Participation in the National Advanced Rural Transportation Systems' Traveler Information Services in Tourism Areas Field Operational Test

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Federal Transit Administration

Participation in the National Advanced Rural Transportation

Systems' Traveler Information Services in Tourism Areas Field

Operational Test

AGENCIES: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit

Administration (FTA), Department of Transportation (USDOT).

ACTION: Notice; request for participation.

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SUMMARY: The USDOT is interested in evaluating the benefits associated

with the application of traveler information services in rural tourism

areas. This request for participation solicits applications from both

public-public (e.g., State DOT-Chamber of Commerce) and public-private

(e.g., National Park Service-private industry) partnerships to conduct

a field operational test. The purpose of this test would be to evaluate

the benefits of using advanced traveler information systems in rural

tourist areas involving State or national parks, or other tourist areas

(public or private) that experience seasonal or annual traffic flow

congestion.

DATES: Responses to this announcement must be submitted by 4 p.m.,

e.t., on or before August 15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Responses to this solicitation must be submitted directly to

the Federal Highway Administration, Office of Traffic Management and

ITS Applications, Rural Action Team, HTV-3, 400 Seventh St., SW., Room

3401, Washington, D.C. 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. R. Dale Thompson, FHWA, Office of

Traffic Management and ITS Applications, Rural Action Team, (202) 366-

0640; or Mr. Ronald Boenau, FTA, Office of Mobility Innovation , Rural

Action Team, (202) 366-0195; or Mr. Raymond Resendes, ITS Joint Program

Office, Rural Action Team, (202) 366-2182; or Ms. Beverly Russell,

FHWA, Office of the Chief Counsel (202) 366-1355, Department of

Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office

hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through

Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Availability of the Plan and Electronic Access

Copies of the Advanced Rural Transportation Systems Strategic Plan,

which describes the program goals and the critical program areas, are

available from ITS America, 400 Virginia Avenue, SW., Suite 800,

Washington, DC 20024, telephone (202) 484-4847. Electronic copies are

available on the ITS America Internet Home Page, http://www.itsa.org.

Background

Title VI, part B of the Intermodal Surface Transportation

Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), Pub. L. 102-240, 105 Stat. 1914, 2189,

provided the Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems Act which set the

foundation for the National Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

Program. Under ISTEA, the USDOT has taken the lead in conducting ITS

research, development, and operational testing activities to lay the

foundation for the application of existing and emerging technologies

and systems to improve the efficiency of the surface transportation

system.

Early ITS efforts were driven by the desire to address growing

transportation problems in urban areas and in inter-urban corridors.

While many of the technologies and systems aimed at solving these

problems also have application outside urban settings, the market

structure, application logistics, and motivating factors underlying

their deployment vary considerably from urban to rural areas. The

Federal ITS

[[Page 38602]]

Program recognized these differences and, in the past year, has

initiated the development of an ITS program component with a uniquely

rural focus: the Advanced Rural Transportation Systems Program.

During 1996, the USDOT developed an Advanced Rural Transportation

Systems Strategic Plan which covers the Federal role in developing and

fostering the application of intelligent transportation systems in

rural areas. The Strategic Plan describes the vision, mission, goals,

objectives, and measures which provide the foundation upon which the

Federal Advanced Rural Transportation Systems Program is built. The

goals of the Advanced Rural Transportation Systems Program are closely

tied to those of the overall ITS Program. Priority is given to those

goals that meet the more critical needs of travelers and transporters

of goods in rural areas. Consequently, the primary goals of the

Advanced Rural Transportation Systems Program are safety and efficient

mobility, versus those of the metropolitan systems which are congestion

mitigation and increased throughput.

Because of the diversity of needs and settings in Rural America,

the Advanced Rural Transportation Systems Strategic Plan specifies

seven critical program areas, or clusters, which provide areas of

common interest and focus within the overall rural ITS program. The

companion Program Plan, currently under development, describes what is

known and unknown within each cluster, sets the strategic priorities,

and lays out the program (projects by year) to solve the unknowns.

Together the Advanced Rural Transportation Systems Strategic and

Program Plans provide the road map for the Federal Advanced Rural

Transportation Systems program through the year 2003.

While rural settings differ greatly, there is general agreement on

the classes of needs that exist within each setting and the principal

users of ITS. The critical program areas, therefore, were developed

around identifiable needs and service categories and are as follows:

1. Traveler Safety and Security;

2. Emergency Services;

3. Tourism and Travel Information Services;

4. Public Traveler Services/Public Mobility Services;

5. Infrastructure Operating and Maintenance;

6. Fleet Operating and Maintenance; and

7. Commercial Vehicle Operations.

For example, the Tourism and Travel Information Services category

mentioned above refers to the needs and services that a visitor (both

driver and passenger) unfamiliar with a rural area may require. These

services will also address the needs of the Visitors and Tourism

Bureaus, transit service providers, information providers, etc., that

provide the services to meet tourists' needs. In a rural tourist area,

this may be the main focus of the ITS program. Likewise, the Public

Traveler Services/Public Mobility Services focuses on reducing the

isolation of the transportation disadvantaged and increasing the

mobility of all. Constituents of this critical program area include

both the potential travelers and service providers. As ITS services are

shown to reduce costs and improve efficiency, these areas and the

organizations responsible for them become natural constituents and

advocates for the programs.

I. Objective and Hypotheses

The objective of this field operational test is to evaluate the use

of advanced technologies to collect and disseminate traveler

information in rural tourist areas with limited traditional

transportation options available so as to: (1) Improve mobility; (2)

increase access; (3) relieve traffic congestion caused by high travel

demands and the limited capacity of roadways and parking facilities;

and (4) stimulate economic development.

The hypotheses for this field operational test are: (1) The

Traveler Information System in a rural tourism area will improve

mobility compared to mobility without the Traveler Information System;

(2) tourists surveyed about the access to selected rural attractions

will rate the access higher after the Traveler Information System is

installed and operational; (3) the Traveler Information System will

relieve congestion at the selected rural attraction(s) and tourists

will perceive the reduction in congestion; and (4) the Traveler

Information System will stimulate economic development.

II. Scope

Definitions

1. ``Rural tourist area,'' for purposes of this field operational

test, is defined as a State or national park, or other tourist area in

a rural location with a permanent population of roughly 50,000 or less

with limited access to and from the area, limited roadway capacity in

and out of the area that contributes to the high levels of seasonal

congestion during periods of high demand, and limited parking access

and capacity that reaches saturation levels at periods of high demand,

as well as limited integration of transit systems.

2. A ``Traveler Information System,'' for purposes of this field

operational test, is a system typical of other advanced traveler

information systems deployed in metropolitan areas to disseminate

traveler information to the traveling public and transportation

managers. The Traveler Information System focuses on the unique needs

of a rural tourist area, which may differ from one tourist area to

another. Examples of typical equipment and systems deployed to support

such a system are listed below. A Traveler Information System may have

any one or more of these listed features, as well as others not listed.

An important point is that the individual systems are integrated, or at

a minimum, are capable of being integrated to provide traveler

information to the general public, as well as to local and regional

transportation managers. The Traveler Information System components may

include, but are not limited to:

A. Cable TV;

B. Changeable Message Signs/Variable Message Signs;

C. Radio Traveler Information Reports such as Highway Advisory

Radio;

D. Dedicated Telephone Traveler Information System;

E. Kiosks;

F. Internet;

G. Hand-held Devices;

H. In-vehicle Devices; and

I. Others.

Typical information collected and disseminated to travelers may

include, but is not limited to:

A. Local Area Information;

B. Tourist Area Information;

C. Weather Conditions;

D. Transit Schedules and Routes;

E. Real-time Transit Information;

F. Employee Ride-share Information;

G. Real-time Traffic Information;

H. Traffic Conditions;

I. Roadway Conditions;

J. Work-zone Information;

K. Incident Information;

L. Alternate Route Information;

M. Emergency Management Information;

N. Yellow Pages Information (hotels, restaurants, local

businesses, private transportation services, other public and

private services, local information, points of interest, maps and

directions, etc.);

O. Tourist Attraction and Park Information; and

P. Others.

III. Partnerships

The USDOT will generally work with the lead public agency

participating in the partnership (State, city, or regional agency,

depending on the site) to ensure an up front commitment to provide the

needed support to achieve the evaluation objectives of this field

[[Page 38603]]

operational test. The USDOT will also ensure that needed institutional

and partnership arrangements are in place and required funding is

available.

All necessary partnership arrangements and institutional agreements

to support the project should be documented. Signed copies of completed

Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) that clearly define

responsibilities and relationships should be included in the proposal.

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 institutions.

IV. National ITS System Architecture

Proposals shall provide a ``Statement of Intent'' to implement a

system that is consistent with the National ITS Architecture, including

any national ITS standards, protocols, or standards requirements as

these emerge from the National ITS Architecture Development Program.

Copies of the Architecture Definition Documents, the draft Standards

Requirements Document, and the Standards Development Program from the

Architecture Development Program are available from ITS America, 400

Virginia Avenue, SW., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20024, telephone (202)

484-4847. Electronic copies are available on the ITS America Internet

Home Page, http://www.itsa.org. These documents provide insight into

the definition of the National ITS Architecture, and the emerging

approaches being taken toward standardizing interfaces that would

support the integration of transportation management components.

V. Project Evaluation Activities

Evaluation is an integral part of each field operational test and

is critical to the success of the National ITS Program. As such, the

USDOT ITS Joint Program Office will conduct a rigorous, independent

evaluation of traveler information services and products supported by a

Traveler Information System in a rural tourist area. The independent

evaluation may be conducted using existing USDOT resources, or, as part

of another solicitation. Applicants are not required to perform this

evaluation; however, they are required to support the independent

evaluation.

The field operational test partners will be involved in specific

phases of the evaluation. At a minimum, the partners are expected to be

part of the process to develop the goals and objectives of the

individual tests and the overall evaluation plan. Partners are also

expected to be involved in much of the technical, legal, and

institutional data collection, archiving, and reporting. Nothing in

these guidelines shall preclude the non-Federal partners from

conducting additional evaluations for their specific needs.

The non-Federal project coordination evaluation activities will

include assisting the USDOT Evaluation Team in developing an evaluation

report that summarizes findings/lessons learned resulting from the

deployment of this Traveler Information System. Partners are expected

to review and comment on this report; however, the independent

evaluator is obligated to perform an independent analysis of the data

and an unbiased report of results compared to partner-identified goals,

objectives, and hypotheses.

VI. Funding

The total maximum amount of Federal ITS funding in this

solicitation is $600,000. In accordance with sec. 6058 of the ISTEA,

the maximum share of a project funded from Federal funds, including ITS

funds, cannot exceed 80 percent. For this project, the Agency is

requiring a 50% cost share from perspective partners. At least 40% of

the required cost share amount must be derived from non-Federal sources

in order that the Federal maximum share of 80% mandated in section 6058

not be exceeded.

The statutorily required 20 percent cost share must be from non-

federally derived funding sources and must consist of either cash,

substantial equipment contributions that are wholly utilized as an

integral part of the project, or personnel services dedicated full-time

to the project for a substantial period, as long as such personnel 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 USDOT cost-share contracts, it

is inappropriate for a fee to be included in the proposed budget as

part of a partner's contribution to the project. This does not prohibit

appropriate fee payments to vendors or others who may provide goods or

services to the partnership. It also does not prohibit business

relationships with the private sector which result in revenues from the

sale or provision of ITS products or services.

The USDOT, the Comptroller General of the United States, and, if

appropriate, individual 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 project to substantiate these costs. Such items as

direct labor, fringe benefits, material costs, consultant costs,

subcontractor costs, and travel costs should be included in that

documentation.

VII. Schedule

A system in a summer or year-round tourist area must be operational

by May 1, 1998. A system in a winter tourist area must be operational

by November 1, 1998. The system must remain operational for a period

long enough to obtain valid evaluation data. Depending on the degree of

system stability during the data collection period, the nominal data

collection period will be five months from the declaration of the

system as ``operational.'' After the end of data collection, there

shall be a six-month period of data analysis and report coordination

before the final independent evaluation report is submitted. The system

shall remain operational until the final evaluation report has been

received and accepted by USDOT.

VIII. Evaluation of Applications

The USDOT will select one rural site to evaluate the potential and

realized benefits of a Traveler Information System focusing on the

objectives previously stated. However, the USDOT reserves the right to

make multiple awards. Applications shall, where possible, focus on the

use of currently available technologies, existing communications and

infrastructure, and strengthened institutional ties to support

evaluation objectives with the limited Federal ITS funding available in

this effort. Applications that offer the greatest potential for

demonstrating and evaluating the benefits of a Traveler Information

System in a rural tourist area (including both the institutional and

technological aspects) for the least Federal ITS dollars will be

considered the most desirable.

Interested parties are invited to submit a proposal containing

sufficient information to enable an evaluation of the proposal based on

the selection criteria set forth below. A proposal shall not exceed 30

pages in length including title, index, tables, maps, appendices,

abstracts, resumes and other supporting materials. A page is defined as

one side of an 8\1/2\ by 11 inch paper, line spacing no smaller than

1.5, with a type font no

[[Page 38604]]

smaller than 12 point. Proposals greater than 30 pages will not be

accepted. Ten copies plus an unbound reproducible copy of the proposal

shall be submitted. The cover sheet or front page of the proposal shall

include the name, address, and phone number of an individual to whom

correspondence and questions about the application may be directed.

Proposals shall include a ``Technical Plan,'' a ``Financial Plan,'' and

a ``Management and Staffing Plan'' that describe how the proposed

objectives will be met within the specified time frame and budget. The

plans should be structured such that they contain the following

information.

Technical Plan

1. General Requirements

A. General description of the targeted tourist site or area.

Include information on the local area, State or national parks, or

other tourist sites involved, roadways into and out of the area,

historical data on traffic volumes and congestion or weather related

problems, seasonal data applicable to congestion levels or mobility/

access, any multimodal aspects of the transportation system, and the

public/private agencies involved in the project such as local or State

Bureau of Tourism, Chamber of Commerce, transportation agencies, park

agencies, etc.

B. Interagency, interjurisdictional and public/private/academic

cooperative arrangements currently in place to support the overall

field test and evaluation effort.

C. Provide letters of commitment/signed Memorandums of

Understanding by local public/private/academic partners.

2. Concept Overview

A. Define the current infrastructure or support systems in place to

be used as a foundation for evaluating the Traveler Information System,

e.g., communication systems, sources and current availability of

traffic data, weather data, public and private transportation services,

etc.

B. Define the Traveler Information System and the infrastructure

that will be expanded and used to support the proposed system.

C. Describe the proposed rural traveler information system

components and how they will be linked into the overall system.

D. Summarize the expectations of the proposed system, e.g.,

benefits, operations and maintenance issues, plans and system support

beyond the test period.

3. Technical Approach

A. Describe system design concept discussing extent of system

integration and information packaging.

B. Describe how the traveler information data will be collected,

packaged into useful information, and provided to the traveling public.

C. Describe implementation of the system in probable phases with

funding for each phase.

D. Describe technical approach by which the system design concept

will be refined, developed, operationally tested, evaluated, and

documented.

E. Document schedule of work, assumptions, and technical

uncertainties, and propose specific approaches to resolve any

uncertainties.

F. Show evidence that the project team has thought through the

service delivery part of the project design: (1) Who will use the

system?; (2) What problems will it solve for the user?; (3) Where in

their trip will users find the information most useful?; and (4) How

will the project team market the system?

4. Draft Project Evaluation Plan

A. Proposals shall include a draft project evaluation plan that

demonstrates an understanding of the importance of building automatic

data collection into the system. The proposed system shall provide

feature usage and other evaluation data needed to measure the degree to

which hypotheses are supported.

B. Proposals shall describe methods to ensure that benefits and

costs are measurable.

C. A demonstrated understanding of the role of the evaluation

should be evident in the organizational and management approach of the

proposal.

D. Proposals shall describe how the proposed partnership will

provide information for a with-the-system/without-the-system evaluation

analysis as well as identify existing data sources available and

methods to obtain such data. A discussion of the availability and

potential utility of baseline information shall be included. Existing

survey data bases shall be described.

E. Proposals shall describe how the proposed partnership will

convey to the independent evaluation team evaluation data automatically

collected by the system.

Note: Refinement of the draft project evaluation plan, and the

actual data collection will be the responsibility of the independent

evaluator in coordination with the project team.

Management and Staffing Plan

1. Provide names and positions of all personnel related to managing

the project.

2. Identify key management and control responsibilities for the

system data base and the overall system.

3. Provide a time line and define key milestones for the project.

4. Provide estimated professional and technical staffing in staff-

months and staff-hours.

5. Demonstrate that the project manager is capable, available, and

able to commit to a level of involvement that ensures project success.

6. Include biographical data on key management personnel.

Financial Plan

1. Provide description of total project costs and sources of

matching funds.

2. Provide a system budget identifying costs for system design,

development, implementation, project management, operations and

maintenance, and evaluation support.

3. Applicants' evaluation support costs shall include the following

information.

A. Labor costs of a single project evaluation coordinator who

integrates and represents evaluation interests of all partners and

stakeholders to the independent evaluator and critically reviews and

provides comments on evaluation plans and products.

B. Incidental labor costs of individual partners and stakeholders

who will review evaluation deliverables.

C. Labor, hardware, and software costs for ensuring automatic

collection of evaluation data (e.g., recording of kiosk or web feature

usage.)

D. Cost of periodic transfer of evaluation data base information to

the independent evaluator.

Note: Funds identified to support this effort shall not be spent

for other portions of the operational tests. The USDOT shall

negotiate with the project partners during the initial operational

test definition to ensure an adequate estimate of resources is

committed to support the national evaluation objectives. The USDOT

reserves the right to require that additional data be collected and

made available to allow the USDOT to make comparative analyses with

similar functions or features associated with other national

operational tests.

4. Break costs down identifying them by non-Federal (public and

private) and Federal (ITS and Federal-aid) sources.

5. Provide cost estimates by phase as defined in the Technical

Plan.

6. All financial commitments to the project from both public and

private sectors shall be documented in signed MOUs and included in the

proposal.

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The application shall provide an in-depth description and

assessment of the total cost of achieving the objectives of the

Traveler Information System field operational test, and the

partnership's plans for raising the matching funds required by this

solicitation. The ``Financial Plan'' should describe a phased approach

that delineates what will be accomplished with the project funding.

The application should provide a comprehensive but concise plan for

design, acquisition (including innovative contracting procedures such

as design-build), construction, and other procurement actions to

improve the systems integration of the functions needed to support a

Traveler Information System.

The budget shall show the requested Federal ITS funding and

proposed partnership match funding for the activities shown in the

table below. The matching funds should be further divided into public

and private contribution amounts in the table, as well as the source

and type of contribution described in the application.

Total Traveler Information System--Field Operational Test Funding

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Total amount Source and description of matching

----------------------------------------- funds

Activities ---------------------------------------

Federal ITS funds Matching funds Public Private

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Design......................... ................... .................. .................. ..................

Current System Expansion....... ................... .................. .................. ..................

New Systems.................... ................... .................. .................. ..................

Operation/Maintenance.......... ................... .................. .................. ..................

Evaluation Support............. ................... .................. .................. ..................

Project Management............. ................... .................. .................. ..................

Outreach/Marketing............. ................... .................. .................. ..................

Total...................... ................... .................. .................. ..................

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IX. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Applicants must submit an acceptable ``Technical Plan,''

``Financial Plan,'' and ``Management and Staffing Plan'' that provide

sound evidence that the proposed partnership can successfully meet the

objectives of the Traveler Information System field operational test.

The ``Technical Plan'' and ``Financial Plan'' will be weighed equally

and more than the ``Management and Staffing Plan.''

(Authority: 23 U.S.C. 307 note and 315; Secs. 6051-6059, Pub. L.

102-240, 105 Stat. 1914, 2189; and 49 CFR 1.48).

Issued on: July 14, 1997.

Jane F. Garvey,

Federal Highway Administrator (Acting).

Gordon J. Linton,

Federal Transit Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97-18983 Filed 7-17-97; 8:45 am]

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