Eight transportation research programs, one integrated team addressing RURAL MATTERS
We use laboratories to support our research efforts.
Safety and Operations
Finding sustainable solutions for improving rural highway safety and operations in key areas including human factors in crashes on rural highways, road safety culture and integration of rural ITS.
Cold Climate Operations and Systems
Conducting research which emphasizes the development and evaluation of winter maintenance materials and systems to aid in best practices and decision making.
Road Ecology
Providing national leadership in understanding the interaction between roads, natural resources and the ecological environment. The solutions we develop and implement address concerns of road ecology including wildlife migration near highways and animal-vehicle collisions.
Infrastructure Longevity and Sustainability
Improving the design and maintenance of rural highway infrastructure. Rural transportation agencies need new solutions to increase infrastructure longevity and to ensure that new designs are adequate to meet increasing demands.
Systems Engineering Development and Integration
Advancing rural transportation with its research on integrating hardware, software and communication systems into rural transportation systems. We analyze, engineer and develop solutions by utilizing numerous technologies such as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).
Mobility and Public Transportation
Providing a comprehensive approach to the issues facing rural transit agencies. We focus on offering research, outreach and education/training for concerns such as rural public transportation and rural mobility. We also facilitate rural transportation coordination among stakeholders.
Logistics and Freight Management
With a comprehensive approach to researching economics and rural transportation, the Logistics and Freight Management program solves the problems of timely and cost-effective management of freight, inventory and transportation assets.
Transportation Planning and Economics
Our Transportation Planning and Economics program assists implementers and policy makers in the creation of more sustainable rural transportation systems by researching the impacts of and relationships between transportation, land use, planning and policy and economies.