Evaluating the Michigan Access Management Program

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the environmental commitment tracking systems (ETSs) used by other state departments of transportation (DOTs) in an effort to determine which system would be the most beneficial for long-term implementation at the Colorado DOT. The authors developed a quantitative decision-making framework to identify and prioritize the features that the Colorado DOT prefers and evaluate ETSs used by other state DOTs with respect to those features to provide recommendations as to which ETS the Colorado DOT should adopt. ETSs from California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington were evaluated. The quantitative decision-making framework consists of four steps: (a) conduct interviews to identify the features that the Colorado DOT prefers to have in its ETS, (b) assign weights to those features to establish their importance relative to each other on the basis of Colorado DOT preferences by using the analytic hierarchy process, (c) collect data from the above-mentioned eight state DOTs through surveys to identify which features their ETSs have, and (d) perform a quantitative evaluation of those ETSs with their respective weights according to Colorado DOT preferences. Application of this framework identified the ETSs that are most closely correlated with Colorado DOT preferences and resulted in a number of recommendations to the Colorado DOT. Although the findings presented are specific to the Colorado DOT, the quantitative decision-making framework can be used by any DOT to evaluate an ETS.

This report examines the experience of state and provincial departments of transportation (DOTs) with strategic planning and synthesizes current approaches to linking strategic planning with other decision-making processes, including operational and tactical planning, resource allocation, performance management, and performance measurement. It will be of interest primarily to chief executive officers, executive team members, and other officials who are responsible for developing, supporting, and using strategic management systems in state and provincial DOTs. The report is intended to help these industry leaders strengthen the overall performance of their organizations by examining exemplary practices in various DOTs. Case studies are also provided documenting one transportation agency that has used strategic planning over an extended period and one that recently implemented strategic planning. This synthesis report contains information drawn from survey responses from U.S. state and Canadian provincial transportation agencies. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted with relevant personnel from many of those agencies that responded to the survey and some that did not to clarify responses and probe additional issues. A review of the relevant literature was also undertaken to provide background on the topic, help define the overall approach, and discuss the limitations of strategic planning.

P02 Promotion of Active Transportation among State Departments of Transportation in the US

There are various degrees of authority given to accommodate utilities on public rights of way (ROW). In the USA, most state laws permit public-serving utilities to use road ROW so long as they are not obstructing or hindering travel, endangering public safety, or obstructing other utilities from using the ROW legally. State laws and regulations specify different fee structures. In some states, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is authorized to assess fees or enter into lease agreements for utility accommodations on ROW. State DOTs may also receive compensation in some cases through in-kind resource sharing, barter arrangements, or other means. Different strategies may result in different fee schedules, which may or may not generate revenue for the state DOT. State DOTs are currently implementing various practices and compensation structures for utilities installed on public ROWs. This research aims to develop a categorization mechanism framework to determine how state DOTs compensate and evaluate utilities installed on ROWs. The framework is presented to assist DOTs in valuing and compensating for utilities and provides state DOTs with the means and approaches needed to execute a fee or leasing schedule for utility installations in public ROW. Several methods were used to accomplish this objective, including literature reviews, synthesis of legislation and policies, and interviews with subject matter experts. As a result, this investigation found significant variation between states in how they approach compensation and value utility accommodations. Based on this paper’s findings, valuation and compensation standardization are urgently needed.

Purpose To maintain road systems in the USA, state departments of transportation (DOTs) generally use in-house workers or private contractors. Limited studies have calculated the cost savings of hiring private contractors; however, most of them have not calculated cost savings based on life-cycle costs (LCCs). The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the LCC of chip seal and stripping maintenance activities performed by in-house workers are cheaper than those performed by private contractors. Design/methodology/approach The paper collected the hard cost data of chip seal and stripping maintenance activities performed by state DOT in-house workers, as well as private contractors, from 2003 to 2016 from the Nevada DOT Maintenance and Asset Management division. Statistical tests were conducted to test the research hypothesis that the LCC of chip seal and stripping activities performed by in-house workers are significantly less than those performed by private contractors. Findings The study results showed that the cost per unit and LCC of chip seal and striping work performed by in-house workers were significantly less than those performed by private contractors in Nevada. Research limitations/implications The study only collected data from Nevada DOT, so readers should use caution in generalizing the findings of this study. Additionally, factors affecting the cost of these maintenance activities for private contractors are significantly different compared to in-house contractors. Therefore, these differences may be some of the potential reasons for cost difference between these two methods. Practical implications The practical implications of this study are that state DOT engineers need to plan for outsourcing chip seal and stripping maintenance activities only to private contractors that are cost effective, based on life-cycle cost. Originality/value The LCC analysis framework developed in this study will help state DOT engineers to determine cost savings by using in-house workers for road maintenance works.

A construction schedule review is an essential aspect of schedule management for U.S. state departments of transportation (DOTs) to deliver transportation construction projects on time. Despite their importance, current literature pays limited attention to addressing schedule quality problems for highway construction projects. This research aims to assess schedule quality problems from DOTs’ perspective and suggests recommendations to improve DOTs’ schedule review practices. To achieve this, two questions were formulated: 1) What schedule problems do DOT schedule reviewers perceive as vital to schedule quality? and 2) What schedule problems do DOT schedule reviewers find repeatedly? This research first reviewed relevant literature and identified 44 schedule quality problems noted about highway construction. Based on these 44 problems, a survey was developed to assess the level of impact and the likelihood of occurrence of each problem. The survey was deployed to Texas Department of Transportation practitioners with schedule review experience. The analysis prioritized the problems by the relative impact and frequency, and DOTs can utilize this analysis to improve their schedule review process and practices. This paper contributes to the academic body of knowledge by investigating the schedule quality problems in highway construction and DOT practitioners’ perceptions of the schedule quality problems. Its industry contribution includes providing the methodology for DOTs to assess their schedule quality problems.

As bicycling and walking have become more integrated into transportation agencies’ processes of planning, design, and operations, some state, regional, and local agencies have established nonmotorized data collection programs of varying scopes and with varying methods. The purpose of this study was to identify ways to plan and implement a nonmotorized count program in Virginia, and the scope included reviewing existing U.S. national-level guidance and examples from state departments of transportation (DOTs) other than Virginia’s to determine the most effective ways of implementing such a program. Study tasks included synthesizing the literature to obtain relevant information with regard to nonmotorized travel monitoring programs, practices, and technologies, as well as obtaining information from representatives of three states through interviews of public agency staff and researchers involved in each state’s program. The study found a large volume of recent research on the topic of nonmotorized travel monitoring. The study concluded that the practice of nonmotorized travel monitoring has evolved and expanded in recent years; that many commercially available counting technologies exist and have been evaluated; that the practice of nonmotorized travel monitoring, as with motorized travel monitoring, has several aspects beyond purchase and installation of automatic count equipment; and that several states are developing nonmotorized count programs and have begun putting their data to use. The findings provide a foundational resource for state DOTs that are considering developing state-level counting programs.

Construction projects are inherently associated with various risks that can increase the project costs. Identifying and analyzing such risks are essential to successfully managing construction budgets at state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). While many state DOTs have developed and/or adopted risk assessments methodologies and tools, Tennessee DOT (TDOT) lacks a comprehensive methodology and tool to analyze construction project risks. This study reviewed state DOT practices of analyzing various risks associated with large infrastructure construction projects. The comparison of risk assessment practices among state DOTs are summarized in three sections: a) risk management, b) major categories affecting project costs, and c) risk estimating tools and practices. The review finds that many state DOTs have similar practices of analyzing project risks and have developed spreadsheet-based tools to automate such analysis. While some risk analysis tools are used primarily for qualitative risk analysis, other tools are developed for qualitative and quantitative risk analysis. Such tools with qualitative and quantitative risk analysis can be used to quantify contingencies for various projects for budgeting purposes.

State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) require reliable early construction cost estimates for project budgeting. Typically, project budgets are established early in the development process before finalizing a project’s scope of work. Due to the inherent incompleteness of scope definition and specifications, early estimates of construction costs are hardly accurate, necessitating the estimation and usage of a contingency. However, most DOTs use a predetermined approach to estimate construction cost contingencies without considering project-specific risks and uncertainties. Furthermore, few research studies have been focused on improving construction cost contingency estimation in the early phases. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by laying the initial foundation for a project-specific and risk-driven approach for DOTs. Significant risks affecting construction cost contingencies were identified, prioritized, and then mapped with common project types by applying a hybrid research methodology of reviewing and analyzing DOT manuals, risk checklists, and risk registers and conducting and analyzing questionnaire surveys with DOT experts. The subjectivity and vagueness of survey responses affecting risk prioritization were addressed using fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic approaches.

Increasingly, state departments of transportation (DOTs) are being required to meet water quality goals for stormwater runoff from their highway assets. These goals are characterized as “Total Maximum Daily Loads” (TMDL) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still safely meet water quality standards. To meet TMDL goals, the DOTs must often employ best management practices (BMPs) for mitigating the impacts of stormwater pollutants. This report presents information on the types of structural and non-structural BMPs currently being used by DOTs for meeting TMDL water quality goals for stormwater runoff. The study approach includes two major components: interviews with 12 state DOTs to identify the existing state of the practice as it relates to TMDL implementation, and a review of selected literature sources. Detailed quantitative BMP performance and cost data, including life-cycle costs, are presented.

This report examines how the planning function in state departments of transportation (DOTs) can more effectively support strategic decisionmaking in the increasingly complex environments that state DOTs operate within. The report addresses the continuing and emerging challenges facing transportation including (1) policy drivers such as constrained resources, energy supply and cost volatility, demographic trends, technology, state of the economy, sustainability, and climate change; (2) state DOT internal organizational, structural, and cultural challenges; (3) state and federal statutory and regulatory frameworks; and (4) ways in which transportation agency roles and governance responsibilities are evolving, shifting, or changing. A self-assessment tool provides a thoughtful and methodical approach to identifying opportunities for increasing the value of planning as well as the skill sets and expertise that planning professionals need to realize that potential. The report should be of immediate use to DOT executives, senior planning managers, and educators.

The Critical Path Method (CPM) has been the dominant scheduling method for the past several decades. Most State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in the U.S. currently apply CPM to estimate project duration for major and complex projects. The method, however, has limitations, and one of them is its poor ability to analyze schedule risks. While previous studies have identified various factors that cause uncertainties in schedules, the estimated duration from CPM is deterministic. To quantify schedule risks, the Program Evaluation Review Technique which uses three-point estimates for activity duration and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) based methods that assign uncertainties to work activities through the probability distributions of activity durations have been limitedly used in the industry. After running the simulation thousands of times, the probability distribution of the total project duration can be developed to assist risk analysis, such as determining a schedule contingency for the project. In current practices, the use of the MCS method is still limited due to various reasons. One of the most challenging issues is the difficulties in estimating the probability distributions of activity durations objectively. This study aims to leverage historical digital daily work report (DWR) data available in the DOTs’ databases to determine the probability distributions of the production rates of work activities then estimate the distributions of activity durations when quantities of the activities are provided. Since the DWRs record the daily accomplished quantity of each work item in the construction phase, the actual production rates of the work items can be calculated to obtain a more accurate and realistic duration estimate for a future project. DWR data collected from a DOT were used to conduct a case study that demonstrates the value of this new approach for schedule risk analysis.

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are increasingly used for a variety of applications by state Departments of Transportation (DOT) and local transportation agencies due to technology advancements, lower costs, and regulatory changes that have simplified operations. There are numerous applications (e.g., bridge inspection, traffic management, incident response, construction and roadway mapping) and agencies find it challenging to prioritize which applications are most appropriate. Important factors to consider when prioritizing UAS applications include: (1) benefits, (2) ease of adoption, (3) stakeholder acceptance, and (4) technical feasibility. These factors can be evaluated utilizing various techniques such as the technology acceptance model, benefit analysis, and technology readiness level (TRL). This paper presents the methodology and results for the prioritization of UAS applications’ quality function deployment (QFD), which reflects both qualitative and quantitative components. The proposed framework can be used in the future as technologies mature, and the prioritization can be revised on a regular basis to identify future strategic implementation opportunities. Numerous transportation agencies have begun to use UAS, some have developed UAS operating policies and manuals, but there has been no documentation to support identification of the UAS applications that are most appropriate for deployment. This paper fills that gap and documents a method for identification of UAS applications for strategic deployment and illustrates the method with a case study.

In recent years, the capacity, generation, and consumption of energy derived from renewable sources have grown significantly on a global level. To increase renewable energy production in the near term, state and local transportation agencies have recently expressed more interest in installing decentralized renewable energy technologies on spaces not traditionally considered for energy generation. Many transportation agencies have demonstrated the viability of utilizing the highway right-of-way (ROW) for decentralized renewable energy production. Following these leads, several U.S. state departments of transportation are exploring similar prospects, given that the ample lands that they manage are in proximity to power loads and, in some cases, have already been disturbed or are no longer held for their environmental attributes. From a highway ROW perspective, however, considerable economic, ecological, legal, and political uncertainties are related to whether accommodating renewable energy technologies can be a practical highway land management practice. This study provides transportation agencies with information that will enable them to consider better the implications and evaluate the feasibility of implementing renewable energy and fuel options in the ROW. The lessons that early adopters have learned should inform others.

Departments of Transportation (DOTs) need to mobilize workers under harsh weather conditions for winter operations.Traditional snowplow driver training at INDOT is usually conducted annually before the snow season; therefore, it does not replicate the conditions which drivers will be exposed to during winter operations. To this point, some state DOTs have incorporated simulators in their snowplow driver training. Despite this raised interest, few studies have (1) surveyed other state DOTs about the use of this equipment in winter operations driver training, or (2) provided a systematic consideration of all factors involved in the decision to use driving simulators in snowplow driver training. To fill these gaps, the present study synthesizes information from previous literature, revises current information from INDOT, and surveys other state DOTs to identify the benefits and challenges of driving simulators for snowplow driver training. A mixed methods approach was utilized including a review of current INDOT practices, interviews with stakeholders, a survey of other state DOTs, and results from a pilot training. Based on the findings, the researchers recommend that INDOT continues to explore the use of driving simulators for training purposes in addition to the yearly snowplow driver training, due the ability to reinforce learning in a safe environment. Moreover, the research team suggests the following areas for further research: evaluating optimal simulator “seat time,” peer learning in simulator training, and the impact of experience level and work assignment in the perception of driving simulator training effectiveness.