The U.S. maritime industry operates more than 10,500 vessels that transport essential energy, food, and goods across inland and ocean routes. Yet the sector faces a shrinking skilled workforce, declining academy enrollment, and a series of high-profile misconduct incidents that have exposed systemic issues of culture, supervision, and accountability.
Guided by the statement of task, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened an ad hoc expert committee to assess and inform public policies governing alcohol possession and consumption by crew and other personnel aboard U.S. commercial vessels. The assessment considered personal safety, security, and welfare aboard vessels; the interplay of alcohol with other intoxicants; and the operational and workplace factors influencing misuse. The committee examined how alcohol and other substances contribute to abusive and dangerous behaviors; evaluated the effectiveness of federal regulations and vessel operator policies; and reviewed best practices for prevention, education, training, reporting, and accountability to foster a culture of safety.
Strengthening Alcohol Policies and Supporting Safety and Health in the Maritime Industry presents a comprehensive, evidence-informed strategy to address these interconnected issues. The report examines how alcohol and other substance use, workplace culture, leadership, and policy environments interact to shape safety and well-being at sea. The report offers actionable recommendations to modernize alcohol and drug policies, strengthen prevention and response to sexual misconduct, improve data collection, support mariner health and well-being, and reinforce leadership accountability. Together, these insights provide a roadmap for fostering safer, healthier, and more supportive conditions across the maritime workforce, helping position the industry for long-term strength and sustainability.
Topics: Behavioral and Social Sciences » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations | Transportation and Infrastructure » Marine Transportation | Conflict and Security Issues » Military and Defense Studies
Offshore renewable energy is poised to play a significant role in the nation's clean energy future, particularly along the U.S. West Coast, where floating offshore wind technology is nearing commercial scale. At the same time, West Coast waters support long standing and diverse maritime activities, including commercial, Tribal, and recreational fisheries, domestic and international shipping, port operations, and U.S. Coast Guard missions. As offshore renewable energy advances, understanding how these uses may interact is essential for informed planning and comprehensive decision making.
Offshore Renewable Energy Development on the U.S. West Coast: Understanding Effects on Shipping, Fisheries, and Maritime Activities examines how offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy development may impact shipping routes, fisheries, port operations, and Coast Guard activities. Drawing on lessons from earlier offshore wind projects along the East Coast and current West Coast planning processes, this report identifies opportunities to proactively address potential conflicts, strengthen coordination, and support coexistence among ocean users.
The report concludes that the West Coast's early stage of offshore renewable energy development presents a critical opportunity to align clean energy goals with maritime safety, fisheries sustainability, Tribal rights, and economic vitality. Through early engagement, transparent spatial planning, and coordinated governance, offshore renewable energy can be developed in ways that reduce undue burdens on coastal communities and existing ocean users while delivering broad public benefits.
Topics: Energy and Energy Conservation » Energy Resources | Environment and Environmental Studies » Sustainable Development | Agriculture » Aquaculture and Fisheries | Transportation and Infrastructure » Marine Transportation
Critical Issues in Transportation for 2024 and Beyond calls for reassessing the role of transportation in addressing major societal challenges and the research that informs the choices that society will need to make in 2024 and coming years. This reassessment is driven by large-scale environmental, public health, and socioeconomic forces, including:
For the latest edition of Critical Issues in Transportation, the Transportation Research Board's Executive Committee chose to focus on five societal goals to address these and other dynamic forces and the challenges in accentuating transportation's role in achieving them.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Transportation and Infrastructure » Society | Transportation and Infrastructure » Energy | Transportation and Infrastructure » Public Transportation
While there is a limited data on safety-sensitive professionals, substance use disorders potentially affect pilots and flight attendants at the same rate as the general population - around 15 percent - but due to the high-risk nature of their jobs, aircraft operators are held to a higher standard for substance misuse on the job.
To protect the safety of the public and the aviation workforce, the Human Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS) and the Flight Attendant Drug and Alcohol Program (FADAP) were launched to help treat critical aviation workers - pilots and flight attendants, respectively - who misuse substances. In response to a congressional mandate, this new report reviews available evidence on the effectiveness of HIMS and FADAP and offers recommendations for improving these programs.
Topics: Health and Medicine » Mental Health and Behavior | Transportation and Infrastructure » Aviation
From daily commutes to cross-country road trips, millions of light-duty vehicles are on the road every day. The transportation sector is one of the United States' largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and fuel is an important cost for drivers. The period from 2025-2035 could bring the most fundamental transformation in the 100-plus year history of the automobile. Battery electric vehicle costs are likely to fall and reach parity with internal combustion engine vehicles. New generations of fuel cell vehicles will be produced. Connected and automated vehicle technologies will become more common, including likely deployment of some fully automated vehicles. These new categories of vehicles will for the first time assume a major portion of new vehicle sales, while internal combustion engine vehicles with improved powertrain, design, and aerodynamics will continue to be an important part of new vehicle sales and fuel economy improvement.
This study is a technical evaluation of the potential for internal combustion engine, hybrid, battery electric, fuel cell, nonpowertrain, and connected and automated vehicle technologies to contribute to efficiency in 2025-2035. In addition to making findings and recommendations related to technology cost and capabilities, Assessment of Technologies for Improving Light-Duty Vehicle Fuel Economy - 2025-2035 considers the impacts of changes in consumer behavior and regulatory regimes.
Topics: Environment and Environmental Studies » Pollution Prevention | Transportation and Infrastructure » Vehicles and Equipment | Environment and Environmental Studies » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations
TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Legal Research Digest 52: Legal Implications of Video Surveillance on Transit Systems explores the use of video surveilance systems on buses, trains, and stations. The widespread use of such video surveillance systems has generated numerous legal issues, such as a system's ability to utilize video to discipline union and non-union employees, safety issues associated with such use, public access to such video, and retention policies regarding video, among others. This digest explores federal and state laws to address these issues, along with the current practices employed by transit agencies to comply with those laws.
The report appendicies are available online:
Appendix A: List of Transit Agencies Responding to the Survey
Appendix B: Survey Questions
Appendix C: Summary of Transit Agencies' Responses to Survey Questions
Appendix D: Compendium of Federal and State Statutes on Audio and Video Surveillance
Appendix E: Documents Provided by Transit Agencies
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Law | Transportation and Infrastructure » Passenger Transportation | Transportation and Infrastructure » Public Transportation
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Highways | Transportation and Infrastructure » Safety and Human Factors
TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Research Results Digest 82: Use of Guard/Girder/Restraining Rail explores the application of guard/girder/restraining rails by transit systems in order to improve vehicle curving performance, to reduce risk of flange climb derailment, and to control wheel and rail wear.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Public Transportation | Transportation and Infrastructure » Safety and Human Factors
TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 500 Volume 12: Guidance for Implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan -- A Guide for Reducing Collisions at Signalized Intersections provides strategies that can be employed to reduce the number of collisions at signalized intersections.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Highways | Transportation and Infrastructure » Safety and Human Factors
TRB's Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 20: Strategic Planning in the Airport Industry explores practical guidance on the strategic planning process for airport board members, directors, department leaders, and other employees; aviation industry associations; a variety of airport stakeholders, consultants, and other airport planning professionals; and aviation regulatory agencies.
A workbook of tools and sequential steps of the strategic planning process is provided with the report as on a CD. The CD is also available online for download as an ISO image or the workbook can be downloaded in pdf format.
Links to the ISO image and instructions for burning a CD-ROM from an ISO image are provided below.
Help on Burning an .ISO CD-ROM Image
Download the .ISO CD-ROM Image
(Warning: This is a large file and may take some time to download using a high-speed connection. Any software included is offered as is, without warranty or promise of support of any kind either expressed or implied. Under no circumstance will the National Academy of Sciences or the Transportation Research Board (collectively "TRB") be liable for any loss or damage caused by the installation or operation of this product. TRB makes no representation or warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, including without limitation, the warranty of merchantability or the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, and shall not in any case be liable for any consequential or special damages.)
An ACRP Impacts on Practice released to ACRP Report 20 is available online.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Administration and Management | Transportation and Infrastructure » Aviation | Transportation and Infrastructure » Planning and Forecasting
TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 135: Controlling System Costs: Basic and Advanced Scheduling Manuals and Contemporary Issues in Transit Scheduling explores information on available scheduling tools and techniques and their capabilities. Also, the report provides guidance to transit agencies on a variety of scheduling issues typically faced in a transit operating environment.
TCRP Report 135 is an update to TCRP Report 30: Transit Scheduling: Basic and Advanced Manuals and addresses contemporary issues in transit scheduling. The appendixes to TCRP Report 135 were published as TCRP Web-Only Document 45: Appendixes to TCRP Report 135: Controlling System Costs: Basic and Advanced Scheduling Manuals and Contemporary Issues in Transit Scheduling.
An interactive scheduling manual is available as an ISO image. Links to the ISO image and instructions for burning a CD-ROM from an ISO image are provided below. Once a CD-ROM has been made with the ISO image, open the folder on the CD-ROM called Interactive Scheduling Manual and click on Transit_Scheduling_Lessons.pps.
Help on Burning an .ISO CD-ROM Image
Download the .ISO CD-ROM Image
(Warning: This is a large and may take some time to download using a high-speed connection.)
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Administration and Management | Transportation and Infrastructure » Education and Training | Transportation and Infrastructure » Public Transportation
TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 71, Track-Related Research, Volume 6: Direct-Fixation Track Design Specifications, Research, and Related Material is a two-part CD-ROM formatted report that suggests guidance on the design and construction of direct-fixation track systems. Part A of the report describes track-design principles and material-evaluation methods for direct-fixation fasteners and track, as well as example specifications. Part B of the report provides data, evaluations, field reviews, and analyses of direct-fixation fasteners from a variety of sources, to allow a fuller understanding of their characteristics and proper application.
Links to instructions on burning an .ISO CD-ROM for and the download site for the CD-ROM for TCRP Report 71, Volume 6 (CRP-CD-61) are below.
Help on Burning an .ISO CD-ROM Image
Download the TCRP CRP-CD-61.ISO CD-ROM Image
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Construction | Transportation and Infrastructure » Design | Transportation and Infrastructure » Public Transportation
TRB Special Report 309: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Offshore Safety and Environmental Management Systems recommends that the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) take a holistic approach to evaluating the effectiveness offshore oil and gas industry operators' Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) programs. According to the report, this approach should, at a minimum, include inspections, audits by the operator and BSEE, key performance indicators, and a whistleblower program.
SEMS is a safety management system(SMS) aimed at shifting from a completely prescriptive regulatory approach to one that is proactive, risk based, and goal oriented in an attempt to improve safety and reduce the likelihood that events similar to the April 2010 Macondo incident will reoccur.
According to the committee that produced the report, it is not possible for a regulator to create a culture of safety in an organization by inspection or audit; that culture needs to come from within the organization. To be successful, the tenets of SEMS must be fully acknowledged and accepted by workers, motivated from the top, and supported throughout the organization and must drive workers' actions.
The report also notes that BSEE can encourage and aid industry in development of a culture of safety by the way it measures and enforces SEMS. The Committee believes BSEE should seize this opportunity to make a step change in safety culture by adopting a goal based holistic approach to evaluating the effectiveness of SEMS programs.
In recommending a holistic approach to evaluating the effectiveness of SEMS programs, the report explores in detail SEMS' role in helping to develop a culture of safety, highlights the pros and cons of various methods of assessing the effectiveness of a SEMS program, and investigates existing approaches for assessing the SMS programs of various U.S. and international regulatory agencies whose safety mandates are similar to that of BSEE.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
Various combinations of commercially available technologies could greatly reduce fuel consumption in passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles, minivans, and other light-duty vehicles without compromising vehicle performance or safety. Assessment of Technologies for Improving Light Duty Vehicle Fuel Economy estimates the potential fuel savings and costs to consumers of available technology combinations for three types of engines: spark-ignition gasoline, compression-ignition diesel, and hybrid.
According to its estimates, adopting the full combination of improved technologies in medium and large cars and pickup trucks with spark-ignition engines could reduce fuel consumption by 29 percent at an additional cost of $2,200 to the consumer. Replacing spark-ignition engines with diesel engines and components would yield fuel savings of about 37 percent at an added cost of approximately $5,900 per vehicle, and replacing spark-ignition engines with hybrid engines and components would reduce fuel consumption by 43 percent at an increase of $6,000 per vehicle.
The book focuses on fuel consumption—the amount of fuel consumed in a given driving distance—because energy savings are directly related to the amount of fuel used. In contrast, fuel economy measures how far a vehicle will travel with a gallon of fuel. Because fuel consumption data indicate money saved on fuel purchases and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, the book finds that vehicle stickers should provide consumers with fuel consumption data in addition to fuel economy information.
Topics: Energy and Energy Conservation » Energy Use, Supply, Demand | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
The nation has compelling reasons to reduce its consumption of oil and emissions of carbon dioxide. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) promise to contribute to both goals by allowing some miles to be driven on electricity drawn from the grid, with an internal combustion engine that kicks in when the batteries are discharged. However, while battery technology has made great strides in recent years, batteries are still very expensive.
Transitions to Alternative Transportation Technologies—Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles builds on a 2008 National Research Council report on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The present volume reviews the current and projected technology status of PHEVs; considers the factors that will affect how rapidly PHEVs could enter the marketplace, including the interface with the electric transmission and distribution system; determines a maximum practical penetration rate for PHEVs consistent with the time frame and factors considered in the 2008 Hydrogen report; and incorporates PHEVs into the models used in the hydrogen study to estimate the costs and impacts on petroleum consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
Topics: Energy and Energy Conservation » Energy Use, Supply, Demand | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
Topics: Energy and Energy Conservation » Energy Use, Supply, Demand | Engineering and Technology » Applications of Technology | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
TRB Special Report 254 - Managing Speed: Review of Current Practices for Setting and Enforcing Speed Limits reviews practices for setting and enforcing speed limits on all types of roads and provides guidance to state and local governments on appropriate methods of setting speed limits and related enforcement strategies. Following an executive summary, the report is presented in six chapters and five appendices.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Transportation and Infrastructure » Safety and Human Factors
TRB Special Report 252 - Policy Options for Intermodal Freight Transportation recognizes that freight transportation is of critical importance to the United States and that intermodal freight transportation is one of the major technological and organizational trends affecting the performance of the sector.
During the last two decades, the importance of freight efficiency to the nation's economy has become more apparent to federal policy makers and has emerged as an increasingly important element of laws and regulations related to surface transportation. In the Intermodal Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), Congress stated: "It is the Policy of the United States to develop a National Intermodal Transportation System that is economically efficient and environmentally sound, provides the foundation for the Nation to compete in the global economy, and will move people and goods in an energy efficient manner."
The term "intermodal" is usually interpreted as referring to places where the various modes connect for the purpose of transferring passengers or freight or to operations designed to move on more than one mode. ISTEA introduced provisions, carried over and extended in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, that allowed taxes collected for the highway trust fund to be used for intermodal investments designed to facilitate more efficient connections between the modes. Highways and trucking are central to intermodalism because virtually all freight moves by truck at some point in its trip.
Intermodal transfer points include any terminals where freight is transferred from one mode to another. Intermodal connections are critically important to freight movement. Massive seagoing vessels deliver containerized cargo to ports, where the containers are either trucked to rail yards for placement on trains or offloaded directly onto rail cars at the port terminal. Containerization has introduced extraordinary efficiencies into freight movement, but the connection points remain sources of friction and lost efficiency.
The TRB committee that examined policy options for intermodal freight transportation concluded that public investment in freight facilities is complex. These types of facilities (rail yards, port terminals, and truck terminals) have usually been financed exclusively by the private sector. The committee concluded that introducing public funds into this mix could undermine the "user pays" principle that has been fundamental to highway finance, fuel interstate rivalries, and come to be demanded by private-sector firms as a substitute for formerly private investment.
Appropriate federal and state roles in such projects are not yet well established in practice; hence there are uncertainties about how to proceed and a risk of wasted resources. Before federal and state funds are invested in such facilities, the investments should be clearly justified. Such justification might include, for example, that the investment would reduce negative externalities and increase positive externalities, or that it is necessary for national defense. In defining an appropriate public role, government agencies should apply standard analysis tools to estimate costs and benefits and winners and losers. The public role in financing major facilities should also receive close scrutiny to ensure that public benefits justify the expenditure of public funds and that users pay to the extent that they benefit. The location of benefits also matters: when benefits are primarily local rather than national, local or state governments are the appropriate sources of funding.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Transportation and Infrastructure » Freight Transportation
TRB, the Policy and Global Affairs Division (PGA), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) have released TRB Special Report 287, Improving Road Safety in Developing Countries: Opportunities for U.S. Cooperation and Engagement. The report summarizes presentations and discussions at a workshop held on January 26-27, 2006, in Washington, D.C. The workshop focused on the sharp increases in road traffic-related deaths and injuries in developing countries with a goal of providing a view of the diversity of U.S. interests, the scope of activities of U.S. agencies addressing this problem, and prospects for further U.S. engagement. The workshop discussions were intended to help the responsible government agencies gauge whether the U.S. response is proportional to the interests at stake and to identify next steps toward a more effective response. PGA and IOM, like TRB, are part of the National Academies, which include the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Society | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
Topics: Environment and Environmental Studies » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Administration and Management | Energy and Energy Conservation » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations
The nation's physical infrastructure facilitates movement of people and goods; provides safe water; provides energy when and where needed; removes wastes; enables rapid communications; and generally supports our economy and quality of life. Developing a framework for guiding attempts at measuring the performance of infrastructure systems and grappling with the concept of defining good performance are the major themes of this book. Focusing on urban regions, within a context of national policy, the volume provides the basis for further in-depth analysis and application at the local, regional, state, and national levels.
Topics: Engineering and Technology » Construction: Design, Research, Planning | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
This book examines the state of development and research progress of technologies being considered for a new generation of vehicles that could achieve up to three times the fuel economy of comparable 1994 family sedans. It addresses compression ignition direct injection engines, fuel cells, gas turbines, batteries, flywheels, ultracapacitors, and power electronics being developed by the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles—a cooperative research and development program between the U.S. government and the U.S. Council for Automotive Research.
The book assesses the relevance of the ongoing research to PNGV's goals and schedule and addresses several broad program issues such as government efforts to anticipate infrastructure issues, the leverage of foreign technology, and the program's adequacy and balance.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Energy and Energy Conservation » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations
Regulatory standards are already on the books at the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address health risks posed by inhaling tiny particles from smoke, vehicle exhaust, and other sources.
At the same time, Congress and EPA have initiated a multimillion dollar research effort to better understand the sources of these airborne particles, the levels of exposure to people, and the ways that these particles cause damage.
To provide independent guidance to the EPA, Congress asked the National Research Council to study the relevant issues. The result is a series of four reports on the particulate-matter research program. The first two books offered a conceptual framework for a national research program, identified the 10 most critical research needs, and described the recommended timing and estimated costs of such research.
This, the third volume, begins the task of assessing the progress made in implementing the research program. The National Research Council ultimately concludes that the ongoing program is appropriately addressing many of the key uncertainties. However, it also identifies a number of critical specific subjects that should be given greater attention. Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter focuses on the most current and planned research projects with an eye toward the fourth and final report, which will contain an updated assessment.
Topics: Environment and Environmental Studies » Air Quality | Transportation and Infrastructure » Environment
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Finance | Transportation and Infrastructure » Terminals and Facilities
This volume presents realistic estimates for the level of fuel economy that is achievable in the next decade for cars and light trucks made in the United States and Canada.
A source of objective and comprehensive information on the topic, this book takes into account real-world factors such as the financial conditions in the automotive industry, costs and benefits to consumers, and marketability of high-efficiency vehicles.
The committee is composed of experts from the fields of science, technology, finance, and regulation and offers practical evaluations of technological improvements that could contribute to increased fuel efficiency. The volume also examines potential barriers to improvement, such as high production costs, regulations on safety and emissions, and consumer preferences.
This practical book is of considerable interest to car and light truck manufacturers, policymakers, federal and state agencies, and the public.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Energy and Energy Conservation » Energy Use, Supply, Demand
Just below our feet is an environment that supports our infrastructure, yields water, provides for agriculture, and receives our waste. Our capacity to describe, or characterize, this environment is crucial to the solution of many resource, environmental, and engineering problems. And just as medical imaging technologies have reduced the need for exploratory surgeries, a variety of technologies hold the promise for rapid, relatively inexpensive noninvasive characterization of the Earth's subsurface.
Seeing into the Earth examines why noninvasive characterization is important and how improved methods can be developed and disseminated. Looking at the issues from both the commercial and public perspectives, the volume makes recommendations for linking characterization and cost savings, closing the gap between the state of science and the state of the practice, and helping practitioners make the best use of the best methods. The book provides background on:
Certain to be important for earth scientists and engineers alike, this book is also accessible to interested lay readers.
Topics: Earth Sciences » Earthquakes, Floods and Natural Disasters | Transportation and Infrastructure » Hydraulics and Hydrology
In the interest of learning more about contracting as a method of transit service delivery, the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) called on the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to conduct a study of contracting by recipients of federal transit grants. TEA-21 called for an examination of the extent and practice of transit service contracting and its effects on operating costs, customer service, safety, and other aspects of service quality and quantity. To conduct the study, TRB convened a 12-member committee of experts in public transportation management, labor, economics, and public policy. In carrying out the study, the committee reviewed previous reports on transit service contracting; conducted its own nationwide survey of public transit systems and their general managers; and interviewed transit managers, labor union leaders, contractors, and members of transit policy boards. Resulting findings and conclusions are summarized in this report, along with additional insights and ideas for follow-on study. The contents are organized as follows: (1) Introduction; (2) Public and Private Provision of Transit in the United States; (3) Conceptual Framework and Previous Studies on Contracting; (4) Transit Service Contracting in the United States: Extent and Practice; (5) Transit Contracting Experiences and Advice from General Managers; and (6) Summary and Assessment.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Public Transportation | Conflict and Security Issues » Prevention, Security and Response
In 1997, Congress, in the conference report, H.R. 105-271, to the FY1998 Energy and Water Development Appropriation Bill, directed the NRC to carry out a series of assessments of project management at the Department of Energy (DOE). This report, the 2002 Assessment, is the second in that series. It presents an examination of DOE's progress in improving program management over the past two years and offers recommendations regarding project management methodology and project oversight.
Topics: Industry and Labor » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations | Transportation and Infrastructure » Administration and Management
Aggressive, effective safety inspection programs are key elements to ensuring that oil- and gas-producing platform operations on the outer continental shelf are conducted in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Although the oil and gas leaseholders themselves are primarily responsible for the soundness of their operations, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the Department of the Interior is charged with prescribing safe practices and inspecting platforms. In response to an MMS request, this book examines possible revisions of MMS's inspection system, appraises inspection practices elsewhere—both in government and industry—assesses the advantages and disadvantages of alternative procedures, and recommends potentially more efficient practices aimed at increasing industry's awareness of its accountability for safety.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Bridges and Other Structures
Review of the Research Program of the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles reviews the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV). The PNGV program is a cooperative research and development (R&D) program between the federal government and the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR). A major objective of the PNGV program is to develop technologies for a new generation of vehicles with fuel economies up to three times (80 miles per gallon [mpg]) those of comparable 1994 family sedans. At the same time, these vehicles must be comparable in terms of performance, size, utility, and cost of ownership and operation and must meet or exceed federal safety and emissions requirements. The intent of the PNGV program is to develop concept vehicles by 2000 and production prototype vehicles by 2004.
This report examines the overall adequacy and balance of the PNGV research program to meet the program goals and requirements (i.e., technical objectives, schedules, and rates of progress). The report also discusses ongoing research on fuels, propulsion engines, and emission controls to meet emission requirements and reviews the USCAR partners' progress on PNGV concept vehicles for 2000.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Energy and Energy Conservation » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations | Engineering and Technology » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations
Emissions inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs subject vehicles to periodic inspections of their emission control systems. Despite widespread use of these programs in air-quality management, policy makers and the public have found a number of problems associated with them. Prominent among these issues is the perception that emissions benefits and other impacts of I/M programs have not been evaluated adequately. Evaluating Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs assesses the effectiveness of these programs for reducing mobile source emissions. In this report, the committee evaluates the differences in the characteristics of motor vehicle emissions in areas with and without I/M programs, identifies criteria and methodologies for their evaluation, and recommends improvements to the programs. Most useful of all, this book will help summarize the observed benefits of these programs and how they can be redirected in the future to increase their effectiveness.
Topics: Environment and Environmental Studies » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations | Transportation and Infrastructure » Railroads
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Math, Chemistry, and Physics » Chemistry
How can the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), the nation's newest federal statistical agency, contribute to the work of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)? What is the appropriate role for such an agency as a part of a major department?
BTS was authorized in 1991 by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in recognition of the need for more and better data for transportation officials at local, state, and federal levels. While the USDOT has many long-standing data collection programs for particular transportation modes (highways, rail, air, etc.), it has never had a statistical agency with a mandate to improve the quality and relevance of transportation data for important system-wide, cross-modal analyses of the nation's transportation system.
This book examines how BTS can provide statistical leadership for USDOT, define and maintain quality standards for transportation data, and improve data documentation. It considers BTS's role in developing national transportation indicators, coordinating data collection throughout USDOT, filling gaps, identifying user needs, and developing analysis programs for transportation data.
Anyone concerned with having high-quality, relevant transportation indicators and other data available for policy planning, evaluation, and research will be interested in this book, as will students of effective government.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Transportation and Infrastructure » Freight Transportation
Topics: Engineering and Technology » Applications of Technology | Transportation and Infrastructure » Passenger Transportation
Topics: Energy and Energy Conservation » Energy Use, Supply, Demand | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
As recently as the summer of 2001, many travelers were dreading air transportation because of extensive delays associated with undercapacity of the system. That all changed on 9/11, and demand for air transportation has not yet returned to peak levels. Most U.S. airlines continue to struggle for survival, and some have filed for bankruptcy. The situation makes it difficult to argue that strong action is urgently needed to avert a crisis of undercapacity in the air transportation system. This report assesses the visions and goals for U.S. civil aviation and technology goals for the year 2050.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Aviation | Space and Aeronautics » Aircraft and Flight
This book examines the state of development and research progress of technologies being considered for a new generation of vehicles that could achieve up to three times the fuel economy of comparable 1994 family sedans. It addresses advanced automotive technologies including engines, fuel cells, batteries, flywheels, power electronics, and lightweight materials being developed by the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles—a cooperative research and development program between the U.S. government and the U.S. Council for Automotive Research. The book assesses the relevance of the ongoing research to PNGV's goals and schedule, the program's adequacy and balance, and addresses several issues such as the benefits of hybrid versus nonhybrid vehicles and the importance of the sports utility vehicle market.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Energy and Energy Conservation » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations | Engineering and Technology » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations
Adverse aircraft-pilot coupling (APC) events include a broad set of undesirable and sometimes hazardous phenomena that originate in anomalous interactions between pilots and aircraft. As civil and military aircraft technologies advance, interactions between pilots and aircraft are becoming more complex. Recent accidents and other incidents have been attributed to adverse APC in military aircraft. In addition, APC has been implicated in some civilian incidents.
This book evaluates the current state of knowledge about adverse APC and processes that may be used to eliminate it from military and commercial aircraft. It was written for technical, government, and administrative decisionmakers and their technical and administrative support staffs; key technical managers in the aircraft manufacturing and operational industries; stability and control engineers; aircraft flight control system designers; research specialists in flight control, flying qualities, human factors; and technically knowledgeable lay readers.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Data and Information Technology | Space and Aeronautics » Aircraft and Flight
This volume takes a fresh look—primarily from a technological perspective—at the nation's "infrastructure": a collection of diverse modes that function as a system supporting a wide range of economic and social activities. Within an infrastructure system, operating and maintenance procedures, management practices, and development policies (i.e., the software) must work together with the facilities' hardware.
This study has a strongly local perspective, drawing valuable information from workshops held in Phoenix, Cincinnati, and Boston. These workshops illustrated common elements of local experience that offer infrastructure practitioners, policymakers, and the public at large both understanding and guidance in the form of specific strategies that can lead toward "win-win" situations, where parties with potentially opposing interests seek a way to resolve infrastructure issues so that all parties gain.
Local issues, combined across many regions, give infrastructure its strategic national significance. The book recommends specific principles that should be applied in national policy to support effective local infrastructure development and management.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
This is the most recent report of the National Research Council's Standing Committee to Review the Research Program of the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV), which has conducted annual reviews of the PNGV program since it was established in late 1993.
The PNGV is a cooperative R&D program between the federal government and the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR, whose members are DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors) to develop technologies for a new generation of automobiles with up to three times the fuel economy of a 1993 midsize automobile. The reports review major technology development areas (four-stroke direct-injection engines, fuel cells, energy storage, electronic/electrical systems, and structural materials); the overall adequacy of R&D efforts; the systems analysis effort and how it guides decisions on R&D; the progress toward long-range component and system-level cost and performance goals; and efforts in vehicle emissions and advanced materials research and how results target goals.
Unlike previous reports, the Seventh Report comments on the goals of the program, since the automotive market and U.S. emission standards have changed significantly since the program was initiated.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Engineering and Technology » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations
With the current emphasis on a balanced federal budget and correspondingly decreased federal participation in financing local infrastructure systems, infrastructure providers are faced with the challenge of developing new sources of capital to fund their projects. This book discusses critical infrastructure issues and brings together recognized experts in domestic and international infrastructure and finance. It provides perspectives on the issues and discusses less conventional financing techniques used in recently completed projects. This volume also discusses likely conventional financing mechanisms of the future.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Finance | Transportation and Infrastructure » Bridges and Other Structures
Public and private institutions are committing resources and making important long-term decisions concerning the collection, management, and use of spatial data. Although these actions are influenced by current pressures, priorities, and opportunities, their ultimate success depends on how these spatial data activities will be relevant to future needs and demands.
The Mapping Science Committee, in cooperation with the Federal Geographic Data Committee, convened a workshop in April 1996 to examine societal and technological changes that might occur within the next 15 years. The purpose was to consider within the context of spatial data activities a series of long-term visions and to identify societal forces and changes that would make those visions more or less likely. The workshop provided a framework for thinking about the future of U.S. spatial data activities.
Topics: Earth Sciences » Geography and Mapping | Transportation and Infrastructure » Society
In this study outsourcing is defined as the organizational practice of contracting for services from an external entity while retaining control over assets and oversight of the services being outsourced. In the 1980s, a number of factors led to a renewed interest in outsourcing. For private sector organizations, outsourcing was identified as a strategic component of business process reengineering—an effort to streamline an organization and increase its profitability. In the public sector, growing concern about the federal budget deficit, the continuing long-term fiscal crisis of some large cities, and other factors accelerated the use of privatization measures (including outsourcing for services) as a means of increasing the efficiency of government.
Topics: Engineering and Technology » Construction: Design, Research, Planning | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
This report from the Committee on Military Nutrition Research reviews the history of caffeine usage, the metabolism of caffeine, and its physiological effects. The effects of caffeine on physical performance, cognitive function and alertness, and alleviation of sleep deprivation impairments are discussed in light of recent scientific literature. The impact of caffeine consumption on various aspects of health, including cardiovascular disease, reproduction, bone mineral density, and fluid homeostasis are reviewed. The behavioral effects of caffeine are also discussed, including the effect of caffeine on reaction to stress, withdrawal effects, and detrimental effects of high intakes. The amounts of caffeine found to enhance vigilance and reaction time consistently are reviewed and recommendations are made with respect to amounts of caffeine appropriate for maintaining alertness of military personnel during field operations. Recommendations are also provided on the need for appropriate labeling of caffeine-containing supplements, and education of military personnel on the use of these supplements. A brief review of some alternatives to caffeine is also provided.
Topics: Food and Nutrition » Diet and Health | Transportation and Infrastructure » Vehicles and Equipment
Topics: Environment and Environmental Studies » Air Quality | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy | Environment and Environmental Studies » Pollution Prevention
This book addresses new technologies being considered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for screening airport passengers for concealed weapons and explosives. The FAA is supporting the development of promising new technologies that can reveal the presence not only of metal-based weapons as with current screening technologies, but also detect plastic explosives and other non-metallic threat materials and objects, and is concerned that these new technologies may not be appropriate for use in airports for other than technical reasons. This book presents discussion of the health, legal, and public acceptance issues that are likely to be raised regarding implementation of improvements in the current electromagnetic screening technologies, implementation of screening systems that detect traces of explosive materials on passengers, and implementation of systems that generate images of passengers beneath their clothes for analysis by human screeners.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Security and Emergencies | Conflict and Security Issues » Prevention, Security and Response
Nonconventional Concrete Technologies: Renewal of the Highway Infrastructure identifies research and development opportunities in innovative, nonconventional materials and processes that have the potential to accelerate the construction process, improve the durability of highway pavement and bridges, and enhance the serviceability and longevity of new construction under adverse conditions.
Topics: Engineering and Technology » Materials | Transportation and Infrastructure » Materials
The American Community Survey (ACS), to be run by the Census Bureau, will be a large (250,000 housing units a month), predominantly mailout/mailback survey that will collect information similar to that on the decennial census long form. The development of this new survey raises interesting questions about methods used for combining information from surveys and from administrative records, weighting to treat nonresponse and undercoverage, estimation for small areas, sample design, and calibration of the output from this survey with that from the long form. To assist the Census Bureau in developing a research agenda to address these and other methodological issues, the Committee on National Statistics held a workshop on September 13, 1998. This report summarizes that workshop.
Topics: Behavioral and Social Sciences » Policy, Reviews and Evaluations | Transportation and Infrastructure » Data and Information Technology
Topics: Conflict and Security Issues » Prevention, Security and Response | Transportation and Infrastructure » Aviation
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Construction | Transportation and Infrastructure » Administration and Management
This book assesses the state of the art of coatings materials and processes for gas-turbine blades and vanes, determines potential applications of coatings in high-temperature environments, identifies needs for improved coatings in terms of performance enhancements, design considerations, and fabrication processes, assesses durability of advanced coating systems in expected service environments, and discusses the required inspection, repair, and maintenance methods. The promising areas for research and development of materials and processes for improved coating systems and the approaches to increased coating standardization are identified, with an emphasis on materials and processes with the potential for improved performance, quality, reproducibility, or manufacturing cost reduction.
Topics: Engineering and Technology » Materials | Transportation and Infrastructure » Bridges and Other Structures
The commercial aviation industry is a major part of the U.S. transportation infrastructure and a key contributor to the nation's economy. The industry is facing the effects of a reduced role by the military as a source of high-quality trained personnel, particularly pilots and mechanics. At the same time, it is facing the challenges of a changing American workforce.
This book is a study of the civilian training and education programs needed to satisfy the work-force requirements of the commercial aviation industry in the year 2000 and beyond, with particular emphasis on issues related to access to aviation careers by women and minorities.
Topics: Space and Aeronautics » Aircraft and Flight | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
This book advises the federal government on a national infrastructure research agenda. It takes the position that the traditional disciplinary and institutional divisions among infrastructure modes and professions are largely historical artifacts that impose barriers to the development of new technology and encourages the government to embrace a more interdisciplinary approach. In order to be practical, the study focuses on infrastructure technologies that can be incorporated into or overlay current systems, allow for alternative future alternative future urban development, and are likely to have value cutting across the distinct functional modes of infrastructure. Finally, the report is organized according to seven broad cross-cutting areas that should promote interdisciplinary approaches to infrastructure problems: systems life-cycle management, analysis and decision tools, information management, condition assessment and monitoring technology, the science of materials performance and deterioration, construction equipment and procedures, and technology management.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
Topics: Energy and Energy Conservation » Energy Use, Supply, Demand | Transportation and Infrastructure » Policy
International trade plays a substantial role in the economy of the United States. More than 1.6 billion tons of international merchandise was conveyed using the U.S. transportation system in 2001. The need to transport this merchandise raises concerns about the quality of the transportation system and its ability to support this component of freight movement. Measuring International Trade on U.S. Highways evaluates the accuracy and reliability of measuring the ton-miles and value-miles of international trade traffic carried by highway for each state. This report also assesses the accuracy and reliability of the use of diesel fuel data as a measure of international trade traffic by state and identifies needed improvements in long-term data collection programs.
Topics: Transportation and Infrastructure » Freight Transportation | Behavioral and Social Sciences » Surveys and Statistics | Surveys and Statistics » Surveys and Statistics