Using the Economic Value Created by Transportation to Fund Transportation (2014)

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110 To some degree I am “over programming” the number of can- didate case examples, realizing that (1) some case examples may, on fuller development, turn out not to bear fruit in meet- ing the study’s objectives and therefore need to be dropped, and (2) attempts to schedule future interviews with some agencies may not be successful within the time frame needed for Draft 1 completion in June. The follow-up interviews will address the following items, drawing on items required in the Scope of Work: • Characteristics of the case example, with an eye toward providing a diverse set of examples in the report, and com- ments on unique, innovative, or comprehensive aspects. • Types of investments/project and modal orientation for which funding was raised (e.g., expansions/upgrades, managed lanes, toll lanes, other new capacity projects, oper- ational improvements, and modal orientation such as capital expenses and operations expenses or as a combined mecha- nism with transit and/or other modes). • Specific resources that might support the case example (e.g., maps, images, supporting analysis if used, specific legal background that allows use of a method). • Design and implementation considerations (e.g., pro- cess defining how the funding method was designed such as how boundaries were developed for beneficiary areas for applying the method, how the revenues were raised and how the revenues were managed and recycled back to the project, equity considerations, and the initiation process, and the role of feasibility studies in considering any or all of these factors). • Revenue raising considerations (e.g., what type of levy was used, frequency and duration of levy/fee/charge, how the revenues were projected and other specific consider- ations in revenue generation as well as financing aspects such as issuance of bonds, specific considerations in rev- enue projections, and the role of feasibility studies in con- sidering any or all of these factors). • Local partners and key players (who were all the agen- cies or entities involved in the process of making that a usable funding source/mechanism and the key layers in getting the project going). • Supporting data for the revenue analysis. • Who exercises oversight, and who receives the results? [NOTE TO PANEL MEMBERS: This interview guide is based on the case example information called for in the Scope of Work. It is a generic guide, since the details of each repre- sentative/interviewee will depend on (1) the focus of the par- ticular case example, (2) the role and responsibilities of each interviewee regarding the case example, and (3) the docu- mented information that already exists and can be used in the case example.] InItIal IntervIews The initial interviews—several of which are being conducted and some of which have been conducted already—seek to find out from the primary agency contact what is addressed in the agency’s candidate business/decision process, the role of engi- neering economic analyses within this process, and the type, detail, and maturity of the economic method used. The interviews identify documents that are available to describe the process and the specific economic analyses used. The agency contact may be asked to help gather and provide additional information. These interviews are the basis of recommendations to the panel regarding likely case examples, and to the interviewed agency as to which specific applications of their engineering economic analyses are most beneficial to include in this synthesis report. The informa- tion gathered in these initial interviews enables me to begin case example development. Follow-up IntervIews Follow-up interviews with each agency will look to fill in gaps, flush out useful details, clarify points, and correct any misconcep- tions on our side. If warranted, the context of the case example will be strengthened—that is, how does the funding mechanism fit into the agency’s overall decision framework for highway investments? At this stage of the synthesis study, before obtaining survey results, I will be conducting these follow-up interviews after coming up with a preliminary case example draft based on the information identified in the initial interviews. Once survey results are obtained, the information gathering and interview process will likely be compressed to move more quickly, since the drafts of the initial set of cases will have established road- maps and guidelines enabling work to proceed more quickly. appenDIX C Interview Guide