The purpose of the North Carolina Transportation Innovation Council (NC-TIC) is to foster a collaborative culture within NCDOT for the rapid implementation of meaningful innovations to efficiently deliver to the public a modern, high quality transportation system.
NC-TIC was established in 2011 as part of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)’s initiative to promote innovation at a state level within Departments of Transportation.
In 2019, NC-TIC was prioritized to accelerate and scale innovation within NCDOT and the state’s surrounding transportation ecosystem. NC-TIC provides a platform for innovation, programming, and guidance on policies and best practices to ensure efficient investment, development, and management of North Carolina’s transportation infrastructure.
Today, NC-TIC serves as the epicenter of innovation for NCDOT. NC-TIC cultivates a clear and universal understanding of what innovation means across departmental lines and establishes defined processes and practices that help implement it. NC-TIC’s activities are focused on three primary areas – internal innovation, academic partnerships, and industry partnerships – and supported by stakeholders and committees.
A joint effort between NCDOT and and FHWA’s NC Division Office, the NC-TIC includes members from the following agencies and organizations beyond NCDOT and FHWA:
- NC Local Technical Assistance Program
- Local Public Agencies (American Public Works Association)
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations (NC Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations)
- Rural Planning Organizations (NC Association of Rural Planning Organizations)
- Contractors (American Concrete Pavement Association, Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association, and Carolinas Associated General Contractors)
- Consultants (American Council of Engineering Companies)
FHWA has established several incentive programs, including Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration (AID Demo), State Transportation Innovation Councils (STIC) Incentive, and Increased Federal Share for Project Level Innovation, to encourage the consideration and deployment of technology and innovation. Through multi-disciplinary collaboration, the NC-TIC leads the consideration and approval of proposals for technical assistance and/or funding from such programs.
