U.S. DOT FY 2026 Phase I Pre-Solicitation Q&A
- To create a new account or to sign in with an existing account please click on “sign in” located at the top right of the page
- A new pop-up window will open to make a selection, you can use an existing Google or Facebook account to access the site or you might select to create a new account.
- If you choose to access UserVoice with an existing Google or Microsoft account, you will be required to enter your login credentials for Google or Microsoft and agree to terms of service
- If you need to create a new account, click "Create an Account" underneath the password box
- In the next screen, type in the e-mail and click "Verify E-mail".
- Navigate to your inbox and click the link within the e-mail to verify. The link will be generated by noreply@trymagic.com
- That link will be live for 20 minutes. Once that time elapses, you will have to request another one
- Navigate back to UserVoice, and you will need to provide your name, a password, and agree to terms of service and storage permissions. Click "Create Account".
- Select the research topic your question is related to from the drop-down menu that appears when you begin typing.
- You may add more detail in the Description box (optional). Do NOT attach any files. The U.S. DOT shall not consider any submitted materials other than questions.
- Enter your e-mail address and password.
- When finished, select “Post idea.” If you registered, you will be able to track responses to your post. Please include only one question or comment per post to help us keep the forum organized.
45 results found
-
26-OS2 Phase III transition customer and SBIR Catalyst pathway
For Topic 26-OS2, does the topic have an identified Phase III transition customer (a specific DOT operating administration, state DOT consortium, or commercial carrier) already engaged with Volpe, or is the offeror expected to develop the transition-customer relationship during Phase I/II? Additionally, is this topic part of the DOT SBIR Catalyst pathway with an expedited Phase II-to-Phase III transition?
2 votes -
26-OS2 are all three pillars required for a responsive Phase I
Are all three pillars -- multimodal data integration, edge analytics, and federated learning -- required components of a responsive Phase I proposal, or is the language illustrative, such that a proposal could responsively address one or two of the three with strong justification? In particular, is federated learning across carrier/agency boundaries considered in-scope for a 6-month Phase I, or is centralized model training with a federated-learning Phase II roadmap acceptable feasibility evidence, given that cross-stakeholder data-sharing agreements typically exceed a 6-month window?
2 votes -
Event Prediction vs Traffic Prediction
Does DOT consider prediction of precursor events (vehicle disablements, overheating vehicles, roadside incidents, parking overflow, cargo issues) to be within scope if they materially affect freight corridor performance?
1 vote -
Integration with Traffic Management Centers
Should Phase I concepts demonstrate how predictive outputs could integrate with TMC, ATMS, 511, or existing DOT operational workflows, or is standalone analytics sufficient?
1 vote -
Truck Parking as a Corridor Variable
Should truck parking availability, truck parking utilization, rest-area saturation, or queue spillback conditions be considered relevant predictive variables for freight corridor intelligence models?
1 vote -
Corridor Intervention / Actionability
For Topic 26-OS2, is the desired outcome limited to prediction, or is DOT also interested in systems that recommend or trigger operational interventions (e.g., routing adjustments, dynamic parking utilization, traveler messaging, dispatch actions, or corridor management responses)?
1 vote -
Is the agency interested in roadside truck disablements as predictive corridor safety risks?
Many existing corridor intelligence systems focus primarily on traffic flow after disruptions occur. Is the agency interested in approaches that instead predict and prevent the operational events themselves — such as commercial vehicle failures, thermal derating, or unsafe roadside disablements — before they cascade into broader freight corridor congestion and highway safety impacts?
1 vote -
Beyond predictive model accuracy, what operational success criteria are most important to the Department for evaluating Phase II readiness,
Beyond predictive model accuracy, what operational success criteria are most important to the Department for evaluating Phase II readiness, particularly regarding interoperability with existing DOT operational systems, dashboard environments, and stakeholder decision-making workflows?
1 vote -
Does the Department have preferred characteristics for candidate pilot corridors in Phase II (e.g., port-centric, interstate freight, interm
Does the Department have preferred characteristics for candidate pilot corridors in Phase II (e.g., port-centric, interstate freight, intermodal, rural supply chain corridors), or is corridor selection intended to be proposer-defined based on operational feasibility and partner availability?
1 vote -
Public data for Phase I proof of concept
For topic 26-OS2, will a Phase I proof of concept be considered responsive if it uses publicly available freight, traffic, weather, incident, work zone, and infrastructure datasets for the initial model, while identifying private freight or telematics data partnerships as part of the Phase II pilot plan?
1 vote -
For Phase I proof-of-concept activities, does the Department anticipate facilitating access to any federal or state multimodal freight datas
For Phase I proof-of-concept activities, does the Department anticipate facilitating access to any federal or state multimodal freight datasets, or should proposers assume responsibility for sourcing and integrating all public and private datasets independently?
1 vote -
Non-AV Fleet Data as Primary Input
Does 26-OS2 accept non-AV commercial vehicle telemetry as qualifying data inputs? Or is the topic scoped to connected infrastructure sources such as RSUs and V2I systems only?
1 vote -
For 26-OS2, may Phase I focus on a U.S. port-linked intermodal freight corridor using maritime data and AIS/port/canal indicators?
Clarifying whether port-linked maritime freight flows are within scope when connected to a U.S. freight corridor. No proprietary data or proposal details are included.
1 vote -
Cybersecurity / Data Protection
For Topic 26-OS2, are there preferred cybersecurity or data protection expectations for Phase I systems utilizing proprietary freight, telematics, or transportation operations data?
3 votes -
Corridor Segment Scope
For Topic 26-OS2, may applicants focus Phase I on a defined operational segment, freight bottleneck, port-to-inland route, intermodal connector, or recurring freight lane, or is DOT expecting an entire interstate corridor?
1 vote -
Private-Sector Use Case
For Topic 26-OS2, may a private-sector freight operator, logistics provider, or transportation management environment serve as the primary Phase I use case if the solution is designed for future integration with public-sector corridor management systems?
1 vote -
Model Baseline and Delay Definition
For Topic 26-OS2, should applicants compare the predictive model against a specific baseline and use a preferred definition of “freight delay,” such as travel time increase, missed delivery window, dwell time, congestion probability, or route deviation?
1 vote -
Commercial Freight Data
For Topic 26-OS2, are aggregated, anonymized, or proprietary commercial freight datasets acceptable for Phase I model development if carrier, customer, and shipment confidentiality are protected and data limitations are documented?
2 votes -
Corridor Type and Scale
For Topic 26-OS2, does DOT have a preferred type or scale of Phase I corridor, such as urban, rural, intermodal, port-related, manufacturing, cross-border-adjacent, or nationally significant interstate freight corridors?
1 vote -
International Trade Corridor Impacts
For Topic 26-OS2, may a Phase I proof of concept account for Canada/Mexico border-adjacent congestion, customs-related dwell time, or cross-border freight disruption variables if the model remains focused on a selected U.S. freight corridor or segment?
1 vote