The transit cooperative research program (TCRP) conducts applied research and produces timelyreports and other tools useful to public transportation professionals

This federal Cooperative Agreement award, provided by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under the Public Transportation Innovation program (CFDA 20.530), supports the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) conducted by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The TCRP aims to identify transit research needs, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and disseminate findings to improve public transportation practices and performance.

The $6,891,389 award, spanning August 2024 to July 2029, enables NAS to manage the TCRP's annual research solicitation, convene expert panels, select and oversee research projects, and widely distribute the resulting reports and tools. Through this collaborative effort, the TCRP will address a broad spectrum of public transit challenges, from facilities and operations to human resources and planning. The findings are intended to benefit transit providers, riders, and the general public by informing decision-making and fostering innovation across the industry.

Activities

The objectives of the transit cooperative research program are as follows:commission defines funding levels and expected products. See tops bylaws for additional details. To identify transit problems in need of research and development (RD) investigation and toestablish a priority ranking among them. To provide an opportunity for transit operators local government officials and many otherconstituencies including construction organizations financiers real estate developers andcommunity representatives to identify problems and participate in developing appropriate solutions. To improve communications technical information transfer and exchange; and to provide a means of addressing a variety of near-term transit problems in cooperation and incoordination with the federal program on transit research.

Expected outcomes

The transit cooperative research programs mission is to promote select and conduct research anddisseminate findings of research to improve the practice and performance of public transportation.

Intended beneficiaries

The national academy of sciences engineering and medicines (NASEM) transportation researchboard acts as secretariat to tcrp as outlined in the application including organizing and managing theannual solicitation of problem statements and their preparation for consideration by the topscommission. TRB will convene project panel meetings appoint expert technical panelists to define theproject work statement and guide the research; develop and distribute a request for proposals; and thenprocess and evaluate proposals to select the best qualified research organization to perform the work.additionally TRB will conduct and follow-up on decisions resulting from meetings of the topscommission; administer the cooperative agreement and third-party contracts; provide quarterly progressreports financial reports and final close-out reporting to FTA; and disseminate the results of tcrpprojects widely through on-line reports the tcrp website webinars social media and otherdissemination mechanisms.

Subrecipient activities

Tcrp apta ftaand other organizations and stakeholders will plan a mini-summit to discuss what is possible and how to meaningfully address turning research into practice.