U.S. DOT FY 2026 Phase I Pre-Solicitation Q&A
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229 results found
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1 vote
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Are edge compute and sensing devices expected to be deployed on vehicles or in stationary permanent locations or both?
Are edge compute and sensing devices expected to be deployed on vehicles or in stationary permanent locations or both?
1 vote -
Are public transit operators (bus, light rail) considered eligible intended recipients for V2X advisories under this topic?
Are public transit operators (bus, light rail) considered eligible intended recipients for V2X advisories under this topic, alongside private vehicles and Transportation Management Centers?
1 vote -
For Phase II field testing, would a partnership with a transit authority satisfy the partner reuqirement?
For Phase II field testing, would a partnership with a metropolitan transit authority satisfy the requirement for a committed state or local agency partner?
2 votes -
Does the scope of eligible moving data sources include public transit vehicles?
Does the scope of eligible moving data sources include public transit vehicles (e.g., buses, light rail) operating on public roadways, or is moving data collection limited to private passenger vehicles?
1 vote -
Can you provide more context on what these predictive safety analytics are?
Is it more intended towards ADAS type systems which provide predictive safety on a hyper-local and time specific basis, or is it predictive safety on a larger spatial and time scale, such as predicting the next rain storm and recommending alternate routes around areas expected to flood?
2 votes -
Does commercial transport, as used in this topic, include public transit agencies?
e.g., bus or rail operators
2 votes -
What specific types of voluntary industry data does the program envision flowing into the Trusted Intermediary framework?
e.g. which kinds of telematics, maintenance records, or ADAS sensor logs are the DOT looking to have shared through the trusted intermediary framework?
2 votes -
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 -
Phase I Data Access Expectations
Several elements of the topic reference existing public and private freight datasets. For Phase I, should offerors assume responsibility for securing access to these datasets, or will the DOT facilitate access to any government-owned or partner data sources for research and validation purposes?
2 votes -
Does mobile-device-as-OBU architecture count as V2X for low-adoption rate congestion mitigation?
The topic identifies low connected-vehicle adoption rate as a barrier to V2X deployment in congestion mitigation. Does the topic accept architectures where the "V" in V2X is provided by commercial mobile devices (smartphones in fleet vehicles, eventually consumer devices) rather than dedicated OBU hardware, provided the edge node still produces standards-compliant SAE J2735 messages for downstream infrastructure and vehicles? This approach directly addresses the adoption rate problem the topic identifies, but it inverts the traditional V2X hardware assumption. Is this considered responsive to the topic objectives?
2 votes -
HIL Testbed requirments clarification
The topic requires hardware-in-the-loop testing. For a proposer whose Phase I architecture includes both hardware (RSU with embedded firmware) and software (TMS platform), is a bench-level HIL testbed — consisting of the embedded hardware prototype connected to the TMS software processing archived traffic data — sufficient to satisfy the HIL requirement, without requiring a field-deployed corridor?
1 vote -
Budget flexibility
The Phase I budget ceiling is $200,000. For a proposer developing both hardware prototype components (RSU electronics, V2X radio integration) and software components (TMS proof-of-concept, ML congestion prediction model), is it acceptable to allocate the majority of the Phase I budget to personnel costs for two technical staff rather than equipment procurement, with hardware costs limited to evaluation kits and bench prototype components?
1 vote -
High-intensity LED visual warning array
The topic states advisories must be delivered to drivers and that the system should function effectively at low connected-vehicle *********** rates. Is a high-intensity LED visual warning array integrated into roadside infrastructure — visible to all vehicles regardless of V2X equipment status — considered a compliant advisory delivery mechanism under this topic, satisfying the low-*********** performance requirement by providing 100% vehicle coverage as a parallel channel alongside V2X RSA broadcast?
2 votes -
Corridors where no existing RSU infrastructure is present
For a proposer deploying new RSU infrastructure on rural interstate corridors where no existing RSU infrastructure is present, is the strong justification requirement satisfied by demonstrating: (1) absence of existing RSU coverage on the target corridor, (2) solar-powered off-grid installation requiring no civil works, (3) full interoperability with the existing connected vehicle fleet via standard SAE J2735 messaging, and (4) integration with existing state DOT TMC data systems via standard TIM message exchange?
1 vote -
V2X advisories and high-intensity visual warnings
Is a corridor-level RSU deployment that delivers location-specific V2X advisories and high-intensity visual warnings to vehicles approaching a detected safety event — such as a wrong-way driver, stalled vehicle, or work zone intrusion — considered responsive to the congestion prevention and mitigation scope of topic 26-FH1, even where the primary benefit metric is conflict reduction and incident prevention rather than travel time reduction alone?
2 votes -
Real-time operational advisories
Does the scope of Phase I include real-time operational advisories delivered to on-scene first responders and law enforcement officers — such as a Move Over law corridor activation triggered by an officer-worn device during a traffic stop on an active highway — as an intended advisory recipient class alongside vehicle operators and TMC personnel?
1 vote -
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 -
Integration of Micro-Transit Services
Micro-transit services – such as on-demand, publicly-funded van services operating within defined geographic boundaries – differ significantly from fixed-route transit in terms of data standards and real-time availability, and several states have already funded pilots that operate entirely outside GTFS standards. Does FTA expect Phase I proposals to demonstrate awareness of these existing programs and include a concrete plan for incorporating them into a complete trip planning framework?
1 vote -
Data Privacy Requirements
A system that learns traveler preferences over time necessarily involves collecting and storing behavioral data. Does FTA have expectations around data privacy frameworks or consent mechanisms that should be addressed during Phase I work?
1 vote