NEWSLETTER

Puente
2023
EL

Volume 37
Number 1

Image source: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/

UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO, Puerto Rico LTAP

www. prltap.org
MAYAGÜEZ CAMPUS
2 PUERTO RICO TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER • prltap.org

CONTENTS
Puente
PAGES
EL

Vol. 37 No. 1, 2023

Message From the Director 3

Pages 4-7
The Brightest Eisenhower Recipients of
4-7
2023: Representing the UPRM!

New Geosynthetic Installation Notes

7
Tracker Mobile Application by FHWA

Page 8
Successful Alliance in Use of Drones for
8
Emergency Management in Puerto Rico

EDC-7 Innovations (2023-2024) 9

How to Make Online Meetings Less

10-11
Impersonal - Tips by the AD&V

Page 9
Citizen Pledge
12
Compromise to Save Lives Today!

The Puerto Rico Transportation Technology Transfer Center, PRLTAP/T2, is part of a network of 52 Centers throughout the
United States that comprises of a Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) and one National Tribal Technical Assistance
Program (TTAP). The mission of the PRLTAP/T2 Center is to provide training and technical assistance to local transportation
officials in the 78 municipalities that comprises the Government of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Department of
Transportation and Public Works with emphasis on promoting highway safety and implementing the Every Day Counts (EDC)
initiatives of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
 prltap.org • EL PUENTE NEWSLETTER VOL.37 NO. 1, 2023 3

Message from the Director

elcome to our first edition of the thirty-seventh Newsletter, El Puente! In
this volume, three articles presented are highlighted that are of great
pride and knowledge for all citizens and transportation professionals,
which inspires innovation and great progress in the area
of transportation.
The featured article titled The Brightest Eisenhower Recipients of 2023: Representing the UPRM!,
presents three undergraduate students from the Mayagüez Campus (RUM) who were recognized and awarded the
Eisenhower Scholarship, which managed to participate in the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board
(TRB). The TRB held its 102nd from January 8-12, 2023, centered on the theme "Rejuvenation Out of Disruption:
Envisioning a Transportation System for a Dynamic Future," at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in
Washington, D.C. The experiences of the students narrated by themselves are highlighted here, where they
emphasize their growth as professionals in the area of transportation.

The second article, New Geosynthetic Installation Notes Tracker Mobile Application by FHWA, provides
information about an app created in collaboration between the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Local
Relief Support and the Geosynthetic Materials Association, to provide a trusted resource on the types and functions
of geosynthetics.

The following article titled Successful Alliance in Use of Drones for Emergency Management in Puerto
Rico, explains the first training successfully carried out by the Transportation Technology Transfer Center (CTTT,
for its acronym in Spanish) on the use of drones for emergency management, in partnership with the Municipal
Offices for Emergency Management and Disaster Administration of the Municipalities that comprise the Mayagüez
Region.

The fourth article, EDC-7 Innovations (2023-2024), focuses on highlighting innovations from the FHWA's
Every Day Counts initiative. These innovations focus on improving road safety for all citizens.

The fifth article, How to Make Online Meetings Less Impersonal - Tips by the AD&V, provides seven
valuable tips laid out by the Alvarez Diaz & Villalón (AD&V) team for making virtual meetings less impersonal,
having productive meetings, and establish stronger personal connections between team members. These are factors
to consider, for example, when organizing and/or attending webinars.

This edition closes with the firm commitment based on 10 fundamental principles of road safety to help
save lives on all roads, as part of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. It is hoped that the articles featured in this
issue will be of benefit to our readers, and the intention to continuously share and update everyone with innovative
news continues to move forward. Share it with your friends and family!

Benjamín Colucci Ríos

4 PUERTO RICO TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER • prltap.org

In January 8 to the 12th of 2023, the There’s many more to come for the youngest
Transportation Research Board (TRB) held its innovators with brilliant ideas. For more
102nd Annual Meeting, where they showcased information, please refer to: https://
3-days worth of transportation-related products and www.fhwa.dot.gov/careers/ddetfp.cfm.
services. This meeting focused on the theme of
"Rejuvenation Out of Disruption: Envisioning a
Transportation System for a Dynamic Future”, at
the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in
Washington, D.C. It included 4,000 presentations in
more than 600 workshops and sessions, more than
200 exhibits, and more than 300 meetings that were
organized by the TRB’s standing committees.
Nearly 20,000 attendees partook in this big event.
This annual meeting gathers the best and brightest

Out of the thousands of transportation professionals worldwide, to discuss

attendees, three topics pertinent to researchers, practitioners,

undergraduates from industry, academic institutions, administrators,

the University of policy makers and representatives of government,

Puerto Rico of the by covering numerous technical presentations,

Mayagüez Campus sessions, and workshops. The experience and impact

(UPRM) were selected from the UPRM Eisenhower recipients at the TRB

as recipients of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Annual Meeting are highlighted herein.

Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP), and

therefore participated in this year’s meeting. During
this year, the DDETFP celebrated its 30th year
anniversary by having encouraged future
transportation professionals to continue developing
their talent and seek advanced degrees in the U.S.
transportation industry and granting fellowships to
those who pursue degrees related to the
transportation field. UPRM students have
participated as recipients of the Eisenhower
Scholarship in this TRB event for several years.

Andrea P. Seda-Hernandez,
a 19-year old sophomore
student from the
Engineering and Computer
Sciences Department with
its faculty advisor being Dr.
Bienvenido Velez, presented
her project investigation
titled: “Researching the
Viability of an Island-Wide
Train System in Puerto
Rico”. By having Dr. Daniel
Rodriguez as her mentor,
Andrea’s project explores
the possibilities of having a train system in Puerto Rico
and demonstrates ways in which it can benefit from a
train system as public transportation. Her research
consists of three phases. The first phase is meant to
collect information about the community’s needs. The
second phase, led by the first one, will be for
developing a software to determine possible track
alignments across the island at strategic points. The
third phase will be for analyzing the results of the
program by using hypothetical cases to estimate the
impact of the train system.
Andrea narrates her experience in the TRB as
enriching: “My experience going to the TRB meeting
was extremely enriching, where I was able to see many
projects and learn other approaches to what
transportation entails by seeing other points of view to
solutions to common problems. In addition, I had the
opportunity to meet people with experiences in this
field, network, and meet the coordinators of such a
fascinating program. Not to mention the honor I had to
meet the Honorable Secretary of the Department of
Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico,
Eileen Vélez-Vega. This experience at the TRB meeting
made me understand that there are countless
approaches in the area of Transportation and it makes
me think in which area I should specialize in the
future. This adventure is just beginning for me and I
still have much more to learn.”
prltap.org • EL PUENTE NEWSLETTER VOL.37 NO. 1, 2023 5
21-year-old David J. Seda-Hernandez, a fourth year
undergraduate student from the Business
Administration Department with its faculty advisor
being Dr. David Gonzalez, presented his project
investigation titled: “Reducing the Fraud Risk and
Automating the Finances of the Transportation
Industry with the Blockchain Technology”. Based on
Daniel’s description of his project, this research
encompasses the development of two softwares: The
Smart Contract, which is a software that will help the
transportation industry enhance its cybersecurity
systems, and the Finance Automated Feature, which is
a software that will reduce time and increase money
savings to improve their finances. The purpose of this
research is to take advantage of emerging technologies
that are not being used as of yet to the transportation
field, to improve the performances of transportation-
related startups in order to succeed.
David explains how his experience in the TRB
meeting has impacted him for his knowledge in the
transportation industry: “The experience allowed me to
learn more about the transportation industry, the new
emerging technologies in it, as well as large
companies. I was able to witness other investigations,
meet several excellent professionals within this field of
study, and receive a lot of
constructive criticism to
implement in my future
projects. Being at the
TRB Annual Conference
is undoubtedly an
achievement and an
honor. I have no words to
describe how fruitful this
experience was for me in
my career as a
professional.”
6 PUERTO RICO TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER • prltap.org

Adriana Lopez-Lebron,
a 21-year old
undergraduate student in
her fourth year from the
Business Administration
Department, presented her
project investigation
titled: “Blockchain in the
Supply Chain”. Her
investigation is meant to
prove how Blockchain
technology is beneficial
and can help reduce the
bullwhip effect in all
stages of the supply chain,
to improve its efficiency
in the transportation industry. Adriana will ensure the
success of this research by following four main stages:
Bullwhip Effect Research, Blockchain Research,
Other Supply Chain Issues, and Blockchain
Implementation. In order to minimize the Bullwhip
effect, she is determined to research different supply
chain issues and methods that companies use to
recreate and improve it afterwards by using
Blockchain technology.

Adriana recalls her experience in the TRB as a major

inspiration for her future: “The experience I had at the
TRB meeting was very enriching. Having the
opportunity to hear the stories and viewpoints of
professionals in the field of transportation was
powerful and inspiring. Another event that struck me
was seeing the ideas and projects of the other students
and how we are all working to improve people's
quality of life with our specific approaches. I had the
opportunity to meet the president of the DTOP, Eileen
Vélez, who is the first woman to hold that position.
This experience inspires me to continue with my goals
to achieve a change in the transportation industry and
the business world.”
On the second day of TRB’s Annual Meeting, former
Civil Engineering alumni of the UPRM and current
secretary of Transportation at the Department of
Transportation and Public Works of Puerto Rico, Eng.
Eileen Vélez Vega, was present and participated in the
technical exchanges during the initial event of the
DDETFP Research Showcase. Eng. Vélez-Vega
interacted with the UPRM students in the course of the
first election meeting, where the students presented
their posters and investigative projects. It is important
to note that Dr. Eileen Vélez-Vega is the very first
female secretary named by the governor to lead the
Department of Transportation and Public Works
(DTOP) of Puerto Rico. This meeting is a great
opportunity for students to create networking
connections with transportation leaders.
 prltap.org • EL PUENTE NEWSLETTER VOL.37 NO. 1, 2023 7

Executive director of the Federal Highway

Administration named Gloria Shepherd, past FHWA
Administrator named Victor Méndez, and LaToya Hines
were also at the closing ceremony of this TRB meeting
next to Dr. Benjamin Colucci.

We would also like to recognize the UPRM Hispanic

Serving Institutions’ (URPM-HSI) support through all of
this as well. They have been participating in the program
since day one, right at the beginning of its inception in
the year 1994 for the last 30 years. They have impacted
more than a hundred students who have received the
transportation fellowship DDETFP.

“Since the first meeting that I attended in January 1979,

TRB has delivered extraordinary, value-adding ideas.
The importance of interdisciplinary, cooperative
research projects to address common problems and
challenges is critical to workforce development—
specifically in bringing undergraduate and graduate
students to TRB at an early age in their professional
careers so they can network with international peers.
Likewise, the exhibitions with the latest products
commercially available in the areas of pavement
evaluation and management, commercial and
autonomous vehicles, traffic operations, material
characterization and testing, highway safety, traffic
forecasting, and the different initiatives by the Federal
Highway Administration in promoting highway safety,
accelerating project deliveries and so on are just a few
examples of the immense value that TRB adds to our
industry.”
—BENJAMÍN COLUCCI-RÍOS
Director, Puerto Rico Transportation Technology
Transfer Center

The Geosynthetic Installation Notes Tracker is a This article was adapted from FHWA’s
mobile application, as a result of collaborative efforts “Geosynthetics Field Installation”. For more
made by the Local Aid Support from the Federal information on how to install it, please refer to: https://
Highway Administration and the Geosynthetics www.fhwa.dot.gov/clas/geosynthetics/.
Materials Association, as a way to provide a reliable
resource about the types and functions of geosynthetic
materials for road construction projects.
Consisting of easy access and on-demand information,
this application specifies requirements and site
inspections guidance for walls, slopes, pavements,
erosion control and drainage.
8 PUERTO RICO TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER
1) Nighttime Visibility
The rate of crashes at nighttime are three times more
likely to occur than during the day. To help reduce
fatalities, increasing visibility in corridors,
intersections, and pedestrian crossings can aid this
issue. By having this initiative, traffic control devices
and well-designed lighting are promoted as a good
alternative to improve the safety of vehicle users and
pedestrians.
2) Next Generation TIM: Technology for Saving
Lives
First-responders of road emergencies and other road
users found themselves vulnerable and at risk in the
roads caused by six million of crashes that occur in a
year in the U.S. The Next-Generation Traffic Incident
Management programs promote technology
and modern mechanisms that are emerging, such as
lightning for emergency vehicles and queue warning
solutions. These tools, as well as other ones, can
enhance safety and operations to minimize incident
impacts.
3) Integrating GHG Assessment and Reduction
Targets in Transportation Planning
Since transportation is the largest source of emitting
greenhouse gasses in the U.S., this is an initiative that
is driven to provide resources to help agencies
quantify greenhouse gasses and set goals to reduce
emissions found in motor vehicles and constructions,
through planning and project development.
4) Enhancing Performance with Internally Cured
Concrete (EPIC2)
A limiting factor in achieving long-term concrete
performance is cracking concrete. The performance of
pavements and repairs can be enhanced by internal
curing mitigates shrinkage cracking and has the
potential to extend the service life of concrete
bridge decks.
• prltap.org
Image source: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/
5) EPDs for Sustainable Project Delivery
The life cycle of construction materials, such as
concrete and asphalt, have had many environmental
impacts. Environmental product declarations (also
known as EPDs) is a tool that documents these
impacts and helps States to support procurement
decisions and quantify embodied reductions of carbon,
by using life-cycle assessments for sustainable
pavements.
6) Rethinking DBE in Design-Build
The procedures in businesses of enterprise programs
that are in disadvantage do not address design-build
contracting. New practices are available to support the
effectiveness of integration of program requirements
to help small and/or disadvantaged businesses to
compete for design-build contracts.
7) Strategic Workforce Development
Emerging technologies require new skills, because the
demand for highway workers is growing. This
innovation lends help for stakeholders to improve their
ability to identify, train, and place highway
construction workers, by focusing on expanding rural
and Tribal communities to increase opportunities for
careers.
This article was adapted from FHWA’s webpage on
“EDC-7 Innovations (2023-2024)”. For more
information, please refer to: https://
www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/edc_7/.
 prltap.org • EL PUENTE NEWSLETTER VOL.37 NO. 1, 2023 9

The Transportation Technology Transfer Center

(CTTT, for its acronym in Spanish) successfully
carried out the first training on the use of drones for
emergency management in partnership with the
Municipal Offices for Emergency Management and
Disaster Administration of the Municipalities that This alliance is part of the training tasks of EDC
understand the Mayaguez region. Representatives of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).
6 municipalities participated with their
corresponding supervisors. The personnel received a Certificate of Participation
from the CTTT, In addition, the Certificate of
The instructors were Dr. Benjamín Colucci, Director Completion of the Recreational UAS Safety Test-
of the CTTT, and Bryan Ruiz, a master's student in TRUST.
the transportation area of UPRM. Both are 14 CFR
Part 107 certified remote pilots. Congratulations to all the participants in this
innovative initiative using drones for emergency
As part of the training, they were given a workshop management.
in the field using drones. In addition, staff were
Photos of the event are posted on the PR LTAP
trained on how to pass the TRUST application
Facebook page and the presentation is available on
recreational drone license.
the www.prltap.org website.
10 PUERTO RICO TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER •
Source image: https://www.alvarezdiazvillalon.com/
The Alvarez-Diaz & Villalon team (AD&V), being
dedicated to enhancing the experience of many
people in the world to improve their lives through
architecture and interior design based in offices
located at San Juan and Miami, is also known for
being highly efficient in professional practices of
business and personalized service. They have listed
7 recommendations to make virtual meetings less
impersonal, in order to have productive meetings
while establishing stronger personal connections
among the team members. Whether the team
members know each other personally or have a
sense of familiarity between them, personal bonds
generate a comfortable environment and stimulate
trust, creativity, communication, and productivity.
1. Make it personal
The AD&V recommends making open-ended
questions, as a way to commence initiative and
avoid making the team feel tired with surface-level
or small talk check-ins. The team members can open
up more personally, with questions such as:
• “What are you grateful for today?”
• “What’s something nice you’re doing for
yourself this week?”
• “What is a new habit you are trying to
cultivate?”
prltap.org
2. Have some fun
This tip suggests giving team members a few
minutes to think about unrelated topics of work
before a virtual meeting, since this helps to release
stress and make them feel comfortable enough with
their peers. This takes personal questions a step
further, some questions could be:
• “Would you rather be able to read minds or
see the future?”
• “What are you binge-watching or listening
to?”
• “Describe what your alter ego might look
like in an alternate universe.”
3. Allow for preparation
Give at least 30 seconds for the meeting participants
to think about their answers, this helps introverts to
minimize their anxiety and prevent extroverts from
giving long responses. Most importantly, it helps
people to listen to their peers’ answers, instead of
obsessing over their answers.
4. Set a time limit
This fourth tip recommends instructing the meet
team to restrict their responses up to a maximum of
10 seconds, either in one sentence or one word. Be
willing to interrupt gently but firmly, in case of a
first-time limit violation, to support the group. If a
second participant runs too long, acknowledge the
person’s comment and restate the purpose of the
limit, by saying something like:
“Thank you for your insight, Jessica. Let’s all
remember that we have eight more people to hear
from and we need to keep things moving because
we have a full agenda.”
 prltap.org • EL PUENTE NEWSLETTER VOL.37 NO. 1, 2023 11

5. Be intentional
The online meetings should be planned accordingly
and intentional as means to avoid repetition,
especially when the team meets multiple times
during the day. Virtual meanings should be looked
forward to, make sense for the team, and not be very
long, as people have short attention spans when
online. AD&V lists some good moments to have the
meetings:
• The first team meeting of the week.
• Retrospective meetings.
• Meetings with team members you don’t 7. Create a safe space
work with often. AD&V considers it crucial to create a safe space for
virtual meeting participants. Meeting prompts and
questions should be completely optional and have a
right to “pass” if they don’t feel comfortable
answering them. These meetings should be intended
to build personal connections. Safe space on virtual
meetings look like this:
• Not passing judgment or criticism on
anyone’s answer.
• Never forcing someone to answer.
• Not making it too overly personal or
crossing personal boundaries
6. Try it asynchronously
Asynchronous meetings are usually held over a
defined period, but this makes participants not
necessarily communicate in real time. By creating a
habit of posting a “question of the day” online, as an
example, each team member can answer as they log
in and begin their day. These could work when
employees are in different time zones, working
remotely in other offices, or have different
schedules. Some prompts to answer could be:
• “Where do you most want to travel?”
• “What movie or series would you
recommend?” The AD&V finalizes these tips with an afterthought on
• “What does utopia look like to you?” how virtual meetings are able to improve office
culture through value to a team’s dynamic, as long as
these meetings are done correctly. When virtual
meetings are engaging, a connected team develops a
productive and healthy environment for everyone.
These are factors to have in mind, such as when
hosting and/or attending webinars.

This article was adapted from AD&V’s “7 Tips to

Make Virtual Meetings Less Impersonal”. For more
information, please refer to: https://
www.alvarezdiazvillalon.com/blog/7-tips-to-make-
virtual-meetings-less-impersonal.

Source image: https://www.alvarezdiazvillalon.com/

12 PUERTO RICO TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTER • prltap.org

Together we can save lives on our roads towards a culture of road safety
in Puerto Rico!
 PRLTAP/T2 Center Staff
PUERTO RICO TRANSPORTATON TECHNOLOGY Director & Editor
TRANSFER CENTER Benjamín Colucci-Ríos
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying Editor Assistants
Call Box 9000, Mayagüez, PR 00681
Keryliz Pérez-Luciano

787.834.6385 PHONE Administrative Staff

787.265.5695 FAX
Ciara Toro-Rosario
www.prltap.org
Grisel Villarubia-Echevarría

Puente
EL Irmalí Franco-Ramírez

Student Support
Taína Cordero-Chaparro
Diego Carreira-Flores

El Puente Newsletter
Vol. 37, No. 1 2023

EL PUENTE is published by the Puerto Rico Transportation Technology Transfer

Center at the Civil Engineering and Surveying Department of the University of
Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.

The opinions, findings or recommendations expressed in this edition of the El Puente newsletter are those of the Center Director and
do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Highway Administration, the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and
Public Works or the Puerto Rico Highway and Transportation Authority.
Puerto Rico LTAP