Volpe experts presided over 22 sessions and presented research results at 18 sessions at the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) 94th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., held January 11-15.

Research Highlights from TRB

Workshops on International Research, Cybersecurity, and Operator Distraction

• Automated vehicle expert Jane Lappin presided over nine workshops, including one spotlighting Swedish, British, Dutch, French, Japanese, and American research programs. The workshop was titled "National Road Vehicle Automation Research and Demonstration Programs from Around the World."
• Cybersecurity expert Michael Dinning presided over "Transportation Cybersecurity: Are We Hanging by a Thread?" This session described recent cyber attacks and incidents on transportation systems and GPS and highlighted potential vulnerabilities and risks in transportation control systems.
• Human factors expert Maura Lohrenz presided over "Staying Focused: Tackling the Epidemic of Operator Distraction," a forum to discuss emerging research, including how to detect, measure, predict, and prevent distraction.

Rail Tracks and Transportation Economics

• Volpe rail experts presented a paper as part of the "Railway Track Structure Maintenance and Design" poster session. The paper reviews the main failure modes of concrete ties observed in U.S. railroads, including chemical degradation, prestress cracks, flexural cracks, rail seat deterioration, freeze-thaw cracks, and shoulder/fastener wear or fatigue.
• Volpe economists presented a model for predicting the impact of highway investment in the U.S. at the "Research in Transportation Economics" poster session.

For more details, see the complete list of sessions in which Volpe staff participated as presiders or presenters.