Michael D Meyer

Demand management as an element of transportation policy: using carrots and sticks to influence travel behavior

This paper describes the characteristics of transportation demand management. The origin of transportation demand management (TDM) as it has evolved in the US is related to federal policy initiatives that first focused on improving the efficiency of the urban transportation system through operational improvements, and then incorporated concerns such as air quality and energy conservation into the transportation planning process. The paper then examines the effectiveness of TDM actions, and concludes that those actions most likely to increase the price of travel for single occupant vehicle use will be most effective. The paper identifies several strategies for improving the effectiveness of TDM actions in the context of regional transportation planning, including: incorporating TDM as part of the solutions for regional transportation planning, linking TDM to land use decisions, making the costs of travel more apparent to the user, and making TDM implementation more palatable to the general public.

Transportation Asset Management Systems and Climate Change: Adaptive Systems Management Approach

Climate change and its likely impacts on transportation infrastructure are becoming concerns to many transportation agencies. This paper describes how an asset management system can be used as a decision-making framework for incorporating such concerns into a transportation agencys management approach. Types of climate and weather changes as they might affect transportation systems are identified. A typical asset management system is used as a framework for discussing where climate change considerations could be incorporated into the system. Risk appraisal is identified as one of the key components of a climate change– oriented asset management system, and an example is provided of such an application. Some international examples are provided of where climate change has been incorporated into asset management systems. The paper concludes that, given that most state and large local transportation agencies have some form of an asset management system, it is the most convenient and targeted approach to incorporate climate-induced change into state and local transportation decision making.

Performance Measurement Frameworks and Development of Effective Sustainable Transport Strategies and Indicators

This paper identifies seven attributes of robust performance measurement systems by analyzing five performance measurement frameworks and their use of transportation system performance indicators. The attributes are then used to examine three case studies from Europe and the United States to demonstrate the value of performance measurement frameworks for developing and improving sustainable transportation strategies and indicators. The case studies point to important considerations in formulating a robust sustainable transportation strategy at different levels of governance and also indicate the importance of ensuring alignment in an agencys vision, objectives, and monitoring systems. The characteristics of an effective framework for the development of sustainable transportation strategies include a comprehensive sustainability objective, a good connection to the goals and objectives of an agency, and vertical and horizontal integration. In addition, a framework should capture the interactions among variables, reflect stakeholder perspectives, and consider the capabilities and constraints of the agency and should be flexible to foster self-learning.

Value for Money Analysis in U.S. Transportation Public-Private Partnerships

Value for money (VfM) assessment has been used by various public agencies worldwide as a tool to compare the viability of pursuing a project as a public–private partnership (PPP) with traditional procurement. Although sources have described the use of VfM in Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia, relatively little is known of the use of such tools in the United States. This paper presents the results of a survey of state transportation agency officials on their PPP practices and their use of assessments and tools to evaluate public–private partnerships. From the evaluation, the paper provides a guided reference for public agencies looking to adopt the VfM methodology in their current PPP decision-making framework. It also provides recommendations for future adaptations to enhance the VfM tools level of effectiveness.

Impacts of Climate Change on Scour-Vulnerable Bridges: Assessment Based on HYRISK

More than 20% of the bridges in the United States were built more than 50 years ago, at a time in which intense precipitation events were much less common. However, very little work has been done on the use of scour risk-assessment models to assess how climate change increases bridge failure probabilities. This paper develops a risk-assessment framework based on HYRISK, a model developed to assess the probability of a bridge failure due to scour, and illustrates oneway in which current engineering risk-assessment models can be used to quantify the additional risks and expected economic losses associated with a changing climate. Application of this framework to all bridges in the United States that carry vehicular traffic over water finds that economic losses due to climate change factors will increase by at least 15% over current losses and that the expected number of annual bridge failures in the United States will increase by at least 10% over current failures. Climate-based risk measures, such as those developed as part of this study, could be included in asset management systems to help state DOTs prioritize maintenance, operation, and replacement schedules. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)IS.1943-555X.0000109.

Extending monetary values to broader performance and impact measures: Transportation applications and lessons for other fields.

This article examines recent progress at assigning monetary values to what are normally considered hard to quantify benefits of transportation projects. It focuses on three types of impacts - environmental quality, health and wider economic impacts - to examine how transportation project evaluation methods have evolved in recent years and how they compare to methods used for evaluation of non-transportation programs. Examples of recent practice are provided to show how transport agencies are continuing to refine performance measures to include broader impacts in project evaluation. A classification is provided to distinguish direct traveler effects from indirect effects on non-travelers, a step important to maximize coverage and minimize double-counting of impacts. For each type of impact, the paper discusses the range of variation in monetized values and shows that the variation is due less to imprecision in measurement than to fundamental issues about whether to use damage compensation, impact avoidance costs, stated preferences or behavioral valuation perspectives to define those values. Case studies as diverse as Australian roads, Wisconsin energy programs and Appalachian economic development programs are used to show how common methods are evolving among transport and non-transport agencies to improve impact measurement and its use in project evaluation.

Collaboration: The Key to Success in Transportation

Delivering transportation services and programs that meet the needs of the public often requires the cooperation of numerous organizations and groups. This paper presents the results of a transit cooperative research project that examined collaborative efforts in the transportation sector. Concepts of collaboration as practiced in several transportation contexts are examined. The paper defines collaboration, describes characteristics that are necessary for success, and illustrates the evolution of collaborative efforts from initial efforts at simple coordination to more complex organizational relationships. Questions are provided for those interested in assessing the health of a collaboration at any particular phase of development.

Incorporating Climate Change Considerations into Transportation Planning

Transportation emissions are a significant contributor to climate change. Transportation plans and related documentation of metropolitan planning organizations and international cities were reviewed to ascertain whether climate change considerations are being incorporated into the transportation planning process. The review revealed that climate change considerations were not included in a majority of cases in the transportation planning process, especially to adapt transportation systems to the potential effects of climate change. When such consideration did occur, the focus was on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mitigation, with data collection techniques and analysis tools that were better developed and already in place within many planning organizations. A conceptual framework for transportation planning is presented and used to illustrate how some agencies have considered climate change in each step of the planning process. Recommendations are provided on how GHG emission mitigation and climate adaptation strategies can be incorporated into the transportation planning process.

Feasibility of Truck-Only Toll Lane Network in Atlanta, Georgia

Many U.S. metropolitan areas are expecting significant growth in the amount of truck travel on their road networks. For those areas, such as Atlanta, Georgia, where the region experiences not only substantial truck movements internal to the region but also large numbers of through truck trips, this growth presents a significant challenge. A proof-of-concept analysis was undertaken in Atlanta to examine the likely impacts of various truck-only toll (TOT) lane strategies for the regional freeway network. Three strategies are examined: building new lanes along major truck corridors, allowing trucks to use existing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes inside the central area, and turning all proposed HOV lanes in the region into TOT lanes. The analysis of these strategies is presented, and the conclusion is that turning proposed HOV lanes into TOT lanes provides the greatest transportation benefit to the region.

Best Practices and Common Approaches for Considering Sustainability at U.S. State Transportation Agencies

Recent federal, state, and international initiatives suggest growing interest in the sustainability of transportation systems, environmentally, economically, socially, and otherwise. This paper explores commonalities and variations in sustainability activities and describes best practices in sustainable transportation planning and evaluation at state departments of transportation (DOTs) in the United States. A survey of the 50 state DOTs identified current policies, programs, and evaluation methods. With a 94% response rate, the survey results reflect well the range of practices at state DOTs. The survey shows that some state DOTs appreciate the importance of sustainability in their external and internal activities and can point to specific initiatives that demonstrate their interest in sustainability. However, agencies clearly are focused on a range of activities and address sustainability at different levels of engagement. The survey results also reveal several general trends driven largely by federal requirements and state or regional priorities. Each DOT has a unique package of policies or programs, but all state DOTs point to their environmental planning activities as evidence of sustainable practices. Overall, DOTs in the Pacific division are most active in sustainable transportation practices, while those in the Northeast are particularly active in climate change planning and land use planning. Based on the survey responses and supporting literature, a national policy on sustainable transportation may provide guidance for state DOTs and other transportation agencies on specific elements of sustainable transportation, but it will need to be flexible to allow DOTs to address local issues and priorities.