Meeting Notes

RAC Leadership Teleconference

1:30 – 3:30 eastern time,August 12, 2010

Participants: Sandra Larson (chair), Jeffrey Brown, Camille Crichton-Summers, Chris Hedges, Crawford Jencks, Jim McDonnell, Tommy Nantung, Lucia Olivera (FHWA), Leni Oman, Dale Peabody,Steve Pepin, Sue Sillick.

Decisions and action items are underscored.

1:30 Role Call

Approve Minutes from last meeting

A motion (Jeff Brown/Tommy Nantung) to accept the minutes was approved.

1:35 Old Business

AASHTO Report:Jim McDonnell

AASHTO is helping to support FHWA’s Every Day Counts initiative. Ten regional summit meetings are planned across the country starting in October on a wide range of planning, design, construction, and operations themes. Up to 10 people from each state DOT will be invited to attend.

AASHTO is preparing for the AASHTO annual meeting in October. Sandra noted that there has been a suggestion to deliver a presentation on high-value NCHRP research results at the meeting. Sandra asked Crawford to work with Jim, Chris Jenks, and John Halikowski to discuss and prepare for the presentation. This could be on the agenda for a conference call scheduled on August 27th to brief Mr. Halikowski on current and planned SCOR activities. Anne Ellis is coordinating the call; Jim McDonnell would like to participate as well. Crawford mentioned that the Value of Research Task Force’s 4-page brochure would be distributed at the meeting.

TRB Report:

(1)15 CRP publications have been released since last month’s conference call:

-NCHRP Report 652, Time-Related Incentive and Disincentive Provisions in Highway Construction Contracts

-NCHRP Report 655, Recommended Guide Specification for the Design of Externally Bonded FRP Systems for Repair and Strengthening of Concrete Bridge Elements

-NCHRP Report 658, Guidebook on Risk Analysis Tools and Management Practices to Control Transportation Project Costs

-NCHRP Report 659, Guide for the Geometric Design of Driveways

-NCHRP Report 600C, Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems

-NCHRP Report 661, A Guidebook for Corridor-Based Statewide Transportation Planning

-NCHRP Report 662: Accelerating Transportation Project and Program Delivery

-NCHRP RRD 348, State Department of Transportation Role in the Implementation of Transportation Demand Management Programs

-NCHRP CD-78, PLANSAFE: Forecasting the Safety Impacts of Socio-Demographic Changes and Safety Countermeasures

-NCHRP Web-Only Document 151, Geometric Design of Driveways

-ACRP RRD 10, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) Deployment for Aircraft Obstruction Surveys

-TCRP Report 95, Traveler Response to Transportation System Changes, Chapter 19: Employer and Institutional TDM Strategies

-TCRP Report 140, A Guide for Planning and Operating Flexible Public Transportation Services

-TCRP Report 141, A Methodology for Performance Measurement and Peer Comparison in the Public Transportation Industry

-TCRP LRD 32, Reconciling Security, Disclosure, and Record-Retention Requirements in Transit Procurements

(2)National Cooperative Rail Research Program (NCRRP):

-A memorandum of Agreement between NAS and FRA has been signed by NAS….awaiting FRA signature

-FY 2010 grant application submitted to FRA on 7/30….awaiting approval

-FRA working on governing board appointments…….will include 4 state DOT members

(3)NCHRP

-FY 2012 problem statements due September 15th

-Working with states to collect remaining FY 2010 NCHRP funding

-Pre-FY2008 deobligation/reobligation still occurring

-FY 2011 First panel meetings to develop RFPs started…….RFPs hitting the street

(4)TCRP

-FY 2011 problem statement screening panel is meeting 8/27

-TOPS Committee will meet October 21-22 to select FY 2011 projects

(5)ACRP

-ACRP governing board meet 7/18-19 to select FY 2011 research projects

-Announcement of FY 2011 projects distributed 8/2……soliciting panel nominations (due 9/15)

(6)NCFRP/HMCRP

-FY 2011 problem statements were due 7/31

-Still working through funding issues for FY 2010 programs.

-Funding is available for the Haz Mat program, but there are difficulties in transferring the funds to TRB

-No funding has been approved to date for the Freight program.

FHWA Report:Lucia Olivera

The Pooled Fund reconciliation process is continuing. Many comments were provided during the RAC meeting, and RAC members should contact Lisa Williams with any additional comments.

2:00New Business

Task Force Updates

For the latest TF Updates:

Leni Oman – The TKN task force held a conference call last week; they reviewed and reconfirmed the purpose of the task force as being advocacy and connecting more centers to the regional and national TKNs. New member needed from RAC 3. A conference call was held earlier this morning with TKN participation on a proposed workshop on international information sharing.

Steve Pepin needs to poll members of the former Education task force to see if they are interested in joining the Administrative. Skip Paul distributed the proposed mentoring program for RAC in advance of this call (see attachment). A motion (Dale Peabody/Camille Crichton-Summers) to accept the mentoring program was accepted.

The Administrative Task force is recommended further action on NCHRP’s role in keeping AASHTO manuals up to date. At an earlier SCOR meeting, it was decided to participate in a similar activity planned by the Standing Committee on Highways as part of the new SCOH strategic plan. The task force suggested that SCOR may wish to take a more proactive position and take a position rather than waiting to see what SCOH expects of the NCHRP. Steve Pepin will get together with Skip Paul and Chris Hedges to prepare a recommendation to SCOR and Sandra will discuss it with John Halikowski.

Sue Sillick – The Coordination and Collaboration task force is meeting September 22. Some of the action items in SCOR’s strategic plan still require clarification and possibly more effort from the task force, particularly with respect to the development of a national framework for coordinated transportation research. Sandra will discuss the matter with Rick Collins and Wes Lum and get back to Sue.

Leni mentioned speaking with Alistair Cain at RITA who is working on gathering their research information into a common format. This activity may have relevance to RAC and one or more task forces.

Dale Peabody – The Value of Research task force has a full slate of activities planned and underway and these will be discussed on their next call on September 23.

Peer ExchangeWebinar Update

John Moulden has been occupied with the Every Day Countssummit meetings and has not yet established an updated schedule for the Peer Exchange webinars.

Summer 2011 RAC meetingJuly 25 – 28 2011, Salt Lake City, UT

The next planning meeting is scheduled later this month. Ned Parrish is the point of contact for the technical program. Ned and Clint Adler will be asked to participate in RAC officers conference calls as the agenda starts taking shape.

CUTC Liaison Group

Sandra is currently working with Rick Collins on reviewing the notes from the meeting in Kansas City and the latest draft MOU. The next steps will be determined through conversations with Bob Plymale and other CUTC officers.

2:30 Adjournment

Next Conf Call:Thursday, September 9, 2010

AASHTO RAC Mentoring Program

  1. Chris Jenks sends welcoming letter to new member and RAC members
  1. Regional chair calls new member and introduces mentoring program. If the new member is interested in participating, the chair assigns a mentor within a month
  • Selects from prearranged volunteer mentor pool, or
  • Solicits volunteer mentor during regional conference call
  1. Mentor and new member talk once per month on prearranged schedule to cover the following topics from RAC 101:
  • RAC activities & resources such as RAC Operating Guidelines, Research Program Administration, RAC/SCOR webpage, New Member Handbook, TRIS, RiP
  • Funding: SP&R, IBRD, Other Fed, TPF, UTCs
  • Peer Exchanges
  • TRB technical activities; Cooperative Research Programs; SHRP2, processes, calendar, TRB web site
  • Seven Keys
  • TRBState Reps Duties if applicable
  1. Mentor should discuss the annual summer meeting with the new member in advance including duties and responsibilities, task force meetings, regional meetings, sessions; mentor should attend the RAC 101 session with the new member to fill in the gaps and in general guide the new member through the meeting.
  1. Mentor/new member should provide feedback to the regional chair on the mentoring program.

July 2010 / RAC Task Forces
RAC Member / Member State / Email Address / Administration / Collaboration & Coordination / Funding / Program Management & Quality / Transportation Knowledge Networks / Value of Research
Region 1
Jim Sime / Connecticut DOT / / X
Michael Strange / Delaware DOT /
Bill Carr / District of Columbia DOT /
Dale Peabody / Maine DOT / / X
Allison Hardt / Maryland State Hwy Admin. / / X / X
Richard Woo / Maryland State Hwy Admin. /
Steve Pepin / Massachusetts DOT / / C
Glenn Roberts / New Hampshire DOT / / X / X
Camille Crichton-Sumners / New Jersey DOT / / F
Gary Frederick / New York State DOT / / X / X
Michael Bonini / Pennsylvania DOT / / X / C
Kim Ferroni / Pennsylvania DOT / / X
Laine Heltebridle / Pennsylvania DOT /
Colin A. Franco / Rhode Island DOT / / X
William Ahearn / Vermont Agency of Transp. /
Jennifer Fitch / Vermont Agency of Transp. /
Associate Members
Ralph Campbell / New Brunswick /
Cluney Mercer / Newfoundland & Labrador /
Peter Hackett / Nova Scotia /
Stephen Yeo / Prince Edward Island /
Diane Leroux / Quebec /
Region 2
Jeff Brown / Alabama DOT / / X / X
Ivy Harris / Alabama DOT / / X
Chris Hanning / Arkansas SHTD /
Darryll Dockstader / Florida DOT / / X
Georgene Geary / Georgia DOT / / X
David Jared / Georgia DOT / / X / C
J. T. Rabun / Georgia DOT /
Jamie Bewley Byrd / Kentucky Transp. Cabinet /
Skip Paul / Louisiana DOTD / / C
James Watkins / Mississippi DOT / / F
Moy Biswas / North Carolina DOT / / X / F
Ildefonso Burgos-Gil / Puerto Rico DOT & PW /
Orlando Diaz-Quirindongo / Puerto Rico DOT & PW /
Milton Fletcher / South Carolina DOT /
Mike Sanders / South Carolina DOT /
Sandy Hoff / Tennessee DOT / / X
Gary Allen / Virginia DOT / / X
Michael Perfater / Virginia DOT /
Donny Williams / West Virginia DOT /
Region 3
Dave Lippert / Illinois DOT /
Amy Schutzbach / Illinois DOT / / X
Tommy Nantung / Indiana DOT / / X
Barry Partridge / Indiana DOT /
Sandra Larson / Iowa DOT / / F
Rodney Montney / Kansas DOT / / X / X
Laura Nelhiebel / Michigan DOT /
Calvin Roberts / Michigan DOT / / X / F / F
Linda Taylor / Minnesota DOT / / X / X
Mara Campbell / Missouri DOT / / F / C
Jennifer Gallagher / Ohio DOT /
John Cherney / Wisconsin DOT / / X
Ann Pahnke / Wisconsin DOT / / F / F
Daniel Yeh / Wisconsin DOT / / C / F
Region 4
Clinton Adler / Alaska DOT / / X / F
Anne Ellis / Arizona DOT /
Nancy Chinlund / California DOT / / C
Wes Lum / California DOT / / F
Larry Orcutt / California DOT /
Jake Kononov / Colorado DOT / / X
Casey Abe / Hawaii DOT /
Steven Ege / Hawaii DOT /
Ned Parrish / Idaho Transp. Department / / X
Sue Sillick / Montana DOT / / C / F
Mostafa Jamshidi / Nebraska DOR /
Amy Starr / Nebraska DOR /
Ken Chambers / Nevada DOT /
Scott McClure / New Mexico DOT /
Ron Horner / North Dakota DOT /
Ron Curb / Oklahoma DOT / / X
Ginger McGovern / Oklahoma DOT /
Barnie Jones / Oregon DOT / / X
Dave Huft / South Dakota DOT / / F / X
Rick Collins / Texas DOT /
Ahmad Jaber / Utah DOT /
Leni Oman / Washington State DOT / / X / X / C
Tim McDowell / Wyoming DOT / / X
Associate Members
Roger Skirrow / Alberta /
Dirk Nyland / British Columbia /
Said Kass / Manitoba /
Blair Chapman / Northwest Territories /
Ron Gerbrandt / Saskatchewan /
Wally Hidinger / Yukon /