Meeting Notes
RAC Leadership Teleconference
1:30 – 3:30 eastern,November 12, 2009
1-888-889-3253
Call leader is: Chris Jenks.
Pass code is: RAC
Participants: Sandra Larson (chair), Jeffrey Brown, Camille Crichton-Sumners, Ron Curb, Nanda Srinivasan, Jack Jernigan, Barney Jones, Rick Collins, Darryll Dockstader, Chris Jenks, Jean Landolt, John Moulden, Lisa Williams, and Bill Zaccagnino.
Decisions and action items are underscored.
Submitting reports of federally funded research
It needs to be ascertained from NTL whether hard copies need to be provided at all.
Bill Zaccagnino reported that this needs to be followed up. It may be better to send the reports electronically.
Minutes from last meeting
A motion (Crichton-Sumners/Brown) to accept the meeting notes was approved.
Old Business
AASHTO Report (Sandra Larson):
Sandra reported that Monique Evans has been appointed a voting member of SCOR for Region 3. Another regional member for SCOR will be nominated shortly. A new Chair of SCOR will be named at the end of March 2009.
TRB Report (Chris Jenks):
Registration for the annual meeting is at the level of the last year at this point. However, state DOT registrations are similar to last year’s experience. The list of 9 selected projects for the TCRP were sent out to RAC. Panel nominations for the 9 projects are due on December 18, 2009. In view of the travel restrictions at State DOTs, if potential nominees are unable to travel, participation in panels via teleconference is encouraged. In the Rail Improvement Act of 2008, there was a provision for a passenger rail cooperative research program to provide for solving problems and research issues of freight, passenger, inter-city, and commuter rail. The program may be administered with TRB. Chris met with FRA staff who indicated that the program, the National Rail Research Cooperative Program, be administered by TRB. The legislation asks for state DOTs to be on the oversight committee. Chris expects that the program might be started in 2011.
Crawford Jencks reported that the Freight program selected 5 programs for the next year. NCHRP 20-59 panel nominations are due on January 15, 2010. The HAZMAT program should be announced shortly; 4 projects will need panel nominations by January 22, 2010. Depending on the continuing resolution extending SAFETEA-LU, NCHRP may request FHWA to collect incremental contribution from states to initiate contracts for FY 2010.
RITA Report (Tim Klein):
The RITA director will attend the next SCOR meeting in March 2010. Two distracted driver sessions are planned. $14 million on ICM projects were released (San Diego and Dallas). North American Statistics for Canada and Mexico were released.
FHWA Report (Bill Zaccagnino):
Jean Landolt will be addressing the incremental funding request for NCHRP. The amount requested will depend on the length of the next continuing resolution. If the resolution extends the bill to March, FHWA will collect the first wave of payments. Jean and Bill are working with TRB to clean up TRB core program contributions and NCHRP contributions from past years. There is some money remaining from FY2007, and states will soon be asked via the FHWA Division Offices with a copy to the RAC listserv (potentially by next week) to de-obligate and re-obligate that money to NCHRP. Crawford Jencks said that the de-obligation and re-obligation process is important for NCHRP because contracts have already been initiated assuming the availability of that money. FHWA is in the process of preparing replies to questions raised for FHWA in the letter from Rick Collins. The peer exchange guide will be unveiled in January 2010.
Lisa Williams reported that the webinar for December 9 was cancelled; however, a webinar-based TPF briefing is scheduled for December 15, 2009 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. (EST). A notice is available on the TPF website. Issues to be discussed on December 15th briefing include the funding reconciliation process and project close out. The next pooled fund monthly webinar is scheduled for February 10 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (EST).
New Business
Task Force Updates
For the latest TF Updates: http://www.transportation.org/sites/research/docs/RAC%20Task%20Forces%20Status%20Report%20(August%207,%202009).doc
PLEASE NOTE: Due to a transition of AASHTO websites to a new content management system, updates to the RAC/SCOR website will be delayed one to two weeks.
Rick Collins mentioned that the Future Needs task force met on December 8, 2009. Based on the discussions at the meeting, the task force has been put on hiatus. It was decided that the priorities of the Future Needs task force can be taken care of by other task forces. Additionally, RAC leadership can provide guidance on strategic future needs as needed. Rick thanked Darryll for the chairing the task force. Rick will start working on a better reporting format for the task force updates to make it easier to use and aid Chris Hedges in keeping it up-to-date.
Peer Exchange Update
Barney report that the peer exchange task force surveyed the membership, identified issues, consolidated information into a memorandum with a list of recommendations. He noted that FHWA provided a reasonable and constructive response and the task force is pleased with the outcome of the process. The final step is to roll out the guide in conjunction with the TRB Annual Meeting in January 2010. The task force will prepare a presentation for the summer meeting summarizing the changes and the new options provided in the new guide. John Moulden will be on hand to answer questions on the guide.
SCOR Strategic Plan
The SCOR strategic planning group has been meeting periodically via teleconference. The latest version was sent out to the RAC officers earlier in the week. This version is similar to the version presented to SCOR in the November meeting. The format has been changed to make the plan easy to read. Goals and sub-goals have been separated. An appendix on page 5 shows all the detail in a narrative format. Crawford went through primary changes made by SCOR. Mara Campbell wanted to designate leads for each of the goals. For those goals and sub-goals where RAC/RAC Task Force need to be involved, leads have been designated. The task forces that were identified were enumerated. If all the task forces in RAC are OK with the leads designated, the plan will be shared with both SCOR and RAC.
Summer 2010 RAC Meeting
Mara Campbell sent a draft preliminary agenda via Sandra on December 3, 2009. Comments are due to Mara by Friday, December 18, 2009.
TRB / RAC Meeting, Sunday January 10, 2010
Rick Collins talked to Tony Kane about arranging a 45 minute briefing session with Congress and Senate staff at the January RAC meeting. The regional breakout meetings were moved back from 8:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in order to provide sufficient time for the briefing session. Rick will work with the task force chairs on the need (or lack thereof) for a task force report at the TRB Annual Meeting.
Summer 2011 RAC meeting (Salt Lake City) (Clint Adler)
Salt Lake City has been chosen for the 2011 RAC Annual Meeting. The potential theme for meeting suggested is “Cross Discipline Research Integration.”
Adjournment – approximately 3:15 p.m.
Next Conf Call: Thursday, February 11, 2010
Attachment 1
Agenda
RAC Leadership Teleconference
1:30 – 3:30 eastern,December 10, 2009
1-888-889-3253
Call leader is: Chris Jenks.
Pass code is: RAC
1:30 Role Call (Sandra Larson)
Adjustments to the Agenda All
Approve Minutes from last meeting (attachment) All
1:35 Old Business
AASHTO Report:Ken Kobetsky/Jim McDonnell/Keith Platte
TRB Report:Chris Jenks
RITA Report:Tim Klein
FHWA Report:Debra Elston/Bill Zaccagnino/John Moulden
2:00 New Business
Task Force UpdatesTF Chairs
For the latest TF Updates:
http://cms.transportation.org/?siteid=55&pageid=2449
Peer ExchangeUpdateDeb Elston/Bill Zaccagnino/Barnie Jones
SCOR Strategic PlanCrawford Jencks/Rick Collins
Summer 2010 RAC MeetingSandra Larson/Rick Collins
July 26 - 30 2010, Kansas City, MO
TRB RAC Meeting, Sunday January 10, 2010All
Summer 2011 RAC meeting Clint Adler
Salt Lake City, UT
Number of Hard copy research reports submitted Wes Lum
3:30 Adjourn
Next Conf Call:Thursday February 11, 2010
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