U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Office of Technical Services
Several key activities are undertaken at the OTS organization level, supported by both business units as appropriate. The unique structure of OTS offers the ability to provide on-the-spot needs assessments, go-to project teams, and the widest variety of technical expertise. This section highlights a few of the most impactful efforts.
The OTS commitment to elevating the state of the practice across all transportation disciplines is evident in its leadership of key technology deployment programs such as the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2). SHRP2 is a $170 million technology implementation program. SHRP2 implementation is a partnership of FHWA and AASHTO. With OTS at the helm for FHWA, the multi-year, expansive SHRP2 implementation program is hugely successful, deploying more than 60 highway transportation solutions. OTS’s leadership of SHRP2 and creation of the Implementation Assistance Program (IAP) provided more than $130 million in financial and technical assistance for SHRP2 projects launched in every State, numerous MPOs, and several local and regional transportation agencies. The final round of the IAP was held in 2016. Over seven rounds, more than 430 new highway transportation projects were put underway through the strong FHWA-AASHTO partnership of SHRP2.
SHRP2 research concentrated on four focus areas: Renewal, Reliability, Capacity, and Safety. SHRP2 implementation efforts are well underway, and tangible results are already apparent.
The Railroad-DOT Mitigation Strategies (R16) product effectively reduced railroad agreement processing time by at least 10 weeks. Also in Renewal, the solution Tools to Improve PCC Pavement Smoothness during Construction (R06E) provides technology that allows paving teams to adjust paving strategies in real time, limiting costly “redos,” which take valuable time and money. This particular technology pays for itself in one job.
SHRP2’s Organizing for Reliability Tools (L01/L06/L31/L34) solution provided great benefits for users who incorporated it into their operations practices. One State saved more than $500,000 and several months of construction time on a single project by using dynamic messaging to manage traffic instead of constructing a temporary detour bridge.
Several State DOTs and MPOs have successfully used the TravelWorks (C10/C04/C05/C16) feature, Rapid Policy Assessment Tool, to support informed decisions based on various land use, investment and policy scenarios in their jurisdictions. And transportation agencies also use the tool in public engagement efforts to gain buy-in for projects that balance environmental impacts with cost-effectiveness.
SHRP2 Safety research is making strides using data collected through the Naturalistic Driving Study and Roadway Information Database. Researchers use this massive collection of data to understand how human behavior interacts with roadway conditions to increase crash risk. From this understanding, countermeasures, policies and programs are designed to address such risks.
Building on the success of the SHRP2 IAP, OTS created and launched the SHRP2 Education Connection, an initiative designed to link SHRP2 solutions with academia. In 2016, awardees from the first round of SHRP2 Education Connection gathered at TRB’s annual conference to showcase their successes in bringing SHRP2 solutions into their classrooms. Both professors and students saw the tremendous value of the SHRP2 Education Connection program, and its ability to bring SHRP2 to the next generation of transportation professionals.
Not content to rest on initial successes, over the past year OTS has led two complementary evaluation efforts for SHRP2. Under the SHRP2 product evaluation effort, each product is being evaluated for implementation and technical success. This effort will continue for several years, measuring the impact of SHRP2 products over time and varying industry changes. The SHRP2 program management evaluation launched in 2016 and will measure the effectiveness of the program management approach, partnerships and decision-making efforts that were key components of SHRP2 implementation.
As the corporate sponsor of the Discipline Support System (DSS), OTS leadership played a key role in providing strategic direction and consistency to FHWA’s workforce through its more than 20 technical disciplines and functional areas. The DSS structure is the main workforce development system for FHWA. It serves to deliver technical and professional training, share best practices, provide targeted networking opportunities and develop new staff. The DSS brings together individuals and disciplines to strengthen collaboration, coordination and professional development opportunities for agency staff. Under OTS leadership, in 2016, the DSS Council conducted a peer assessment that revealed advances in maturity in all disciplines. It also provided data for continued improvement and changes based on current needs and climate.
The popular iExchange was another example of OTS’s leadership of agencywide activities in 2016. Developed under the guidance of OTS’s Chief Technical Services Officer, Amy Lucero, the iExchange was created to be a virtual collaboration group that connects employees at all levels of the agency to address topics of interest and solve problems. Unique in structure, the iExchange gives employees the opportunity to work on projects outside of their normal disciplines and with other FHWA staff from all geographic areas, technical disciplines, generations, and grade levels. iExchange efforts includes crowdsourcing efforts, new initiative management, and resourcing for special projects.
In response to changing transportation industry needs, OTS continually looks to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of operations. In 2017, several RC TSTs will explore new efficiencies to better serve their partners and customers. The Geotechnical Engineering and Hydraulics teams will merge to become one team; the Planning and Air Quality teams will combine; and a new team will be established to focus on Freight and Performance Management. The effectiveness of these actions will be evaluated to ensure they are on track throughout the year.
In order to better connect FHWA’s workforce and more efficiently share information, a new Knowledge Management (KM) unit is being established. This unit will focus on two key aspects of KM – connecting people and exploring tools and processes for sharing and curating knowledge. Knowledge is more than just information; knowledge is the lifeblood of any organization — it fuels collaboration and partnership, supports innovation and makes achieving a mission a reality.
A key component of the KM unit will be FHWA’s DSS — the primary technical training and development tool for FHWA staff. Centering the DSS under the KM program will enhance consistency, developmental opportunities and maturity of all disciplines. The iExchange will also be housed within the KM unit, allowing it to grow and expand its reach.
Looking toward the future, OTS remains steadfast in its mission to exceed the needs of the highway community. The unit built its legacy on being forward thinking, agile, and responsive to a rapidly changing environment, and the people of OTS look forward to the challenges around the corner.
