A Framework for Improving Travel Time Reliability (2013)

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39 C h a p t e r 4 Overview The central product of the SHRP 2 Project L17 research was a Knowledge Transfer System (KTS). Knowledge transfer moves beyond disseminating (pushing) information to include seek- ing (pulling) information so that it is both received and used— creating a critical link between research and practice. Effective knowledge transfer is, therefore, getting the right information to the right people at the right time in the right format. The result is connecting practitioners and policy makers to information that will help them make informed decisions, take advantage of available resources, and maxi- mize benefits. In order to reach its full potential and be truly instrumental, a KTS must be able to adapt itself to a wide range of audiences and users. Individual users may come to the table with differing levels of readiness with respect to embracing travel time reliability and operational strategies as key components of their agency mission. The KTS developed within this research will have three main components: • Technical content. What practices, processes, and policies will advance TSM&O? • Form and structure. How is information communicated clearly, effectively, and succinctly? • Communication, branding, and outreach. What are the best ways to connect with transportation professionals, who are the ultimate implementers? The following sections discuss branding, communication, and outreach activities. Critical to the approach for develop- ment of all products of the project was the outreach to key users and supporters of the SHRP 2 Reliability program research. Throughout this project, the user community (one of the four outreach groups) was very active and provided sig- nificant input into the branding and communication work. In the proposal, three other outreach groups were identified: the institutional community, the academic advisory team, and the user network. These groups represent audiences that are interested in advancing TSM&O in different ways. The user net- work was identified as a targeted expansion of the user com- munity. The project team’s initial concept was that the user community would invite a larger peer network into the L17 research. As the project progressed, the user community consis- tently participated in meetings and e-mail discussions. How- ever, a formally recognized user network did not materialize. The institutional community represented agencies and organizations that have been involved in advancing TSM&O for many years with branding and outreach efforts of their own. Examples are the FHWA Office of Operations, ITS America, NTOC, and the I-95 Corridor Coalition. These par- ticipants have websites of their own and the relationship of these websites to the KTS is of primary importance. The insti- tutional community met twice formally within the SHRP 2 L17 project. As the interest in an Operations Center of Excel- lence grew, these participants became engaged in external meetings, workshops, and dialogue that essentially replaced the vision of their role in the SHRP 2 L17 project. The academic advisory team was targeted to the specific interest of the L17 TETG in developing academic curricula that would make engineering and technology students aware of TSM&O as a career option as well as obtain initial training to support that interest. The academic white paper was the only product in this project that addressed this interest. In lieu of meeting formally as a group, the project team engaged individual researchers and academicians to collect informa- tion that informed the completion of the academic white paper. Limited input has been received; however, the research conducted was informative and provided some specific insights and findings. Definition and purpose TSM&O will be enhanced by a commonly understood defini- tion with associated benefits that is communicated to a vari- ety of audiences. The current definition and image of TSM&O Branding and Communication

40 remains fuzzy, at least in part because related terminology and definitions have changed and broadened over time. Over the years, transportation “operations” has been referred to by a variety of terms, including system operations and manage- ment (SOM), TSM&O, TSO&M, ITS, congestion manage- ment, and system reliability. A 2007 marketing evaluation of TSM&O’s difficult integration into the mainstream of trans- portation agency activities concluded with a fundamental concern: “There is no definable customer for a definable product at a definable time.” One aspect of this research will be to determine the importance of brand definition and com- munication to the overall success of advancing TSM&O. The key challenge facing the SHRP 2 Reliability program is convincing decision makers and practitioners that travel time reliability is a core responsibility for transportation agencies. For successful dissemination of the Reliability program research, decision makers and practitioners must understand the impor- tance of travel time reliability, incorporate this understanding in project planning, and promote the benefits of applying TSM&O solutions to prevailing problems. Significant barriers have either thwarted or slowed this necessary evolution in many states and across many transportation agencies. As the capstone project for the Reliability program, the purpose of this project is to advance and integrate TSM&O into mainstream agency practice. This project will play a criti- cal role in integrating the findings, methods, and recommen- dations of all other Reliability research in addition to providing a bridge to key elements of the SHRP 2 Capacity program. Although the most important product of this research and the Reliability program is a KTS that will serve as an effective means for moving research findings and products into everyday practice, efficient communication and outreach to key audi- ences to make the KTS a living resource is equally important and is considered a fundamental component of the SHRP 2 L17 project. Branding Synthesis for travel time reliability The purpose of Phase 1 of the L17 project was to synthesize the information that exists in support of mainstreaming TSM&O. The branding synthesis effort focused on a variety of existing websites that attempted to communicate various aspects of TSM&O to the relevant audiences: policy makers, practitio- ners, and travelers. This overview included a detailed review of 22 websites at the national, state, and local levels to identify common themes across websites, key terms used to communi- cate these themes, communication messages, and a general understanding of the effectiveness of each site at reaching its intended audience. These websites are listed in Table 4.1. Appendix D provides further details on the researched web- sites for the branding synthesis. Travel time reliability is an emerging and complex topic that lacks a common definition and understanding. It is criti- cal at this initial stage to find the themes or elements that help capture a definition or common understanding of travel time reliability and its role in addressing congestion. In addition, the term Reliability means different things for “customers” and for “owners/operators.” Lack of a common language makes prog- ress toward improving travel time reliability more difficult. It is clear that effective communication is audience dependent, and this phase of the research represented the first step at segregat- ing the individual “sound bites” into the target audiences where they will be the most effective. Branding tSM&O Although the initial vision for the SHRP 2 L17 project was to develop a brand for TSM&O, the identification of reli- ability as a potential “word that works” for communication and marketing was expressed from the outset. In Phase 2 of Table 4.1. List of Websites Used for Branding Synthesis Branding Synthesis Websites • AASHTO • Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) • FHWA, Office of Operations • ITE—Management & Operations/ITS Council • RITA–ITS Joint Program Office • National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC) • ITS America • I-95 Corridor Coalition • National 511 Program • NTIMC • OmniAir Consortium • Operations Academy • Galvin Project to End Congestion • Florida Road Rangers • Georgia NaviGAtor • Minnesota Guidestar • North Carolina IMPACT • Kansas City Scout • Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition (NITTEC) • Operation Green Light • Towing and Recovery Incentive Program (TRIP) • National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO)

41 the research, the project team held a “branding workshop” to consider the potential for developing a brand. The work- shop reached a consensus that branding TSM&O was not necessary or advisable within this limited project time frame. The participants reached agreement on a brand promise in lieu of a specific brand. This brand promise pro- vided a common understanding that allowed communica- tion messages and materials to be developed. Although the brand promise was edited and revised several times by indi- vidual groups within the project, the final approved lan- guage states clearly the features of TSM&O that are essential to communicate: We promise travelers and shippers that we will manage traffic and incidents as well as provide timely and accurate travel infor- mation so that they can make informed decisions to minimize their unexpected delay and improve the safety of their travel. The following are the core elements that this version pro- motes, which are needed for the development of communica- tion materials: • Audience for TSM&O: travelers and shippers. • What is provided: manage traffic incidents and give timely and accurate information. • Customer role: make informed decisions. • Outcomes: minimize unexpected delay and improve safety. Agreement on the brand promise early in Phase 2 sup- ported the completion of the business case primer. The primer provides instruction and messages for transportation practitioners to use in order to advance the understanding and support of TSM&O within their own agencies. Communication: Building the Business Cases In Phase 1, the project team and user community group identified three specific target audiences that collectively represent the universal audience for the TSM&O brand and messages: Investment Decision Makers, Implementers, and Travelers. Investment Decision Makers include both policy decision makers and any staff that recommend funding allo- cations to policy makers. The Implementers target audience includes all functional area practitioners that plan, design, implement, or operate TSM&O improvements or services. Travelers include both passenger and freight users of the transportation system. These three audiences represent the highest-level audience categorization. Within these categories, individual business cases can be developed to communicate more specifically with the variety of positions in transportation agencies as well as with travelers represented by the general public and freight providers. While there is some overlap among audi- ence categories in the topics of interest, the key messages were developed to speak to the identified audience as effectively as possible. In Phase 2, messages were developed and refined for each of these audience segments and the business case primer document provides the necessary instruction on how to use the messages to greatest effect. One of the outcomes of devel- opment of the business case messages was the recognition that there were a limited number of audiences, each was unique, and that each needed to be communicated with dif- ferently. In addition to the difference in the general public traveler audience and the freight provider, the user commu- nity identified safety specialists and incident management professionals as potential “sub-audiences” of the three pri- mary audience types. This was identified as a “gap” with respect to communication and resulted in the commitment of funds in Phase 3 for development of sub-audience business cases in Gap-Filling Project 6. To develop sub-audience messages in Phase 3, the project team conducted several focused interviews with representatives of these four audience types. The user community provided recommended interviewees and the necessary introductions to support this method of collecting information as well as valida- tion that the message ultimately included in the business case primer would resonate with the intended audience. Gap-Filling Project 6 was highly successful in developing the sub-audience messages. Communication Materials and Strategy Phase 4 activities in Track C provided the transfer to audience definition and business case messages in a concrete format needed to engage the audience. Table 4.2 was used to help the user community understand how the individual efforts in the previous phases were essential precursors to developing materials to be used for communication. This table also iden- tifies that the availability of communication materials does not represent the final step. Beyond the SHRP 2 L17 research project, the champions or ambassadors created in the user community will need to “take action and follow through.” The user community helped to identify the types of materials that would be most useful in advancing TSM&O to the various target audiences. Four specific communication materials were identified and developed: • Trifold brochure (general public Travelers). • One-page fact sheet (Implementers). • Two slide presentations (Investment Decision Makers, Implementers).

42 In addition to these materials, the TETG identified the strong communication potential offered by a short video. The TETG interest is to ask a respected member of the transportation community to “tell the story” of how TSM&O has assisted the member’s agency in its mission. Lessons Learned It is immediately apparent that the term “reliability” is not currently part of the mainstream communication messaging. In fact, only the FHWA Office of Operations website makes reliability part of its mainstream communication messaging, primarily through its Operations Story—a nine-page com- munication piece available through a link in the website. ITE also uses the term reliability in its management and opera- tions mega issue white paper. More common are the key terms congestion, safety, efficiency, recurring and nonrecurring, ITS, real-time information, and systems management of work zones, incidents, and weather. The development of the brand promise supports this con- clusion that promoting reliability as a brand is not useful. The concept of reliability, however, is an essential part of the value of TSM&O. By addressing “unexpected delay,” the transpor- tation agency is improving travel time reliability. Although a specific brand name or “word that works” has not been iden- tified in the SHRP 2 L17 project, the appropriate ways to communicate the concept of reliability and nonrecurring congestion to various audience segments are included in the business case messages. Another theme that emerged in the branding synthesis is that of partnership. It appears that strong value is placed on collaboration within the TSM&O community of practice. Large groups such as NTOC, ITS America, I-95 Coalition, and AASHTO overlap strongly with the federal and state transpor- tation agencies that implement policies. This is observed in their membership, leadership, and resource sharing. This established sense of collaboration provides a strong founda- tion for reaching all target audiences; however, the message must become more focused, cohesive, and common across all partners in order to be clearly understood and valued. There does not appear to be any single website that attempts to communicate its message to all potential target audiences. Not surprisingly, the purpose of each website often differs, depending on the target audience. Portions of websites tar- geted to policy makers are focused on advocacy messages often related to just one aspect or strategy of TSM&O. Many of these websites also include a practitioner-focused section that pro- vides more education or technical assistance aimed at moving the policy objective into practice. These messages that are aimed primarily at the policy or practitioner level most often communicate a great deal of information through many dis- tinct messages without the use of a common theme or term. The breadth of TSM&O represents a challenge for all audiences to understand without an umbrella or unifying concept. The individual aspects of TSM&O come across more as silos to those who are not directly engaged in this functional area. Communication to the Traveler audience is especially challenging. It most often occurs in a narrow interest area such as incident response or ITS message boards. The cur- rent purpose appears to be to simply provide drivers with information, as opposed to educating drivers on the actions they can take in response to that information. The impor- tance of communicating not only what reliability is but also why it is important and how it can be achieved appears to be largely missing at this time. Although websites can be a very effective means of com- municating to all audiences, it is necessary to bring that audi- ence to the site. The limitations for the websites surveyed often relate to their ability to connect with the intended audi- ence. More traditional means of communicating, such as bro- chures and presentations, can be effective but may reach a much narrower audience. This perspective has been considered in the development of the KTS and plans for the Operations Center of Excellence. The dedication of the user community within the SHRP 2 L17 project represented an important lesson learned. Practi- tioners are eager for ways to promote and advance TSM&O and are willing to devote their limited available time to assist in meeting this need. The members of this group were ready to offer recommendations and support for the development of messages and materials. They had a strong sense of what did not work and what was most effective. In particular, the interviewees for the sub-audience business case messages were Table 4.2. Implementing the TSM&O Communication Strategy 1-Marketing— Phases 1 and 2 2-Communications— Phases 3 and 4 3-Outreach— Beyond L17 Identify the “market” for your product Develop ways to com- municate the value Take action and follow through Research your audience Create the product that describes benefit (tactics) Disseminate the message using tactics Identify subsets of your audience Integrate the value with the right tactic Meetings, presen- tations, e-mails, webinars Identify the behav- ior change desired Develop the plan for dissemination of the value Make a commit- ment; stay engaged Evaluate your market selection Create materials to communicate the product to the market Evaluate and adjust your plan to improve

43 very supportive of the interest and effort by the project team. The contributions of these transportation professionals were the primary elements of success for Track C activities. Conclusions “Congestion” appears to be the most effective sound bite to support Reliability/TSM&O communication at this time. Since all audiences are also travelers, congestion is a part of everyone’s context and this creates a common understanding. Through relating travel time reliability as an aspect of conges- tion, the concept of reliability is elevated and normalized. This relationship between travel time reliability and congestion becomes the highest tier of communication messages, from which related individual concepts filter down to the individual audiences. It is essential that each tier of messaging tie back to the congestion theme in order to clearly advance the effective- ness of TSM&O strategies and policies. It appears that this lack of connection between the commonly understood con- cept of congestion and the more abstract concept of reliability is at least one aspect of what has been missing in attempts to communicate the message thus far. Transportation professionals are actively promoting TSM&O in their agencies and among their peers. The sup- port provided by communication messages and materials is highly desired as a tool to improve these efforts. At the con- clusion of the project, user community members individually requested access to the materials and templates developed so that they could tailor these materials to their context and improve their ongoing activities. Any brand selected for travel time reliability must be con- sidered along with its ability to attract the audience. To meet this requirement, there must be a good understanding of the target audience as well as the most effective means to com- municate with them. The key messages and communication methods identified in this synthesis provide a strong founda- tion for the next phase of the SHRP 2 L17 project. The lessons learned about message effectiveness will be considered by the outreach communities in order to begin branding activities and the development of communication materials. Outreach: audience Interactions As part of Phase 1 and 2 activities, the L17 team defined and formed user and institutional communities. Regular virtual meetings with the user community were held and a face-to-face user community–TETG Branding Workshop occurred in conjunction with the TETG meeting in late June 2012. Following the branding workshop, the user community continued to meet for the entire project period. This group led the development of the business case messages for the business case primer, supported the identification of sub- audiences and the development of appropriate messages for them, and critiqued various communication materials in order to ensure they were appropriate for the target audience and for the practitioners’ needs. Eleven user community meetings were held during the project period and each has added significantly to the identi- fied research products. The community reported that they found value in attending the meetings and appreciated the way in which the meetings were conducted. Their ongoing and consistent participation was one of the most important factors in the successful development of communication messages and materials. The majority of the work in Phases 1 and 2 of the project was focused on understanding the state of the industry in KTSs and TSM&O resources. As a result, the priority of the outreach in these early stages was to solicit user perspective on defining the target audience and developing the supporting business cases. As the synthesis phase was completed, the user community helped to identify research gaps and to validate the framework of information that the KTS should provide. Early in Phase 2, the user community participated in the branding workshop with the TETG and provided subsequent refinement of the brand promise. In Phases 3 and 4, the user community responded to concrete products as they were developed: the business case primer, sub-audience messages, and communi- cation materials. The user community provided input and validation in the following discussion topics. Defining Reliability The core concepts of reliability have been identified as vari- ability in travel time related to a specific facility or trip and over a significant period of time. The relationship between travel time reliability and TSM&O was discussed. Target Audience The user community reached agreement on three broad audi- ence categories whose support of TSM&O is essential: • Investment Decision Maker: individuals who make rec- ommendations or decisions related to allocating funds for reliability related improvements. • Implementer: individuals who implement reliability improvements, including both real-time operations and longer-term reliability-related project development and implementation (includes anyone not making investment decisions). • Traveler: travelers (both business and passengers) whose individual decisions about their route or schedule affect reliability.

44 The user community also identified positions and func- tions within their specific organizations that would fit best into the three identified categories. Business Case Development For each target audience, the user community identified the compelling messages that should be used to support TSM&O. • For Investment Decision Makers (Investors), this included customer expectation, the economy, performance moni- toring on investment, and data measurement. Other topics included environmental benefits, shipment efficiencies, increased safety, and reduced travel delay. • For Implementers, the business case messages included dis- cussion of modeling, benefits for travel time, safety benefits, system preservation, and resource efficiencies. The business case also should focus on increased productivity, reduced peak periods, reduced incident response times, reduced congestion and increased public satisfaction, and lower costs with significant benefits, as compared to capacity- adding projects. • The Traveler audience included freight providers as well as the general public. Messages should include the value of reliable or predictable travel as well as congestion relief. The business case for the traveler audience also should pro- vide an opportunity to educate drivers on the role they play in ensuring reliability and how they personally affect the reliability of roads. Communication of the Business Case The project team produced draft business case message sum- maries for the Investor, Implementer, and Traveler audiences. These summaries were reviewed by the user community members and revisions made based on their suggestions for improvement. Research Gaps The project team provided a summary of the research gaps identified in the synthesis phase for consideration by the user community. Members were asked to identify those gaps that were most important to fill and to identify documents that could help fill them. The user community members noted that implementation challenges should be discussed, as well as solutions to address those challenges. Sub-Audience Business Cases The user community identified the appropriate sub-audiences for unique messages and provided the project team with names and contact information for potential interviewees within each sub-audience. Following the development of sub- audience messages, the group reviewed and provided recom- mendations for message improvement. Communication Materials The user community identified the types of communication materials that were desirable for use by practitioners. When draft materials were developed and presented, the group pro- vided strong feedback to help improve the brochure. They identified potential methods for using the Investor and Imple- menter slide presentations together or drawing from each to form a single presentation for the target audience. One meeting of the institutional community was also held during Phase 1 and a second meeting was held at the end of Phase 2. The primary objective of the initial meeting was to frame the SHRP 2 L17 research purpose and products, along with the institutional community’s role within the project. The group also discussed the challenge faced in reaching the target audience through a website. The members provided helpful perspectives such as the following: • Keep the website current. • Organize the information in a user-friendly manner. • Recognize situational user needs. • Use a variety of interlinked outreach efforts. • Target part of the website toward policy makers. The institutional community also discussed the upcoming branding workshop and important considerations to be given to the selection of a brand. Regionalism, communication, data sharing, and performance measures were suggested as parts of the branding message that could bring together the disparate parts of TSM&O. The second meeting focused on lessons learned from their own experience in communicating through their websites. This information was passed along to the full project team for consideration as the KTS was developed. Additional Interactions Regular interactions with other SHRP 2 contractors, TCC, and TETG were held as part of Phase 1 and 2 activities. These are the key events: • Delivered project update meeting with the TETG during TRB 2011 Annual Meeting. • Held a team meeting to brainstorm concepts and content for CEO brochure during TRB 2011 Annual Meeting. • Delivered a project overview presentation at the SHRP 2 Reliability Workshop held during the TRB 2011 Annual Meeting.

45 • Participated in a telephone conference call with TETG members on February 18, 2012, to introduce the project scope and budget and to discuss project progress. • Produced and delivered a first version of the CEO brochure, which included a series of brainstorming, development, and review meetings with SHRP 2 staff and TCC members. • Initiated, scheduled, and participated in the first contrac- tors meeting in conjunction with the SHRP 2 Reliability Implementation Workshop, which was held during March 2–4, 2011, in Irvine, California. Current Status of academic Curricula in Support of tSM&O The SHRP 2 L17 project has identified educators at the univer- sity level in civil engineering, transportation planning, and related management fields as part of the target audience for this research. This is an important component of the research since it appears that transportation-related degree programs provide limited or no coverage of the role of TSM&O within their current curriculum. The result is a limited opportunity for future transportation professionals to be aware of the field and receive training to understand or become engaged in TSM&O. In response to this interest in educators and academic cur- ricula, the outreach approach included the Academic Advisory Team (AAT). The purpose of this outreach team was to help validate the current status of academic curricula and identify barriers and opportunities associated with enhancing aca- demic support for TSM&O. Potential candidates for the AAT were identified and invitations to participate were sent. Those contacted by phone were aware of the SHRP 2 L17 research and interested in participating. However, others who were available only by e-mail did not respond to the invitation. The project team identified several barriers to forming an inter- active team of academicians. The primary barrier was the school year schedule and the lack of availability during summer months or when individuals are on sabbatical. Another barrier was the ability to specifically identify those teaching courses rel- evant to TSM&O. This level of detail was not readily available for all universities from websites and research. It appeared that without a specific introduction by a peer or colleague, educators were reluctant to commit to this level of participation. After repeated attempts to engage a number of teaching profession- als, the project team elected to develop the academic white paper solely from research and to request review by a few selected individuals who were willing to engage. This approach proved to be the most feasible way to gather insight into the state of academic curricula in support of TSM&O. During initial conversations with potential AAT members, the project team solicited information on current TSM&O course offerings and individual perspectives on the current state of academic curricula to support TSM&O. This infor- mation was combined with synthesis research and provided a current status of curricula. The resulting academic white paper received very limited review by those actively engaged in teaching. In general, the conclusions through research were confirmed by experience. The academic white paper is pro- vided in Appendix E. Overview The results of a recent study, Attracting, Recruiting, and Retain- ing Skilled Staff for Transportation System Operations and Management (Cronin et al. 2012), identified some of the bar- riers to introducing future transportation professionals to the TSM&O field: SOM interfaces with many disciplines and transportation modes, both internal and external to the organization, as well as with functions such as emergency management and public safety, and the concerns of the general public (Michigan Depart- ment of Transportation 2008; Victoria Transport Policy Insti- tute 2010). As the emphasis on transportation management and operations increases, the demand for personnel with skills in these areas is also increasing. Transportation agencies are experiencing a shortage of SOM professionals with the suitable skills and knowledge to move beyond more traditional civil engineering functions to the broader and more diverse SOM activities. According to interview participants, the desired skill set and knowledge base cannot be acquired simply from college or university courses, but rather is obtained through on-the-job experiences. Currently, the SOM workforce is being depleted due to retirement of transportation practitioners and a shortage of graduates from education programs with the cross-disciplinary perspective and skills needed to meet the functional require- ments of SOM tasks. Among the many recommendations included in this report are two with particular significance to this research. The first was a recommendation to “Develop SOM Curriculum Con- tent for Related Higher Education Courses and Training Pro- grams.” The unique skills required of TSM&O professionals draw on a combination of engineering, communications, technology, and systems management that requires a multi- disciplinary education. Although this mix of topic areas can be very attractive to students considering the field, their awareness of employment opportunities needs to increase. A second recommendation was to establish student internship programs more broadly within transportation agencies. This approach allows agencies to identify where supportive pro- grams are offered and provide a paid opportunity for stu- dents to participate in the hands-on experience that is very relevant to a career in TSM&O. Although the lack of skilled applicants is a common problem across the transportation

46 sector, TSM&O is particularly disadvantaged by the lack of supportive curricula. The research team’s principal source of information on existing university courses was the FHWA’s National Trans- portation Training Resource (NTTR) database, which is the repository for the results from the NCHRP 20-77 project to create and populate a transportation operations training framework. That database includes 642 TSM&O-related courses, of which 384 are offered by academic institutions. There are 69 academic institutions with courses in the data- base, though about half the institutions offer fewer than five relevant courses. Because there has been no attempt to main- tain or update the NTTR database, it does not necessarily represent the current state of the practice. At this time there are no sustainable updating mechanisms; however, it is the most inclusive resource available. This information was supplemented by a recent report by Gitman (2010) describing the state of the practice in transportation training at community colleges. Commu- nity college programs related to transportation focus on the areas of automotive technologies, commercial driving, or supply chain and logistics. It is unclear how much con- nection is being made between relevant transportation programs and TSM&O careers. Initial research indicated that most training in TSM&O is focused on professional development, not on developing an overall TSM&O-focused university curriculum. While not sufficient, existing resources such as the Operations Academy and university transporta- tion centers are providing opportunities for current engi- neers and planners to expand their TSM&O-related knowledge and skills. The Operations Academy is geared to mid- and senior-level managers at transportation agencies, and therefore it does not represent entry-level academic support for TSM&O. Research identified several papers proposing university courses or degree programs to address the need for TSM&O training at the university level. But it is unclear how many of these courses or programs have been put into practice. Most work in the area of university transportation curricula appears, however, to be focused on the transportation field more generally. One additional resource was noted during review of the academic white paper. The Consortium for ITS Training and Education (CITE) comprises university and industry associa- tions to provide advanced transportation training and education through an online resource. CITE offers a combi- nation of individual-study, instructor-led, and certificate programs. CITE focuses on traffic engineering and ITS courses. The courses identified were captured in the NTTR database and are therefore included in this research. The academic white paper identified the core competen- cies necessary to support a career in TSM&O. The breadth of TSM&O skills requires business and people skills in addition to technical skills provided by civil engineering and similar curricula. The relationship between the Operations Academy focus areas, the NTTR database, and the identified core com- petencies was presented in this report. These are some of the lessons learned: • Gaps in technical competencies exist in traffic safety, emer- gency management, project management, and ITS devices and architecture. • It is unclear how well the People and Self-Management core competencies are represented within the technical courses offered. • Student awareness of TSM&O as a career path is not cur- rently measured; however, proposed topic areas for an undergraduate introductory transportation engineering course do not include references to ITS, telecommunica- tions, or emergency management issues. The breadth and depth of TSM&O-related competencies drives home the challenges of preparing undergraduates to be TSM&O professionals coming out of college. First, the multi- disciplinary background that is needed to help students succeed in the field is a significant challenge in and of itself. Creating cross-disciplinary degrees is difficult at many academic institu- tions and requires the student and the student’s advisor to know early in an academic career that this is the desired career path. Because TSM&O is not a well known or fully established discipline within the transportation engineering field, students are often not aware of this as a career option early enough in their course of study. Moreover, even if the lack of student awareness of TSM&O can be overcome, the current civil engi- neering curriculum is demanding, requiring many students to study 5 years to receive their under graduate degree. In general, civil engineering undergraduates have only 40 or so hours of instruction on all topics specifically related to transportation engineering. This significantly limits the time available to address non- engineering–related TSM&O competencies.