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From page 6... ... 6 2.1 Designing a Right-Sizing Policy While agencies can selectively implement techniques from the right-sizing guidebook whenever there are opportunities to do so, the greatest benefits of right-sizing can be achieved when an agency develops a right-sizing policy. A right-sizing policy should not be understood as a revolutionary new program imposing its own set of criteria and rules on the entire agency at once. Read the entire page →
From page 7... ... Policy Guidance 7 current (or historic) levels but also reducing anticipated future life-cycle costs when system expansion alternatives are envisioned or regulating costs relative to the market served. Read the entire page →
From page 8... ... 8 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming Agencies may wish to begin by identifying only a few relatively easy programs, asset classes, or business processes to include in the right-sizing policy and then gradually expanding into other processes as awareness and benefits of the right-sizing process become more familiar to the agency. As a rule, it is better to err on the side of keeping the program narrowly defined and focused on the goals previously described rather than risk appearing to be overly broad. Read the entire page →
From page 9... ... Policy Guidance 9 What has changed about the purpose and need for this asset/service since its construction? Trip character: Describe any significant changes in trip composition. Read the entire page →
From page 10... ... 10 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming While Table 2 assists practitioners in framing right-sizing issues, in many ways it also serves as a guide to the types of questions agencies must equip themselves to answer to arrive at rightsizing solutions. At present, transportation agencies are not necessarily prepared to answer those questions for a number of reasons: • They may not have a framework for incorporating them into agency business processes. Read the entire page →
From page 11... ... Policy Guidance 11 right-sizing at each of these junctures. It should also be noted that when applying the checklist in Table 2, opportunities for jurisdictional transfer may be identified, though jurisdictional transfer is not by definition part of the infrastructure life cycle (see the supplemental white paper on jurisdictional transfer in the contractor's final report, NCHRP Web-Only Document 263: White Papers for Right-Sizing Transportation Investments) Read the entire page →
From page 12... ... 12 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming all the sources of value in the infrastructure from the standpoint of its users, funders, owners, and decision makers. The value-engineering audit or performance-based design review may miss, for example: (1) Read the entire page →
From page 13... ... Policy Guidance 13 policies and procedures a DOT can implement to make right-sizing an automatic part of DOT decision making follow. Built-In Right-Sizing: Existing Agency Business Practices A "built-in" right-sizing policy can be understood as actions built into existing DOT business processes and practices as a recurring and expected way of doing business. Read the entire page →
From page 14... ... 14 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming in practice, review of functional classification may be understood as a policy instrument for implementing right-sizing efforts that are otherwise initiated and evaluated through tactics described as follows and in the guidebook. Right-Sizing in the Asset Management Process. Read the entire page →
From page 15... ... Policy Guidance 15 Figure 3. Applying right-sizing scenarios in the asset management process (ROI = return on investment, GDP = gross domestic product) Read the entire page →
From page 16... ... 16 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming If a travel demand model is available, it is possible to factor different levels of employment growth directly into the model's trip generation process and arrive at different VMT assumptions for each economic scenario. If a travel demand model is available, it is possible to code potential posting or closure of bridges at different funding levels directly into the network to arrive at VMT changes for each functional system. Read the entire page →
From page 17... ... Policy Guidance 17 Selection of which performance indicators to assess and how to present such scenarios for use in the regular resource allocation aspects of the asset management process (and in triggering preservation investments) is central to effectively applying right-sizing within the context of asset management. Read the entire page →
From page 18... ... 18 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming in Section 4.7) and the Roadway Utilization/Cost Screening (see Section 4.2) Read the entire page →
From page 19... ... Policy Guidance 19 versus aggressive anticipated traffic levels in the LRTP context, however, can also inform performance indicators related to capacity expansion and modernization needs as well. Finally, the LRTP provides an opportunity to reevaluate the way in which facilities are functionally classified and associated design and performance standards. Read the entire page →
From page 20... ... 20 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming or modal office may develop its own criteria based on the nature of its program. However, the preceding examples demonstrate how criteria can be structured to guide where and when an internally initiated, right-sizing review is warranted and how such initiation can be justified. Read the entire page →
From page 21... ... Policy Guidance 21 2. Misalignment of Utilization and Demand: describe how the market demand for either the transportation asset or the land on which it is located may be mismatched to the current (or anticipated future) Read the entire page →
From page 22... ... 22 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming The nature of right-sizing entails that different owning, using, and paying entities must often become engaged. Consequently, an agency should not assume that just because another agency has much of the authority or ownership or resources that a right-sizing partnership is not possible. Read the entire page →
From page 23... ... Policy Guidance 23 in a dialogue about what changes are important, why they are important, what the payoffs of change are likely to be, and what these payoffs are worth to the collaborating parties. Documenting the objectives, interests, and resources in lists or tables can be a critical step to establishing: – Which objectives are achievable through right-sizing, – What tangible and quantifiable outcomes of the right-sizing effort can be expected, – Who the intended beneficiaries are in the near term and in the long term, and – What the outcomes are worth to the entities (in terms of trade-offs or costs) Read the entire page →
From page 24... ... 24 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming also the intended long-term function, ownership, funding, and highest economic use of the infrastructure asset or service itself. Right-sizing addresses the need to identify and align forward-looking specifications, ownership, and funding for an asset that may have been built for a purpose and need characteristic of a bygone era. Read the entire page →
From page 25... ... Policy Guidance 25 Identifying Key Partners, Roles, and Incentives As noted in Section 2.3, a variety of organizations might initiate a right-sizing project or program. There is also a variety of triggers that might initiate development and evaluation of a right-sizing strategy. Read the entire page →
From page 26... ... 26 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming Table 8. Examples of potential right-sizing partners by authority, intelligence, and resources. Read the entire page →
From page 27... ... Policy Guidance 27 The agenda for the opening meeting should be as simple as possible. The objective is primarily just to articulate the problem and the rationale for how and why a right-sizing solution may be appropriate. Read the entire page →
From page 28... ... 28 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming Example: Dallas CityMAP In 2015 and 2016, the City of Dallas, together with the Texas Department of Transportation (Texas DOT) , undertook a strategic effort (called CityMAP) Read the entire page →
From page 29... ... Policy Guidance 29 to inclusion in a strategic plan (i.e., statewide planning or city master plan) Read the entire page →
From page 30... ... 30 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming Pinpointing Objectives in the Rapidly Changing Economy of St. George, Utah Through the first two decades of the twenty-first century, St. Read the entire page →
From page 31... ... Policy Guidance 31 whose membership is not directly tied to electoral politics. A project that enjoys the support of major civic institutions in establishing and then following through on right-sizing objectives is more likely to be successful regardless of changes in elected officials. Read the entire page →
From page 32... ... 32 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming MPO and RPO roles in programming and implementation. Another primary function of an MPO is to serve as a critical regional planning and programming organization. Read the entire page →
From page 33... ... Policy Guidance 33 Leveraging the Insight of an MPO for Right-Sizing Intelligence: Lessons Learned from Miami-Dade County This MPO [or transportation planning organization (TPO) as they are called in Florida] Read the entire page →
From page 34... ... 34 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming The different area types will represent different right-sizing needs and sensitivities with respect to the regulatory environment, resource availability, economic development context, quality of life, and modal balance. What follows are guidelines for special considerations in evaluating right-sizing opportunities as well as for engaging partners and achieving right-sizing objectives in each of these area types, along with some recommended tactics to consider in each instance. Read the entire page →
From page 35... ... Policy Guidance 35 Quality of Life. Urban areas are similarly more likely to have both demographics that are more diverse and more neighborhood equity considerations. Read the entire page →
From page 36... ... 36 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming for collectively negotiating special mobility packages with transportation network companies (TNCs) to enable car-free living or commuting, thereby managing travel demand and freeing space previously used for parking. Read the entire page →
From page 37... ... Policy Guidance 37 (Vadali et al. Read the entire page →
From page 38... ... 38 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming Right-Sizing in the Urban Environment: Rochester Inner Loop Example The reconstruction of the Inner Loop East is a restoration project within the confines of a below-grade highway. For decades, the Inner Loop East Expressway circled the City of Rochester's central business district, cutting off the downtown area from adjacent densely populated neighborhoods. Read the entire page →
From page 39... ... Policy Guidance 39 areas in terms of vehicle mileage and public infrastructure costs per acre of developed land (see https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/10/poor-neighborhoods-make-the-best-investment) , as well as some of the most dispersed patterns of land and infrastructure ownership, revenue, and authority of all area types. Read the entire page →
From page 40... ... 40 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming many markets. In response, suburbs increasingly seek to offer amenities like transit availability, complete streets, and mixed-use environments to retain their value. Read the entire page →
From page 41... ... Policy Guidance 41 One avenue toward right-sizing in a suburban environment is to leverage this source of value. Right-sizing proponents can assess where concentrations of knowledge workers are located and collaborate with municipal authorities and developers to do the following: • Utilize the land available in the suburban environment to co-locate businesses near where the workers are. Read the entire page →
From page 42... ... 42 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming Consider Value-Capture Mechanisms to Support Infrastructure Costs in Greenfield Development. While many consider value-capture mechanisms as primarily urban tools, they can also ensure better alignment between infrastructure expansion and cost responsibility in suburban-style/greenfield expansion into unincorporated rural areas. Read the entire page →
From page 43... ... Policy Guidance 43 Example of Value-Capture Districts in Montana Montana State Statute, Title 7, Chapter 12, Part 21 (Montana Code Annotated 2015) , authorizes counties to create improvement districts in unincorporated areas for the purposes of enabling property owners to selffund a broad range of infrastructure improvements, including roadway projects. Read the entire page →
From page 44... ... 44 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming extraction. Moreover, the balance between these sectors and overall population and populationserving industries has shifted over time in response to developmental trends such as • Rural depopulation, • Increasing mechanization and consolidation of farming and other resource extraction activities, and • Increasing agricultural productivity in crop yield per acre. Read the entire page →
From page 45... ... Policy Guidance 45 with electric and automated vehicle technologies more than their urban and suburban counterparts. The technology is rapidly developing in the agricultural sector for different vehicle types (see https://www.agriculture.com/content/fully-autonomous-vehicles-are-coming) Read the entire page →
From page 46... ... 46 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming In the absence of special "protected" categories, if a statewide right-sizing process suggests significant reductions in preservation funding or performance standards for rural facilities it is essential to map the location of the affected facilities. This will ensure that (1) Read the entire page →
From page 47... ... Policy Guidance 47 Right-Sizing in Nebraska: Rural Stakeholders Setting the Criteria for Allocating Scarce Funding Right-sizing is an approach that can benefit all communities, urban and rural alike. While the challenges may look different for a rural community, guiding principles and policies that help those communities assess the appropriate size and scope of their transportation infrastructure can have an equal impact in both rural and urban areas. Read the entire page →
From page 48... ... 48 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming Near-Term Right-Sizing: Right-Sizing as a Project Near-term right-sizing can be understood as a right-sizing effort in which a finite set of actions can be identified that are expected to achieve predefined right-sizing objectives. In these cases, the duration of the right-sizing activity is short and, once key right-sizing elements are in place, the only ongoing activity is monitoring and evaluation. Read the entire page →
From page 49... ... Policy Guidance 49 • Reduction in lane miles maintained • Change in condition target or performance standard • Implementation of transportation demand management or transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) solutions • Annual or cumulative maintenance/preservation dollars saved • Expansion dollars saved when capacity can be stretched through TSMO solutions, transportation demand management, and other innovations • Change in modal use or restrictions (e.g., conversion of unused rail bridge to a bicycle–pedestrian bridge) Read the entire page →
From page 50... ... 50 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming outcomes in the right column. Complete the center column last so that recommendations populating the center column can be evaluated in terms of how well they bridge the objectives with the intended outcomes. Read the entire page →
From page 51... ... Policy Guidance 51 responsible for measuring and reporting outcomes to the other entities over time. The monitoring strategy should also include an agreed-upon frequency with which reported outcomes will be compiled into a composite score card and junctures at which parties will agree to reconvene to consider incremental updates or adjustments to the right-sizing actions taken (see Table 11) Read the entire page →
From page 52... ... 52 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming Warnings and Pitfalls. The greatest risk associated with long-term right-sizing initiatives is that either (1) Read the entire page →
From page 53... ... Policy Guidance 53 – Establishment of a performance framework (with measures, benchmarks, and responsibilities) for evaluating right-sizing actions and evaluating progress toward right-sizing objectives over time. Read the entire page →
From page 54... ... 54 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming of context-sensitive solutions or environmental justice criteria may be used as evidence that it must be a "right-size" solution. Remedies and Safeguards. Read the entire page →
From page 55... ... Policy Guidance 55 all aspects of the agency's business process are represented, as is a diversity of districts or major geographic units. The board may also include outside partners representing MPOs, the developer community, and other related entities. Read the entire page →
From page 56... ... 56 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming technological change before the infrastructure improvement can generate its intended benefits or (2) an agency failing to invest in key infrastructure elements that will be required by newly emerging technologies. Read the entire page →
From page 57... ... Policy Guidance 57 Technology scenarios can be derived by identifying key technologies to be tested and reasonable assumptions about both (1) the rate of technology deployment over the life of a proposed project and (2) Read the entire page →
From page 58... ... 58 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming reveal the comparative vulnerability of projects to economic and technological uncertainty. Furthermore, by considering the net present value of societal benefits (present value of benefits minus present value of costs under each technological and economic scenario) Read the entire page →
From page 59... ... Policy Guidance 59 waste if it were to build for a future that does not materialize or to solve problems that vehicle technology would greatly reduce or eliminate on its own. The final column simply reports which of these potential errors (over-build versus underbuild) Read the entire page →
From page 60... ... 60 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming prioritization framework while tracking actual economic and technological change from one programing cycle to the next (between LRTP updates) Read the entire page →
From page 61... ... Addressing Technological Uncertainty: Kansas City PEL Study The John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil Memorial Bridge is a triple arch bridge over the Missouri River on U.S. Highway 169 that provides a key north/south regional connection. Read the entire page →
From page 62... ... 62 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming not accustomed to the challenge of balancing performance targets and scarce revenues across a multitude of programs, statewide area-types, and complex federal and state funding rules. Private developers, while increasingly willing to participate in transportation funding and decision making, are often not savvy about how the rights of vulnerable populations, accountability to elected officials, and funding eligibility considerations play into the motivations of public sector partners. Read the entire page →
From page 63... ... Policy Guidance 63 enable transportation agency staff to evaluate options and exchange right-sizing proposals and counter-proposals with partners with a proficient understanding of respective economic and business objectives. Comparative public and private sector ROI metrics capacity for right-sizing involves understanding the different ways that ROI is understood within a business and how business ROI relates to public ROI or BCA used in transportation agency decisions. Read the entire page →
From page 64... ... 64 Right-Sizing Transportation Investments: A Guidebook for Planning and Programming works staff, economic development organizations, and land or real estate development communities. It is envisioned that a defined cohort of 10–40 participants would commit to completing the entire curriculum consisting of monthly modules delivered in the form of a monthly workshop or course offered by one of the partners (or their organization) Read the entire page →

From page 6...

... 6 2.1 Designing a Right-Sizing Policy While agencies can selectively implement techniques from the right-sizing guidebook whenever there are opportunities to do so, the greatest benefits of right-sizing can be achieved when an agency develops a right-sizing policy. A right-sizing policy should not be understood as a revolutionary new program imposing its own set of criteria and rules on the entire agency at once.