The National Academies Press

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From page 1... ... or local government transportation entities have focused effectively on how to continue to fulfill their mobility mission in an environment of capacity and financial constraints. If the full-service potential of an investment in an existing network (especially the freeway network) Read the entire page →
From page 2... ... Effective SO&M Applications to Reduce NRC The applications that have been developed for NRC are typically centered within the larger highway jurisdictions -- state DOTs, toll entities, and large local government transportation agencies -- together with their public safety partners. Although their focus is often on highways, these applications are also used for major arterials and rural routes. Read the entire page →
From page 3... ... This is especially true for NRC -- as reflected in the common and characteristic features of SO&M applications that determine effectiveness. SO&M applications are typically • Reactive and responsive to unpredictable events on a 24/7 basis; • Dependent on situational awareness and communications technology; • Applied at the corridor scale or network level; • Based on teamwork; • Communications intensive; • Dependent on performance monitoring and are evaluated through the impact on system performance measured in real time; • Using dynamic high technology and systems engineering; and • Dependent on outside partners not under the control of a transportation agency, including PSAs and local government. Read the entire page →
From page 4... ... They advance toward a desirable end-state in which processes are managed by continuous improvement, typically structured from the ad hoc, through increasing levels of definition and reliability, to fully manageable. Read the entire page →
From page 5... ... Systems and technology development requires the availability of effective platforms to provide the needed situational awareness, control devices, communications, and basic information resources, as well as technology deployment in terms of standardization and cost-effectiveness. Without a formal, managed SO&M program and experienced systems engineering staff (at both DOT central office and district levels) Read the entire page →
From page 6... ... • Adequate resources for necessary infrastructure and staff • Coordinated organizational units (central office and districts) • Customer-service performance culture • Staff capable of analysis • Culture oriented to customer service and performance measurement • Continuous-improvement orientation • Accountability of individuals, units for performance • Full legal authority • Degree of interagency integration • Adequate resources from a needs-based, multiyear lifecycle budget -- predictable, sustainable • Mission focus on entire network measurement is the basis for a transportation agency's accountability for any mission related to mobility and safety, including increases in reliability. Read the entire page →
From page 7... ... At Level 1, the four categories of institutional elements can be described as follows: • Culture and leadership have a strong civil engineering orientation, including legal authority and leadership and program structure substantially focused on construction and maintenance programs. This legacy orientation includes unrealistic assumptions about the level-of-service benefits from modest capacity programs, and is accompanied by limited knowledge of the potential of SO&M, by limited interest in opportunities offered by external events to advance operational capabilities, and by limited ability to facilitate change and capitalize on such opportunities. Read the entire page →
From page 8... ... • Partnerships (interjurisdictional roles and relationships) among operations participants, including PSAs, local governments, MPOs, the private sector, are exacerbated by informal and unstable partner relationships in congestion management activities. Read the entire page →
From page 9... ... managed, formalized, and mainstreamed status achieved in the movement from one level to the next. There is a logical sequence to the focus of each element of institutional architecture to reach the next level of capability. Read the entire page →
From page 10... ... , local government clarified. Integrated • Top-level management position with operations orientation established in central office and districts. Read the entire page →
From page 11... ... Partnerships Informal, unaligned Formal, aligned Consolidated • Agree on operational roles and procedures with PSAs. • Identify opportunities for joint operations activities with local government/metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) Read the entire page →
From page 12... ... • Step 3. Identify the target level and inspect the numbered strategies for each element to move up to the next level. Read the entire page →
From page 13... ... • New Regional Institutional Configuration. Some substate entities (e.g., local governments, MPOs) Read the entire page →
From page 14... ... It is chaired by the deputy administrator/chief engineer for operations and includes district engineers, the director of the Office of Traffic and Safety, the director of the Office of Maintenance, the Maryland State Police, the Maryland Transportation Authority, the Federal Highway Administration, the University of Maryland Center for Advanced Transportation Technology, and various local governments. • Washington State DOT (WSDOT) Read the entire page →
From page 15... ... Alternative Models In addition to incremental change, the project evaluated a wide range of alternative institutional models from existing sources in the United States and through discussion with key professionals. Descriptive information of some models was also derived from international sources. Read the entire page →
From page 16... ... local and state government boards of directors. These authorities are not self-supporting from user fees and depend on state and local tax sources. Read the entire page →

From page 1...

... or local government transportation entities have focused effectively on how to continue to fulfill their mobility mission in an environment of capacity and financial constraints. If the full-service potential of an investment in an existing network (especially the freeway network)