MPC
Research Projects (2000-01)

Project Title

Participation in TEL8 - A Regional Transportation Telecommunications Network

University

Colorado State University

Project Investigator

Dr. Richard M. Gutkowski
Department of Civil Engineering
Colorado State University
(970)491-8291 or Fax (970)491-2788
gutkowsk@engr.colostate.edu

External Project Contact

N/A

Project Objective

The objective of this project is to physically enhance Colorado State University's (CSU's) TEL8 site facility, its link to the CSU distance learning classrooms and its developing statewide terrestrial telecommunications system and to conduct formal graduate courses and technology transfer activities on TEL8 for the next fiscal year.

Project Abstract

The TEL8 telecommunications site at CSU has been operating at a temporary location at the Engineering Research Center (some 6 miles away from the main campus) and a remote link to the main campus classrooms was established. The facility is being relocated to the newly renovated Engineering Building on main campus and will be upgraded as a result. A cooperation agreement was signed by the MPC member universities to cooperate in formal graduate course offerings via TEL8 for a three-year pilot period. This project serves to enable CSU to accomplish the relocation and continue its participation in that cooperative activity and other consortium linkages in graduate education and research.

Task Descriptions

The tasks in this project are enumerated in the program of activities stated in the Objectives in the MPC's 2000-2001 Thirteenth Year Program Plan submitted to and approved by the federal agency.

Milestones, Dates

• Starting Date: July 1, 2000
• Project Milestones:
  • Completion of site relocation August 15, 2000
  • Offering a graduate course December 31, 2000
• Ending Date: June 30, 2001

Yearly and Total Budget

This is an annual project. The attached budget is for July 1, 2000-June 30, 2001. The amount requested is $12,428 USDOT and is augmented by $ 17,272 as a CSU match. The total budget is $29,700.

Student Involvement

By nature of the project, all transportation graduate students at the four member institutions will benefit from the regional network for modern telecommunications based shared education. Via this network directly to the state DOT's and indirectly to other entities, continuing education and lifelong learning for off-campus transportation personnel and technology transfer to research end result users and recipients will be greatly facilitated and expanded.

Relationship to Other Research Projects

Provides mode for communication among PIs and state DOTs, County agencies and Local agencies as related to research objectives and subsequent technology transfer.

Technology Transfer Activities

The state DOTs involved will benefit from direct linkage to the universities and their comprehensive research programs in transportation. Real time interacting will augment the use of TEL8 for live delivery of seminars, the sis presentations and other symposia. As three MPC universities are LTAP or LTAP-American Indian center sites, the personnel of the six state DOTs and county and local agencies can access training from these units. The shared delivery of NHI courses and other formal short courses is efficient and cost effective. Reduced travel time associated with accessing out of state short courses is an additional cost efficiency to the state DOTs and the universities.

Potential Benefits of the Project

By nature of the project, and TEL8 in general, the regional DOTs, the MPC Universities and local transportation agencies will benefit from the modernization of the modes for technology transfer, coordination of mutual initiatives, access to each others continuing education and research efforts in real time reporting and interaction. This approach can become a model for replication in other regions and, possibly, nationwide. In formal education, TEL8 enables graduate students (on and off campus) to access course offerings from four universities. The breadth of the collective transportation based curriculum available is likely unmatched by any individual institution nationwide. Graduates from any of the four institutions will be superior in that regard and be a pool of students in high demand upon graduation. The experience with education via telecommunications will be an added benefit in their resumes.

TRB Keywords

Telecommunications, education, research, technology transfer