Improving Transportation Systems Management and Operations – Capability Maturity Model Workshop White Paper – Business Processes

6. Best Practice Examples

As indicated in Table 2.1, only two workshop sites among those analyzed in this white paper have reached Level 3 at this time (“regional or statewide program integrated into jurisdictions’ overall multimodal transportation plans with related staged program”) while all other workshop sites assessed themselves as Level 1 or 2.

Best practice examples include some state that conducted CMM workshops but did not develop FHWA-supported implementation plans.

Two examples illustrate best practices at the local and regional level for business processes.

Regional Transportation System Management and Operations 2010-2020, Portland Metro, 2010. This plan, while generated by climate change and economic development concerns, adopted a systematic approach to dealing with non-recurring congestion. A strong outcome-based performance measurement approach was employed. The TSM&O Plan was based on strong staff championship and used a collaborative approach to evolve a more efficient and equitable transportation system for the traveling public. The MPO worked with several advisory committees involving the complete array of transportation related agencies and held workshops to identify and prioritize projects for the TSM&O Plan. A full range of TSM&O strategies targeted improving operations of the existing infrastructure and managing demand on the transportation system, including the following:

• Multimodal traffic management;
• Traveler information;
• Traffic incident management; and
• Transportation demand management (TDM).

For each category, the TSM&O plan developers identified regional investments combined in the form of a TSM&O action plan. The action plan identifies specific projects and the associated objectives, priority level, timeframe, cost, and potential lead agency for each project. It also includes tactics for enhancing and expanding data collection for monitoring system performance.

Transportation Operations Master Plan, DVRPC, 2009. The TSM&O plan for Greater Philadelphia was based on a series of previous efforts, including a regional architecture, the congestion management process, an ITS master plan, and regional operations plans done for Pennsylvania DOT districts. Strong championship working through a Transportation Operations Task Force (TOTF) was the vehicle for the TSM&O plan intended as a component of the DVRPC long-range plan. The TSM&O plan has four principal components. The first component presents TSM&O themes and crosscutting goals with related objectives for key strategies. The second component consists of a series of visions, each with related plans and maps, including for ITS infrastructure, emergency services patrol, incident management, integrated corridor management, and communications network. The third component presents major projects, program categories, and priorities, along with an associated action plan for each. The fourth component is a financial plan that summarizes the investment requirements for implementation, maintenance, and operations, including methodology and assumptions to determine cost projections, transportation operations financing needs, and funding allocation.

Approaches used at the State level are varied, ranging from policy plans to strategies that are more detailed.

Colorado DOT Operations Clearance (OC) Process. CDOT has modified its project development process to include steps designed to ensure that operational considerations are identified and evaluated via a multidisciplinary project review. This Operational Assessment is required for all CDOT projects. The Division of TSM&O developed a web application platform used to input project information into the existing CDOT workflow process. It includes notifications to the project engineer/project manager and the project review team. When the OC review and approval process is complete, the Operations Clearance is automatically generated and sent to the project engineer/project manager and the Region’s Business Office. As this is a new process, the Division of TSM&O has conducted training sessions in each Region and produced a related communications plan and training materials.

Florida Transportation Systems Management and Operations Strategic Plan, updated 2013. This Florida DOT (FDOT) strategic plan is a high level policy/strategic plan that establishes both the strategic and functional framework for formal TSM&O planning and development at the Central and District Office levels. The plan includes definition, mission, and vision statements and describes its relationship to FDOT and Federal policy. It identifies typical strategies and the activities needed to improve at each level of implementation, from planning to construction to maintenance, including staff, process, and tools, needed policies and procedures, and key project development steps. The plan is accompanied by an updatable functional plan, which includes objectives, activities, performance indicators, targets, responsibility, and status for a wide range of key activities designed to develop and maintain the TSM&O program as well as to maximize the efficient use of existing infrastructure. This functional plan has been updated and expanded consistent with the CMM dimensions.

Washington State DOT Statewide Intelligent Systems Plan. This statewide plan provides the vision and goals for what Washington State DOT calls ITS (although it addresses broader TSM&O strategies) as related to the existing Statewide Plan and policy. It describes the current state of deployment of crucial TSM&O activities: plans and architecture, centers, field devices, communications, and data collection approaches. It then presents plans pursuant to four general strategies:

• Provide an integrated network of transportation information;
• Improve safety and crash avoidance;
• Improve the detection of incident occurrence and severity, notification, and response; and
• Provide advanced transportation management.

For each of these areas the plan describes corresponding opportunities, benefits, challenges, actions, research, and policy. The plan concludes with a “long view” regarding funding and policy implications.

The plan is available upon request from the Washington State DOT Headquarters Traffic Operations Office.