Capacity

New Project Brief from Capacity Project C01: Reaching Decisions that Deliver Capacity
Posted November 2, 2009

This project brief summarizes Capacity Project C01: A Framework for Collaborative Decision Making on Additions to Highway Capacity. The brief describes how the collaborative decision-making framework—being developed in project C01—can help practitioners systematically apply the most successful strategies for integrating environmental, economic, and community needs into the analysis, planning, and design of new highway capacity. It also announces an upcoming workshop and pilot testing opportunities.

TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Report S2-C02-RR: Performance Measurement Framework for Highway Capacity Decision Making explores a performance measurement framework that is designed to support the collaborative decision-making framework (CDMF) for additions to highway capacity being developed under the SHRP 2 Capacity research program. The report examines five broad areas of performance including transportation, environment, economics, community, and cost.  Under these headings, the report identifies 17 performance factors, each of which are linked to key decision points in the CDMF.

If you missed the SHRP 2 Capacity poster session at the TRB Annual Meeting or would simply like another look, you can now find the posters online in PDF format, accompanied by a brief explanation of each poster. Posters were presented by SHRP 2 staff and contractors for active projects.

A series of case studies is being assembled by researchers for Capacity project C03 for evaluation of the economic impacts attributable to highway projects both before and after construction. Candidate projects are being sought for the evaluation. More information and a nomination form are available on the following page.

View the overview of the Collaborative Decision Making Framework relevant to Capacity projects C08 and C09.

The nation’s highway system represents but one of many systems—including natural, social, economic, political, and technological—that interact with each other. The planning and design of highways, therefore, must be performed with adequate attention to how these systems interact and influence one another.

The conceptual framework for transportation decision making, developed in the research plan, is based on the need to develop approaches and tools for systematically integrating environmental, economic, and community requirements into the analysis, planning, and design of new highway capacity. The framework is characterized by three primary components:

1. Transportation as a system—The first component of the framework is the identification of alternative transportation solutions to accessibility, safety, and mobility needs. Given the need, solutions may include a combination of operations, technology, infrastructure, demand/supply management, multi-modal strategies, and other tactics. Outcomes resulting from this component of the conceptual framework include the following:

• Transportation priorities are established to support broad visions for how we want our neighborhoods, towns, and regions to prosper;
• Early consideration is given to safety, mobility, environmental, economic, community, and land use goals; and
• A broad range of potential solutions, including operational improvements, transit, highway capacity, and demand management are fully considered.

2. Transportation’s relationships to other systems—The second component of the conceptual framework deals with the inter-relationship of transportation to the other human and natural systems that define urban or rural areas, including: (1). water, energy, and communications infrastructure; (2). local, state, national, and global economies; (3). land uses; and (4). ecosystems. Successful integration of these related systems hinges on a process that can prioritize transportation solutions based on the environmental, economic, and social footprints of alternatives.

This component centers on evaluations of the transportation solutions packages that are developed under the first component.  The outcomes resulting from this component of the framework will include the following:

• Transportation agencies effectively communicate with the public, decision makers, and politicians;
• The public is involved and engaged in the development of solutions and throughout the decision-making process;
• Agencies and key stakeholders work together to reach decisions collaboratively,
• in a timely manner, and with clear decision points; and
• Development of solutions to transportation capacity needs balances and integrates economic, safety, mobility, social, and environmental considerations.

3. Highway development—The third component of the conceptual framework reflects the culmination of an integrated systems planning and project development process. This component of the framework results in the following outcomes:

• Project decisions are consistent with plans and satisfy commitments made in planning and project development;
• Projects enhance the natural environment and communities, with a focus on environmental performance, community goals, and economic performance, rather than on narrow impact mitigation;
• The environmental review process is accelerated and is based on clear and firm decision points that build consensus and reduce project delivery delays;
• The best technical skills are applied in all aspects of transportation project management  (from planning to implementation); and
• Project cost estimates are accurate.