U.S. DOT FY 2026 Phase I Pre-Solicitation Q&A
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229 results found
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For the “Trusted Intermediary” design, must the Phase I architecture address compliance with a specific federal privacy framework
For the “Trusted Intermediary” design, must the Phase I architecture address compliance with a specific federal privacy framework (e.g., NIST Privacy Framework, FISMA, CCPA-equivalent), or may proposers define their own privacy protection approach aligned with the spirit of the topic?
2 votes -
The topic references ISO/PAS 8800 and the proposed SELF DRIVE Act of 2026 in its reference list.
The topic references ISO/PAS 8800 and the proposed SELF DRIVE Act of 2026 in its reference list. Are proposals expected to demonstrate formal compliance with these standards in Phase I, or is an alignment statement showing that the proposed architecture is designed to support these standards sufficient?
2 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 -
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?
2 votes -
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?
2 votes -
26-FH1
Does Phase I require physical edge hardware such as an RSU or roadside compute unit as part of the testbed, or is a high-fidelity software simulation environment acceptable as the primary validation platform, provided the system architecture is explicitly designed for transition to physical hardware in Phase II?
2 votes -
2 votes
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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 -
How much FL and edge AI must be demonstrated at proof-of-concept stage?
How much of the federated learning and edge AI side does the program want to actually see working at the proof-of-concept stage? We could stand both up at small scale early, or start with a centralized cloud baseline and layer them in later. Curious which the program prefers.
2 votes -
Standards and Compliance Contexts
Does "explainable" imply a particular standard — SHAP/LIME-style local explanations, audit-grade decision logs, regulatory-aligned model cards — or domain-specific explainability tied to DOT compliance contexts?
2 votes -
Trusted Intermediary
Should "Trusted Intermediary" be read as a specific institutional form — federal agency, nonprofit consortium, neutral third party — or is the topic indifferent as long as the technical privacy guarantees hold?
2 votes -
Does the topic favor a specific privacy-preserving approach — federated learning, differential privacy, secure enclaves, or homomorphic encr
Does the topic favor a specific privacy-preserving approach — federated learning, differential privacy, secure enclaves, or homomorphic encryption — or is the choice left to the proposer based on use case?
2 votes -
Expectations for "Transparent & Explainable AI"
The solicitation emphasizes the need for "Transparent & Explainable AI" to ensure transparency and build trust. Does the DOT have a preferred framework or standard for AI explainability (such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, or ISO/PAS 8800 as mentioned in the references) that the proposed model must strictly adhere to?
2 votes -
Privacy compliance standards
What privacy and data protection standards are expected for the proposed system (e.g., NIST 800-53, CCPA, anonymization protocols, retention limits)? Are there specific federal or state privacy regulations the proposed system must address in Phase I?
2 votes -
Phase II agency commitment level and timing
Phase II requires "at least one state or local agency committed to provide access to live traffic data." At what stage is that commitment expected, and at what level? Is a Letter of Intent or MOU at Phase I proposal time sufficient, or must a binding partnership agreement be in place at Phase II proposal time?
2 votes -
Does predictive safety include human-visible communication systems designed to prevent accidents before driver reaction?
I am developing a predictive human-centered safety communication system that provides a forward-facing visual signal activated during braking to improve awareness for oncoming drivers and pedestrians.
In addition, the system is being expanded to include:
an amber-colored signal for regulatory compatibility,
a fully cordless, solar-powered design,
and GPS-based detection of stop signs to provide advance warning signals to drivers.
Given that this approach is based on human-visible communication rather than AI-based analytics, I would like to confirm whether such a system falls within the scope of predictive safety analytics for this topic.
2 votes -
What are the “unspoken” expectations of the agency for this topic?
What are the “unspoken” expectations of the agency; for example, whether the solution should already exist or just be proposed? Also, what are agency expectations around adherence to previous work and studies listed in the References e.g "Mobility Data – Standards and Specifications for Interoperability (FTA/CUTR Project)"
https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/2024-08/FTA-Report-No-267.pdf < is it strict or somewhat?1 vote -
Phase 1 Technical Requirement & MVP
Does Phase 1 require a working payment integration, or is a feasibility/architecture plan enough? Is an end-to-end MVP expected at Phase 1, meaning from start of discovery, wayfinding, booking, payment of transit on the app?
1 vote -
Functionality expected in Phase 1 vs Phase 2?
What level of functionality is expected in Phase 1 versus Phase 2?
1 vote