TCRP Slides

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NCHRP Project 20-65 Research for the AASHTO
Standing Committee on Public Transportation
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Objective

• The objective of Project 20-65 is to provide
  flexible, ongoing, quick-response research on
  public transportation issues in support of SCOPT
  and State DOT activities.

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Project Panel

• John Dockendorf, Pennsylvania DOT (Chair)
• Mr. Charles Carr, Mississippi DOT
• Edward Coven, Florida DOT
• Ms. Diane Davidson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Ron Epstein, New York State DOT
• Ms. Gale Ogawa, California DOT
• Mr. Michael Sanders, Connecticut DOT
• Mr. David T. Spacek, Illinois DOT

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Project Panel (Cont)

• Mr. Harlan Miller, FHWA Liaison
• Lorna R. Wilson, FTA Liaison
• Shayne Gill, AASHTO Liaison
• Richard Weaver, APTA Liaison
• Mr. Christopher Zeilinger, CTAA Liaison
• Peter Shaw, TRB Liaison
• Gwen Chisholm Smith, NCHRP Staff
• Ms. Janet Weaver, Consultant

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NCHRP Funding Allocations to Date

• FY 2004 300,000
• FY 2005 300,000
• FY 2006 300,000
• FY 2007 250,000
• FY 2008 250,000
• FY 2009 300,000
• Requested in FY 2010 350,000

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Allocation Guidelines

• Research need
• Policy-related and technical issues
• Not editorial in nature
• New product or upgrading an existing item
• For SCOPT use with widespread benefits throughout
  State DOTs and the transit industry
• Within available Project 20-65 funds
• Beyond the capabilities of SCOPT

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Allocation Guidelines (cont)

• Small or moderate in scale
• Less than 100,000
• Usually 10,000 to 50,000
• Short in duration (Usually
• Not a continuing operational activity
• Urgent ready to begin now
• Not able to wait for regular NCHRP/TCRP
• Not inappropriate for the TRB/NCHRP

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Research Topics Solicitation

• Research topics are solicited from SCOPT, the
  20-65 project panel, members of AASHTOs MTAP,
  members of APTAs State Affairs Committee, and
  the staffs of AASHTO, FTA, CTAA, and APTA.

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Consultant Selection

• Currently, a solicitation is prepared for each
  topic and sent to the task-order contractors
  selected competitively for NCHRP 20-65 Projects .
  These task order contractors submit proposals,
  as interested. The 20-65 panel reviews the
  proposals and selects the contractor for each
  topic.

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New Task Order Contractors

• 8 Proposals received
• 6 selected

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Status

• Studies Funded To Date 26 studies, totaling
  1,675,000 have been funded to date.
• Studies Requested Last Year 16 topics, totaling
  1,650,000 were proposed in 2008 (FY 2009).
• Studies Funded Last Year 5 topics, totaling
  300,000 were funded in 2008 (FY 2009).
• Studies Completed To Date/Last Year 18 studies
  have been completed to date, including 2 studies
  completed in 2008

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Tasks Authorized to Date

• Task 1. Research Agenda/Potential Roles of
  SCOPT, 50,000 (Results Provided to SCOPT)
• Task 2. Toolbox for Promoting the Transit Bus
  Safety and Security Program in Your State,
  75,000 (Results Posted on CUTR Model Bus Safety
  and Security Program Website)
• Task 3. Availability and Accessibility of
  Liability and Excess Insurance For Public Transit
  and Private Coach Operators, 75,000 (Published
  as NCHRP Research Results Digest 295)
• Task 4. Impacts of the U.S.'s Aging Population
  and Changed Demographics on Public
  Transportation, Including ADA Paratransit, Over
  the Next Ten Years, 75,000 (Published as
  Web-Only Document 86)

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Tasks Authorized to Date, (Cont)

• Task 5. Transit Oriented Development Developing
  a Strategy to Measure Success, 25,000
  (Published as NCHRP Research Results Digest 294 )
• Task 6. Comparative Review and Analysis of State
  Transit Funding Programs, 100,000(Published as
  NCHRP Report 569 )
• Task 7. Evaluation of States Ability to Have
  Adequate Staff Resources to Implement Federal
  Public Transportation Programs,
  100,000(Published as NCHRP Research Results
  Digest 314 )
• Task 10. FMCSA Regulations as They Apply to FTA
  Section 5310/5311 Providers A Handbook,
  75,000(Published as NCHRP Research Results
  Digest 311)

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Tasks Authorized to Date, (Cont)

• Task 12. Cost-Allocation Methods for Commuter,
  Intercity and Freight Operations on Shared-Use
  Rail Systems and Corridors, 75,000(Published as
  NCHRP Research Results Digest 313 )
• Task 13, State Public Transportation Division
  Involvement in State Emergency Planning,
  Response, and Recovery, 100,000 (Published as
  NCHRP Research Results Digest 326 )
• Task 14, Current Practice and Future Guidance on
  the Development of SAFETEA-LU- Required
  Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services
  Transportation Plan, 100,000 ( In Publication)

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Tasks Authorized to Date, (Cont)

• Task (15), Updated Research Agenda for State DOT
  Public Transportation Divisions and NCHRP Project
  20-65, 50,000 (Completed-Results provided to
  SCOPT)
• Task (16), Current State Eligibility Requirements
  for Grantees to Qualify for Federal Section 5310
  and 5311 Funds, 25,000 (Completed-Results
  provided to SCOPT)

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• Task 17, Compliance Monitoring Tools, 100,000
  (Completion expected in April 2009) Cambridge
  Systematics, Sue Knapp
• Objectives Develop a handbook that includes a)
  compliance monitoring tools currently in use by
  State DOTs in oversight of their subrecipients of
  federal funds (can also include oversight of
  recipients of state grants) b) an evaluation of
  those tools and c) drafts of new tools (i.e.,
  model tools) derived from the evaluation of
  existing tools.

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• Task 18, State DOT Best Practices for Developing
  a Title VI Civil Rights Program Document,
  50,000 (Completion expected in March 2009)
  Cambridge Systematics/ Sue Knapp
• Objectives Identify and document best practices
  for the following components of a Title VI Civil
  Rights program document
• Procedures used to certify that the statewide
  transportation planning process complies with
  Title VI,
• Procedures the State DOT uses to pass-through FTA
  financial assistance in a non-discriminatory
  manner,

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Task 18, State DOT Best Practices for Developing
a Title VI Civil Rights Program Document,

• Procedures the State DOT uses to provide
  assistance to potential sub-recipients applying
  for funding in a non-discriminatory manner,
• Procedures the State DOT uses to monitor it
  sub-recipients for compliance with Title VI,
• Procedures for filing Title VI civil rights
  complaints with State DOTs,
• Plan for providing access to meaningful
  activities and programs for persons with limited
  English proficiency,
• Notices issued by State DOTs to beneficiaries of
  their rights under Title VI, and
• Steps taken with public outreach and involvement
  activities to ensure that minority persons have
  meaningful access to State DOT activities

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• Task 19, Utilization by States of the
  Flexibility to Transfer Federal Funds Among
  Eligible Federal Programs, 25,000 (Completion
  expected in January 2009) AECOM/Mark Schofield
• Objective Determine which states have utilized
  the option to transfer funds from one or more,
  eligible federal programs for the last three
  federal fiscal years. An analysis should be
  conducted that identifies the specific federal
  programs involved in these transfers, the amount
  and percentage of eligible federal funds
  transferred, the reasons for these transfers, and
  the resulting benefits of these actions.

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• Task 20, Analysis of Rural Intercity Bus
  Strategy ,50,000 (Completion expected in March
  2009) Cambridge Systematics, Sue Knapp
• Objectives of this research are
• 1)      To conduct a sample of states intercity
  bus providers and onboard survey. The survey
  should provide information on the current
  intercity rural service network, describing
  miles, demographics of ridership and
  origin/destination of riders. 
• 2)      Develop an organized matrix of the
  information revealed from the surveys. The matrix
  should inform states on how to best make an
  investment given their scenario/rural conditions
  and service network.
•  

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Task 20, Analysis of Rural Intercity Bus
Strategy ,50,000, Cont

• 3)      Develop a methodology to estimate the
  value of filling the broken connections of
  service using the information on current service
  to inform on those areas where service is
  currently not available.   Would adding services
  to fill gaps create meaningful access for rural
  travel or does the service benefit travelers
  going through state. Provide on information on
  how far rural passengers wish to travel when they
  use intercity bus?

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• Task 21, Cost/Benefit Analysis of Converting a
  Lane for Bus Rapid Transit, 50,000, (Completion
  expected in September 2009) ICF Consulting, Inc
  Karen Savage
• Objectives Develop a tool to help practitioners
  analyze the effectiveness and public feasibility
  of converting an existing lane to a High
  Occupancy Vehicle Lane or other means of
  providing increased people throughput.
•  

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Studies that will be initiated in 2009
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Task 22, Cost/Benefit Analysis of Converting a
Lane for Bus Rapid Transit Phase II Evaluation
and Methodology.

• The project will develop a cost/benefit analysis
  tool for practitioners to use to determine if
  converting a mixed flow traffic lane to a BRT
  (bus only)/HOVL is effective on the State Highway
  System and feasible to the public. (100,000/12
  months)

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Task 23, Identification of State and Local
Matching Fund Requirements for State Administered
Federal and State Public Transportation Programs.

• This project will document the current policies
  and procedures utilized by states DOTs for their
  use of Section 5311 funds for intercity bus
  services. This project will also identify best
  practices used by states for administration of
  the 5311 program. (50,000/6months)

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Task 24, State DOT Role in the Implementation of
Transportation Demand Management Programs.

• This research will examine TDM programs
  nationwide from the perspective of what the state
  DOTs role is in program implementation and
  support. It will identify several states at the
  forefront in this area, examine and assess their
  programs, and report on the observed benefits and
  pitfalls. It will make recommendations based on
  these states experiences on how states may go
  about implementing TDM programs. (50,000/ 6
  months)

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Task 25, Evaluate requirements for the
utilization of Section 5311(f) Funds for
Intercity Bus Service.

• This project will document the current policies
  and procedures utilized by applicable state DOTs
  for their use of Section 5311 funds for intercity
  bus services. The project will also identify
  some of the better practices utilized by states
  for the administration of this program.
  (50,000/6months)

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Task 26, An Analysis of States Implementation of
the FTA 5310, 5316, and 5317 Programs.

• This project will evaluate states implementation
  of the first 3 years of FTA funding for these
  programs. It will determine the degree of
  success states are having in awarding the funds,
  and will analyze the extent to which the programs
  objectives are being met. Recommendations will
  be made that will help formulate the states
  positions regarding whether or how these programs
  should be changed in the upcoming
  reauthorization. (50,000/6months)

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QUESTIONS????
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CONTACT INFORMATION

• Gwen Chisholm Smith
• National Academies
• Transportation Research Board
• Cooperative Research Programs
• 500 5th Street, N.W.
• Washington, D.C 20001
• 202-334-3246
• 202-334-2006 Fax
• gsmith_at_nas.edu
• WWW.TRB.ORG