InTrans in the News
Engineers at the Institute for Transportation (InTrans) are dedicated to researching the most critical issues in transportation in five focus areas: infrastructure; safety; mobility, data analytics, and resiliency; construction management; and outreach and education. It’s always exciting when that earns them media attention!
Featured News Items

Traffic Technology International spotlights snowplow navigation research
The Nov./Dec. 2022 Traffic Technology International magazine featured InTrans research led by Anuj Sharma that is helping to mitigate the effects of adverse weather on Iowa's road network.
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WHO 13 features InTrans research into snowplow navigation
The Jan. 8, 2022, news piece from WHO 13 highlights InTrans research on snowplow navigation systems to help operators stay on the roads when conditions are poor.
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ATSSA publication features REACTOR Lab's smart arrow board research
The summer 2021 Roadway Safety article highlights Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) efforts to implement arrow boards that can share information in work zones and the REACTOR Lab’s research into the benefits of the technology.
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BEC research on UHPC featured on PBS' NewsHour
On Feb. 12, 2020, PBS' NewsHour ran a piece on ultra-high performance concrete featuring Bridge Engineering Center staff and students as part of the news program’s ongoing Breakthrough series that looks at emerging technologies.
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This May 23, 2023 KAAL-TV news piece highlights the start of the Un-Ticketing campaign in Cerro Gordo County that is part of an Institute for Transportation research project looking into whether incentivizing good driving behavior improves speed compliance. A follow-up piece on June 2, 2023 “Rewarding safe drivers in Cerro Gordo County” included a ride-along with a sheriff’s deputy where they assessed drivers worthy of an “un-ticket” for their safe behavior.
This May 23, 2023 KIMT News 3 piece highlights the start of the Un-Ticketing campaign in Cerro Gordo County that is part of an Institute for Transportation research project looking into whether incentivizing good driving behavior improves speed compliance.
This January 10, 2023 Radio Iowa article on the High Five Rural Traffic Safety Project led by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau notes the role that the Institute for Transportation will have in supporting the initiative.
This November 23, 2022 Cedar Rapids Gazette article features details of the snowplow navigation research currently underway by InTrans’ Anuj Sharma with funding from the Iowa Department of Transportation.
This August 31, 2022 Bloomberg article on a new Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rule regarding pavement markings includes insights from Omar Smadi, Center for Transportation Research and Education (CTRE) director.
Halil Ceylan, director of the Program for Sustainable Pavement Engineering & Research (PROSPER), recently had an opportunity to discuss his research on using waste plastics in gravel road projects with U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-1st District, as noted in this July 26, 2022 article from the Independence Bulletin Journal.
This Summer 2022 Public Roads magazine article on the Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) Program includes the Smart Work Zone Deployment Initiative (SWZDI) as “a great example of the benefits that come through the partnerships and collaboration of the TPF Program.”
The Jan. 5, 2022, news piece from We Are Iowa Local 5 News ties holiday winter conditions to new research on snowplow navigation systems being done by InTrans’ Anuj Sharma with funding from the Iowa Department of Transportation.
The February 26, 2021 FAA Safety Briefing article looks at heated pavement technology applications at airports and the serious challenge to pilots and airport operations that winter weather poses.
This January 19, 2021 article from WalletHub features InTrans’ Jing Dong as an expert on potential future improvements to the safety, condition, and congestion of the nation’s roads.
In a January 8, 2021 article, Traffic & Transit featured the Rural Transportation Research Roadmap, a project for which InTrans Researcher John Shaw is the Iowa State University (ISU) project manager. The project is led by Western Transportation Institute (WTI), and ISU serves as a partner on the NCHRP-sponsored project.
The January 6, 2021 Roads & Bridges article on the history of concrete overlays includes the history of the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center’s (CP Tech Center’s) development of its Guide to Concrete Overlays.
This November 2020 article from American Trails recommends the Guide to Concrete Trails released by the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center in 2019 for civic leaders as they make trails a part of their community’s critical infrastructure.
The October 2020 Airport Improvement article highlights research by Halil Ceylan that demonstrates the potential of conductive concrete in airside pavements.
The World of Concrete said in a June 23, 2020 article that the Guide to Concrete Trails released by the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center in 2019 provides a “valuable new resource” to promote concrete products in the parks.
The January 2, 2020 Roads & Bridges article discusses the CP Tech Center’s spearheading of a multi-year performance engineered mixture (PEM) pooled-fund research program led by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
The WHO 13 Nov. 20, 2019 news piece highlights the potential of soybean oil as a bio-based polymer in asphalt.
The Nov. 11, 2019 Ames Tribune article featured a soy-based polymer used in asphalt placed on a demonstration site at the ISU research farm parking lot.
The Aug. 15, 2019 For Construction Pros article said the Guide to Concrete Trails released by the CP Tech Center aids contractors in construction and maintenance.
The Jan. 22, 2019 Google blog post and accompanying video highlights the work the Iowa DOT and REACTOR Lab researchers are doing with big data to provide insights into traffic behavior and ultimately keep roads safe.
NBC’s Jeff Rossen of the TODAY Show talked with Halil Ceylan, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering and director of the Program for Sustainable Pavement Engineering and Research (PROSPER) about heated pavement technology in January 2018.
The March 31, 2017 Ames Tribune article featured the partnership between the Real-Time Analytics of Transportation Data (REACTOR) Lab and the Iowa DOT to leverage new opportunities using big data to manage traffic incidents.
The March 30, 2017 article from the International Society for Concrete Pavements shared an update on the first full-scale test slabs of electrically conductive concrete installed at an American airport.
A January 3, 2017 article in Roads & Bridges highlights research by the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center (CP Tech Center) to investigate the use of wireless, microfabricated sensor systems to detect and monitor data related to pavement distresses in concrete pavements.
A September 6, 2016 article in Roads & Bridges includes the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center’s (CP Tech Center’s) role in investigating the causes of premature joint distress and suggesting appropriate preventive practices.