Participation in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Field Operational Test Program |
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Topics: Federal Highway Administration
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Rodney E. Slater
Federal Register
November 21, 1994
[Federal Register: November 21, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Participation in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
Field Operational Test Program
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice; request for participation.
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SUMMARY: The DOT seeks offers from the public and private sectors to
form partnerships to conduct operational tests in support of the
national Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) program. This notice
solicits offers to participate in operational tests that concentrate on
evaluating the benefits of the following ITS user service areas: (1)
International Border Electronic Clearance; (2) Automated Collision
Notification; and (3) Intelligent Cruise Control.
The intent of this notice is to assess, using the selection
criteria set forth below, a proposed operational test's potential for
contributing to the advancement of the national ITS program, the
proposed technical and management approaches for the test, and the
appropriateness of the proposed Federal role in the project. The
selection criteria set forth in today's notice supersede the criteria
presented in previous operational test notices. This notice has been
developed by the FHWA in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Transit Administration
(FTA), and the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA).
DATES: Operational test offers must be received on or before February
19, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Offers to participate in the ITS operational test program
should be submitted directly to the Federal Highway Administration,
Office of Traffic Management and ITS Applications, Operational Test
Division, (HTV-20), 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, D.C. 20590.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For FHWA: Mr. George Schoene, Office
of Traffic Management and ITS Applications, Operational Test Division,
HTV-20, (202) 366-6726; Mr. Steve Crane, Intelligent Transportation
System/Commercial Vehicle Operations Team, HMT-10, (202) 366-0950; or
Ms. Julie Dingle, FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel, HCC-32, (202) 366-
0780. For NHTSA: Mr. August Burgett, NHTSA Office of Crash Avoidance
Research, NRD-50, (202) 366-5672. For FTA: Mr. Denis Symes, FTA Office
of Technical Assistance and Safety, TTS-30, (202) 366-0232. All of the
agencies are located at 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, D.C. 20590.
Office hours for the FHWA are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., for
the NHTSA are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., for the FTA are from
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ITS program involves a range of advanced
technologies and system concepts that, when used in combination, can
improve mobility and transportation productivity, enhance safety,
maximize the use of existing transportation facilities, conserve energy
resources, and reduce adverse environmental effects. These goals
contribute significantly to the DOT's broader goal of developing a
national intermodal transportation system for moving people and goods
in a safe and energy-efficient manner. The ``Department of
Transportation's Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS) Strategic
Plan'' (DOT Publication No. FHWA-SA-93-009) describes DOT's goals,
objectives, and program delivery plans for research and development,
operational testing, deployment, and long-term ITS development under
the Automated Highway System program.
Operational tests serve as the transition between research and
development (R&D) and full scale deployment of IS technologies. An
operational test integrates existing technology, R&D products,
institutional, and perhaps regulatory arrangements to test one, and
usually more, new technological, institutional, or financial elements
in a real world test. The tests permit an evaluation of how well newly
developed ITS technologies work under real operating conditions and
assess the benefits and public support for the product or system.
Operational tests are conducted in a ``real world'' operational highway
environment under actual transportation conditions. This distinguishes
operational tests from research projects or other kinds of testing, for
example simulation testing, test tracks, or tests on facilities that
are temporarily closed to the public.
ITS operational tests are conducted as cooperative ventures between
the DOT and a variety of public and private partners, including State
and local governments, private companies, and universities. The
``Department of Transportation's IVHS Strategic Plan'' summarizes the
roles of each participant in the National ITS Program and operational
tests. The general Federal role is to act as a leader and a catalyst,
and to ensure adequate emphasis on public benefits. The DOT also guides
the design and conduct of the project evaluation to ensure that the
project is independently evaluated on a national program scale. The
participating DOT administrations, the FHWA, the NHTSA, the FTA, and
the RSPA are involved in ITS and their specific ITS program needs will
tailor the particular arrangements of the operational tests.
The DOT is also developing a National ITS Program Plan which will
build on and expand the ``Department of Transportation's IVHS Strategic
Plan,'' providing the detailed ``road map'' required to both plan and
track progress toward deploying systems and technologies that support
user services of the ITS program.
The Program Plan is being developed based on the following set of
ITS User Services:
1.0 Travel and Traffic Management
1.1 Pre-Trip Travel Information
1.2 En-route Driver Information
1.3 Route Guidance
1.4 Ride Matching and Reservation
1.5 Traveler Services Information
1.6 Traffic Control
1.7 Incident Management
1.8 Travel Demand Management
2.0 Public Transportation Management
2.1 Public Transportation Management
2.2 En-route Transit Information
2.3 Personalized Public Transit
2.4 Public Travel Security
3.0 Electronic Payment
3.1 Electronic Payment Services
4.0 Commercial Vehicle Operations
4.1 Commercial Vehicle Electronic Clearance
4.2 Automated Roadside Safety Inspections
4.3 On-Board Safety Monitoring
4.4 Commercial Vehicle Administrative Processes
4.5 Hazardous Material Incident Response
4.6 Commercial Fleet Management
5.0 Emergency Management
5.1 Emergency Notification and Personal Security
5.2 Emergency Vehicle Management
6.0 Advanced Vehicle Safety Systems
6.1 Longitudinal Collision Avoidance
6.2 Lateral Collision Avoidance
6.3 Intersection Collision Avoidance
6.4 Vision Enhancement for Crash Avoidance
6.5 Safety Readiness
6.6 Pre-crash Restraint Deployment
6.7 Automated Vehicle Operation
The Program Plan will include estimated milestones for each user
service which will form the basis for selecting an area for operational
tests. Several notices may be issued during the year to solicit
specific operational tests based on milestones established for each
user service, as will be outlined in the National ITS Program Plan,
when completed.
To obtain a copy of the latest draft of the ITS National Program
Plan, please provide a self-addressed label to: Federal Highway
Administration, HTV-10, 400 Seventh Street SW., room 3400, Washington,
DC. 20590. Additionally, a brief synopsis of existing operational tests
is provided in a publication titled ``Intelligent Vehicle Highway
Systems (IVHS) Projects, March 1994'' (DOT Publication No. HTV-10/4-
94(7M)QE). To obtain a copy, please provide a self-addressed label to:
Federal Highway Administration, HTV-20, 400 Seventh Street SW., room
3400, Washington, DC. 20590.
Proposed Operational Tests
The information below further describes the operational tests
needed in the identified focus areas. It is the DOT's intention to fund
offers in these areas. These are listed in order of the user service
numbering sequence identified in the program plan.
1. International Border Electronic Clearance (Commercial Vehicle
Electronic Clearance--User Service 4.1)
An operational test is needed to evaluate strategies to facilitate
the movement of commercial traffic at highway crossings along the
United States-Mexico border. This test would involve the development of
electronic credentials and records that could be used to automatically
verify the identity of the shipper, and the nature of the cargo, check
carrier safety and credential records. The purpose of this test is to
extend the electronic clearance concept for State border crossings to
the Mexican border and support the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA). By working with Mexico, a more efficient traffic flow could be
provided at border crossings and the deployment of technologies in this
country could ultimately prevent overweight, unsafe, or improperly
registered vehicles from entering the United States.
The development of this test, while based on advanced technologies,
will be dependent on the resolution of a number of legal, technical,
and institutional issues. The test will also have to address
specialized enforcement and cargo issues associated with crossing
national borders. Automating the international border crossing process
will require the involvement and cooperation of the immigration and
customs organizations of the countries as well as shippers, carriers,
local officials from the border States and provinces, and other
relevant parties. While the general framework for this concept might be
the same for crossings along the border, specific system designs will
have to accommodate the variations in border crossing, laws, and
language.
The DOT is committed to accelerating testing activities in the area
of International Border Electronic Clearance to provide early
deployment successes in support of the NAFTA and other related ITS
activities. Proposals submitted should reflect this commitment with
realistic, aggressive time schedules and completion dates.
2. Automated Collision Notification (Emergency Notification and
Personal Security--User Service 5.1)
An operational test is needed to evaluate the improvements in
safety and efficiency of emergency services offered by systems that
provide automatic notification of automobile collisions. In automobile
crashes involving life-threatening injuries, time is the most critical
factor in saving lives, therefore, rapid notification and response by
Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel is a necessity.
The primary goal of automatic collision notification is to reduce
these times for medical assistance in those incidents involving serious
injury, where the occupants of the vehicle are incapacitated and unable
to notify authorities on their own.
The operational test will include an in-vehicle collision
notification system which would determine that a serious collision has
occurred, and then automatically transmit information about the
occurrence of the collision to the proper authorities. This system
should have the capability to accurately sense vehicle location, to
sense that the vehicle has been in a collision, and ideally to provide
additional information with regard to the severity of the collision
and/or likely injuries. A report by The Johns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory (``Technology Alternatives for an Automated
Collision Notification System,'' January 1994, publication no. FS-94-
008, available from Mr. Ray Yuan at (301) 953-6356) provides background
on alternative technologies for crash sensing, communicating the crash
occurrence, and fixing the position of a crash.
The NHTSA will contract with an independent party who is not a
member of the partnership to conduct the independent evaluation of this
operational test. The offeror, however, should address those selection
criteria (listed below) involving scheduling, funding, and
responsibilities of members of the partnership in the conduct of the
evaluation. The proposal should also discuss how the partners will
address the protection of the rights and welfare of participants as
spelled out in NHTSA Order 700-1. Persons wishing to obtain a copy of
NHTSA Order 700-1 are directed to the NHTSA individual named above
under the heading, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
3. Intelligent Cruise Control (Longitudinal Collision Avoidance--User
Service 6.1)
An operational test is needed to evaluate improvements in safety
offered by Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) systems. The operational
test should include appropriate number of vehicles with an in-vehicle
ICC system which would control vehicle speed and headway and should not
require active communications from other vehicles or roadside
equipment. This system should, at a minimum, have the capability to
sense distance and relative velocity of other vehicles, accurately
control vehicle speed and headway, and to disregard vehicles in
adjacent lanes.
The primary purpose of ICC systems is a higher level of convenience
than is normally offered with standard cruise control, however these
systems have the potential for decreasing the number and severity of
rear end collisions. The evaluation will address both aspects of ICC.
The proposal should discuss how the partners will address the
protection of the rights and welfare of participants as spelled out in
NHTSA Order 700-1. Persons wishing to obtain a copy of NHTSA Order 700-
1 are directed to the NHTSA individual named above under the heading,
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Proposed Nontechnical Activity Areas
The operational test program provides an ideal opportunity to
assess major institutional and legal challenges inherent in
implementing ITS. The DOT is interested in working with several of the
selected partnerships to evaluate new approaches that: (1) Speed up the
process for executing an ITS partnership agreement; (2) provide for
innovative procurement methods; or (3) provide for innovative financing
strategies. Specifically, the DOT's support may include:
Administrative assistance to facilitate initial
cooperation and communication among the project participants during the
preagreement process. The intent is to involve all project
participants, including contractors and subgrantees, as well as
contract, technical, and legal staff of the project partners.
Funding assistance to State and local governments to
conduct innovative procurements and expedite the procurement process,
particularly for complex, highly technical systems, in connection with
the test. This assistance may include development of an acquisition
plan, preparing statements of work and other contract documents.
Funding assistance for the legal and consulting services
and other costs necessary to implement new funding approaches, such as
user fees, franchise fees, or use of venture capital to leverage
private investment in ITS.
Interested offerors are requested to indicate their willingness to
participate in any of these initiatives and provide additional
information to support the decision for selection.
Evaluation
Evaluation is an integral part of each operational test and
critical to the success of the National ITS Program. The DOT
Operational Test Evaluation Guidelines, dated November, 1993, provides
information on established guidelines and methodology for the
evaluation of operational tests. Persons wishing to obtain a copy of
the DOT Operational Tests Evaluation Guidelines are directed to the
first FHWA individual named above under the heading, FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
The evaluation guidelines, that shall apply to all operational
tests funded in whole or part with Federal ITS funds, are as follows:
1. Individual operational tests will be structured within and have
objectives which are consistent with the DOT's Program Plan for ITS.
This will guide the development of the evaluation goals of each
operational test.
2. The DOT will perform the role of evaluation coordinator for all
operational tests. As evaluation coordinator, the DOT or its agent will
work with the other partners in establishing individual test
objectives, including the national, as well as local, goals and
objectives that must be addressed during the evaluation; in developing
the overall evaluation plan and the detailed experimental design; and
in conducting the actual evaluation.
3. The DOT will conduct the evaluation or require that it be
conducted by an independent party who is not a member of the
partnership responsible for the operational test. The DOT reserves the
right to conduct any additional evaluation deemed necessary to satisfy
the national objectives of the ITS Program. Where the evaluation is
conducted by a party retained by the non-Federal partners, the DOT
shall retain approval authority to ensure the evaluation is acceptable
and unbiased.
4. The ITS Partnership Agreement or other documents used to
establish the operational test and funding arrangements between the DOT
and the other partners will include language to require that an
evaluation plan be prepared in the early phases of the operational
test. There will also be language in all the agreements that
incorporates the provisions of these guidelines.
5. The operational test funding plan shall separately account for
the evaluation phase. Funds identified for the test evaluation shall
not be spent for other portions of the operational tests. The DOT shall
negotiate with the other partners during the initial operational test
definition to ensure an adequate estimate of the funding necessary to
meet the national evaluation objectives.
6. Funding to proceed with detailed systems design and
implementation for the operational test shall not normally be provided
until an evaluation plan has been approved by the DOT. Subsequent
approval stages will be specified in the ITS Partnership Agreement to
ensure adequate development of the test and its evaluation. Funding for
each test may be provided incrementally to allow for the adequate
completion of each of the defined milestones.
7. Nothing in these guidelines shall preclude the non-Federal
partners from conducting additional evaluations for their specific
needs. The non-Federal partners are expected to be involved in specific
phases of the evaluation. At a minimum, the non-Federal partners are
expected to be part of the process to develop the goals and objectives
of the test and the overall evaluation plan. These partners will also
be involved in much of the technical, legal, and institutional data
collection, archiving, and reporting.
8. The DOT reserves the right to require that additional data be
collected and made available to allow the DOT to make comparative
analyses with similar functions or features associated with other
national operational tests.
In all tests, an independent and comprehensive test evaluation must
be undertaken. The offer should indicate how the independent evaluation
will be accomplished and include an estimate of the evaluation cost.
Once the operational test project is underway, the independent
evaluator should be brought into the process just before or, at the
latest, during the development of the detailed evaluation work plan.
Partnership
An ITS operational test will typically involve a carefully crafted
partnership that is negotiated among Federal, State, local, private,
and other institutions. A partner is an entity that participates
directly in the preparation of the operational test offer and plays a
substantial role in defining the scope of the operational test,
technologies included, and financial participation. Management of the
operational tests, including funding, technical and administrative
responsibilities, is shared among the partners in the operational test.
Although an independent evaluator is not considered a formal member of
the partnership, the offer can identify a proposed independent
evaluator.
Potential private sector partners in ITS operational tests are
encouraged, when appropriate, to work with appropriate State and local
transportation agencies or other public sector organizations in the
preparation of proposed cooperative ventures. Partners are also
strongly encouraged to seek participation from certified Minority
Business Enterprise firms, Women Business Enterprise firms,
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise firms, Historically Black Colleges
and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and other minority
colleges. Offerors are also encouraged to seek opportunities that
provide for the use of existing defense and space technologies for ITS
applications.
Funding
In accordance with Sec. 6058 of the Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, Pub. L. 102-240, 105 Stat. 1914,
2194, the maximum share of an operational test funded from Federal
funds, including ITS funds, cannot exceed 80 percent. The remaining 20
percent must be from non-federally derived funding sources and must
consist of either cash, substantial equipment contributions which are
wholly utilized as an integral part of the project, or personnel
services dedicated full-time to operational test purposes for a
substantial period, as long as these staff are not otherwise supported
with Federal funds. The non-federally derived funding may come from
State, local government, or private sector partners. In an ITS
partnership, as with other DOT cost-share contracts, it is
inappropriate for a fee or profit to be included in the proposed
budget. This prohibition on the inclusion of a fee or profit applies to
all partners to the proposed operational test. This does not prohibit
appropriate fee or profit payments to vendors or others which may
provide goods or services to the partnership. For example, equipment
vendors, software providers, and entities retained for comprehensive
operational test evaluation purposes would not be subject to this
prohibition.
The DOT, the Comptroller General of the U.S., and, if appropriate,
the States have the right to access all documents pertaining to the use
of Federal ITS funds and non-Federal contributions. Non-Federal
partners must submit sufficient documentation during final negotiations
and on a regular basis during the life of the operational test to
substantiate these costs. This includes items such as direct labor,
fringe benefits, material costs, consultant costs, subcontractor costs,
and travel costs.
In order to maximize available Federal ITS dollars and be
consistent with agency policy, prospective partners are encouraged to
increase their cost share to 50 percent. Additional funds provided over
the required 20 percent minimum may come from a variety of funding
sources and may include the value of federally-supported projects
directly associated with the ITS operational test.
Funding levels vary significantly between operational tests and are
primarily based on size, complexity, and funding commitment by each of
the partners. Federal ITS funding for the operational tests selected
from the open solicitation in FY 1993 and FY 1994 ranged from $200,000
to $5.5 million, with most of the tests falling in the $1 to $2 million
range.
Operational Test Offer Preparation
An offer to participate in the operational test program should
contain sufficient information to enable an evaluation of the offer
based on the selection criteria set forth below.
The offer shall not exceed 50 pages in length including title,
index, tables, maps, appendices, abstracts, and other supporting
materials. A page is defined as one side of an 8\1/2\ by 11 inch paper,
with a type font no smaller than 12 point. Offers greater than 50 pages
will not be accepted. Ten copies plus an unbound reproducible copy of
the offer shall be submitted. The cover sheet or front page of the
offer should include the name, address, and phone number of an
individual to whom correspondence and questions about the offer may be
directed.
The offer should contain details regarding the operational test
schedule and budget. The schedule should show major milestone events
including evaluation phases. The budget should show the requested
Federal ITS funding and proposed partnership match funding (for FY 1995
and future years) by the activities shown on the table below. The
matching funds should be further divided into public and private
contribution amounts on the table as well as the source and type of
contribution described in the proposal.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY 1995 amount Total amount Description of
---------------------------------------------------- contribution
Activities Federal ITS Matching Federal ITS Matching -------------------------
funds funds funds funds Public Private
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Design
Development
Implementation
Operation/Maintenance
Evaluation
Project Management
Total
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In addition, the budget should include the following:
1. Detailed costs for the major operational test components such as
operational test management, hardware and software design, technical
development and integration of project elements, installation and start
up, operation and maintenance for the duration of the evaluation, data
collection, analysis and evaluation, and reporting.
2. Summarized costs which show the value of the resources needed
for fiscal year (FY) 1995 as well as future years under the following
three categories: Federal ITS funds, other public funds, and private
funds.
Review Process
A formal review process has been established to evaluate responses
to this notice soliciting participation in the ITS operational test
program. The Office of Traffic Management and ITS Applications, ITS
Operational Test Division, of the FHWA is responsible for coordinating
the formal review and selection with representatives from the FHWA,
FTA, NHTSA, RSPA, and the Office of the Secretary of Transportation.
Representatives from the DOT modal administrations with expertise in
key technological or program areas will serve on a technical review
team(s). The technical review team(s) will perform a detailed review of
the offer based on requirements of this solicitation and the following
selection criteria.
Selection Criteria
The selection criteria set forth below supersede the criteria
presented in the previous operational test notices dated May 8, 1992
(57 FR 19959), July 20, 1992 (57 FR 32047), and September 8, 1993 (58
FR 47310).
1. Relationship to National Program
The Operational Test offer of participation shall:
(a) Directly support the national goals and milestones of the user
service areas described in this solicitation;
(b) Advance the development and eventual implementation of the
proposed technology or system. Demonstrate that there is an acceptable
basis for believing that the technologies being tested will ultimately
be successfully deployed or implemented;
(c) Have meaningful, distinguishable features involving technical,
institutional, market, or other important characteristics which have
not been addressed in operational tests to date. Operational tests
should not replicate past or current tests unless such replication
provides a significant contribution to advancing the ITS program;
(d) Fit within a logical evolution of the ITS program and
supporting technology; and
(e) Provide an approach that is technically feasible and responsive
to the requirements of the user service area.
2. Evaluation
In concert with the evaluation guidelines stated earlier, the
Operational Test offer of participation shall:
(a) Identify initial evaluation goals and objectives at the
national and local level. These goals and objectives should reflect
those activities required to move toward the national goals and
milestones outlined in the ``Department of Transportation's IVHS
Strategic Plan''. The evaluation goals and objectives should address,
as a minimum, institutional issues, user acceptance, system benefits,
costs, performance of the system, and impacts on the transportation
system, including air quality;
(b) Provide a general evaluation work plan that outlines the scope
and method of evaluation of each goal and objective and an assessment
of the opportunity to collect the necessary data that can answer
questions of both local and national significance;
(c) Provide for selection of an independent evaluator to ensure an
unbiased evaluation of the operational test. The evaluator's
responsibilities should be identified in the offer; and
(d) Provide estimated overall costs for conducting the evaluation.
The costs of data collection and evaluation should be identified as
separate items.
3. Project Management and Proposed Partnership
The Operational Test offer of participation shall:
(a) Provide an overall level of confidence that the test will be
successfully completed by:
(1) Demonstrating an acceptable level of commitment, management
capability, and business reliability of the partners.
(2) Demonstrating that there is a commitment by all partners to a
national technology sharing effort and a willingness to dedicate the
time and effort required to share the technical and institutional
results of the test with others.
(3) Clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of the
principal partners and staff and demonstrating that they have the
ability to perform their assigned responsibilities. For large or
complex tests, an experienced systems manager to support the project is
desirable.
(b) Provide sufficient background to validate the accuracy of the
cost and schedule estimates for the operational test;
(c) Minimize any potential negative effects of the test and
demonstrate an awareness of and approach for dealing with complicating
technical or institutional factors which might adversely affect the
test. Innovative or technically challenging ways for dealing with these
factors will be of particular interest;
(d) Identify the proposed agreements for sharing of technology
developed under this operational test; and
(e) Identify long range plans for full scale deployment of the
technologies when the operational test has been successfully completed.
4. Suitability of the Test Site, Vehicle Fleet, and Infrastructure
The Operational Test offer of participation shall:
(a) Demonstrate that the operational test is part of a continuing,
ongoing transportation management program or that there is a good
opportunity for components of the operational test to evolve into
operational systems after the testing is completed;
(b) Demonstrate that the size and characteristics of the test and
site are adequate for meaningful evaluation of the proposed system or
technology and that the test and site have the operational or
environmental characteristics to challenge the performance,
reliability, and durability of the product or prototype being
evaluated;
(c) Ensure that local public transportation services are in place
to provide a valid market test of the operational test technology and
that the local public transportation providers are interested in the
adoption of new technologies;
(d) Provide the opportunity to evaluate the safety and air quality
benefits of systems or operations where such issues are important
considerations; and
(e) Ensure adequate records to support the project evaluation with
regard to operation, reliability, costs, institutional issues, and
maintenance of the device or system being tested.
5. Non-Federal Partners' Role
The Operational Test offer of participation shall:
(a) Clearly state who will be the principal staff dedicated to the
operational test by partner(s) and indicate the amount of time each
staff member is expected to devote to the test; and
(b) Ensure non-Federal contributions shown are allowable costs
according to the cost principles in OMB circulars A-21, A-87 or A-122
or 48 CFR Part 31, as applicable to the organization incurring the
costs. Cost share arrangements should show enough detail to determine
whether the resources being committed to the potential project are
sufficient to ensure successful completion. Letters from all
participants committing themselves to the project and specifically
stating their financial commitment should be included with the offer.
6. Federal Role
The Operational Test offer of participation shall:
(a) Demonstrate that the Federal government role in the operational
test is consistent with the Department's statutory role and
responsibilities;
(b) Provide for Federal participation in the design and conduct of
the project evaluation to ensure that the project is independently
evaluated on a national program scale;
(c) Show that the proposed Federal ITS contribution to the
operational test is consistent with the agency's ITS operational test
funding policy and appropriate to the type and scope of the test;
(d) Demonstrate that Federal ITS funds are not being used when
regular Federal-aid, State, or private funds can and should be used or
where the primary benefit of the operational test is in areas of
private sector responsibility; and
(e) Demonstrate that Federal participation in the proposed test is
an appropriate use of the Federal Government's resources.
Negotiation and Approval Process
Final approval and announcement of the selected offers are expected
to take several months from the date the offers are received. For those
offers selected, the lead DOT agency will begin negotiations with the
project partners to reach mutually agreeable terms for an ITS
operational test, including financial and technical issues. The
negotiations will result in a funding agreement that documents project
tasks, roles of partners, a budget, and a schedule for project
execution and evaluation. The funding agreement between the DOT and the
partnership is arranged through one non-federal partner, typically a
State agency, who then serves as the lead for all funding agreements
among the partners. Other non-federal partners, including local
governments, universities, and the private sector, could also serve as
lead.
Only upon successful completion of these negotiations would a
partnership be formed. The funding agreement considers the partners of
an operational test to be independent contracting parties, and not
business partners for the purposes of sharing profits and losses.
(Secs. 6051 through 6059, Pub. L. 102-240, 105 Stat. 1914, 2189-
2195; 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48)
Issued on: November 14, 1994.
Rodney E. Slater,
Federal Highway Administrator.
[FR Doc. 94-28599 Filed 11-18-94; 8:45 am]
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