DEVELOPING AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY-ORIENTED BASIC RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

US Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are developing a basic research agenda that will integrate new technology into the supply and demand for surface transportation systems by the year 2025. This agenda will provide a deeper and broader understanding of the likely impacts of innovations in technology and the social, economic, and environmental changes. The purpose of this joint program is to establish a jointly funded, 10-year basic research program, and a 25-year vision. The proposed program is intended to: (1) Incorporate all modes of surface transportation; (2) Consider technical and non-technical influences, including government; (3) Incorporate "supporting" disciplines, such as computer sciences, computer engineering, social sciences (social, behavioral, and economic factors), operations research, systems engineering, telecommunications, and others as they emerge. There has been virtually no basic research program in transportation. NSF has a research network that can be tapped to provide a new perspective on transportation. Successful congressionally supported NSF collaborations with Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and others provide good models to pursue. NSF is anxious to establish a significant partnership with USDOT. This will launch a process that will provide important new ideas for longer-term USDOT programs. This report documents the discussion and outcomes from an October 2000 workshop in Chicago. The workshop brought together researchers from diverse disciplines to develop a basic research program for surface transportation. The proposed program should address technology-based issues, as well as those non-technical issues that have an equal or often a predominant influence on surface transportation.