Programmatic Issues of Future System Performance (2022)

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76 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTED RESEARCH Research Summary This study developed a unified framework for characterizing the interests of STAs related to the issues and recommendations in two major reports: TRB Special Report 329: Renewing the National Commitment to the Interstate Highway System: A Foundation for the Future and the TRB Executive Committee-sponsored Critical Issues in Transportation 2019. The unified framework consists of a set of six key interest areas and associated research questions raised by the two reports relating to the threats and opportunities facing surface transportation as a sector over the next 10 to 20 years. The unified framework was augmented by a comprehensive literature review that assessed the extent and degree of significance of research gaps suggested by the interest areas and research questions. The findings of the literature review, coupled with input from a series of listening sessions with transportation SMEs, allowed the research team to identify a longlist of refined research gaps representing a thorough characterization of where STAs may need to focus their strategic planning and programmatic initiatives over the next two decades to mitigate threats to, and take advantage of, opportunities for system performance and agency effectiveness. The unified framework and findings from the literature review and listening sessions have been summarized in a set of six white papers that can help STA executive leaders and mangers to be oriented quickly on this study’s important findings with respect to the interest areas: transformational technologies, system performance and condition, system use, system impacts and externalities, organizational capacity and governance, and equity. The unified framework and related findings informed the development of an analytical procedure used to prepare two research products: • RPS that could lay the foundation for a new NCHRP research series to assist STAs in grasping and responding to the implications of the issues identified in this study. • A flexible and interactive self-assessment tool that STAs can use to identify strategies for addressing those issues that are considered most important to their agencies. The analytical procedure consists of a series of steps to organize and prioritize the full set of refined research gaps into a smaller set from which 18 RPS were identified. The research team developed the 18 RPS using input from the research team’s panel of former state DOT executives as well as from external transportation SMEs from the public and private sector and academia through a survey and workshop. Each RPS follows the standard NCHRP format and is ready for consideration in a future NCHRP research series. The analytical procedure also allowed the research team to structure the components of a self- assessment tool, available as a standalone, web-browser based application and accompanied by a guide titled “An Analytical Procedure for State Transportation Agencies to Assess Future Threats and Opportunities: A Guide.” The tool and guide allow an STA to conduct a self- assessment and provide a structured environment in which to consider and document critical issues, threats and opportunities, agency capabilities, and strategies and actions to take in

77 response. The self-assessment process is designed to function best in a facilitated setting with participation from a cross section of agency staff at the managerial or executive levels. It consists of five steps: identifying interest areas and critical issues on which to focus the assessment; identifying threats and opportunities the agency views as most relevant to the interest areas and critical issues; prioritizing those threats and opportunities; assessing agency capabilities to address them; and identifying strategies to improve agency capabilities, mitigate threats, and take advantage of opportunities. Recommendations Strategically planning for the next 10 to 20 years of undoubtedly continued and rapid advancements in the desired and potential performance of surface transportation systems will require STAs to fill gaps in the understanding of key issues of interest and respond accordingly to numerous threats and opportunities. This research has identified many of those issues, threats, and opportunities organized into six key interest areas. The study has identified two avenues of approach for STAs to respond, one to advance a new program of research to address 18 of the most pressing research gaps, and a second to strategically consider the wide range of issues potentially of greatest interest to an individual agency during development of its programmatic initiatives. This study recommends the following: • Advancing the proposed set of 18 RPS as the foundation for a new research series (NCHRP 20-126) for STAs. The creation of such a research series would require the approval of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), which oversees NCHRP; the TRB Executive Committee; and the AASHTO Board of Directors. The Committee on R&I consists of representatives of state DOTs and FHWA. The steps to implementing this research series are laid out in this project’s Implementation Plan. The NCHRP Project 20-126(01) panel should play a lead role in catalyzing this process by laying the groundwork within the AASHTO research structure and with individual state DOTs or AASHTO committees. In addition to STAs, other organizations may have compelling interest in the RPS and the results of this research. Such organizations include the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC), as well as FHWA and the Federal Transit Administration. The project panel could ensure that the RPS are sent to the appropriate organizations for consideration and dissemination among their members. • Disseminating and encouraging the use of the self-assessment tool among STAs. Efforts need to be made to discuss the availability of the tool, provide exposure to how it can be used, and overview the types of strategies that could be considered by transportation officials with respect to specific types of issues. Initiatives to support this recommendation include:

78 o Cultivating the active engagement of a core group of state DOT executives and career agency leaders who can become advocates for analyzing policy issues and in identifying actions for best positioning their agency in meeting the challenges. o Highlighting leading states via peer exchanges, newsletter articles, and national recognition awards (from AASHTO and FHWA) to identify which states are leading examples of applying the tool. Identifying these leaders requires the commitment of agencies and organizations that support peer exchanges and a presence at the national level (e.g., AASHTO, FHWA, and TRB). o Implementing a system for providing updates on the latest information on the policy issues, some of which would occur via the proposed research series.