BACKGROUND
Users of active transportation are facing an increasing disparity in traffic-related incidents. However, the implementation of data-driven safety and planning tools is hindered by the lack of high-quality inventories for bicycle and pedestrian facilities and treatments.
There are data management and organizational challenges to maintaining statewide inventories for active transportation treatments. High-quality, contiguous active transportation networks cross many jurisdictional boundaries. Data federated from local authorities are highly variable and often incomplete. Auditing and mapping pedestrian and bicycle treatments are crucial tasks within a geographic information systems framework. There are also emerging geographic data sources (e.g., crowdsourced and remotely sensed data), which can introduce new challenges and opportunities.
Research is needed for developing a spatial framework for working across jurisdictional boundaries and data sources to digitize, maintain, and share active transportation-related assets while minimizing costs and risks associated with poorly governed data.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this research is to develop a guide that will assist state departments of transportation (DOTs) and local agencies in digitizing bike and pedestrian treatments and provide examples of how organizations have used digitized data to better fulfill their safety goals.
At a minimum the study shall (1) examine existing best practices; (2) explore the potential and benefits of using emerging geographic data sources; and (3) develop a standardized framework for data collection, maintenance, and sharing of the active transportation facilities and treatment inventory data.
TASKS
PHASE I—Planning
Task 1: Literature Review
The research team shall produce a literature review that sets the course for the rest of the project, providing clarity on terms, establishing the right context, and outlining essential theories and practices. The literature review on pedestrian and bicyclist treatments and associated infrastructure, emerging technologies for data collection, processing, application, and maintenance shall include published and unpublished documentation and research conducted through the NCHRP and the Federal Highway Administration and other national, state, and pooled-fund sponsored research.
The research team shall review sources unique to the field of active transportation infrastructure and data management that will add depth to the literature review. Anticipated data and information sources including the following: 1) existing infrastructure datasets, 2) national, state, and local government data compilation efforts, 3) data vendor offerings, 4) documented use of emerging data sources, and 5) existing and proposed data standards for transportation data specifications.
Task 2: Conduct a Survey of State DOTs
The research team shall conduct a survey of state DOTs that will identify (1) data collection needs for digitization of the facilities, treatments, and relevant non-transportation assets such as lighting and illumination and shade; (2) current practices, resources, and strategies used for data digitization for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and treatments; and (3) current practices for the application of the digitized data, specifically focused on safety and equity. The survey shall be disseminated among DOTs upon approval on NCHRP after receiving and addressing the feedback from the project panel.
Task 3. Synthesize the Results of Tasks 1 and 2
The research team shall summarize and synthesize the results of the literature review and the survey to identify knowledge gaps related to the research objective. These gaps should be addressed in the final product or the recommended future research. The research team shall prepare a high-level summary of key findings from the literature review and practice scan for the research panel to review.
Task 4. Propose the Research Plan
The research team shall propose the research plan, to be executed in Phase II, to achieve the research objective. At a minimum, the research plan shall include the following:
- Developing a spatial framework for digitizing and sharing bicycle and pedestrian treatments and associated data, including minimally sufficient and enhanced data requirements;
- Developing recommendations for data collection and aggregation, archiving, and management procedures, including preparation of a treatment glossary and metadata;
- Identifying uncertainty issues related to emerging geo-data, such as inaccuracy, redundancy, biases, inconsistencies, and data gaps;
- Developing recommendations to address the issues identified;
- Developing recommendations for effective validation and certification procedures to assess the quality of digitized information;
- Identifying any potential legal issues associated with digitization and data management, such as Americans with Disabilities Act compliance; and
- Identifying potential safety- and equity-focused applications of data digitization.
The research plan shall be broadly organized under four headings:
- Schema / Standards: Defining a spatial framework and schema for storing bicycle and pedestrian facilities, treatments, and related data—including both minimum standards and a recommended detailed specification.
- Data Collection and Sharing: Guidance on collecting and inventorying facility data, including an overview of new methods and technologies and essential considerations for supporting regional/statewide data federation.
- Data Governance: Guidance for managing the data lifecycle, including validation and certification procedures, metadata standards, and a generalized treatment glossary. This heading will also cover discussion of biases and accuracy limitations.
- Applications: Uses and legal considerations for the inventory data.
Task 5. Preliminary Outline and Table of Contents of the Guide
The research team shall write an expanded outline of the anticipated guide reflecting the anticipated outputs of executing the research. The Guide’s outline shall show the chapters and headings, as well as any anticipated key figures and tables. Additionally, the team shall outline the supplemental deliverables to complement the guide.
Task 6. Prepare Interim Report No. 1
The research team shall prepare the Interim Report No. 1 which will document Tasks 1 through 5, and provide an updated work plan for the remainder of the research. The updated plan must describe the process and rationale for the work proposed for Phases II through III.
PHASE II—Execution
Task 7. Execute the Research Plan
The research team shall execute the research plan and update the outline and table of contents of the guide according to the approved Interim Report No 1.
Task 8. Develop a Complete Sample Section of the Guide
The research team shall develop a sample section of the guide to be selected by the NCHRP. This section should be publication-ready with an appropriate level of detail. It shall include companion recommendation commentary with a section-by-section analysis of the background, rationale, importance, and benefit of each recommendation.
Task 9. Prepare Interim Report No. 2
The research team shall prepare the Interim Report No. 2 which will document Tasks 7 and 8 and provide an updated work plan for the remainder of the research. The updated work plan must describe the process and rationale for the work proposed for Phase III.
PHASE III—Draft Guide
Task 10. Develop the remaining sections of the guide according to the approved Interim Report No. 2.
The team shall develop the remaining sections of the guide based on the feedback received at the Interim Report No. 2 and the feedback received from the panel on overall content presentation, including appropriate level of detail, extent of technical content, and information organization, along with formatting considerations like layout.
Task 11. Prepare Interim Report No. 3
The research team shall prepare the Interim Report No. 3 which will document Task 10 and provide an updated work plan for the remainder of the research. The updated work plan must describe the process and rationale for the work proposed for Phase IV.
The team shall summarize how the guide was prepared by drafting a Conduct of Research Report and develop communication materials about the project, including an annotated set of slides. Based on the research findings, the team will outline ways to further communicate and implement the findings beyond the scope of the current research.
PHASE IV—Final Products
Task 12. Revise the guide after consideration of the panel’s review comments.
The team shall revise the Guide based on the initial Panel comments discussed in the Interim meeting on the Draft Guide including comments on the content as well as the structural and stylistic changes. The team shall also provide a detailed written response to Comments Memorandum that addresses all written comments and the major takeaways and direction from the Panel meeting. The response document shall clearly communicate a description of all changes made to the revised Guide.
Task 13. Conduct a virtual workshop or webinar to present the findings of the project to state and other jurisdictional practitioners, which could include chief data officers, geospatial data officers, or equivalent officers.
The team shall work with the Panel to identify the right participants for the virtual workshop, which shall include representatives from transportation agencies’ GIS and active transportation departments, data providers, and academia. The research team shall also seek Panel input on the most important topics to address, what should result from the discussion, and key details such as most appropriate length and format. The team shall then develop webinar materials including a slide deck, presentation script, discussion guide, and a run-of-show plan that can be used to present the research findings and elicit participants’ responses to them. The team shall provide full logistical support for the workshop and provide the platform over which the workshop will take place (most likely Teams or Zoom) as well as facilitation of discussion to maximize participant engagement and feedback opportunities.
Task 14. Submit the draft final deliverables. including (1) a final report that documents the entire research effort, (2) the guide, (3) a stand-alone technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” (see Special Note A for additional information), and (4) a PowerPoint presentation to present the research findings to the panel.
The team shall summarize how the guide was prepared by drafting a Conduct of Research Report and develop communication materials about the project, including an annotated set of slides, and a stand-alone technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products”. Based on the research findings, the team will outline ways to further communicate and implement the findings beyond the scope of the current research.
Status: Research in progress.
