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Operations & Intelligent Transportation Systems Research | FHWA/UTC Workshop | Workshop Description and Agenda |
Workshop Purpose:
To establish regular interaction among those researchers and organizations investing in national-level research on urban / suburban mobility and congestion mitigation. This first workshop will establish contacts and promote communications among mobility/congestion research experts; develop an awareness and understanding of the rich variety of current research activities; and explore opportunities for partnering and collaboration between FHWA and the UTCs.
Pre-workshop Activities:
The FHWA will provide the invited UTC participants with read ahead material on FHWA's mobility and congestion-related research initiatives. Information will also be provided on the SHRP II Reliability program.
As part of their invitation to attend the workshop, the UTC participants will be asked to provide FHWA with read ahead material on their specific mobility and congestion mitigation research initiatives, including specific areas of expertise. The information will include a brief overview of ongoing, planned or recently completed research and the impact it has, or will have, on the transportation community (new knowledge gained, product delivered, etc.).
All read ahead information will be compiled into a matrix that shows FHWA and UTC research initiatives and areas of expertise, and how they relate. This synthesis will be the starting point for the workshop breakout sessions and potential discussion of research partnering opportunities.
Workshop Format:
A one day workshop - split into two one-half days to allow for travel to the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Each participant is expected to pay for his or her own travel expenses.
Day 1 will be a plenary session to discuss the matrix of FHWA and UTC research initiatives and how the activities might fit together. Information and discussion on the SHRP II Reliability program will also be included.
Day 2 will feature concurrent breakout sessions to facilitate one-on-one discussions between UTC and FHWA researchers. Each breakout room will have 3 or 4 separate tables (work setting with 8+ chairs) for potential in-depth discussions on a specific topic area. An FHWA program manager/technical expert will be available at their respective topic area to act as the topic facilitator. The UTC participants can rotate between the topic areas during the breakout sessions. A note-taker will be provided by FHWA for each topic area.
It is anticipated that crosscutting areas such as real-time traveler information, traffic analysis tools, and performance measures will be topics of discussion in both breakout sessions.
A draft workshop agenda is included below.
1:00 pm – Welcome and Introductions (Judycki/ Paniati)
Icebreaker exercise
1:30 pm – Overview and discussion of matrix of FHWA / UTC research initiatives
Walk through of matrix - where to the FHWA and UTC initiatives relate? Did we get it right?
FHWA research program managers will facilitate discussions and answer questions on their research program areas
3:00 pm – Break
3:30 pm – Discussion of the SHRP II Reliability program and opportunities for UTC's (Facilitated by Ann Brach and/or Rich Margiotta)
4:00 pm – Q&A follow-up
Depending on the Q&As, this session could also be used as a networking session and allow for participants to engage their peers in an information gathering
4:45 pm – Brief Review of the day's accomplishments
Set the stage for tomorrow's break out sessions
5:00 pm – Adjourn for the day (A group dinner may be arranged)
7:30 am – Coffee
8:00 am – Recap and Outline of Day's activities
8:10 am – Workshop Breakouts
The morning will consist of two 1-hour breakout sessions to discuss the research programs in more detail and explore potential opportunities for collaboration and partnerships. Breakout topics will be determined based on UTC interests and the previous day's discussions.
8:15 am – Concurrent breakout discussion session 1
Concurrent breakout discussion session 2
9:15 am – Break
9:30 am – Continue concurrent breakout discussion sessions
10:30 am – Break
10:45 am – Workshop evaluation - was it valuable? what worked and what didn't?
11:00 am – Next steps
11:45 am – Closing remarks (Paniati/Judycki/UTC participants)
Noon – Adjourn
