The RAC Region II is developing a collaborative research program called the Southeast Transportation Consortium and is intended to encourage coordination among member states and provide resources and management of collaborative studies. The consortium intends to address high priority transportation research topics of common interest to the RAC II Region states and for which expertise exists within the region. Its purpose is to pool the financial, professional, and academic resources of the region to conduct research and develop improved methods of dealing with common problems in the planning, design, construction, maintenance, management and operation of transportation systems in the participating states. The region¿s state research programs, universities and consultants collectively offer a broad range of talent and expertise. This project seeks to foster intra-regional growth in knowledge, skills and abilities amongst transportation professional and academic partners in the region to produce superior research and technology transfer. Benefits of the consortium include: 1. Regional collaboration on common problems will allow the participants to more effectively use its resources. 2. Collaboration will provide an effective way to focus resources on the Region¿s transportation research priorities. 3. The program will provide an additional way to leverage research and technology transfer funding of the state DOT¿s. 4. The program will provide a means to define, support and share technology of mutual interest. 5. The consortium will develop a longer-range plan of collaboration (strategic plan), including potential cooperation with external partners including industry and the international community. 6. A focused program will help promote the interest in transportation related fields by researchers and students within the research institutions in the region. The program is intended to supplement, not to replace, ongoing state, federal, and university research activities and other national programs such as the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. It is intended to reduce duplication of research and provide means for better communication of on-going research activities in the state research programs.

To address high priority transportation research topics of common interest and for which expertise exists in these states.

State DOT's will identify priority topics that they hold in common and for which expertise exists in the region. Potential focus areas include: - Advanced transportation materials - Freight issues - Highway infrastructure issues - Traffic simulation models - Environmental topics related to water quality and habitat connectivity - Transportation Funding

Initial start up costs will be $5,000 per member state per year for three years. Based on the strategic plan developed by the consortium members, additional contributions may be required by states for individual studies. Some larger studies or studies that may have expanded inetrest, may be funded through new pooled fund studies.