[Federal Register: October 19, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 201)]
[Notices]
[Page 60870-60874]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19oc05-116]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Participation in the Transportation Technology Innovation and
Demonstration Program
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States Department
of Transportation (U.S. DOT).
ACTION: Notice; request for expression of consent to participate.
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SUMMARY: As authorized by section 5508 of the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU), the U.S. DOT/FHWA is interested in working with eligible
State and local governments and one or more private sector partners to
build upon the Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure Program (ITIP)
that began under the provisions of section 5117(b)(3) of the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The SAFETEA-LU
provides for the extension and further expansion of the ITIP program
under the Transportation Technology Innovation and Demonstration
Program (TTID), a new 2-part program that would advance the deployment
of an operational intelligent transportation infrastructure system,
through measurement of various transportation system parameters, to
simultaneously aid in local transportation planning and analysis
activities, while also supporting national monitoring of traffic
congestion levels. The purpose of this program is threefold: Addressing
national, local, and commercial data needs through enhancement of
surveillance and data management capabilities in major metropolitan
areas. This involves integration of data from existing surveillance
infrastructure, and strategic deployment of supplemental surveillance
infrastructure to support the provision of both real-time and archived
roadway system performance data. At the national level, the goal is to
develop an ability to measure the operating performance of the roadway
system across the nation. Made available locally, such roadway system
performance data can be used to assist in local system planning,
evaluation, and management activities. The same data that is useful to
the public transportation agencies also has value for commercial
traveler information purposes. To achieve these objectives, the U.S.
DOT/FHWA is seeking expressions of consent from eligible State and/or
local transportation agencies/organizations interested in forming a
public-private partnership, with a private partner that has either been
pre-selected, or that will be selected, by the U.S. DOT/FHWA, to
participate in the TTID program.
DATES: Expressions of consent to participate must be received by 4
p.m., e.t., February 6, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Expressions of consent to participate should be submitted
directly to the Federal Highway Administration, Office of
Transportation Management, HOTM-1, Attention: Chung Eng, 400 Seventh
St., SW., Room 3404, Washington, DC 20590. Material may be submitted
electronically to: chung.eng@fhwa.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Chung Eng, Office of
Transportation Management (HOTM-1), (202) 366-8043, or Mr. Wilbert
Baccus, Office of the Chief Counsel (HCC-40), (202) 366-0780, U.S.
Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 400
Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m.
to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The ITIP program has its origin in section 5117(b)(3) of the TEA-21
(Pub. L. 105-178, as amended by title IX of Pub. L. 105-206), which
required private technology commercialization initiatives as part of a
program to ``advance the deployment of an operational intelligent
transportation infrastructure system for the measurement of various
transportation system activities to aid in the transportation planning
and analysis while making a significant contribution to the ITS
program.'' To that end, the U.S. DOT/FHWA retained a private sector
Consortium consisting of Signal Corporation (now a part of General
Dynamics); Traffic.com; Michael Baker Jr., Inc.; L.R Kimball &
Associates, Inc.; and PB Farradyne, Inc. to experiment with the
collection and archiving of performance monitoring data that would
ultimately be used to measure national system performance while also
using this data for commercial traveler information purposes. The
successful testing of this public-private partnership in the two pilot
cities of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania led to a $50
[[Page 60871]]
million expansion of the ITIP program to accommodate up to 25
additional deployments in pre-selected deployment areas with a pared
down Consortium consisting of Traffic.com as lead partner, and General
Dynamics. Progress to date on the ITIP program expansion is as follows:
$28 million committed to 14 expansion deployment areas:
(a) 4--Fully Operational: Chicago, Providence, Tampa, Boston.
(b) 8--Partially Deployed: Detroit, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City,
Phoenix, St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington DC Region.
(c) 2--Design In Progress: Baltimore, Seattle.
5 deployment areas are in negotiations with the
Consortium, including Las Vegas, Miami, New York, Orlando, and Salt
Lake City.
8 deployment areas opted out of the original program,
including Birmingham, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Dallas/
Ft. Worth, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, and Portland (OR).
$22 million remains available under the current contract
with the Consortium, enough to accommodate 11 additional eligible
areas.
The completed and planned deployments in each metropolitan area
feature the following:
Public-private partnership for the provision of data
services to the public agency partners;
Up to 100 sensors deployed in each metropolitan area,
primarily along freeways and other major arterials, capable of
providing data on volume, speed, lane occupation, and limited vehicle
classification;
Archived database function;
Commercialization component to enable self sufficiency;
Free Web-based access to real-time as well as archived
data for public agency stakeholders;
Free Web-based basic traffic condition information to the
general public (http://www.traffic.com);
Additional value-added commercial services available on a
fee basis;
Private funding contribution toward infrastructure;
Firm, fixed price contract where the private partner owns,
operates, and maintains the system;
Integration of at least one legacy system (e.g. the
Pennsylvania DOT's Traffic Operations Center in Pittsburgh);
Sharing of gross revenues to support system enhancements;
and
Reliability performance measure calculations and reports
provided on a monthly basis.
In section 5508 of the SAFETEA-LU (Pub. L. 109-59; 119 Stat. 1144;
Aug. 10, 2005), Congress extended the existing relationship with the
TEA-21 Consortium in Part I, and further expanded the existing program
by providing the opportunity to participate in Part II, of the new 2-
part TTID program.
Solicitation of Interest
This notice solicits expressions of consent to participate in the
2-part TTID program, which is described in greater detail below. For
the purpose of this notice, an ``expression of consent to participate''
is defined to mean a commitment to enter into negotiations for possible
participation in the program. The legislation identifies specific
``deployment'' and ``congested'' areas that will have the opportunity
to participate in the enhanced program and requires that these eligible
areas express consent to participate, or establish a date by which they
will consent to participate within the first 180 days after enactment
of the SAFETEA-LU (by February 6, 2006). This notice does not affect
those deployment areas that have already received prior funding through
the ITIP program. The process and method for submitting expressions of
consent is set forth in the Instructions to Respondents section below.
Part I of the TTID program provides for the selection, under the
current task order contract \1\ with the Consortium, of up to 11
metropolitan areas to receive Federal grants of no more than $2 million
each. Part II will expand the program by the U.S. DOT/FHWA awarding
contracts on a competitive basis for the deployment of systems in
selected congested areas, with consent from the affected State DOT's.
Part II currently has funding to support the selection of no more than
3 metropolitan areas to receive Federal grants of no more than $2
million each, but may receive additional funding through future
appropriations. The focus in both Part I and Part II of the TTID
program is to enhance existing surveillance infrastructure in
participating areas through integration, along with strategic
deployment of supplemental surveillance infrastructure. The enhanced
surveillance infrastructure and performance data generated will be used
to: (1) Aid the public sector partner in carrying out system management
activities including operations, planning, analysis, and maintenance;
(2) support provision of basic traveler information to the public at no
cost to the public; (3) provide opportunities for commercialization of
other Advanced Traveler Information Services (ATIS); and (4) support
submittal of data and system performance measure reports to the U.S.
DOT/FHWA on a monthly basis.
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\1\ A copy of the current task order contract may be obtained by
contacting Chung Eng at (202) 366-8043 or chung.eng@fhwa.dot.gov.
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U.S. DOT/FHWA Objectives
The U.S. DOT/FHWA will provide funding under the 2-part TTID
program to:
Build, enhance, and/or integrate intelligent
transportation infrastructure in major metropolitan areas to enable and
help manage the continuous monitoring of the roadway system for
purposes of providing real-time as well as archived data to aid in the
operation, planning, analysis, and maintenance activities of the U.S.
DOT/FHWA and State and local agencies;
Enhance the quality, availability, and accessibility of
transportation system performance data to enable the calculation of
mobility performance and system reliability measures while satisfying
system operational needs at the same time;
Provide to the U.S. DOT/FHWA specified performance data
and reports;
Provide a traveler information service that includes free
public access to basic traveler information, and supports provision of
a 511 based telephone service;
Realize and publicize the benefits of regionally
integrated and interoperable intelligent transportation infrastructure
capable of supporting regional as well as national needs;
Provide private technology commercialization initiatives
to generate revenues that will be reinvested in the intelligent
transportation infrastructure system;
Aggregate data into reports for multipoint data
distribution techniques; and
With respect to Part I of the TTID program, use an
advanced information system designed and monitored by an entity with
experience with the Department of Transportation in the design and
monitoring of high reliability, mission critical voice and data
systems.
Funding
The U.S. DOT/FHWA will select up to 11 metropolitan areas to
participate in Part I, and up to 3 metropolitan areas to participate in
Part II. A total of up to $2 million in Federal funds per metropolitan
area will be made available to the consenting metropolitan areas
selected. For Part I, the Federal funding will be made available to the
[[Page 60872]]
selected partnerships through an existing contract involving the
Consortium. For Part II, the Federal funding will be made available to
the selected partnerships through competitive awards to one or more
private partners to be selected by the U.S. DOT/FHWA, with appropriate
input and consent from the selected metropolitan areas.
Federal funding for the TTID program shall be used to support:
1. Creation of a process and mechanism to collect, integrate,
archive, manage, and report new and existing transportation data for
mobility and performance monitoring, planning, evaluation, and other
similar purposes;
2. Creation of a data repository of new and existing real-time
traveler information for dissemination to the traveling public through
a variety of delivery mechanisms, including support for a 511 based
telephone service, and free public access to basic traveler
information, and commercial traveler information services;
3. Creation of a regional transportation information system that
integrates and supplements existing surveillance infrastructure to
support public sector transportation management needs and private
sector commercialization; and
4. Accommodation/integration of existing transportation data
collection, archival, and dissemination mechanisms.
There will be a twenty percent matching share ($500,000 match
required if full $2 million in federal funds is provided) that must be
from non-federally derived funding sources, as required in sections
5508 of SAFETEA-LU and 5117(b)(3) of TEA-21. For the purposes of this
program, this matching share must consist of a cash contribution to the
project. The non-federally derived funding may come from State, local
government, or private sector partners.
Note: Funding identified to support continued operations,
maintenance, and management of the system will not be considered as
part of the partnership's cost-share contribution.
The U.S.DOT/FHWA and the Comptroller General of the United States
will have the right to access all documents pertaining to the use of
Federal funds and non-Federal contributions. Non-Federal partners must
maintain sufficient documentation to substantiate these costs. Such
items as direct labor, fringe benefits, material costs, consultant
costs, public involvement costs, subcontractor costs, and travel costs
should be included in that documentation.
Eligibility
Eligible Areas Defined
Group A: Deployment areas in active negotiations under
current contract.
Group B: Deployment areas that had previously opted out of
the ITIP program.
Group C: Newly eligible congested areas.
Table I.--Eligible Areas
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Group A * Group B Group C
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1 Las Vegas........................... 1 Birmingham............ 1 Albany.
2 Miami............................... 2 Cincinnati............ 2 Atlanta.
3 New York/Northern New Jersey **..... 3 Cleveland............. 3 Austin.
4 Orlando............................. 4 Dallas/Fort Worth..... 4 Burlington.
5 Salt Lake City...................... 5 Denver................ 5 Charlotte.
6 Houston............... 6 Columbus, OH.
7 Indianapolis.......... 7 Greensboro.
8 Portland, OR.......... 8 Hartford.
9 Jacksonville.
10 Kansas City.
11 Louisville.
12 Milwaukee.
13 Minneapolis/St. Paul.
14 Nashville.
15 New Orleans.
16 Norfolk (Virginia Beach).
17 Raleigh/Durham.
18 Richmond.
19 Sacramento.
20 San Jose.
21 Tucson.
22 Tulsa.
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* Group A areas will be given first priority for participation in Part I.
** New Jersey had previously opted not to participate, but will have an opportunity to express consent as part
of the New York/Northern New Jersey metropolitan area if New York does not execute a local agreement with the
Consortium under the current contract by February 6, 2006.
Eligibility Summary
Current Contract--Continuity of the current contract will
be maintained during the 180 day period. Accordingly, Group A areas may
proceed as normal during this period to negotiate and execute a local
agreement with the Consortium any time through February 6, 2006, and
begin deployment under the terms of the current contract.
Part I--Group A areas unable to execute a local agreement
with the Consortium by February 6, 2006, may maintain eligibility by
expressing consent to participate or establishing a date by which they
will consent to participate by February 6, 2006. Group B and Group C
areas may also express consent to participate or establish a date by
which they will consent to participate in Part I by February 6, 2006.
In selecting consenting areas to participate in Part I, first priority
will be given to Group A areas. Groups B and C will receive equal
priority. Priority within individual groups will be based on congestion
rankings contained in ``The 2005 Urban Mobility Report'' \2\ developed
by the Texas Transportation Institute. Rankings for the eligible areas
are shown in Table II below. All Groups proceed with the understanding
that
[[Page 60873]]
distribution of available funding to the selected consenting areas from
all Groups will begin immediately after February 6, 2006. Those areas
that choose to establish a date beyond February 6, 2006, by which they
will consent to participate will be accommodated only as remaining
funding permits when consent to participate is actually provided.
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\2\ A copy of ``The 2005 Urban Mobility Report'' is available
from the Texas Transportation Institute at the following URL: http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/
.
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Once selected for participation in Part I, the selected
metropolitan areas must establish a partnership and execute a
partnership agreement with the Consortium within 180 days of being
notified by the FHWA of selection, or forfeit the right to participate
in Part I. Selected metropolitan areas must be willing to work within
the current contractual mechanism for the initial deployments. This
will involve the following:
1. The FHWA has a contractual arrangement with the Consortium in
the form of a task order under the DOT's Information Technology Omnibus
Procurement (ITOP) program to develop and deploy systems in up to 25
metropolitan areas. Since this program extension is basically a
continuation of the current ITOP task order, the Federal funds provided
will continue to be made available to the selected partnerships through
this arrangement.
Note: This involves direct payment to the Consortium of the
Federal funds to be provided; and
2. The selected metropolitan areas are expected to negotiate their
own partnership agreements with the Consortium to address any specific
needs beyond those included in the ITOP task order, including the
facilitation of their financial contribution and accommodation of the
work to be performed. This will include a commitment to share existing
surveillance data with the Consortium and to provide access to rights-
of-way for the installation of additional surveillance infrastructure
by the Consortium. The ITOP task order(s), including payment schedule,
will be adjusted as necessary to reflect the agreements that have been
individually negotiated between the selected metropolitan areas/States
and the private partner. Information on ITOP can be found at the
following URL: http://www.gsa.gov/ Portal/gsa/ep/channelView.
do?pageTypeId=8199& channelPage=/ep/channel/ gsaOverview.jsp&
channelId=-15642.
Part II--Group A areas unable to execute a local agreement
with Traffic.com by February 6, 2006, may also express consent to
participate or establish a date by which they will consent to
participate in Part II by February 6, 2006. Group B and Group C areas
may also express consent to participate or establish a date by which
they will consent to participate in Part II by February 6, 2006. No
preference will be given to any Groups in the selection of Part II
participants. Rather, selection will be prioritized based on congestion
rankings contained in ``The 2005 Urban Mobility Report'' developed by
the Texas Transportation Institute. Rankings for the eligible areas are
shown in Table II. Once selected for participation in Part II, the
selected metropolitan areas will be asked to provide appropriate input
to a Federal competitive process for the selection of a private
partner. The selected metropolitan areas will also need to negotiate a
separate partnership agreement with the chosen private partner to
address any specific needs beyond those included in the Federal
contract, including the facilitation of their financial contribution
and accommodation of the work to be performed. Federal funding will be
made available to the selected partnerships through the Federal
contract with the chosen private partner.
Eligible areas may express consent to participate as follows: only
for Part I; only for Part II; or for both Part I and Part II of the
program. Eligible areas expressing consent to participate only for Part
I or only for Part II will receive consideration only for the part
indicated. Those eligible areas that express consent to participate for
both Part I and Part II proceed with the understanding that a single
area will ultimately be eligible to participate in only one part of the
program. Once selected to participate in one part of ITIP, an eligible
area will receive no further consideration for participation in the
other part. Any eligible area that expresses consent to participate for
both parts, and whose ranking makes them candidates for selection for
both parts at the same time, will be given the choice of participating
in one or the other.
Table II.--Congestion Rankings (Based on Data From ``The 2005 Urban
Mobility Report'' Developed by the Texas Transportation Institute)
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Rank/Metro area Rank/Metro area
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1 Atlanta................................. 19 Salt Lake City (Group A).
2 Houston................................. 20 Las Vegas (Group A).
3 Dallas / Fort Worth..................... 21 Cincinnati.
4 Orlando (Group A)....................... 22 Columbus, OH.
5 San Jose................................ 23 Raleigh / Durham.
6 Miami (Group A)......................... 24 Birmingham.
7 Denver.................................. 25 Greensboro *.
8 Austin.................................. 26 Norfolk (Virginia Beach).
9 New York (Group A)...................... 27 Milwaukee.
10 Minneapolis / St. Paul................. 28 New Orleans.
11 Charlotte.............................. 29 Kansas City.
12 Louisville............................. 30 Richmond.
13 Sacramento............................. 31 Hartford.
14 Portland, OR........................... 32 Albany.
15 Indianapolis........................... 33 Tulsa.
16 Nashville.............................. 34 Cleveland.
17 Tucson................................. 35 Burlington*.
18 Jacksonville........................... ............................
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* Data for Greensboro and Burlington were appended to the report.
Instructions to Respondents
Expressions of consent to participate should be in the form of a
written letter and must be submitted by the State DOT for the
respective eligible areas. Local transportation agencies/organizations
that are interested in participating in the program should coordinate
with their respective State DOT's to submit a joint expression of
consent. Only one expression of consent will be accepted from each
eligible area. It is understood that an expression of consent to
participate is merely a commitment to enter into negotiations for
possible participation in the program. Expressions of consent should
include the following:
Identify the eligible area represented and the agency/
organization or agencies/organizations involved. Joint expressions of
consent should identify the lead agency/organization;
Provide an expression of consent to participate, or a date
by which consent to participate will be provided, in one of the
following: only in Part I; only in Part II; or in both Part I and Part
II;
Provide a statement to the effect that the purpose of the
program is understood;
Acknowledge understanding that the following commitments
are necessary in order to participate:
1. Satisfy the non-Federal match requirement (80/20 Federal/non-
Federal);
2. Work with private partner toward achievement of program
objectives;
3. Share existing surveillance data with private partner;
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4. Provide access to rights-of-way for installation of additional
surveillance infrastructure by the private partner.
Identify a point of contact along with appropriate contact
information.
For those areas that do not have any interest in participating in
either part of the program, we ask that the appropriate State DOT
submit a simple letter response identifying the area, and including a
statement similar to the following: ``We understand the purpose of the
U.S. DOT's Transportation Technology Innovation and Demonstration
Program, and do not wish to participate in either part of this
program.''
Information Sessions: Two information sessions will be available to
interested transportation agencies/organizations from the eligible
areas to address any questions or concerns relating to participation in
the program. The information sessions will be conducted via video
conferencing with linkages to appropriate local FHWA Division Offices.
Times and locations for the sessions are as follows:
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Session 1: 11/8/05 (2 p.m. ET) Session 2: 11/10/05 (1 p.m. ET)
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FHWA division offices Address FHWA division offices Address
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Arizona........................... One Arizona Center, Suite Alabama.............. 500 Eastern Blvd., Suite
410, 400 East Van Buren 200, Montgomery, AL
St., Phoenix, AZ 85004- 36117-2018.
2285.
California........................ 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 4- Connecticut.......... 628-2 Hebron Ave., Suite
100, Sacramento, CA 95814. 303, Glastonbury, CT
06033-5007.
Colorado.......................... 12300 West Dakota Ave., Florida.............. 545 John Knox Rd., Suite
Suite 180, Lakewood, CO 200, Tallahassee, FL
80228. 32303.
Kansas............................ 6111 SW 29th Street, Suite Georgia.............. 61 Forsyth St., SW.,
100, Topeka, KS 66614- Suite 17T100, Atlanta,
4271. GA 30303-3104.
Louisiana......................... 5304 Flanders Dr., Suite Indiana.............. 575 N. Pennsylvania St.,
A, Baton Rouge, LA 70808- Rm 254, Indianapolis, IN
4348. 46204-1576.
Minnesota......................... Galtier Plaza, 380 Jackson Kentucky............. 330 W. Broadway,
St., Suite 500, St. Paul, Frankfort, KY 40601-
MN 55101-2904. 1922.
Missouri.......................... 209 Adams St., Jefferson New Jersey........... 840 Bear Tavern Rd.,
City, MO 65101-3203. Suite 310, West Trenton,
NJ 08628-1019.
Nevada............................ 705 North Plaza St., Suite New York............. Leo W. O'Brien Fed.
220, Carson City, NV Bldg., Rm 719, Clinton
89701-0602. Ave. and North Pearl
St., Albany, NY 12207.
Oklahoma.......................... 300 N. Meridian, Suite 105 North Carolina....... 310 New Bern Ave., Suite
S, Oklahoma City, OK 410, Raleigh, NC 27601-
73107-6560. 1441.
Oregon............................ The Equitable Center, Ohio................. 200 North High St., Room
Suite 100, 530 Center 328, Columbus, OH 43215.
Street, NE., Salem, OR
97301-3740.
Texas............................. Federal Office Building, Tennessee............ 640 Grassmere Park Ro.,
300 East Eighth St., Room Suite 112, Nashville, TN
826, Austin, TX 78701- 37211-3568.
3233.
Utah.............................. 2520 West 4700 South, Vermont.............. Federal Building, 87
Suite 9A, Salt Lake City, State St., Montpelier,
UT 84118-1847. VT 05602-2954.
Washington........................ Suite 501, Evergreen Virginia............. 400 North 8th St., Room
Plaza, 711 South Capitol 750, Richmond, VA 23240.
Way, Olympia, WA 98501-
1284.
Wisconsin......................... Highpoint Office Park, 567 .........................
D'Onofrio Dr., Madison,
WI 53719-2814.
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Authority: Sec. 5117(b)(3) of Public Law 105-178, as amended by
title IX of Public Law 105-206; and Sec. 5508 of Public Law 109-59
(119 Stat. 1144).
Issued on: October 13, 2005.
J. Richard Capka,
Acting Federal Highway Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-20870 Filed 10-18-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P