U.S. DOT FY 2026 Phase I Pre-Solicitation Q&A
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229 results found
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Battery Specifications
What battery chemistries (LFP, NMC, LCO), voltage ranges, and capacity sizes should proposers target for the Phase I proof of concept?
2 votes -
Does the DOT have baseline data for all five proposed sensor modalities
Will the baseline data for optical, LiDAR, RADAR, thermal, and radiation sensors relevant to the catch basin inspection be provided as Government-Furnished Information?
2 votes -
What is the expected size of the sensor boom?
Are there any dimensional constraints related to roadway clearance, vehicle footprint, or sensor proximity to the catch basins?
2 votes -
Should the boom be retractable or fixed, and are there any stowage requirements for highway transit?
2 votes -
2 votes
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2 votes
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What are the expected data deliverables
Would it be raw sensor data, processed reports, GIS-integrated condition assessments, or a combination? Does the DOT have an existing asset management system or database that the inspection data must integrate with?
3 votes -
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 -
For 26-FH2, is vehicle road testing expected in Phase I or Phase II?
Develop a low-cost mobile screening system that uses a modular multi-sensor array and AI processing to flag catch basins likely needing maintenance without opening the grate.
2 votes -
Does the scope of 26-OS1 include compliance-focused predictive analytics tools targeting owner-operators and small commercial carriers?
The topic description references "proactive safety indicators" derived from public safety records and voluntary industry data, with an emphasis on small carrier segments and explainable AI. We are exploring whether a Phase I proof-of-concept that uses FMCSA inspection and violation data to generate predictive compliance risk scores for individual owner-operators as a mechanism for early safety intervention falls within the intended scope of this topic. Alternatively, does DOT envision 26-OS1 as focused primarily on multi-carrier fleet telematics at the corridor or network level?
3 votes -
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 -
Annotated Safety Event Dataset as Phase I Deliverable
Does the DOT expect Phase I to deliver a real-time operational alerting or dashboard product rather than AI training-ready data infrastructure?
2 votes -
Data Source Eligibility
Does 26-OS1 permit an asset-light, licensed fleet data model, or does the topic require the proposing small business to own and operate the vehicles generating the data?"
3 votes -
We have a new lithium battery extinguishing system under development. This is a water-based low-cost agent that suppresses lithium battery
We have a new lithium battery extinguishing system under development. This is a water-based low-cost agent that suppresses lithium battery fires efficiently. It can be dispensed through fixed piping, in a fire extinguishing device or directly into a BEES or EV battery system making it easy-to-deploy. It can rapidly and reliably suppress lithium-ion battery fires. It is non-toxic and safe from a environmental and personal health perspective. Would this be a good candidate for 26-PH4: Improved Response to Lithium-ion Battery Fires?
1 vote -
Topic 26-FT1 identifies rural and frontier areas as a key challenge for Complete Trip planning. Is a Phase I proof-of-concept scoped to a sm
Topic 26-FT1 identifies rural and frontier areas as a key challenge for Complete Trip planning. Is a Phase I proof-of-concept scoped to a small urban or rural transit network considered equally responsive as one focused on a large metropolitan system, provided the technical approach is designed to scale?
1 vote -
Expected fire-exposure test scope within Phase I
For Phase I is bench-scale torch-fire / direct-flame impingement testing on coated coupons sufficient to demonstrate proof-of-concept and threshold-response repeatability, or does the agency expect any radiant-panel (e.g., per 49 CFR Part 178 Appendix B / ASTM E1354 cone calorimeter at defined heat fluxes) exposure to be included within the Phase I scope of work?
1 vote -
Color-Difference Acceptance Criterion
Would PHMSA accept a quantitative colorimetric criterion as the threshold for "visible and distinct" — for example, a CIELAB color difference of ΔE*ab ≥ 30 (or another agency-preferred value) between the pre-trigger and post-trigger states, measured per ASTM D2244 or equivalent?
1 vote