The transportation system is an important network established to ensure the mobility of people and goods between destinations. In addition, it also serves a vital role in responding to disasters, and therefore deserves special attention when those disasters threaten to decrease its support capability. The importance of maintaining this capability is highlighted by the inclusion of transportation system security as a separate planning factor in the 2005 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users legislation. Incorporating security into the transportation planning process should be an ongoing effort of the state department of transportation (DOT), requiring modification as feedback of implementation methods is received. It does not mean transforming this transportation agency into a security agency, but rather incorporating a security perspective into the analysis of the system. This first involves establishing a more solid role as a coordinator in order to solidify vital linkages between agencies relevant to security planning. This interaction should reveal standardization issues the DOT can address in order to ensure effective collaboration, communication and coordination. Funding security measures may be difficult; but by incorporating security measures into initial analysis and planning processes, they can be brought into the broader concept of the system rather than simply added as additional funding needs. Nine roles are identified in this research for state DOTs to overcome these and other challenges faced in the process of incorporating security into the transportation planning process. Through these roles, state DOTs can ensure that security efforts reach the parts of the system that require them and begin to build a more secure system.

Note: Partial funding for this project came from the Southern Transportation Center

Transportation emissions are a significant contributor to climate change. Transportation plans and related documentation of metropolitan planning organizations and international cities were reviewed to ascertain whether climate change considerations are being incorporated into the transportation planning process. The review revealed that climate change considerations have not yet been included in a majority of cases in the transportation planning process, especially with regard to adapting transportation systems to the potential effects of climate change. Where such consideration did occur, the focus was on greenhouse gas emission mitigation where data collection techniques and analysis tools are better developed and already in place within many planning organizations. A conceptual framework for transportation planning is presented and used to illustrate how some agencies have considered climate change in each step of the planning process. Recommendations are provided on how greenhouse gas emission mitigation and climate adaptation strategies can be incorporated into the transportation planning process.

The major objective of the proposed research is to identify the relationship between new school location and urban development patterns. This objective includes understanding the rationale for school location decisions, examining historical data on such decisions and resulting residential and commercial development, investigating school location and local congestion levels, and developing recommendations for school siting decisions that consider transportation implications more fully.

A team of researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Public Policy, the University of Georgia’s Department of Public Administration, and the Georgia Tech Research Institute have been conducting GTI sponsored research to assess the recent changes in Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) outsourcing of preconstruction engineering and technical services. Over the past decade the GDOT has initiated a series of organizational changes in an effort to absorb a rapid increase in the number consultants providing engineering and construction design services. The goal of this research is to help GDOT understand and manage the greater use of consultant contracts. Preliminary findings suggest that the recent organizational changes at GDOT have improved the recording of information to assess better past and ongoing contracts. The researchers are also recommending strategies for identifying bottlenecks in the execution of contracts among prime and sub consultants.

The recent organizational and process changes at GDOT include the creation of the Office of Consultant Design, adaptation of the cost proposal process, improvements to the operational flow of contracts through GDOT systems, changes in the preferred contract structures, and the addition of designated procurement officers and contract negotiators. All of these changes were done to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of GDOT contract management and this research is a formal process of assessing these impacts on information quality.

An overall increase in outsourcing and the use of consultants by public agencies makes this research important to many audiences outside of the GDOT community. Effective management and understanding of contracting is essential to the goals and efforts of public agencies at all levels of government.

In all, researchers are optimistic about their findings, and are further encouraged by the positive feedback they have received from GDOT. By taking a three pronged approach to their research assessment, the team is able to identify the ways in which GDOT has already improved information quality and suggest innovative techniques for continuing this assessment in the future.