Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans (2021)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

46 The intent of this case examples chapter is to gather additional details and insights into the overall TSMO program planning process, particularly relating to partnerships, success, lessons learned, and plans to update and maintain the plan and efforts to further reinforce the concept of TSMO within agencies’ states. The research team used factors related to the survey TSMO program self-evaluation questions, geographic distribution, and a mix of regional/state plans to determine which regions and states to profile. Researchers conducted a complete review of TSMO program-related plans in advance of contacting state DOTs with the selected case example profiles for their review. In reviewing these plans, research team members documented the factors leading to their development, including background and motivation. Within plans, researchers documented the use of repeat strategic planning elements, including • Visioning/goal/objective development, • Project development and programming processes, • Use of performance measures, • Organizational and business processes, • Implementation/iteration approaches, and • Benefits and lessons learned. Following this, researchers emailed completed profiles to survey participants from the select states and regions to obtain their feedback. The selected case example profiles were from Ohio, Texas, Oregon, South Dakota, and Pennsylvania, as illustrated in Figure 25. The case examples are provided in the following sections and illustrate a diversity of approaches and/or agency successes with TSMO plans. Ohio Department of Transportation: Statewide TSMO Program Plan The research team examined several of Ohio DOT’s statewide TSMO program documents in the development of this case example. The research team refers to these various documents in their TSMO program to illustrate how the program addresses aspects of strategic, organizational/ business process, and implementation elements of TSMO planning. Table 16 provides a summary of key findings from the case example. Background and Motivation of TSMO Program Planning Process According to Ohio DOT, the FAST Act and MAP-21 pushed the need for state DOTs to strategize, implement, and evaluate the integration of systems management and operations into the agency. CMM workshops identified an overarching push to obtain Level 3 capability C H A P T E R 4 Case Examples

Case Examples 47   Figure 25. State case examples. Topic Summary Motivation MAP-21 and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act revealed the need for a focus on TSMO. The SHRP 2 Organizing for Reliability Workshop and CMM Self-Assessment presented the path to follow to improve the TSMO program in Ohio. How TSMO Is Integrated with Planning Ohio DOT connects TSMO with Ohio planning department activities via TSMO program-level goal integration with statewide goals and the application of a statewide but district-driven traffic operations assessment systems tool (TOAST) inputting performance measure data to reveal benefits of investments (Ohio DOT 2017a). Scale of the TSMO Program Ohio DOT updates the statewide TSMO program plan every 4 years, and limits TSMO to freeway-level or “Interstate” system look-alike roadways across the state. The hope is to expand this to cover all Ohio DOT roadway and transit systems in the future. How Performance Measures Are Used Performance measures are connected to overarching Ohio DOT program goals of safety, reliability, efficiency, security, access, and coordination, but also include the integration of TSMO across all internal Ohio DOT department activities and functions. TOAST supports many of the data input collection, reporting, and visualization processes. Districts have control over project selection criteria weighting. How Internal and External Collaboration Is Achieved Ohio DOT district TSMO coordinators are responsible for coordination with partners including MPOs, ROPs, Local city DOTs, public works departments, counties, and turnpike authorities. Table 16. Summary of Ohio case example.

48 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans maturity across the seven TSMO capabilities (Ohio DOT 2017b). To obtain Level 3, Ohio DOT’s TSMO Plan was created to focus the department on the integration of operations, asset management, and preservation into the organization. From the multiple Ohio TSMO Plan elements flows the basis for statewide policy and process changes of traffic operations to better meet future system needs. TSMO Strategic Planning Elements Ohio DOT’s TSMO program plan efforts consist of the following documents: • Goals and Objectives – setting the direction for the program. • Setting the Stage – what Ohio DOT is doing, national best practices, and resource catalog. • Resource Alignment – recommendations for aligning Ohio DOT resources to support TSMO. • Policy Action – recommended policy actions to establish, develop, and maintain a TSMO Program. • Performance Measures – measures and targets for setting direction, assessing the effective- ness of the TSMO Program, and identifying focus areas. • Early Action Implementation Plan – recommended immediate actions to move the TSMO Program forward. • Communications Plan – create awareness of TSMO benefits for Ohio DOT personnel and stakeholders. • Workshop and Interview Reports – summaries and analysis of discussions with Ohio DOT staff (Ohio DOT 2017a). • Impact assessment results through application of a GIS-enabled webtool known as TOAST, as illustrated in Figure 26 (Ohio DOT 2020). Goals and objectives were based on information collected from group interviews, staff surveys, a best practices literature scan, and internal Ohio DOT business process documentation. From these sources, the following TSMO goals and objectives were established that link with overarching Ohio DOT goals: • Safety: Reduce crash frequency and severity. • Reliability: Improve transportation system reliability, increase system resiliency, and improve highway capacity in critical corridors. • Efficiency: Minimize traffic delay and maximize transportation system efficiency to keep traffic moving. • Access: Provide ease of access and mobility choices to customers. • Coordination: Engage all Ohio DOT disciplines and external partners to proactively manage and operate the transportation system. • Integration: Incorporate TSMO strategies throughout Ohio DOT’s transportation planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operations activities. • Security: Leverage TSMO strategies to provide a safe and secure transportation network (Ohio DOT 2017b). TSMO Organizational and Business Process Elements At this stage, TSMO project classifications and selection factors are still preliminary. No exclusive mention was provided of the use or application of impact analysis assessments such as benefit-cost analysis. The scope of TSMO improvements identified will focus primarily on Ohio’s freeway system, including all Interstates as well as select major “Interstate look-alike” highways such as State Route 315 in Columbus, State Route 8 in Akron, and U.S. Route 35 in Dayton. In the future the focus of the TSMO improvements may expand to include the entire

Case Examples 49   strategic transportation system and possibly the whole Ohio DOT system. The aim is to apply TOAST and criteria to the process. As described, districts will provide inputs into TOAST and central offices will play the deciding role based on funding outlook and funding match considerations. Performance measures identified in TOAST are weighted within the project selection inputs for each district and include the following: • Bottleneck Occurrences, Weight 25% • Travel Time Performance, Weight 20% • Safety Performance, Weight 15% • Volume Per Lane, Weight 15% • Freight Corridors, Weight 10% • Incident Clearance, Weight 7.5% • Secondary Crashes, Weight 7.5% (Ohio DOT 2020) TSMO Implementation Plan Elements Implementing the program plan will require input from internal and external partners in the decision-making process. On receipt of the program plan, Ohio DOT district TSMO coordinators will coordinate with partners including MPOs, ROPs, local city DOTs, public Source: Ohio DOT 2020. Figure 26. Ohio DOT Traffic Operations Assessment System Tool.

50 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans works departments, counties, and turnpike authorities. External agencies will participate in inter-agency groups to facilitate the inclusion of TSMO in project initiation packages and the project development process. TSMO program plans will be updated continuously going forward every 4 years, while budgeting for TSMO investments will take place annually. Success Factors, Challenges, and Lessons Learned The Ohio DOT TSMO program plan depicted a quantitative corridor-based project selection through the TOAST tool, but funding details were unavailable. Separate TSMO Capital improve- ment program funds are available for TSMO projects without Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) or programmed projects. The TSMO program plan has resulted in the ability to track the benefit from TSMO investments on the reduction of bottlenecks, incident clearance times, and secondary crashes on a corridor basis. Asset life-cycle benefits such as improved uptime and maintenance cost savings are not tracked yet. Ohio DOT has encountered the following institutional barriers related to the development and implementation of TSMO program plans: • Lack of adequate staffing for coverage of TSMO program needs such as planning, funding, data management, and performance measures. • Lack of funding. • Lack of cross-division and office collaboration/communication. • TSMO functions at the central office division of operations are not reflected in district offices, which divide duties related to TSMO between highway management and capital program management areas. Texas Department of Transportation: Statewide Strategic TSMO Program Plan TxDOT issued a statewide strategic plan intended as a vision, goal, and objective description for TSMO program planning across the state, while providing the 25 districts the flexibility to develop their own individual program plans. This case example review includes both state- wide strategic components and district program planning components from the Austin District. Table 17 provides a summary of key findings from the case example. Background and Motivation of TSMO Program Planning Process In response to Texas cities becoming the most congested locations in the United States, TxDOT’s TSMO program plan aims to maximize mobility through the use of TSMO integrated across planning, design, construction, and maintenance. In addition, TxDOT’s 2015–2019 strategic plan calls out the need for greater investment in operations and TSMO solutions/ strategies. This TSMO call out has since been incorporated into statewide and local LRTPs (TxDOT 2018a). Austin has several roadway facilities listed among the most congested roadways in the state, and is pivoting in response to the governor’s prioritization of relieving congestion by incul- cating a TSMO program plan at the district level. Given that TSMO completes the picture of how to respond to both the recurring and the non-recurring side of congestion, according to the plan, the main motivation is to identify improvements that address congestion in strategic (goals/performance measures), programmatic (role assignment/formalized collabora- tion), and deployment (project development/construction/maintenance) elements of TSMO (TxDOT 2018b).

Case Examples 51   TSMO Strategic Planning Elements Intended outcomes of the TxDOT statewide strategic TSMO plan include the establishment of a vision for TSMO across the state, and next steps for how districts can further TSMO program development through the establishment of district-led TSMO program plans (TxDOT 2018a). TxDOT’s strategic TSMO program plan consists of • A business case review supporting the focus on TSMO, • A review of TSMO solutions and strategies, • A vision, goal, and objectives setting process, and • A statewide TSMO program strategy aligned with TSMO CMM topic areas (business process, systems and technology, performance measurement, organization and workforce, culture, and collaboration). TxDOT agency goals have been incorporated into TSMO program plan goals as shown in Table 18. Outcomes of the Austin District TSMO program plan include a defined path forward on integrating TSMO into core TxDOT business processes of asset management, maintenance, planning and project development, design, and construction (TxDOT 2018b). In addition, an expected outcome is the synchronization of programmatic and strategic objectives statewide with the district and an increase in funding based on improved capacity to qualify TSMO projects within transportation improvement programs and LRTPs. Elements within the district plan to elicit these outcomes include the following: • The business case for TSMO. • Austin TSMO goals and objectives. Topic Summary Motivation TxDOT’s 2015-2019 Strategic Plan indicates the need for a specific focus on TSMO. Austin District has most congested corridors in the state and a slate of major construction projects across the I-35 corridor driving the need for a district TSMO plan. How TSMO Is Integrated with Planning TSMO investments will be linked to the 10-year unified transportation planning process (UTP), TIP, and LRTP through performance-based planning to improvements in mobility, safety, and asset management (TxDOT 2018a). The TSMO project development manual which is being updated will ensure district project scoping and design processes, and includes a review of applicable TSMO strategies, and analysis of identified TSMO strategies using mobility, safety, and economic-based impact analysis comparing to convention-capacity expansion projects. How State/Regional Plans Align The central division TSMO strategic plan focuses on making the business case for TSMO and including the associated values in the goals, objectives, and performance measures for the entire statewide TSMO program. Districts include these business case values and performance measures in their district plans. CMM-related capabilities factor into how districts and central divisions align. TSMO CMM topic areas addressed in strategic and district plans include business process, systems and technology, performance measurement, organization and workforce, culture, and collaboration. Central TSMO division and IT loans staff to districts to facilitate TSMO program development. How Performance Measures Are Used TxDOT TSMO division will coordinate with the IT division to provide webtools such as a traffic information dashboard along with signal performance data. TxDOT districts are required to develop performance measure definitions, use strategy, and data plan to deliver district-specific performance measures. How Internal and External Collaboration Is Achieved With regional partners, district plans will establish data sharing agreements, set regional performance targets, identify strategies and prioritize within a project selection process that is integrated through a joint regional mobility strategy plan. In Austin, these partners include Capital Area MPO (CAMPO), City of Austin, City of Round Rock, County transportation agencies, Transportation Research Institutions, Police, Emergency Services, Towing, and Capital Metro Public Transit. Table 17. Summary of TxDOT case example.

52 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans • CMM-based sections, including – Business Processes (Planning for TSMO; Programming, Budgeting, and Funding; Continuous Improvement), – Systems and Technology, – Performance Measurement, – Organization and Workforce, – Culture, and – Collaboration. • Description of preliminary tactical plans focused on TIM, Data Integration, Active Transpor- tation, and Intelligent Mobility Solutions/Emerging Technology. • CMM-based Implementation guide with action items to track progress of institutionalizing TSMO within the district. Goals for the Austin District mirror the statewide strategic plan goals and objectives, but go one step further, adding technology as an additional goal as well as declaring program objec- tives as shown in Table 19. TSMO Organizational and Business Process Elements Within the strategic plan, TxDOT draws clear distinctions between district and statewide collaboration within TxDOT units (design, construction, traffic, maintenance). TSMO program Statewide Goals Strategic Objectives Safety Reduce crashes through TSMO solutions. Reliability Reduce travel times on critical corridors in a way that matches customer expectations of the amount of time for their journey. Efficiency Invest in projects that optimize existing capacity and throughput. Customer Service Provide timely, accurate traveler information for improved decision making. Collaboration Coordinate across multiple jurisdictions to proactively manage and operate transportation systems and TSMO solutions. Integration Mainstream TSMO in planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance processes and activities. Source: TxDOT 2018a. Table 18. TxDOT statewide TSMO program strategic goals and objectives. Statewide Goal Programmatic Objectives Safety Encourage safety as a collaborative effort. Consider safety in the project prioritization and development process. Reliability Optimize travel time reliability. Promote data-driven decision-making to improve mobility. Efficiency Maximize existing and proposed infrastructure to increase roadway throughput. Consider all modes of transportation in the project development process. Customer Service Provide traveler information to all transportation modes. Promote mobility-based decisions, focusing on the end user. Collaboration Promote data sharing across transportation jurisdictions. Deliver projects with coordination from all stakeholders. Integration Identify opportunities to fund TSMO activities. Empower TSMO culture by training throughout the organization. Implement TSMO activities in day-to-day operations. Technology Encourage initial deployment or implementation for emerging technology that can provide safety and mobility benefits. Advance the TMS initiative through TSMO efforts. Comply with FHWA funding requirements for Systems Engineering Analysis. Source: TxDOT 2018b. Table 19. TxDOT Austin District TSMO Program goals and programmatic objectives.

Case Examples 53   planning activities for both traffic operations division and districts include regular meetings, scoping meetings, and project reviews. Districts will be responsible for developing their own internal TSMO group. While responsibility for the planning and implementation of TSMO strategies falls on individual districts, statewide traffic operations division will provide staff resources, tools, leadership and policy guidance coordinating across divisions to carry out TSMO program objectives. TxDOT traffic operations serves as the fulcrum of the statewide TSMO program and is split into maintenance and operations functions. This division retains an equal seat alongside bridge, design, construction, and maintenance divisions beneath the chief engineer. As illustrated in Figure 27, below, to conduct TSMO presently, TxDOT Austin Districts’ existing organizational structure relies on a distributed network of resources and subject matter expertise across divisions, districts, sections, and areas. Per the Austin District TSMO program plan, “The Traffic operations office at the statewide level reports to TxDOT’s Chief Engineer and is organized to oversee the design and placement of traffic control devices and items; it is responsible for planning highway safety programs and initiatives.” This office supports all 25 districts of TxDOT through issuance of statewide standards, specifications, and policy guidance. Source: TxDOT 2018a. Figure 27. TxDOT combined organizational roles related to TSMO.

54 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans To address systems and technology aspects of TSMO, Traffic Operations (TRF) works closely with the Internet technology division to develop statewide technology solutions that support TMS and TSMO. Presently staff resource sharing is formalized with TRF-TM assigning a TRF-TM Engineer and a TRF-TM ITS Analyst to the Austin District for engineering and technical guidance. Additional ITS analysts are needed for the Austin District to provide ITS support capabilities per statewide and district TSMO program needs. TSMO investments will be linked by performance-based planning to improvements in mobility, safety, and asset management (TxDOT 2018a). These are included within performance- based planning requirements and project selection criteria as part of the 10-year unified transportation planning process. For example, the planning process will capture TSMO invest- ment impacts and benefits within project development and design based on statewide and regional performance measures and targets for safety (historic crash rates), and operations (level of travel time reliability or Peak Hour Travel Time Ratio > 1.5). TxDOT’s 2015–2019 strategic plan calls out the need for greater investment in operations and TSMO solutions/strategies. This strategic focus has incorporated into statewide and local LRTPs. Tactical plans are being developed that estimate benefits and costs of select TSMO strategies and investments. This will lend itself to the project selection process. TxDOT also maintains a TSMO project development manual that is being updated to include consideration of TSMO within district- and state-level project development processes. The next steps in project development maturity levels as compared to CMM Level 2 will ensure that scoping language includes potential TSMO strategies. CMM Level 3 analysis of TSMO strategies uses mobility, safety, and economic-based impact analysis comparing to conventional capacity expansion projects. The Austin District TSMO program plan details a project development checklist that highlights next steps to advance to Levels 2 and 3 (TxDOT 2018b). Externally, TxDOT requests that districts review and include TSMO-related plans from MPOs and Cities including TIM, TSMO, ITS architecture, and TIS. It is required that a regional TSMO subcommittee be developed for collaboration between MPOs, public agencies at county and city levels, and the District. Action items of the regional TSMO subcommittee include data- sharing agreements, and a process to prioritize TSMO projects or evaluate existing projects on TIP to ensure TSMO elements are included (at least 1 per division memo). Private sector relationships will be planned and developed to cover elements such as alternative mobility solutions, ICM, TIM, and TMC operations/staffing. Within TxDOT project development processes, current internal collaboration efforts focus on establishing regular meetings between designers and planners in 30/60/90 project design stages to cover the installation of TSMO solutions that do not add capacity. There is no one “in charge” of the process for including TSMO. Rather, Traffic Operations is asked to provide input to the larger design process alongside planning and design activities. Future internal organizational activities focus on CMM for next steps in advancing TSMO. As depicted in Figure 28, through the regional TSMO committee being developed, the Austin District plans to establish data-sharing agreements, set regional performance targets, identify strategies and prioritize within a project selection process that is integrated through a joint regional mobility strategy plan. These partners include CAMPO, City of Austin, City of Round Rock, County transportation agencies, Transportation Research Institutions, Police, Emergency Services, Towing, and Capital Metro Public Transit. Performance measures are to be developed and agreed to at the district level. Resources are being provided to help synchronize state-level performance-based planning targets for travel time reliability (>1.5) and improved travel times. The Internet technology division will assist with the establishment of a traffic information system dashboard for traffic monitoring, as well as automated traffic signal performance measures in several districts (TxDOT 2018a).

Case Examples 55   TxDOT districts are required to develop performance measure definitions, use strategy, and data plan to deliver district-specific performance measures, including • Transportation management system asset operation uptime, • Incident clearance times, • Travel time reliability, and • Transportation management system coverage (TxDOT 2018b). Within the district plan, Austin has identified related performance measures, which it will include as it analyzes projects for selection and design collaboration before the design stage is completed. Table 20 provides a summary of project performance measures before analysis. TSMO Implementation Plan Elements The districts will be responsible for the planning and implementation of local TSMO activities. Resources will be provided at the statewide level to facilitate the development of district pro- gram and tactical plans. The Austin District developed an implementation guide within the program plan that includes action items to track the progress of institutionalizing TSMO within the district. The implementation guide is expected to be revised as tactical plans proceed. The implementation guide is connected to the CMM by topic. Success Factors and Lessons Learned Performance measures being set in place will reveal benefits of TSMO program planning efforts in subsequent iterations of the TSMO program plans developed and maintained by districts. These are estimated to include improved reliability, increased ITS/TIS/TIM system coverage, reduced incident clearance times, and increased asset operation uptime. The Austin District Source: TxDOT 2018b. Figure 28. TxDOT Austin District external collaborative activities for TSMO.

56 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans TSMO program plan estimates improvements resulting from improved safety, reduced non- recurring and recurring congestion, increased funding for TSMO programming, and investments in TSMO infrastructure and services layer. It also anticipates greater sharing of resources between the traffic operations division and other divisions at central headquarters to match needs identified within the district program plan. Distinctions are made between district and statewide collaboration within TxDOT units (design, construction, traffic, maintenance). Activities include regular meetings, scoping meet- ings, and project reviews. The strategic vision set forth is for districts to develop regional TSMO committees. TSMO presently focuses on improvements in mobility, safety, and asset manage- ment but may need adjustment to include systems and technology aspects. These improvement categories are currently included within performance-based planning requirements and project selection criteria as part of the 10-year unified transportation planning process. Technological and services-based disruption and systems procurement/coordination have specific invest- ments that TSMO could address. Establishment of funding set aside for TSMO will help in the future to level the playing field for TSMO investments within the overall TIP planning and programming process. This has not been established yet. In addition, there is a need to integrate ITS plans further into project development to ensure systems engineering approaches are mainstreamed within design and construction as diverse contractors are set on a path to procuring and installing new ITS assets tied to major capacity expansion projects underway along I-35. Finally, division controls remain at the level of a recommendation rather than a standard or requirement. There may be a greater need for an internal TSMO council involving division and 25 district representatives to agree on standards and requirements. Oregon Department of Transportation/Portland Metro Oregon DOT completed its TSMO program plan in 2014. In 2019, Oregon DOT updated Chapter 18 of their analysis procedures manual (APM) addressing how TSMO as a program will serve Oregon in meeting goals for a safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation system. Goals Performance Measures Safety Crash rates Work zone crash Incident clearance time Secondary incident Reliability Travel time index Planning time index- ratio 95th percentile Buffer time index- 95th percentile Efficiency Peak hour travel time ratio Customer Service Count of active dynamic message signs. Count of vehicles serviced by safety service patrol Collaboration Count of agencies and TxDOT departments providing feedback on a project Integration Count of TSMO evaluations implemented in a project Technology TMS System Coverage: TRF will reach agreement on definition of TMS coverage for a corridor; will determine the ultimate centerline miles in the TMS plan; will determine current coverage; will determine percent coverage using current and ultimate centerline miles Asset uptime: the total amount of time, per day, that ITS devices are operational Source: TxDOT 2018b. Table 20. TxDOT Austin District TSMO project performance measures before analysis.

Case Examples 57   Because this chapter was developed by Oregon DOT’s planning department covering analysis procedures to incorporate TSMO into planning studies, the research team elected to review this document as an example of how planning departments take on responsibilities connected with the TSMO program (Oregon DOT 2020). In addition, in 2010, Portland Metro MPO worked in close concert with regional stakeholders and Oregon DOT to develop a 10-year TSMO program plan (Portland Metro 2010). This case example reviews both APM Chapter 18 updates and the 2010 regional TSMO program plan to document how Oregon has implemented TSMO program planning at a state and regional level. This case example showcases early days of TSMO program planning before many TSMO program plans were developed beginning in the 2015–2019 time frame. Table 21 provides a summary of key findings from the case example. Background and Motivation of TSMO Program Planning Process As a motivating factor, Oregon DOT references Goal 2 of the 2006 Oregon Transportation Plan, focused on management of the system. This 2006 plan goal first explicitly connected TSMO to state-level planning by calling on the optimization of existing infrastructure through improved operations and management. Beyond this foundation, Oregon DOT also cites as a motivation MAP-21 legislation, which provided additional resources and groundwork for a shift to planning and programming with greater reliance on TSMO technologies and associ- ated data sets that support performance-based planning (Oregon DOT 2020). Portland Metro highlights that a primary motivation of the regional TSMO (RTSMO) plan is that TSMO strategies situate nicely with a fiscal plan that identifies current costs to maintain and Topic Summary Motivation Portland Metro cites fiscal constraints from its LRTP as one of the primary motivations for the development of its Regional TSMO plan, because TSMO investments provide greater return on investment at lower costs compared to other projects in the LRTP. The Oregon DOT planning department’s APM chapter indicates MAP-21 as the primary motivation for its 2014 TSMO program plan. How TSMO Is Integrated with Planning Per the APM chapter, Oregon DOT regional operations departments connect to short- and long-term planning processes by providing the central planning department with recommended TSMO strategies, as well as supporting data collection, performance management system outputs, and analysis. Recommended for impact analysis or benefit-cost tools are TOPS-BC, sketch planning tools, and post-processors with travel demand and simulation models in project selection. The APM details resources and tools for integrating TSMO into project design. These include an Oregon DOT work zone analysis tool and other state resources. How State/Regional Plans Align Regions are given flexibility to include recommendations and the use of various tools from the planning department and APM in their TSMO strategy selection list submitted to planning for short- and long-term plans. Portland Metro developed a project selection strategy based on benefit-cost assessments for each regional TSMO project. How Performance Oregon DOT completed a 2019 TSMO performance measures plan focusing on performance of various aspects of TSMO, including incident management, traffic Measures Are Used operation centers, mobility, traveler information, asset management, and work zone management. Oregon DOT shares performance measures data on freeways with Portland Metro’s Portland Oregon Regional Transportation Data Archive (PORTAL), and in 2015 Portland Metro produced an arterial performance measures guide. How Internal and External Collaboration Is Achieved Within Oregon DOT, regional operations departments provide planning departments with outputs from data collection and performance management systems. Portland metro relies on a regional TSMO policy group to address joint funding, project selection and development, and interagency agreements. Table 21. Summary of key findings from Oregon case example.

58 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans expand infrastructure to cover the Portland region’s transportation needs. These cost estimates for the region’s 25-year needs are in the range of billions of dollars, so TSMO serves as a prime set of strategies because it is typically of lower cost, and leverages past and future transportation investments to improve how the overall system functions. As a result, the 2010 Portland RTSMO plan focuses on less intensive traffic operations improvements such as travel demand manage- ment systems, traveler information, and multimodal incentives (Portland Metro 2010). TSMO Strategic Planning Elements Initial sections of the document establish how the basis for TSMO within the APM is formed from Oregon highway plan policies related to highway improvements, prioritization strategies that protect the existing system, and ITS policies. The chapter details how TSMO supports current overarching Oregon DOT goals for sustainability, efficiency, and safety. Intended out- comes of Chapter 18 are to set in place a foundation that links TSMO and program planning through performance management, data collection, and data analysis. TSMO strategies are examined within corridor management and system management categories, and additional connections through analysis with TSMO planning and programming are also developed (Oregon DOT 2020). Oregon DOT developed TSMO goals in the 2006 Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP) and has not updated these goals. These include maintaining a “safe, efficient, and sustainable trans- portation system that enhances quality of life and economic vitality” (Oregon DOT 2020). Specific to TSMO is Goal 2 of the 2006 OTP, focused on management of the system, and to “improve efficiency of the transportation system by optimizing the existing infrastructure with improved operations and management” (Oregon DOT 2020). The Oregon Highway Plan’s goal of maintaining highway performance through system efficiency and management before adding capacity also supports TSMO and is documented within the APM Chapter 18. The over- arching goals of the Oregon Highway Plan and the OTP are considered within Chapter 18 as part of a discussion of the procedure manual and no further goal and vision setup was included. Guidance is provided within the APM Chapter 18 for how regions may set up their own TSMO goals and visions, which can be incorporated into regional transportation plans. Reference is made to FHWA guidance on the same topic (Oregon DOT 2020). Intended outcomes of the Portland Metro RTSMO plan include the establishment of a regional vision for TSMO and an implementation plan to integrate that vision into regional transportation plans. TSMO goals for the region include addressing climate change by monitor- ing the contribution of TSMO to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Multimodal and travel demand management strategies are highlighted as TSMO strategies that connect clearly with this goal of achieving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Another outcome includes development of a project selection strategy based on impact analyses such as benefit-cost assess- ments for each regional TSMO project. Elements within the RTSMO plan include the following, with the anticipated cost of the 10-year plan illustrated in Figure 29: • TSMO Vision, Goals. • 10-year action plan inclusive of costs for capital investments and annual operations/ maintenance for four project selection areas, including – Multimodal traffic management, – Traveler information, – TIM, and – TDM. • High-level description of benefit/need and list of recommended investment projects for each project selection area categorized by region-wide/corridor, time frame, and capital/O&M per year costs.

Case Examples 59   • Collaboration policies and organizational changes. • Description of ongoing regional TSMO funding programs (regional mobility and Regional Travel Options programs), project selection processes, and intended projects/use of funds (Portland Metro 2010). The 2010 Portland Metro RTSMO Plan goals are drawn from Portland Metro’s Regional 2035 Long-Range Transportation Plan in collaboration with regional stakeholders. The vision state- ment focuses on using TSMO to ensure safe, reliable, efficient, and equitable mobility for people and goods (Portland Metro 2010). Goals include • Reliability: provide reliable travel times, • Safety and Security: enhanced safety and security across all modes, • Quality of Life: reduce greenhouse gases and address air quality goals, and • Traveler Information: establish comprehensive multimodal traveler information. TSMO Organizational and Business Process Elements Oregon DOT does not address the CMM or the associated organizational changes required to optimize TSMO within APM Chapter 18. Operations departments provide planning depart- ments with outputs from their data collection and performance management systems along with recommended TSMO strategies for integration into the short- and long-term planning process. TSMO’s place within Oregon DOT’s operations division is not detailed (Oregon DOT 2020). While internally, the 2010 RTSMO plan did detail what Portland Metro needs to do to include operations staff in their planning processes, it recommends several regional inter-organizational actions that include the following: • Establish a regional TSMO policy group from members of TransPort, the Regional Travel Options Subcommittee of the Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee, the Regional Freight Technical Advisory Committee and other public and private stakeholders to address joint funding and project development. • Formalize roles and relationships between agencies to continue the effective communications that exist today with informal agreements. • Reevaluate staffing needs at agencies to support the expansion of on-going operations. • Continue to pursue cooperative purchasing agreements and joint operating agreements to save resources. Source: Portland Metro 2010. Figure 29. Portland Metro 10-year TSMO plan cost in millions.

60 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans • Publish regular reports documenting the implemented TSMO projects, performance outcomes, and key agency functions that need to be maintained throughout the life of the TSMO plan. • Pursue interagency agreements for region-wide 24-hour traffic operation center coverage. • Account for operations and management in the formal planning process (Portland Metro 2010). Oregon DOT uses operations objectives and performance measures as criteria for oper- ational needs, in conjunction with stakeholder input. Recommended for impact analysis or benefit-cost tools in this case are TOPS-BC. Chapter 18 provides guidance on the use of sketch planning tools, and use of post-processors with travel demand and simulation models in project selection, but does not require regions to use them (Oregon DOT 2020). The APM details resources and tools for integrating TSMO into project design. These include an Oregon DOT work zone analysis tool, and other state resources. There is no formal process or recommendation described for who has responsibility, either regionally or statewide, for incorporating TSMO into design and construction processes. Specific steps for how projects were ultimately selected and prioritized are not documented in the 2010 plan. However, in 2008, regional stakeholders gathered to categorize a broad, inclusive range of TSMO projects across the four different project types as indicated above. In addition, projects are defined according to corridor (e.g., connections from a regional center to an adjacent town center) and region-wide scopes. These projects are then discussed in conjunction with TSMO funding available to the region and additional detail describing the need for these projects. For example, Table 22 displays how the Portland RTSMO plan recommends regional TSMO projects for TDM strategies using time frame, capital and annual O&M costs. Oregon DOT notes an “objectives-driven, performance-based approach” to TSMO, which necessitates partnerships with planning and operations departments within Oregon DOT and externally with regional and local government stakeholders to ensure TSMO is integrated. This objectives-driven, performance-based approach shifts from long-term investment strategies to short-term, measurable TSMO solution outcomes based on a cyclical process involving multiple stakeholders internal and external to Oregon DOT (Oregon DOT 2020). Operations provides the planning department with their internal performance measures, operational needs, and TSMO strategies to facilitate prioritization within the planning department and short- and long-term planning processes. Key stakeholders from across the region include public agency staff, transportation operations professionals and private representatives of the traveling public who first collaborated on the vision, goals, and guiding principles of the TSMO plan. Partnerships are enhanced further by the depiction of action items to improve TSMO within the region, as depicted above. Oregon DOT has also prepared a TSMO performance measures plan as of 2019. This plan was unavailable for review, but initial indications from the project page are that it will focus on the following dimensions: • TIM. • TOC Operations. • Mobility. • Traveler Information. • TSMO Asset Management. • Work Management (Oregon DOT 2017). At the time of the plan, Portland Metro had not developed a performance measure system for arterial management and transit management, although the effort did produce an arterial performance measures guide (Oregon DOT 2020). Freeway management performance measures are collected by Oregon DOT and posited in PORTAL. These freeway performance measures were not listed within the Portland Metro RTSMO Plan. PORTAL shares data publicly including

Case Examples 61   through a web user interface. Subsequent regional efforts include an arterial performance measures guide and enhancements to PORTAL that add travel time reliability on freeways and arterials. TSMO Implementation Plan Elements No explicit plan or guidance for implementation or next steps for TSMO program plan analysis procedures were provided within APM Chapter 18. Recommendations for before- and-after evaluations of TSMO investments are detailed, with examples provided for the Source: Portland Metro 2010. Table 22. Sample TSMO project recommendation table from the 2010 Portland RTSMO Plan.

62 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans timing of data collection and type of performance measures applied, including crash rates, travel time reliability, and travel time delay. Sequencing before-and-after evaluations for TSMO projects with planning is critical in many cases to ensure completeness of speed, volume, and incident data collection (Oregon DOT 2020). Portland Metro recommended a suite of TSMO projects and policy action items for devel- opment by regional stakeholders. Some of these are detailed in examples above. Funding for TSMO was identified and the need to develop performance measures and a performance monitoring system to cover multimodal and arterial aspects of the regional transportation network were also documented. These considerations will be incorporated into regional long- range and short-range plan updates, and in 10 years the RTSMO plan will also be updated. In 2019, Portland Metro sourced with a consultant to assist in the update of the RTSMO plan (Portland Metro 2010). Success Factors and Lessons Learned The analysis procedures chapter for TSMO benefits the TSMO community in that it describes how to adequately prepare for analytical components of TSMO programming, even though it does not refer to many of the standard programmatic elements such as CMM elements, organizational challenges, and the like. As a resource for high-level TSMO concepts, tactical plan approaches, application of TSMO data sets within a performance measure rubric, and recommended TSMO benefit-cost tools, it is an excellent guide (Oregon DOT 2020). The Portland Metro RTSMO plan expands the scope of intended benefits claimed from TSMO to focus on air quality through quality of life and environment goals. CMAQ funding for regional projects is in alignment with this approach to claiming benefits to the regional focus on climate change, and it will be interesting to find out the extent to which this has been documented in the next update. Efforts to set in place performance measures and investments in multimodal strategies within the RTSMO plan are also documented consistently (Portland Metro 2010). The Oregon DOT APM Chapter 18 highlights some of the issues with integrating TSMO data collection and performance management procedures with planning, project develop- ment, and subsequent performance evaluations, as well as maintenance. This stands almost as a separate challenge to TSMO program planning and a possible research need going forward in support of TSMO program plan development (Oregon DOT 2020). In 2010, Portland drew in many sources of funds to cover planned investments for TSMO. These regional sources represent strategic pieces in leveraging other sources of state and federal funds but also carried with them requirements that could have shifted over the 10-year period since it was written (Portland Metro 2010). South Dakota Department of Transportation The research team examined South Dakota’s statewide TSMO program planning document in the development of this case example. The research team refers to this TSMO program plan to illustrate how the program plan addresses aspects of strategy, organizational/business process, and implementation elements of TSMO planning (Giordano et al. 2016). Table 23 provides a summary of key findings from the case example. Background and Motivation of TSMO Program Planning Process The SDDOT TSMO program plan uses broad methodological language in describing TSMO strategies and concepts. Thus, it can serve as a resource for other state DOTs interested

Case Examples 63   in putting in place a new or updated TSMO program. The motivation for the SDDOT TSMO Program Plan was the 2013 CMM workshops associated with SHRP 2. The plan uses the CMM to move SDDOT from an incremental, informal, as-needed basis of TSMO deployment and operation to a formal unified TSMO program structure with supporting processes and institu- tional arrangements (Giordano et al. 2016). TSMO Strategic Planning Elements The SDDOT TSMO program plan contains an overview of TSMO strategies as well as a CMM-based suite of recommendations and implementation action items to crystallize business planning and strategic decision-making concepts for TSMO within SDDOT (Giordano et al. 2016). It does not detail how SDDOT currently prioritizes TSMO projects or how SDDOT integrates TSMO into asset, maintenance, and construction divisions, or into project design and development processes. It does provide a method to prioritize and track requirements for advancing SDDOT’s TSMO program. Planning elements within the SDDOT TSMO Program plan include the following: • The business case for TSMO. • A review of TSMO program requirements and current SDDOT capabilities, including – Organization, – Culture, – Collaboration, – Business processes (Project planning, programming, budgeting, and development), – Systems and technology, and – Performance measurement. • A 15-point implementation plan with (not specific to TSMO or ITS projects) program- development-based action items connected to feasibility, priority, schedule, and role Topic Summary Motivation The SDDOT TSMO Program Plan is motivated by the findings of the 2013 CMM workshops associated with SHRP 2. The TSMO program plan is primarily a TSMO deployment plan with associated timelines and assignments on which to build the statewide TSMO program. How TSMO Is Integrated with Planning Within 12 months of the date of the program plan, SDDOT plans to prioritize TSMO projects delivering the largest improvements to TSMO capability, followed by the establishment of a standard process to integrate TSMO into the LRTP and statewide transportation improvement programs (STIP) within 2-3 years. Part of this 2- to 3-year timeline is the development of processes to integrate TSMO into capital programming processes, as well as design and construction. Project selection and development points systems from other programs, like bridge management and safety, are to be adapted for use in TSMO program development which will help integrate TSMO into standing planning processes. How State/Regional Plans Align The TSMO program plan notes that ITS knowledge and responsibility are fragmented across SDDOT departments. Assignments and timelines are provided to staff with leadership and TSMO expertise to unite ITS knowledge and responsibility less than one program for traffic engineering, traffic signal design, ITS project development, municipal signal retiming, and maintenance synchronization and coordination. How Implementation Plans within the TSMO Program Plan Are Applied The implementation of the TSMO program plan is slated to take place over a 5-year period addressing each aspect of CMM within a project management- driven plan and schedule. Performance measure procedures and analysis will be pilot tested. How Internal and External Collaboration Is Achieved A qualitative list of TSMO strategies within the state supplies best practice examples, benefits, opportunities, and existing partners for collaboration. Regional programs will share with formal topic committees that help recommend identified strategies and investments. Table 23. Summary of South Dakota case example.

64 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans assignments for internal and external agency staff. Priority action items to be scheduled and assigned to staff for delivery are detailed in Table 24. The program also maintains an appendix section with references to state DOT TSMO websites and organizational structures. Authors of the plan do not detail formal action items to develop a TSMO vision or program goals within this plan. It details action items for developing goals and related objectives and their uses in decision making and communication to decision makers, TSMO stakeholders, and the public. One of the recommended goals is formalizing the status of the TSMO program to, “one on par with legacy activities such as capital construc- tion, maintenance, or safety in terms of supporting policy, planning, budgeting, organization, and staff capabilities” (Giordano et al. 2016). The program plan calls out the need to connect performance measures to TSMO goals identified among regional partners during business case outreach sessions. CMM-Based TSMO Capabilities Priority Action Item Time Frame Sub-Actions to Deliver Priority Action Item Organization/Staffing Establish a TSMO Structure within SDDOT Within 3 months. 1. Establish cross-departmental TSMO implementation team. 2. Create TSMO program manager. 3. Attach senior leadership to implementation team to secure resources and hold them accountable. Culture Establish the Business Case for TSMO Within 18 months. 1. Develop business case document for public, leadership and staff unfamiliar with TSMO. 2. Conduct business case outreach to secure resources, justify organizational changes, and strengthen or build new partnerships. Collaboration Establish TSMO Functions at Regional Level Within 12 months. 1. Establish three regional TIM support groups. 2. Establish regional TSMO review meetings for collaboration across TIS, WZ management, winter maintenance, and other TSMO functions. Business Processes Establish the Planning and Project Development Process for TSMO/ITS Projects Sub-action 1 = within 12 months. Remaining sub-actions = within 2–3 years. 1. Identify TSMO projects that deliver the largest TSMO program capability improvements. 2. Develop standard process for TSMO planning. 3. Develop TSMO deployment plan to integrate TSMO plan process into LRTP and STIP. 4. Assess TSMO project priorities and resources and integrate deployment plan into capital programming processes. 5. TSMO project integration into design and construction. Systems and Technology Update the Statewide ITS Architecture Within 18 months. 1. Turbo architecture training. 2. Update statewide architecture using latest version of the national architecture and turbo architecture. Performance Measurement Program Develop a Pilot Performance Measurement Program Within 18 months. 1. Define and develop performance measure process (11 steps provided). 2. Identify priority performance measure and supporting data collection/analytics process and initiate as pilot test. Source: Giordano et al. 2016. Table 24. Summary of Priority CMM capability-based TSMO program development action items and time frame.

Case Examples 65   TSMO Organizational and Business Process Elements Chapter 4 displays a quarterly 5-year implementation schedule to put in place a formal TSMO program from 2016–2021. If an action item is ahead of others that means it has been assigned a higher priority to get accomplished first. Chapter 5 assigns roles to staff, for each given task or action item, and also provides resource implications (Giordano et al. 2016). Each implementation action item provides background and rationale information. The rationale within the implementation plan for developing a TSMO program structure within SDDOT notes that ITS knowledge and responsibility is fragmented across SDDOT departments. For example, traffic engineering is conducted at a regional level for work zone traffic control design, while traffic signal design and timing are in the office of road design. ITS projects are developed and maintained in the office of research. Municipalities take a swath of signals for retiming and maintenance as well. Initial assignments to address this fragmentation include the assignment of SDDOT staff with leadership and TSMO expertise to oversee the action item of establishing a formal TSMO program within SDDOT. Per the plan, SDDOT maintains a points system to rank projects using input from traditional transportation offices like bridge management and safety. The project selection process is geared toward traditional highway capital projects and is not designed to accommodate TSMO projects. No project selection and development process was detailed within the SDDOT TSMO program plan, as the development of this business process was itself an action item that was prioritized and scheduled for development. With the CMM workshop in 2013 completed, South Dakota did develop a qualitative list of TSMO strategies applied within the state including details on their status, best practice examples, benefits, opportunities, and existing partners for collaboration. For example, traveler information services have multiple sources of information and high customer satisfaction based on a statewide customer survey. Sturgis was highlighted as a best practice example within traveler information services being able to obtain direct access to computer-aided dispatch for conveyance to 511 and SafetravelUSA TIS services employed statewide. This collection of best practices represents potential regional and/or statewide TSMO strategies and solutions development for piloting with the new TSMO project selection and development process as it is now formalized and in place since the beginning of 2020, according to the implementation schedule. Collaboration is detailed in Chapters 3 and 5, as a summary of the actions to take place to improve collaboration and a prioritized implementation strategy with regional TSMO functions and capabilities between SDDOT and partners. A performance measures pilot and subsequent plan are proposed as action items within the SDDOT TSMO program plan. This performance measures plan would rely on findings from the pilot to formalize data collection procedures and analysis. No specific performance measures are listed, but it is recommended to use travel time reliability as part of the FAST Act. TSMO Implementation Plan Elements The TSMO program plan covers a time period of 5 years and is developed around the CMM and associated TSMO capabilities (e.g., business processes, systems and technology, performance measurement, organization and workforce, culture, and collaboration). It covers each aspect of CMM capabilities, and delves into action items that fit nicely into a project management schedule. Staff responsibilities are defined and the rationale for each action item serves as a resource in and of itself on the latest thinking for TSMO program plan development.

66 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans Success Factors and Lessons Learned The SDDOT TSMO program plan is prescriptive and defines a well-designed strategy to improve TSMO capabilities with action items, schedules, plans, resources, and staff assignments. At the same time, this plan is also adaptive to meet the needs of SDDOT as they work through the implementation action items. The program plan is intended as a blueprint for actions to improve TSMO capabilities at SDDOT. It does not delve into the potential benefits tied to individual TSMO strategies, as this would get ahead of many of the recommended action items aimed at developing project selection processes and performance measurement processes first, and enabling TSMO implementation team and regional meetings to fill in these gaps. In that sense, the program plan serves as a receptacle waiting to be filled with these details. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation The research team examined PennDOT’s statewide TSMO program planning document (PennDOT 2018b) and the PennDOT Western Regional Operations Plan (Western ROP) (PennDOT 2019) in the development of this case example. The research team refers to both efforts within each segment to illustrate how the regional operation plan and statewide program plan address aspects of strategic, organizational/business process, and implementation elements of TSMO planning. Table 25 provides a summary of key findings from the case example. Background and Motivation of TSMO Program Planning Process The genesis of the statewide PennDOT TSMO program plan was the agency’s participation in the SHRP 2 Organizing for Reliability workshop. During the workshop, PennDOT and TSMO Motivation SHRP 2 Organizing for Reliability Workshop and CMM Self-Assessment How TSMO Is Integrated with Planning Connects TSMO with LRTP and TIP via TSMO ROP-level goal integration and financial analysis of operational costs. PennDOT provides TSMO guidance for regional plan development that incorporates planning needs to ensure a smooth transition to LRTP and TIP documents. Figure 30 below details these connections in a Venn diagram format, courtesy of the PennDOT TSMO Strategic Framework document. How State/Regional Plans Align From central offices, state TSMO plans (strategic, program, and guidance) give goals, CMM-based programmatic needs, and guidance for standardizing ROPs relying on input and review from regions before finalizing. TSMO and ITS equipment specifications are centrally maintained with procurement responsibilities assigned regionally. Regions provide the financial analysis of operations projects and facilitate connections to LRTP and TIP processes. Additional alignment between ITS and TSMO is obtained through the inputs of a standing interstate steering committee. How Performance Measures Used Central offices service regions by setting the performance measures, definitions, and data collection processes for use in regions relying on IT data science skill sets to merge large statewide data sets for regional use and advice. Measures are oriented to show clear links to goals, as well as return on investment to improve competition for project funds in the TIP program. Performance reporting is from the region up, with explicit performance data profiles for explaining how regional aspects (i.e., ITS systems, TMC, traveler information, incident management, or Thanksgiving bottlenecks) affect the transportation system. One example is incident clearance times for incident management. How Internal and External Collaboration Is Achieved Internally, PennDOT coordination across maintenance, planning, construction, and design primarily falls on the renewed push to consistently update ROPs and integrate with planning, programming, and project design. Externally, at the regional level PennDOT heads a steering committee responsible for selecting TSMO projects, coordinates individual TSMO strategy-based task forces (ITS, TIM, TIS), and at the state level plans to hold an annual TSMO summit inclusive of all stakeholders contributing to operations across the state. The genesis of the statewide steering committee was the SHRP 2 CMM workshops, where attendees agreed to focus efforts to achieve Level 3 for many TSMO capabilities. Table 25. Summary of Pennsylvania case example.

Case Examples 67   partners across the state established a method for formal collaboration through the CMM with agreed-on actions to improve TSMO across the state. The PennDOT TSMO program plan was created to establish TSMO goals, and document these action items and collaborative improve- ments (PennDOT 2018b). This ROP has been developed to cover the PennDOT western region. This region is comprised of PennDOT Engineering Districts 1, 10, 11, and 12. This region is centered on the Regional TMC located in Bridgeville, PA, at the PennDOT District 11-0 office (PennDOT 2019). The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) has updated a ROP every 4 years since 2007. PennDOT also contributed separate ROPs for the southwestern and northwestern regions beyond the SPC metropolitan area boundary. The 2019 ROP supports the statewide TSMO Program Plan and the use of the CMM by pulling together these district and MPO regional operation plans and unifying them within one ROP covering northwestern, southwestern, and SPC metropolitan area boundaries. The Western ROP also uses the TSMO Guidebook, Part 1: Planning, released in association with the PennDOT TSMO Program Plan in 2018 with instruc- tions on how to implement the statewide approach to TSMO. This 2019 ROP identifies regional TSMO strategies and investments for improved traffic operations and describes systematic regional implementation of TSMO strategies (PennDOT 2019). TSMO Strategic Planning Elements The PennDOT TSMO program plan contains TSMO vision, mission, and goals sections followed by a list of TSMO program plan needs, and then TSMO strategies using CMM capa- bilities (e.g., business processes, systems and technology, performance measurement, orga- nization and workforce, culture, and collaboration) as the framework (PennDOT 2018b). The program plan does not have a project selection criteria or project development process Source: PennDOT 2018a. Figure 30. Connecting TSMO with planning through regional operations plans.

68 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans described. Other planning elements within the PennDOT TSMO Program plan include the following: • Intended outcomes of the TSMO program plan (improved mobility and reliability). • The process for goal and vision setting. This is not detailed, but goals are defined using internal (outputs-moving up CMM) and external (outcomes-Mobility/Reliability improve- ment for recurring/non-recurring congestion) frameworks. • Single page descriptions of nine overarching TSMO program needs with associated strategies. One example of an overarching TSMO program need is illustrated in Figure 31, which provides guidance on considering operations throughout the entire project life cycle. Specific strategies indicated which can support this consideration include the following: • Updating the ROPs. • Identifying clear ties between ROPs and other plans. • Integrating TSMO into PennDOT connects. • Considering operations strategies in the project development process. • Making operations strategy competitive in the program development process. The program plan also provides specific details related to these strategies in an appendix, which is illustrated in Figure 32. Note that each strategy is broken down into sub-strategies that provide additional guidance on specific actions the agency can undertake to ensure that operations are considered throughout the project life cycle. Similar to content found in long-range metropolitan transportation plans, the 219-page PennDOT Western ROP provides an extensive overview of the region along with existing regional demographics, land use patterns, transportation infrastructure, CMP corridors, and associated TSMO systems in place (PennDOT 2019). Other elements include the following: • A review of current operations performance and related measures applied. • A review of TSMO investment categories (e.g., traffic signals and TIM). • The assessment of TSMO projects for investment based on congestion causes, as shown in Figure 33. • A project selection process classifying projects based on term length, a mixture of operations and safety data, and stakeholder input. Source: PennDOT 2018b. Figure 31. Considering operations throughout the project life cycle, PennDOT TSMO Program Plan.

Case Examples 69   • The coordination of the Western ROP and update process. • An appendix containing project descriptions and assessment factors involved. PennDOT devised its goals based on outputs and outcomes. Outputs track how the program is progressing along the CMM dimensions and will synchronize with CMM self-evaluations performed periodically by program managers (PennDOT 2018b). Outcomes are focused on the performance measures and management for external communication and reporting tied to FAST Act rules. The outcomes serve as the connection between the TSMO program plan and LRTPs and STIP. The process for setting the goals is high level and refers to the TSMO strategic framework for more details. The PennDOT Western ROP refers to ITS vision and goals within the document and illustrates goals to coordinate and maintain the plan going forward with greater work between agencies in the region (PennDOT 2019). However, it does not refer to the PennDOT TSMO program plan, action items, or the goals contained therein. Source: PennDOT 2018b. Figure 32. Summary of needs strategies and action items in appendix, PennDOT TSMO Program Plan.

70 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans TSMO Organizational and Business Process Elements Within Need G, titled “Provide Appropriate Staffing and Organization Structure,” PennDOT describes challenges related to how their TSMO program does not currently have boundaries like construction, design, and maintenance programs (PennDOT 2018b). For example, state- wide TMCs and regional TMCs currently operate independently and lack coordination with statewide and district offices. This necessitates a need for statewide guidance, dedicated staff, and role assignments to ensure CMM-based action items are delivered. Strategies and action items are connected to this need and summarized in the appendix. While the program plan provides TIM and TMC-related action items, it does not provide any overview of the PennDOT organizational structure and potential adaptations to consider TSMO as a program. Not much detail is involved in describing either the CMM framework of the statewide TSMO program plan, or the organizational shift required of the western region to pull together the various planning components and enact and track TSMO programming results in the region. The Western ROP relies heavily on interagency and intra-agency coordination through a regional steering committee. There are multiple contributing partners who provide input on which projects to select. Within PennDOT, the Bureau of Maintenance and Operations Source: PennDOT 2019. Figure 33. Sample TSMO solution applicability review table.

Case Examples 71   leads the development of the Western ROP and supplies resources and staff for the effort. Other ROPs are obtained from SPC, and the southwestern and northwestern districts (1-0, 10-0, 11-0, and 12-0). Additional participants in the steering committee within PennDOT include district safety engineers and maintenance departments (PennDOT 2019). The PennDOT TSMO program plan reveals that PennDOT does not yet have a statewide project selection process in place specific to TSMO. In addition, project selection and develop- ment does not rise to the level of a need within the PennDOT TSMO program plan. They are documented as strategies in connection with the need (Need A) to consider operations throughout the project life cycle. Specifically, the strategy recommends actions to include a district-level TSMO representative in project development processes. Other needs adjacent to project selection and development include the provision of adequate funding and guidance (Need B), and related action items to deploy ITS maintenance and operations cost tracking within design/construction (PennDOT 2018b). The Western ROP details how projects are prioritized based on • Stakeholder inputs, • The short- or long-term-“ness” of proposed project, • Congestion and non-recurring congestion hot spots, • Crash hot spots, • Identified TSMO needs (such as TIM, TIS, and Freeway/Arterial Ops), and • Regional stakeholder input (PennDOT 2019). TSMO will be included within a project-scoping checklist in the Western ROP to facilitate integration between operations and design/construction sections. The plan is to include TSMO in larger construction projects ensuring that new planned facilities do not become gaps in TSMO solution coverage areas going forward. At present, benefit-cost analysis is only conducted for regional traffic signal program projects. Regional TIM teams, district and central intra-agency coordination, PennDOT/MPO coordination, and the development of an annual statewide TSMO summit reveal PennDOT’s TSMO strategies to obtain partnership inputs into the ongoing development of their TSMO program (PennDOT 2018b). To formalize greater collaboration and improve on partner inputs, PennDOT recommends forming TSMO strategy teams on which decisions for prioritized investments can be made. For example, in the Philadelphia region, TIM teams are formed with DVRPC-led involvement of state/local law enforcement, EMS, PennDOT, towing and recovery, communications, and environmental protection agencies. The PennDOT Western ROP will be updated every 2 years to coincide with the TIP. LRTP release coordination is not possible given the preset variation in plan release dates. Partners will participate in a regional TSMO steering committee to formally adopt the ROP in future iterations. The TSMO steering committee led by PennDOT is comprised of: PennDOT District Safety Engineers, PennDOT County Maintenance Departments, the SPC, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), county planning departments, transit agencies, and bicycle advocates. The SPC and other MPOs’ LRTPs are incorporated into project listings for the TSMO steering committee to decide on (PennDOT 2019). Additional integration opportunities between regional and central offices include connecting the ITS devices included in the Western ROP with the annual statewide Device Deployment Plan. Establishing internal and external TSMO program performance measures is a documented need in the TSMO program plan. Specific external performance measures for reliability, asset management, safety, maintenance, or mobility are not detailed within the program plan but will be developed as the program proceeds. In some cases, performance measurement is done on an ad-hoc basis to quantify the level of benefits TSMO provides to a major capacity project,

72 Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans but not on a regional or systems level. To some extent, the need for greater collaboration over- laps with the need for performance measures in that CMP processes maintained by multiple MPOs have timing issues that may not synchronize with any performance measures process established if they are not taken into account (PennDOT 2018b). PennDOT maintains a One Map website (gis.penndot.gov/OneMap) which contains spatial and temporal details on asset, maintenance, speed, volume, and crash data rendered into a performance measure format and then used in the development of this ROP (PennDOT 2019). These data help locate congestion and safety issues along the region’s corridors, as well as identify gaps in ITS device coverage via hotspot analysis presentation to the ROP steering committee. It is also the same data set that is used in the LRTP and congestion management process. Performance measures used for project assessment include • Reduced bottleneck delay surrogate, • Reduced rear end crashes, • Reduced secondary crashes, • Reduced curved road crashes, • Reduced winter weather crashes, • Improved travel time ratio, • Improved incident response time, • Improved incident clearance time, and • The number of miles of installed fiber optic cable. TSMO Implementation Plan Elements The plan going forward is to implement action items tied to a needs-strategies-action item CMM framework and to update the PennDOT TSMO program plan every 4 years with these developments. No specific timeline is established, nor are resources or staff assigned to carry out these action items or needs. In many cases, the action item is to identify the point person for TIM or for TMCs to assign this role (PennDOT 2018b). Overall, the implementation plan part of the PennDOT TSMO program plan is not heavy on details as to next steps, only that they must be performed. This is likely because much of the work will be carried out at the ROP level. The plan will be implemented in 4-year updates, with the introduction and tracking to completion of TSMO projects in the region and the benefits delivered. Implementation of the Western ROP does not include changes to the organization or tracking internal and external measures. The plan indicates that while the SPC has regularly maintained its ROP since 2007, other regional plans have fallen by the wayside. Therefore, this plan will be updated for the entire western region regularly every 4 years to ensure these TSMO projects are documented and involved in a prioritization and project development process centered on TSMO stake- holders driven by data. This ROP includes CMM-related considerations, but they do not fit neatly into one section or specifically reference needs of the statewide TSMO program, or document intention to track how the statewide TSMO program performs in the western region. Chapter 6 does provide detail on aspects of coordination and maintenance of the Western ROP (PennDOT 2019). These could be considered next steps in alignment with the statewide TSMO program plan. The items considered include the following: • Perform an interim ROP plan update every 2 years to publish in the year prior to the TIP update schedule. • Establish a dedicated line item for TSMO funding. • Include TSMO in the project scoping checklist. • Merge ITS projects with the PennDOT Statewide Device Deployment Plan annually.

Case Examples 73   Success Factors and Lessons Learned PennDOT’s use of a workshop-driven baseline to identify needs and issues also provides good groundwork for improving the partnership and collaboration elements of the PennDOT TSMO program plan. Early forward momentum in the 2000s with regional operations plan- ning helped to advance the basic structure off of which to build the TSMO program planning effort. The early activities also presented the challenge of merging the disparate elements of rural and urban TSMO planning into a cohesive whole (PennDOT 2018b). The PennDOT approach will rely heavily on regions to complete the picture of TSMO program planning which gives them increased autonomy to coordinate and assign responsibilities whether within PennDOT in the western region or with MPOs as the leads as in the case with DVRPC in the Philadelphia region. The prime benefit of the Western ROP is that it unites and funds an update process for all plans in the western region. As it develops further, through participation in an established steering committee, best practices from one region can filter over to neighboring regions, and greater awareness will develop as to the CMM framework. The continued use of statewide TSMO guidelines will cement appropriate use of Onesite data analysis, while communication and outreach to the public and to decision makers in the region will help show that the TSMO program is maturing, to the point that accrued recognition may very well help fund the estab- lishment of a dedicated TSMO line item (PennDOT 2018b). The PennDOT TSMO program plan indicates that a variety of barriers exist in the develop- ment of a TSMO program, which accounts for their use of a needs-strategies-actions approach to planning. These barriers include • Not enough training, • Not enough funding or staffing, • Not enough guidance on operations policies or procedures, • Not enough intra- or interagency coordination, • No established performance measures, • No processes to account for TSMO program benefits, and • No project selection process to compare TSMO investments to larger capital investments (PennDOT 2018b). The PennDOT Western ROP contains a good balance of quantitative geospatial hot spot analysis with qualitative inputs from the steering group and stakeholders in workshops for TSMO project selection/ranking. As the PennDOT Western ROP progresses into future updates, it will be interesting to learn how statewide TSMO program needs are formally docu- mented in the Western ROP. Performance measures are also addressed but only as a part of the project evaluation process (PennDOT 2019). Final Remarks The case examples provide a more in-depth review of specific states that have made signifi- cant progress in the development of TSMO program plans. They offer insights into how the selected agencies have integrated TSMO into planning activities, how state and regional plans align where appropriate, how they utilize performance measures to select projects and to assess progress, and how they achieve internal and external collaboration. Additionally, other agencies can gain an understanding of the critical elements of these successful programs as well as lessons learned that can prove valuable to other agencies developing and implementing TSMO program plans for their jurisdictions.