Millions in SHRP2 implementation assistance available to state DOTs, others

The application process is now open for approximately $12 million in technical and financial assistance to implement 12 products developed through the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2). For the first time, products from all four focus areas – including safety – will be available through the Implementation Assistance Program (IAP), jointly sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Federal Highway Administration.

"These products will help our states improve their infrastructure, their pavement processes and project delivery, allow for enhanced economic and traveler analysis, and help transportation planners better predict delays and analyze strategies for reducing congestion," said Bud Wright, AASHTO executive director. "We are particularly excited that the safety database developed through the Naturalistic Driving Study will be available to states for use in identifying driver behaviors that can aid in improving safety programs and enforcement and roadway design."

The application process will continue through June 27, 2014, and selections are expected in August. A list of all Round 4 products, eligible applications, and amount of financial and technical assistance available for each, as well as fact sheets and applications are available here. Forty-eight states are now participating in the Implementation Assistance Program, including 44 state DOTs and the District of Columbia. Almost 200 projects are or will soon be getting underway.

Round 4 Products include:

The Safety database seeks promising research proposals leading to the development of new or improved safety countermeasures, driver education efforts, and enforcement strategies using the SHRP2 Safety Data. The safety data will provide a wealth of information regarding driving behavior, lane departures, and intersection activities that will be of interest to DOTs and transportation safety researchers. It will provide understanding of how drivers interact with other vehicles, the roadway, passengers, and distractions.

Renewal products address pavements, project management, and bridge and tunnel testing.

Reliability includes a "bundle" of solutions aimed at helping transportation planners better predict delays and analyze strategies for reducing congestion and improving travel-time reliability.

Capacity tools are bundled to include easier-to-use tools for improved economic analysis, and enhanced models that account for traveler behavior to better inform decisions about highway capacity needs.

The list of eligible organizations for these products includes state transportation departments, state tollway and thruway authorities, local agencies, and tribal agencies, as well as joint applications showing how each agency would be involved in a project.

Contact Pam Hutton, AASHTO SHRP2 implementation manager, at 303-263-1212 for questions regarding the implementation assistance program. Additional information can be found at SHRP2.transportation.org or the GoSHRP2 website.

Published 6-6-14