Ever run into a transportation issue where you just don't
know what to do next?
Well, the U.S. DOT's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
ITS Joint Program Office has been assisting public sector agencies with this
type of dilemma since 1996 when the Intelligent Transportation Systems
Peer-to-Peer Program was initiated.
In the beginning, the FHWA decided to select a contractor to
provide the program's daily operational and administrative functions and
Michael Baker Jr. Inc. is currently under contract to fulfill these needs. The
program began as a multimodal technical assistance and technology transfer
program sponsored by the FHWA, the Federal Transit Administration and the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in the area of intelligent
transportation systems.
In addition to supporting the interests of highway, transit
and commercial vehicle communities the program recently commenced serving
requests related to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
The program operates by encouraging, receiving, and serving
requests for technical assistance from FHWA, FTA and FMCSA offices; the
headquarters and district offices of state departments of transportation;
transit authorities; turnpike and tollway authorities; metropolitan planning
organizations; city and county transportation and public works offices; and
transportation management agencies.
Assistance is free to eligible agencies regarding system
planning, deployment, operations and many other aspects of the transportation
industry. Deployment of ITS and traffic control devices throughout the nation
is vast and is constantly advancing, and the Peer-to-Peer Program makes it
easier for an agency to find the specific information that it needs. This saves
time and money, enabling more of its resources to be focused elsewhere.
How the program works
Sounds great so far right? But how can this program help
agencies with deployment or finding the right location for their new traffic
control device?
The program is unique in its focus on public sector peers to
deliver technical assistance to public agencies. The over 200 U.S. DOT approved
peers that are currently included in the program are capable of assisting with
any aspect of ITS and traffic control devices.
Peers volunteer their time to participate in the program and
foster technology and knowledge exchange with requesting agencies. In many
cases, the working relationship built from the exchange continues long after
the program request is complete.
The public sector peers are of great value to the program
because they demonstrate that technologies and processes can be successfully
deployed despite various obstacles, giving the requesting agency a measure of
confidence and the knowledge that they are not alone in their struggles to
advance.
A team approach
The technical capabilities of federal staff are tapped as
the first resource to satisfy the requestor's needs and activities are fully
coordinated with FHWA division offices and resource centers, FTA regional
offices and FHWA, FTA and FMCSA Headquarters in a "consulting team"
approach.
The type of technical assistance provided by the
Peer-to-Peer Program depends on the request. For roughly 40% of the requests,
direct peer assistance is given--either through onsite support or other
contact.
For the other 60% of requests, it is sufficient to identify
points of contact and furnish resource materials so that the agency can gain
broader knowledge on a given topic. In some cases, agencies are unaware of the
products and services delivered through FHWA's resource centers, division
offices and metropolitan offices.
The Peer-to-Peer Program takes great advantage of the vast
federal resources and of dedicated outreach and technical assistance programs,
such as those offered through the National ITS Architecture Team, the National
ITS Standards Team and others.
Success stories
In an effort to substantiate the effectiveness of the
program, "Success Stories" are compiled quarterly based on completed
requests.
One such success story was a request from Hillsborough
County Traffic Services in Tampa, Fla. The county was in need of guidance that
would assist with further development of their ITS program. Three peers and one
federal representative participated in a one-day workshop that addressed issues
including fund allocation, interagency cooperation, traffic management center
operations, deployment and ITS stakeholder issues.
After the workshop, the Hillsborough County area was more
prepared to form a regional effort to implement a multimodal ITS approach
designed to meet the transportation needs of a varied customer base, reduced
congestion and improved air quality.
Another recent success story is the site visit
representatives from the Oklahoma Tax Commission took to Maryland. The purpose
of the trip was to understand Maryland's International Registration Program and
determine if Oklahoma could utilize/adopt the system as a starting point for
the IRP development work on their electronic credentialing project.
As a result of the site visit it was determined that
Oklahoma would be able to use databases in Maryland's system, with future
consideration to adopt the entire system. The two states plan to work together
in the future on this project and its legislative matters.
These examples show different aspects of the assistance
provided through the program, but the end result is the same--gain knowledge
from those that have already accomplished implementation and also save
resources that could be used for deployment.
In short, the ITS Peer-to-Peer Program was intended to
provide resources in the area of ITS and while this goal is being met, the
program continues to grow and serve the transportation community in many
different ways, such as with traffic control devices.
With this growth the program has maintained its place as a
successful resource for agencies that are in need of technical assistance and
has become one of the best and most effective examples of "Solutions to
Transportation Challenges" that are available today. TME
To get the ITS Peer-to-Peer Program working for you call
888.700.PEER or e-mail P2P@fhwa.dot.gov
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