit and nonpartisan Partnership 

for Public Service to help build a better government and a 

stronger democracy. Soon after, the Partnership for Public 

Service awarded its first Sammies, choosing to highlight 

categories such as Emerging Leaders; Science and the 

Environment; Safety, Security, and International Affairs; 

Citizen Services; and Federal Employee of the Year. For more 

than 20 years, the Sammies, which are often called the “Oscars 

of public service,” have recognized Federal employees who raise 

the bar for all public servants and have encouraged others to 

follow in their footsteps.

No one knows the importance of working together to raise the 

bar better than the U.S. DOT Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 

Implementation Team. “The 2023 Sammie for Management 

Excellence does not belong to me alone: it belongs to everyone 

who put in the hard work over many years and decades 

that led to all of the FHWA’s accomplishments—including 

implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said 

FHWA Executive Director Gloria Shepherd. She continued: 

“I count myself fortunate to work in an organization filled 

not only with transportation professionals, but with genuinely 

good people. I can’t wait to see what else we will accomplish 

together.”

For a full list of 2023 Sammie winners, please visit: 

https://servicetoamericamedals.org.

FHWA PUBLIC AFFAIRS: The FHWA Office of Public Affairs provides 

advice and guidance to senior agency officials about public 

opinion and possible public/media perceptions of FHWA policies, 

programs, and activities.

Bipartisan 

Infrastructure 

Law funding 

helps modernize 

U.S. highways, 

bridges, shipping 

ports, railroads, 

airports, and more.

© tamas / 

AdobeStock.com.

In September 

2023, five new 

battery-electric 

buses entered 

service at Zion 

National Park. 

They are the first 

of an entirely new 

fleet of electric 

buses Zion will 

acquire using 

a $33 million 

Bipartisan 

Infrastructure 

Law-funded grant 

from the U.S. 

Department of 

Transportation.

Source: National 

Park Service.
Check out our Writing for Public Roads: How-to Guide to learn about the many ways 

you can contribute to Public Roads. From full-length feature articles to 200-word 

summaries, you can choose the option that best fits the information you want to share. 

To access the guide and learn more about article types, submission 

deadlines, and requirements, visit https://highways.dot.gov

/research/publications/public-roads/FHWA-HRT-22-076.

Questions? Contact us at PublicRoads@dot.gov.

© Michal / AdobeStock.com.

WRITE FOR 

Public Roads offers FHWA and State department of transportation staff an avenue for 

communicating both technical and general-interest topics with peers (such as engineers, 

scientists, and economists) and other stakeholders across the highway industry.

Other Federal agencies, local and Tribal DOTs, field researchers and 

practitioners, and academia may also submit content for Public Roads

but are encouraged to collaborate with FHWA and State DOTs.
STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION

WINTER 2024 11

The Future of Transportation is Here!

FHWA Showcases the First-Ever Student Writing Competition Winners.

by DR. KELLY REGAL

The bridge to the future is in the minds of the young with 

a passion for innovation and technology. They will forge 

the paths to tomorrow. They are the driving force behind 

new thoughts, great movement, and big change. And 

with big change, will come even bigger opportunities.

Source: FHWA.

TOP: FHWA composition. Images © Gorodenkoff / 

immimagery / AdobeStock.com.

The opening lines on the cover of this 

special issue of Public Roads couldn’t 

be more accurate and relevant for 

transportation today. As those lines weave their 

way from the minds of brilliant and innovative 

students from across the United States into 

deeper thought and future action, we open up a 

world of opportunity for not only the students 

but the Nation as a whole. The action these 

students will one day take will impact the world 

of transportation as we know it.

It is with much excitement that the Federal 

Highway Administration and Public Roads

present the winners of the first-ever Student 

Writing Competition. For several years, engaging 

students to become a voice in Public Roads and 

the transportation community was part of a 

“wish list” of actions we hoped to one day take. 

That day has now arrived.

High school, undergraduate, and graduate 

students studying science, technology, 

engineering, and mathematics submitted their 

articles during the summer of 2023, resulting in 

the winning articles you are about to read. From 

“Intumescent Paint Protection in the 

Transportation Industry” to “Creating Safe and 

Equitable Transportation,” the winning student 

authors conducted detailed research, created 

compelling case studies, and offered meaningful 

problem-solution concepts valuable to 

transportation professionals working to solve 

today’s challenges with forward-thinking ideas.

Thank you to all the students who 

participated in this momentous event and 

congratulations to the winners!

The 

following articles 

were written by students 

as part of the Public Roads 

Student Writing Competition. 

The views and opinions expressed 

in these articles are the authors and 

do not necessarily reflect those of 

FHWA or the U.S. Department 

of Transportation (USDOT). 

The contents do not 

necessarily reflect 

the official policy 

of the USDOT.
STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION

12 PUBLIC ROADS

 W

ith the recent collapse of the bridge on I–95 in Philadelphia, 

PA, there is a spotlight on fire as a threat to transportation 

infrastructure. On June 11, 2023, a tanker carrying gasoline 

caught fire under an overpass and caused the steel girders 

of the bridge to become weak and fail due to the extreme 

temperatures. While these events are rare, bridge collapses can 

lead to large portions of fundamental highways being shut 

down for extended periods of time and possibly put many 

lives at risk. In the United States between 1997 and 2015, over 

165 bridge fires occurred, and 30 resulted in collapse due to 

this damage. The majority of these fires are caused by tankers 

and trucks either leaking or spilling flammable chemicals on 

or below bridge decks. Of these bridges, steel bridges were the 

most susceptible to this particular kind of collapse, because 

they are higher than both wooden and concrete structures. 

Steel, in the presence of fire, generally remains unchanged 

until temperatures reach 600 °F; however, when temperatures 

of 1,100 °F occur, the steel loses half its strength. Gasoline 

fires quickly reach temperatures exceeding 1,500 °F, which 

contributed to the fast deterioration of the steel girders located 

on the I–95 bridge. As a result, fire is a very important concern 

for any kind of steel structure, especially buildings that are 

more susceptible to frequent fires. 

There are a variety of methods used to eliminate this issue 

in the construction industry, such as using specialized materials 

to decrease the spread of fire and increase the structural 

resistance, but the same cannot be said for the transportation 

industry. One such method is the use of intumescent paint, 

a fire-retardant coating used to insulate different materials 

exposed to fire. While there are many varieties of this paint 

available to engineers and contractors, the general goal of these 

coatings is to withstand high temperatures for an extended 

period to allow for a longer emergency response time. When 

exposed to heat, the coating sublimates and expands up to 

Engineers inspect 

the collapsed 

bridge on I–95 in 

Philadelphia, PA.

Source: FHWA.

Intumescent Paint Protection

in the Transportation Industry

by TYLER HEBERT
WINTER 2024 13

100 times its original thickness in the form of a carbonaceous 

char. This char creates a barrier between the specific structural 

component, such as essential girders or abutments, and the 

intensity of the flame. Intumescent paint can be applied to any 

structural material, whether steel, wood, concrete, or plaster. 

Based on the particular product, these coatings can withstand 

high temperatures for anywhere from 30 to 120 minutes. The 

emergency responders in Philadelphia arrived at the scene 

in only 10 minutes after they were alerted to the incident. 

Intumescent paint could eliminate large disasters by increasing 

the likelihood that firefighters will arrive on scene and 

extinguish the fire before any major structural impacts. Certain 

intumescent paint brands have also been tested and determined 

compliant in accordance with ASTM E-84, Surface Burning 

Characteristics of Building Materials, and ASTM E-119, 

Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction 

and Materials.

Intumescent paint is not the first proactive fireproofing 

technique, which raises the question as to what the current 

fireproofing methods are for highways and bridges. The 

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has various design 

criteria and standards to protect bridges from the possibility of 

collapse by fire. The NFPA standard for road tunnels, bridges, 

and other limited-access highways includes Standard 6.3.1.1, 

which states that “structural elements shall be protected in 

accordance with this standard in order to achieve the following 

functional requirements: support firefighter accessibility, 

minimize economic impact, and mitigate structural damage.” 

Currently, NFPA does not have the enforcement authority 

to ensure these standards are being implemented on highway 

bridges. Other agencies, such as the Occupational Safety and 

Health Administration, have applied some of these standards, 

but NFPA criteria are not legally binding on their own. As a 

result, it would be advantageous to review the current policies 

and guidelines to ensure all proper precautions are being 

exercised.

One issue with the implementation of intumescent paint 

in bridge applications is the cost. Intumescent coatings 

generally cost $4 to $12 per square foot; however, the avoided 

emergency replacement cost and economic impact of a bridge 

collapse would greatly offset this initial cost. To examine this 

mitigated cost, another bridge can be observed to determine 

the economic impact of losing a vital portion of an essential 

transportation system. A bridge collapse occurred in Minnesota 

on I–35W in 2007, which was traversed by over 140,000 daily 

commuters. A study conducted by the Minnesota Department 

of Employment and Economic Development on this 

catastrophe calculated upward of $17 million in losses in 2007 

and $43 million in 2008. While this collapse was not caused by 

a fire, the lack of this crucial bridge for commuters resulted in a 

large economic hindrance. As a result, it is essential to provide 

proactive fire protection to all major traveled bridges, which 

can possibly mitigate extreme costs in the future.

Since intumescent paint is typically applied inside buildings 

with relatively controlled environments, additional research 

is needed to analyze the impact of precipitation, freeze-thaw 

cycles, and temperature fluctuations on intumescent paint 

performance and longevity. Furthermore, detailed investigations 

of the current fire protection practices need to be evaluated 

by State departments of transportation to prevent future 

incidents and ensure proper standards are being implemented. 

Overall, intumescent coatings have the potential to provide 

critical protection to bridges, which are a major component of 

transportation systems throughout the United States.

TYLER HEBERT is a student at Marshall University in 

Huntington, WV. Tyler is currently studying civil engineering 

and will graduate in 2024.

For More Information

• American Institute of Steel Construction 

(https://www.aisc.org/steel-solutions-center

/engineering-faqs/11.2.-steel-exposed-to-fire/#9370).

• Philadelphia Inquirer 

(https://www.inquirer.com/science/i95-philly-tanker

-truck-fire-steel-20230612.html).

• Creative Safety Supply 

(https://www.creativesafetysupply.com/qa/nfpa

/are-nfpa-standards-law).

• International Passive Fire, Ltd. 

(https://www.fireproofpaint.co.uk/intumescent-paint

-how-does-it-work-and-why-is-it-needed/).

• MCEER (https://www.eng.buffalo.edu/mceer

-reports/13/13-0008.pdf).

• CoatingsTech 

(https://www.paint.org/coatingstech-magazine

/articles/overview-intumescent-coatings/). 

• CNN Business 

(https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/12/economy/i-95

-philadelphia-collapse-economic-impact/index.html).

• MPR News 

(https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/08/01

/looking-back-photos-of-the-bridge-collapse).

• NFPA 

(https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes

-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards

/detail?code=502).

• Industrial Paint and Protection Magazine 

(https://www.ippmagazine.com/fireproof-paint

/intumescent-paint-and-coatings/).

• Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities 

(https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)cf

.1943-5509.0000977).

• Tremco CPG APAC Blog 

(https://www.tremcocpg-asiapacific.com/blog/

different-types-of-intumescent-coatings). 

Visual depiction how 

intumescent paint 

works in a bridge fire.

FWHA illustration; 

images source: 

© Intel /Andrey/tiero/

AdobeStock.com.
STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION

14 PUBLIC ROADS

by MUHAMMAD SAMI IRFAN

 I n a grim outlook for vulnerable road users (VRUs) in the 

United States, the Governors Highway Safety Association 

reported that VRU deaths in traffic incidents had reached 

levels only seen previously in 1981. Any road user who is not 

in a motor vehicle with a protected outside shield, such as a 

pedestrian, cyclist, wheelchair user, or construction worker, 

falls under the definition of a VRU. The estimated figure of 

7,485 fatalities within VRUs reverses the decades of apparent 

improvement in VRU safety. During the same time frame, 

vehicle drivers have experienced advancements in advanced 

driver assistance systems (ADAS) aimed at enhancing driving 

safety for them. However, these systems have not shown 

significant improvements in VRU safety, as the data indicate. 

Advancement in VRU safety technology has not matched the 

pace of ADAS. The Federal Highway Administration has set 

its target for zero deaths on roads, and the U.S. Department 

of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) 

aligns with the same goal. Additionally, section 148 (a)(16) 

of title 23 of the United States Code underpins the need for 

States to improve VRU safety on their roads. Consequently, 

the NRSS emphasizes the Safe System Approach that can 

anticipate human errors and act accordingly to reduce or 

prevent crash scenarios.

While measures such as traffic calming can enhance safety 

for VRUs, they are still reliant on drivers and pedestrians 

making their own judgment and following traffic rules. In 

the event of an imminent collision, there is no way to warn 

either the driver or VRU to take corrective action. In order 

to support the case of proactive safety principle of the Safe 

System Approach, the system should be capable of proactively 

estimating collision risk by predicting trajectories of vehicles 

and VRUs simultaneously in all possible future safety-critical 

scenarios. Currently, warning services using connected vehicle 

technology have been developed that can alert drivers and 

VRUs of potential collisions, yet there remains a gap in 

collision predictive capabilities. The objective of this article 

is to propose a novel approach, leveraging digital-twin (DT) 

technology to proactively ensure VRU safety along with an 

experimental case study on VRU-vehicle trajectory prediction 

for collision warning.

Problem Formulation

Pedestrian-vehicle collision scenarios are listed at first, and 

the problem is formulated as a trajectory prediction problem. 

A probabilistic approach will help to determine, based on 

multiple potential simultaneous trajectories for the vehicle 

ABOVE: Vulnerable 

road users, such 

as seniors and 

children, benefit 

from a proactive 

approach that 

reduces accidents 

and improves safety.

© ambrozinio / 

photon_photo / 

AdobeStock.com.

PROACTIVE SAFETY

for Vulnerable Road 

Users Leveraging 

DIGITAL TWIN 

TECHNOLOGY
WINTER 2024 15

and pedestrian, the probability of a certain collision scenario 

occurring. The following scenarios are proposed for the 

proactive safety consideration of VRUs: high approach speed 

of a vehicle, incomplete crossing during phase change, blocked 

view of pedestrian or vehicle, and road work.

Proposed Solution

A DT-based solution is proposed to proactively tackle the safety 

of the VRU under the given scenarios. DT systems maintain 

a real-time digital version of a real-world object or process. 

The proposed solution approach creates a real-time digital 

representation of the road environment, incorporating vehicle 

and VRU trajectory data, roadway geometry, and crosswalk 

configurations. Through the real-time data synchronization 

between the real and the digital versions, the DT can be used to 

conduct parallel simulations of the VRU and roadway.

The input to the system will be the trajectory data for the 

vehicles and VRUs. Camera or light detection and ranging 

sensors already deployed along roadways in the physical world 

can be used to perform accurate position detection of vehicles 

and VRUs and extract trajectory information. The physical 

twin will transmit the data to the digital twin via a backhaul 

system. These data will be used by the digital-twin version 

to create digital replicas of both a vehicle and VRU. Three 

distinct subcomponents of the DT will be the digital shadow, 

digital sibling, and the safety application. The digital shadow 

aggregates data from physical twin sensors and synchronizes 

spatio-temporally separated information. The digital sibling 

component performs parallel simulations of different 

what-if scenarios of VRU-vehicle collisions. Historical data 

from previous time frames can be used as input to artificial 

intelligence-based distance prediction models that can predict 

the trajectories for enough time in the future to be able to 

mitigate any risks that should arise. In addition, the digital 

sibling has to consider each specific problem scenario outlined 

in a parallel manner to be able to address all possible scenarios. 

By plotting the predicted distance along the typical paths of a 

vehicle and VRU, it would be possible to determine whether 

a potential conflict is imminent between a vehicle and VRU. 

The simulation results feed into the safety application, which 

interfaces with the physical twin to send advisory messages and 

warnings to drivers, VRUs, or roadside message boards. The 

novelty of this DT-based safety approach is that it can provide 

reliable measures of safety warning in realtime as a vehicle is 

approaching a VRU.

Case Study

As a case study of the application, field experiments are being 

conducted using a real-world VRU and vehicle in a university 

campus area in Tuscaloosa, AL. A combined Global Positioning 

Systems (GPS) and inertial navigation systems system is used 

to collect vehicle location and speed data. The same data 

for the VRU are collected using a portable GPS unit. Under 

different scenarios of crossing the road in front of the vehicle, 

data are collected from the respective sensors. In the case 

study, the aim was to build the digital twin of the VRU and 

vehicle and predict a potential collision. The data were fed to 

a long short-term memory machine-learning model to train 

it to predict distances of the VRU and vehicle. The predicted 

distance can be used in parallel simulation scenarios of different 

possible trajectories to determine the likelihood of a collision. 

Once the digital model is built and trained, a connection to 

the physical versions can be made through wireless connectivity 

between sensors and processing unit. It was found that a 

proactive crash warning could be successfully generated using 

the predicted distances of the vehicle and VRU as determined 

by the DT system.

MUHAMMAD SAMI IRFAN is a graduate student at the University 

of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. Muhammad is currently 

studying civil, construction, and environmental engineering 

and will graduate in 2025.

For More Information

• “U.S. pedestrian deaths reach a 40-year high” 

(https://www.npr.org/2023/06/26/1184034017 

/us-pedestrian-deaths-high-traffic-car)

• “23 USC 148: Highway safety improvement program” 

(https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC 

-prelim-title23-section148&num=0&edition=prelim)

• “National Architecture Reference for Cooperative and 

Intelligent Transportation” 

(https://www.arc-it.net/html/servicepackages/sp57.html#tab-3)

DT-based proactive 

safety solution 

for VRU safety 

and experimental 

implementation 

of case study.

© Muhammad 

Sami Irfan.
16 PUBLIC ROADS

STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION

by SHRIYA KARAM

 T

hrough the 2021 $1.2 trillion Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure 

Law (BIL), the United States Department of Transportation 

(USDOT) is investing in enhancing infrastructure for 

disadvantaged, underserved, and overburdened populations 

to ensure a more safe, reliable, and equitable transportation 

system. Through BIL, $13 billion is being allocated for 

Tribal-specific communities, and up to $130 billion is going 

toward upgrading rural roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. 

Additionally, recent funding through the 2023 Rebuilding 

American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity 

(RAISE) program finances transportation projects for rural and 

urban communities to advance equity and other outcomes. 

Together with the Biden-Harris Administration’s 2021 Justice 

40 Initiative, which seeks to ensure that 40 percent of the 

benefits from the USDOT’s transportation initiatives go 

toward disadvantaged communities, Federal research and policy 

objectives are focused on ensuring equitable outcomes from 

transportation investments.

Part of these Federal funds going toward furthering 

equitable outcomes are being allocated in the form of 

discretionary grants for metropolitan planning organizations 

(MPOs), State and local DOTs, and other local transportation 

agencies. To guide these organizations in investing Federal 

funds in expanding highways, roadways, and other 

infrastructure to support disadvantaged communities, 

the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) utilizes 

Transportation Performance Management (TPM). TPM is a 

framework that provides agencies with the tools to evaluate 

the impacts of transportation projects using a data-driven 

approach and other metrics, supporting them through data 

improvements and project planning. The performance metrics 

under TPM largely include measuring travel time burdens, 

safety, emissions, and reliability impacts.

TPM is guided by the FHWA 2019-2022 strategic 

plan, which seeks to improve project decisionmaking 

for infrastructure and capacity enhancement through a 

performance-based program and data-driven approach. 

However, TPM as a performance evaluation system tends to 

be narrowly focused because it measures infrastructure-based 

impedance, such as travel time, safety, emissions, and reliability. 

This results in evaluation assessments that are focused on 

how individuals can physically utilize the transportation 

system, rather than considering people’s restrictions in 

accessing essential destinations via transportation. Potential 

restrictions can range from need-based ones (such as lack of 

vehicle ownership and/or low-income status) to mobilitybased ones (such as disability and age) to other overburdened 

circumstances (such as Tribal or rural communities). Without 

ABOVE:

Accessibility to 

safe and reliable 

services, such as 

transportation, is 

vital to all and allows 

individuals to get to 

where they work, 

shop, and pursue 

their interests.

© olga_demina / 

AdobeStock.com.

The Pathway to 

Equitable Access: 

Enhancing Transportation 

Performance Management
WINTER 2024 17

a framework to determine which projects may most benefit 

disadvantaged communities, the expenditure of Federal dollars 

is at risk of investing in projects that may unintentionally place 

disproportionate burdens on disadvantaged populations.

Advancing a New Equity-Driven 

Transportation Planning Framework

In determining transportation investments to benefit 

disadvantaged populations, in accordance with USDOT 

equity objectives, FHWA’s TPM considers equity and the 

transportation restrictions that disadvantaged people face. 

To do this, FHWA’s TPM revises its assessment approach to 

involve the complex constraints of disadvantaged populations 

who will be directly impacted by transportation interventions.

To identify projects that will most benefit the people in 

need, it is first important to understand disadvantaged travelers’ 

needs and complex circumstances. In doing so, TPM should 

incorporate traveler decisionmaking and predicted behavior 

patterns to proactively determine which investments would 

be most beneficial to disadvantaged travelers. One possible 

Federal initiative to learn from is the USDOT’s Equitable 

Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer, which provides 

planners with an understanding of how a community is 

experiencing transportation disadvantage to help ensure that 

the benefits of investments are addressing those disadvantages. 

However, the ETC Explorer is focused on 

measuring the level of disadvantage of a 

geographic area rather than identifying 

potential projects based on the behavior 

and demand patterns of disadvantaged 

travelers. Expanding on the ETC Explorer, 

future development in equity-based transportation planning 

should consider integrating the behavior and needs of these 

disadvantaged travelers before determining investments.

Additionally, future iterations of TPM should not only 

consider equity objectives but should also consider equity in 

tandem with other critically important outcomes, such as safety, 

reliability, and the environment. Equity objectives that seek to 

deliver outcomes to benefit the most disadvantaged travelers 

may often conflict with system efficiency, cost, reliability, and 

safety objectives. For example, projects that provide increased 

accessibility for rural or Tribal populations may not necessarily 

be the most cost-effective investment for the transportation 

agency. Thus, the TPM needs to provide a framework for 

evaluating the tradeoffs between multiple transportation 

objectives to weigh critical outcomes (e.g., safety, environment) 

with equity. This will ensure that investing in projects that 

deliver equity outcomes does not compromise other critically 

important objectives essential for implementing transportation 

projects.

Recommendations for Implementing 

a New Equity-Based TPM

To incorporate equity into TPM, individual-level data 

collection efforts are needed to best understand the perspectives 

of disadvantaged travelers who will be directly affected by 

transportation investments. Through disaggregated data 

collection at the individual level, methods of determining needs 

can be more reflective of individual circumstances in order 

to better identify targeted interventions toward addressing 

needs. Individual-level data collection will need additional 

coordination efforts with local MPOs, State and local DOTs, 

and local transit agencies to collect data and survey diverse 

individuals.

FHWA interagency coordination can also ensure that all 

performance objectives (e.g., safety, reliability, environment, 

etc.) are being incorporated into planning processes, along with 

equity. Additionally, when considering a potential investment 

that seeks to address equity outcomes, community engagement 

and public feedback is critical to evaluate how interventions are 

achieving their intended objectives. Community feedback will 

ensure that these projects that seek to deliver equity outcomes 

are truly benefiting those in need.

Given that Federal objectives and funding are prioritizing 

equity objectives, now is the time to ensure that Federal 

spending is going toward projects that will truly benefit the 

most disadvantaged communities. To do so, FHWA should 

invest in re-modernizing TPM to prioritize an equity-based 

transportation planning framework.

SHRIYA KARAM is a graduate student at the Massachusetts 

Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. Shriya is currently 

studying engineering and will graduate in 2028.

For More Information

• Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Tribal Playbook 

(https://www.whitehouse.gov/build/resources

/bipartisan-infrastructure-law-tribal-playbook/).

• Building a Better America Fact Sheet for 

Rural Communities 

(https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/

building-better-america-fact-sheet-rural-communities).

• Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, Volume 28, 

Number 1 “Problems in Estimating Comparative 

Costs of Safety and Mobility” 

(https://www.jstor.org/stable/20053021).

• Public Roads, Spring 2023. “Integrating Equity into 

Transportation: An Overview of USDOT Efforts” 

(https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/spring-2023/05).

• Public Works Management & Policy, Volume 23, Issue 2 

“Achieving Transportation Equity: Meaningful Public 

Involvement to Meet the Needs of Underserved 

Communities” (https://journals.sagepub.com

/doi/10.1177/1087724X17738792).

• R&T Portfolio: Transportation Performance Management 

(https://highways.dot.gov/research/rtportfolio

/infrastructure-performance-management).

• Transport Reviews, Volume 42, Issue 4 “From aspiration 

to operation: ensuring equity in transportation” 

(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01441647

.2022.2064527).

• Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 

Volume 79 “A discrete choice framework for modeling 

and forecasting the adoption and diffusion of new 

transportation services” 

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii

/S0968090X17300694?via%3Dihub).

• What Is TPM? 

(https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/about/tpm.cfm).
Investing 

in Resiliency: 

Addressing the 

Climate Issue

Investing 

in Resiliency: 

Addressing the 

Climate Issue

Investing 

in Resiliency: 

Addressing the 

Climate Issue

18 PUBLIC ROADS

STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION
WINTER 2024 19

by MICHAEL TANG

As the effects of climate-related events grow in 

severity, there is an increasing demand for emergency 

construction and strong infrastructure. Funding 

programs, such as the Emergency Relief for Federally Owned 

Roads (ERFO) program, grant Federal agencies the ability to 

rebuild and reinforce damaged infrastructure. This program 

not only helps in the recovery from economic losses, but also 

prepares communities for future disasters through resilient 

design and construction practices.

ERFO

The ERFO program provides financial assistance to Federal 

agencies when natural disasters severely damage Tribal facilities, 

Federal facilities, and “other federally owned roads that are 

open to the public” (Federal Highway Administration). The 

program intends to supplement aid and cover the heavy 

expenses of repair and reconstruction. Depending on the repair, 

prior approval is required to begin construction and receive aid. 

If a Federal agency decides to make emergency repairs during or 

right after a disaster, prior approval is not required. If a Federal 

agency plans to make permanent repairs, occurring after the 

disaster, approval is required.

Funding in Action

In June 2022, several rivers in Yellowstone National Park 

experienced historic flooding due to heavy rainfall and late 

snowmelt. One of those rivers was the Gardner River, which 

flows along the North Entrance Road. During the historic 

flooding, Gardner River had a provisionally determined peak 

flow of 2,890 cubic feet per second. This is nearly four times 

its average peak snowmelt flow of 800 cubic feet per second. 

The flooding severely damaged the road, as rockslides occurred 

along the Gardner Canyon and mudslides washed away 

parts of the road. Consequently, the North Entrance Road 

was impassable.

To quickly restore access to the north entrance of 

Yellowstone National Park, an administrative route connecting 

Mammoth, WY, to Gardiner, MT (called Old Gardiner Road), 

was reconstructed. The single-lane dirt road was converted 

into a two-lane paved road with the addition of a guardrail 

and a “new quarter-mile approach road into Mammoth Hot 

Springs” (National Park Service (NPS), “Flood Recovery 

Updates”) to avoid a steep grade ranging from 12 to 15 percent. 

The goal was to have the road “open year-round to provide 

access to people who live and work in Mammoth as well 

FACING PAGE:

Flooding and 

mudslides severely 

damaged the 

road along the 

Gardner River 

in Yellowstone 

National Park. 

© 2023 

Michael Tang.

LEFT: FHWA’s 

Steven Davis (far 

right) analyzing 

plan sheets while 

leading a small 

research group 

along a proposed 

alignment. 

© 2023 

Michael Tang.
20 PUBLIC ROADS

as those who live outside the Northeast entrance in Cooke 

City” (Benjamin Vincent, Western Federal Lands Highway 

Division (WFLHD)). The temporary route was designed and 

constructed in 4 months by WFLHD of FHWA. This project 

was largely funded by the ERFO program (NPS, “Flood 

Recovery Updates”).

The efforts to reopen the north entrance did not stop there. 

NPS and FHWA are currently working closely together to 

come up with a long-term and permanent solution for a new 

entrance road. According to NPS, “the criteria for selection 

will focus largely on alternatives that are least environmentally 

impacting, least visually impacting, most resilient to future 

natural disasters, most expeditious and cost effective, and 

take advantage of unimpacted existing road infrastructure if 

possible” (NPS, “Flood Recovery Updates”). With these criteria 

in mind, WFLHD designer Steven Davis and a cross-functional 

(multidisciplinary) team from WFLHD were able to develop 

three potential alignments. The team recently presented the 

alignments to representatives from Yellowstone National Park, 

NPS, and other partners involved. The parties were able to 

analyze the alignments through plan sheets, three-dimensional 

models, and walking the alignments from start to end by 

traversing through unpaved areas. The cross-functional team 

received detailed feedback from the meeting and plan to 

incorporate them into the proposed alignments. WFLHD will 

continue to “refine all three proposed alignments until the 

Yellowstone National Park staff selects a preferred alignment” 

(Steven Davis, WFLHD) to construct. The project timeline 

and construction efforts for the North Entrance Road will be 

“predicated on which alternative is selected” (NPS, “Flood 

Recovery Updates”).

Conclusion

Investing in transportation infrastructure is an important step 

in addressing climate change and natural disasters. With the 

help from programs such as the ERFO program, transportation 

agencies, like FHWA, can restore damaged infrastructure 

and adopt innovative construction techniques, materials, 

and technology that can withstand climate-related stresses. 

These efforts will improve the durability of transportation 

infrastructure, providing safety and mobility for all. By 

investing in resilience, transportation systems can withstand the 

effects of climate change and natural disasters and support the 

needs of future generations.

MICHAEL TANG is a student at the University of Portland in 

Portland, OR. Michael is currently studying civil engineering 

and will graduate in 2024.

FACING PAGE:

North facing view 

of North Entrance 

Road showing 

guardrails and a 

damaged sewage 

pipe hanging 

from the side 

of the road. 

© 2023 

Michael Tang.

RIGHT: Members 

from WFLHD, 

NPS, Yellowstone 

National Park, 

and other groups 

walking along 

the proposed 

alignments and 

traversing through 

unpaved areas. 

© 2023 

Michael Tang.
WINTER 2024 21

STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION

For More Information

• Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads 

(https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs/erfo).

• Federal-aid Highway Program 

(https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials/federalaid.cfm).

• National Park Service “Flood Recovery Updates” 

(https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/220613.htm).

• United States Geological Survey on Gardner River 

(https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/yvo/news/how-2022

-yellowstone-flood-affected-a-monitoring-site-gardner-river).
22 PUBLIC ROADS

STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION

Partnering with Minority 

Serving Institutions 

to Advance 21st Century 

Transportation Systems 

in the United States

by DAVID ZACK MAGALLANEZ

 Innovation is the driving force behind the advancement of 

transportation systems in the 21st century. The Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA) plays a pivotal role in 

shaping the future of transportation in the United States 

by enhancing the safety and performance of the Nation’s 

transportation system through research and the acceleration of 

innovative technologies and practices (https://highways.dot.gov

/about/fhwa-strategic-plan). One powerful avenue for achieving 

these goals is by partnering with minority serving institutions 

(MSIs) from around the Nation. This article highlights the 

importance of FHWA’s collaboration with MSIs to tap into 

the talents of students and faculty to help advance research 

and development in transportation systems while aligning with 

the agency’s goals of its commitment to safety, efficiency, and 

sustainability.

By partnering with MSIs, FHWA gains access to a diverse 

range of perspectives, innovative ideas, and cutting-edge 

research. Faculty, staff, and students at MSIs bring unique 

insights and expertise to the table. Collaborating with MSIs will 

enable the agency to explore novel approaches, technologies, 

and practices that can revolutionize transportation systems 

and enhance safety and performance. A unique example of 

an MSI driving innovation in transportation is California 

State Polytechnic University–Pomona. It recently landed a 

$40 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to fund 

the new Center for Understanding Future Travel Behavior 

and Demand, a research center focusing on understanding 

future transportation needs and preferences. By conducting 

research in this area, the university can contribute to evidencebased decisionmaking at the local, State, and Federal levels 

(https://polycentric.cpp.edu/2023/04/cal-poly-pomona-collaborates

-on-landmark-40-million-transportation-research/). The insights 

gained through this research will help inform the development 

of more efficient, sustainable, and accessible transportation 

systems that cater to the diverse needs of communities, 

including minority populations.

Research serves as the backbone of transportation 

innovation. FHWA, through partnerships with MSIs, can 

tap into their research capabilities and facilities. These 

institutions are known for their excellence in inquiry and have 

ABOVE:

Collaboration and 

partnership leads to 

innovation, advances 

in research, and 

forward-thinking 

transportation 

systems.

© Gorodenkoff / 

AdobeStock.com.
WINTER 2024 23

BELOW: The 

application of data 

and advancements 

in technology 

benefit national 

and global 

transportation 

futures.

© metamorworks / 

AdobeStock.com.

a wealth of expertise in fields relevant to transportation, such 

as engineering, data analytics, urban planning, sustainable 

practices, and much more. By collaborating with MSIs, 

FHWA can accelerate research and development activities, 

driving the advancement of new technologies, materials, and 

methodologies. This, in turn, translates into tangible benefits 

for transportation systems, including improved safety, enhanced 

efficiency, and reduced environmental impact. In addition, 

MSIs often have strong connections with local communities 

and residents, industry partners, and government agencies 

(https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/msis_educating_all

_students.pdf). This contextual understanding is invaluable 

when conducting transportation research as it enables MSIs 

to address real-world problems and develop solutions that are 

relevant and meaningful to the local community.

By forging strong partnerships with MSIs, FHWA embraces 

a pivotal moment to take the lead in transforming the 

transportation sector into a beacon of equity, sustainability, and 

innovation. These collaborations send an unequivocal message 

of the agency’s resolute commitment to driving positive 

change and advancing social and economic justice. By aligning 

with broader efforts to address inequities, promote diversity, 

foster innovation, leverage community connections, and 

cultivate a diverse workforce, FHWA charts a course toward 

a transportation future that serves every American and leaves 

no one behind. Together, we embark on this transformative 

journey, reshaping the very fabric of transportation in the 

pursuit of a more inclusive and prosperous tomorrow.

DAVID ZACK MAGALLANEZ is a graduate student at the 

University of Texas at San Antonio in San Antonio, TX. David 

is currently studying urban and regional planning and will 

graduate in 2025.

For More Information

• “FHWA Strategic Plan Fiscal Year 2022–2026”

(https://highways.dot.gov/about/fhwa-strategic-plan).

• “Cal Poly Pomona Collaborates on Landmark 

$40 Million Transportation Research” 

(https://polycentric.cpp.edu/2023/04/cal-poly

-pomona-collaborates-on-landmark-40-million

-transportation-research/).

• Minority Serving Institutions: Educating All Students 

(https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/msis

_educating_all_students.pdf).
24 PUBLIC ROADS

STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION

by JOSEPH TSO

 O

n June 29, 1956, a significant transformation occurred in the 

United States: the start of the Interstate Highway System. 

This network, spanning over 40,000 miles, connected the 

Nation from coast to coast. The highways, with their wide lanes 

and high speed limits, revolutionized the safety and comfort 

of travel, marking a new era in American transportation. A 

construction marvel, our roads served as a testament to our 

engineering prowess, facilitated the efficient movement of 

people and goods across the country, and connected previously 

distant cities.

However, the development of this system was not without 

controversy. Critics argue that the highways disrupted local 

communities and altered the existing social fabric. The 

environmental impact of the highways—contributing to 

noise and air pollution—has also been a point of contention. 

Furthermore, critics contend that the highways, in their 

current form, prioritize long-distance transportation and daily 

commuters, often at the expense of local travel and community 

welfare. This negativity has led to calls for a more balanced 

approach to transportation planning, one that considers the 

needs of local communities as well as long-distance travelers. 

While it may not currently be feasible to address the issues 

of highways on a national scale, it is certainly possible to 

implement creative solutions that mitigate their impact locally. 

This article proposes the reimagining of highways as potential 

assets for local communities.

An excellent example of highway revitalization is in San 

Francisco, CA. Here, a transformation has occurred that 

challenges the traditional view of highways as disruptions to 

local culture and community coherence. Previously overlooked 

and blighted underpasses, once seen as barriers dividing 

the city, have been reinvented as vibrant parks. Progress 

Park, nestled beneath I–280 in the burgeoning Dogpatch 

neighborhood, was once a fenced-off area filled with rocks 

and debris. Today, it’s a community park where neighbors 

play bocce, dog owners bring their pets, and workout groups 

gather. This transformation has fostered community cohesion 

and turned once divisive underpasses into vibrant arteries of 

community engagement and recreational activity.

The space around and beneath highways also presents 

unexpected opportunities for economic revitalization, with 

Boston serving as an excellent example. Formerly overlooked 

underpasses have been converted into urban parks and 

cultural attractions. Landscaped pedestrian boardwalks 

and bicycle paths have created new connections between 

communities previously separated by highway infrastructure. 

Visitors also enjoy amenities such as world-class street 

art, a dog park, curated retail, fitness, food, and beverage 

ABOVE: Unused 

urban areas can 

prove beneficial 

to communities 

by redeveloping 

them into parks, 

recreational areas, 

and retail space.

© Cozyta / 

AdobeStock.com.

Highways for the Neighborhood: 

Reimagining Our Road 

Infrastructure for Community Integration and Development
WINTER 2024 25

experiences. These once empty areas, now transformed into 

lively spaces, not only generate economic activity but also 

stimulate local entrepreneurship and provide platforms for 

regional cultural showcase.

The city of Portland, OR, showcases a creative way to use 

areas near highways, showing dedication to environmental 

sustainability and community improvement. A key example is 

the “Gateway Green,” a 25-acre park situated at the junction of 

two interstate highways, I–205 and I–84. The Gateway Green 

is a versatile public area created with community feedback, 

acting as a center for outdoor activities like mountain biking, 

hiking, and bird watching. Additionally, it includes facilities 

for stormwater management and native plants, improving the 

urban environment and supporting the city’s environmental 

objectives. This creative use of unused space encourages 

community involvement and economic growth while proving 

that the transformation of existing land or structures around 

highways can be highly advantageous for local communities.

Despite the many positive examples, there are still thousands 

of locations across the United States where there is a great 

need for improvement. A prime example is the Cross Bronx 

Expressway in New York City, NY, a source of division and 

blight for surrounding neighborhoods, many of which are 

low-income communities of color. The highway restricts 

access to open spaces and adversely affects public health. To 

address this, a comprehensive plan could be developed to 

transform the highway into a community asset. This could 

involve decking over or transforming certain highway segments 

that cause the most harm to neighborhood health, prosperity, 

and cohesion.

Alternatively, transforming the highway into an urban 

boulevard would involve reducing the number of lanes, 

adding pedestrian and bicycle amenities, and lining the 

street with trees. This change would create a pedestrianfriendly environment and potentially free up land for open 

space and community amenities. Implementing such a plan 

would necessitate collaboration between State departments 

of transportation, city officials, and local communities, and 

careful consideration of costs, benefits, and potential impacts. 

If executed effectively, it could significantly improve residents’ 

quality of life and contribute to the area’s overall revitalization.

In conclusion, the concept of transforming unused highway 

spaces into thriving community areas is not just theoretical; 

it’s already a reality in cities like San Francisco and Boston. 

These areas have taken what was once seen as a problem and 

turned it into a solution, creating new cultural, economic, 

and green spaces that bring people together, stimulate local 

business, and help make cities more sustainable. This same 

potential exists across the United States, including places 

like the Cross Bronx Expressway. Through creative planning 

and teamwork between local communities, city officials, and 

transportation departments, we can redesign or repurpose these 

highways to make them more beneficial to the surrounding 

neighborhoods. By carefully considering the costs and impacts, 

we can help improve the quality of life for residents, stimulate 

local economies, and make our cities more connected and 

sustainable. So instead of seeing highways as problems, we need 

to start seeing them as opportunities for positive change.

JOSEPH TSO is a junior at Wilbert Tucker High School in 

Fairfax, VA, and will graduate in 2025.

For More Information

• “Gateway Green” (http://www.gatewaygreenpdx.org)

• “History of the Interstate Highway System” (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/history.cfm)

• “Public Weighs Options for Fixing Problems Caused by Cross Bronx Expressway”

(https://motthavenherald.com/2023/06/23/public-weighs-options-for-fixing-problems-caused-by-cross-bronx-expressway/)

• “2019 Mural Project” (https://undergroundinkblock.com/new-page-3)

• “President Biden and U.S. Department of Transportation Announce $1.2 Billion for Highways in Rural Appalachia” 

(https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/president-biden-and-us-department-transportation-announce-12-billion-highways-rural)

• “Progress Park” (https://greenbenefit.org/progress-park)

• “USDOT Announces Additional Measures to Help States in Areas Affected by the Colonial Pipeline Incident” 

(https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/usdot-announces-additional-measures-help-states-areas-affected-colonial-pipeline)

BELOW: With 

planning, some 

unused urban areas 

can be turned 

into dog parks 

and community 

gathering spots.

© oneinchpunch / 

AdobeStock.com.
WILDLIFE CROSSINGS 

IMPROVE TRAFFIC 

SAFETY AND MAY 

PROTECT BIODIVERSITY

26 PUBLIC ROADS

STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION

by JOSEPH PARAMPATHU

 S

urface transportation cuts across natural habitats vital to 

species survival and ecological biodiversity. As road density 

increases, so do edge habitats, fragmenting the remaining 

wildlife habitat into smaller and smaller pieces while increasing 

the area where vehicle-wildlife collisions are likely to occur. 

As the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Wildlife 

Crossing Structure Handbook notes, fragmentation is particularly 

harmful to “wildlife that have large area needs, are found in 

relatively low densities, and have low reproductive rates.” When 

road infrastructure separates wildlife populations from vital 

sources of food, water, or shelter; or where roads bisect optimal 

habitat, they can be especially harmful to wildlife survival. But 

road infrastructure can incorporate crossings to keep habitats 

connected even as roads grow and develop—integrating, rather 

than dividing, the habitats.

Habitat fragmentation both reduces the area of the habitat 

available and changes the qualities of that habitat: Habitat 

fragmentation is an aspect of habitat configuration. Connecting 

habitats on two sides of a divider, such as a highway, wildlife 

crossings reconfigure habitats to better support ecologies on 

both sides of the divide. The smaller a habitat patch, the fewer 

species it can sustain. Still, fragmentation, when controlling 

for habitat loss in general, may have some positive effects on 

species that benefit from immigration rate, patch isolation, 

access to multiple habitats (for animals that spend their adult 

lives in a different habitat from where they breed or birth), 

ABOVE: Bighorn 

sheep are one 

of the animals 

impacted 

significantly 

by traffic and 

roadways that 

divide their 

natural habitat.

© Simon / 

sbthegreenman / 

AdobeStock.com.

and positive edge effects, especially those species whose main 

predators need wide-open ranges for survival. The effects of 

fragmentation or connectivity on a particular species depend on 

that species’ needs.

Even absent intentional design, wildlife already cross 

public roads. The 2004 Biological Conservation study “Use of 

Highway Undercrossings by Wildlife in Southern California” 

reported “regular use of underpasses and drainage culverts 

beneath highways by wildlife, including species of conservation 

concern.” The Biological Conservation study authors 

recommended building pathways intended primarily to support 

crossings that connect suitable habitats “for protecting native 

species in areas bisected by high-speed roadways.”

However, the article “Impact of Wildlife Crossing Structures 

on Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions,” published in the Transportation 

Research Record in 2004, concluded: “collision reductions were 

more consistent among wildlife bridges than culverts” and 

estimated the annual financial benefits from reduced wildlifevehicle collisions for each crossing structure to be between 

$235,000–$443,000. In a 2007 report to Congress, WildlifeVehicle Collision Reduction Study, Hujiser et al. estimated the 

cost of a wildlife overcrossing at $3.5 million, which, in light of 

their assumption of an 80-year useful life and the Transportation 
WINTER 2024 27

Research Record

study’s estimation 

of benefits, may 

indicate substantial 

net savings from reducing 

wildlife-vehicle collisions 

through properly placed 

overcrossings. In particular, wildlife 

overcrossings, such as landscape bridges 

and wildlife overpasses, are more suitable 

for large mammals that may not be willing to 

regularly use underpasses and culverts.

One such animal is the bighorn sheep, occupying the 

deserts and mountains of the southwestern United States. 

Traffic is one of the leading killers of bighorn sheep, which 

depend on a wide-ranging habitat. Caltrans (California’s 

transportation agency), California Department of Fish and 

Wildlife, and a private rail company have agreed to develop 

three wildlife crossings above I–15 between Las Vegas and 

southern California. These overcrossings would span the width 

of the current I–15 highway as well as the proposed rail system 

in the median. The highway borders the Mojave National 

Preserve and passes several wilderness areas home to bighorn 

sheep, bisecting their natural habitat.

FHWA’s report to Congress estimated there are between 

one and two million wildlife-vehicle collisions per year, and 

large mammals such as moose and deer account for many of 

those collisions causing human injury or fatality. In considering 

that report, Congress created the Wildlife Crossings Pilot 

Program to provide competitive grants for improving habitat 

connectivity and reducing collisions. Wildlife crossings such as 

the three proposed over I–15 are one measure transportation 

planners can use to address the greater than $8 billion annual 

cost of wildlife-vehicle collisions to improve driver safety and 

preserve biodiversity that occur around the Nation. Public 

roads need not be at loggerheads with the bighorn sheep and 

other large mammals; by integrating roadways with existing 

ecologies, overcrossings can reduce traffic fatalities and provide 

substantial savings for drivers.

JOSEPH PARAMPATHU is a sophomore at Allen Community 

College in Iola, KS. Joseph is currently studying accounting 

and will graduate in 2024.

For More Information

•  “Wildlife Crossing Structure Handbook Design and Evaluation in North America” 

(https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/clas/ctip/wildlife_crossing_structures/)

•  “Habitat Fragmentation and Large-Scale Conservation: What Do We Know for Sure?” 

(https://www.jstor.org/stable/3683030)

•  “A Survey and Overview of Habitat Fragmentation Experiments” 

(https://www.life.illinois.edu/ib/451/Debinski%20(2000).pdf)

•  “Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Biodiversity” 

(https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.34.011802.132419)

•  “Use of Highway Undercrossings by Wildlife in Southern California” 

(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222518086_Use_of_undercrossings_by

_wildlife_in_southern_California)

•  “Impact of Wildlife Crossing Structures on Wildlife–Vehicle Collisions” 

(https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/03611981221108158?journalCode=trra)

•  “Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Reduction Study: Report to Congress” 

(https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/08034/)

•  “Wildlife Crossing Structure Handbook: Design and Evaluation in North America” 

(https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/41646)

•  “Caltrans, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Brightline Agree to Build Wildlife 

Overcrossings for Rail Project” (https://dot.ca.gov/news-releases/news-release-2023-005)

•  “Bighorn Sheep in California” (https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=113835) 

•  “Wildlife Crossings Program” (https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs/wildlife-crossings) 

Wildlife overpasses 

reduce vehicleanimal collisions 

on highways and 

allow animals to 

safely traverse their 

natural habitats.

© creativenature.nl / 

AdobeStock.com.
28 PUBLIC ROADS

STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION

by SYDNEY COOPER

 D

ata from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show 

teen drivers (ages 16–19) have a deadly crash rate nearly three 

times as high as adult drivers (ages 20 and up) per mile driven. 

The National Safety Council declared that “motor vehicle 

crashes continue to be the number one cause of preventable 

death for U.S. teens,” and that crashes involving young drivers 

impact people of all ages. STEM—which stands for science, 

technology, engineering, and math—can be used to solve this 

issue. It is important to find a solution to this problem to save 

the lives of teen drivers and many others in the future. A few 

methods involving virtual reality (VR), autonomous vehicles 

(AV), and video games can likely be effective and serve as 

solutions to help decrease the number of motor vehicle crashes 

involving teens.

VR is a computer-generated experience that uses tracking 

of body movements and high-tech glasses to make the user feel 

like they are inside a virtual world. This links the technology 

category in STEM with the first possible solution. VR can 

be used to better prepare teens for driving in the real world, 

introducing them to the U.S. transportation system (e.g., 

neighborhood streets and highways) and how to interact 

with its elements, including signs and pavement markings, 

pedestrians, and work zone and emergency personnel while 

driving. According to Youth.gov, factors that increase the risk 

of crashes among teens are risky driving (e.g., fast driving and 

illegal lane changes), driving under the influence of drugs and 

alcohol, distracted driving (e.g., eating and adjusting the radio), 

and driving with other teens in the car. These common risk 

factors are ones to simulate or expose teens to as well as other 

causes of car accidents. With placing headsets equipped with 

various scenarios in schools and places teens frequently visit 

(e.g., malls, arcades, and movie theaters), VR can familiarize 

teens with real-life driving experiences and depict road safety 

precautions as training to avoid dangerous situations.

A self-driving AV is an automobile with a driving/

communication system and high-tech sensors that drives itself 

safely, so a driver does not have to manually do so. This possible 

solution uses the engineering component of STEM. AVs can 

be used as tools to teach teens how to drive and to help them 

drive more safely by being engineered to prevent dangerous 

encounters from occurring. For example, a modified AV that 

can support multiple levels of automation can not only detect 

other objects in a roadway while being driven by a teen, but 

it can automatically steer itself away from possible collisions 

with such objects as other vehicles, trees, mailboxes, bicyclists, 

and pedestrians. This vehicle can also be made to automatically 

slow down to the roadway’s posted speed limit and while 

traveling in bad weather. With making modified AVs available 

for use in high school driver education courses, State-approved 

certified driver training schools, and for purchase, teens can be 

taught the importance of paying attention while driving and 

being fully aware of their environment. This solution can also 

prevent accidents from happening much better than the cars 

driven now.

Most teens love to play video games. More than 84 percent 

of teens (ages 13–17) say they have a game console at home 

or access to one. Ninety percent also say that they play video 

games on multiple devices like consoles, cellphones, and 

computers. This final possible method also makes use of the 

technology component of STEM and can be both effective and 

ABOVE: Using 

technology, such 

as virtual reality, 

can help teen 

drivers improve 

their ability and 

safety behind the 

wheel of a real car.

© Jackie Niam / 

Artem Zakharov / 

AdobeStock.com.

STEM and Transportation: 

Using Technology and Engineering to Drive 

a Safer Future for Teens on Roadways
WINTER 2024 29

accessible. A video game can be defined as an electronic game 

controlled by a user with an input device such as controllers 

or keyboards. Like VR, video games can be used to introduce 

teens to the real world of driving and be helpful in promoting 

safe driving habits. A driver’s education game can make use 

of the latest technology and elements that teens have come 

to enjoy, including state-of-the-art and unique graphics, 

sounds, characters (with an opportunity to choose a 

persona and vehicle), sceneries (with an opportunity 

to view different areas and components of the U.S. 

transportation system), rewards (with an opportunity 

to gain points for exercising good driving behaviors), and 

real-time interconnectivity (with an opportunity to play the 

video game alongside other teen drivers).

Implementation of one or more of the solutions mentioned 

above—VR, AVs, and video games—could possibly and 

positively change the data regarding car accidents involving 

teens. Studies show that driver’s education classes reduce 

teen crashes. Implementing the solutions in conjunction 

with driver’s education classes can reinforce what happens 

on roads in a real-world setting, promote correct and safe 

driving behaviors, and prevent car crashes involving teens from 

occurring so often. This prevention can help build a better 

transportation system and save more lives.

SYDNEY COOPER is a junior at Westlake High School in Atlanta, 

GA, and will graduate in 2025.

According to data, 

car crashes are “the 

number one cause 

of preventable 

death for U.S. 

teens.” However, 

steps can be taken 

by teens to help 

reduce that number.

© Monkey Business / 

AdobeStock.com.

For More Information

• “ Teen Drivers and Passengers: Get the Facts” (https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety

/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html#theproblem)

• “ Teen Drivers” (https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/teen-drivers/)

• “Factors that Increase the Risk of Crashes” (https://youth.gov/youth-topics

/factors-increase-risk-crashes)

• “ 5 facts about Americans and Video Games” (https://www.pewresearch.org

/short-reads/2018/09/17/5-facts-about-americans-and-video-games/)

• “ Getting the Most Value From Driver’s Education” (https://www.moneygeek.com

/insurance/auto/resources/benefits-of-drivers-education/)

• “ Study: Driver’s Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets” 

(https://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:

+Driver’s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets)
30 PUBLIC ROADS

STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION

by ROHINI KAR

 S

afety is something that all individuals desire, and they expect 

that public roadway agencies will provide means of helping 

people travel efficiently and safely. Although all road users are 

at risk of serious crashes and resulting injuries, people who are 

black, Hispanic, indigenous, and/or live in rural areas have 

been found to be more impacted by traffic crashes compared to 

others. An equitable transportation system ensures that there 

is safe, reliable, and affordable mobility to meet the needs of 

all community members despite their income, age, abilities, 

or color.

There are growing concerns also with environmental 

issues, which will especially impact the health and 

safety of low-income areas having limited resources and 

transportation options. To alleviate these issues, the Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA) of the U.S. Department 

of Transportation (USDOT) has a goal of creating a 

transportation industry with little to no fatalities or serious 

injuries for all citizens. The key strategies that FHWA is using 

are to improve safety data systems and other technologies, 

continue research on automated vehicles, implement 

regulations and policies on projects, and have a wide range of 

diversity within public agencies.

Crash Analysis 

One key component to creating safer roads and vehicular 

technology is to analyze potential issues in the transportation 

systems. FHWA highly encourages and supports agencies that 

study traffic control systems and crash data; for some agencies, 

FHWA provides technical assistance through the Roadway 

Data Technical Assistance Program so that they have a wellmanaged approach to track crashes on all public roads.

Cost-effective data management for States is also important 

when implementing changes, so FHWA encourages States 

to use data-driven safety analysis methods to create more 

effective plans that are not too expensive and are more effective. 

Improving roadway inventory and traffic volume components 

of safety data systems also helps with evaluations that decrease 

the number of crashes on all roads, ranging between urban 

and rural. Identifying the problems of roadways and traffic 

operations will lead to a more effective system and save 

more lives.

Transportation Projects 

Fatality rates have been found to be more predominant in 

rural areas, yet a significant portion of the public funding and 

ABOVE: Crash 

analysis is one of 

the key elements 

in creating safer 

roads and improving 

vehicle technology.

© Framestock / 

AdobeStock.com.

Creating Safe and Equitable 

Transportation
WINTER 2024 31

programs have been directed toward urban areas. To come up 

with safety solutions that aid disadvantaged regions, FHWA is 

continuing to support multiple programs that create projects 

that target rural areas.

Programs such as the Highway Safety Improvement 

Program and Strategic Highway Safety Plan are coming up with 

projects like the Lane Departure Program, which is designed 

to prevent drivers from drifting out of a lane, and the RailwayHighway Crossing Program, which works to reduce crashes 

at railroad crossings, to focus on rural roads that have higher 

fatality rates. Alongside FHWA, the Bipartisan Infrastructure 

Law provides a plethora of resources and opportunities to 

fund projects that can save lives on all public roads. All these 

programs and projects collectively add more opportunities to 

improve safety.

Drivers 

To ensure that drivers and other road users are traveling in a 

well-monitored and managed transportation system, FHWA is 

also working toward several proven safety countermeasures. By 

implementing those countermeasures, different types of crashes 

and their severity can be reduced. According to USDOT’s 

safety website, “This strategy embraces a Safe System Approach, 

which builds multiple layers of protection around road users 

and is based on the reality that although people make mistakes, 

those mistakes do not have to be fatal.” By implementing 

proven safety countermeasures on all public roads, things like 

speed and roadway departures can be managed, which help the 

transportation industry work toward their goal of zero fatalities.

Automated Driving Systems 

With rapid developments in technology, especially artificial 

intelligence, autonomous vehicles serve as a window to the 

future of transportation. To address and mitigate safety 

concerns, such as hacking and malfunctioning, FHWA is 

encouraging evidence-based safety programs to conduct 

research to improve vehicle technology. Driverless cars that 

have extra safety features and regulations could potentially 

increase survival rates and decrease the number of fatalities. 

People who are disabled, unable to drive to work, or have other 

barriers will be able to travel in a much safer way since the cars 

are put through a series of tests and safety standards to ensure 

their safety before implementation in the real world. Devices 

and programs can also track crashes to develop safety tools that 

will increase its quality, which will help decrease crash-related 

fatalities and serious injuries everywhere.

Environment 

Environmental concerns have also driven FHWA to 

take serious measures and precautions. In order for new 

infrastructure projects to be approved, Federal, State, and local 

agencies must research the area’s vulnerability to dangers such 

as floods, runoff, and water pollution. Many highways do 

not allow rainwater to penetrate, which results in the runoff 

of debris and pollution into water sources. The diminished 

water quality can significantly impact the health and safety of 

low-income and rural communities. FHWA has taken this into 

account and placed policies under the National Environmental 

Policy Act to control the water runoff after storms by altering 

transportation projects. Flood risks are also increasing 

throughout the years, which threaten the safety of communities 

that have flat pavements. The guidelines and requirements that 

FHWA placed are there to ensure that the road designs can 

prevent floods and keep all citizens and the ecosystem safe.

Conclusion 

FHWA is constantly investing in the safety of the community 

and the environment. Federal grant programs and funding 

prioritize small businesses, communities of color, and 

disadvantaged societies to ensure that there are not any cost 

or infrastructure burdens. Several projects are initiated so the 

technologies are being placed for the purpose of safety and 

effectiveness. To create a safe environment that is respecting 

cultural and historical grounds, FHWA also works with 

Tribal agencies to ensure that transportation projects are not 

disruptive. Overall, FHWA is working with many agencies to 

improve safety and the environment to eventually achieve their 

goal of zero fatalities nationwide.

ROHINI KAR is a junior at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, 

AZ, and will graduate in 2025.

For More Information

• “FHWA FY 2019–2022 Strategic Plan” 

(https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/strategicplan/safety.cfm).

• “Driver Assistance Technologies” 

(https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/driver-assistance-technologies).

• “Caltrans Railway-Highway Crossing Program” (https://dot.ca.gov

/programs/local-assistance/fed-and-state-programs/sec130).

• “Safety at FHWA” (https://highways.dot.gov/safety/about-safety).

• “Proven Safety Countermeasures” 

(https://highways.dot.gov/safety/proven-safety-countermeasures).

• “NEPA Process and Transportation” 

(https://environment.transportation.org/education

/practical-applications/nepa-process/nepa-process-overview/).

• “Environmental Topics: Tribal Consultation” 

(https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/env_topics/tribal.aspx).
32 PUBLIC ROADS

Public Information and Information Exchange

 NCDOT Releases a Statewide Clean Transportation Plan

The North Carolina Department of Transportation 

(NCDOT) released the guidance document, North 

Carolina Clean Transportation Plan (NCCTP), in April 

2023, detailing a coordinated strategy for how the State 

can achieve an equitable, versatile, and clean transportation 

future. The document also describes equitable outcomes 

for everyone—including people in traditionally 

underserved communities.

The strategies described in the NCCTP 

outline four focus areas: governance, 

infrastructure, funding/finance, and 

communication/engagement. One 

strategy from each focus area includes 

creating a dedicated clean 

transportation team (governance); 

evaluating and deploying clean 

transportation infrastructure to support 

all types of fleet vehicles and applications 

(infrastructure); evaluating and applying for 

new funding that advances clean transportation 

outcomes (funding/finance); and establishing a coordinated 

clean transportation communication strategy to increase 

awareness, align resources and partnerships, and advance the 

initiative (communication/engagement). Overall, the NCCTP 

will result in:

• Sharing best practices and increasing awareness of the 

current landscape of clean transportation initiatives in 

North Carolina. 

• Tracking progress, such as new registration and sales of 

zero emission vehicles, the per capita reduction in vehicle 

miles traveled, and metrics tied to workforce development 

initiatives.

• Developing strategies, with an emphasis on near-term 

action that will support achieving the goals in Executive 

Order 246 and the goals of the NCCTP.

• Assessing the opportunities, challenges, and 

considerations of creating a more equitable clean 

transportation system. This should focus on the 

potential impacts on traditionally underserved 

communities.

The NCCTP encourages stakeholders from the 

public and private sectors to collaborate and develop a 

roadmap for achieving an equitable clean transportation 

system for North Carolina.

 For a summary of the NCCTP, visit: https://www.ncdot.gov

/initiatives-policies/environmental/climate-change/Pages/clean

-transportation-plan.aspx. To review the full NCCTP, visit: 

https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/environmental/climate

-change/Documents/nc-clean-transportation-plan-final-report.pdf.

ABOVE: Strategies 

for electric 

vehicle charging 

are critical to 

advancing a clean 

transportation 

plan.

© THINK b / 

AdobeStock.com.

RIGHT: Source: 

The N.C. Clean 

Transportation Plan.

Along the Road

Along the Road features current and upcoming activities, developments, trends, and items of general interest to the transportation community. 
WINTER 2024 33

Lake Tahoe Transportation Projects Awarded Funding for Improvement

As part of the 2023 Regional Grant Program, the Tahoe 

Regional Planning Agency, a federally designated 

metropolitan planning organization, awarded over 

$11 million in May 2023 to seven transportation projects 

that seek to improve safety and climate resilience in the Tahoe 

region of California and Nevada.

The funding will go toward reducing congestion, expanding 

regional walking/running/biking trails, continuing free transit, 

and supporting equitable recreation access. For example, the 

Kings Beach Western Approach project on the North Shore—

an existing signalized intersection awarded $1.5 million and 

scheduled for completion in 2026—will be converted to a 

roundabout for improved mobility, safety, efficiency, level of 

service, and public transit access. 

Similarly, the Apache Avenue Pedestrian Safety and 

Connectivity project on the South Shore—awarded nearly 

$1.7 million and scheduled for completion in 2026—will be 

enhanced to provide a safe, walkable, and bikeable roadway 

through additional roadway signage, highly visible crosswalks 

and pavement markings, improved stormwater drainage system, 

bike lanes on both sides of the roadway, and Americans with 

Disabilities Act-defined curb ramps.

Other projects include the Pioneer Trail/U.S. Highway 50 

Intersection Safety Improvement on South Shore (awarded 

nearly $3.7 million to convert into a modern roundabout and 

due for completion in 2026); Microtransit EV Charging Base 

Station (awarded nearly $270,000 to convert microtransit fleet 

to electric and due for completion in 2024); and continuing the 

Free-to-the-User Transit Program (awarded $1 million and due 

for implementation in 2025). The Free-to-the-User Transit 

Program will utilize the existing Tahoe Transportation District 

transit service for a free system to help eliminate traffic. A 

version of the service was rolled out sooner than expected 

during the COVID-19 pandemic to eliminate fare exchanges 

between drivers and riders. Nevertheless, zero-fare transit 

systems have been shown to positively impact on-time 

performance, efficiency, safety, and climate change mitigation.

For more information on all seven projects, visit: 

https://www.trpa.gov/11-1-million-awarded-to-seven-transportation

-projects/.

The Apache 

Avenue Pedestrian 

Safety and 

Connectivity 

project will 

improve the 

avenue’s 

accessibility, 

mobility, and 

safety with added 

signage, street 

markings, bike 

lanes, and more. 

INSET: © 2016 

County of El Dorado.

LEFT: © Alta 

Planning + Design.
34 PUBLIC ROADS

USDOT’s Project Delivery Center of Excellence Dedicated to 

Delivering Infrastructure on Time, on Task, and on Budget

I

n July 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation 

launched the Project Delivery Center of Excellence at the 

USDOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. The 

Center of Excellence provides information and resources to 

support the successful implementation of infrastructure projects 

from concept to completion.

“We want this resource to be useful, so we will partner with 

Federal, Tribal, State, and local Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 

project sponsors to grow the Center of Excellence to ensure 

good projects are delivered well—and that means on time, on 

task, and on budget,” said USDOT Volpe Center Director 

Anne Aylward in a press release. 

The Center of Excellence aims to bridge the gap between 

practitioners in the field and leading thought leaders and 

academic researchers, to share perspectives, exchange expertise, 

and identify best practices. “We are optimistic about what can 

be done, but we also know that it won’t happen on its own,” 

said Pete Buttigieg, US Secretary of Transportation, in an 

official statement. 

Buttigieg added that now is “the best chance probably in our 

lifetimes in the United States to transform our transportation 

systems for the better, to make communities safer, to make 

transportation cleaner, to advance equity, and to connect people 

to the resources, opportunities, and jobs that are going to shape 

their lives.”

Additional plans for the Center of Excellence focus on best 

practices related to streamlining construction contracts and 

examining the causes of construction change orders. Find out 

more at the Project Delivery Center of Excellence’s website: 

https://www.volpe.dot.gov/project-delivery.

The Project 

Deliver Center 

of Excellence 

is helping 

to advance 

infrastructure 

work around 

the Nation, 

including bridge 

reconstructions.

© denklim / 

AdobeStock.com.
WINTER 2024 35

STIPDG Internship Helps Further USDOT Diversity Goals

The Summer Transportation Internship 

Program for Diverse Groups (STIPDG) is 

a unique opportunity for undergraduate, 

graduate, and law students to gain hands-on 

experience in public service while learning about 

transportation challenges and advancements in 

the United States. With opportunities available 

in each operating administration within the U.S. 

Department of Transportation, STIPDG is a 

critical part of USDOT’s efforts to increase diverse 

representation in its workforce. Recruitment for 

the program is targeted toward Historically Black 

Colleges and Universities and minority-serving 

institutions. All students who have completed at 

least their freshman year of college are encouraged 

to apply.

Through an internship at USDOT, students 

build professional networks, develop vital skills, and 

learn about exciting opportunities. Students are 

assigned to a USDOT employee who serves as a 

mentor throughout the 10-week program, and 

opportunities are available throughout the country, 

as well as Puerto Rico. Compensation includes a competitive 

stipend in addition to fully furnished housing and roundtrip 

travel to the assignment location.

For more information about STIPDG, please visit: 

https://twc.edu/programs/summer-transportation-internship-program

-diverse-groups.

Technical News

Federal Highway Administration Partners with NSF on Convergence Accelerator Program

I

n 2019, the National Science Foundation (NSF) launched 

the NSF Convergence Accelerator to merge innovative ideas, 

approaches, and technologies from a diverse range of sectors 

to solve societal challenges. Areas funded by the accelerator 

include People and Society; Education and Training; Earth 

and Environment; Technology; Facilities and Infrastructure; 

and Engineering. According to their website, the NSF 

Convergence Accelerator “support[s] engineering research that 

addresses national challenges—such as smart manufacturing, 

resilient infrastructure, and sustainable energy systems—and 

brings about new innovations, from 

biotechnologies to semiconductors.”

In May 2023, NSF leveraged FHWA’s 

applied engineering expertise for their 

Convergence Accelerator program, 

“Sustainable Materials for Global 

Challenges.” Ben Graybeal, the Bridge 

Engineering Research team leader in 

FHWA’s Office of Infrastructure 

Research and Development, served as an 

expert for a panel discussion on the ways 

funded research teams can become better 

aware of the needs of infrastructure 

owners and the pathways through which 

innovation can move from research 

concept to deployed solutions.

“It’s great to see that NSF is placing 

an emphasis on facilitating connections 

between basic research and deployed 

solutions, between the researchers and the owner/operator/user 

community,” Graybeal said. “It was a pleasure to share insights 

with a broad range of subject matter experts who know their 

technical topic areas but might lack connection to the end users 

of the technologies that they are developing. At FHWA, we can 

be a conduit through which NSF-funded solutions can reach 

the surface transportation community of practice.”

For more information, visit NSF Convergence Accelerator 

website at https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives

/convergence-accelerator.

USDOT student 

internships 

create new 

opportunities in 

public service and 

transportation. 

© insta_photos / 

AdobeStock.com.

The NSF 

Convergence 

Accelerator can 

prove useful 

for future 

transportation 

technologies and 

applications. 

© lin / Artsiom P /

AdobeStock.com.
36 PUBLIC ROADS

Policy, Regulations, and Grants

$20 Million in Grants to Help 

Communities Prosper Via Transit

I

n July 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal 

Transit Administration (FTA) announced that $20 million 

in Federal support will be divided among 47 communities 

across the country (https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants

/grant-programs/fiscal-year-2023-areas-persistent-poverty-aopp

-project-selections) to help improve public transportation options 

in areas experiencing long-term economic distress. The award 

comes via FTA’s Areas of Persistent Poverty (AoPP) program, 

which provides support to State and local governments, 

transit agencies, and nonprofit organizations to improve 

the accessibility and affordability to transit for residents 

with limited or no viable transportation options. Improved 

transit options can lead to better jobs, resources, and other 

opportunities.

Through the AoPP program, grants are awarded for studies 

to advance transit in low-income areas defined by data provided 

by the U.S. Census Bureau. For this award, FTA received 

applications totaling close to $36 million in requests. Requests 

were narrowed and projects selected based on criteria 

described in the award’s Notice of Funding Opportunity 

(https://www.transit.dot.gov/notices-funding/areas-persistent

-poverty-program-fy-2023-notice-funding-opportunity), including 

being able to demonstrate the requisite legal, financial, and 

technical capabilities to receive and administer Federal funds 

under the AoPP program.

The Cherokee Nation in Northeastern Oklahoma is one 

entity that will receive an AoPP grant. The Tribal Nation will 

receive $576,188 to update the Cherokee Nation’s long-range 

transit plan to guide the planning, construction, and 

deployment of future Tribal transit projects. The update will 

include an electric vehicle infrastructure assessment to plan for 

expansion and increase user access for its 450,000 Tribal 

citizens.

For more information, visit: https://www.transit.dot.gov/about

/news/biden-harris-administration-announces-20-million-grants-help

-communities-prosper.

Empowering Truck Drivers: 

Your Roads. Their Freedom.

I

n May 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) 

announced a new human trafficking awareness campaign—

“Your Roads. Their Freedom.”—to provide the Nation’s 

8.7 million commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers with 

information to help identify and report suspected human 

trafficking.

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that 

involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain labor or a 

commercial sex act, including the commercial sexual 

exploitation of children under any circumstance. Globally, an 

estimated 25 million people are subjected to human trafficking 

and forced labor, which produces adverse effects for the safety 

and health of communities and transportation networks. 

The Cherokee 

Nation in 

Oklahoma received 

an FTA grant to 

support its longrange planning.

© Roberto / 

AdobeStock.com.

RIGHT: “Your 

Roads. Their 

Freedom.” 

represents 

FMCSA’s new 

human trafficking 

awareness 

campaign to 

alert the Nation’s 

nearly 9 million 

CMV drivers.

Source: USDOT.
WINTER 2024 37

Human traffickers often use transportation systems (e.g., truck 

stops, rest areas, and travel centers) when recruiting and 

trafficking victims. Through this national campaign, FMCSA 

aims to educate and empower CMV drivers by raising 

awareness of the signs of human trafficking and encouraging 

drivers to report possible issues to authorities. 

Along with FMCSA, “the Federal Highway Administration 

seeks to combat human trafficking by reaching a broad 

audience of public sector partners who may be building, 

operating, and maintaining public rest areas where truckers 

stop,” says Caitlin Hughes, director of FHWA’s Office of 

Freight Management and Operations. “We encourage States, 

local governments, port terminal operators, and more to 

incorporate the anti-trafficking design recommendations for 

truck parking facilities that we included in the 2022 Truck 

Parking Development Handbook (https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Freight

/infrastructure/truck_parking/docs/Truck_Parking_Development

_Handbook.pdf).”

If CMV drivers see or suspect any indicators of human 

trafficking, they are encouraged to call 911, the National 

Human Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888; text HELP or 

INFO to BeFree (233733); or follow their company’s reporting 

policy, if established. 

For more information on the “Your Roads. Their Freedom.” 

campaign, along with shareable resources, visit https://www

.fmcsa.dot.gov/stophumantrafficking. To review a previous article 

on anti-human trafficking efforts in Public Roads, visit: 

https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/winter-2021/combating

-human-trafficking.

FHWA’s AID Demo Resumes Call for 

Innovation in Highway Transportation

S

ince the Federal Highway Administration launched 

the Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) 

Demonstration in 2014, more than $95.7 million 

was awarded for 127 grants. These grants are incentives to 

accelerate the deployment and adoption of proven innovative 

practices and technologies in highway transportation 

projects. In October 2023, FHWA announced a call for AID 

Demonstration applications and will issue nearly $12.5 million 

in grants during fiscal years 2024 through 2026 from amounts 

authorized within the Technology and Innovation Deployment 

Program under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

AID Demonstration funds are available to eligible entities 

for activities authorized for assistance under Title 23, United 

States Code; involve in any phase of a highway transportation 

project between project planning and project delivery, 

including planning, finance, operation, structures, materials, 

pavements, environment, and construction; and address the 

Technology and Innovation Deployment Program goals. State 

departments of transportation (DOT), Federal land 

management agencies, and Tribal governments are eligible and 

encouraged to apply. Local public agencies may apply for AID 

through their State DOT. The FY 2024 application deadline is 

April 23, 2024. FHWA will also host a webinar. 

For complete eligibility requirements, webinar information, 

and more, visit https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/grants/. 

Highway 

construction 

projects, and 

others, benefit 

from AID 

Demonstration 

funding.

© ungvar / 

AdobeStock.com.
38 PUBLIC ROADS

Using TSMO to Improve Current Transportation Systems

by JIM HUNT and SABRINA SYLVESTER

Transportation Systems Management and Operations 

(TSMO) is a set of strategies, activities, and mobility 

services that maximize the performance of existing 

transportation systems. TSMO enables more efficient use of 

transportation infrastructure, better aligns travel demand with 

system capacity, and provides integrated and comprehensive 

solutions that can typically be implemented quickly and at low 

cost relative to traditional capacity expansion. The benefits 

of TSMO include the following: improving safety, enabling 

smoother and more reliable traffic flow, reducing congestion, 

providing real-time highway and transit traveler information, 

and enhancing environmental conditions.

To support improved TSMO implementation, the Federal 

Highway Administration’s National Highway Institute (NHI) 

now offers a series of training courses that provide the 

fundamentals of TSMO and shows how agencies can 

institutionalize TSMO practices in their organization.

Achieving Success With NHI

NHI currently offers four TSMO training courses, including 

three, newly developed courses. The first two courses are 

Web-based Training (WBT) that provide a detailed introduction 

to TSMO, its concepts, and how to apply these strategies to the 

transportation planning process. The third course is a Webconference Training (WCT) that helps learners apply these 

concepts to real-world scenarios in a live, virtual space with 

subject matter experts. The fourth TSMO training discusses the 

benefits of various institutional, organizational, and procedural 

changes to make TSMO practices more effective.

Planning for TSMO Introduction 

(FHWA-NHI-133131)

This WBT is an introductory course that focuses on how 

agencies plan and effectively integrate TSMO into their 

transportation planning and programming processes. 

Participants will get an overview of TSMO planning and 

methods for institutionalizing TSMO practices and 

collaboration.

Planning for TSMO—Concepts and Applications 

(FHWA-NHI-133132)

This WBT builds on the Planning for TSMO Introduction

(FHWA-NHI-133131) course. The training teaches how 

TSMO can be integrated into a transportation planning process; 

enhance planning, programming, and project development 

outcomes; and be evaluated.

Planning for TSMO—Putting Concepts Into Action 

(FHWA-NHI-133133)

This WCT is an interactive course that uses engaging activities 

and applies a scenario that brings the concepts of planning for 

TSMO to life. Learners can apply concepts to their specific 

interests and needs when integrating TSMO into their 

transportation planning, programming, and project 

development processes. 

This three-course training series is designed for 

transportation planners and operations staff with TSMO 

experience who want to deepen their knowledge and learn 

strategies for integrating TSMO within their agency.

Making the Business Case for Institutional, Organizational, and 

Procedural Changes for TSMO (FHWA-NHI-133128)

This WBT identifies the benefits and considerations for 

implementing TSMO practices and recommended TSMO 

business case components. This training also describes the role 

and importance of leadership in instituting TSMO practices.

Additional TSMO Courses

The following NHI TSMO-related courses will soon be 

available through the NHI website:

• TSMO 101.

• TSMO Benefit-Cost Analysis.

• Understanding and Applying 

the Capability Maturity Model 

to Advance TSMO Programs.

Beyond the NHI training courses, information on other 

FHWA’s TSMO initiatives and resources can be found at 

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/plan4ops/index.htm. 

How to Attend or Host a Course

NHI invites all transportation professionals interested in a 

course to visit https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/ to learn more 

information on how to register or host a course. The course 

catalog lists over 350 courses in 18 program areas. 

NHI is an approved Accredited Provider by the International 

Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). 

As an IACET Accredited Provider, NHI offers continuing 

education units for its programs that qualify under the American 

National Standards Institute/IACET Standard.

JIM HUNT is an FHWA TSMO 

program manager.

SABRINA SYLVESTER is the senior 

marketing analyst contractor for NHI.

ABOVE:

© metamorwork / 

Shutterstock.com.

RIGHT: 

Source: NHI.

Training Update
PREPARE YOUR 

SUBMISSION—

PUBLIC ROADS IS 

DOING IT AGAIN!

Second Student Writing Competition 

Coming This Spring

We issued the call for student articles, and you answered!

In this issue, Public Roads published the winners of the 

Student Writing Competition—the first one ever in the 

publication’s 105-year history.

With the success of its debut, Public Roads has decided to 

do the competition again. Coming this spring, look 

for the launch of the Student 

Writing Competition 2024, 

with winners to be published 

in a future issue.

If you didn’t apply last time, now’s your 

chance to be part of history and have 

your work featured in Public Roads.

© Wayhome Studio / AdobeStock.com.

Look for launch details and information 

on social media or our website: 

https://highways.dot.gov/public-roads/home. 
Leveraging Resources to Achieve Common Research Goals

The Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) Program enables 

public and private entities to combine resources to 

conduct high priority research on a wide variety of shared, 

highway related problems. Over more than 45 years, the 

TPF Program has supported more than 750 successful 

multi-agency projects.

Participate in Diverse Research 

and Topic Areas

Investing in TPF studies helps partners stretch their 

research dollars to support a diverse array of topic areas.

Make an Impact Through a TPF Study!

Learn more about initiating a pooled fund study 

and browse the list of open solicitations on 

the TPF website at www.pooledfund.org.

For more information, contact Tricia Sergeson, 

TPF Program Manager, at Patricia.Sergeson@dot.gov.

Source: FHWA.

© 2019 Colorado DOT.

© 2020 The Transtec Group, Inc.

FHWA’s Transportation Pooled Fund Program

© 2011-2022 National Cooperative Highway Research Program.
© leekris / AdobeStock.com.

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