Implementing the Results of the Second Strategic Highway Research Program: Saving Lives, Reducing Congestion, Improving Quality of Life

Research and innovation have an important role to play in addressing the issues and concerns associated with the planning, design, building, maintenance, operation, and use of the highway system. In addition to ongoing research programs at the federal and state levels, in private industry, and at universities, strategic research programs have focused on particular critical needs. These include the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) Road Test, conducted in the late 1950s, and the first Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 1), conducted in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The success of the first SHRP prompted Congress to authorize a second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) of 2005. Approximately $170 million is expected to be appropriated over a 4-year period (20052009) to support a program lasting 7 years (mid-2006 to mid-2013). The content of the program was specified to include four research focus areas: Safety, Renewal, Reliability, and Capacity. In recognition of the importance of the implementation of the results of SHRP 2, the legislation authorizing the program included a requirement to submit to Congress a report on implementation of the research results, which became the Statement of Task for the present report. This report, due by February 1, 2009, was to include the following: An identification of the most promising results of research conducted under the program (including the most likely beneficiaries of those results); A discussion of potential incentives for, impediments to, and methods of implementing the results; An estimate of the costs of implementation; and Recommendations for how implementation should be conducted, coordinated, and supported in future years, including a discussion of the administrative structure and organization best suited to carrying out those recommendations. This report is organized in 8 chapters and 2 appendices. Chapter 1 provides an introduction covering issues facing the National Highway System, the role of research and innovation, SHRP 2, the study approach, and the organization of this report. In Chapters 2 through 5, each research focus area within SHRP 2Safety, Renewal, Reliability, and Capacityis examined with respect to the following issues: promising research results; potential users, incentives, and impediments; implementation requirements; and appropriate implementation methods and activities. Chapter 6 outlines a set of implementation principles and key strategies for SHRP 2 based on experience with implementation of the first SHRP. Chapter 7 applies the implementation principles and key strategies set forth in Chapter 6 to formulate a programwide approach to SHRP 2 implementation. Finally, the committees recommendations for implementation activities, institutional mechanisms, and funding are presented in Chapter 8. Appendix A contains SHRP 2 Committee Rosters and Appendix B contains SHRP 2 Projects and Expected Products.