Transportation Research Board To Recognize NREL Mobility Researchers at Annual Meeting

NREL Cohort Will Also Present New Research Results, Moderate Sessions and Workshops, and More

Dec. 31, 2024 | By Aishwarya Krishnamoorthy | Contact media relations

19 people posing for a photo in the lobby of a large hall. — NREL researchers gather at the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board in January 2024. *Photo by Venu Garikapati, NREL*

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be in the spotlight at the 104^th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in January 2025.

NREL staff, including Bonnie Powell, Sailesh Acharya, Alejandro Henao, and Stan Young, will receive the annual William W. Millar Award for the best paper in the area of public transportation from the TRB Executive Committee. The paper, “A Mobility Energy Productivity Evaluation of On-Demand Transit: A Case Study in Arlington, Texas,” is one of a series of NREL case studies on implementing unique mobility services for transportation.

“We are proud that the TRB is recognizing our research assessing the potential benefits of on-demand transportation for underserved communities,” said Young, a senior advanced-mobility researcher. “This recognition highlights how NREL’s expertise, tools, and thorough methodologies can uncover opportunities to enhance mobility for all."

Two maps of the same city overlaid with colors showing that “population-weighted average MEP for disadvantaged communities” was 27.89 for biking and transit, and 47.83 for biking, transit, and on-demand transit. — A figure from the paper shows how NREL used the laboratory’s Mobility Energy Productivity Tool (MEP) to determine how on-demand transit can increase mobility access for underserved populations in Arlington, Texas. *Graphic by NREL*

The TRB Annual Meeting, which will be held in Washington, D.C., Jan. 5–9, 2025, draws thousands of transportation professionals from around the world.

Also at the meeting, mobility researchers from NREL will showcase their latest research. The program covers all transportation modes, with sessions and workshops spanning topics of interest to policymakers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions.

NREL presentations will focus on a variety of topics, including transportation efficiency improvements; transportation data, modeling, and analysis; sustainable aviation, airport operations, and rail; electrified and on-demand transit; micromobility; vehicle automation and connectivity; electric vehicle charging infrastructure analysis; mobility disparities; travel behavior; and disaster resilience. See the full list on NREL presentation topics and presenters.

In addition to presenting at a variety of workshops, lectern sessions, and poster sessions, NREL will moderate two workshops: Data Repositories and Technologies: Data Archival, Analysis Tools, and Practices for Transportation Planning and Remote Work and Its Impact on Mobility and Land Use: Modeling the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

"NREL’s presence at TRB demonstrates how the lab’s comprehensive and data-driven approach, incorporating cost effectiveness and accessibility, makes us a leader in developing innovative technologies, strategies, and partnerships to further the goal of reducing emissions from passenger and freight transportation,” said John Farrell, NREL's laboratory program manager for vehicle technologies.

Learn more about NREL's sustainable transportation and mobility research. And sign up for NREL's quarterly transportation and mobility research newsletter, Sustainable Mobility Matters, to stay current on the latest news.