Over the past 25 years, MnDOT has participated in a mobility analysis and research pooled fund along with a combination of state departments of transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.  The Principal Investigator, the Texas A & M Transportation Institute, has been providing valuable research related to performance measures and tools for monitoring mobility conditions to its State DOT partners.

MASTER members contribute annually to the pooled fund and are reimbursed for travel to the annual meeting that rotates locations among State DOTs. A work plan is developed and approved annually by the State DOT members. The most recent work plans were funded through TPF-5(440) – Support for Urban Mobility Analyses (SUMA). That project number was closed out on August 31, 2023. To view recent work plans and project results, visit the program website at: https://tti.tamu.edu/documents/umi/data/suma/files.htm

The pooled fund study scope focuses on mobility and reliability performance measures, data and issues. New emphasis areas include emerging data sources, freight movement, arterial street mobility issues, reliability performance measures, and addressing the agency challenges for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requirements.

Task 1:   Summary and Verification of Data Analytic Products: The Research Agency shall categorize the features and types of data products and analytical tools available, so that someone searching for data or tools in a specific category can see what is available, and understand some of the major differences in these data products and tools. The focus will be on these three domain areas:

• Planning-based mobility analytics
• Operations-based mobility analytics
• Trip analytics

Task 2:  Keys to Estimating Mobility in Urban Areas Application Guidance: Understanding there has been a lot of new information, tools and data availability since "The Keys to Estimating Mobility in Urban Areas" work was completed by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute in 2021, the Research Agency will update and revise the information in the original document to improve the usability of the guidance.  This update may include updating performance measure background and definition related information, selecting appropriate mobility performance measures, and target setting guidance.  The Research Agency will provide a concept outline for this effort that will be agreed upon through collaboration with pooled fund participants prior to working on the document, to ensure the information will meet stakeholder needs. 

Task 3:  Syntheses Development: The Research Agency shall conduct syntheses on key topic areas of interest to the pooled study participants. The syntheses will include 5- to 10-page summaries of current practices/activities in several topical areas. One to two syntheses per fiscal year are anticipated, depending on the depth and breadth of the topics. Final syntheses topics are vetted and finalized by the pooled study participants.

Task 4:  Support Sponsoring Agencies: The Research Agency shall provide assistance to the pooled study participants in the application of products in their operations, planning and performance measurement activities within their agency, as well as contract project management functions.

Task 5:  Meeting Support: The Research Agency shall hold a 1.5-day annual meeting for sponsors to discuss work task accomplishments, work plans for future years and other important issues.

Annual funding required is $35,000 per state. Existing partner states are asked to make all commitments for the 2024 project. See the previous pooled fund study TPF 5(440) for the study history.