Six Goals for Transportation Security

1
Transit Communications Spectrum Issues
Strategic Assessment of Wireless Capabilities and
Needs for the Public Transportation Industry
Stephan A. Parker Transportation Research Board
Senior Program Officer Washington, DC
APTA 2008 Bus Paratransit Conference
International Bus Roadeo
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Organization

• TCRP and the Transportation Research Board of the
  National Academies
• Key Results of the Survey of Wireless
  Capabilities in Public Transit (TCRP Project J-6
  Task 67)
• Strategic Plan for Meeting Transit Industry
  Wireless Communications Needs (TCRP Project C-18)
• 7 Steps to Narrowbanding Compliance

3
1863 Charter of the National Academy of Sciences

• . . . the Academy shall, whenever called upon by
  any department of the Government, investigate,
  examine, experiment, and report upon any subject
  of science or art . . .

The work of The National Academies is reported
through an Annual Report to Congress
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The National AcademiesPrivate, Nonprofit
Congressionally Chartered 1863
Institute of Medicine Harvey Fineberg, President
National Academy of Sciences Ralph J. Cicerone,
President
The National Academy of Engineering Charles M.
Vest, President
Office of News and Public Information
Office of Congressional and Government Affairs
National Research Council Ralph J. Cicerone,
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Institute of Medicine (IOM) Programs Harvey
Fineberg, Chair Susanne Stoiber, Exec. Off.
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Education (DBASSE) Richard Atkinson,
Chair Michael Feuer, Exec. Dir.
Transportation Research Board (TRB) Debra L.
Miller, Chair Robert Skinner, Exec. Dir.
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Raven, Chair Warren Muir, Exec. Dir.
Division on Engineering Physical Sciences
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Dir.
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(PGAD) M.R.C.Greenwood, Chair Richard Bissell,
Exec. Dir.
1916 NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
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TRB is Broadly Engaged in All Modes of
Transportation
Cooperative Research Programs National
Cooperative Highway Research Program Transit
Cooperative Research Program Airport Cooperative
Research Program National Cooperative Freight
Research Program Hazardous Materials Cooperative
Research Program Commercial Truck and Bus Safety
Synthesis Program
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Cycle of Research Needs Identification

• TRB Committees share research results from all
  sources identify research needs

10,000 TRB Annual Meeting Participants
75 other technical meetings
TRB Annual Field Visits to DOTs and University
Research Centers

• Open solicitations are reviewed by screening
  panels, which refer research needs

State/Local Government
Non-Government Organizations
Federal Agencies

• Governing boards fund applied research or refer
  requests to more suitable venue

Private Sector
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Transit Cooperative Research Program
Organizational Structure
Memorandum
Agreement
FTA
AASHTO
AASHTO
TDC
TOPS Cmte.
FTA

• Annual Grant

• Set Priorities

Research
Programs
Funding
NAS/TRB
NAS/TRB
Oversight
TCRP Staff
Oversight

• Management

Secretariat
APTA
AASHTO
Research Contracts
FTA

• Problem Identification
• Product Dissemination

Contract


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Cooperative Research Program Panel
Responsibilities
Comments Modifications
Comments Modifications
RFPs
Guidance
QPRs Interim Reports
Draft
Proposals
Review and Approve Report (mail
ballot and/or meeting)
Define Scope of Research (2 day meeting)
Monitor Progress (1 or more meetings)
Select Contractor (1 day meeting)
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TCRP Report 86, Vol. 10Hazard and Security Plan
Workshop Instructor Guide (2006)
Hazard and Security Planning Tools for Rural,
Small Urban, and Community-Based Public
Transportation Operations
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TCRP Report 86, Vol. 9 / NCHRP Report 525, Vol. 9
(2006)Guidelines for Transportation Emergency
Training Exercises
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Survey Results from TCRP Project J-6 Task 67,
Strategic Assessment of Wireless Capabilities and
Needs for the Public Transit Industry

• Objective (from the RFP)
• To develop a profile of current radio-frequency
  and wireless-data usage for the transit industry
  and to assess future needs.
• This information will be used to gauge the
  transit industry's need for retaining
  communications assets and reserving additional
  spectrum to support growing data and operational
  needs.

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Web-based Survey Mailings Responses

• Invitations were sent to APTA and CTAA members in
  February, 2007, and re-sent to non-responding
  Northeast agencies in August, 2007 to achieve
  comparable representation among regions.
• Agencies Sent Invitations 765
• Completed Submissions 272 (36 of deliveries)

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Responses by Fleet Size Category
Fleet Size Categories (Based on number of
vehicles/vessels/cars)
Large gt 500 Med-Large 100 to 499 Medium 50
to 99 Med-Small 20 to 49 Small lt 20
Median Fleet Size
Large (1,104)
Number of Agencies
Med-Large (200)
Large (31)
Small (60)
Med-Small (30)
Paratransit (22)
Medium (70)
Small (12)
Med-Large (52)
Med- Small (66)
Medium (63)
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Two-Way Radio Use (89)
Q13
By Fleet Size . . .
By Mode . . .
By Region . . .
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Large Med-Large Medium Med-Small Small
Northeast South Midwest West
Paratransit All Others
More Common in Large Fleets Least
Common in Paratransit
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Bandwidth Use
Q14
Among All Two-Way Radio Bandwidth Reports. . .
DSRC (5.9 GHz band) Over 900 MHz 900 MHz 800 MHz
(806 - 869 MHz) 700 MHz band Low UHF TV Sharing
(470-512 MHz) Lowband UHF (450 - 470
MHz) Canadian Border Plan (420 430 MHz) Federal
band UHF (406 - 420 MHz) Highband VHF (150 - 174
MHz) Lowband VHF (25 - 50 MHz)
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800 MHz Re-Banding
Source 800 MHz Re-Banding and Other Spectrum
Issues Affecting Transit (Gary Pruitt, ARINC,
APTA 2006 Bus Paratransit Conference)
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Narrowbanding Examples of FCC Adopted Band Plans
Source FCC http//wireless.fcc.gov/services/plmrs
/images/vhfband.jpg http//wireless.fcc.gov/servic
es/plmrs/images/uhfband.jpg
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License Ownership
Q15
By Region . . .
of licenses
By Fleet Size . . .
of licenses
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Current Wireless Passenger Services
Q23

• Wireless services for passengers are more common
  among large fleets.
• Wireless internet at stations is the only service
  category that is not found most commonly in large
  fleets.

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Planned Wireless Services
Q23

• Wireless internet in stations and during transit
  are the most commonly planned services for
  passengers.
• Small fleets and Paratransit-only fleets are the
  least likely to be planning wireless service for
  passengers.

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Strategic Plan for Meeting Transit Industry
Wireless Communications Needs (TCRP Project C-18)

• Develop a detailed summary and timeline of
  proposed and pending changes in wireless
  communications (e.g., land mobile radio, cellular
  communications, satellite radio, WLAN, etc.) due
  to legislation, regulations, rules, and
  standards, including, but not limited to,
  re-farming, band narrowing, and technology
  standardization.
• Identify sub-groups likely to be affected by
  pending changes in wireless communications as
  delineated on the timeline.
• Delineate transit industry needs for both daily
  operations and emergency communications, and
  identify spectrum requirements for meeting these
  needs and technology types that utilize this
  spectrum.
• Identify stakeholders and their roles in
  addressing and meeting transit industry wireless
  communications needs and adaptation to new
  spectrum allocations. Stakeholders include, but
  are not limited to, transit agencies, transit
  industry associations, State and federal
  government agencies (e.g., departments of
  transportation, Federal Transit Administration,
  Department of Homeland Security), industry
  suppliers, and frequency coordination
  organizations. There are two groups doing
  frequency coordination or assignment, one for
  public safety agencies and the other for private,
  commercial entities. See www.LMCC.org for a list
  of all Part 90 FCC Certified Frequency
  Coordination Organizations.

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Strategic Plan for Meeting Transit Industry
Wireless Communications Needs (TCRP Project
C-18), cont.

• Conduct a roundtable of identified stakeholders,
  AASHTO, communications consultants, users of
  similar spectrum (i.e., other transportation
  industries such as railroads and charter buses),
  etc. Address topics including
• Delineation of public transit wireless
  communications and interoperability requirements
  for the next 10-15 years
• Means for promotion of interoperability among
  emergency response partners (e.g., public safety,
  other transportation industries, etc.)
• Facilitation of communications equipment
  procurement in response to spectrum and
  technological changes, and interoperability needs
• Industry-wide dispersal of information on
  communications changes and assistance in adapting
  to these changes, with specific address of small
  agencies
• Submit a draft strategic industry plan with
  specific steps and associated dates for assuring
  that transit industry communications needs are
  continuously met throughout transitions in
  wireless spectrum allocations and technologies.
• Submit a revised strategic plan and PowerPoint
  presentation.

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7 Steps to Narrowbanding Compliance

• Verify that your company or organization has a
  current and valid FCC Part 90 radio station
  license.
• Conduct a full inventory of all radios in your
  system, including all portable, mobile,
  dispatcher used, wireless data or SCADA, and on-
  or off-site base or repeater radios.
• Determine which models in your inventory are
  capable of being reprogrammed for narrowband
  operation and which models arent.
• Initiate the internal business process of
  budgeting for and procuring any new
  narrowband-capable replacement radios as
  necessary.
• Develop a wideband-to-narrowband conversion plan
  that reflects well-coordinated logistical and
  implementation strategies needed to accommodate
  the replacement and installation of any new
  narrowband-capable off-site base or repeater
  station radio(s) needed in advance.
• Schedule and coordinate with your radio service
  vendor, as soon as possible, dates and times for
  the actual system conversion (or cutover), making
  certain that all radio users have been advised in
  advance and are aware of the process.
• The final step in the narrowbanding process is to
  modify your FCC radio station license to reflect
  the technical change in system emissions from
  wideband to narrowband and make any other changes
  or updates that may be required.

Source 7 Steps to Narrowbanding Compliance
(Nick Ruark, Radio Resource Media Group, April
16, 2008) http//www.radioresourcemag.com/onlyonli
ne.cfm?OnlyOnlineID34
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Transportation Research Board Communications and
Outreach
March April 2004

• TR News magazine
• Weekly newsletter
• Open calls for papers
• Open solicitations for
• Research problems
• Project proposals
• IDEA proposals
• Panel nominations
• Interactive Annual Meeting program

May-June 2005
May-June 2007
November-December 2000
www.TRB.org www.TRB.org/SecurityPubs
www.TCRPonline.org