OVERVIEW

       This group had its formative meeting on June 14 1999.  It began its more formal sessions under the Co-chairs on Oct. 19, 1999 and met again Jan 27, 2000. Its next meeting is scheduled for April 12, 2000.  The recent Working Group Guidelines prepared by TRB have provided the group a stronger sense of the scale and scope of the effort and will help energize and focus  its remaining activities.
 

PARTICIPANTS

      The sessions have been well attended throughout by a mix of public and private players from all fields and marked by useful and positive contributions from many sectors.  If a concern needs to be voiced it may be that the group may have top heavy with Federal Highway Administration employees in its early stages.  Efforts have been made to redress that. 

The group now has a set of official representatives from organizations that have  important potential input to the proceedings. These include:

          RAC, 
          CUTC
          RTCC 
          SCOR; (Standing Comm. On Research), AASHTO 
          RAC, (Reseach Advisory Committee), AASHTO
          SCEED, (Special Comm. for Economic Expansion and 
                          Development) AASHTO
          SCOP: (Standing Comm. On Planning) AASHTO

STATUS 

The TRB Guidelines identify six activities in its charge to the Working Groups. 

1. identify the major issues in their area of interest 
2. review existing R&T programs
3. assess the coverage in relation to the current issues
4. determine priority R&T theme areas
5. develop marketing information on benefits 
6. facilitate partnerships and coordination 

These six activities provide a useful platform for a status report. 

          1. Identify the major issues in their area of interest 

This effort has constituted the major thrust of activities with a great deal of comment and discussion.  The work of other groups have been assembled and synthesized.  A set of 16 issues have been produced and posted on the website for comment. Comments have been received and a final set of issues will be presented on April 12 for ratification.

          2. Review existing R&T programs

This has been the other major activity of the group.  Contributions have been made by:

                 FHWA
                 BTS
                 RSPA
                 OST
                 FTA
                 AASHTO
                 CUTC
                 NARC 
                 TRB
                 NCHRP
                 TCHRP
 

These presentations now need to be codified and summarized. The April 12 meeting will establish responsibility for this activity.  

          3. Assess the coverage in relation to the current issues

Formal Work has only begun in this area, although it was an aspect of the presentations and discussions of issues and program activities.  The April 12 meeting will treat this in depth and establish responsibility for further steps in this activity.  

          4. Determine priority R&T theme areas

Preliminary work has been done here with eight major theme areas developed as part of the issues development activity. It is expected that these theme areas will be made final at the April 12 meeting.  A remaining question is whether the topic of Systems Monitoring should be treated as a separate element or an aspect of all of the theme areas.

          5. Develop marketing information on benefits 

          6. Facilitate partnerships and coordination 

Only peripheral work has been done in these areas.  Discussion of the scope of these activities and assignments of lead actors will be made at the April 12 meeting. 

NEXT STEPS 

A major part of the focus of the effort will be centered in the April 12 meeting as seen from the above.  In that meeting progress to date will be codified and future plans and assignments for the year established based on the TRB guidelines. It is expected that at least one additional meeting will be held in September to receive results of the remaining tasks, notably 3, 5 and 6.  In addition, there will be “hearings” held to obtain further input, at the NATMEC conference this August in Wisconsin where all of the TRB  Data Committees will assemble.  It may be necessary to plan for another meeting between April and September depending on the results of the April 12 meeting.  It is expected at this point that the goal of a product by the end of the year can be met. 

Submitted by Alan E. Pisarski for ML Tischer and himself