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.
229 results found
-
On-Edge Safety Monitoring One key component for this to succeed is real-time analysis of near-miss instances and unreasonable driving behavi
On-Edge Safety Monitoring
One key component for this to succeed is real-time analysis of near-miss instances and unreasonable driving behaviors that can also be used universally in other applications. Are on-edge, safety anomaly detectors included in the scope of this project, or is it only on AI-driven analytics? Can safety-assured ISO 26262 software also be used in support of ISO 21448 and ISO 8800 efforts?3 votes -
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 -
Does 26-OS1 cover intrastate operations under 500 miles, or only interstate long-haul?
OST-R's topic description references "commercial freight." Does this include intrastate operations under 500 miles, or is the focus on long-haul interstate corridors? Our deployment target includes regional distribution networks — clarifying the operational scope will determine whether 26-OS1 or 26-FH1 is the stronger fit.
3 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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
Differentiation from Commercial Navigation Platforms
The topic envisions location-specific advisories delivered to drivers. How should proposers differentiate their system from existing commercial navigation platforms (e.g., Waze, Google Maps) that already provide real-time detour and speed advisories? Is the key differentiator the V2X delivery mechanism, the TMC integration, or the proactive zone-based approach?
2 votes -
Would a Phase I effort that validates predictive safety indicators using a limited, structured dataset be considered responsive, or is acces
Would a Phase I effort that validates predictive safety indicators using a limited, structured dataset be considered responsive, or is access to large-scale operational datasets expected at the feasibility stage?
2 votes -
For Topic 26-OS1, would structured training-performance and debrief data be considered an acceptable data source for developing predictive s
For Topic 26-OS1, would structured training-performance and debrief data be considered an acceptable data source for developing predictive safety indicators, or is the topic limited to operational data generated directly in commercial transport environments?
2 votes -
For Phase I, would a project focused on demonstrating the feasibility of an explainable predictive model and secure data architecture, rathe
For Phase I, would a project focused on demonstrating the feasibility of an explainable predictive model and secure data architecture, rather than a full operational deployment, be considered responsive to the topic’s desired outcomes?
2 votes -
Would human-performance and readiness indicators, including instructor-observed behavioral or operational markers, be considered within scop
Would human-performance and readiness indicators, including instructor-observed behavioral or operational markers, be considered within scope under the topic’s interest in comprehensive health modeling?
2 votes