U.S. DOT FY 2026 Phase I Pre-Solicitation Q&A
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85 results found
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The Complete Trip includes “plan for and pay for a trip”.
The Complete Trip includes “plan for and pay for a trip.” Does Phase I require a functional payment integration (e.g., transit fare payment via API), or is a payment feasibility assessment and architecture design for Phase II implementation sufficient?
2 votes -
Does a fixed roadside sensor system that detects a specific vehicle-borne mechanical hazard and triggers a real-time driver alert intended t
Roadside sensor system using edge-deployed AI to detect a vehicle-borne ignition hazard before pavement contact and alert downstream drivers in under one second. Target deployment: a western freight corridor with no parallel route and a documented history of multi-week closures from vehicle-generated ignition events.
3 votes -
Autonomous vehicle-deployed aerial robotic inspection
Would an autonomous vehicle-deployed aerial robotic inspection module be considered responsive if it performs multi-sensor catch-basin inspection without grate removal and produces AI-based condition assessments, or is the solution required to use a fixed vehicle-mounted boom?
2 votes -
External or Internal Surface Temperature
Does the solicitation require the coating to indicate temperature thresholds corresponding to internal package temperatures, or is external surface temperature indication sufficient for compliance purposes?"
1 vote -
Access to battery terminals?
Does the proposed solution need to address discharge of batteries where the terminals are damaged, corroded, or otherwise inaccessible, or is the scope limited to batteries with intact and accessible terminal connections?
2 votes1 comment · 26-PH1: Increase End-of-Life Battery Safety and Recovery of Rare Earth Minerals · Admin → -
Commercial Readiness Assessment — are signed LOIs expected from partners?
For the Commercial and Implementation Readiness Assessment, what level of partner engagement are you expecting? Signed LOIs from state DOTs or MPOs, or is earlier-stage interest enough?
2 votes -
App requirements
- Is the app expected to be a mobile app, a web app, a voice assistant, or it is up to the proposer?
- Is there an expectation of the app working in offline mode?
- Should it include step-by-step navigation support?
- Can we assume that the users will have access to a smart phone? Should it work with non-smartphones and from web?
- Is there any requirements for multilingual support?
1 vote -
Does FTA have research material about top issues users are facing in complete trips?
Has FTA researched what the top challenges faced by users are for a complete trip? Are there a prioritized list that FTA wants to address for the maximum benefit of the users?
1 vote -
26-FH1: How is 'edge' defined: RSU-class hardware, TMC server, or proposer-defined?
Does edge computing refer to RSU-class roadside hardware, a local server co-located at or near a Transportation Management Center, or is the proposer expected to define and justify their own edge-cloud boundary as part of the system architecture?
1 vote1 comment · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
Does V2X include legacy vehicles alongside ELD-equipped fleets, or is V2X-native required?
The solicitation references V2X integration for traffic management. Does "X" include non-connected legacy vehicles operating alongside modern ELD-equipped fleets? Our core innovation is dispatch optimization for mixed human/AV environments — understanding whether FHWA expects a fully V2X-native solution or a hybrid approach will determine our technical approach.
1 vote1 comment · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
Does the FTA have a preferred geographic focus or an existing ITS4US program city where Phase I demonstration data should originate
Does the FTA have a preferred geographic focus or an existing ITS4US program city where Phase I demonstration data should originate, or may proposers freely select the metropolitan area for the feasibility demonstration?
1 vote -
For the Phase II MVP software package: does the FTA expect a cloud-hosted SaaS platform accessible via API
For the Phase II MVP software package: does the FTA expect a cloud-hosted SaaS platform accessible via API (allowing transit agencies and third-party app developers to integrate CLU’s trip orchestration), or a standalone installable application for transit agency self-deployment?
1 vote -
The topic states the system “necessitates the creation of” new data standards beyond existing ones.
The topic states the system “necessitates the creation of” new data standards beyond existing ones. For Phase I, does the DOT expect a new data standard to be developed and published, or is identifying the gaps where new standards are needed and proposing their design sufficient as a Phase I contribution?
1 vote -
For the accessibility requirement, does Phase I require formal WCAG 2.1 AA compliance testing with users with disabilities
For the accessibility requirement, does Phase I require formal WCAG 2.1 AA compliance testing with users with disabilities, or is an accessibility-first architecture design document with user research (interviews with 5+ disabled riders) sufficient for the Phase I PoC report?
1 vote -
Phase I Desired Outcomes specify “a proof-of-concept report describing a prototype AI-powered traveler support system”
Phase I Desired Outcomes specify “a proof-of-concept report describing a prototype AI-powered traveler support system.” Does the Phase I evaluation require a functional software prototype with running code, or is an architecture design with a limited demonstration using archived GTFS data sufficient to constitute the “prototype” described in the report?
1 vote -
Temporary work-zone congestion
Does topic 26-FH1 consider temporary work-zone congestion caused by roadway maintenance or robotic maintenance operations to be an acceptable Phase I use case for demonstrating Edge-AI/V2X congestion prediction and mitigation?
1 vote1 comment · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
mobile autonomous aerial sensing platform
Would a mobile autonomous aerial sensing platform be considered an acceptable emerging data source if the proposed system’s main deliverable is an Edge-AI/V2X congestion advisory architecture that detects work-zone or incident-related congestion and delivers location-specific advisories to affected road users and traffic management operators?
1 vote1 comment · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin → -
For the 80% baseline accuracy threshold stated in the Phase I objective
For the 80% baseline accuracy threshold stated in the Phase I objective: is this evaluated against a historical archived dataset, or must the system demonstrate 80% on a live real-time data feed during the Phase I period of performance?
2 votes -
26-FT1, Agency Facing Decision Support
For Topic 26-FT1, is an agency-facing decision-support or scenario-planning component considered responsive if it directly supports improved traveler-facing Complete Trip outcomes?
1 vote -
26-FH1: Is a formal agency partnership required for Phase I?
Is it sufficient to identify candidate state or local transportation agencies and document a plan for engagement, with a formal partnership established at the start of Phase II?
1 vote1 comment · 26-FH1: Edge AI-V2X Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation · Admin →
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