Techniques for Assessing Community Technology Readiness 

The TACTR (Techniques for Assessing Community Technology Readiness) platform, developed by CR2C2 researchers, offers a suite of web-based decision-support tools designed to aid rural transportation planners in evaluating readiness for emerging technologies, including automated shuttles, adaptive traffic signal control, and rural car-sharing programs. Leveraging case-based reasoning methodologies and structured technology readiness assessment frameworks, these tools enable users to compare proposed projects with documented real-world cases and assess infrastructure, operational, and institutional preparedness within their local contexts. Notably, the TACTR website links to spatial analysis tools, e.g., the “North Carolina Rural Autonomous Vehicle Readiness Assessment Tool (Ar2tdashboard),” for users in specific Southeastern states. The TACTR tools incorporate weighted scoring algorithms and user-friendly interfaces that simplify complex evaluation processes, enabling practitioners to make data-driven, context-sensitive decisions for deploying innovative transportation solutions in low-density, resource-constrained rural settings. Although currently available only to project partners and select stakeholders during pilot phases, these tools have demonstrated strong potential to enhance strategic planning, reduce uncertainty, and accelerate the adoption of emerging transportation technologies in rural transportation systems. Public release and wider dissemination are planned following further refinement and validation.

Link to the tool: www.tact-r.flywheelsites.com 

Related Publications

• Usman, S., Khattak, A., Everett, J. (2025). Enhancing Rural Transportation Planning: A Suite of Innovative Readiness Assessment Tools for Emerging Transportation Technologies. Manuscript submitted to TRB Annual Meeting 2026 (Paper Number: TRBAM-26-02130).