TCRP Annual Report of Progress 2019 (2019) / Chapter Skim
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1 TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM Annual Report of Progress DECEMBER 31, 2019 INTRODUCTION The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) was established in 1992 to provide a continuing program of applied research on transit issues.
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2 small consultant studies are commissioned to develop research problem statements on topics of special interest. The selection of research projects is the responsibility of the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS)
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3 In addition to this process, the TOPS Committee authorizes special efforts to develop problem statements around specific themes. In 1994, projects to aid in increasing transit ridership were developed by the TCRP Project H-5 workshop, "Identification of Research Needs to Increase U.S.
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4 RESEARCH PROGRAM TCRP was established by memorandum agreement in 1992. Since then, the TOPS Commission has generally met twice each year, a total of 58 times, to select the research program for the next fiscal year and to review TCRP procedures and performance.
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5 FINANCING THE PROGRAM TCRP funding was authorized by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) for fiscal years 1992 through 1997; by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21)
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6 HOW TCRP IS ORGANIZED TO ADMINISTER RESEARCH PROGRAMS Nine research fields and 45 problem areas are used to classify TCRP research. RESEARCH FIELDS PROBLEM AREAS RESEARCH FIELD A Operations Scheduling Vehicle Operations Control Systems Fare Collection User Information Systems Safety and Security RESEARCH FIELD B Service Configuration System Planning Specialized Service Planning Service Performance Marketing RESEARCH FIELD C Engineering of Vehicles and Equipment Buses Vans Heavy Rail Cars Commuter Rail Vehicles Light Rail Cars People-Mover Vehicles Vehicle Components RESEARCH FIELD D Engineering of Fixed Facilities Buildings Rail Operating Facilities Passenger Stations and Terminals Bus Stop Facilities RESEARCH FIELD E Maintenance Vehicle Servicing Vehicle Inspections and Maintenance Vehicle Corrective Repairs Overhaul and Rebuilding Non-Vehicle Maintenance Maintenance Management RESEARCH FIELD F Human Resources Recruitment Training Employee Reviews Job Classification Salary Administration Labor Relations Performance Improvement Programs
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7 The distribution of all projects and syntheses through December 2019 is shown in Table 2. RESEARCH FIELD G Administration Financial Management Procurement and Inventory Control Risk Management Law Management Information Systems Transit Organizations RESEARCH FIELD H Policy and Planning Policy Analysis Planning Economics Environmental Analysis RESEARCH FIELD J Special Projects Areas Not Covered Elsewhere
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8 TABLE 2 DISTRIBUTION OF PROJECTS AND SYNTHESES BY FIELD THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2019 RESEARCH FIELDS NUMBER OF PROJECTS NUMBER OF SYNTHESES Operations 61 50 Service Configuration 56 32 Engineering of Vehicles and Equipment 28 9 Engineering of Fixed Facilities 19 6 Maintenance 15 7 Human Resources 28 21 Administration 21 18 Policy and Planning 73 20 Special Projects 11 0 PROJECT PANELS Each project is assigned to a panel appointed by TRB. Panel membership must be balanced in terms of professional qualifications, geography, age, gender, and ethnicity.
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9 TABLE 3 PANEL COMPOSITION OF ACTIVE PROJECTS* (67 Project Panels, 566 Members)
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10 The funds available for a project are specified in the research project statement, and contract awards cannot exceed this amount. Cost-proposal line items are examined to determine the reasonableness of the allocation of funds and staffing to the various tasks.
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11 cipal investigator the project's status to learn whether the research is being pursued in accordance with the approved research plan. Finally, the project manager and the corresponding project panel evaluate the completed research to determine the degree of technical compliance with the contract.
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12 panel. Each TCRP ambassador serves a 2-year term.
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13 can be found by searching for "TCRP Research Report 206." This tool is not a detailed life-cycle cost calculator to be used in developing project alternatives but rather a highlevel tool useful for communicating the benefits of SGR investment and comparing investments in improving or maintaining SGR to other types of transit investments. Operations TCRP Synthesis 140: Comprehensive Bus Network Redesigns provides an overview of the current state of practice of bus network redesigns.
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14 Policy and Planning TCRP Research Report 205: Social and Economic Sustainability Performance Measures for Public Transportation: Final Guidance Document is designed as a practical tool to help transit agencies develop and use social and economic sustainability performance measures to plan, evaluate, and report on social and economic sustainability. This guidance document (1)
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15 in-depth analysis of various performance management strategies. Transit schedules provide the blueprint for fixed-route transit -- they affect operating and capital costs, safety, customer satisfaction, and operator wellbeing and health.
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16 RESEARCH IN ACTION: A CASE STUDY Transit CHALLENGES Practical SOLUTIONS TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD The MBTA Builds a Safety-First Culture from the Ground Up The Challenge T HE MBTA IN MASSACHUSETTS is one of the largest and oldest legacy transit systems in the United States, carrying 1.3 million passengers daily on commuter rail, heavy rail, light rail, BRT and underground bus, ferry, and paratransit. It is no secret that a decade ago, the MBTA's safety culture across all modes was considered "very poor," says MBTA Chief Safety Officer Ronald Nickle, who was brought in to make transformational changes.
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17 Visit trb.org Support for Safety at All Levels (continued) The committee "provides us funding we did not have before," Nickle says.
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18 Transit CHALLENGES Practical SOLUTIONS Coordinated Transportation Serves Veterans in Western Montana The Challenge I DENTIFYING FLEXIBLE, cost-effective ways to meet the transportation needs of America's military veterans has been a source of debate, discussion, and federal legislation for well over a decade. In rural Western Montana, where aging Vietnam veterans comprise roughly 40 percent and the most recent Gulf War veterans nearly 12 percent of the two largest counties' populations, meeting the wide-ranging mobility needs of geographically dispersed veterans and their families (including those living on Tribal lands)
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19 Visit trb.org organized process to identify unmet and under-met transportation needs, as well options to better meet those needs. The MTA is tackling three crucial challenges addressed in the report: (1)
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20 RESEARCH IN ACTION: A CASE STUDY Transit CHALLENGES Practical SOLUTIONS TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD Metra Invests in a Sustainable Workforce with Targeted Training, Capacity-Building The Challenge O NE OF THE NATION'S largest rail transit systems, Metra, oversees all commuter rail operations in the 3,700-square-mile northeastern Illinois region. The system comprises 11 separate lines radiating out from Chicago's Loop, and serves more than 100 communities at 241 rail stations.
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21 Visit trb.org Localized Training Delivery (continued) Taylor recognized from her TCRP-related research and prior experience in training development that bringing training directly to employees was critical to success.
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22 RESEARCH IN ACTION: A CASE STUDY Transit CHALLENGES Practical SOLUTIONS TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD State of Good Repair Research Methods Support an MPO's Quest to Improve Travel Demand Forecasting The Challenge T HE METROPOLITAN Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) are the metropolitan planning organization (MPO)
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23 Visit trb.org Asset Rating Leads to Deeper Analysis MTC/ABAG TURNED to the research and methodological guidance contained in TCRP Report 157: State of Good Repair: Prioritizing the Rehabilitation and Replacement of Existing Capital Assets and Evaluating the Implications for Transit. The report reviews literature related to evaluation of transit capital asset rehabilitation and replacement.
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24 RESEARCH IN ACTION: A CASE STUDY Transit CHALLENGES Practical SOLUTIONS TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD Awareness is the Cornerstone of Safety at the St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission The Challenge IN THE SUMMER OF 2017 , the St.
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25 Visit trb.org The Challenge (continued) acknowledging that, as the report states, "safety practice permeates each department, including the recruiting and training of new employees, maintenance, training and retraining of bus operators," and more.
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26 FY 2020 PROGRAM In October 2019, the TOPS Commission allocated funds for fiscal year 2020. Table 14 lists the new projects, continuations of existing projects, and special projects that were selected, contingent on available funding.
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27 When a newly appointed Chair 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 Commission of TOPS, and recommendations will be made by the Executive Commission on a case-by-case basis. All issues arising out of the need to interpret these rules will be resolved by the Executive Commission, with the affected members standing aside as appropriate.
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28 SUMMARY TCRP focuses on issues significant to the public transportation industry, emphasizing the development of near-term research solutions to a variety of transit problems involving facilities, service concepts, operations, policy, planning, human resources, maintenance, and administrative practices. TCRP processes ensure maximum exposure of the research efforts while they are in progress in the hope that research results will find their way more quickly into practice in the form of policies, procedures, and specifications by the public transportation industry.
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