Transportation Planning

Author Topic: Transportation Planning  (Read 3486 times)

Offline bcdas

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Transportation Planning
« on: November 03, 2011, 03:32:53 PM »
Nowadays, Transportation problem is one of the major problem in our daily life. As transportation planners and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) evaluate current system conditions and alternate future scenarios to make informed decisions on allocating resources, they must balance funding realities with mobility needs; public expectations; and community, legislative, and environmental considerations. Transportation asset management (TAM) provides a valuable tool to maximize system performance, improve customer satisfaction, and minimize life-cycle costs.

What Is Transportation Asset Management?

From increased vehicle miles traveled, growing population, and greater congestion to aging infrastructure and escalating operating costs, today's challenging circumstances put demands greater than ever on transportation networks. The goal of a TAM program is to minimize the life-cycle costs for managing and maintaining transportation assets, including roads, bridges, tunnels, rails, and roadside features. As defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' Subcommittee on Asset Management, "TAM is a strategic and systematic process of operating, maintaining, upgrading, and expanding physical assets effectively through their life cycle. It focuses on business and engineering practices for resource allocation and utilization, with the objective of better decisionmaking based upon quality information and well defined objectives." Through the use of management systems, engineering and economic analysis, and other tools, MPOs and transportation agencies can more comprehensively view the big picture and evaluate collected data before making decisions as to how specific resources should be deployed. TAM principles and techniques should be applied throughout the planning process, from initial goal setting and long-range planning to development of a Transportation Improvement Program and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program and then through to operations, preservation, and maintenance.

What Is the Role of an MPO in Asset Management?

MPOs should ensure that the transportation network is managed to meet both current and future demands and that expenditures are optimal. TAM principles and techniques are valuable tools that can be applied by an MPO and result in more effective decisionmaking. The MPO role in a successful TAM program includes defining performance measures for assets through public involvement, serving as a repository for asset data, and promoting standard data collection and technology applications. MPOs can also educate the public and decisionmakers and work cooperatively with stakeholders across transportation modes.

we will discuss later how can we apply the plan
« Last Edit: November 03, 2011, 04:20:12 PM by bcdas »
Dr. Bimal Chandra Das
Associate Professor
Dept. of GED, DIU

Offline hasibur rahaman

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Re: Transportation Planning
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2011, 03:50:18 PM »
Nice post, Sir.
Md. Hasibur Rahaman
Assistant Administrative Officer
Office of the Dean (FSIT) & Emeritus Professor
Daffodil International University

Offline bcdas

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Re: Transportation Planning
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2011, 05:00:29 PM »
Transportation Asset Management Case Studies

a) Bridge Management Experiences:

The Federal Highway Administration Office of Asset Management is promoting a different way for transportation agencies to distribute their resources among alternative investment options. This new way of doing business, "Asset Management," is a strategic approach for getting the best return on dollars spent for transportation improvements.

Each State transportation agency will likely have different methods for implementing an Asset Management strategy. For example, some agencies will pursue a data integration strategy in order to ensure comparable data for the evaluation of investment alternatives across asset classes. Others will move to deploy economic analysis tools to generate fact-based information for decisionmakers. Still others will want to integrate new inventory assessment methods into their decisionmaking process.

Pontis® is a comprehensive bridge management system tool developed to assist in the challenging task of bridge management. Initially developed by FHWA, Pontis® now is an AASHTO BRIDGEWare® product. It stores bridge inventory and inspection data; formulates networkwide preservation and improvement policies for use in evaluating the needs of each bridge in a network; and makes recommendations for what projects to include in an agency's capital improvement program for deriving the maximum benefit from limited funds. The software is continuously upgraded and improved based on various users' input.

The FHWA in 2002 sponsored the development of a training course for Pontis® that was offered to State highway agencies beginning in July 2002 as part of the National Highway Institute training curriculum. Since then, the course has been modified to include changes in the software and has been presented in 17 States.

A majority of the States licensing Pontis® use this tool for collecting bridge inventory and inspection data only. On behalf of the Office of Asset Management, I am pleased to present this case study highlighting the business and decisionmaking processes for three State transportation agencies: California, Florida, and South Dakota. The Office encourages other States to move to the next level in using the software capabilities to the full extent. This study, along with the previous studies on data integration, economics in Asset Management, the Highway Economic Requirements System—State Version, and life-cycle cost analysis, will help agencies meet the challenges of managing their transportation programs and implementing Asset Management.

David R. Geiger, P.E.
Director, Office of Asset Management
Bridge Management Experiences of California, Florida, and South Dakota
« Last Edit: November 03, 2011, 05:09:36 PM by bcdas »
Dr. Bimal Chandra Das
Associate Professor
Dept. of GED, DIU

Offline rubel

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Re: Transportation Planning
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2011, 12:36:01 PM »
Knowledgeable. Thanks
Rafiqul Alam Rubel
Senior Assistant Director(IT)
Special Assistant to Chairman, BOT
Daffodil International University
Cell :+88 01713493130 or +8801811458809

Offline s.islam

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Re: Transportation Planning
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2011, 02:33:34 PM »
Thanks for your thoughtful and meaningful post.

Offline bcdas

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Re: Transportation Planning
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2011, 01:45:57 PM »
How Can Transportation Asset Management Be Applied?

An asset management program can:

    Track system condition, needs, and performance.
    Clearly identify costs for maintaining and preserving existing assets.
    Clearly identify public expectations and desires.
    Directly compare needs to available funding, including operating and maintenance costs.
    Define asset conditions so that decisions can be made on how best to manage and maintain assets.
    Determine when to undertake action on an asset such as preservation, rehabilitation, reconstruction,    capacity enhancement, or replacement.


What Are the Benefits of Applying Transportation Asset Management During the Planning Process?

    Maximize transportation system performance.
    Improve customer satisfaction.
    Minimize life-cycle costs.
    Match service provided to public expectations.
    Make more informed, cost-effective program decisions and better use of existing transportation assets.


Highway Safety and Asset Management:


« Last Edit: November 13, 2011, 01:53:21 PM by bcdas »
Dr. Bimal Chandra Das
Associate Professor
Dept. of GED, DIU

Offline Rashed_019

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Re: Transportation Planning
« Reply #6 on: November 13, 2011, 11:40:42 PM »
Informative post
..................... :) :) :)

Offline mohshina34-178

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Re: Transportation Planning
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2011, 01:36:15 PM »
Nowadays, Transportation problem is one of the major problem in our daily life. As transportation planners and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) evaluate current system conditions and alternate future scenarios to make informed decisions on allocating resources, they must balance funding realities with mobility needs; public expectations; and community, legislative, and environmental considerations. Transportation asset management (TAM) provides a valuable tool to maximize system performance, improve customer satisfaction, and minimize life-cycle costs.

What Is Transportation Asset Management?

From increased vehicle miles traveled, growing population, and greater congestion to aging infrastructure and escalating operating costs, today's challenging circumstances put demands greater than ever on transportation networks. The goal of a TAM program is to minimize the life-cycle costs for managing and maintaining transportation assets, including roads, bridges, tunnels, rails, and roadside features. As defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' Subcommittee on Asset Management, "TAM is a strategic and systematic process of operating, maintaining, upgrading, and expanding physical assets effectively through their life cycle. It focuses on business and engineering practices for resource allocation and utilization, with the objective of better decisionmaking based upon quality information and well defined objectives." Through the use of management systems, engineering and economic analysis, and other tools, MPOs and transportation agencies can more comprehensively view the big picture and evaluate collected data before making decisions as to how specific resources should be deployed. TAM principles and techniques should be applied throughout the planning process, from initial goal setting and long-range planning to development of a Transportation Improvement Program and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program and then through to operations, preservation, and maintenance.

What Is the Role of an MPO in Asset Management?

MPOs should ensure that the transportation network is managed to meet both current and future demands and that expenditures are optimal. TAM principles and techniques are valuable tools that can be applied by an MPO and result in more effective decisionmaking. The MPO role in a successful TAM program includes defining performance measures for assets through public involvement, serving as a repository for asset data, and promoting standard data collection and technology applications. MPOs can also educate the public and decisionmakers and work cooperatively with stakeholders across transportation modes.

we will discuss later how can we apply the plan
Good Thinking

Offline bcdas

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Re: Transportation Planning
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2011, 03:57:39 PM »
Bridge Management Experiences of California, Florida, and South Dakota
State Transportation Agencies and Pontis®:


States using the Pontis® Bridge Management System have found its features beneficial in terms of how it supports users in collecting bridge inventory and inspection data; in formulating networkwide preservation and improvement policies for use in evaluating the needs of each bridge in a network; and in developing recommendations for identifying projects to include in an agency's capital plan for deriving the maximum benefits from limited funds. Further benefits are that Pontis® integrates the objectives of public safety and risk reduction; is convenient to use; and aids in the production of budgetary, maintenance, and program policies. Most notably, it provides a systematic procedure for the allocation of resources to the preservation and improvement of the bridges in a network by considering both the costs and benefits of maintenance policies versus investments in improvements or replacements.

Most of the 39 licensing States presently use Pontis® only for collecting bridge inventory and inspection data. This case study, in highlighting the business and decisionmaking processes for State transportation agencies in California, Florida, and South Dakota using Pontis®, hopes to encourage more States to move to the next level in using the software to its full extent.
Dr. Bimal Chandra Das
Associate Professor
Dept. of GED, DIU

Offline sethy

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Re: Transportation Planning
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2011, 12:36:54 PM »
Very informative post......
Sazia Afrin Sethy
ID:101-11-1366
BBA Department,
Batch: 25th,
Sec: B.

Offline jas_fluidm

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Re: Transportation Planning
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2011, 04:29:15 PM »
It is really appreciable post