BACKGROUND
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the AASHTO Standing Committee on Research (SCOR) dedicated a significant portion of NCHRP funding to support accelerated research into highway transportation security and emergency response issues. These funds have largely been programmed through NCHRP Project 20-59, Surface Transportation Security Research, and have resulted in numerous valuable research products (available on the TRB website at www.TRB.org/SecurityPubs).
Five years later, it is time to assess these products to (1) determine gaps in the existing research and (2) identify a three-year program of projects to address the research gaps identified. The results of this research are intended to provide guidance to SCOR, the NCHRP 20-59 panel, and relevant AASHTO committees in identifying a prioritized program of research supportive of the six goals for transportation security (see the slides at https://trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=5079) identified by the AASHTO Special Committee on Transportation Security’s (SCOTS) research subcommittee.
All modes under state DOT control or influence should be addressed. In addition to the products discussed above, the panel recommends looking at modally-focused research needs assessments conducted by others (e.g., AAR; AAPA; FHWA’s Multiyear Plan for Bridge and Tunnel Security Research, Development, and Deployment); security research plans of individual state DOTs; and security research needed for state DOTs that may not be readily apparent (e.g., motor vehicle registry, access to multimodal hubs).
TASKS
Task 1. Participate in a kick-off teleconference call with the panel.
Task 2. Review related research products developed by NCHRP 20-59, the regular NCHRP program, and FHWA. Determine research program gaps. Develop a draft gap analysis report for panel review.
Task 3. Present preliminary gap analysis findings and participate in a workshop at the TRB Annual Meeting in January 2007 with selected key members of the NCHRP 20-59 Research Panel, AASHTO Special Committee on Transportation Security (SCOTS), and others to review project ideas.
Task 4. Submit a draft security research plan describing a recommended three-year cycle of transportation security research projects. Cross-reference sections of the plan to correspond to the AASHTO committee/subcommittee structure related to transportation security. This is important to enable individual AASHTO committees to adopt and seek to implement relevant portions of the plan.
Task 5. Meet with the project panel to review the draft security research plan and the gap analysis. At the meeting, provide a PowerPoint presentation on the research findings, which after revision will be suitable for use by the panel and others in explaining the project.
Task 6. Submit a revised gap analysis and security research plan reflecting the review comments on the drafts. Include a revised PowerPoint presentation.
Task 7. Present research findings during the spring 2007 meeting of the AASHTO SCOTS.
Status: Completed. Final report delivered to AASHTO.
