Solicitation of Proposals for Designation of Beyond Traffic Innovation Centers |
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Anthony R. Foxx
U.S. Department of Transportation
17 January 2017
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4965-4967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00824]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Solicitation of Proposals for Designation of Beyond Traffic
Innovation Centers
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent to designate Beyond Traffic Innovation
Centers.
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SUMMARY: Beyond Traffic is the Department of Transportation's (``DOT''
or the ``Department'') draft 30-year framework for the future (the full
report can be found here: https://www.transportation.gov/BeyondTraffic). It lays out key trends that will affect the future of
our transportation system. To further this understanding, the DOT is
requesting proposals from applicants to form an initial network of
multiple centers, focused--through academic activities and programs--on
delivering solutions to the challenges outlined in Beyond Traffic.
These entities will be designated as ``USDOT Beyond Traffic Innovation
Centers'' and will serve as thought leaders responsible for continuing
the conversation surrounding the future of transportation. USDOT Beyond
Traffic Innovation Center activities could include identifying possible
solutions in their megaregion (Beyond Traffic, p. 25), including but
not limited to: Evaluating and researching new technologies relevant to
tackling transportation challenges with the megaregion, identification
and development of training approaches for the megaregion's future
transportation workforce, and convening practitioners, public and
private leaders within the megaregion to help identify specific actions
that can be taken in the megaregion to address its challenges over the
30 years.
DATES: Proposals must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on December 21,
2016.
ADDRESSES: Final proposals must not exceed 4 pages in length, and must
be submitted electronically to: BeyondTraffic@dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning
this notice, please contact BeyondTraffic@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department is requesting applications to
be designated as a USDOT Beyond Traffic Innovation Center. Read this
notice in its entirety so that you have all the information you need to
determine whether you would like to submit a proposal.
Description: In the enabling legislation that established the DOT,
the Secretary of Transportation is vested with the responsibility to
report on current and future conditions of our transportation system.
With the Nation's transportation system experiencing repeated impacts
due to population growth, changes in climate, a stressed freight
network, and inaction to address these impacts, such a discourse could
not come at a more crucial time. Beyond Traffic 2045: Trends and
Choices has been developed by a team of Departmental experts, with
input from the public, to conduct a comprehensive examination of our
Nation's transportation system. In the fall of
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2015, Secretary Foxx and his team travelled to eleven emerging
megaregions to solicit feedback on the draft report. Specifically,
communities provided feedback on the gaps in opportunity exacerbated by
disparities in transportation access and past infrastructure decisions.
The designated USDOT Beyond Traffic Innovation Centers will help to
continue this conversation in their respective megaregions, including,
but not limited to: Evaluating and researching new technologies
relevant to tackling transportation challenges with the megaregion,
identification and development of training approaches for the
megaregion's future transportation workforce, and convening
practitioners, public and private leaders with the megaregion to help
identify specific actions that can be taken in the megaregion to
address its challenges over the 30 years. For this purpose, the DOT is
seeking applications from eligible entities that would like to be
designated as a USDOT Beyond Traffic Innovation Center. The Centers
will form a community of forward-thinking researchers, students, and
thought leaders who can help drive our Nation's transportation systems
forward by addressing the following questions:
How will we move? How will we build a transportation
system to accommodate a growing population and changing travel
patterns?
How will we move things? How will we reduce freight
chokepoints that drive up the cost of owning a business?
How will we move better? How will we knock down barriers
to new technologies that promise to make travel safer and more
convenient?
How will we adapt? How will we make our infrastructure
resilient to more frequent catastrophic weather events?
How will we grow opportunity for all Americans?
How will we align decisions and dollars, and invest the
trillions of dollars our transportation system needs in the smartest
way possible?
USDOT Beyond Traffic Innovation Centers will be recognized by the
Department of Transportation as forward-thinking and influential
institutions that are capable of driving solutions to the challenges
identified in Beyond Traffic, through research, curriculum, outreach,
and other activities.
Designation Decisions: The Secretary of Transportation will make
all designations under this notice. A designation as a USDOT Beyond
Traffic Innovation Center is not an award of Federal financial
assistance.
Eligibility Information: The following entities are eligible for
designation as a USDOT Beyond Traffic Innovation Center. Individuals
are not eligible for designation under this notice. The Department
actively encourages the inclusion of minority-serving institutions.
Eligible entities include:
U.S. non-profit institutions of higher education as
defined under 20 U.S.C. 1001(a). Non-profit institutions of higher
education may include qualifying two-year institutions that meet the
requirements of 20 U.S.C. 1001(a). This includes existing and future
University Transportation Centers and applicants.
Non-profit organizations described under section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (IRC) and exempt from tax under
section 501(a) of such code.
Selection Criteria: The Secretary of Transportation will make all
designations. Selections will be based on the applicant's submittal in
response to the information required immediately below:
Applications must include the following:
Commitment to continuing the conversation launched by
Beyond Traffic, as demonstrated through a clear action plan for
furthering these ideas, such as transportation solutions for their
megaregion, including, but not limited to: Evaluating and researching
new technologies relevant to tackling transportation challenges with
the megaregion, identification and development of training approaches
for the megaregion's future transportation workforce, and convening
practitioners, public and private leaders with the megaregion to help
identify specific actions that can be taken in the megaregion to
address its challenges over the 30 years. A designated Beyond Traffic
Coordinator who will commit to participating in future events related
to megaregion development with USDOT must be named as part of the
application.
DOT will also consider the following:
The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the
commitment outlined above and administers an established academic or
outreach program.
The capability of the applicant to provide leadership in
making national and regional contributions to the conversation around
the future of our transportation system.
The applicant's ability and willingness to maintain a
working relationship with the Department's relevant research program
offices. The application should describe this proposed relationship,
including aspects such as potential participation in conferences,
meetings, joint research efforts, and submission of activity reports to
the DOT on a routine basis.
The extent to which the State or locality in which the
applicant is located can provide applicable solutions for the broader
region and surrounding corridor for improved mobility through the
advancement of emerging technologies.
The demonstrated research and extension resources
available to the applicant for carrying out activities and programs as
they relate to Beyond Traffic.
Review And Selection Process: DOT will review all applications
received by the deadline. The designation review and selection process
consists of two phases: Eligibility & Technical Review and Senior
Review. In the Eligibility & Technical Review phase, DOT staff will (1)
ensure that the applicant is eligible (see Eligibility Information
section) and (2) assess the applicant's ability to meet the mandatory
criteria and one or more of the other Selection Criteria enumerated
above. In the Senior Review phase, which includes senior leadership
from DOT, specific applications may be advanced to the Secretary for
selection. In making recommendations, the Senior Review team may seek
to ensure the inclusion of minority-serving institutions. The Secretary
may select from applications advanced by the Senior Review team for
designations.
Designation Notice: The Secretary will announce designations by
posting a list of USDOT Beyond Traffic Innovation Centers at
www.transportation.gov/BeyondTraffic. The Department anticipates that
the selection of the initial USDOT Beyond Traffic Innovation Centers
will be completed during the first quarter of calendar year 2017. The
Department may make additional designations on an annual basis or as
deemed appropriate.
Designation Agency Contacts: For further information concerning
this notice, please contact the Department via email at
BeyondTraffic@dot.gov.
Other Information: All information submitted as part of or in
support of any application shall use publicly available data or data
that can be made public and methodologies that are accepted by industry
practice and standards, to the extent possible. If the application
includes information you consider to be a trade secret or confidential
commercial or financial information, the applicant should do the
following: (1) Note on the front cover that the submission ``Contains
Confidential Business Information (CBI)''; (2) mark each affected page
``CBI''; and (3)
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highlight or otherwise denote the CBI portions. DOT protects such
information from disclosure to the extent allowed under applicable law.
In the event DOT receives a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
for the information, DOT will follow the procedures described in its
FOIA regulations at 49 CFR 7.17. Only information that is ultimately
determined to be confidential under that procedure will be exempt from
disclosure under FOIA.
Dated: December 6, 2016.
Anthony R. Foxx,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-00824 Filed 1-13-17; 8:45 am]
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