2023 Transportation

Research Board (TRB)

Annual Meeting
Key Takeaways &
Lessons Learned

Report Designed by:

Caltrans, Division of Planning and
Modal Program Management
Table Of
Contents

03 Meeting Overview

04 Caltrans Delegation

06 Implementation Highlights

07 Safety First

11 Cultivate Excellence

17 Enhance and Connect the Multimodal Transportation Network

19 Strengthen Stewardship & Drive Efficiency

24 Lead Climate Action

25 Advance Equity & Livability in all Communities

2023 TRB Annual Meeting Overview

In order to amplify the knowledge captured at the

event, this report is intended to summarize key
take-aways and improve the return on investment.

This report details Caltrans staff participation at the 2023 Transportation Research Board
(TRB) Annual Meeting held January 8 - 12, 2023. Caltrans was able to send 31 delegates
representing 16 different Districts/Divisions/Programs within the Department to Washington
D.C for this significant meeting. Last year, due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, only 6
Caltrans staff attended the 2022 TRB Annual Meeting. The 2023 TRB Annual Meeting was
held in-person marking a return to normalcy.

The 2023 TRB Annual Meeting program

covers all transportation modes, with
sessions and workshops addressing
topics of interest to policy makers,
administrators, practitioners,
researchers, and representatives of
government, industry, and academic
institutions. A number of sessions and
workshops focus on the spotlight
theme for the 2023 meeting:
Rejuvenation Out of Disruption:
Envisioning a Transportation System for
a Dynamic Future.

TRB is the major national multimodal

transportation organization that brings
practitioners and researchers together to solve
critical transportation problems. TRB provides
an information infrastructure that is designed to
serve the nation’s highly decentralized transportation system in which no single organization
dominates. With more than 200 committees, almost every transportation topic is represented in
the standing committee structure. Each committee proposes research, shares research findings,
sponsors special activities, and provides a forum for transportation professionals to discuss
today’s and tomorrow’s transportation issues.

Caltrans receives substantial benefits from being a sponsoring organization of TRB. Participants
of the various TRB activities include management as well as professional staff who keep the
focus on practical solutions to issues being addressed.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 3

Caltrans Delegation

Tony Tavares Alan Steinberg Amar Cid Andrew Quinn

Director Deputy Chief Counsel Program Manager, Assistant Deputy
Office on Race and Director, Roadway
Equity Pricing

Chad Baker Cory Binns Dara Wheeler David Deluz

Geospatial Data Deputy Director, Chief, Division of Deputy Director,
Officer Maintenance & Research, Innovation Office of Civil Rights
Operations & System Information

David Moore Diana Gomez Dina El-Tawansy Eric Sundquist

Director, District 2 Director, District 6 Director, District 4 Sustainability Advisor

Erin Holbrook Gillian Gillette Heidi Skinner Jeanie Ward-Waller

Chief Counsel Deputy Director,
Assistant Deputy Assistant Chief
Director, California Counsel Planning & Modal
Integrated Mobility Programs

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 4

Caltrans Delegation Cont.

Joe Horton Jessica Downing Ken Murray Leah Fisher

Chief, Office of Pedestrian and Chief, Office of Chief, Office of Air
Safety Innovation & Bicyclist Safety Standards and Quality & Climate Change
Cooperative Research Specialist Procedures

Marlon Flournoy Mathew Brady Michael B. Johnson Pauline Valenzuela

Chief, Division of Director, District 1 Program Manager, Statewide Innovation
Transportation Asset Management Coordinator
Planning

Ramon Hopkins Sang Le Sean Nozzari

Rachel Carpenter
Chief, Division of Cooperative Research Deputy District
Chief Safety Officer
Construction Specialist Director, District 4
Operations

Sharid Amiri Tim Greutert Tom Hicks

Chief, Materials Acting Chief, Division
Senior Transportation
Engineering and of Human Resources
Engineer
Testing Services

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 5

 Implementation
Highlights
The 2023 TRB Annual Meeting provides opportunities for participants to learn about various
research and innovations in all transportation modes. However, it is well understood that
research and innovation have little value until it is implemented. The phrase technology
transfer has come to mean activities supporting the transition of knowledge into practice,
including simple dissemination of research results. To cultivate technology transfer, each
Caltrans employee that attended the TRB Annual Meeting was tasked with identifying an
innovation that they will be responsible for implementing.

This report highlights innovations that support Caltrans 2020-2024 Strategic Plan’s Goals
of:

Safety First:
5 Innovations

Cultivate Excellence:
8 Innovations

Enhance & Connect the Multimodal Transportation Network:

4 Innovations

Strengthen Stewardship & Drive Efficiency:

7 Innovations

Lead Climate Action:

2 Innovations

Advance Equity & Livability in all Communities:

3 Innovations

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 6

 Safety First

Session: Applying the Safe System Approach to Overcome Challenges

Implementation Champion: Sean Nozzari

Takeaway:
Safe System Approach (SSA) is a common priority among DOTS, the IIJA Act, and the
National Roadway Safety Strategy. DOTs are looking for procedures to integrate SSA into
undertakings. In workshop, examined a typical case study, discussed challenges and
potential solutions that equitably served safety for all users and provided ways to measure
performance for competitive system needs. New approaches are needed to prioritize
safety projects.

Action Steps:
Sean will share information and prioritization framework obtained in the form of a scoring
matrix with District Safe system lead to pilot its use for comparing, prioritizing, and
programming potential projects in SHOPP-015. The matrix will use various factors such as
operating speed, vehicular/vulnerable users volumes, and roadway geometric features to
provide an overall project score relative to exposure, likelihood, and severity which can be
used in prioritizing projects for funding and programming.

Measure of Success:
Various parameters may be considered to measure success, including:
Number of programmed crash-risk-based proactive safety 015 projects in SHOPP
Number of elements added in the State Highway System, directly serving vulnerable
users
Number of geometric features in projects that serve to reduce operating speeds (e.g.
turning radii)

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 7

 Safety First

Session:
Session: Exhibit
Exhibit Hall
Hall

Implementation Champion: Joe Horton

Takeaway:
Hill and Smith has a new system to improve worker safety. The system is designed to help
prevent workers from being hit by construction equipment in work zones.

Action Steps:
DRISI will submit a research request to the RDAC. The objective is to perform a pilot
project to evaluate if this safety system is reliable and to see if it can be incorporated into
Caltrans business practices. If it works, DRISI can adopt in its maintenance operations as
well as make it a contract provision.

Measure of Success:
If funded, DRISI will get a pilot project that will test the product in a controlled
environment. If the pilot proves the technology is reliable, Caltrans can incorporate into
the Maintenance Manual as well as place it in contract specifications.

Session:
Session: Poster
Exhibit Session
Hall

Implementation Champion: Eric Sundquist

Takeaway:
Vehicle occupancy is hard to determine. Few states collect data. One way to do so would
be to use crash data, if that data includes information on vehicle occupants. Virginia DOT
had a poster showing how they do this and how to use the information in their project
development/selection process. Eric spoke with the presenter briefly about data
weighting. If Caltrans has the base data available, Caltrans can call Virginia DOT to explore
the data processing issue more deeply.

Action Steps:
Eric has asked a staff member to explore whether TIMS or other crash data in the state
could be used for vehicle occupant tracking.

Measure of Success:
If TIMS or other crash data can be used for vehicle occupant tracking, Caltrans will develop
AVO findings by SHS segment and share the findings with Planning and Managed Lanes
implementers.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 8

 Safety First

Session:
Session: Mental
Exhibit Health
Hall Issues in Construction and Construction Committee Meeting

Implementation Champion: Ramon Hopkins

Takeaway:
Construction has the second highest suicide rate among industries in the US. There are
resources available at the Center for Construction Research and Training. Bullying is one
key contributing factor to the suicide rate.

Action Steps:
Make improvements to Caltrans “Character of Worker” specification to directly
address unacceptable behavior of contractor employees.
Invite Dr. Mohammed Mehany (Colorado State University) to moderate a panel on
suicide awareness at the next AASHTO Committee on Construction (COC) annual
meeting.
Research and implement best practices from various resources provided during this
session.
Work with EAP to develop appropriate suicide awareness training for field
construction staff.

Measure of Success:
Publication of an improved specification.
Simplify the process to remove workers from the project who bully or behave
inappropriately.
Host a panel discussion at AASHTO COC.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 9

 Safety First

Session:
Session: Applying the Safe System Approach to Overcome Challenges
Exhibit Hall

Implementation Champion: Rachel Carpenter

Takeaway:
FHWA is building a Safe System Alignment Framework to identify engineering
countermeasures that can be implemented to more effectively achieve safety
improvements using Safe System principles. The Framework can also be applied to safety
improvement programs in order to increase the program’s alignment with the Safe System
Approach. A Hierarchy of Effectiveness has also been drafted, in order to communicate
the order of importance for types of improvements in order to increase alignment with the
Safe System Approach.

Action Steps:
Step #1: Request detailed information on the Safe System Alignment Framework and
Hierarchy of Effectiveness from FHWA Office of Safety.
Step #2: Share Safe System Alignment Framework and Hierarchy of Effectiveness
with Division of Safety Programs (DOSP) management team.
Step #3: Pursue a pilot with FHWA for application of the Safe System Alignment
Framework either as part of the 010 safety project conceptual approval process or to
one of Caltrans safety improvement monitoring programs.

Measure of Success:
Success will be measured by the following methods for each action step.
Step #1: Detailed information on the Safe System Alignment Framework and Hierarchy
of Effectiveness obtained from FHWA Office of Safety.
Step #2: Agenda updated for the 2/14/2023 DOSP Weekly Road Safety Leadership
Meeting to include an item on “Safe System Alignment Framework and Hierarchy of
Effectiveness.” Rachel will use detailed information provided by FHWA to deliver an
overview of the Framework and Hierarchy to the DOSP management team and
facilitate a discussion on the Framework.
Step #3: Completion of a pilot program for either the 010 conceptual approval process
or one of Caltrans safety improvement monitoring programs. The pilot program will
assess how well the subject project or safety improvement program aligns with the
Safe System Approach and make recommendations for modifications in order to
increase alignment of subject project or safety improvement program.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 10

 Cultivate Excellence

Session: Complete Streets Workshop/Safe Systems Lectern Session and Torts and
Session: Exhibit HallMeeting
Liability Committee

Implementation Champion: Heidi Skinner

Takeaway:
In order to effectively implement the Safe Systems policy through the use of Complete
Streets, and to enhance engineers understanding of design flexibility, it is important that
training on the legal and practical constructs of "engineering judgment" need to go behind
the professional standards lectures and should be a part of the curriculum for all
engineering students within the State. Currently, the professional standards component
of the classroom education for engineers is being cut from the syllabus or is being
significantly curtailed in programs throughout the country. This translates to engineers
who do not understand the necessity of design flexibility and how to address deviations
from standards through the use of objective, fact-based, well-documented engineering
judgment to create projects representative of Safe Systems & Complete Streets. The loss
of institutional knowledge through rapid attrition and retirement at public agencies is
significantly hampering efforts to train the next generation of transportation engineers.

Action Steps:
Heidi will be working with a recently retired engineer who is a professor of civil
engineering at San Diego State University, to implement a teaching segment on the
legal and practical implications of the use of engineering judgment to achieve stated
policy goals.
Heidi will be working with members of the TRB Tort Liability and Risk Management
Committee who are active professors and/or lecturers within their respective states
to implement similar training as part of the educational curriculum/syllabus of their
schools civil engineering courses.
Heidi will engage with the technical advisors who create, oversee and execute civil
engineering exams within their respective states to contain a question or questions
specifically addressing the concept of proper use and documentation of engineering
judgment as a component of the state licensing exam.

Measure of Success:
Due to the time it will take to implement the plan, success will be measured as follows:
Adding a series of training modules to the Civil Engineering class taught by Heidi's
colleague.
Sharing the training modules with the members of the TRB Committee to have them
shared with all of the professors, lecturers and trainers who are teaching engineering
courses throughout the country.
Seeing that questions specific to the concept of appropriate and well documented
engineering decisions are made part of the licensing requirements for each state.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 11

 Cultivate Excellence

Session:
Session:Managing through Changing and Evolving Work Environment
Exhibit Hall

Implementation Champion: Dina El-Tawansy

Takeaway:
All DOTs have significant challenges related to hiring and retaining qualified
workforce.
The hybrid work environment had unintended consequences on the lowest paid jobs in
the Department, such as in the Division of Maintenance, where staff cannot keep up
with the high cost of living (particularly true in regions like the San Francisco Bay
area).

Action Steps:
Provide more tele-work flexibility to attract talent across broader geographic areas
and appeal to the younger workforce.
Provide more equitable ways for Maintenance staff to be able to better afford working
in the Bay Area by providing "safe parking" or workdays housing for them to stay closer
to their jobs on weekdays thus cutting down their travel time and expenses.
Provide more efficient and timely response on the job.
Work with HR-Labor relationship towards a geographical deferential

Measure of Success:
Ability to hire and retain more people, measured by the percent hired vs. percent still
on board a year later.
Measuring retention in terms of the number of months that staff accumulate prior to
leaving the District for a lateral transfer to another region.

Session:
Session: Careers in Motion Networking Fair
Exhibit Hall

Implementation Champion: Jeanie Ward-Waller

Takeaway:
TRB Annual Meeting may provide an opportunity for Caltrans to recruit talented and
enthusiastic staff.

Action Steps:
Work with the new Planning & Modal Program Management Division (PM²) to have a
recruitment table at next year’s meeting. Also, have Planning & Modal Program (PMP) job
vacancies advertised through TRB.

Measure of Success:
A recruitment table at next year’s TRB Annual Meeting and all PMP job vacancies
advertised through TRB.
 Cultivate Excellence

Session:
Session:New Attendee
Exhibit Hall Engagement Session

Implementation Champion: Sang Le

Takeaway:
Learned about the value of continued participation through TRB technical
committees.
Understand the available tools, resources, programs, and extensive research
capabilities available to transportation professionals through TRB.
Networking segment to introduce participants to the committee leadership in their
areas of interest.
Why attendees were at the annual meeting; number one was professional
development and number two was finding a new job

Action Steps:
The 2022 Caltrans Employee Survey data in which 88% of employees slightly agreed,
agreed or strongly agreed that they have the training and development needed to be
successful at Caltrans as a guide. Sang plans on incorporating TRB participation to
help CT employees further their professional development and maintain a high level of
positive response.
Leveraging TRB participation into opportunities for new career positions that
employees may find interesting within Caltrans. This will help the department in
having a robust cross-trained, diverse, and more complete workforce

Measure of Success:
A good measure may be in the subsequent Caltrans Employee Survey asking if
employees have the training and development needed to be successful at Caltrans.
A higher rate of Caltrans staff on TRB and NCHRP committees and panels.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 13

 Cultivate Excellence

Session: Building Resilient Transportation Departments by Recruiting, Retaining, and

Session:the
Training Exhibit Hall of the Future
Workforce

Implementation Champion: Tom Hicks

Takeaway:
Several DOTs discussed recruiting pipelines such as, but not limited to, veteran and
summer internships. FHWA discussed monies made available from The Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law (BIL) Section 13007 (Workforce Development, Training, and Education)
for workforce development. Additionally, the concept of insulating the talent pipeline was
interesting with a focus on stopping the "leaks" through unique ways to retain.

Tom's proposal would be to use dormitory facilities in the off season (summer) to house
and train engineering students and or veterans from across the nation. If federal monies
would permit it, Caltrans could run a paid summer internship program. Students across
the nation could apply. Not only would this aid in building the future workforce, but it
would act as a recruiting catalysis when students return to campus. If federal monies can
support student travel cost, staffing (cook, on-site management), and operational cost,
Caltrans already has four dormitory sites available. If the pilot works and is a benefit to the
Department, maybe Caltrans can look at scaling up in future years for other hard-to-
recruit/needed occupational groups (surveyors, maintenance, etc.).

Action Steps:
Tom will reach out to the following contacts he made at TRB: Terri Slaughter, Michigan
DOT, and William T. Panos, Gannett Fleming. He wants to better understand the funding
opportunities to establish OTJ internships that will benefit those in the community/nation
and Caltrans. He also wants to get a better understanding of the utilization of Caltrans'
dorm facilities summer operations, operational cost, staffing, and liability concerns in
housing interns.

Measure of Success:
Tom would like to spend 2023 researching, developing partnerships, and building a
framework to institute a summer internship academy.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 14

 Cultivate Excellence

Sessions: Legal and Risk Management Considerations, AJL70 Tort Liability and Risk
Session: Exhibit
Management Hall
Committee, Wildfires and Transportation: Contending with Escalating Risks

Implementation Champion: Alan M. Steinberg

Takeaway:
Liability neutral language is critical to implementation of new programs. (Legal issue)
Do not implement road diets and assess need for widening key corridors in high-risk
fire areas along exit routes. (Non-legal issue)

Action Steps:
Continually engage with programs, divisions, and districts on the development of policies,
procedures, guidelines, and talking points using liability neutral language. This includes
review of documents and suggested revisions, as well as trainings.

Measure of Success:
Changing the messaging, policies, procedures, guidelines, and talking points used by the
Department.

Session:
Session: Building the Future Transportation Workforce
Exhibit Hall

Implementation Champion: Dave Moore

Takeaway:
During this session, attendees learned the multitude of activities that one State DOT is
doing to build and recruit a workforce. Efforts started at all levels of education in the
schools and included other apprenticeship programs. While dozens of activities were
noted, nothing extraordinary stood out. The session brought to mind all the past programs
and outreach Caltrans used to do in the District to grow the workforce of the future.
Caltrans used to participate in elementary school activities, high school career fairs,
STEM, Kids Day, Science Bowl and many other items. Most of this has been discontinued
over the past several years.

Action Steps:
Meet with District 2 Executive leadership and discuss the activities Caltrans used to do
and in what capacity. Brainstorm what leadership wants to carry forward and bring back
while identifying key early adopters that would be interested in leading this effort then
develop a plan to implement. The implementation plan should consider an equitable
process for determining where to focus efforts.

Measure of Success:
Implementation of outreach activities.
 Cultivate Excellence

Session:
Session:FHWA
ExhibitInnovation
Hall Community of Practice Committee Meeting

Implementation Champion: Pauline Valenzuela

Takeaway:
Concept from Indiana Department of Transportation.

Employee recognition is important and even small gestures make a big difference. Even a
small sticker provokes pride and empowerment.

By installing a sticker/email badge recognition program, innovative employees feel

recognized and empowered to be innovative and are able to showcase their efforts to
colleagues. The sticker recognition program will handout stickers for hard hats and desks
that showcase they have submitted an idea to The Innovation Exchange or other avenue
through the headquarters Innovation Team. Besides the actual sticker, employees who
have implemented an innovation will receive a photo (.jpg/.png) to add to their signature
that showcases they are an innovator.

Action Steps:
This idea is extremely easy and simple, yet effective. The Innovation Team has already
started a similar process but with a different recognition item. It has already proven to be
successful.

Steps are simple:

Assign someone on team to take the lead and maintain the innovation sticker/badge
recognition program
Work with contractor (CSUS) to design and print stickers that indicate they have
submitted an innovation. Also create a .jpg with similar design to be added to email
signatures.
Email recipients by email, including the signature badge
Send out stickers by mail
On a monthly basis, monitor new innovations added and send new submittals stickers
and email badges.

Measure of Success:
Follow-up and feedback will be the biggest indicator of the sticker recognition program
success. An increase in badges in signature lines will also help determine success.

The Innovation Team made an attempt to offer electronic signature badges about 4
months ago and had immediate positive feedback. However, that person left and the
effort died with no personnel resources to continue the effort. The plan is to reignite it
with new iTeam resource and with support from positive feedback from FHWA, Indiana
DOT as well as other states who have similar programs. The sticker for hard hats will also
be added to the effort as it has been very successful in other states.
 Enhance & Connect the
Multimodal Transportation Network

Session:
Session: Session on ITS Elements
Exhibit Hall

Implementation Champion: Cory Binns

Takeaway:
Caltrans can improve ITS usage by using ITS ideas presented by other states.

Action Steps:
Revisiting delegated authority on implementation of ITS element customization to
address localized traffic issues. Ped phases, logic processors for signals.
Learn from Michigan I-94 CAV project. How do smarter roads communicate with
smarter vehicles to achieve our transportation goals.
Follow up on success of free transit pilots being implemented nationally
Bike superhighways as a transportation option
Specs for glass aggregate to support GHG reduction
High tension cable barrier guidance
Collect national data on SSC’s in work zones. Partner with CHP

Measure of Success:
Exploring/Implementation of the above ideas which leads to at least three process
improvements, guidance revisions or spec changes.

Session:
Session: Bicycle Transportation Committee Meeting
Exhibit Hall

Implementation Champion: Jessica Downing

Takeaway:
There is a national effort going on to standardize collection of pedestrian and bicyclist
infrastructure data. Standardized pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure data can improve
safety analyses and can enhance exposure data.

Action Steps:
Jessica met with FHWA and colleagues from other State DOTs, Universities, etc. to
discuss challenges and possible solutions. She will provide current research and Caltrans
efforts to collect infrastructure data.

Measure of Success:
Success will be measured by working nationally amongst partners to produce a national
schema of recommended infrastructure data to be collected. Caltrans success may be
measured by the TSNR project's list of pedestrian and bike infrastructure data to be
collected.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 17

 Enhance & Connect the
Multimodal Transportation Network

Session: Managed Lanes’ Role in Realizing the Next-Generation Integrated Transportation

Session: Exhibit Hall
System

Implementation Champion: Andrew Quinn

Takeaway:
Managed lanes may have significant safety benefits. Managed lanes have almost zero
pedestrian conflict, significantly reduced vehicular conflict, consistent speeds for large
vehicles, reduced risk of accidents, and intelligent infrastructure to help monitor road and
traffic conditions.

Action Steps:
Reach out to Rachel Carpenter, Caltrans Chief Safety Officer, to discuss opportunities for
collaboration and to identify any efforts to understand the relationship between priced
managed lanes, road safety and collect lessons learned for dissemination to State
Roadway Pricing Workgroup.

Measure of Success:
By the end of this calendar year, Andrew will meet with Rachel and create a workplan to
identify efforts on the relationship between managed lanes and road safety.

Session: State DOT CEO Roundtable: Developing a Resilient Transportation System for
Session:Changing
Rapidly Exhibit Hall
World

Implementation Champion: Matthew Brady

Takeaway:
Found AASHTO President and Washington Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar's
points on resiliency to be important. Before Washington State considers widening
projects, they want to strengthen and upgrade their existing infrastructure. This also
includes rapid bus lines from the north area of Seattle as opposed to widening to add
capacity. Millar often gets complaints that "a bus cut me off" when he retorts that with "no,
you got in the way of the bus."

Action Steps:
To continue to align Caltrans staff with the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan. Caltrans is currently
in alignment with using other means of transportation such as rapid transit, buses, rail,
walking and bicycling.

Measure of Success:
In District 1, the success would be measured by the complete streets elements and making
more livable, walkable communities especially in traditionally overlooked communities.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 18

 Strengthen Stewardship
& Drive Efficiency

Session: Lecture Session related to a Completed Domestic Scan on the Coordination

Session:
between Exhibit Hall
Asset Management and Bridge Management in the US

Implementation Champion: Mike Johnson

Takeaway:
A number of States practices were presented including a number of methods used to
communicate asset management information. A number of these techniques would be
beneficial to implement in California.

Action Steps:
Mike has already presented the information to Asset Management employees in Caltrans
and discussed their ability to replicate some of these concepts in dashboards or stand
alone graphics to help communicate their asset management messages.

Measure of Success:
Success will be measured by the availability of graphics, reports or dashboards being
developed that utilize these best practices from around the country.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 19

 Strengthen Stewardship
& Drive Efficiency

Session:
Session: Leveraging
Exhibit Hall Machine Learning and GIS for Roadway Data Collection

Implementation Champion: Chad Baker

Takeaway:
Determination of speed limits for NHS – Contact: Justin Clarke @ USDOT
Project conducted for 5 states to determine the speed limits along the national
highway network by using machine vision techniques to locate and read speed limit
signs
Used pavement condition imagery
Model pulled speed limit info from signs
Located signs in space (lat/long)
Obtained directionality based on flow of van
Used YOLOv5 object detection model
Used Roboflow SaaS platform (web based computer vision modeling platform) to train
and deploy the computer vision model
Used Google OCR API to read the text off the sign
Most difficult part was turning the results in a usable GIS layer
i. Had to convert point speed data and turn it into linear data
ii. Used LRS as basis for creating the layer
8 month project

KLD Labs – Tom O’Brien

Demonstrated machine vision use case for rail and asset management condition
assessments
Evaluated condition of the rail as well as train cars

SAR-C
ML tool to evaluate road condition using satellite imagery
IRI and Road Quality Index
Needs specific input data such as pavement type

MassDOT guardrail end treatment detection/determination – David Hurst w/ Patrick

Engineering, Jeremy Mei @ MassDOT
9 months, $400,000 project to use machine vision project to locate and classify
guardrail end treatments in state

Action Steps:
Notify key Caltrans stakeholders of the research efforts so they can use the information
to determine if similar efforts would bear fruit for Caltrans. Determine if Caltrans
completes the efforts in house or hire others to do it.

Measure of Success:
Caltrans takes action to utilize the machine vision/machine learning approach to collect
field asset information and/or use it for change detection (e.g., sign is missing).
 Strengthen Stewardship
& Drive Efficiency

Session:
Session: Contractors
Exhibit Hall Perspective on Alternative Delivery Methods

Implementation Champion: Erin Holbrook

Takeaway:
Contractors support the use of Progressive Design Build as a project delivery method.

Action Steps:
Erin's initial intent was to work with the Office of Innovative Project Delivery to develop
proposed legislation to obtain authority to use Progressive Design Build as an alternative
project delivery method. However, her understanding is that legislation has already been
proposed. Therefore, she will track the proposed legislation and if it moves forward and is
passed, her office will assist the program in standing up the program so it is another
successful method of delivering projects for the department. If the legislation is not
approved to move forward, she will work with the program to continue to move forward on
additional proposals for the legislation.

Measure of Success:
It depends on what happens with the current proposed legislation. There are many
opportunities for success along the way. Getting approval on the proposed legislation
would be the first measure of success. Then, getting it through the process so it becomes
actual law would be another measure of success, and finally setting up a progressive
design build program would be the ultimate success.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 20

 Strengthen Stewardship
& Drive Efficiency

Sessions: Building Information Modeling for Substructure and Artificial Neural Network
Session:
(for Exhibit
Bridge Hall
Foundation/Session and Lecture Session)

Implementation Champion: Sharid Amiri

Takeaway:
The importance of achieving interoperability for Soil Structure Interaction (SSI) models as
it relates to bridge foundation design and the Building Information Modeling (BIM)
ecosystem.

Action Steps:
Sharid will share what he learned with their GS (Geotechnical Services) management and
DES Innovation committee where he represents GS as a member of that committee. In
addition, as the chair of the AKG70 TRB committee, he will lead the development of the
technology transfer sessions at the national level.

Measure of Success:
Taking incremental steps to bring about changes in our state of practice here in GS and
DES by leveraging what he learned from TRB annual events. This will be a work in progress
and will depend highly on how DES/GS can 1- develop a culture of innovation 2- develop
roadmap to incorporate TRB technology transfer and finally 3- to implement it.

Session:
Session: Poster
Exhibit Session
Hall

Implementation Champion: Tim Greutert

Takeaway:
Caltrans can improve their maintenance activities, emergency response, and
programming decisions by leveraging data captured by every day vehicles (accelerating,
braking, smoothness, etc.).

Action Steps:
Tim will discuss with Tom Ostrom if he has suggestions on which Division(s) would already
be working on this and who would benefit from this data stream. Tim's thoughts are that
Pavement Maintenance could benefit from the data and possibly Structures Maintenance
and Inspection. IT, Division of Equipment and Traffic Operations will also be key
stakeholders.

Caltrans would need to determine the appropriate legal mechanism to obtain data from
vehicles on the road. They could evaluate data obtained only from Caltrans vehicles.

Measure of Success:
Evaluate data from street vehicles (Caltrans fleet) and compare to the data collected
using Caltrans Annual Pavement Condition Survey.
 Strengthen Stewardship
& Drive Efficiency

Session:
Session: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Sponsored Innovation Meet-Up
Exhibit Hall

Implementation Champion: Dara Wheeler

Takeaway:
Most states do not have funding to implement small grass roots innovations.

Action Steps:
To draft a problem statement to submit to AASHTO Special Committee on Research
and Innovation (SCRI) to create a new funding program (based on survey results to
state DOTs and the unfunded demand) to fund small grass roots innovations for State
DOTs.
To work with the iTeam to create a list of Caltrans proven innovations and add them to
executive annual performance reviews.

Measure of Success:
If the problem statement is selected for funding and if and when we can allocate funds
to State DOTs to implement innovations.
Caltrans proven innovations added to executive annual performance reviews.

Session:
Session: Poster
Exhibit Session
Hall

Implementation Champion: Ken Murray

Takeaway:
The use of "Nature Based Solutions" for enhancing and utilizing natural elements in
transportation solutions. The new IIJA funding provides for and encourages use of natural
based solutions in transportation activities.

Action Steps:
Reading the Nature Based Solutions Roadmap and finding ways to incorporate these
elements into landscape architecture project components. Looking at incorporation of
language into LAP guidance on the use of nature based solutions.

Measure of Success:
Success will be measured by beginning to see the appearance of nature based solutions in
project designs. Also, by an increase of IIJA funding that promotes the use of nature
based solutions.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 23

 Lead Climate Action

Session: Sustainability and Emerging Transportation Technology (SETT): Highlights from

Session:
the 2022 Exhibit Hall
SETT Conference

Implementation Champion: Charles Stoll

Takeaway:
The US Department of Energy, in coordination with the US DOT, issued a National
Blueprint for decarbonizing the transportation sector by 2050 on January 10, 2023.

Action Steps:
Disseminate report within Sustainability Office.
Review and match up to existing Caltrans plans.
Develop action plan to modify existing plans and/or access available federal
resources.

Measure of Success:
Modified plans and/or new resources obtained.

Session: Wildfires and Transportation: Contending with Escalating Risks and Impacts of
Session:Change
Climate Exhibiton
Hall
Rural Areas

Implementation Champion: Dave Moore

Takeaway:
Research is currently being done at the University level that can help with understanding
wildfire risk factors. Utilizing this info can help plan and prioritize our maintenance
activities to help reduce the risk of large scale wildfire.

Action Steps:
Initiate discussions with Dr. Stephen D. Wong with the University of Alberta. Dr. Wong is
currently doing research work on past wildfires in California including the Carr and Dixie
fires located in District 2. In discussion at the annual meeting, Dr. Wong suggested that he
would be interested in discussing opportunities to collaborate and tailor some research.
The goal would be to engage Dr. Wong further to see if an opportunity exists to provide
research activities that would benefit Caltrans and our efforts in terms of wildfire
planning. A second action step would include engaging HQ Maintenance staff with this
effort to determine needs beyond District 2 that may benefit the entire state.

Measure of Success:
Successful engagement that leads to an acknowledgment of a need that can be addressed
by research. Further success would be the initiating of that research.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 24

 Advance Equity & Livability in
All Communities

Session:
Session: DBE Goal
Exhibit Setting on ACM Project (Alt Contracting Methods)
Hall

Implementation Champion: David DeLuz

Takeaway:
The key takeaway is the flexibility we have in setting goals on different types of projects.
Our office (Civil Rights) should be much more active and engaged in the early stages of a
project's development, and use our flexibility to maximize DBE participation.

Action Steps:
Meet with OCR staff (mine) to discuss our current ACM goal setting processes;
Meet with Project Delivery staff (and district project staff) to identify opportunities to
engage sooner in the goal setting process.
Monitor our efforts to meet with Primes, negotiate goals and monitor goal attainment
- and make adjustments as needed;
Measure outcomes (compared to baseline efforts before these changes).

Measure of Success:
Success will be measured by the amount of growth in DBE goal attainment during the life
of a project (compared to a baseline measurement).

Session:
Session: USDOT
Exhibit Leadership
Hall Session on IIJA Implementation

Implementation Champion: Jeanie Ward-Waller

Takeaway:
This session included a panel of Administrators and Deputies from USDOT agencies
talking about their priorities and vision for implementing new programs in IIJA. Their
comments about equity and investment in disadvantaged communities are particularly
helpful for Jeanie's team as they implement new programs like Reconnecting
Communities.

Action Steps:
Taking insights back to Jeanie's teams in Planning and Local Assistance that are
collaborating on their state investments to leverage IIJA programs, and managing IIJA
program implementation in CA.

Measure of Success:
Evidence of success will be the transformative projects that come out of the new
programs.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 25

 Advance Equity & Livability in
All Communities

Sessions: EquityHall
Session: Exhibit and Climate Equity Sessions

Implementation Champion: Leah Fisher

Takeaway:
There is a lot of interest in climate equity and climate risk in the transportation sector and
from DOTs. California is doing a lot of great work already, and we can continue to show
leadership by piloting implementation of Caltrans Transportation Equity Index and other
work into the climate change planning DOTP is leading. We can also learn from other
jurisdictions doing innovative work especially at the regional level around the country.

Action Steps:
Partner with the Office of Race and Equity on climate change vulnerability data and
development of risk metrics that include equity and possibly indicators from the
Transportation Equity Index.

Measure of Success:
Evaluate percentage of investments that benefit equity priority communities.
Implement updated climate change vulnerability information that considers impacts
to equity priority communities.
This will lead to prioritization of adaptation projects and planning efforts that benefit
underserved communities.

2023 TRB Annual Meeting: Implementing Key Takeaways 26

 For more information

Transportation Research Board

www.trb.org

California Department of
Transportation
www.dot.ca.gov

Division or Research, Innovation

and System Information
www.dot.ca.gov/research