[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 72 (Friday, April 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19606-19612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5588]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Demonstration of Enhanced Human Service Transportation Models:
Phase 1--System Development and Design
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice; request for proposals.
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SUMMARY: This notice is a request for proposals (RFP) for system
development and design of enhanced human service transportation models.
The USDOT seeks up to 10 local communities to carry out detailed
development and design of coordinated human service transportation
systems that utilize Intelligent Transportation Systems capabilities.
The expected results from Phase 1 include up to 10 ``deployment-
ready,'' replicable and scalable system detailed designs for enhanced
human service transportation delivery models in communities
representing a variety of operational environments and scenarios.
DATES: Proposals will be accepted immediately, as of the issue date of
this RFP. All proposals must be submitted electronically to Grants.Gov
by June 13, 2006, or postmarked by June 13, 2006, for consideration.
All potential applicants are advised to begin the Grants.Gov
registration process immediately, if they have not previously submitted
grant applications through http://www.Grants.Gov in order to be able to
meet the deadline.
ADDRESSES: Proposals should be submitted electronically to http://www.Grants.Gov. Grants.Gov allows organizations to electronically find
and apply for competitive opportunities from all Federal grant-making
agencies. Grants.Gov is the single access point for over 1,000 programs
offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies.
Proposals can also be submitted in hard copy. Should the applicant
elect this option, five hard copies and one unbound reproducible hard
copy of the proposal, along with an electronic copy of the proposal
contained on a CD-ROM should be submitted to Ms. Aletha Goodine, Office
of Mobility Innovation, Room 9402, TRI-10, Federal Transit
Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590.
All proposals should reference ``Enhanced Human Service Transportation
System Development and Design.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For program management and cooperative
agreement administrative questions: Aletha Goodine at PH: 202-366-4148;
FAX: 202-366-3765; Office of Mobility Innovation, Room 9402, TRI-10,
Federal Transit Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590, or [email protected].
For technical questions: Yehuda Gross at PH: 202-366-1988; FAX:
202-493-2027; ITS Joint Program Office, Room 3416, HOIT-1, Federal
Highway Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington,
D.C. 20590, or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
There are 62 Federal programs that fund transportation services for
the transportation disadvantaged. The February 2004 Presidential
Executive Order on Human Service Transportation Coordination (Executive
Order 13330) requested the establishment of the Federal Interagency
Transportation Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) to
enhance accessibility and mobility for persons who are transportation
disadvantaged, especially individuals with low-incomes, people with
disabilities, and older Americans. This Council is chaired by the
Secretary of Transportation with representation from 11 executive
departments or agencies of the Federal Government.
Currently, due to inefficiencies, limited resources, and a lack of
coordination, delivery of human services transportation is challenging.
New capabilities and opportunities are being created in both the
transportation and health and human services communities through the
use of emerging technologies and innovative services. However, the two
communities are often unaware of the research, new approaches, and
advances that each is making, and neither may have direct communication
with the transportation disadvantaged community at large.
In response to the Presidential Executive Order to improve the
effectiveness and efficiency of current human service transportation
delivery, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) is
leading two concurrent initiatives to bring the transportation and
human service communities together to apply solutions to overcome
service coordination and accessibility barriers for the transportation
disadvantaged travelers, transportation service providers and human
service program administrators.
The first of the two initiatives is United We Ride (UWR), an
initiative of the CCAM, chaired by the Department of Transportation
Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. This initiative has effectively engaged all
11 Federal departmental partners related to human service
transportation delivery. It addresses policy implications and solutions
of coordinated human service transportation systems from both technical
and non-technical perspectives. Developed by an ``expert panel'' in
2003 as a key product of the UWR initiative, the Framework for Action
is a comprehensive evaluation and planning tool designed to help state
and community leaders and agencies involved in human service
transportation and transit services, along with their stakeholders,
assess and plan for coordinated transportation systems. It focuses on a
series of core coordination elements (such as working together, needs
assessment, putting customers first, funding adaptations, technology,
and moving people efficiently) to help groups in states and communities
assess their needs and plan their coordination efforts. The Framework
for Action is actually two tools: one for communities and another for
states. It is available at http://www.unitedweride.gov.
The second initiative is the Mobility Services for All Americans
(MSAA) initiative. This initiative is funded through the USDOT
Intelligent
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Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office. ITS encompass a
broad range of communications-based information and electronics
technologies for surface transportation applications. When integrated
into the transportation system's infrastructure, and in vehicles
themselves, these technologies relieve congestion, improve safety and
enhance productivity. The MSAA initiative focuses on applying ITS
solutions to advance human service transportation delivery. It aims to
provide technology improvements that address both the concerns of
users, including the transportation disadvantaged, and the concerns of
service providers, including program administration.
In the CCAM report to the President on Human Service Transportation
Coordination, the Council recommended developing demonstration projects
in metropolitan, rural and/or tribal areas to test the technical and
institutional feasibility of an enhanced human service transportation
system. The demonstration projects have three major objectives. These
are (1) to establish a comprehensive set of transportation services to
meet the full range of transportation needs for all, including low-
income individuals, older adults, and persons with disabilities in a
target area by coordinating the resources of various human service and
transit programs; (2) to create a simple point of access for consumers
to obtain the transportation services needed from various programs, and
(3) to use intelligent transportation systems to enhance transportation
service delivery and system accessibility. In these demonstration
projects, a single transportation system (not necessarily a single
provider) will be established to meet the mobility needs of all
Americans in general and transportation-disadvantaged populations in
particular. The demonstration will take a two-phase approach: model
development and design (Phase 1) and model deployment and evaluation
(Phase 2).
I. Funding Opportunity Description
This notice is a request for proposals (RFP) for Phase 1--model
development and design of the demonstration program. The USDOT is
soliciting proposals to select up to 10 local communities to carry out
detailed development and design of coordinated human service
transportation systems that utilize Intelligent Transportation Systems
(ITS) capabilities. The geographic scope of a ``local community'' is to
be determined by each applicant, such as a single municipality (or
jurisdictional entity), a metropolitan area (or a portion of),
statewide or even interstates, as deemed appropriate and necessary.
Participation from various human service transportation funding
agencies, service providers, private entities, faith-based and non-
profit organizations and consumers is strongly encouraged. The expected
result from Phase 1 will be up to 10 ``deployment-ready,'' replicable
and scalable system detailed designs for models of travel management
coordination centers (TMCC) that deliver enhanced human service
transportation across a variety of operational environments (e.g.,
urban, suburban, rural and remote) and scenarios.
The vision of a TMCC is a system that:
From a customer perspective, provides a convenient access
point (physical and/or virtual) for comprehensive traveler support. The
types of services provided may range from general customer support and
trip planning (including accessibility, scheduling and fare
information), to automated reservation management, and real-time
traveler information. The services should be conveniently accessible to
all users, regardless of eligible programs, funding sources and travel
modes.
From a service provider perspective, supports coordinated
transportation service operations and management, including customer
management, real-time fleet monitoring, automated scheduling,
dispatching and routing, vehicle matching, automated reporting and
invoicing. The overall interagency coordination mechanism should be
transparent to the users.
From a human service program management perspective,
enables streamlined program management requirements, including consumer
management, automated accounting, financial transaction back-office
coordination, reporting and data collection for program evaluation.
The major objectives of the Phase 1--TMCC system development and
design are to:
Develop ``deployment-ready'' designs of ITS-enhanced human
service transportation models in up to 10 local communities that meet
local requirements, yet are scalable and replicable for broader
applications. The term ``deployment-ready'' refers to a completed,
detailed TMCC system design that has been verified and validated by the
USDOT designated experts and is ready for implementation subject to
funding availability.
Identify gaps in national and regional ITS architectures
and related ITS standards to address human service transportation
system requirements.
Identify technical, regulatory and institutional related
hurdles at the local level and identify solutions to overcome them.
Explore effective and creative approaches to engage local
stakeholders for continuous and active support and participation in
defining requirements and potential solutions.
II. Award Information
The TMCC system development and design cooperative agreements will
fund up to 10 local communities at once and totaling no more than $3.25
million. It is anticipated that successful applicants will be notified
within 45 days from the closing date of this RFP. This TMCC system
development and design project will last a maximum of 15 months,
beginning at the project kick-off, to complete all the tasks and
deliver a detailed TMCC system design that is ready for implementation
in a model deployment.
Near the end of the period of performance of Phase 1, the USDOT
intends to issue a second RFP to launch Phase 2 of the demonstration
program to select two or more local communities to proceed with Phase
2--Model Deployment and Evaluation. Only those applicants awarded to
participate in Phase I will be eligible to apply for Phase 2 of this
demonstration.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
This solicitation is targeted for communities of any size, and the
application can be submitted by a lead agency designated by the local
community chief executive, such as Mayor or City/County Manager. If
there are multiple jurisdictions working together to submit an
application, there should be ONE lead agency identified, with letters
of commitment submitted from each local community chief executive from
all participating jurisdictions. Eligible lead agencies may include
public entities currently establishing, operating, coordinating, or
brokering general public and human service transportation, including,
but not limited to, public transit agencies, state/local governments
DOTs, health and human service agencies, federally recognized Indian
tribes, and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in the U.S. All
agencies submitting proposals in response to this RFP consent to be
publicly identified as respondents.
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2. Cost Sharing or Matching
For each recipient, Federal ITS funds should not exceed 80% of
total project costs. Each applicant is responsible for identifying the
twenty (20) percent matching share from other non-USDOT public or
private sector sources. The matching funds may consist of cash,
equipment contributions, or personnel services (e.g., in-kind match).
Applicants are encouraged to solicit matching funds from multiple
sources, including Federal (non-USDOT), state and local governments and
private sector partners, as they will be considered by proposal
reviewers as evidence of local partnership.
3. Other
All public transit operators serving the local community, including
those funded under either the FTA urbanized or non-urbanized formula
programs (Sections 5307 and 5311) are expected to participate in the
project. In cases where any public transit operator is unable to
participate, a statement of explanation must be included in the
proposal.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package
This announcement is intended to provide all information that
applicants need in order to prepare and submit proposals. Applicants
may contact FTA representatives as listed in Section VII should further
clarifications be needed.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Each proposal should include a Project Overview, a Technical Plan,
a Financial Plan, and a Management and Staffing Plan that describes how
the proposed objectives will be met within the specified time frame and
budget. These plans should contain the following information:
A. Project Overview
1. Describe local area/jurisdiction where the project will take
place. This description should include size, population, general socio-
economic characteristics, and characteristics of area (e.g., urban,
suburban, rural, remote). The description should also include current
public and community transportation systems, existing administration
and coordination of human service transportation, and any other local
conditions relevant to this RFP.
2. Describe the proposed system, including which organizations will
participate and which transportation modes and human service programs
(both federally and non-federally funded) will be represented by those
participants. Also describe how the proposed project will be integrated
with the existing transportation delivery systems and supported by
leaders from the local transportation and human service communities.
3. Describe how consumers, which include people with disabilities,
older adults, and individuals with lower incomes will be involved in
the system development and design process. If a particular user
community will be represented by a public or private organization,
describe how this particular organization is qualified to represent
local user needs and interests.
4. Describe which organizations will lead the project, and how
responsibilities for task completion will be shared among proposed
project partners. Identify existing operational and institutional
integration within and across organizations, including joint
operations, shared resources, etc.
5. Include documentation of any existing or planned interagency
agreements or public/private cooperative arrangements necessary for
conducting the project. If signed agreements cannot be included, a
statement that an agreement is being developed, such as letter of
commitment, will suffice.
6. Discuss how and the extent to which local stakeholders,
including consumers, service providers and human service agencies, will
benefit from the proposed TMCC system. For example, explain how the
proposed TMCC system makes it easier for consumers to access
transportation resources.
7. Include a ``Statement of Intent'' to develop a TMCC system that
is consistent with all applicable laws and regulations, including the
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and
Section 508 requirements.
8. Include a ``Statement of Intent'' to develop a TMCC system that
is consistent with the regional ITS architecture. There should be a
``Statement of Intent'' to adhere to Section 508 requirements for
deliverables accessibility.
B. Technical Plan
The proposal must provide a comprehensive and concise technical
plan that describes how the applicant will develop and design a model
TMCC system, including the respective roles of all involved parties,
and the extent of agency coordination. The technical plan must include
the following components:
Current State of ITS Applications for Human Service Transportation
Delivery.
1. Provide a description of the current ITS system and its
components in the targeted community/geographic areas and a detailed
overview of the status and utilization of these components related to
human service transportation coordination and accessibility
enhancement.
2. Discuss the relationship of the current ITS system with current
policies and practices in human service transportation systems. Include
a description of how ITS is used with varying human service program
operations and funding streams.
3. Describe the relationship of the current ITS system with other
Federal systems change initiatives related to human service (e.g., 211/
511 systems, Aging Disability Resource centers, Real Choice System
Change Projects, etc.).
Technical Approach.
1. Describe, in detail, how the applicant will produce the
deliverables specified in Section VI.4 (Deliverables), including all
associated tasks, the respective roles of all involved parties, and the
extent of agency coordination.
2. Describe the technical and logistical details by which each
proposed task will be carried out, including stakeholder participation,
processes involved, and technologies and resources to be used.
3. Describe how the applicant will address institutional and
regulatory issues, and in particular how it will handle the regulatory
requirements and waivers and cost sharing, if applicable. Describe any
plans and approaches for building interagency consensus across
participating human service funding programs and service providers.
4. Describe approaches and processes by which the applicant will
monitor and measure project performance and progress toward a
coordinated human service transportation system.
5. Identify the project schedule (timeframe). The schedule should
reflect the sequencing of/relationship among the tasks and the duration
of each task. The schedule should also specify the milestone and
deliverable dates (timeframes).
a. Identify and discuss the major tasks to be performed. In
addition, identify the estimated number of hours and cost for
performing each task.
b. Identify the project schedule (timeframe). The schedule should
identify the sequencing of/relationship among the tasks and the
duration of each task. The schedule should also
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specify the milestone and deliverable dates (timeframes).
C. Management and Staffing Plan
1. Identify management and key professional/technical
responsibilities for the overall program. Include an organizational
chart providing the names, affiliated organizations, and positions of
all project management and key professional/technical staff.
2. Identify one point of contact representing each project
partners, including human service transportation program and
organization, consumer groups, and private sector participants or
sponsors.
3. Demonstrate that all key personnel, including project
manager(s), are capable, available, and able to commit to a level of
involvement that ensures project success.
4. Include biographical data on project management and key
professional and technical personnel.
5. Provide the estimated number of hours by task for each job
classification.
6. Discuss project management and oversight mechanisms and
approaches to be used to monitor progress and gauge project
performance.
D. Financial Plan
The proposal should provide an in-depth description and assessment
of the total cost of achieving the objectives of the project.
Specifically, the financial plan should:
1. provide a description of total project costs,
2. provide a budget and cost estimates by task and phase as defined
in the technical plan,
3. identify staff members, labor categories, labor hours and burden
rates (base rate and overhead), travel and other direct costs, and
other standard budget items such as fees for each major task, and
4. include all evidence of financial commitments to the project
from both public and private sectors, such as in signed Memoranda of
Understanding (MOU).
3. Submission Dates and Times
All proposals should be submitted electronically to http://www.Grants.Gov by June 13, 2006 for consideration. Grants.Gov allows
organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive
opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. Grants.Gov is the
single access point for over 1,000 programs offered by the 26 Federal
grant-making agencies.
Proposals can also be submitted in hard copy and postmarked by June
13, 2006. Should the applicant elect this option, five hard copies and
one unbound reproducible hard copy of the proposal, along with an
electronic copy of the proposal contained on a CD-ROM should be
submitted to Ms. Aletha Goodine, Office of Mobility Innovation, Room
9402, TRI-10, Federal Transit Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. All proposals should reference
``Demonstration of Enhanced Human Service Transportation Models: Phase
1--System Development and Design.''
4. Funding Restriction
Eligible expenses for this project are limited to activities
related to the development and design of local coordinated human
service transportation models, such as personnel, travel, and
consulting services. This RFP is not to support operations of
transportation services or capital equipment purchases, including the
purchase of ITS hardware/software systems.
Successful applicants should plan to participate in a 1.5 day face-
to-face project kickoff workshop with the Federal Government
representatives, invited subject experts, and peer recipients at the
USDOT headquarters in Washington, DC. The workshop agenda will focus on
project goals, objectives, potential approaches, strategies, available
resources and USDOT expectations. The USDOT may elect to hold a second
face-to-face workshop during the project performance period where all
recipients can network with their peers and exchange information and
lessons learned with one another. The successful applicant's project
manager plus one key member assigned to the project should plan to
attend both workshops. Associated travel expenses should be budgeted
and presented in the financial plan.
Successful applicants should also include a budget to develop and
make presentations at up to two conferences to be specified by the FTA
Project Manager.
5. Other Submission Requirements
A proposal should not exceed 50 pages in length, including title,
index, tables, figures, appendices, abstracts, and other supporting
materials except resumes (i.e., resumes may be in addition to the 50
pages). A page is defined as one (1) side of an 8.5 by 11-inch paper,
line spacing no smaller than 1.5, with a type font no smaller than 12
point. The cover sheet or front page of the proposal should include the
name, address, and phone number of an individual to whom correspondence
and questions about the application may be directed. In addition, an
SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, form must be completed and
submitted with the proposal. The form may be obtained at http://www.Grants.Gov.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
The primary evaluation criterion for the proposal will be the
applicant's demonstrated understanding and ability to accomplish the
required project deliverables based on reasonable schedule and budget
that are consistent with the vision of the project. Specific criteria
and weights (in parentheses) against which each submitted proposal will
be evaluated include the following:
Operations environment (NA)--To promote model
replicability, the grants will be awarded to a mix of urban, suburban,
rural and remote areas where different operational characteristics and
user needs may lead to variations in TMCC system development and
design. Since this criterion is beyond the control of the applicants,
no weight is assigned.
Clarity and specificity of proposal (15%)--The reviewers
will judge each proposal by the applicant's demonstrated ability to
achieve the project goals and objectives. All proposals should follow
proposal guidelines as laid out in Section IV.2 (Content and Form of
Application Submission) and clearly provide information as requested,
such as descriptions of how customers will be involved in the process
and how is the proposed system supported by leaders from local
transportation and human service communities.
Current state of human service transportation delivery
system (15%)--Preference will be given to those applicants with
existing policies, ongoing transportation coordination in place to
support human service transportation improvements. Six areas of focus
under this evaluation criterion include: (1) Leadership and
partnership; (2) planning; (3) operations; (4) technology; (5) customer
service; and (6) policy, program and funding. In the proposal,
applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate their commitment and
ability to build upon their existing resources and activities to
advance the quality of human service transportation. The Implementation
Tool for Coordinated Community Transportation, published jointly by the
United We Ride and Mobility Services for All Americans initiatives,
will be referenced by the reviewers in scoring proposals with respect
to this criterion.
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The current level of ITS Infrastructure in place (15%)--
The USDOT will give preference to applicants with some levels of
existing ITS infrastructure, such as wireless communications, in place
to support human service transportation improvements.
Scope of human service transportation programs
participation (10%)--The USDOT encourages all applicants to involve at
least two and as many human service transportation programs as
practically possible in their respective projects. The USDOT will also
recognize effort to engage non-federally funded human service
transportation programs. The proposal will be evaluated on established
interagency relationship for human service transportation delivery
through written legal agreements, such as the establishment of a
coordination council, various resource centers, memorandum of
understanding, and/or general documentation of cooperative working
relationships, such as documented meetings and events. The term
``interagency'' may involve multiple human service program managing/
funding agencies, user groups, and a wide spectrum of service modes and
providers.
Strong public-private partnership and commitment (10%)--
The USDOT strongly encourages the participation of private entities
(e.g., private transportation operators, non-profit human service
providers, advocacy groups and business community organizations) in
this project. If a public-private partnership is included in the
proposal, the business models and functional roles of the private
partners should be described in detail. The proposal should also
include evidence of commitment to the project from each of the
participating organizations and assess the likelihood of continuing
participation beyond the end of the project.
Integration with other technology and/or systems change
initiatives (10%)--The USDOT encourages and recognizes applicants to
integrate (or coordinate) with and build upon efforts made by other
initiatives related to human service transportation enhancement, such
as state-level United We Ride activities, HIPAA, 211 (local community
services information systems) and 511 (travel information systems),
Aging Disability Resource centers, and Real Choice System Change
projects.
Cost (10%)--The cost of the project should reflect the
scope of the project.
Qualifications and experience (10%)--The proposal
demonstrates adequate qualifications and experience of individuals and
organizations with respect to project management and technical
capabilities. The applicants' past performance, if available, may be
considered in the evaluation.
Timelines and Deliverables (5%)--The timeline incorporates
sufficient time to develop and implement the institutional and
technical aspects of the project.
2. Review and Selection Process
The Federal Transit Administration will establish a proposal review
panel to evaluate all eligible applications based on the criteria and
requirements defined in this Notice. The review panelists may represent
Federal agencies outside of the USDOT to provide diversified
perspectives and expertise related to human service transportation. The
Federal Transit Administration will notify successful applicants.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
It is anticipated that successful applicants will be notified
within 45 days from the closing date of this RFP. Federal Transit
Administration's (FTA) Administrator will notify the successful
applicants through postal mail.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Following receipt of the FTA Administrator's notification letter,
the successful applicants will be required to submit their proposal
through the FTA Transportation Electronic Award and Management (TEAM)
system Web site. FTA will manage the cooperative agreement through the
TEAM system Web site. Before FTA may award Federal financial assistance
through a cooperative agreement, each applicant must submit all
certifications and assurances pertaining to itself and its project as
required by Federal laws and regulations. These certifications and
assurances must be submitted to FTA irrespective of whether the project
is financed under the authority of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53, or Title 23,
United States Code, or another Federal statute. Since Federal fiscal
year 1995, FTA has been consolidating the various certifications and
assurances that may be required of its awardees and the projects into a
single document published in the Federal Register. Fiscal year 2006
Annual List of Certifications and Assurances for FTA Grants and
Cooperative Agreements and guidelines will be published in the Federal
Register and posted on the FTA Web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov.
3. Reporting
Recipients are required to submit quarterly reports to the FTA
Project Manager through the FTA TEAM system Web site. The quarterly
reports must discuss milestones related to the deliverables targeted
for the end of the project period, and include the following elements:
Significant accomplishments,
Project issues/concerns and recommended solutions,
Updated project schedule,
--List and status of current tasks
--List of completed tasks
--Percent complete by task
--If slips in the schedule occur, the recipient should propose how to
mitigate the schedule deviation(s)
total budget by task, and
--Amount spent to date by task
--Amount remaining by task
Travel expense report (if applicable).
4. Deliverables
At a minimum, the lead agency should provide the following
deliverables during and at the conclusion of the project:
A detailed project plan
Based on the discussion at the project kickoff workshop, successful
applicants should develop a detailed project plan. The project plan
must include project background information, major tasks and
approaches, implementation timelines, budgets, and deliverables.
A TMCC concept of operations
The TMCC concept of operations provides a high-level definition of
``what'' the TMCC should or should not do. The concept of operations
document should clearly and concisely describe user needs and
operational policies and constraints corresponding to local
characteristics. The identified user needs will serve as the foundation
for system requirements and provide the justification for the functions
desired. A comprehensive discussion of operational policies and
constraints should establish expected policy environment for TMCC
operation and set clear boundaries on the scope of the project. The
Concept of Operations should explicitly document the specific
shortcomings of the current human service transportation delivery in
the local area that will be addressed by the proposed TMCC, from both
an operator/program administration and a user point of view.
A TMCC system requirements
A system requirement is the detailed ``what.'' The recipients
should define both functional and performance requirements of the TMCC
model. All
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system requirements must be unambiguous, concise, and achievable, and
be consistent with and supportive of the concept of operations as laid
out in the previous task. All requirements should map to an explicit
user or operator need in the Concept of Operations, as described below.
In developing the system requirements, it is anticipated that the
recipients may find it necessary to clarify and update the needs
described in the Concept of Operations.
A TMCC system design
System design describes the ``how'' to implement the ``what.''
Recipients will explore different alternatives, including outlining
strengths and weaknesses, examining technical and operational
feasibility, institutional compatibility, and other constraints and
costs. As part of this task, the recipients will produce a report
documenting the approach, process, and outcome of the TMCC system
designs. All TMCC system designs should take into account and be in
compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and policies,
including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) of 1996.
A TMCC system phasing implementation plan
An existing ITS architecture and standards gaps report
Upon completion and approval of the TMCC system design, recipients
should analyze and identify any gaps in the existing regional ITS
architecture and relevant available ITS-related standards with respect
to implementation of the proposed TMCC. The USDOT anticipates that some
gaps may exist given the specific operational characteristics and
stakeholders involved in human service transportation. It should be
noted that no recipients will be held responsible for updating the
existing regional ITS architecture or for creating new standards within
the scope of this project.
Other deliverables:
Meetings and working sessions with the USDOT
interdisciplinary technical assistance team as described in Section
VIII.1--Technical Assistance Resources,
A proposal at the conclusion of the project to the USDOT
for funding to implement and evaluate the TMCC system as designed
(i.e., Phase 2); the USDOT will define the proposal format and
requirements and release a separate request for proposal near the end
of this project, and
Up to two face-to-face workshops at USDOT headquarters in
Washington, DC or selected local communities to discuss progress,
exchange information and network with peer groups.
Recipients are required to submit written deliverables to the FTA
Project Manager for review and approval. All written deliverables must
be provided in a Section 508 compliant format, unless otherwise
directed by the FTA Project Manager. For all deliverables to be
published on the websites, recipients should provide the final approved
products as follows to the FTA Project Manager:
The final products should be submitted in Adobe PDF,
PowerPoint, MSWord, Excel, or other file format pre-approved by the FTA
Project Manager that meets current FTA web posting standards.
The preferred source code file that the recipients should
provide to the FTA Project Manager is Microsoft Word with images, if
any, embedded into the document in JPEG format.
All documents, including final reports must be submitted
in formats that meet 508 Requirements so that they can easily be posted
on Federal websites. Where there are graphics (e.g., pictures,
illustrations, logos, charts, tables as images, maps), Alt-tags text
should thoroughly describe the image and be provided for every single
image. Repeating a caption does not meet the intent of the law and is
therefore on the lowest end of acceptability. The description in the
Alt-tags text must fully describe the graphic (as if one were acting as
a reader for a blind person). If the full description is contained in
the text, the Alt-tags should reference the reader to where that
description is (e.g.: graphic representation of noise waves as
described in the previous paragraph). If the full description is not
already in the text and is long a link should be created to a separate
page that contains the description and the Alt-tags should direct the
reader to this link. Graphics file size (e.g., pictures, illustrations,
logos, charts, maps) must be submitted as individual files in addition
to those that are embedded in the source file. The preferred format for
images is JPEG. Graphics should (if at all possible) be kept to a width
of 600 pixels or less--to prevent horizontal scrolling. Tables are
never acceptable as graphics files. All tables should be laid out using
the Word table feature. Do not use tabs.
VII. Agency Contacts
For program management and cooperative agreement administrative
questions: Aletha Goodine at PH: 202-366-4148; FAX: 202-366-3765;
Office of Mobility Innovation, Room 9402, TRI-10, Federal Transit
Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590,
or [email protected].
For technical questions: Yehuda Gross at PH: 202-366-1988; FAX:
202-493-2027; ITS Joint Program Office, Room 3416, HOIT-1, Federal
Highway Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC
20590, or [email protected].
VIII. Other Information
1. Technical Assistance Resources
To assist recipients in completing the TMCC development and design
tasks within the project performance period, the USDOT will establish
an interdisciplinary technical assistance team as a resource. This
technical assistance team will provide technical assistance to and
exchange information across the recipients as needed. The technical
assistance team will be funded separately by the USDOT and involve
people with diversified areas of expertise related to human service
transportation, including ITS technology, transportation disadvantaged
population, transportation planning, transit operations, human service
program policy and regulatory compliance, system engineering,
communications technology, software design and related topics.
The technical assistance team may conduct on-site visits to address
specific local community needs, including identifying technical and
institutional hurdles and possible solutions, as well as other impacts
that may affect the progression and quality of the project. In addition
to site visits by the technical assistance task, recipients may contact
the technical assistance team experts through emails, telephone calls
or on-site visits for prompt technical consultation as needed.
Recipients are not financially responsible for the technical
assistance team, which will be procured by the USDOT through a separate
RFP. However, each applicant is required to demonstrate in the proposal
its willingness to utilize such technical assistance and cooperate with
the interdisciplinary technical assistance team as appropriate.
In addition, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has
published several reports in recent years on subjects related to human
service transportation. These reports provide a comprehensive overhaul
of issues and challenges facing cost-effective delivery and access of
human service transportation. These reports can be viewed and
downloaded from the GAO Web site at http://www.gao.gov.
Finally, three recently released publications may assist the
applicants
[[Page 19612]]
in preparing proposals and subsequently implementing the projects. The
first publication, the Report to the President on Human Service
Transportation Coordination (http://www.unitedweride.gov/1_866_ENG_HTML.htm), published in 2005, presented five broad recommendations that
the CCAM believes will strengthen existing transportation services to
be more cost-effective, and accountable and help providers become more
responsive to consumers. These five recommendations include (1)
coordinated transportation planning; (2) vehicle sharing; (3) cost
sharing; (4) reporting and evaluations; and (5) consolidated access
transportation demonstration program.
Second, as part of the joint effort of the United We Ride and
Mobility Services for All Americans initiatives, the USDOT is in the
process of developing additional tools to take the Framework for Action
to the next level by providing communities and states with guidance to
take concrete action and identify their progress along the way. These
tools build on the same core elements as the Framework and assist in
defining where a community or state is on the road to building a fully
coordinated comprehensive transportation system that is inclusive of
people with disabilities, older adults and individuals with lower
incomes. The recipients may find these tools useful in designing their
respective TMCC systems. Inquiries about the availability of these
tools may be directed to the United We Ride program office at
[email protected].
The third publication is a generic TMCC concept of operations that
provides a high-level, representative description of an enhanced human
service transportation delivery system in terms of operational
characteristics, service scenarios and relationships between system
components. This publication is designed to provide an example that can
be used by agency and other stakeholders as the basis for developing
their own specific TMCC system concept of operations. This publication
can be obtained via website at http://www.its.dot.gov/msaa or by
contacting the FTA Project Manager.
2. Additional Resources
USDOT ITS Mobility Services for All Americans initiative
http://www.its.dot.gov/msaa/index.htm
Federal Interagency United We Ride initiative http://
www.unitedweride.gov
Information on Section 508 and web site accessibility:
http://www.section508.gov
National ITS Architecture http://www.its.dot.gov/arch/index.htm
ITS Standards http://www.standards.its.dot.gov/standards.htm
3. List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
CCAM Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
FTA Federal Transit Administration
GAO Government Accountability Office
GIS Geographic Information Systems
HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems
JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization
MSAA Mobility Services for All Americans
PDF Portable Document Format
RFP Request for Proposals
TMCC Travel Management Coordination Center
USDOT United States Department of Transportation
UWR United We Ride
Issued on: April 7, 2006.
Sandra K. Bushue,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-5588 Filed 4-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P