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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Transportation Research Board. 2006. Transportation Knowledge Networks: A Management Strategy for the 21st Century -- Special Report 284. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11569.
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SPECIAL REPORT 284

Transportation Knowledge Networks

A Management Strategy for the 21st Century

Committee for a Future Strategy for Transportation Information Management

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Transportation Research Board

Washington, D.C.

2006

www.TRB.org

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Transportation Research Board. 2006. Transportation Knowledge Networks: A Management Strategy for the 21st Century -- Special Report 284. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11569.
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Transportation Research Board Special Report 284

Subscriber Category

IA planning and administration

Transportation Research Board publications are available by ordering individual publications directly from the TRB Business Office, through the Internet at www.TRB.org or national-academies.org/trb, or by annual subscription through organizational or individual affiliation with TRB. Affiliates and library subscribers are eligible for substantial discounts. For further information, contact the

Transportation Research Board Business Office,

500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 (telephone 202-334-3213; fax ; or e-mail TRBsales@nas.edu).

Copyright 2006 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.

This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to the procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

This study was sponsored by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee for a Future Strategy for Transportation Information Management.

Transportation knowledge networks : a management strategy for the 21st century / Committee for a Future Strategy for Transportation Information Management, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.

p. cm.—(Special report ; 284)

ISBN 0-309-09420-8

1. Transportation and state—United States. 2. Transportation planning—United States. 3. Knowledge management—United States. 4. Business networks—United States. I. National Research Council (U.S.). Transportation Research Board. II. Title. III. Special report (National Research Council (U.S.). Transportation Research Board) ; 284.

HE206.2.N39 2006

354.76'238—dc22

2006040459

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Transportation Research Board. 2006. Transportation Knowledge Networks: A Management Strategy for the 21st Century -- Special Report 284. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11569.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. William A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board’s mission is to promote innovation and progress in transportation through research. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, the Board facilitates the sharing of information on transportation practice and policy by researchers and practitioners; stimulates research and offers research management services that promote technical excellence; provides expert advice on transportation policy and programs; and disseminates research results broadly and encourages their implementation. The Board’s varied activities annually engage more than 5,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org

www.national-academies.org

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Transportation Research Board. 2006. Transportation Knowledge Networks: A Management Strategy for the 21st Century -- Special Report 284. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11569.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Transportation Research Board. 2006. Transportation Knowledge Networks: A Management Strategy for the 21st Century -- Special Report 284. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11569.
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Committee for a Future Strategy for Transportation Information Management

Francis B. Francois,

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (retired),

Chair

Gary R. Allen,

Virginia Department of Transportation, Charlottesville

Lance R. Grenzeback,

Cambridge Systematics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts

Robert C. Johns,

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

R. David Lankes,

Syracuse University, New York

Charles R. McClure,

Florida State University, Tallahassee

Nina McLawhorn,

Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Madison

Michael D. Meyer,

Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

Ellen (Leni) Oman,

Washington State Department of Transportation, Olympia

Bonnie A. Osif,

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Roberto A. Sarmiento,

Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

Lisa Zeimer,

Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade and Douglas, Baltimore, Maryland

Transportation Research Board Staff

Nancy P. Humphrey, Study Director

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Preface

Information technology has transformed the way users access information and the volume of information available, resulting in both new opportunities (e.g., desktop information access) and new problems (e.g., information overload). In this context, the Standing Committee on Research of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) funded a study by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Research Council (NRC) designed to lay out a future course for managing transportation information in the information age.

In response to this request, TRB formed a committee chaired by Francis B. Francois, former Executive Director of AASHTO. The 12 committee members brought to the study expertise in information and computer science, library science and management, transportation policy and research, and transportation agency and research administration.

The committee supplemented its own expertise by drawing on an exploratory study conducted for AASHTO by Barbara T. Harder (B. T. Harder, Inc.) and Sandra L. Tucker (Texas Transportation Institute) entitled Scoping Study for a National Strategic Plan for Transportation Information Management. Completed in June 2002, this study compared existing transportation information services with current needs through structured interviews with a wide range of transportation users. In addition, the committee was briefed at its first two meetings by numerous experts on national libraries and various network and consortium arrangements with the potential to serve as models for managing information in the transportation sector. In particular, the committee thanks Peter Young, director of the National Agricultural Library; Jane Bortnick Griffith, acting deputy director of the National Library of Medicine; Nelda E. Bravo, head of the National Transportation Library; Christine Dunn,

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executive director of the National Library of Education (interviewed by telephone); Kate Nevins, executive director of the Southeast Library Network, Inc.; Joan K. Lippincott, associate executive director of the Coalition for Networked Information; and Mary Chute, deputy director for Library Services of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In addition, Carl Lagoze, senior research associate at Cornell University, briefed the committee on the Digital Library Initiative of the National Science Foundation and on the 2000 NRC Study for a Digital Strategy for the Library of Congress. The committee also thanks Eric C. Peterson, deputy administrator for the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) in the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Harold C. Relyea, specialist in American national government with the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, who met with the committee chair and TRB staff to discuss future options for the National Transportation Library and the pros and cons of other federal organizational alternatives for a transportation information management system, respectively.

Finally, the committee acknowledges Jerome C. Baldwin, director of the Minnesota Department of Transportation Library, who provided the committee with numerous baseline surveys on state department of transportation library staffing and budgets; Andrew C. Lemer, senior staff, TRB, who assisted with formation of the committee; Barbara L. Post, manager of information services, Christopher J. Hedges, senior program officer, and Thomas M. Palmerlee, transportation data specialist, all at TRB, for their thoughtful observations and assistance throughout the study; and John McCracken, director of the Office of Research and Technology Services at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, Timothy A. Klein, senior advisor in RITA, and Thomas G. Bolle, deputy director for governmental, international, and public affairs in RITA, for their interest and participation in the open sessions of the committee meetings.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that assist the authors and NRC in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The contents of

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." Transportation Research Board. 2006. Transportation Knowledge Networks: A Management Strategy for the 21st Century -- Special Report 284. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11569.
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the review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. The committee thanks the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report: E. Dean Carlson, Carlson Associates, Topeka, Kansas; Daniel C. Krummes, University of California, Berkeley; Ronald Larsen, University of Pittsburgh; Richard C. Long, Florida Department of Transportation, Tallahassee; Carol A. Murray, New Hampshire Department of Transportation, Concord; and Jeanne F. Thomas, Strategy Group, Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona.

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the committee’s conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Lester A. Hoel, University of Virginia, and C. Michael Walton, University of Texas at Austin. Appointed by NRC, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of the report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.

Nancy P. Humphrey managed the study and drafted the final report under the guidance of the committee and the supervision of Stephen R. Godwin, director of studies and information services. Suzanne Schneider, associate executive director of TRB, managed the report review process. Special appreciation is expressed to Rona Briere, who edited the report. Jennifer J. Weeks prepared the prepublication copy of this report, and Juanita Green managed the book design and production under the supervision of Javy Awan, director of publications. Alisa Decatur provided word processing support, and Amelia Mathis assisted with meeting arrangements and communications with committee members.

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TRB Special Report 284, Transportation Knowledge Networks: A Management Strategy for the 21st Century examines how transportation information should be managed and provided. The report provides strategic advice to the federal government and the states regarding a sustainable administrative structure and funding mechanism for meeting the information service needs of the transportation sector. The report identifies the core services that need to be provided, how those services should be provided, and funding options to support those services.

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