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State of Good RepairResearch

Vincent Valdes

Associate Administrator for

Research, Demonstration, and Innovation

July 9, 2009

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FTA Strategic Research Planning

• Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP)– Five-year timeframe, updated annually– Current version is FY09-FY13– Summarizes ongoing research projects

and activities – Identifies transit industry research needs

and potential future research projects for funding consideration

www.fta.dot.gov/research

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FTA Statutory Research Programs

• Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment Projects (§5312(a))

• Joint Partnership Program for Deployment of Innovation (§5312(b))

• International Public Transit Program (§5312(c))

• Transit Cooperative Research Program (§5313)

• National Research Programs (§5314(a))

• National Transit Institute (§5315)

• Human Resource Programs (§5322)

• University Research Centers (§5506)

• National Fuel Cell Bus Technology Development Program (P.L. 109-59 §3045)

• Intelligent Transportation Systems (P.L. 109-59 §5306; P.L. 105-178 §3012)

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FTA’s Research Programs (FY09 appropriated levels)

National Research & Technology Program $45.7M ($48.5M*)

$22.6M SAFETEA earmarks

$ 5.9M appropriation earmarks$17.1M discretionary

Transit Cooperative Research Program $10.0MNational Transit Institute $ 4.3MFuel Cell Bus Program $13.5MUniversity Centers Program $ 7.0M

$80.5M

* 2009 Authorized level

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Strategic Planning

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Strategic Planning

• Strategic planning supports analysis and identification of research needs

• New projects flow into annual research project development process

• Electric Drive Strategic Plan completed in FY2009

• Three more strategic and program plans in FY2009

– ITS– International program– Information dissemination

• Proposing new areas for 2010

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Strategic Research Plan Update

• Update awaiting direction from new leadership

– DOT Strategic Plan– New authorization legislation

• Strategic and program planning

– Provides the policy context for research– Sets indicators for strategic areas for research– Guides outreach to the transit industry– Helps select special topics, as needed– Sets actual expected performance results

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Goals Objectives

Goal 1: Provide National Transit Research Leadership

1.1 Provide vision and prepare the nation for transit advancements

1.2 Explore strategic partnerships to achieve transit research goals

1.3 Synthesize research results to provide useful bodies of knowledge for transit industry decision makers and to shape the national transit research agenda

Goal 2: Support Increasing Transit’s Market Share

2.1 Identify methods to increase transit system capacity (e.g. operations planning, technology, infrastructure, vehicles, workforce, financing)

2.2 Perform research to improve the rider experience (e.g., travel time; service reliability, frequency, and quality; customer information)

Goal 3: Support Improving the Performance of Transit Operations and Systems

3.1 Perform research to improve capital and operating efficiencies (capital, operating, and maintenance costs)

3.2 Perform research to improve transit planning and forecasting (e.g., operations, linking transportation systems, transit-oriented development and land use, solving the last mile)

3.3 Perform research to improve mobility, rural services, and services for targeted populations

3.4 Perform research to reduce energy consumption (in vehicles and facilities) and transit environmental impacts (e.g. emissions, waste streams, recycling)

3.5 Perform research to improve safety, security, and emergency preparedness

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Core Research

- Policy - Planning service configuration - Engineering of rolling stock and equipment - Engineering and construction of

infrastructure - Operations and maintenance - Intelligent transportation systems (ITS)

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Research Target Development

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Research Targets

•New construction technologies – emerging technologies for tunneling, track work, elevated structures

•Preventative maintenance guidelines – reliability, costs, schedules including just-in-time and delayed maintenance

•Life-cycle costs – Better models of life-cycle costs•Standards •Anticipating costs of new technologies – models to estimate costs of implementing technologies

•BOKs – bus selection standard, capital asset management, new construction technologies, maintenance practices

3.1 Perform research to improve capital and operating efficiencies

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Research Targets

•Human factors – safety as related to fatigue and accidents•Crash avoidance – technologies for transit vehicles to facilitate crash avoidance (warnings and control systems)

•Crashworthiness •Data security •Connectivity and communications – improved vehicles communications

3.5 Perform research to improve safety, security, and emergency preparedness

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Targets in Strategic Plans Currently in Development

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

•Advance warning and control systems•Advance automation within transit systems•Universal real-time traveler information•Universal fare payment•Reduce travel time•Improve on-demand transit• Improve transit data security • Improve transit connectivity and communications•Human factors

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STATE OF GOOD REPAIR

• Improvements in maintenance practices/technologies •Better life-cycle cost models•Better models to estimate new technology costs• Improvements in construction practices/technologies (Infrastructure)

•Coordinate with TPM, TBP and the industry

Potential Strategic Research Targets for 2010

SAFETY

•Crashworthiness• Improved capability for crash avoidance•Improved operations

•Coordinate with TPM Safety Office and the industry

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Next Steps• To develop strategic research plan for SGR with

a program of projects with TPM and TBP

• Expand outreach to transit agencies and stakeholders to define and rank order research topics and needed research

• Develop specific research targets to focus resources and to develop the best methods for disseminating the results.