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In this episode of Researching Transit, Professor Graham Currie speaks with innovators Dr. Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick and Dr. Drew Dara-Abrams. Dr. Fitzpatrick is a Senior Program Officer for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. TRB, host of the world\u2019s largest annual meeting for transportation research, plays an immense role in both generating and disseminating transport research. \n\nDr. Fitzpatrick discusses her work with novel technology projects through TRB\u2019s Transit IDEA program. The Transit IDEA program \u2013 Transit Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis - was founded in 1992 with the aim of funding unproven early-stage research; projects that are too risky for other institutions to invest in. Each year, a call for proposals is developed which reflects needs in the field of transportation. An expert panel evaluates proposals and selects eligible projects. To date, 99 projects have received funding through the program. \n\nTransit projects funded through the program are diverse in scope. Examples include drone technologies that make parking at Commuter Rail stations safer; and bus sensor technology that identifies riders in need of extra assistance for boarding and alighting. Dr. Drew Dara-Abrams of Interline Technologies has been involved in a recent IDEA-funded project. Drew works with transit agencies realise the value of high quality real-time transit data (through general transit feed specifications, or gtfs). Funding from the IDEA program has spurred incorporation of this real-time data into the Transit.Land open access platform, that provides an interface for agencies to query their timetable data. Learn more about Interline Technologies\u2019 work by visiting www.interline.io.\n\nDr. Fitzpatrick speaks about the complexity, partnerships, risks and dedication that go into developing implemenetation-ready technologies in transport. One challenge is the longer-term payoff associated with early-stage innovation; which means projects require sustained effort and investment beyond the life of Transit IDEA funding. This is why Transit IDEA works with project teams to grow their networks and attract funding. She highlights two key lessons for innovators in transportation should be:\n1.\tProject goals should be sustainable, beyond the life and modality of the project\n2.\tProject teams must be flexible; accepting of risk and unexpected events\n\nWant to learn more about transit innovations?\n\u2022\tVisit project descriptions on the Transit IDEA website: http://www.trb.org/IDEAProgram/IDEATransit.aspx\n\u2022\tInnovation in Action is the Transit IDEA Program\u2019s first ever innovation report. Released in January 2020, the report highlights the impact of the program to date: http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/IDEA/FinalReports/Transit/TransitJ04A.pdf\n\u2022\tThe Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) first received funding in 1991 after Willim (Bill) Millar and APTA highlighted the importance of research in public transportation. Since then, over $10 million has been invested in over 500 projects under the TRB banner. Source: Bill Millar\u2019s Exit Interview: APTA\u2019s Chief Signs Off (Metro Magazine, 2011)\n\nSign up for updates when we release new Researching Transit episodes: http://eepurl.com/g9tCdb\n\nMusic from this episode is from https://www.purple-planet.com