SHRP2

SHRP2
Name	SHRP2
Abbreviation	SHRP2
Established	2005
Dissolved	2016
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Funder	United States Department of Transportation
Participants	Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board
Focus	Roadway safety, infrastructure, operations, human factors

SHRP2 The second Strategic Highway Research Program was a large-scale applied research initiative focused on improving highway safety, performance, and quality across the United States. Modeled after earlier national research efforts, SHRP2 brought together federal agencies, state departments, academic institutions, and private industry to develop evidence-based tools and data for practitioners in Washington, D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other metropolitan areas. The program emphasized practical outcomes such as improved construction materials, safety countermeasures, and data systems for implementation by entities like the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Introduction

SHRP2 originated as a response to recommendations from the National Research Council and the Transportation Research Board in the early 2000s, aiming to address persistent issues in highway reliability and safety that affected agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration and state departments like the California Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Transportation. Funded through congressional authorization and administered with participation from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, SHRP2 combined field studies, laboratory research, and policy analysis to produce implementable products for organizations including the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and metropolitan planning organizations across regions like Northeast Corridor and Midwest states.

Organization and Program Overview

SHRP2 was structured with program offices and technical panels representing stakeholders such as the Federal Highway Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, state agencies like the Florida Department of Transportation, and professional bodies including the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Governance relied on guidance from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and oversight from congressional committees. The program organized work into themes and focus areas, collaborating with universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, Stanford University, and Georgia Institute of Technology to execute projects and validate outcomes.

Research Projects and Methodologies

SHRP2 sponsored multidisciplinary projects that combined field instrumentation, naturalistic driving studies, infrastructure monitoring, and materials testing. Major efforts referenced methodologies developed by teams at institutions including Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Rutgers University, and the University of California, Berkeley. Data collection incorporated deployments in cities like Seattle, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Boston, while laboratory protocols drew on standards from organizations such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the American Society for Testing and Materials. Methodological innovations included synchronized video and sensor arrays, quasi-experimental designs used by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and predictive models informed by work from the RAND Corporation.

Key Findings and Impacts on Road Safety

SHRP2 produced findings that influenced policy and practice for agencies like the Federal Highway Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and state departments such as the Ohio Department of Transportation. Results highlighted effectiveness of countermeasures promoted by the Roadway Safety Foundation and supported by research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Safety Council. Key impacts included improved protocols for work zone management used in projects in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, adoption of fatigue and distraction insights by vehicle manufacturers and fleets represented by the American Trucking Associations, and material performance improvements credited in paving projects in California and Colorado. SHRP2 outputs informed standards and guidance referenced by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and integrated into training programs by the National Highway Institute.

Implementation and Technology Transfer

Technology transfer from SHRP2 relied on partnerships with state transportation agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and professional associations like the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Tools and products were disseminated through workshops held in locales such as San Francisco, Dallas, and Washington, D.C., and via implementation assistance to agencies including the Florida Department of Transportation and the New York State Department of Transportation. Commercialization pathways engaged private firms, engineering consultants, and suppliers who work with entities like the American Road & Transportation Builders Association to integrate SHRP2 technologies into construction, maintenance, and operations projects.

Criticisms and Limitations

Critiques of SHRP2 came from stakeholders including some state agencies, advocacy groups like the Center for Auto Safety, and academic commentators from institutions such as Columbia University and Princeton University. Concerns focused on the complexity of large-scale implementation across diverse jurisdictions including Alaska and Hawaii, the transferability of pilot-study results from urban centers like New York City to rural regions, and limitations noted by the Government Accountability Office regarding long-term funding and institutional adoption. Other limitations involved data privacy considerations raised by entities such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and questions about scaling innovations for agencies with constrained resources like certain county-level public works departments.

Category:Road safety research Category:Transportation projects in the United States