Opportunity for an MPO Cooperative Research Program

1
Opportunity for an MPO Cooperative Research
Program

• Presented To
• AMPO Travel Model Working Group
• By
• Jon Williams
• March 21, 2006
• (rev. 3/28/06)

2
Why Have an MPO Cooperative Research Program?

• Provides a stable, multi-year program for
  practical research and development, and
  deployment of usable products
• Supports work that no one MPO could afford
• Pools MPO funds to avoid duplicative work being
  done by each MPO or state
• Users (MPOs) select the work to be performed
• Allows development of standards and guidelines
  for vendor products

3
But One Size Doesnt Fit All

• Correct, but-
• There is some Research, Development, and
  Deployment that is transferable and would benefit
  all
• There is some RDD that is more applicable to
  certain classes of MPO. The program could
  recognize this.
• There will still be a need for individual MPOs to
  customize to their own needs.

4
How Would This Be Paid For?

• Pass the hat among large MPOs
• This would bias the character of the work to the
  needs of those paying
• Free rider problem- why pay if you can get the
  work for free?
• Better mechanism for one-off pooled fund
  projects
• Percent take-down from FTA / FHWA Metropolitan
  Planning Funds- for all MPOs
• This is similar to how NCHRP is funded

5
Scale of an Annual Program

• FTA 5303 Funds 80 million
• FHWA PL Funds 290 million
• Total 370 million
• 2 7.4 million

6
An Example of MPO Cooperative Research

• New York State Association of Metropolitan
  Planning Organizations - Shared Cost Initiative
  Program
• On an ongoing basis, the Association uses the PL
  and Section 5303 funds contributed by each of the
  13 NYS MPOs to support Shared Cost Initiatives.
  Each SCI addresses an issue of common interest.
  Recently, SCI funding has supported training for
  MPO staff, one-day workshops on topics such as
  safety and congestion management systems, as well
  as more traditional research on subjects such as
  statewide data sharing.
• For the past 7 years, the cost of SCI has been
  about 1 of MPO PL and 5303 revenues
• See Attached paper provided by John Poorman, with
  detail on on the work accomplished and planned
  under the SCI

7
Other Models?

• Transportation Research Board (TRB) Cooperative
  Research Programs

8
Cooperative Research Programs at TRB

• National Cooperative Highway Research Program
  (NCHRP)
• 1962
• 35 million / yr.
• Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
• 1992
• 10 million / yr
• Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)
• 2004
• 10 million / yr
• Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program
  (CTBSSP)
• 2001
• 300k / yr

9
New TRB Cooperative Research Programs, FY2006-09

• Freight (3Millon / yr.)
• Hazardous Materials (900K / yr.)

10
NCHRP PROCESS

• State DOTs
• Funds (5.5 SPR pooled by FHWA)
• Problems (Selected by AASHTO Standing Committee
  on Research)
• Applied research focus
• National / Shared issues
• Contract research
• Panels oversee each project
• Research contractors
• Administration- TRB

11
NCHRP Products

• Recommended AASHTO Guides and
  Specifications
• Guides for practitioners
• Software products
• New or improved models/tools
• Improved operations and services
• Testing/evaluation techniques

12
Other Benefits for MPOs

• Coordinate with NCHRP or TCRP work relating to
  MPO planning- leverage funds
• 8-53, Integrating Freight into Transportation
  Planning and Project-Selection Processes
• 8-48, Using American Community Survey Data for
  Transportation Planning
• 8-36, Research for the AASHTO Standing Committee
  on Planning
• B-12, Update the "Traveler Response to
  Transportation System Changes" Handbook

13
How Much of Our Money Would Go To Research?

• For the TRB Cooperative Research Programs,
  between 75 80 goes directly to research
• The balance pays for admin costs, including
  travel and per diem for oversight panel members

14
Downside?

• It takes a while for new full R and D projects to
  be completed.
• It might be beneficial to have a few
  quick-turnaround topics at the outset, to show
  tangible results.

15
Next Steps?

• Key players will be AMPO, FHWA, FTA, and AASHTO
• Someone needs to make this case-
• These is a range of necessary metropolitan R D
  that is not happening. MPOs, with the support of
  their state and federal partners, could fill this
  gap through a pooled-fund national research
  program.