Sharing and Utilizing Data to Support Automated Vehicle and Other Transportation Applications

Request for Partners

Questions and Responses

Question #1: What are NCTCOG’s major goals and expectation from the potential partners?

Response: NCTCOG wants to facilitate the sharing of transportation-related information by its regional partners to the developer community so that information can be used for products and services that will improve safety and the efficiency of the transportation system in the region. At the same time, NCTCOG believes that the exchange of transportation-related information should to be two-way and that third-parties supplied with information by NCTCOG’s regional partners should provide NCTCOG and its regional partners with access to data streams that may help them more effectively operate the transportation system. That two-way data exchange partnership model is what prompted NCTCOG’s Regional Transportation Council to authorize the region to participate in the Waze Connected Citizens Program. Potential partners need to be aware that many parties seek information about special events, road closures, weather-related incidents and crashes that affect traffic flow. Local governments do not have the resources to “feed” data to multiple parties using different inputting tools. NCTCOG is looking for ideas for how local governments can best share their data to the developer community simply and by entering that data only once. NCTCOG’s goal is robust data sharing via productive partnerships between the public and private sectors so that the rich exchange of transportation data allows public agencies to operate their transportation system more effectively and the private sector can build and market products and services using that data that consumer embrace.

Question #2: Will the selected partners be able to access the data of other partners (cities, counties, and other third-parties)?

Response: Data sharing will be possible via the existing 511DFW data portal and direct links with partner agencies. NCTCOG foresees direct links in the initial phase. As demand increases for transportation-related data from regional partners, NCTCOG envisions the 511DFW system becoming the place where regional partners will park their data via a single data entry and such data will then be accessible to multiple parties via the 511DFW data portal. For more information see presentation accessible at: http://www.nctcog.org/trans/committees/sttc/documents/Item_7.sttc022417.pdf. In this RFP, NCTCOG welcomes ideas for how best it and its regional partners can share pertinent data with third parties and receive pertinent data from those third parties.

Question #3: Will NCTCOG provide any data to potential partners that provide analysis of the operations, such as identifying potential efficiencies in their operations and planning?

Response: NCTCOG welcomes suggestions and recommendations from potential partners for how the DFW region can efficiently build an open data framework with respect to transportation-related data and build mutually beneficial partnerships with third parties, including those from the private sector.

Question #4: Please provide the data fields and descriptions of the data that will be provided as part of the Transportation Data.

Response: One key purpose of this RFP is to identify what types of transportation-related data are of interest to travel navigation services, OEMs and automated vehicle developers. That information will then result in attention to issues such as data feeds and descriptions. One challenge faced by public agencies is the seeming lack of a consensus among private sector entities as to what kinds of transportation-related data they need from the public sector in order to optimize their products/services.

Question #5: Will NCTCOG provide related operational data, such as costs and number of staff, to complement the Transportation Data? Is this data housed at NCTCOG or should it be accessed

Response: NCTCOG will provide information as necessary and appropriate in response to ideas and recommendations advanced in the RFP responses. NCTCOG has no current intention of supplying any additional information in connection with this RFP.

Question #6: Is NCTCOG’s expectation that participants in the RFP participate on a volunteer basis or will a budget be identified?

Response: At this time, a budget has not been identified. NCTCOG is using this to collect information about available data sharing opportunities. Based on responses received NCTCOG will determine future phases based on responses received.

Question #7: Is this RFP just looking for next generation technologies?

Response: NCTCOG is looking for ways to optimize our use of technologies and solutions that help today’s motorist but could also help lay foundation for future autonomous vehicles.

Question #8: Is there a full list of data that could be available from NCTCOG or other governmental agencies in the region?

Response: NCTCOG is unaware of a full comprehensive list of data sources. Recommend: Looking at DART, the Fort Worth Transportation Authority and TxDOT’s Intelligent Transportation page, specifically for Dallas-Fort Worth region; using the 511DFW Traveler information system; identifying a couple of communities and reviewing their social media and websites to see how they notify residents of road closures, special events, etc; using the TryParkingIt.com website, which provides ride-matches and other ride-shares; becoming familiar with the 2040 Mobility Plan on www.nctcog.org would also would be helpful.

Question #9: Is there an advantage for participating in the Request for Partners for later phases of the project?

Response: There will not be any scoring benefit for future phases of the project if the vendor submitted a proposal in response to this Request for Partner process.

Question #10: Do you anticipate participation by the big consulting firms?

Response: We have not done specific outreach to the consulting community at this time.

Question #11: Can NCTCOG share data received from Waze or similar companies with 3rd parties?

Response: At this time, NCTCOG has not requested authorization to share any information with 3rd parties from Waze or similar companies.

Question #12: Can additional written questions be submitted before the deadline for response?

Response: Any additional written questions must be submitted by 5:00pm April 14, 2017 to .

Question #13: Can contact information of participants or interested parties be shared?

Response: Yes, as NCTCOG receives contact information from interested parties those will be shared below.