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    <title>Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
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    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Keeping the Wheels Turning</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/914950</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Most city and county fleet managers are entering a third budgetary cycle highlighted with cuts to capital funds for vehicle replacement, as well as slashed operating expenses.  This article highlights what fleet managers throughout the country are doing to maintain service levels without going over budget.   Many are relying on a combination of thoroughly analyzing the size and capabilities of the fleet versus the demands of the various departments, buying quality merchandise and performing proper maintenance. One strategy is to buy more robust equipment, so the county can push a vehicle past nominal replacement cycles if needed.  When it comes to maintenance, the focus for the city and county fleet managers is where to spend budget dollars over the life of the vehicle to reach the 10- or 12-year mark.  Proper, consistent maintenance on such items as brakes, tires, the engine and the hydraulic systems on the body can allow vehicles to obtain a 10-year life, despite some metal fatigue on the chassis frame.   On the other hand, extending preventive maintenance intervals also is a tactic worth considering.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 31 Mar 2010 07:45:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/914950</guid>
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      <title>Keep It Moving</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/899805</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article describes 3 innovative approaches to improving highway traffic flow used by the communities of West Des Moines', IA, Lenexa, KS, and Chandler, AZ.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:08:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/899805</guid>
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      <title>An Assault on Winter</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/889785</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Utah's winter weather operations, which rely on aggressive plowing, deicing primarily through salt, and anti-icing primarily through salt brine, are aided by a network of salt storage buildings. In addition to covering salt piles, salt storage involves protecting the environment from fugitive salt dust, groundwater infiltration, and saline runoff. The author discusses the two main factors involved in deciding on the most appropriate kind of salt storage building, with specific applications to Utah: climate conditions, as well as abundant supplies of salt. An insert provides information on the temperatures reached at salt storage buildings in Utah.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2009 07:41:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/889785</guid>
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      <title>Rough Road Ahead</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/878402</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article discusses several obstacles standing in the way of passage by the U.S. Congress of the 2009 Highway Bill Reauthorization. At issue is the effort by Congress and the new administration to set the nation's transportation policy for the rest of the decade, and possibly for decades to come. The bill's outcome is critically important for state and local governments that depend on federal assistance to maintain and improve their transportation systems. The bill must balance the need to maintain and improve mass transportation against growing deficiencies and concerns about the nation's highways and bridges, as well as the issue of rural road safety. At present, transportation leaders are hopeful but realistic about the prospects for completing the legislation in time. Failing to finish the bill would unfortunately only lead to more extensions and stopgap measures.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:38:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/878402</guid>
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      <title>Mix &amp; Match: Communities' Alternative Fuel Choices Strike a Balance Between Political Pressure and Financial Constraints</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/874562</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Fleet managers are under increasing political pressure to choose fleet fuels which result in reduced emissions and limited carbon footprints. This pressure is increased by the need to balance such use of environmentally friendly alternative fuels, including biodiesel, with budgetary concerns. Operations in Washington State, including Snohomish County and the Port of Seattle, are profiled.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:32:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/874562</guid>
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      <title>Giving Notice</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/875185</link>
      <description><![CDATA[From severe weather warnings to terror attack alerts, newer and more sophisticated technologies are helping local officials quickly and accurately notify residents about events in their communities. While warning messages typically are generated by government agencies, the systems that distribute the information often are owned and operated by private entities. So, the dissemination of information can require public/private collaboration with the shared goal of reducing losses, increasing response times, and ultimately, saving lives. This article discusses the need for better collaboration between government agencies and the private entities that often manage and operate traveler warning message information systems, citing several examples from various locales across the U.S.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:31:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/875185</guid>
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      <title>Bridge to the Future</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/872784</link>
      <description><![CDATA[It is estimated that 25% of bridges in the United States are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The cost to repair or modernize the country's bridges is $140 billion, assuming all bridges are fixed immediately, according to a July 2008 report issued by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The report cites several factors that affect the cost to fix the bridge system, including age, deterioration, congestion, and soaring construction costs. This article describes how the need to fix the nation's bridge system has spurred the invention of new construction techniques and materials, and cites the Lewis and Clark Bridge linking Washington State and Oregon as a successful example of the use of a new construction technique that resulted in less traffic disruption and realized savings of approximately $10 million.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:49:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/872784</guid>
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      <title>Breathing Room</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/871235</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article reviews the use of variable pricing, defined as fees or charges to use designated lanes of a highway during peak periods.  The goal of variable pricing is to reduce traffic congestion, which costs commuters and businesses more as cities continue to grow.  The author first describes a proposal that recently failed in the New York legislature that would have charged drivers for access to downtown New York city during peak traffic times.  A similar program has been used in London, England and in Stockholm, Sweden.  The article considers growing congestion costs in the top 85 United States cities, the purpose of congestion pricing, tapping into flexibility in people's daily lives, the different physical methods used to implement congestion pricing, managed lanes and high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, the use of HOT lanes in San Diego County, California (including the toll schedule), buses that use HOT lanes, a pilot HOT lane program in Seattle, Washington, and a variable pricing plan for a parking program in Chicago, Illinois.  The author reports that congestion pricing is an effective way to keep peak hour traffic flowing freely.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:46:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/871235</guid>
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      <title>Winter Blues</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/859242</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Unusually harsh winters can play havoc with available road salt supplies.  This article describes how highway and public works departments plan their road salt needs and discusses some alternatives that public works officials can consider in the event of shortages.  Although salt is cheap and plentiful, salt companies must guess each year how much should be mined for winter. Those guesses are based on the orders placed by highway and public works departments, who are advised to estimate their orders by taking 100% of the average of the amount of salt they used for the previous five years. Many contracts with salt companies guarantee the purchaser that up to 120% of their order will be available to them at the contract price. This is usually sufficient, but on occasion localities may need even more than the 120%.  Although regional salt stockpiles are available to replenish agencies that need more than their average amount, many agencies leave tons of their reserved salt in the stockpiles until they need it, taking up room that could be used for extra emergency salt. In harsh winters, so many municipalities need salt at the same time, from the same stockpiles, that those supplies begin to run low, and trucks have a difficult time delivering the salt.  Using trucks to transport salt also drives up the cost, since it is much cheaper to transport large volumes of salt by rail or barge than scrambling for it at the last minute, when trucks are the only transportation available. In many communities, officials are stretching their salt supplies by combining it with agricultural-based products, chemicals or heavy volumes of sand.  Some areas also are considering additional storage, including regional storage facilities, to avoid shortages in the winter months.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2008 07:04:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/859242</guid>
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      <title>Miles to Go</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/851526</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Medium- and heavy-duty trucks have increased significantly in price over the past year.  This article discusses the reasons for the price jump, and how city and county fleet managers are reacting.  Much of the increase can be attributed to the steady increase in steel and oil prices.  New Environmental Protection Agency emission rules that went into effect in January 2007 also affected prices, since engine manufacturers had to add a diesel particulate filter and monitor the performance of the engine's emission system.  In response to the increased prices, some fleet managers are attempting to expand the life cycle of their current trucks.  A careful review of operational costs can help determine whether it is better to repair, refurbish or retire an older vehicle.  Other fleet managers are eliminating unnecessary features in their specifications for new vehicles, or redeploying current vehicles that are underused.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:22:46 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/851526</guid>
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      <title>Taking a Toll</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/836331</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article discusses the latest trend local and state governments are using to tackle paying for road construction: forming public-private partnerships (PPPs) that develop toll roads as an initial funding source. Many states see such alternative funding as necessary in the wake of declining public funding. Essentially, a state uses a PPP as leverage to induce a company to initially fund the cost of a road construction project. Once completed, toll money is used to repay the initial capital outlay. Beyond initial construction costs, the PPP approach is also being used to pay for road maintenance, especially as increased traffic has contributed to increased maintenance needs. According to the August 2006 Federal Highway Administration (FHA) study, "Current Toll Road Activity in the U.S.: A Survey and Analysis," 21 states have used PPP funding methods to implement their transportation projects.  The article discusses in detail PPP use in two states: Georgia and Indiana. Transportation projects in Texas are also discussed, though from the aspect of state opposition to PPP funding. In May 2007, the Texas legislature issued "a moratorium on comprehensive development agreements (CDA)," a contract type used within PPPs. The moratorium addresses in part the particular concerns of Texas farmers and ranchers over the amount of arable land proposed for toll roads. Yet, despite Texas legislature opposition to PPP use, the article quotes Texas state officials who predict an increased popularity for toll roads within the state in the absence of other available funding sources to build major highways today.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:27:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/836331</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Avoiding the Slippery Slope</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/838922</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article explores how balance performance standards with costs, materials, and environmental effects can keep winter road programs viable.  The author shares the winter road clearing approach in two cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota and West Des Moines, Iowa, the latter of which publishes a manual of snow and ice control standards (available on the West Des Moines web site).  The standards for Minneapolis are less formalized, but the author briefly outlines the general goals for each snowfall.  The author notes that the level to which roads are cleared, and how quickly, depends on the amount of money agencies can spend on materials and labor, and the types of materials used.  This balancing act is also apparent in the conflict between the amount of salt used for safety on the roads and the problem of salt run-off into streams, polluting the water.  In McHenry County (in the state of Illinois), they are using a blended product that includes sugar beets to reduce the amount of salt put on the roads and is cost-effective as well.  A final section in the article considers how to measure success, including customer satisfaction, accident data, overtime totals, total salt use, and achieving whatever local goals were established.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:24:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/838922</guid>
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      <title>Driving Business</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/817742</link>
      <description><![CDATA[When city leaders are considering options to bring private enterprise to business districts and downtown areas, they tend to first lean toward the tried-and-true corporate tax incentives and enterprise zones. However, largely missing from their consideration of various means of attracting new commerce are strategic parking plans that would make businesses easy to find, and convenient and safe for customers and workers to use. Accessible parking can be an attractive part of a city's marketing message to draw businesses downtown. This article discusses how, by creating strategic parking plans--and focusing on location and availability--city leaders can support local businesses by simplifying the trip to retail areas that need help, as well as by making it easier for employees to get to and from work.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:53:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/817742</guid>
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      <title>Stopping Accidents Cold</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/808807</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This article describes new anti-icing technologies that can improve road safety during winter storms.  Fixed anti-icing spray technology (FAST) systems have been used in Europe since the 1980s and in North America since the 1990s.  A FAST system consists of a series of pumps, pipes, valves and nozzles mounted on a bridge, railing or directly in the pavement to spray anti-icing materials at a predetermined rate and pattern onto the bridge or roadway.  These systems use pavement sensors to trigger the release of anti-icing chemicals either automatically or by remote control from a central location.  Other departments of transportation are using a SafeLane system that consists of layers of epoxy and aggregate topped with anti-icing chemicals in the overlay.  The chemicals trickle down into the aggregate, which serves as a rigid sponge and are held there until surface moisture and low temperatures activate them.  State departments of transportation that are using the FAST and SafeLane systems find that the systems are expensive, but useful in terms of reducing accidents.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/808807</guid>
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      <title>Getting the Drift</title>
      <link>https://trid.trb.org/View/795692</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In planning for winter weather, public works directors must address three important elements:  policies, operations and education.  This article discusses the importance of each of these elements.  The most effective snow control policies are those that are adopted by the community's governing body and define authority, outline and defend restrictions, and set guidelines and priorities.    An operations plan, which considers variables such as personnel, equipment, scheduling and callout procedures, serves the critical role of the practical implementation of the snow control plan.  A successful plan also incorporates a budget that takes into account salaries, equipment expenses and chemical costs.  Publicizing the plan is the final step in developing a successful snow and ice control strategy since residents that are familiar with the plan are less likely to have questions or complaints during the winter season.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jan 2007 08:40:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://trid.trb.org/View/795692</guid>
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