The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) was established in 1992 to provide a continuing program of applied research on transit issues. The program is sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and carried out under a threeway agreement among the National Academies (the Academies), acting through its Transportation Research Board (TRB); the Transit Development Corporation, an educational and research arm of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA); and the FTA. TCRP focuses on issues significant to the transit industry, with emphasis on developing near-term research solutions to a variety of transit problems involving facilities, vehicles, equipment, service concepts, operations, policy, planning, human resources, maintenance, and administrative practices. TCRP is a unique undertaking. Anyone with an interest in public transportation may play a role in setting the research agenda for the program by submitting research problem statements to TRB at any time. Problem statements are solicited annually on the Internet and by means of a mailing to more than 3,000 individuals representing transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), universities, and federal agencies. In addition, to complement the open solicitation process, from time to time, research needs conferences are held or small consultant studies are commissioned to develop research problem statements on topics of special interest. The selection of research projects is the responsibility of the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee. The TOPS Committee consists of industry executives, representing the primary beneficiaries of TCRP research. It functions as the TCRP governing board and sets research priorities. Since 1997, TCRP research project statements (requests for proposals) have only been available on the World Wide Web (www.trb.org/tcrp). Research project statements are not mailed. Proposers and other interested parties must periodically browse TCRP’s website or register electronically on the same website. Those who register electronically receive an e-mail notification of every research project statement posting and also receive an e-mail notification of anticipated projects. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting