BACKGROUND

Active transportation consists of human-powered modes of transportation such as biking and walking. In addition to providing health benefits to users, active transportation can enable positive societal outcomes such as reducing vehicle usage and associated emissions, injuries, and air pollutants, and enhancing economic vitality and equity in communities. As such, active transportation encompasses several complex and intersecting issues, such as equity, public health, accessibility, data, economics, and safety. Historically, active transportation has been viewed in a silo, as an optional add-on, or as a design exception. Active transportation projects and strategies are developed by transportation and other government agencies, including state departments of transportation (DOTs), metropolitan planning organizations, localities, and municipalities. Communications and messaging are critical to raising the awareness of the benefits of active transportation and enabling the culture shift needed to consistently and sustainably provide safe and equitable active transportation. Research is needed to develop effective communication and messaging practices to reinforce and institutionalize active transportation investment.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to develop a framework for state DOTs and other government agencies to communicate the processes and strategies for institutionalizing active transportation investment.

At a minimum, the framework shall provide:

• Agency employees, including executives and other employees, with techniques and resources to reinforce this institutional commitment, as well as techniques for overcoming organizational barriers to implementation
• Guidelines for fostering meaningful partnerships with external audiences, including elected officials, potential advocates, the public, and partner organizations

Accomplishment of the project objective will require at least the following tasks.

TASKS

Task descriptions are intended to provide a framework for conducting the research. The NCHRP is seeking the insights of proposers on how best to achieve the research objective. Proposers are expected to describe research plans that can realistically be accomplished the constraints of available funds and contract time. Proposals must present the proposers' current thinking in sufficient detail to demonstrate their understanding of the issues and the soundness of their approach to meeting the research objective.

PHASE I: Planning and Initial Outreach

Task 1. Conduct a review of the most relevant literature and related resources concerning active transportation communication and messaging. Special attention should be given to instances of successful organizational behavioral change in support of active transportation investment and instances of conflicting messaging practices that may impede successful active transportation programming.

Task 2. Develop a stakeholder outreach plan. The outreach should target local and state elected officials, transportation agency leaders, and advocates with shared goals from community-based organizations. Respondents should demonstrate innovative approaches to gathering meaningful stakeholder feedback. The outreach should target internal agency gaps and external community needs to foster engagement. Submit a technical memorandum #1, including the results of Task 1 and the plan developed in Task 2. NCHRP approval of the technical memorandum is required before work on subsequent tasks may begin.

Task 3. Administer and summarize the stakeholder outreach. Submit a technical memorandum #2 summarizing the results of the stakeholder outreach. NCHRP approval of the technical memorandum is required before work on subsequent tasks may begin.

Task 4. Propose a method to achieve the research objective, to be fully developed in Phase II. As part of the proposed method, develop an annotated outline of the framework deliverable and any proposed supplementary tools. Considerations of the following topics should be included in this method for the purpose of providing clear, accurate, and consistent messaging of active transportation benefits to relevant audiences:

• Methods for shifting active transportation safety and equity to a default behavior
• Inclusion of historical or notional case studies illustrating effective communications strategies
• Emphasis on adult learning principles
• Logical progression of accountability checks used to determine an appropriate communications strategy
• Barriers, challenges, and successes to communicating the essentiality of active transportation
• Nuances of regional context, such as differing user mobility patterns and mode choices
• Unique needs for elected officials, advocates, and agency staff to enable cultural shift
• Challenges and opportunities posed by the availability of active  transportation and any impacts on commuter patterns
• The benefits of active transportation for all system users
• Intersection and co-benefits with related considerations such as affordable housing, access to jobs, physical and mental health improvement, climate impact mitigation, community revitalization, reduction of injuries and liability, and return on investment

Task 5. Prepare an interim report that documents Tasks 1 through 4 and provides an updated work plan for the remainder of the research. The updated plan must describe the process and rationale for the work proposed for Phase II.

Note: Following a 1-month review of the interim report by NCHRP, the research team is required to meet with the NCHRP project panel to discuss the interim report. Work on Phase II will not begin until authorized by NCHRP.

For budgeting purposes, the proposer shall plan on having one in-person panel meeting in Washington, DC. Costs for the meeting venue and travel for NCHRP panel members to attend the meeting will be paid by NCHRP.

PHASE II: Execute the Method and Produce Final Deliverables

Task 6. Execute the research method from Task 4 according to the approved interim report.

Task 7. Develop the framework and supplementary tools. The draft framework and tools shall be submitted no later than 6 months before the contract end date.

Task 8. Prepare the final deliverables, which shall include the following:

• The conduct of research report that documents the entire research effort
• The framework and supplementary tools
• Public outreach materials, including a PowerPoint presentation with speaker  notes, graphics, and press releases
•  A standalone technical memorandum entitled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” (see Special Note J)

Note: Following receipt of the draft final deliverables, the remaining 3 months shall be for NCHRP review and comment and for research agency preparation of the final deliverables.

SPECIAL NOTES

A. The Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs were revised in May 2024. Please take note of the new and revised text which is highlighted in yellow.

B. Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF file with a maximum file size of 10 MB. The PDF must be formatted for standard 8 ½” X 11” paper, and the entire proposal must not exceed 60 pages (according to the page count displayed in the PDF). Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. For other requirements, refer to chapter V of the instructions.

C. The Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs have been modified to include a revised policy and instructions for disclosing Investigator Conflict of Interest. For more information, refer to chapter IV of the instructions. A detailed definition and examples can be found in the CRP Conflict of Interest Policy for Contractors. The proposer recommended by the project panel will be required to submit an Investigator Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Form as a prerequisite for contract negotiations.

D. Proposals will be rejected if any of the proposed research team members work for organizations represented on the project panel. The panel roster for this project can be found at https://www.mytrb.org/OnlineDirectory/Committee/Details/7060. Proposers may not contact panel members directly; this roster is provided solely for the purpose of avoiding potential conflicts of interest.

E. Proprietary Products - If any proprietary products are to be used or tested in the project, please refer to Item 6 in the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals.

F. Proposals are evaluated by the NCHRP staff and project panels consisting of individuals collectively knowledgeable in the problem area. The project panel will recommend their first choice proposal considering the following factors: (1) the proposer's demonstrated understanding of the problem; (2) the merit of the proposed research approach and experiment design; (3) the experience, qualifications, and objectivity of the research team in the same or closely related problem area; (4) the plan for ensuring application of results; (5) how the proposer approaches inclusion and diversity in the composition of their team and research approach, including participation by certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises; and, if relevant, (6) the adequacy of the facilities. A recommendation by the project panel is not a guarantee of a contract. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS - the contracting authority for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine) will conduct an internal due diligence review and risk assessment of the panel’s recommended proposal before contract negotiations continue.

Note: The proposer's approach to inclusion and diversity as well as participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises should be incorporated in Item 11 of the proposal.

G. Copyrights - All data, written materials, computer software, graphic and photographic images, and other information prepared under the contract and the copyrights therein shall be owned by the National Academy of Sciences. The contractor and subcontractors will be able to publish this material for non-commercial purposes, for internal use, or to further academic research or studies with permission from TRB Cooperative Research Programs. The contractor and subcontractors will not be allowed to sell the project material without prior approval by the National Academy of Sciences. By signing a contract with the National Academy of Sciences, contractors accept legal responsibility for any copyright infringement that may exist in work done for TRB. Contractors are therefore responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions for use of copyrighted material in TRB's Cooperative Research Programs publications. For guidance on TRB's policies on using copyrighted material please consult Section 5.4, "Use of Copyrighted Material," in the Procedural Manual for Contractors.

H. The text of the final deliverable is expected to be publication ready when it is submitted. It is strongly recommended that the research team include the expertise of a technical editor as early in the project timeline as possible. See Appendix F of the Procedural Manual for Contractors Conducting Research in the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Program for technical editing standards expected in final deliverables.

I. Proposals should include a task-by-task breakdown of labor hours for each staff member as shown in Figure 4 in the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals. Proposals also should include a breakdown of all costs (e.g., wages, indirect costs, travel, materials, and total) for each task using Figures 5 and 6 in the brochure. Please note that TRB Cooperative Research Program subawards (selected proposers are considered subawards to the National Academy of Sciences, the parent organization of TRB) must comply with 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. These requirements include a provision that proposers without a "federally" Negotiated Indirect Costs Rate Agreement (NICRA) shall be subject to a maximum allowable indirect rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs. Modified Total Direct Costs include all salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each lower tier subaward and subcontract. Modified Total Direct Costs exclude equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each lower tier subaward and subcontract in excess of $25,000.

J. The required technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” should (a) provide recommendations on how to best put the research findings/products into practice; (b) identify possible institutions that might take leadership in applying the research findings/products; (c) identify issues affecting potential implementation of the findings/products and recommend possible actions to address these issues; and (d) recommend methods of identifying and measuring the impacts associated with implementation of the findings/products. Implementation of these recommendations is not part of the research project and, if warranted, details of these actions will be developed and implemented in future efforts.

The research team will be expected to provide input to an implementation team consisting of panel members, AASHTO committee members, the NCHRP Implementation Coordinator, and others in order to meet the goals of NCHRP Active Implementation: Moving Research into Practice, available at http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP_ActiveImplementation.pdf

K. If the team proposes a Principal Investigator who is not an employee of the Prime Contractor, or if the Prime Contractor is proposed to conduct less than 50% of the total effort (by time or budget), then section five of the proposal should include: (1) a justification of why this approach is appropriate, and (2) a description of how the Prime Contractor will ensure adequate communication and coordination with their Subcontractors throughout the project.

L. All budget information should be suitable for printing on 8½″ x 11″ paper. If a budget page cannot fit on a single 8½″ x 11″ page, it should be split over multiple pages. Proposers must use the Excel templates provided in the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs.

M. The National Academies have an ethical and legal obligation to provide proper attribution whenever material from other sources is included in its reports, online postings, and other publications and products. TRB will review all Cooperative Research Programs draft final deliverables using the software iThenticate for potential plagiarism. If plagiarized text appears in the draft final deliverable, the research team will be required to make revisions and the opportunity to submit future proposals may be affected.