BACKGROUND                                                         

The past decade has seen a proliferation of advanced technology used to deliver public transportation services, such as mobility-on-demand mobile applications, real-time bus arrival information, driver-assist/autonomous vehicle functions, and security-related surveillance software. Each technology addresses the real needs of public transportation providers, such as providing increased safety and security or reducing harmful vehicle emissions. However, with each new technology implementation, public transportation agencies face multiple challenges, such as integrating new systems into legacy technology platforms, staff training to utilize new technology capabilities fully, and the ongoing maintenance of the full technology infrastructure at the agency. Additionally, each new technology implementation increases the complexity of the technology ecosystem.

While agencies of all sizes have technology-related challenges, rural, small, and mid-sized agencies are significantly constrained by fewer staff, limited access to technical skills in the workforce, and funding capacity for technology planning, procurement, implementation, utilization, evaluation, and maintenance. Many smaller agencies work in close collaboration with state departments of transportation (DOTs), which typically administer 49 U.S.C. 5311 funding for non-urbanized transportation and the state Rural Technical Assistance Programs. However, not all state DOTs have on-the-ground operational expertise to support smaller agencies as they explore new and innovative technologies.

Smaller transit agencies’ lack of technical and resource capacity can result in underinvestment in technology. On the opposite end of the spectrum, smaller agencies can become overinvested in technology that they struggle to utilize fully or that hurt operations due to system failures, lack of integration with existing systems, or other incompatibilities. There is a need to understand how rural, small, and mid-sized agencies can “right size” the technology suite to meet operational needs and organizational capacity.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the research is to develop resources for public transportation officials at state DOTs and rural, small, and mid-sized transit agencies to assist agencies in developing a strategy to plan, procure, implement, and maintain transit technologies and ensure their success. 

RESEARCH PLAN

The research shall:

• Help agencies understand and prioritize their technology needs (operational, organizational);
  • Create a method to identify their needs (short-term, medium-term, long-term, maintenance, inefficiencies, etc.);
  • Identify and summarize existing literature and other resources about the current technological options in public transportation, with a focus on technologies relevant to rural, small, and mid-sized agencies;
  • Identify gaps in the existing literature and resources regarding the full lifecycle of technology management;
• Propose strategies for ensuring that the implemented solutions meet the unique needs and expectations of the served populations, including engaging local communities in the technology planning and adoption process;
• Evaluate the appropriate technologies to meet the needs and scales of the operation and types of services;
• Document strategies that state DOTs and transit agencies have used to prioritize, procure, deploy, and maintain the technologies;
• Identify best practices and make recommendations for state DOTs and agencies to follow related to needs and risk assessments, procurements, budgeting,  training, implementation, maintenance, data management, and overall organizational capacity-building related to technology and data; and
• Identify effective methods to deliver, access, and retain technology expertise, especially for agencies that do not have it in-house or need additional support (e.g., help desks for technology, managed services providers, state price lists for technology providers, and shared service contracts).

Proposers should include recommendations for a project approach and deliverables that would support development of strategic action plans state DOTs and transit agencies can use to successfully implement technologies to achieve outcome-based improvements in small, rural, and mid-sized transit agencies.

The research plan shall be divided into tasks that present, in detail, the work proposed in each task. The research plan shall describe appropriate deliverables that include, but are not limited to, the following (which also represent key project milestones):

• An interim report (i.e., a technical memoranda or report) and panel teleconference, which occurs after the expenditure of no more than 40 percent of the project budget,
• Draft report,
• Final report, and
• Technical memorandum, titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products”.

STATUS: Proposals have been received in response to the RFP. The project panel will meet to select a contractor to perform the work.