BACKGROUND

There are limited resources and guidance for frontier, small, rural, and tribal transit providers that want to build small-scale, low-cost transit facilities. Currently, providers must rely on manuals directed at larger multi-million-dollar facilities to retain the pertinent information while eliminating unnecessary information or requirements.

Many transit managers who oversee frontier, small, rural, or tribal entities do not have the expertise or capacity to review manuals that do not apply to smaller-scale projects. Many transit managers rely on state department of transportation (DOT) staff, but they also may lack the expertise to oversee these construction projects. Guidance is needed on all phases of project management, including when to write multiple invitations for bids (IFBs) or try and hire one contractor for all work, what federal regulations and requirements may apply, and what the requirements are for repurposed buildings or new construction. This guidance will assist small transit providers with initiating and managing construction projects.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to develop a manual with checklists and templates that would assist frontier, small, rural, or tribal transit agencies with project management and construction of a low-cost transit facility (e.g., for vehicle storage and administration, depots). The target audience will be transit managers of frontier, small, rural, or tribal transit systems with little or no experience in this subject matter.

RESEARCH PLAN

The proposer shall consider the following:

• Portions of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Construction Management Handbook that apply to small, rural, and tribal facilities
• Project initiation and delivery strategy
• Construction and maintenance planning
• In-house vs. outsourcing
• Contract and construction management
• Other management processes
• Prepare sample document templates (e.g., IFB, advertisements, change orders)
• Prepare an addendum or appendix that includes the processes for the construction of a maintenance garage

This research will result in a streamlined guide that would allow transit managers and boards to deliver/execute the construction of low-cost transit facility projects or to oversee contracted external firms. 

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 represent key project milestones):

• An Amplified Research Plan that incorporates responses to comments from the project panel at the contractor selection meeting;
• An interim report (i.e., a technical memorandum or report) and in person meeting, which occurs after the expenditure of no more than 40 percent of the project budget;
• A draft final manual and tools;
• A final manual and tools; and
• A technical memorandum, titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products”.
  
  

STATUS: Research in progress.