Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 10
10
CHAPTER THREE
STATE OF THE PRACTICE
In reflecting on the history of HCASs conducted over the past · As part of FHWA's software development effort, analy-
70 years, one point comes across most clearly: the motivation ses needed for inputs to the software for state HCASs
behind the HCAS is the achievement of equity. Historically, (see chapter five).
equity has been one of the most important principles driving · Vermont's successful use of the above software and
tax policy, and has been considered when raising revenues guidelines with very minimal outside consultant effort
and allocating funds for maintenance, capital improvements, (>$10,000).
operating programs, and services to the public. HCASs can · Oregon's continued analysis of numerous HCAS sub-
aid in achieving equity-related objectives. jects in the issue papers prepared in its HCASs and its
continued exploration of performing a full cost-based
As noted in chapter one, an HCAS survey was distributed allocation study where the external or social costs that
to all 50 state DOTs. A general conclusion from the survey are imposed by the system are directly allocated to
responses is that state HCASs have reached a fairly stable highway-user classes as opposed to the allocation of
condition. That is, there have been no major breakthroughs in just highway expenditures.
research or methodology in recent years. Most states doing · FHWA's continuing refinement of data collection pro-
these studies are using some variation of the methods devel- grams by the states as a cooperative effort, resulting in
oped in the 1982 Federal HCAS, and most have been making far greater comparability of data among the states.
gradual evolutionary improvements while achieving better
efficiency in performing these studies. A consultant team working for the FHWA prepared an
HCAS software package following completion of the 1997
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGHWAY COST Federal HCAS and the development of the first operational
ALLOCATION STUDY METHODS AND SOFTWARE version of the package for the 1999 Oregon HCAS. The soft-
ware consists of an Excel spreadsheet package intended for
Since the 1997 Federal HCAS, several states have made en- performing any state's HCASs. The package contains four
hancements to their own studies based in part on the research spreadsheets--two main spreadsheets containing Visual Basic
and methodological improvements in that study. Although programs, a special visual analysis spreadsheet and a default
the FHWA commissioned the development of HCAS soft- data spreadsheet.
ware and guidelines for states based on that 1997 HCAS,
little has been done to market these products or to encourage One of the main spreadsheets contains most of the data
states to continue to perform HCASs, and no technical assis- and the two programs necessary to perform the allocation of
tance has been offered except for volunteer efforts by mem- costs. The other main spreadsheet contains the programs that
bers of the team that developed FHWA's 2002 State HCAS summarize the results of the cost and revenue allocations
Model. Some states have developed and applied simplified and produces various summary output tables using user-
versions of complete studies, and some have conducted defined formats. After all required data are entered, each of
simple updates of previously completed studies. the programs can be run by clicking on the buttons on the
sheets at the locations shown in the tables of contents of each
Over the last decade since the completion of the 1997 spreadsheet.
Federal HCAS, few major changes in HCAS practice have
occurred. The most significant recent activities have The third spreadsheet in the package contains a model de-
included: rived from results of running the two main sets of programs.
The model is designed to provide equity assessments of any
· Completion of FHWA's work on development and re- special vehicle, such as a different truck configuration than
finement of NAPCOM. currently allowed or a truck applying for an overweight per-
· FHWA's development of NAPCOM into a model that mit. The fourth spreadsheet provides default data obtained
can be relatively easily applied in state HCASs. from national sources or estimated from sources for each
· FHWA's development of generalized state HCAS soft- state. These default data can be used, with due care, to pro-
ware building on the results of the 1999 Oregon HCAS vide roughly half of the data required for application of the
and FHWA's work cited earlier. software.
