Transit Cooperative Research Program Overview

The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) was initially authorized in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 and was reauthorized in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act, and Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.  The program was created on May 13, 1992, by a Memorandum Agreement among three participants:  The National Academy of Sciences, acting through its Transportation Research Board; The Transit Development Corporation, educational and research arm of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA); and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  The Memorandum Agreement outlines the operating procedures for the program.

NEED AND PURPOSE

The nation's growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transportation systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must improve efficiencies to serve customer demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the public transportation industry. The TCRP program serves as one of the principal means by which the public transportation industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it.

The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213, Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by FTA. A report by APTA, Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. Modeled after the longstanding and successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program, TCRP conducts applied research and produces timely reports and other tools useful to public transportation professionals. TCRP research addresses a broad spectrum of concerns including, but not limited to, facilities, vehicles, equipment, service concepts, operations, maintenance, human resources, administrative practices, funding and finance, planning, and policy. The results of TCRP research are used to solve problems for and to introduce innovation to the public transportation industry. Consistent with the parent organization, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), the TCRP strives to inform discussions, facilitate dialogue across disciplines, and inform decision making.

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

The primary participants in TCRP are (a) an independent governing board organized by the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Commission, (b) TRB as program manager and secretariat for the TOPS Commission, (c) APTA as a vital link to the public transportation community, and (d) FTA as program sponsor. Other important participants in TCRP include public transportation professionals, state and local government officials, equipment and service suppliers, and research organizations. Each of these participants has different interests and responsibilities; however, each is an integral part of the cooperative research effort.

SELECTION OF RESEARCH

Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Commission to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Commission defines funding levels and expected products.

The TCRP focuses on research that is consistent with, and supportive of, U.S. DOT strategic goals and TCRP strategic priorities. The U.S. DOT strategic goals are presented below:

• SAFETY: Reduce Transportation-Related Fatalities and Serious Injuries Across the Transportation System.

Safety has consistently been DOT’s top strategic and organizational goal. To improve transportation safety, DOT seeks to work effectively with State, local, Tribal, and private partners; address human behaviors to reduce safety risks; improve safety data analysis to guide decisions; continue to employ safety countermeasures; ensure that automation brings significant safety benefits; and pursue performance-based rather than prescriptive regulations.

• INFRASTRUCTURE: Invest in Infrastructure to Ensure Safety, Mobility and Accessibility and to Stimulate Economic Growth, Productivity and Competitiveness for American Workers and Businesses.

DOT seeks to work effectively with State, local, Tribal, and private partners to guide investments that stimulate economic growth, improve the condition of transportation infrastructure, and enable the efficient and safe movement of people and goods. To achieve this goal, DOT will provide guidance, technical assistance, and research that leverages Federal funding, accelerates project delivery, reduces project lifecycle costs, and optimizes the operation and performance of existing facilities. By using innovative forms of financing and project delivery, encouraging partnerships between the public and private sectors, and strategically balancing investments across various modes of transportation to promote greater efficiencies, DOT can maximize the returns to the Nation’s economy and people.

•  INNOVATION: Lead in the Development and Deployment of Innovative Practices and Technologies that Improve the Safety and Performance of the Nation’s Transportation System.

Emerging technologies are transforming our transportation system. DOT seeks to continue its leadership role guiding research investments and facilitating the deployment of beneficial transportation technologies. By engaging with the private and public sectors, DOT can leverage Federal resources to support technology transfer and ensure the safety and security of new technologies.

•  ACCOUNTABILITY: Serve the Nation with Reduced Regulatory Burden and Greater Efficiency, Effectiveness and Accountability.

DOT will streamline regulations and improve organizational effectiveness of the Department. DOT will raise accountability standards that improve the efficient use of taxpayer funds. By streamlining business processes and investing in workforce development, DOT will enhance its responsiveness and adaptability to the demands of a rapidly evolving industry.

The TCRP has adopted five Strategic Priorities:

I. Place the Public Transportation Customer First
The importance of the public transportation rider as well as the community at large as the customer was a principal outcome of the TCRP Future Search. The American consumer society is demanding; no industry can prosper that does not place the customer first.

II. Enable Transit to Operate in a Technologically Advanced Society
TCRP will support public transportation to integrate state-of-the-art technology in all aspects of its business so that mobility needs can be served as communities change and customer needs evolve.

III. Continuously Improve Public Transportation
The TCRP will support communities throughout the United States to continuously improve public transportation.

IV. Flourish in the Multimodal Environment
More authority for public transportation investment decisions is now in the hands of state and local decision-makers. The public transportation industry must work harder and smarter to realize the intermodal flexibility and community-based planning opportunities offered by federal and other programs.

V. Revitalize Transit Organizations
Information technologies, changes in the work force, and new roles and partnerships are revolutionizing the workplace. By reinventing themselves, public transportation organizations can "Work Better--Cost Less."

Problem statements should consider the FTA and TCRP priorities. While problem statements can be submitted at any time, the deadline for submitting problems for consideration is around June 15 of each year. To avoid duplicating the work of others, please check information on research in progress and completed research when preparing a research problem statement. Click here for publications abstracts of TRB's completed research.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

TRB provides day-to-day program management including the following tasks:

1. Assisting the TOPS Commission in identifying and prioritizing research needs;
2. Appointing and coordinating expert technical panels to guide research;
3. Developing and distributing Requests for Proposals (RFPs);
4. Processing and evaluating proposals to select the best-qualified research agency;
5. Executing contracts with the selected researchers;
6. Reviewing research reports;
7. Publishing and disseminating research reports; and
8. Promoting the application of research results.

PROJECT PANELS

Each project is assigned to a panel, appointed by the Transportation Research Board, which provides technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. Panels include experienced practitioners and research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including members representing the intended consumers of the research product. The panels prepare project statements and select contractors based on evaluation of the proposals received. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.

SELECTION OF CONTRACTORS

The process for selecting TCRP researchers has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs for more than 40 years. This open process allows all potential research agencies to compete on the basis of technical merit and ensures that all proposers are treated fairly and that the program has access to the best talent available for each project. Guidance for the preparation of proposals is included in the TCRP brochure, Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals (Updated November 2010). Proposals from prospective research contractors are evaluated by the project panels. The evaluation considers the following: (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 area; (4) the plan for ensuring application of results; and (5) the proposer's plan for participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises--small firms owned and controlled by minorities or women; and (6) the adequacy of the facilities. Selected agencies perform research under contract to the National Academies, guided by the Procedural Manual for Contractors Conducting Research in the Transportation Research Board's Cooperative Research Programs. Guidance for the preparation of final reports for submission to the TCRP can be found in Chapter 5 of the Procedural Manual.

FUNDING

Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act authorizes $5.0 M per year for TCRP for FY 2016 through FY 2020.

PRODUCTS

Primary emphasis is placed on disseminating TCRP results to the intended end-users of the research: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. APTA plays a key role in both conventional and innovative means of making research information available and makes maximum use of its committee structure. TCRP provides a series of research reports to transit operators, local agencies, FTA, and other interested parties; APTA arranges for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by transit industry practitioners.

In addition to research reports, the TCRP includes a synthesis series. Synthesis reports are compendiums of the best knowledge available on measures found to be successful in resolving specific problems. To develop these syntheses in a comprehensive manner and to ensure inclusion of significant knowledge, the Transportation Research Board analyzes available information assembled from numerous sources, including numerous transit agencies. Each synthesis is an immediately useful document that records practices in use at the time of its preparation.

CONTACT

To request further information on TCRP, write or call:

Gwen Chisholm-Smith, Manager
Cooperative Research Programs
Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202)334-3246
gsmith@nas.edu

Program information and requests for proposals are available on TRB’s World Wide Web Site at http://trb.org/tcrp.

The TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Commission

In the administration of the TCRP, it is essential to maximize both the substance and the appearance of fairness in the selection and management of contractors, at the same time ensuring the quality and expanding the number of potential researchers as much as possible.

It is in the interest of the TCRP to use the expertise of the best-qualified individuals and organizations available to perform the research programs, while avoiding actual or apparent conflict of interest. However, conflicts may arise or appear to arise if members of the TOPS Commission or organizations with which they are affiliated submit proposals on projects.

To prevent such problems in the administration of the TCRP, members of the TOPS Commission are not permitted to serve concurrently as principal investigators on any TCRP projects. Additionally, the following rules will apply to all members of the TOPS Commission for the duration of their terms of appointment:

1. A TOPS Commission member is not permitted to be involved in the selection process for TCRP contractors, where the individual member or an affiliated organization is being considered.
2. No involvement by a TOPS Commission member is permitted in TRB’s administration of a contract in which the individual member or an affiliated organization is involved.
3. No involvement by a TOPS Commission member is permitted in setting or modifying administrative policies that would directly or materially affect either the administration of existing contracts with the individual TOPS member or affiliated organization or the ability of the member or affiliated organization to submit proposals.

Because of the special position of the TOPS Commission Chairman, the following additional rules also will apply during the Chairman’s term:

4. Neither the TOPS Commission nor the immediate administrative unit of which the Chairman is a part may propose on any TCRP projects.
5. The Chairman may not be involved in the preparation of a proposal for a TCRP project.
6. The Chairman may not work on a TCRP project as a member of the research team or as a consultant to the team.

When a newly appointed Chairman of the TOPS Commission or other member of the Commission has existing activities or commitments covered in the foregoing lists of rules on a TCRP project at the time of appointment, those circumstances will be disclosed without delay to the Executive Committee of TOPS and recommendations will be made by the Executive Committee on a case-by-case basis. All issues arising out of the need to interpret these rules will be resolved by the Executive Committee, with the affected members standing aside as appropriate.

TCRP Project Panels

The Transportation Research Board, as a unit of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, accords special importance to the policies and procedures established by the institution for assuring the integrity and hence the public confidence in the reports. Extensive efforts are made to ensure the soundness of reports issued by the institution by selecting highly qualified members. Yet, if a report is to be not only sound but also effective as measured by its acceptance in quarters where it should be influential, the report must be, and must be perceived to be, (1) free of any significant conflict of interest, and (2) not compromised by bias, and (3) untainted by allegations of scientific misconduct.

To address questions of potential bias and conflict of interest for the protection of both the individual involved and the institution, individuals participating in studies and other activities are asked to complete a "Potential Sources of Bias and Conflict of Interest" form to be submitted to and reviewed by the institution. In addition, project panels are asked to discuss the general questions of bias and conflict of interest, and the relevant circumstances of their individual members, at each panel meeting.

The question of potential sources of "bias" ordinarily relates to views stated or positions taken that are largely intellectually motivated or that arise from the close identification or association of an individual with a particular point of view or the positions or perspectives of a particular group. Such potential sources of bias are not necessarily disqualifying for purposes of panel service. Indeed, it often is necessary, in order to ensure that a panel is fully competent, to appoint members in such a way as to represent a balance of potentially biasing backgrounds or professional or organizational perspectives.

It is also essential that the work of committees not be compromised by a significant conflict of interest or in some circumstances the significant appearance of conflict of interest, on the part of any member of a panel or anyone associated with the work of a panel (e.g., consultants, staff, etc.) For this purpose, the term "conflict of interest" means any financial or other interest which conflicts with the service of an individual because it (1) could impair the individual’s objectivity, or (2) could create an unfair competitive advantage for any person or organization. The existence of a significant conflict of interest ordinarily disqualifies an individual from service.

Full details on the program's work since inception can be found in the TCRP Annual Report.