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The National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC)This publication is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information.Today, following the success of the National Dialogue on Transportation Operations, transportation professionals are embracing the need to improve the performance of the Nation's transportation system through a stronger commitment to management and operations. Now more then ever, the operations community is accepting the call to move from a dialogue on the issues of system mobility, reliability, and security, to promoting and supporting actions necessary to meet the challenges these issues present. The National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC) serves as an important foundation for institutionalizing management and operations into the transportation industry. This alliance of national associations, practitioners, and private sector groups represents the collective interests of stakeholders at State, local, and regional levels who have a wide range of experience in operations, planning, and public safety. The Evolution of the NTOCIn 1999, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiated the National Dialogue on Transportation Operations in an attempt to encourage discussions on operations issues and advocate for a stronger focus on operating the Nation’s transportation system. The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) estimated that in 2001, the 75 largest metropolitan areas experienced 3.5 billion vehicle-hours of delay, resulting in 5.7 billion gallons in wasted fuel and $69.5 billion in lost productivity. Congestion has clearly become a topic of social and political interest that continues to have a significant impact on the economic productivity of the United States. As a result of growing concerns in mobility and system reliability, the transportation operations community identified the need to devote greater attention to strategies that would help our existing infrastructure perform as intended. The National Dialogue represented a formal "call to arms" for increasing consciousness and encouraging the transportation community to adopt strategies that promote building, maintaining, and operating a transportation system that is safe, reliable, and secure. Some of the major initiatives of the National Dialogue on Transportation Operations have included a series of white papers developed to serve as a foundation for future debate on the need for a stronger commitment to operations; an electronic dialogue initiated to facilitate ongoing discussions on the meaning and role of transportation operations; and, in October 2001, a National Summit on Operations was held to obtain a broad consensus on the key challenges and next steps needed to advance transportation operations. Summary of Summit Recommendations
The activities leading up to and following the National Summit laid the foundation for moving the transportation operations community from dialogue to action. As a result, institutional changes are taking place at the Federal, State, and local levels, fostering a new environment focused on improving mobility and reliability through better operation of the transportation system. This shift in thinking has lead to the evolution of the National Dialogue and the creation of the NTOC. The NTOC AgendaRemaining closely aligned to the original vision of the National Dialogue, the members of the NTOC agreed that the goals identified through the Dialogue were still worthy of pursuit. NTOC Goals StatementWe will know we are successful when:
In support of these goals, the Coalition identified some near-term action items that offer tangible progress in institutionalizing management and operations within transportation agencies. These actions fall into three broad categories: Managing for Performance
Advancing the State of the Practice
Communicating the Message
How You Can Get InvolvedThe NTOC currently consists of a number of subcommittees and action teams who are actively working on activities to promote management and operations strategies and benefits to stakeholders. Current subcommittees and action team focus areas include:
To learn more about the NTOC and its current activities visit https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/nat_dialogue.htm The NTOC meets biannually and subcommittees and action teams meet regularly throughout the year. The NTOC is open to new members interested in transportation management and operations. Participation is on a volunteer basis. For more information on FHWA Office of Operations activities, visit our web site at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/operations April 2004 FHWA-OP-04-050
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United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration |