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FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Research Project Description
Center Identification Number:
Project Title: The Florida Department of Transportation
Statewide Transit On-Site Technical Assistance Program
Co-Principal Investigators:
Lisa Staes, Senior Research
Associate
813-974-9787
E-mail: staes@cutr.eng.usf.edu
Dennis Hinebaugh, Transit Program Director
813-974-9833
E-mail: hinebaugh@cutr.eng.usf.edu
Institution:
Center for Urban Transportation Research
University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida
External Project Contact: Elizabeth Stutts, Grant
Programs Administrator, FDOT
I. Project Objective
To provide on-site technical assistance and short-term technical
support to Florida's transit
agencies. On-site technical assistance would include providing
presentations to local city or county commissions, transit agency policy
boards, metropolitan planning organizations, or community groups and
organizations on a broad range of transit related subjects. Short-term
technical support would include preparing technical reports and/or "white
papers" at the request of the
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Florida's
transit agencies or other agencies. Short-term technical support
provided to transit agencies will include those activities that are
non-recurring in their nature.
II. Project Abstract
The FDOT has recognized that Floridas
public transit agencies provide an invaluable service to the
residents and visitors of this state and has further
recognized the need to regularly provide public transit
information, resources, and technical assistance to these
agencies Many of these systems are limited in their ability to
assign staff members to stay abreast of new and ever-changing
transportation programs. In order to address an identified
need for technical assistance, CUTR is recommending the
establishment of a AStatewide
Transit On-Site Technical Assistance Program@
to provide one-on-one technical assistance and support to
transit professionals on a statewide basis. When utilizing
this program, transit professional will have access to all of
the available resources necessary to develop, improve and
expand public transit services within their communities.
III. Task Descriptions
Task 1 Establishment Procedure for On-Site Technical
Assistance and Support Program
This task will include the development of a procedure that outlines
how transit agencies may request the services available, the process
for CUTR to secure approval from DOT Central Office for providing
those services, and the process that will be used by CUTR to track and
monitor the use of the program by each of Florida's
systems. In addition, this procedure will include CUTR's
internal process for assigning staff members for various on-site
technical assistance and support activities.
Task 2 Marketing the Program
In this task, CUTR, with the support of the FDOT, will market the
availability of this program to the Florida's
transit agencies and their associated jurisdictions.
Task 3 Maintenance and Monitoring of Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) Technical Reports, Directives, and
Circulars and FDOT Procedures and Policy Statements
CUTR will maintain FTA technical reports, directives and circulars
and FDOT procedures and policy statements necessary to provide the
most concise and accurate responses for technical assistance and
support. CUTR will monitor the FTA's
homepage and the Federal Register for revisions to program guidance
documents and circulars, notices of proposed rulemaking, comment
solicitations, and notification of recently released publications. On
a weekly basis, CUTR will provide the FDOT project manager with
information gathered through this effort via electronic mail. All
information obtained through these monitoring efforts will be kept by
CUTR for dissemination to program participants.
Task 4 Maintenance of Support Materials
CUTR will maintain lists of on-site technical assistance requests
and telephone and written requests for information. CUTR will also
maintain files of written responses, presentation materials and Awhite
papers,@ developed in
response to these requests.
IV. Project Schedule, Milestones
Project Start Date: November 1, 1999
|
Task/Month |
Nov |
Dec |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
July |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
|
Task 1 |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Task 2 |
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Task 3 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Task 4 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Progress Reports |
|
|
X |
|
|
X |
|
|
X |
|
|
|
|
Annual Report |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
X |
V. Total Project Budget
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The Florida Department of Transportation
On-Site Technical Assistance Program |
|
Budget Categories |
State Share |
|
Institute Director Salary |
|
|
Faculty Salaries |
$44,066 |
|
Administrative Staff Salaries |
$1,500 |
|
Other Staff Salaries |
|
|
Graduate Student Salaries |
$1,200 |
|
Undergraduate Salaries |
|
|
Staff Benefits |
$14,234 |
|
Total Salaries and Benefits |
$61,000 |
|
Permanent Equipment |
|
|
Expendable Equipment and Supplies |
$4,000 |
|
Domestic Travel |
$5,000 |
|
Foreign Travel |
|
|
Computer Costs |
|
|
Other Costs |
|
|
Total Direct Costs |
$70,000 |
|
Indirect Costs |
$3,500 |
|
TOTAL COSTS |
$73,500 |
Notes: This budget provided above does not
reflect any federal participation.
The project team will include faculty, students, and secretarial
and other support staff who will work directly on the project and
whose costs are reflected in the direct costs of the project as listed
above. This budget does not reflect any federal participation.
VI. Student Involvement
Graduate students will be used to research training topic areas and
assist in the preparation of training materials.
VII. Relationship to Other Research Projects
The Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University
of South Florida houses a number of FDOT sponsored technical assistance
and training programs, such as the Maintenance Training Program, the
Florida Vehicle Procurement Program, and the TDM Clearinghouse and
Training Program. The development and implementation of the Statewide
Transit On-Site Technical Assistance Program will be closely coordinated
with these programs to avoid any duplication or fragmentation of effort
and to ensure that the most current and accurate information will be
disseminated.
VIII. Technology Transfer Activities/Peer Review
This is a technical assistance program that is structured to increase
the knowledge of Florida's
transit professionals and their governing bodies, Metropolitan Planning
Organizations, and local municipalities in transit related subject
areas. Any documentation that is prepared in response to a request for
technical assistance will be made available through independently
scheduled training sessions or conferences and will also be made
available upon request. In addition, CUTR staff will participate in
additional training sessions, as requested, during the Florida Transit
Association's annual and/or
mid-year conferences and the Commission for Transportation Disadvantaged
annual conference.
Requests for information and technical assistance will be monitored
to identify those areas frequently discussed during technical assistance
forums. These areas may later be the subjects of future training
sessions provided through the Statewide Transit Training Program.
Peer reviews will be conducted on a continual basis with the Florida
Department of Transportation, the Florida Transit Association and its
member agencies, and the Federal Transit Administration in an effort to
identify subject areas where technical assistance is most needed and
areas for improvement.
IX. Potential Benefits of the Project
Transit professional will have access to the latest information
within transit related subject areas that will assist them in
developing, improving and/or expanding public transit services within
their communities.
X.
TRB Keywords
Public
transit, technical assistance, clearinghouse.
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813.974.5168 fax