BACKGROUND

NCHRP Research Report 1002: Metropolitan Planning Organizations: Strategies for Future Success is a practical resource for state departments of transportation (DOTs) and their metropolitan planning organization (MPO) partners to help address their evolving roles and face many of the challenges of the 21st century. It provides effective strategies for adaptation and improvement in a wide range of MPOs, varying in size, structure, resources, and regional context.

NCHRP Research Report 1002 also offers important guidance for MPOs on addressing issues in the post-COVID era. The topics and solutions discussed in Chapter 3, "Toolkit for the 21st Century," suggest successful approaches to emerging practices that can enhance the performance of MPOs across the United States. 

However, because the descriptions in the toolkit focus on general principles and concepts, it is important to operationalize these solutions within real MPO initiatives to demonstrate how the findings are replicable in a practical MPO setting. Therefore, an initial implementation effort is necessary to provide a strong foundation for incorporating NCHRP Research Report 1002 and to help state DOT and MPO staff understand and consider the most effective strategies for their jurisdiction or situation.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to develop innovative activities and resources to achieve greater adoption of the research results of NCHRP Research Report 1002 by state DOTs and MPOs.

RESEARCH PLAN

To achieve the project objective, the research plan shall describe the following appropriate deliverables:

1. An implementation plan to achieve the project objective following the “NCHRP Active Implementation: Moving Research into Practice" requirements (see Special Note J). This plan should identify barriers and drivers that influence the implementation of NCHRP Research Report 1002, including any gaps or limitations, and recommend solutions to address those gaps or limitations as the budget permits. 

When developing the implementation plan, proposers should determine whether the following strategies effectively address the needs of the project objective. Proposers are encouraged to recommend modified or alternative strategies as the budget permits.

• Develop outreach efforts to state DOTs and their MPO partners on NCHRP Research Report 1002.
  • These efforts should include the participating organizations in NCHRP Project 08-122, “Metropolitan Planning Organizations: Strategies for Future Success.”
  • Statewide MPO advisory committees or similar entities should also be engaged.
• Develop in-person efforts to train and advise on the toolkit topics and solutions.
  • A potential list of state DOTs and their MPO partners should be developed, and appropriate efforts should be customized for each state DOT and their MPO partners.
  • Adequate representation of MPOs of differing sizes, geographic locations, and rural and urban areas should be considered when selecting state DOTs and their MPO partners.
• Document the success stories, lessons learned, and future plans of action, and develop visually compelling presentations.
  • This strategy should be accompanied by a plan detailing where and how the presentations would be hosted and maintained.
  • Strategies should also be developed for future updates of the presentations, including identifying the responsible parties.
  • This strategy should include considerations for incorporating existing materials, such as those created by NCHRP Research Report 1002.

2. A conduct of research report documenting the results of the project and a dissemination plan for the materials developed during the project.

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