About TCRP | TCRP

What Is TCRP?

The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) is an applied research program that develops near-term, practical solutions to problems facing public transportation.

TCRP is sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and works in partnership with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

TCRP is managed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

When Did TCRP Begin?

Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) and reauthorized by the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21); the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU); Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21); and the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST).

On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooperating organizations: FTA; the National Academy of Sciences, acting through TRB; and the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research organization established by APTA. An updated memorandum agreement was executed on January 12, 1999.

What Are the Benefits of Participating in TCRP?

Meet and network with industry peers.

Raise your professional profile and that of your organization.

Share your expertise and knowledge on specific topics by participating on a project panel.

Participate in webinars to broaden your knowledge base.

Attend TRB’s Annual Meeting, which addresses topics of interest to transportation practitioners from all modes.

How Does TCRP Work?

TCRP solicits statements of public transportation problems in need of research.

TCRP’s Transit Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee reviews problem statements, identifies the highest priority projects, and defines funding levels and expected research products.

Research products are disseminated throughout the public transportation industry.

Who Governs TCRP?

The TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee, TCRP’s governing board, is responsible for (1) reviewing the research needs that are solicited by TRB from the public transportation industry and other interested entities, (2) evaluating and selecting research topics, (3) setting project priorities and recommending funding levels, and (4) evaluating program effectiveness.

More information about TCRP can be found at: http://www.trb.org/TCRP/TCRPOverview.aspx.