Statewide Opportunities for

Linking Planning and Operations

A Primer

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration

A Primer

Statewide Opportunities For

Linking Planning and Operations

prepared for

Federal Highway Administration

prepared by

Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

4800 Hampden Lane, Suite 800

Bethesda, Maryland 20814

with

Telvent Farradyne, Inc.

PB Consult

date

May 19, 2008



Foreword

NOTICE

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of

Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government

assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document.

This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks

or manufacturers’ names may appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.

QUALITY ASSURANCE STATEMENT

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information

to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public

understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the

quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically

reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

TECHNICAL REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE
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Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

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Table of Contents

1.0 Background and Purpose...............................................................................1-1

1.1 What is the Purpose of this Primer?.................................................1-2

1.2 Why Link planning and operations at State DOTs? ......................1-3

1.3 Quick Reference/Linking Planning and Operations.....................1-7

1.4 Identified Gaps for State DOTs.......................................................1-10

2.0 Opportunities for Linking Planning and Operations .............................2-1

2.1 Data, Analysis Tools, and Performance Measures.........................2-1

2.2 Operations in transportation plans/corridor studies..................2-15

2.3 Institutional ........................................................................................2-21

2.4 Regional Considerations ..................................................................2-25

2.5 Policy and Regulation.......................................................................2-29

3.0 Self Assessment...............................................................................................3-1

4.0 Resources ..........................................................................................................4-1

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List of Tables and Figures

Figure 1.1 Sources of Congestion: National Summary...........................................1-2

Figure 1.2 Quick Reference to Key Resources Within 

Linkage Opportunity Areas.....................................................................1-9

Table 2.1 Transportation Planning Needs and Operational Analysis Tools.....2-9

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1.0 Background and Purpose

Former NJDOT Commissioner Frank J. Wilson once stated that “transportation

defines a civilization; it gives value to time, quality to life and energy to the

economy”. If true, a State’s ability to manage the condition, efficiency, and performance of its transportation system directly affects the overall well-being and

economic viability of the State. State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are

the primary state agency responsible for planning and programming mobility

needs, as well as constructing, managing, and operating the statewide transportation system. Historically, short term needs and maintenance of transportation

facilities has been the responsibility of State DOT operations departments, while

long-term planning and capital programming has been the responsibility of State

DOT planning departments. And in many DOTs these two departments have

operated independently of one another, with limited interaction or overlap. 

Traditionally, State DOTs have concentrated on mitigating recurring congestion by

removing bottlenecks and improving poor signal timing. Often viewed exclusively

as a big city problem, congestion reduction was achieved by increasing system

capacity to meet demand. Building new roadways or adding additional lane miles

is an accepted practice; one that focuses on the long-range planning process and

requires major financial investments. However, the source of congestion in the

United States is increasingly related to non-recurring forms of congestion, such as

traffic incidents, work zones, bad weather, and special events (Figure 1.1).

Although non-recurring congestion is a regular phenomenon, it is often inefficient,

impractical, or counterproductive to apply standard capacity additions to these

types of problems. As a result, new approaches and relationships are necessary to

effectively diminish congestion and enhance mobility.
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Figure 1.1 Sources of Congestion: National Summary1

Responding to the challenges and impacts of non-recurring congestion requires

cooperation among practitioners within different divisions of a state DOT and

among Federal, State, regional, and local levels. Creating and sustaining linkages

between planning and operations staff can help State DOTs to efficiently manage

congestion. Resource limitations both in terms of funding and available land for

new infrastructure investment, require that planning and operations staff focus on

the efficient use of the transportation system.

State DOTs play a significant role in both planning and operating the transportation infrastructure, but most of the available reference materials that address

linking planning and operations have been targeted towards the regional or metropolitan planning organization (MPO) level. To address this deficiency, the

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has developed this primer for State

DOT planning and operations staff to document the benefits of and the means to

facilitate a cooperative relationship between State DOT planning and operations

divisions. 

1.1 WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRIMER?

This primer is designed to raise awareness of the benefits and opportunities for

coordinating planning and operations activities within State DOTs, targeted at midlevel DOT planning and operations staff. To achieve this goal, the primer provides

the following information:

1 Traffic Congestion and Reliability: Linking Solutions to Problems, FHWA (July 2004).
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• Descriptions of the relevance of planning to operations and operations to planning (Section 1.2);

• Organization of the current set of materials, projects, and documentation associated with the topic of linking planning and operations (Section 1.3); 

• Identification of gaps and opportunities for linking planning and operations at

state DOTs (Section 1.4);

• Description of steps that DOTs can take to better link planning and operations

in several key areas, highlighted by case studies of State DOTs that have

worked towards linking planning and operations (Section 2.0); and

• A self assessment questionnaire that State DOT planning and operational staff

can use to help them understand how well they are linking planning and operations (Section 3.0).

1.2 WHY LINK PLANNING AND OPERATIONS AT STATE

DOTS?

What value does linking planning and operations at State DOTs provide? This fundamental question must be answered before providing guidance on how to make

those linkages. Linking planning and operations can improve transportation decision making and the effectiveness of transportation systems by helping planners

and operators consider the full range of relevant strategies to address regional

goals and objectives. For state DOTs, linking planning and operations within the

agency can also benefit the DOT’s relationship with regional and local partners and

help DOTs better partner with those agencies to identify the appropriate solutions

to specific transportation problems.

This section highlights the roles of planning and operations staff, the benefits of

linking their functions for each, and the benefits for transportation system users.

Role and Benefits for Planning within State DOTs

Planning at the statewide level involves setting goals and objectives for the agency;

identifying multimodal needs and deficiencies in the transportation system;

scoping projects or strategies to address the needs and deficiencies; evaluating

projects or alternatives; estimating the costs for the projects and strategies; prioritizing the potential projects and strategies to best meet the State’s needs over the

short- and long-range; and in some cases congestion or performance monitoring.

These are incorporated into several different planning efforts including statewide

long-range transportation plans (LRTPs), Statewide Transportation Improvement

Programs (STIPs), corridor or modal plans/studies (e.g., transit plans, corridor

studies, ITS strategic plans, congestion management process (CMP), etc.), and congestion/performance monitoring.

• Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan. This plan is used by most States to

identify the long range (20 to 30 year) goals, objectives, and priorities of the
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agency and, in some cases, to identify funding levels for specific programs and

projects. The State’s long range transportation plan is one of the key opportunities for integration with operations, whether through identifying goals and

objectives that address system management and operations, data sharing

opportunities, identifying operational needs or strategies, identifying funding

opportunities for ITS or operations, or other means.

• Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). A STIP is a financially constrained plan of scoped

projects that are scheduled for implementation by a certain horizon year.

The Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient

Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy

for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the most

recent reauthorization of the nation’s

surface transportation program, now

requires that the STIP must be updated

at least every four years.2 STIPs vary

from state to state in coverage, but typically they identify the level of

investment in specific projects and programs. Some States have begun to

more closely link their STIP to their

long range plans. The STIP represents

an area of potential linkage between

planning and operations. A few States

have identified specific ITS and operations projects, strategies, or programs

within their STIP.

• Corridor/Regional/Modal Studies.

Most State DOTs conduct studies oriented towards specific corridors,

regions, or modes. Linking planning

and operations in this context typically

includes addressing operational and

intelligent transportation systems (ITS)

solutions for a corridor or mode

through its own ITS strategic plans or

system management plans. These

studies are often conducted by regional

or metropolitan planning organizations

as well; though State DOTs tend to lead these studies for non-metro areas.

These plans sometimes include an ITS or system management alternative, and

2 The Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users

(SAFETEA-LU), 23CFR450.216(a).

Linking Planning and Operations –

An Exercise

Raising awareness of the benefits of

linking planning and operations

requires open communication and

understanding between departmental

divisions. To help build this understanding, State DOTs can encourage

interaction between planning and

operations divisions staff. 

A simple mean to improve connections is to sponsor a get-together for

personnel from the two divisions to

help both managerial and line staff

meet and understand what their colleagues do. At the meeting, staff from

each division should participate in an

exercise where they identify the roles

and responsibilities of the members of

the other division. Based on that, a

discussion of how the two divisions

help each other can be conducted, following the key linkage areas

presented in this primer.

An exchange such as this offers both

parties an opportunity to understand

possible connections between departmental activities and most

importantly to open a dialog that

establishes a connection between

planning and operations departments.
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in some cases integrate ITS or operational strategies within other traditional

improvements as part of an alternative.

• Congestion/Performance Monitoring. Some planning groups at State DOTs

are responsible for monitoring the performance of the transportation system, at

the system, project, and/or program level. The assessments are used to evaluate performance (e.g., congestion, safety, accessibility, etc.) and provide input

to make policy, process, procedure, and program improvements. Much of this

performance monitoring is dependent on or can benefit from data that are collected and maintained by the operations groups.

For planners, collaboration with operators can: 

• Foster greater consideration of day-to-day transportation system operations in

developing transportation goals, objectives, and priorities;

• Help planners better understand how operational strategies can meet regional

transportation goals and objectives;

• Support more comprehensive analysis of issues such as reliability, security, and

safety that are difficult to address solely with traditional infrastructure investments;

• Provide access to system-wide, 24-hour travel data that can help characterize

system performance and travel conditions, identify critical transportation

needs, and prioritize funding; and

• Provide operations data and expertise to improve forecasts of future conditions, broaden the understanding of existing conditions, and analyze the

effectiveness of alternative investments.

Role and Benefits for Operations within State DOTs

Operations is the active day-to-day management of the existing transportation

system. It achieves its objectives through a customer focused approach that utilizes

operations data collection, analytical tools, and performance measures to continuously monitor and optimize the operation and safety of the transportation system.

Operations activities are frequently grouped organizationally with maintenance

activities. Maintenance activities typically include the daily upkeep and repair of

the transportation assets, such as minor repairs to roads and bridges (crack sealing,

pothole filling, etc.), responding to emergency repairs and incidents, snow and ice

removal, and related concerns. Operational activities maintain the transportation

system by managing the daily movement and flow of vehicles through the use of

incident management systems, ITS technologies (such as ramp metering, signal

timing optimization, message board and 511 crash/information notification systems), and related efforts.

Operations personnel have a solid foundation of data collection technologies and

capabilities, as well as a working understanding of the day-to-day issues and condition of the transportation system.
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For operators, collaboration and coordination with planners can: 

• Provide increased opportunities and incentives for getting involved in the

planning process, thereby helping to shape system goals and objectives;

• Clarify the role of operations in meeting the region’s transportation vision and

goals and direct attention to the value of M&O strategies;

• Help operators have a greater understanding of how the long-range planning

process can support M&O activities and how M&O activities fit into the context of regional goals and objectives. 

• Provide regional leadership and greater participation by stakeholders in

regional M&O efforts;

• Increase resources assigned to operations projects and programs. 

Benefits for System Users 

Ultimately, greater coordination and collaboration among planners and operators

improves transportation decision making and benefits the traveling public, businesses, and communities. 

For system users, collaboration and coordination of planners and operators will

allow for:

• Improved ability to address short- and long-term needs—Improved traffic

operations information and understanding can help planners better predict

future conditions and system improvements. It can also bring attention to operational improvements that can be implemented in a shorter time frame than

traditional infrastructure investments. This will lead to a more effective mix of

operational, capital, safety, maintenance, and preservation investments.

• Improved reliability—Travelers and freight shippers are increasingly sensitive

to unanticipated disruptions to tightly scheduled personal activities and manufacturing supply-chain processes. Yet trip times have become increasingly

unpredictable due to the growth in non-recurring congestion—unexpected or

unusual congestion caused by accidents, inclement weather, special events, or

construction. Growth in overall traffic volumes often means that even small

disruptions can have a significant ripple effect on transportation system performance over a broad geographic area. Today, non-recurring congestion

accounts for about half of all travel delay. The planning process typically deals

with ongoing or predictable congestion issues, and traditional infrastructure

investments that do not address the disruptions that are the source of nonrecurrent congestion. Stronger connections between planners and operators

help planners consider programs and strategies to improve reliability, such as

deployment technologies to rapidly detect incidents; variable message signs

and other approaches for providing quick, reliable traffic information to the

public and media outlets; and use of roving incident response teams to quickly

clear accidents to open up a roadways for full operation. 
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• Improved emergency preparedness—Coordination between planning and

operations reinforces efforts ensure emergency preparedness and transportation security. Regional operations planning and flexibility a critical element of

a secure transportation system. States and regions that advance operational

flexibility in their planning and investment prioritization are building their

capacity to address the myriad of emergency and security situations that could

arise. addition, sources of funding may be available specifically for activities

that support transportation security and emergency preparedness, which can

be used to support transportation M&O objectives.

1.3 QUICK REFERENCE/LINKING PLANNING AND

OPERATIONS

Linking planning and operations functions at State DOTs can help optimize transportation system performance by making better use of data and analytical tools

and improving the overall understanding of the role of operations activities relative to other congestion mitigation strategies. Coordination between State DOT

planning and operations divisions provides a unique outlet to exchange information and ideas about the same system, but from differing perspectives. Working

together helps both parties productively achieve organizational goals such as

reducing congestion on the transportation system.

In recent years, the topic of linking planning and operations has received significant attention. The FHWA reference guide Getting More by Working Together -

Opportunities for Linking Planning and Operations was developed to address

these issues at the regional level. Although most of the relevant literature to date

has focused on linkages at the regional or metropolitan planning organization

level, some resources have relevance to both regional and statewide levels. This

primer uses the following five linkage opportunity categories both to organize previous and ongoing efforts in the area of linking planning and operations and to

describe best practices for linking planning and operations at State DOTs:

• Data, Analysis Tools, and Performance Measures;

• Operations in Transportation Plans and Corridor Studies;

• Institutional (Coordination, Partnerships, Training, Organization, and

Education);

• Regional Considerations; and

• Regulation and Policy.

Developing strategies to link planning and operations within State DOTs requires

a solid foundation and understanding of current practices and techniques utilized

by planning and operations professionals. To facilitate this effort, a “quick reference” of recent and current research publications was developed (Figure 1.2) and

cross referenced with the five linkage categories outlined above. The reference

material is divided into “primary” resources, those resources directly targeted to
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the category, and “secondary” resources, resources that are associated with the category. The graphic provides a high level summary of the substantial number of

published and ongoing research efforts related to the topic of linking planning and

operations. 

The quick reference illustrates the association between primary and secondary

documentation within each of the five linkage opportunities relevant to State

DOTs. This reference also serves to guide users to documentation relevant to their

needs. The reference section of this document (Section 4.0) provides a short narrative of each document in the quick reference along with a recent web-address

(when available) for the document.
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Figure 1.2 Quick Reference to Key Resources Within Linkage Opportunity Areas

Key: Red Text: Document is currently not released and/or under development.

Black Text: Document is published and available, see weblink or publication number.
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1.4 IDENTIFIED GAPS FOR STATE DOTS

This section identifies potential gaps in communication or intra-departmental

coordination that may impede linking planning and operations. For each of the

five linkage areas identified in the quick reference, potential information gaps or

coordination opportunities are defined. Chapter 2 will investigate these gaps and

identify resources to improve linkages between planning and operations. Case

studies showcase specific lessons learned by DOTs attempting to address these

gaps.

Data, Analysis Tools, and Performance Measures

Performance measures are recognized as having increased importance by State

DOTs. With increased availability of data to support measures, agencies can better

assess and respond to customer needs. Operational staff can collect significant

data that may benefit the agency as a whole, but the data collected by operations

personnel are not typically used in the traditional planning process. The following

questions may help State DOTs address gaps associated with performance measures, data, and analysis tools:

• How can DOT staff become better acquainted with operations data and its possible uses and limitations? 

• How can DOTs work better both within the organization and with regional

partners to archive, manage, and share data? 

• What types of performance measures and analysis tools can be used to capture

the effects of operational strategies not captured using traditional planning

methods and tools (e.g., non-recurring delay and safety)?

• What planning analysis tools can benefit from operations data?

Operations in Transportation Plans and Corridor Studies

Transportation plans, corridor studies, and similar planning efforts provide key

resources to formally capture the link between planning and operations. These

studies are the substance of planning activities and present opportunities to engage

in the other linkage areas identified in this primer. Operations data tailored or

readily adapted to meet the needs of planning studies may greatly assist in developing planning studies that account for improved operations strategies. The

following questions may help State DOTs address gaps associated with the integration of operations in transportation plans and corridor studies:

• How can operations be integrated into long range transportation plans,

regional plans, or corridor studies that serve as a blueprint for future State

transportation investments?

• How do current federal requirements impact a planner’s ability to utilize operations data in planning studies and are methods available to tailor or adapt the

data to meet the needs of planning studies?
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• How can staff from different parts of the transportation organization contribute

and support the development of the long range plan, corridor studies and other

planning studies at the DOT?

Institutional (Coordination, Partnerships, Training, Organization,

and Education)

The strength and potency of institutional structures are often an overlooked stumbling block that can make or break the ability to link planning and operations

activities. The following questions may help State DOTs address gaps associated

with institutional barriers expressed by State DOT officials:

• Who are the primary stakeholders within a given organization or for a particular project or program? How do stakeholders differ from decision makers? 

• When are formal memoranda of understanding (MOU) needed? 

• How often and in what form should communications occur between stakeholders within a region? 

• Do opportunities exist to inform and educate decision makers and how do they

occur? 

• How can education and training improve an understanding of planning and

operations activities and reduce barriers that hinder the exchange of ideas?

• Are there processes, arrangements, or established practices available to assist in

developing partnerships to manage cross-jurisdictional projects?

• Are there any formal or informal forums or programs available within the

organization that promote communication between departments?

Regional Considerations

The transportation problems faced by State DOTs transcend physical and political

boundaries that govern the management and operation of the transportation

system. As a result, increasing coordination and cooperation with regional partners and neighboring States can help maximize performance and efficiency. The

following questions may help State DOTs address gaps associated with regional

considerations: 

• How can State DOTs improve their understanding and management of transportation issues experienced in urban, rural, and transitional areas?

• What programs or organizations are available to help manage inter-state issues

or projects?

• What benefits have been observed by bringing together the relevant parties to

develop multi-state solutions?

• How can State DOTs look at statewide issues within a regional context and

plan beyond one’s jurisdictional boundaries? 
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Regulation and Policy

Regulation and policy define State DOT areas of responsibility. Yet regulation and

policy may limit an agency’s ability to try new approaches or techniques, even

when the result may be improved efficiency and performance. The following

questions may help State DOTs address gaps associated with regulation and

policy:

• How can operational activities, which are often fiscally constrained, be linked

to other programming activities within State DOT transportation budgets? 

• How can support from the top be developed within State DOTs both organizationally and fiscally?

• How can an agency alter its strategic direction to improve support of operations activities?

• How does committing additional staffing and funding resource to operations

and management activities improve the performance of the transportation

infrastructure and the statewide transportation system as a whole?
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2.0 Opportunities for Linking

Planning and Operations

The central purpose of this guidebook is to provide a primer to State DOT management and staff seeking to improve the linkages between their planning and

operations functions. This chapter provides guidance on steps DOTs can take to

create and improve these linkages as well as examples of DOTs and other transportation agencies that have successfully implemented some of the strategies

outlined in this guidebook.

The guidance provided in this chapter is organized around the five linkage areas

presented in Chapter 1:

• Data, Analysis Tools, and Performance Measures;

• Operations in Transportation Plans and Corridor Studies;

• Institutional (Coordination, Partnerships, Training, Organization, and

Education);

• Regional Considerations; and

• Regulation and Policy.

Each section opens with a description of what it means to link planning and operations in that area. Then, guidance is provided to help DOTs begin the effort to link

planning and operations; sustain that linkage through changes in staff, investment

cycles, and others; and provide challenges and opportunities that DOTs face when

attempting to link planning and operations. Each of the five sections of this chapter

is organized around those three key themes – beginning linkages, sustaining linkages, challenges and opportunities.

The guidance provided in this chapter is intended to be valuable for any DOT

attempting to link planning and operations. Many DOTs will have begun making

linkages within some areas, but will find other linkage areas useful. DOTs that

have begun making linkages across the board should find the information on sustaining linkages to be especially relevant. 

2.1 DATA, ANALYSIS TOOLS, AND PERFORMANCE

MEASURES

Data, analysis tools, and performance measures are three of the most significant

areas for linking planning and operations, and are cited by DOTs as the most

common issues and challenges for mainstreaming operations. Performance measures, data, and analysis tools are grouped together because they build upon one

another to form a coherent whole. Data provides the backbone for improving link-
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ages between planning and operations. Planners and operation personnel often

use different data for related purposes (e.g., identifying what areas are congested).

Operations staff typically are responsible for the short term or day-to-day functions – if there is an incident, what can we do to provide travelers information,

divert traffic, or reduce response and clearance times. Planners are responsible for

developing long term plans and programs to accommodate mobility needs within

the community. Similar or the same data can support both purposes and an efficiently integrated data collection and management program can help ensure that

everyone has access to the data that they need and in the form they need it.

Analysis tools are vital to develop objective assessments of transportation investments and performance. Analysis tools produce more realistic results when they

are built on quality data and take into account the full range of potential strategies

(capacity expansion, operations, transit, etc.). States can use analytic tools to conduct program-level tradeoffs (e.g., what happens if more money is spent on

operations or on capacity expansion), or to analyze how integrating capacity

expansion and operational improvements can improve system-wide performance. 

Performance measures are a key mean for decision makers to understand the

impacts of their decisions. High quality analysis tools and data are needed to

develop meaningful performance measures. Performance measures help identify

the benefits of applying different strategies to the transportation system. Once

projects are built or deployed, performance measures can be used again to assess

the effectiveness of the strategies.
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Data

Creating and Beginning Linkages

A peer exchange held in May, 2005 on Operations Data for Planning Applications3

identified the following steps for linking operations data and transportation planning:

• Make a case for the benefits of using operations data for planning applications and performance measures. Benefits include: optimization of operations

and maintenance activities; travel and simulation model validation; managing

congestion; emergency preparedness; air quality non-attainment; performance

measurement; congestion relief; traveler information; data collection safety;

and expanded understanding of traffic conditions (non-recurring congestion).

Planning, performance measure, and other data needs should be compared to

available operations data.

• Bring all stakeholders in early in the process.

• Develop a relationship between operations staff and planning staff (and data

and performance measures staff). Create

a task force, committee, or project team

composed of operations staff, planners,

and data experts; define agency-office

roles and responsibilities; and identify

the varying needs and similarities

between operations and planning offices.

• Develop a Data Plan. Document the collection of data elements, from planning

and from operations, and opportunities

to integrate the data.

• Identify where data will be stored,

maintained, and distributed from.

• Address data issues. Improve the

quality, coverage, and compatibility of

data collection efforts; explore data partnerships (e.g., local agencies, universities,

research entities, private sector); evaluate

new data sources; and develop software

tools to address archiving, analysis, and

data compatibility.

Georgia DOT Data Sharing

The Georgia DOT has a comprehensive approach to transportation data

collection, management, and

sharing.

On the operations side, Traffic

Management Center staff recently

developed a set of data validation

checks and a quality assurance plan

to smooth raw data gaps and

increase the overall quality of data

to levels satisfactory for other uses

beyond operations, including planning. Planning staff now make use

of these data in their studies.

Similarly, Operations staff has been

using statewide ATR data maintained by the planning group to

plan for hurricane evacuations,

using real-time count data along

identified hurricane routes.

3 http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/circulars/ec095.pdf.
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• Recognize rural versus urban data considerations. Data needs, availability,

equipment and tools, stakeholders, sharing opportunities, etc. may vary for

urban versus rural areas. These need to be recognized, identified, considered,

and addressed.

• Identify a champion within the agency or decision-making body. 

• Develop training on the benefits, roles and responsibilities, data sources and

issues.

• Start small. Establishing an operations data program is a long-term process.

DOTs may likely want to start with a common data item, such as traffic count

and speed data, and expand to other areas as appropriate. 

Sustaining Data Linkages

Some considerations for sustaining operations data linkages with planning at the

State level include:

• Maintain the relationship between

operations and planning staff (and data

and performance measures staff).

Continue regular meetings of the task

force, committee, or project team composed of operations staff, planners, and

data experts; review and refine agencyoffice roles and responsibilities and

needs; and reassess coordination and

data sharing opportunities.

• Maintain and update training. Staff

changes and new data collection and

management technologies require

ongoing training to ensure that DOT

staff are aware of and able to use the best

available data for their analysis.

• Monitor and address data issues.

Regularly monitor and assess data

quality, coverage, collection, sources,

tools, and compatibility issues. Critical

to this step is regular maintenance of

data collection equipment.

• Recognize data collection resource

requirements. There are on-going needs

for resources to collect, maintain, and

report on data. These needs include the

funding necessary to support such

efforts along with the staff and capabilities to maintain data collection and

reporting programs.

Caltrans Traffic Analysis Tools

The California DOT (Caltrans) has

long used and promoted traffic

analysis tools, performance measures, and data for operations

planning. Caltrans uses tools of several types (sketch-planning, travel

demand modeling, HCM-based,

signal optimization, and simulation). The range of tools used by

Caltrans helps to ensure that the

transportation solutions that

Caltrans’ selects have a sound

objective basis.

Caltrans, working with the

University of California at Berkeley

and related institutions, has developed a real time performance

measurement system (PeMS) for

freeways. The system provides real

time freeway performance information and can perform detailed quick

response analysis on historical

freeway performance, primarily

through data obtained from detectors. This system is the foundation

for development of Corridor

System Management Plans. More

information is available from

https://pems.eecs.berkeley.edu/.
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Analysis Tools

Creating and Beginning Linkages

A second key to linking planning and operations is through the development and

use of traffic analysis tools that capture the benefits of different types of transportation strategies. Traffic analysis tools function better and produce more realistic

results when they are built on quality data. In addition, analysis tools or methods

that take into account the full range of potential strategies (capacity expansion,

operations, transit, demand management, etc.) will help improve decision making

and conducted program-level tradeoffs (i.e., what happens if more money is spent

on operations or on capacity expansion). Unfortunately, most transportation

analysis tools and methods are not typically sensitive to many of the benefits

derived from operational improvements, particularly planning models. For

instance, current planning practices do not typically recognize non-recurring delay

or its causes (e.g., traffic incidents, workzones, bad weather, special events, etc.),

which is estimated to represent approximately 50 to 60 percent of the total delay.

FHWA’s ITS Deployment Analysis System (IDAS) is one tool that does capture

non-recurring delay and there are several efforts ongoing and planned to improve

existing planning and operations analysis tools to address operational strategies

and/or non-recurring congestion (e.g., Strategic Highway Research Program

(SHRP 2)). Some transportation professionals are implementing innovative

methods using existing tools to analyze operational strategies and/or estimate

non-recurring delay.

U.S. DOT ITS Cost / Benefit Databases

The Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) of the U.S.

Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) has established several user-friendly databases that provide a national resource to support informed decision-making by

transportation leaders. The databases include:

• The ITS Costs Database can be used to support project cost estimation during planning or preliminary design, and for policy studies and cost-benefit analysis. Both

non-recurring (capital) and recurring (operating and maintenance) costs are provided where possible. www.itscosts.its.dot.gov; 

• The ITS Benefits Database documents findings from ITS deployment evaluations on

the effect of ITS on transportation systems performance and provides convenient

access to typical benefits of ITS deployments. www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov;

• The Deployment Statistics Database contains national survey data that tracks the

level of deployment of ITS technology in metropolitan and rural areas. www.itsdeployment.its.dot.gov; and

• The Lessons Learned Database captures the experiences of stakeholders in their

planning, deployment, operations, maintenance, and evaluation of ITS. www.itslessons.its.dot.gov. 
2-6 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

One critical step in linking planning and operations is the selection of the appropriate traffic analysis tool(s), taking into account the analysis need (e.g., deficiency

analysis, alternatives analysis, performance monitoring, etc.), characteristics (facilities, modes, strategies, traveler responses, performance measures), and resource

requirements (cost, staffing, schedule, data needs, tool knowledge). Multiple tools

may be needed for a particular effort. Operations and planning staff who may be

involved with selecting or using analysis tools should work together to select the

appropriate tool for the task at hand. This activity should involve planning staff

educating operations staff on the methods and tools used for planning purposes,

and operations staff educating planning staff on the methods and tools used for

operations, as appropriate.

Table 2.1 identifies analysis tools and methods that may support operational

analysis within typical transportation planning efforts. Detailed information on

tool selection, a decision support methodology, and the use of various types of

traffic analysis tools are provided in the FHWA’s Traffic Analysis Toolbox.4 For

example, the tool box provides guidance on which categories of tools are most

appropriate for analyzing operational strategies such as freeway management systems (e.g., ramp metering), arterial management systems, incident management,

work zones, traveler information, etc. The categories of tools include:

• Sketch-planning methodologies and tools produce general order-of-magnitude estimates of travel demand and traffic operations in response to

transportation improvements. Sketch-planning tools perform some or all of

the functions of other analytical tools using simplified analytical techniques

and highly aggregated data. Sketch-planning approaches are typically the simplest and least costly of the traffic analysis techniques, but are usually limited

in scope, analytical robustness, and presentation capabilities. 

• Travel demand models have specific analytical capabilities, such as the prediction of travel demand and the consideration of destination choice, mode choice,

time-of-day travel choice, and route choice, and the representation of traffic

flow in the highway network. These are mathematical models that forecast

future travel demand based on current conditions and future projections of

household and employment characteristics. Travel demand models were originally developed to determine the benefits and impact of major highway

improvements in metropolitan areas, but not to evaluate travel management

strategies, such as intelligent transportation systems (ITS)/operational strategies. Travel demand models only have limited capabilities to accurately

estimate changes in operational characteristics (such as speed, delay, and

queuing) resulting from implementation of ITS/operational strategies. These

inadequacies generally occur because of the poor representation of the

dynamic nature of traffic in travel demand models. 

4 http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficanalysistools/toolbox.htm.
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Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

• Most analytical/deterministic tools implement the procedures of the Highway

Capacity Manual (HCM). The HCM procedures are closed-form (a practitioner

inputs data and parameters and, after a sequence of analytical steps, the HCM

procedures produce a single answer), macroscopic (input and output deal with

average performance during a 15-minute or a 1-hour analytical period), deterministic (any given set of inputs will always yield the same answer), and static

(they predict average operating conditions over a fixed time period and do not

deal with transitions in operations from one system state to another). These

tools quickly predict capacity, density, speed, delay, and queuing on a variety

of transportation facilities and are validated with field data, laboratory test

beds, or small-scale experiments. Analytical/deterministic tools are good for

analyzing the performance of isolated or small-scale transportation facilities;

however, they are limited in their ability to analyze network or system effects. 

• Traffic optimization tool methodologies are mostly based on the HCM procedures. However, traffic optimization tools are primarily designed to develop

optimal signal phasings and timing plans for isolated signal intersections, arterial streets, or signal networks. This may include capacity calculations; cycle

length; splits optimization, including left turns; and coordination/offset plans.

Some optimization tools can also be used for optimizing ramp metering rates

for freeway ramp control. More advanced traffic optimization tools are capable

of modeling actuated and semi-actuated traffic signals, with or without signal

coordination. 

• Macroscopic simulation models are based on the deterministic relationships of

the flow, speed, and density of the traffic stream. The simulation in a macroscopic model takes place on a section-by-section basis rather than by tracking

individual vehicles. Macroscopic simulation models were originally developed

to model traffic in distinct transportation subnetworks, such as freeways, corridors (including freeways and parallel arterials), surface-street grid networks,

and rural highways. They consider platoons of vehicles and simulate traffic

flow in brief time increments. Macroscopic simulation models operate on the

basis of aggregate speed/volume and demand/capacity relationships.

Macroscopic models have considerably fewer demanding computer requirements than microscopic models (discussed below). They cannot, however,

analyze transportation improvements in as much detail as microscopic models,

and do not consider trip generation, trip distribution, and mode choice in their

evaluation of changes in transportation systems. 

• Mesoscopic models combine the properties of both microscopic (discussed

below) and macroscopic simulation models. As in microscopic models, the

unit of traffic flow for mesoscopic models is the individual vehicle and it

assigns vehicle types and driver behavior, as well as their relationships with

roadway characteristics. Their movement, however, follows the approach of

macroscopic models and is governed by the average speed on the travel link.

Mesoscopic model travel prediction takes place on an aggregate level and does

not consider dynamic speed/volume relationships. As such, mesoscopic

models provide less fidelity than microsimulation tools, but are superior to

typical planning analysis techniques. 
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Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

• Microscopic simulation models simulate the movement of individual vehicles

based on car-following and lane-changing theories. Typically, vehicles enter a

transportation network using a statistical distribution of arrivals (a stochastic

process) and are tracked through the network over brief time intervals (e.g., 1

second or a fraction of a second). Upon entry, each vehicle is assigned a destination, a vehicle type, and a driver type. In many microscopic simulation

models, the traffic operational characteristics of each vehicle are influenced by

vertical grade, horizontal curvature, and superelevation, based on relationships developed in prior research. Computer time and storage requirements

for microscopic models are significant, usually limiting the network size and

the number of simulation runs that can be completed.

• The most widely available and used form of archived data are from traffic surveillance equipment on freeways, typically volumes, speeds, and lane

occupancies from point-based detectors, spaced anywhere from one-third to

one mile. Use of additional forms of archived data such as travel times derived

from probe vehicles, cell phone tracking, and toll tags or safety data is still in

its infancy. Even in areas where freeway traffic surveillance data are available,

many agencies do not take advantage of the data collected and stored by traffic

management centers. Often the data are not formally managed in a data

archive because the processing, analysis, resource, and training/education

requirements are lacking. Archived data can be used for analysis tool inputs;

calibrating/validating operations and planning analysis tools; reporting congestion performance trends; analyzing existing conditions; real-time traveler

information; and strategy evaluation.

• Many of these tools can be used to develop performance measures for comparing and prioritizing investment strategies and communicating the benefits

to decision-makers. Unfortunately, traditional planning methods are not typically sensitive to many of the benefits derived from operational improvements

(e.g., reduction in non-recurring delay and crashes) and the use of operationsoriented performance measures is not widespread. With the exception of the

sketch planning tools that were designed specifically to assess ITS and operational impacts (e.g., IDAS) and some simulation tools, existing models are

limited to studying operational treatments that improve base capacity (e.g.,

ramp meters, signal timing). However, over time more agencies are recognizing the need to expand the performance measures used to evaluate

transportation investments, and are incorporating more operations-oriented

measures into their planning process. 
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-9

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

Table 2.1 Transportation Planning Needs and Operational Analysis Tools

Transportation Planning Needs Operational Analysis Tools/Methods

Needs assessments/deficiency analysis • Travel demand forecasting models

• Deterministic models

• Traffic signal optimization tools

• Simulation

• Archived operations data

• Operations-oriented performance metrics

Preliminary screening assessments • Sketch planning tools

Alternatives analysis • Sketch planning tools

• Travel demand forecasting models

• Simulation

Strategic ITS planning • Sketch planning tools

• Travel demand forecasting models

Project scoring/ranking/prioritizing • Travel demand forecasting models

• Deterministic models

• Operations-oriented performance metrics

Corridor and environmental analysis • Deterministic models

• Travel demand forecasting models

• Traffic signal optimization tools

• Simulation

Planning for non-recurring congestion • Sketch planning tools

• Travel demand forecasting models

• Simulation

Performance monitoring • Deterministic models

• Traffic signal optimization tools

• Archived operations data

• Operations-oriented performance metrics

Evaluations of deployed projects • Sketch planning tools

• Travel demand forecasting models

• Archived operations data

• Operations-oriented performance metrics

Source: Improving the Application of Existing Methods to Advance Transportation Operations, FHWA (estimated August 2008).
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Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

Sustaining Tool Linkages

Sustaining the operations and planning link through analysis tools involves continuous assessment of the most appropriate traffic analysis tool(s) for each new

effort at hand. Several steps can be taken to help sustain these linkages:

• Start small. Initial efforts to develop tools for planning analysis may want to

focus on a particular corridor to highlight the usefulness of these tools or to test

different approaches. As a DOT settles on an approach, the use of these tools

can be expanded to other corridors or used broadly for all state analysis. 

• Work to enhance existing tools. The tools and methods that DOTs are using to

capture operational strategies will require regular enhancement as a DOTs

understanding of the potential for operational strategies improves. Most traffic

analysis tools are enhanced over time to provide additional capabilities based

on user needs. 

• Participate in research efforts. Research provides opportunities to improve the

manner in which existing planning and operations analysis tools and methods

are applied. Research efforts are conducted by USDOT; the Transportation

Research Board through the SHRP, National Cooperative Highway Research

Program (NCHRP), and other related programs; American Association of State

Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and others. 

• Conduct training exercises. Training on the use of the tools and methods is

vital to ensure that staff understand their use and are able to produce valid

results.

Performance Measures

Creating and Beginning Linkages

Performance measures are another critical component for linking planning and

operations. Performance measures can be used to help assess current and future

conditions, compare potential transportation strategies, allocate resources, and

monitor the effectiveness of transportation improvements. In addition, they are

invaluable when presenting information to decision-makers and the public.

Developing, implementing, and evaluating performance measures involves many

of the same considerations as operations data discussed previously. Performance

measures need to effectively capture the impacts of operational or ITS strategies on

system reliability and safety. State DOTs need to collaborate with all necessary

stakeholders in developing performance measures or performance measures programs. Operations and planning staff often develop separate performance

measurement programs with little or no coordination or consistency. The development of performance measures should include planning and operations staff,

and policy-makers to ensure that capacity based analysis is supplemented with

considerations of reliability and safety measures. 
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-11

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

Several efforts have been performed or are currently underway containing information and recommendations on developing a performance measurement system.

From those efforts, some of the key steps for developing performance measures

that more effectively link planning and operations include: 

• Include operational considerations in vision, goals, and objectives. If the

State’s vision, goals, and objectives include operational considerations (e.g.,

provide a safe and reliable transportation system), operations-oriented performance measures (e.g., crashes, travel time reliability or variability, etc.) will

be needed to evaluate whether or not the goals and objectives are being

achieved. 

• Create a committee that addresses performance measures. The development

and implementation of performance

measurements requires a significant commitment of staff time and resources. This

committee needs to include stakeholders

from across the DOT, including both

planning and operations. The committee

should be created from the outset and be

a sustained group of practitioners

devoted to identifying the uses and audiences for the performance measures,

selecting measures, identifying data

sources and analysis tools/methods, and

deciding the most appropriate frequency

of analysis and distribution of performance findings.

• Learn from other State’s experiences.

Some States have fairly sophisticated performance measures programs; others

have implemented performance measures to varying degrees. Where possible,

obtain information on other State’s experiences through existing studies, available documentation or websites, and/or phone or e-mail contacts. FHWA

Office of Operations maintains a website dedicated to performance measures

and contains the most current work in this area.5

• Include operations-oriented performance measures. Traditional Highway

Capacity Manual (HCM)-based performance measures for mobility (V/C ratio

and level of service) cannot effectively assess operational investments and their

benefits to reliability and safety. HCM based measures need not be ignored,

Minnesota DOT

MnDOT has a long history of

linking performance measures to

decision making. MnDOT uses performance measures to explain and

justify funding for specific programs, thus creating a formal

relationship between investments

and outcomes. For example,

MnDOT estimates the impact of

increasing the number of highway

service patrol vehicles on average

incident clearance time and, indirectly on overall traffic delay. This

helps demonstrate how changes to

the highway service patrol program

impact mobility, one of the goals of

the statewide plan. 

www.dot.state.mn.us/tmc/

incmgmt.html

5 http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/perf_measurement/index.htm.
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Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

but should be supplemented with reliability and safety measures. NCHRP’s

Guide to Effective Freeway Performance Measurement: Final Report and

Guidebook provides guidance on performance measures as part of the planning process, development of performance measures, data and data processing

needs, using performance measures, and examples of applications.

• Define and document roles and responsibilities. It needs to be clear what the

roles and responsibilities are for developing, implementing, evaluating, and

publicizing the performance measures.

Sustaining Performance Measure Linkages

In order to sustain the performance measures linkage, it is critical to recognize the

performance measurement process is evolutionary. Performance measurement

evolution provides feedback into the analysis process, and can result in improved

data, data collection and estimation procedures, and analysis tools and methods

for estimating performance. Although all of the steps identified under creating

and beginning the linkages above need to be continuously monitored and refined,

there are several key steps that will help sustain linkages between planning and

operations including:

• Use consistent performance measures across agency functions. States

should select, implement, and report

performance measures consistently

across all of the agency functions to

the extent possible. Performance

measure continuity should be maintained across time horizons; for trend

monitoring project planning and

design, forecasting, and evaluations.

• Assess data and tool availability to

analyze the performance measure.

The ability to generate operations-oriented performance measures is highly

dependent upon data availability and

the capabilities of the various analysis

tools. In some cases, State’s may need

to consider developing their own tools

or methods to analyze desired performance measures. For example, some

performance measures could be built into existing equipment or archived data

systems (i.e., locations and extents of bottlenecks measure could be built into an

archived data system). Developing performance measures for decision makers

can help highlight the need for data and tools to calculate those measures.

• Generate performance results regularly. Operations is more of a day-to-day

function than planning. If performance measures are generated on a regular

WSDOT Gray Notebook

Washington State DOT (WSDOT)

began the publication of Measures,

Markers and Mileposts, better known

as the Gray Notebook, in 2001 to

review the performance of both the

transportation system and WSDOT as

an agency. The Gray Notebook is a

central place to identify WSDOT’s top

concerns. The Gray Notebook is organized by strategic objectives, one of

which is to “Manage and operate state

transportation facilities to improve the

safety and reliability of state transportation systems...” Specific

operational measures within this area

include incident response time and

travel time reliability.

www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-13

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

basis, adjustments to how the system is operating can be made based on more

current information, the effectiveness of implementing various strategies can

be estimated, and better investment decisions can be made. There should be a

feedback loop where the goals and objectives are examined and checked

against the effectiveness of the strategies.

• Disseminate performance measures across the agency and to the public.

Outreach and communication of the performance measures is a vital step to

ensure that they meaningfully impact decisions. After focusing on the development of measures, efforts must

turn to the communication of these

measures to the general public and

stakeholders. Using graphics that

resonate with a variety of technical

and nontechnical audiences can

help ensure that the appropriate

messages are communicated.

Challenges and Opportunities

State DOT planners and operations

professionals need to coordinate and

collaborate on how transportation

planning and operations data, analysis

tools and methods, and performance

measures can best be used to analyze,

evaluate, and report the benefits of

investments in transportation operations, with the objective of making the

transportation system work better. 

There are several challenges and

opportunities for States to develop,

sustain, and improve linkages of planning and operations in the areas of

data, analysis tools, and performance

measures. Some of these include:

• Traditional focus on Level of

Service (LOS). In most States,

freeway performance is still largely based on LOS which does not capture the

nature and extent of congestion, especially when interruption is due to nonrecurring events such as traffic incidents, work zones, bad weather, and special

events. In order to better link operations and planning, more detailed performance measures than LOS should be used, particularly those that consider

non-recurring congestion and safety.

• Analysis gap between operations and traditional investments. Traditionally,

ITS and operations projects are analyzed and deployed as individual projects,

Caltrans - I-880 Corridor System

Management Plan 

Caltrans has launched an intensive

demonstration project for system management and operations plan development on

a highly congestion urban freeway corridor in the San Francisco Bay Area. The

effort utilizes archived freeway performance data, analysis of the causes of

congestion, identification on bottlenecks,

and simulation tools to determine the best

mix of projects, strategies, and actions to

relieve congestion. A combination of

system management and operational

strategies are emphasized to reduce congestion. The project is coordinated with

the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan

Transportation Commission (MTC) and

local partners. This demonstration will be

used as a best practice for development of

additional Corridor System Management

Plans in California to link planning and

operations and to emphasize the importance of operational improvements and

strategies to relieve congestion, restore

capacity, and manage the system for

highest productivity. 

http://calccit.org/880-report.pdf
2-14 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

separate from other types of investments. Both planners and engineers need to

see the benefits of operations data and analyzing operations strategies within

the planning process, moving away from deploying operations as individual

projects or additions to capital investments; operational strategies need to be

integrated and analyzed in combination with other types of investments based

on improving system-wide transportation efficiency. In addition, many of the

analysis tools do not support the analysis of operational strategies in a consistent manner as traditional investments. Planners and operations staff should

work together to come up with the best strategy, or sets of strategies, that

address a particular problem. They also need to work together to select and use

the most appropriate analysis tools, data, and performance measures for the

particular task at hand. 

• Data limitations. Expanded use and refinement of data brings a variety of new

issues including: 

– Coverage and quality. Budget and staff are needed to adequately and consistently deploy, operate, maintain, and support the equipment and data

archiving system(s). 

– Purpose. Different stakeholders have different data needs. 

– Usability. Even in areas where data archiving systems exist, they tend to be

early in the evolution with data only available in large text files or not easily

accessible. Data needs and formats should be identified so archived data

could be made more useful.

– Repurposing data. Repurposing data between planning and operations is

needed and States should consider data business plans and how to improve

on the use and efficiency of data when funds are not available

• Education, outreach, and training. Many of the tools available for analyzing

operational strategies may not be known or understood by planners or consistent with planning-type analysis tools. An education and outreach effort may

be necessary to provide guidance on how analysis tools and methods can be

used. The same applies to operations data and performance measures. Selected

measures need to be understandable and communicated to both technical and

lay audiences.
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-15

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

2.2 OPERATIONS IN TRANSPORTATION PLANS/CORRIDOR

STUDIES

All State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) develop planning studies that are

used to set strategic directions, describe transportation system conditions and

needs, and identify future investments in transportation projects and programs.

SAFETEA-LU language specifies the inclusion of management and operations

strategies in statewide transportation plans.6 For the purposes of this guidebook,

the diversity of plans and studies conducted by State DOTs can be represented by

three broad types:

1. Strategic planning documents such as strategic plans and business plans that

set the direction for the organization through mission statements, goals, objectives, and strategies, or other similar concepts, and monitor progress towards

those goals. 

2. Statewide plans that identify current and future overall transportation system

needs, often set policies for the transportation system, identify current and

future expected levels of funding, and in some cases identify specific projects

and programs or scenarios for future funding. These plans typically consider

major investment categories, such as preservation of pavement and bridge

assets and investments in major capacity, but do not always address day-to-day

operational and system maintenance needs.

3. Corridor, regional, small area, and modal studies address a more specific piece

of the transportation system and often provide a forum for detailed analysis of

transportation system deficiencies and needs and potential new investments to

help meet those needs. These studies address a wide range of potential activities, but frequently focus on major capacity needs. At many DOTs, day-to-day

operations and maintenance considerations have not traditionally been

included in these studies.

Although different DOTs use different methodologies and delivery mechanisms to

achieve these purposes, most perform all of these functions. These plans and

studies represent an opportunity to link planning and operations through both the

development of specific analysis and recommendations as part of the planning

process and the process of engaging with internal and external stakeholders. These

studies provide an opportunity for planning and operations staff to interact and

share data and experiences to plan for the future transportation system.

Creating and Beginning Linkages

There are several steps that DOTs can take to create improved links between planning and operations through plans and studies. For beginning these linkages,

6 The Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users

(SAFETEA-LU), 23CFR450.214(b).
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Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

three general topics have been identified – establishing technical advisory committees for transportation plans and studies; incorporating operational strategies into

State, regional, and corridor studies; and developing stand alone needs assessments for operations.

Technical Advisory Committees

One of the first steps to improve the linkage

between planning and operations through

transportation planning activities is to

establish a technical advisory committee

with a broad-based representation from

within (and potentially outside) the DOT.

Technical advisory committees present both

formal and informal means to share information, ideas, and concerns among staff.

Committees for specific studies provide an

opportunity to engage staff at the appropriate level – likely senior program

managers for strategic and statewide plans

and field staff for corridor studies.

Committees established for specific plans

and studies can also grow into permanent

committees, described further in the

Institutional linkage area.

Quality planning studies are built on a foundation of rigorous technical analysis that

provides information to help decision

makers identify needs and prioritize solutions. The purpose of a technical advisory

committee is to provide guidance on the

methods, data, and tools that are used to

conduct the technical analysis and to identify creative solutions for the particular problems identified within a study. By

fully engaging with technical experts throughout the organization, DOT plans and

studies can ensure that the needs considers and solutions recommended are broad

based and reflect all of the activities in which the DOT engages.

Include Operational Strategies in State, Regional, and Corridor Plans

A second key means to link planning and operations is to specifically include operations within the plan or study. State DOTs typically define goals around key

concepts – such as mobility, safety, accessibility, environmental protection, and

others – and then craft a definition and objectives for the goal that describes the

intended outcome in more detail. At the strategic and state plan levels, DOTs there

are multiple potential levels of integration. At the most basic level, a DOT may

establish a goal specific to operations that defines what the agency would like to

Oregon Transportation Plan

The 2006 update to the Oregon

Transportation Plan (OTP) represents one of the most thorough

attempts to integrate operations into

a long range transportation plan.

The OTP directly includes both operational goals and projects. One of the

seven goals of the OTP is titled

Management of the System, with a

focus on improving “the efficiency of

the transportation system by optimizing the existing transportation

infrastructure capacity with

improved operations and management.” Operational themes are

woven throughout the strategies and

technical analysis that make up the

plan. A ‘Maximum Operations’ scenario examined the impact of

focusing future transportation

investments on operations instead of

capacity improvements.

www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP/

ortransplanupdate.shtml
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-17

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

achieve in this area, but keep that goal separate from other goals. A more advanced

integration would include developing language for all agency goals that reflects

operational considerations. For example, a safety or mobility goal might note operational strategies for the DOT to pursue in coordination with other strategies.

At the statewide planning level, operations should be included as a significant program category. Statewide plans often broadly describe needs on the transportation

system across all modes and programs. Including operations as one of several programs competing for funding can help elevate operational considerations to the

same level as major capacity improvements. DOTs may also want to build operational considerations into their analysis of other improvements, asking important

questions like, ‘What will it take to operate and maintain this capacity expansion

once complete?’. More advanced integration of operational considerations may

include identifying thresholds for considerations of operational and other strategies. For example, congestion management processes developed by many DOTs

and MPOs create a toolbox of a variety of strategies to address congestion

(including ITS deployments, new capacity, incident management, and others) and

provide guidelines for the application of these strategies.

At the corridor and regional study level,

more detailed needs for operations within

specific pieces of the transportation system

should be addressed. For these studies,

operational needs can be defined both

broadly (as a program) and as specific

strategies within a corridor or region. For

example, a corridor study might identify

potential operational strategies that could

support or supplant a capacity expansion

strategy, such as ramp metering. For many

corridors, stand alone operational strategies, such as roadway weather information

systems and roadway service patrols may

be relevant to addressing safety and other

concerns. In addition, these studies should

include strategies for on-going maintenance and system upgrades as these

elements can require substantial funding. DOTs should pick the mix of strategies

that best help them meet their goals in a cost effective manner.

One of the ways that planning can contribute to the development of operational

strategies is through the evaluation and promotion of travel demand management

strategies. These strategies include parking, telecommuting/flextime, ride sharing,

and similar efforts. These are means to help reduce overall traffic volumes on

roadway systems during peak periods. State DOT planning personnel can play a

role in helping to design these incentive programs in coordination with MPO staff

and other regional and local partners. Key programs could include direct cash benefits for reducing the number of vehicles using a company lot, employer transit

Minnesota DOT Highway Systems

Operation Plan

The MnDOT Highway Systems

Operation Plan (HSOP) was developed in 2005 to help MnDOT

understand the operations needs of

the highway system. The HSOP identifies the relevant ways that MnDOT

operational programs connect to the

statewide plan policies. The HSOP

uses performance measures to help

capture how different levels of investment impact operations activities and

overall system performance.

www.oim.dot.state.mn.us/hsop.html
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Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

subsidies, information to support ride sharing, financial support of vanpools, and

other similar efforts.

Active traffic management represent a more intensive method to manage the flow

of traffic on the transportation system. These methods include real-time, dynamic

management of traffic through the use of managed lanes, shoulder use in peaks,

dynamic signing and re-routing, and other similar strategies. A full integration of

operations into transportation planning will include evaluation of these strategies

along side more traditional capacity expansion projects.

Develop an Operational ‘Modal’ Plan

In addition to including operational strategies in existing planning efforts, DOTs may

want to pursue a study that addresses operational needs across the state. Although

operations is not typically thought of as a

mode, an operational plan can provide the

value for operations that typical modal

plans, such as highways, transit,

bicycle/pedestrian, and aviation, provide

to those modes. To improve understanding

of operational needs, DOTs have started

conducting System Operations plans or

including operational elements as part of a

highway modal plan. An operational

modal plan can provide additional detail

on system operational needs and benefits.

It can provide a resource for information

that can help level the playing field when

investment decisions are made and can

help identify how different types of operational strategies can best be put to effect to

address specific needs or deficiencies.

Sustaining Linkages

Sustaining linkages requires special effort in this area, because of the challenge of

maintaining the continuity of the planning process through studies that have fixed

start and end dates. Although most plans and studies are intended to provide

ongoing inputs to the decision-making process, in practice it can be challenging to

ensure that these connections are made.

Several potential methods exist to help sustain linkages between planning and

operations through plans and studies, including: 

• Developing implementation committees that meet after the technical study

is complete to review progress towards study goals. These committees can

meet on a regular basis (yearly, quarterly, or more frequently, depending on

PennDOT Transportation Systems

Operations Plan

Pennsylvania DOT (PennDOT)

Bureaus of Highway Safety and

Traffic Engineering and the Center for

Program Development and

Management jointly developed a

Transportation Systems Operations

Plan (TSOP) that sets forth the

statewide direction for projects in ITS

and operations. TSOP provides a

coordinated approach to operations

under a statewide framework that

defines project areas and sets up

guidelines for inclusion of operations

projects within PennDOT’s capital

program. Each region will develop a

Regional Operations Plan (ROP) that

is based on the TSOP.

www.paits.org/tsop
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-19

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

the study) and can include members of

the technical committee established for

the project.

• Conducting periodic study updates

that provide a mean to keep the study

up-to-date with changes in the transportation system. This is a more formal

means of tracking progress than an

implementation committee, but the

increased formality can help ensure that

staff participate actively.

• Develop analysis tools that provide

input to the ongoing project development and programming processes at

State DOTs. Transportation plans and

studies, with their long-range view of

transportation issues are intended to

provide the starting point for the programming process – in which DOTs

make decisions about how to allocate

funding to specific projects and programs. As part of plans and studies, DOTs can develop tools that allow them

to conduct ongoing evaluations of the broad range of projects and programs

they consider in the allocation of funds. If they are developed using the priorities and strategies identified in the plans and studies, these tools can help

ensure that operational solutions – as well as capacity, preservation, maintenance, and other strategies – are well represented in the programming process.

These methods also have the benefit of ensuring continuity from one planning

study to the next. As these methods, tools, and committees become part of the

organizational culture of an agency, they help ensure that changes in staff and

management do not require reinventing these practices each time a DOT produces

a particular plan or study.

Challenges and Opportunities

Although plans and studies present a significant opportunity to link planning and

operations at State DOTs, there are clear obstacles to improving this linkage,

including:

• Time constraints. Staff at DOTs being asked to participate on technical advisory committees have other, primary responsibilities. Though these staff may

see the value of participating in plans and studies, it can be challenge for them

to find the time to participate meaningfully. With many DOTs facing hiring

freezes or limits and challenges attracting new staff, finding time for new

responsibilities can be a major challenge.

Maryland CHART Non-Constrained

Deployment Plan

The Maryland Coordinate Highways

Action Response Team (CHART)

Non-Constrained Deployment Plan

(NCDP) is a long-term, unconstrained

plan defining capital projects for management and operations of the

existing roadway network. The

NCDP lays out a plan for a system to

manage and operate existing roads,

without constraints on time, money,

or other resources. The NCDP provides the Maryland State Highway

Agency with a picture of a model

CHART system without significant

constraints and provides input into

the more traditional, construction-oriented planning and budgeting

processes.

www.chart.state.md.us
2-20 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

• Lack of data and tools. Planning staff at some DOTs may perceive a lack of

resources needed to analyze operational investments or conduct program

trade-offs. Staff developing plans and studies for a DOT may have a difficult

time explaining or justifying operation-oriented strategies without investments

in tools and methods. 

• Established organizational culture. Every DOT has a long history of operating in a particular manner. Staff are used to conducting a certain set of

activities in a particular way and may be reluctant to make changes to their

behaviors. These individuals often have deep experience with the transportation system and may be skeptical of the value of tools and methods that do not

accurately capture their experience.

• Study continuity. As noted above, one of the biggest challenges facing linking

planning and operations though plans and studies is the simple fact that these

documents are completed over a fixed set of dates. Without active attempts to

continue meetings of technical groups and monitor study progress, the foundations built through these studies may need to be recreated again and again.

Solutions to these challenges will not come easily. Establishing a strong link

between planning and operations through plans and studies will require a concerted effort at multiple levels of the DOT, including:

• Change management. As DOTs face new challenges, such as a shift towards

operations, the culture of the DOT will need to change along with it. DOT culture does not change overnight or by mandate, but requires an ongoing process

to help shift the organization to a different way of thinking. This process needs

to take place at all levels – from senior management down to staff levels and in

all divisions and offices of an agency – and through an active attempt to generate ideas and solutions across staff offices and titles.

• Development of analytic resources. For operational strategies and improvements to be included successfully in plans and studies, DOTs will need to

invest in the tools and data used to analyze them. This investment is a process,

rather than a one-time effort. As the relevant tools are developed they can support both specific studies and plans, as well as the type of on-going analysis of

strategies that is part of the programming process. The Data, Tools, and

Performance Measures linkage area provides detailed information about these

strategies.

• Training. Because planning and operations staff may be treading into new territory, training opportunities need to be provided. These opportunities could

include both general information on linking planning and operations and the

roles different DOT staff play in the organization, as well as specific training on

analytic tools or methods to help evaluate operational programs and projects.

The Institutional linkage area includes detailed information about improving

linkages in these areas.
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-21

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

2.3 INSTITUTIONAL

Institutional arrangements refer to organizational structures, divisional responsibilities, coordination among agency divisions, and DOT interactions with other

agencies and individuals. Institutional issues are important because of their impact

on how agency goals are achieved, rather than how agency goals are set. 

Though each State DOT has a unique institutional make up, there are several

common dimensions along which they are organized. One key dimension is the

level of centralization. In centralized DOTs, a majority of the direction provided by

a headquarters location is supported by the district offices. In decentralized DOTs,

the districts are responsible for development of budgets and programs. A second

dimension is the authority of the chief executive. In some DOTs, the top representative is a Secretary of Transportation or “CEO” of the Transportation Department.

In others, the Transportation Director reports to a Commission of six to eight representatives appointed by the governor. The makeup and structure of the DOT

greatly impacts the institutional arrangement of planning and operations. 

For the purposes of this primer, four institutional areas have been identified as relevant to improving linkages between planning and operations. 

1. Coordination includes working with partners across divisional units, stakeholders, and other transportation agencies.

2. Education and Training are vital for ensuring that an agency’s workforce has

the skills and knowledge to tackle current transportation challenges. Where

agencies are centralized training and education comes from the headquarters of

the agency, if an agency is decentralized each district must have an approach

(and budget) for training and education. Opportunities for education and

training in the areas of planning, ITS,

and operations are many and varied.

Education and training includes the

process of raising awareness and

learning new skills, tools, and methods.

3. Partnerships are paramount to the development of transportation solutions.

Though State DOT planning and operations divisions lead individual projects

and programs, partnering between the

two divisions can focus the agency on

improving the transportation efficiency,

safety, and overall performance. For a

decentralized agency the lead may come

from district level staff rather than headquarter staff. From staffing to financial

participation there are many models that

showcase successful partnerships that

KansasDOT ITS Unit

Kansas DOT is a centralized organization with six District Offices. Bureaus

support statewide functions such as

design and planning. In 1996 the ITS

Unit was formed within the Bureau of

Transportation Planning. This

unique location for the ITS unit

helped KDOT integrate ITS into the

KDOT business process. Funding,

contracting, planning, design, operations and maintenance of ITS has been

a consideration for all KDOT Bureaus.

Quarterly meetings of an ITS Steering

Committee, with representatives from

each bureau and nearly all districts,

established communication across the

agency.

www.ksdot.org/burTransPlan/

burovr/wwdo/itsu.asp
2-22 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

provide mutual benefits. Partnering also includes external stakeholders, such as

metropolitan planning organizations, tollway authorities, public works personnel, first responders, and other technology related stakeholders who have

vital roles in the performance of the overall transportation system.

4. The institutional concept of organization refers to the specific roles and responsibilities that individuals, divisions, districts, and agencies have for planning or

operating the transportation system. This includes the administrative structure

of the transportation agency, the process used to develop programs and project

and the key offices or divisions that play important roles in linking planning

and operations.

Creating and Beginning Linkages

There are several steps in the institutional

area that DOTs can take to improve linkages

between planning and operations. One of

the most significant is to identify a change

agent champion at the outset. This individual should be responsible for generating

and maintaining links to planning and operations divisions. The champion defines key

stakeholders to engage and determines the

form and frequency of communication as

well as the schedule for stakeholder

involvement.

A second mean to begin linkages is to identify opportunities for interaction among

internal and external stakeholders. Early

coordination and involvement by key stakeholders in plans, studies, and other efforts

will improve buy-in and understanding of

programs throughout the agency. Ideally

coordination predates the inception of a

project or program and provides continuity

across multiple projects.

Coordination across the agency can take

several forms. One common form that has

been used is to develop an ongoing operations committee. Many DOTs use such a

committee to help identify ways in which the organization can better incorporate

operational solutions. In addition to committees of managers, DOTs should

develop formal and informal methods to increase interaction among staff. These

interactions can be on steering committees for individual studies or through occasional informal gatherings, but regular interaction is an important step to

encourage the sharing of ideas across divisions.

University of Maryland Operations

Academy

The University of Maryland (UMD)

recently hosted the first operations

academy (OA). The OA was conceived in response to difficulties for

state DOT executives in finding qualified professionals to run their

operations agencies. The OA is an

immersion program that provides

transportation agency staff with the

skills they would need to become

leaders in the field of transportation

operations. The ideal student is an

assistant state or district engineer

who has significant responsibility for

operations, but whose background is

in engineering, maintenance, or similar fields. The key topics for the

course include the relevance of operations, how operations are

conducted, customer service, performance measures, communication,

and management of personnel. 

www.operationsacademy.org
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-23

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

A third option for beginning linkages is to identify training opportunities for staff

in planning and operations divisions. These opportunities can include national or

regional conferences, training seminars or workshops on analysis tools, or in-depth

training opportunities. In order for staff to improve linkages between planning

and operations, they need to understand the value of each division and have a

good command of the data and tools needed to do a rigorous analysis of a broad

range of strategies.

A final mean to begin linkages is to develop a communication protocol for projects

and programs. Creating linkages requires clear, frequent communication of

agency and project specific information. This includes communication both internally (e.g., determining which groups need to receive notices about divisional or

project decisions) and externally (e.g., presenting study results to external stakeholders and the general public). 

Sustaining Linkages

Addressing institutional linkages is key to

all of the areas presented in this primer.

Developing strong institutional linkages

helps ensure that when key decisions are

made, all appropriate parties are at the table

and have a good understanding of all types

of transportation investments. For example,

when a DOT is conducting a transportation

study, a DOT with strong institutional linkages will have well-trained staff who know

how to analyze operational solutions, who

communicate with other divisions in the

organization to develop a broad-based

understanding of the issues, and who have

partnered with external stakeholders to

develop the most cost-effective solutions.

Providing ongoing communication is

another key area for sustaining linkages.

Keeping stakeholders informed of project

progress as well as engaged at key decision

points is important for keeping a project

moving forward. If stakeholders become

disengaged from the process the usual

result is delay in project until all stakeholders are up-to-speed. An appropriate level of communication is a key to

sustaining linkages between planning and operations as well as other stakeholders.

Throughout the lifecycle of the project or program it is important to not lose sight

of the big-picture. An agency’s commitment to a project or program generally

begins in the planning stages and is passed off to the operations group in deployment and implementation phases. The process of getting from planning to

The Doug MacDonald Challenge

Former WSDOT Secretary Doug

MacDonald created a challenge to

identify a simple explanation to illustrate to the public why controlling

the flow of vehicle onto a highway

through tolls, ramp meters, and similar methods can speed traffic and

ease congestion? 

The winning solution by Paul Haase

used funnels, rice and a stopwatch.

The same quantity of rice was

dumped all at once into one funnel

and gradually poured into the other.

Gradually pouring took 27 seconds,

while dumping took 40 seconds (and

produced several rice-sized traffic

jams). This shows how slowly

adding traffic to a highway facility

can increase its useable capacity and

provide benefits for all users.

www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/

Congestion/Rice
2-24 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

deployment is often long and tedious and to sustain the linkage of the planning

side of the agency with the operations side of the agency a step back is often

required to remind all stakeholders of the bigger picture and end product of the

work being done. For example, did the project meet the original intent of the purpose and need? Did the project do what it was supposed to do?

Challenges and Opportunities

Within any given State DOT there are significant and daily opportunities to link

planning and operations, but there are clear obstacles to improving this linkage,

including:

• External Stakeholders. Sustaining linkages is particularly challenging when

dealing with and “bringing along” many stakeholders from within and outside

the agency. Continued support of the program from all stakeholders is necessary for overall project support and maintaining the linkage of planning and

operations. Providing stakeholders with the necessary levels of education,

awareness, and training is a key to overcoming this challenge. Opportunities

in education and training should include both planning personnel and operations personnel.

• Staff Changes. Staff changes are inevitable in long-term programs where planning and operations are involved. Critical to addressing staff changes is in

realizing the amount of education, awareness and consensus building has

already occur on the project and bring the new staff up to speed in past decisions and direction of the project. A good step to assisting new staff in a

project is the documentation of early decisions and directions. This documentation can help new staff arrivals understand earlier commitments of the

project. 

Opportunities to improve linkages and overcome these challenges include:

• Engaging decision makers early in the process, in both planning and operations, can greatly facilitate the speed at which decisions are made. When

decision makers are faced with project decisions, the earlier the information

was provided to them the better. A continued stream of the project information to decision makers keeps them engaged and support of the programs.

• Engaging appropriate stakeholders and getting them to the table, keeping them

engaged throughout the process. Planners will work with certain stakeholders

through the development and planning cycles of projects and often these stakeholders are different than those generally involved by the operations staff.

Engaging the appropriate stakeholders, through communications material or

education forums, throughout the program cycle is an important success factor

in moving programs forward. 
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-25

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

2.4 REGIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Transportation system users expect seamless transitions between systems and

jurisdictions. Congestion has no regard for

lines on a map, often extending beyond

municipal, state, and other jurisdictional

borders. As a result, the planning and operation of state transportation systems

increasingly require State DOTs to coordinate with other agencies such as MPOs,

other regional agencies, local municipalities,

and/or other State DOTs to address transportation needs and deficiencies with a

common purpose and vision. Although

guidance is available on linking planning

and operations at the regional level, there is

limited material addressing linkages

between State and regional practitioners.

The first three linkage areas in this guidebook focus on practical things that can be done to link planning and operations

functions within a State DOT. This section identifies the steps needed to improve

coordination across DOTs and between DOTs and other transportation agencies.

Creating and Beginning Linkages

Integrating regional considerations into

State DOT planning and operations activities requires personnel to work with

individuals from various backgrounds who

maintain different responsibilities and

objectives. Depending upon their location,

State DOT personnel may interact with

transportation professionals focused on

urban issues, rural issues, or both. In some

circumstances, some cases may require the

consideration of issues effecting neighboring States. Regardless of the

circumstances, State DOT personnel will

face issues in at least the following two

areas:

• Working cooperatively with MPOs and

other regional and local agencies to plan

for and integrate operational functions;

• Managing the hand-off between agencies in a region.

Kansas City Scout

Kansas City Scout (KC Scout) is a bistate traffic management system

used to manage traffic on more than

90 miles of freeways in the Kansas

City metro area. KC Scout uses cameras and sensors to monitor

highways and feeds information to

electronic message boards and a

Highway Advisory Radio system.

Missouri and Kansas DOTs have

worked together in planning and

operating this vitally important

transportation management tool first

identified in the 1994 Kansas City

Early Deployment Study.

www.kcscout.net

511.org

511 is a 24-hour, free phone and Web

traveler information service for the

San Francisco Bay Area. It provides

real-time traveler information

including: traffic conditions; incidents; driving times; public transit

schedule, route and fare information;

ridesharing; and bicycle information.

511 is managed by a partnership of

public agencies led by the regional

planning agency Metropolitan

Transportation Commission (MTC),

the California Highway Patrol

(CHP), and the California

Department of Transportation

(Caltrans).

http://511.org 
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Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

Beginning an initial dialog with regional

stakeholders is an important first task to

integrating regional considerations within

State DOT planning and operations activities. State DOTs need to have a

collaborative process in place with MPOs

and other regional agencies in their state to

ensure that the transportation investments

meet the vision of the region. 

An initial step for encouraging dialogue

around linking planning and operations is

to include regional and local planning and

operations staff on technical advisory committees for State planning and deployment

studies. These individuals can provide

valuable insight into the planning process.

Similarly, State DOT staff and managers

should participate in advisory committees

for regional efforts. In both cases, it will be

important to understand the appropriate

staff to participate in these studies.

Although operations DOT staff may participate in regional operations efforts, it may be useful to include DOT planning staff.

Similarly, regional operations staff may be valuable participants in State-led corridor or regional studies.

Another means to begin building relationships within a region includes participating in or sponsoring regional meetings, seminars, conferences, or other events

that help build understanding and trust across different organizations. Within

these forums State DOT planning and operations staff can both learn from and provide guidance to MPO and local agency staff on how to include operations within

planning activities within their own organizations and within the region as a

whole. Joint training exercises for MPO and State DOT staff can help ensure that

staff at both agencies are interacting with one another to develop solutions to transportation issues within the region.

Sustaining Linkages

Sustaining a collaborative relationship between State DOTs and regional planning

and operations personnel requires a sustained and long-term commitment to

improving regional transportation system performance. State DOT officials can

promote collaborative planning and management of operations through several

activities, including:

• Developing joint planning studies for ITS and operational deployments.

Because State, regional, and local staff all have important roles to play in the

transportation system, a joint plan that touches on the appropriate roles of each

agency and provides a means to develop operational strategies that help to

Hampton Roads ITS Strategic Plan

The regional ITS Strategic Plan

developed for Hampton Roads, VA

was a collaboration between the

Virginia Department of

Transportation and the Hampton

Roads Planning District Commission

(HRPDC). The 2004 effort is the third

update to the plan, which provides a

region-wide paradigm for ITS

deployments and includes a range of

cross-jurisdictional stakeholders in

the planning process. The plan

address project development and

phasing, identifies quick-fix solutions to improve transportation

mobility, and establishes benchmarks for measuring regional and

project performance.

www.hrpdc.org/TRANS/

TRANS_ITS.asp
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-27

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

maximize the use of the overall transportation system, not just a single piece.

• Providing explicit guidance to regional

agencies. Many smaller MPOs and local

governments lack the resources of a

large MPO or State DOT and may not be

as aware of the opportunities that operations can provide. In many states, the

DOT plays an important role in helping

provide guidance to other transportation agencies that can help define the

circumstances in which these agencies

should consider operational investments

and the types of investments that are

appropriate.

• Participate in multi-state partnerships,

corridor coalitions, and similar activities. These multi-state efforts present an

opportunity to address transportation

issues that cut across regional and state lines. The long distance nature of many

freight movements, for example, means that weather, incidents, and investments in one state can significantly impact operations in another state.

Working collaboratively on these issues can help improve the overall efficiency

of the transportation system.

• Develop a Shared Regional Vision.

Most transportation organizations

develop a vision, goals, and objectives

that drive the direction and resources

used to maintain and operate the

system. Though agencies often consider

other goals when developing their individual agency vision, goals and

objectives, State DOTs and MPOs may

want to work closely together to define a

single vision for a given region.

Successfully planning, managing, and

operating transportation infrastructure

today requires shared vision by regional

stakeholders and decision-makers. This

vision can be developed through formal

committees and task forces, and should

be used to influence all decisions that are

made within the region. The benefit of a shared vision that encompasses all

pieces of the transportation system – state highways, arterials, transit systems,

etc. – is that potential solutions will consider true system impacts from a user

Oregon Transportation System Plan

Guidelines

Cities and counties in Oregon are

required to conduct Transportation

System Plans (TSPs) that identify the

system of facilities that meet transportation needs in a community or

county. ODOT is currently updating

guidance for TSPs to include information about operational solutions

applicable to the specific transportation issues faced by local agencies.

When complete, the TSP guidelines

will provide help to local agencies to

identify locations where operational

investments can address transportation issues and needs.

www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP/

TSP.shtml 

EZ-Pass Toll Collection

The Interagency Group (IAG), a consortium of agencies using E-Z Pass

electronic toll collection, was

founded in 1991 with 8 member

agencies in New York, New Jersey,

and Pennsylvania. Today, the

system has 23 member agencies in 12

states, with 9 million customers

served. Through the efforts of the

IAG, the agencies have developed a

system that provides participating

customers with a seamless tolling

experience and common operating

policies and protocols.

www.e-zpassiag.com
2-28 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

perspective, rather than the addressing each piece of the system individually.

Establishing the vision should include individuals with broad-based experience in both the regional agency and State DOT. Once established, it is

important for planning and operations staff from all levels to support and carry

the shared vision forward. 

Challenges and Opportunities

State DOT officials may encountered a variety of challenges when working with

regional partners and neighboring State DOTs to achieve regional coordination.

The following illustrates some of the more common challenges and provides

insight to potential opportunities for overcoming them. 

• Rural versus urban considerations. State DOTs need to be conscious of the

area (urban or rural) in which they are coordinating activities. In urban areas,

the State DOT typically owns and operates a significant piece of the overall

state transportation system that handles both long distance through trips and

daily commuting trips. In rural areas, the state highway may be the only

facility that provides connections to other towns, and the continued operation

of that facility through inclement weather, serious incidents, and other unexpected phenomenon is essential to the life of rural areas and small towns. For

both cases, urban and rural, State DOTs need to work with regional agencies. 

Within urban environments, State DOT officials will most likely work with an

MPOs or other regional agencies when considering regional issues or activities.

In rural areas, a regional agency may have limited staff and may be dependent

on the State DOT for technical analysis. Building partnerships in these areas

are vital to ensure trust. State DOTs resources and training should be used to

work closely with the agencies so they have a full understanding of why different solutions are possible or recommended.

• Standardization of approaches. Beyond communication, the development of

standardized regional approaches and methodologies can play a major role in

furthering regional coordination. A common criticism often expressed by

transportation personnel from all levels is an inability to utilize information

and data from other agencies or departments. More times than not, this issue

is attributed to data either being collected or stored in formats incompatible

with one another. As a result, overlaps in data collection efforts, duplication of

archived data, and expenses associated with converting data for use often

occur.

Several opportunities exist for State DOTs to work with regional and local

planners and operations personnel. For example, the development of a

regional ITS architecture can help further the synchronization and implementation of both State and regional ITS projects. Additionally, State DOTs can

also work with local or neighboring agencies to develop joint performance

measures used by regional partners; which improves reporting accuracy and

accessibility between agencies. Training activities offered by State DOT officials for regional planners and operations personnel provides an opportunity
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-29

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

to provide guidance, improve standardization, as well as meet regional or local

colleagues face to face.

Besides working with regional and local agencies, the opportunities offered to

regional and local agencies can also be extended education institutions and

research organizations located within the region.

2.5 POLICY AND REGULATION

The Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for

Users (SAFETEA-LU), the most recent reauthorization of the nation’s surface transportation program, made several changes to metropolitan and statewide

transportation planning provisions, ranging from an increase in the percentage of

funding available for metropolitan planning, to modifications of the transportation

planning factors to be considered in long range planning.

Titles III and VI of SAFETEA-LU, Sections 3005 and 6001, updated the requirement

for addressing congestion in Transportation Management Areas (TMAs), mandating the incorporation of Congestion Management Process (CMP) within the

metropolitan planning process. In TMAs, SAFETEA-LU requires that the MPO

“shall address congestion management through a process that provides for effective management and operation, based on a cooperatively developed and

implemented metropolitan-wide strategy, of new and existing transportation facilities...through the use of travel demand reduction and operational management

strategies.” The Final Rule on Statewide and Metropolitan Transportation

Planning, published on February 14, 2007, states that “The development of a congestion management process should result in multimodal system performance

measures and strategies that can be

reflected in the metropolitan transportation plan and the Transportation

Improvement Program (TIP).” 

Although State DOTs are not required to

implement the congestion management

process, they should be active participants

with the Metropolitan Planning

Organizations (MPO) within the state,

Generally, the State DOT coordinates with

MPOs and SAFETEA-LU has strengthened this coordination by requiring MPOs

in a TMA to include operations and management strategies in the Congestion

Management Process, a mainstay for

planning future improvements to the

system. State DOT involvement provides

one means to ensure consistency among

regional agencies and the State DOT. 

FHWA Workzone Policies

The FHWA Work Zone website provides information and guidance to

State DOTs pertaining to the Work

Zone Safety and Mobility Rule published on September 9, 2004. The

website presents examples of the rule

implementation, provides a section on

frequently asked questions, and provides guidance and presentations on

the topic. State DOT Planning and

Operations staff have benefited from

early, targeted resource material being

made available as the rule was finalized. This work zone website provides

much of the necessary guidance material a State DOT would need to comply

with the new work zone rules.

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/index.asp
2-30 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

The planning regulations of SAFETEA-LU also indicate that the statewide planning process “shall (to the maximum extent practicable) be consistent with the

development of applicable regional intelligent transportation systems (ITS) architectures. . . .” (23 CFR 450.208(f)) The Final Rule also encourages “consultation

with, or joint efforts among, the State(s), MPO(s), and/or public transportation

operators (23 CFR 450.212). The States should be partners in the development and

application of the CMP, particularly for portions of the transportation network

within the MPO that are operated by the State DOT. The development and content

of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) can similarly be

enabled through application of the CMP. 

Regional ITS Architecture

Statewide and Regional ITS Architectures are both technical tools that assist planners and system operators in developing and selecting strategies for improving the

movement of people and goods in a region. The ITS Architecture focuses on the

application of information and communications technology to transportation

problems in a technologically coordinated way. It is a common framework that

guides practitioners in establishing communications (and, ideally, integration)

across technology applications and helps them to choose the most appropriate

strategies for processing transportation information. The ITS Architecture defines

the system components, key functions, organizations involved in developing an

architecture, and the type of information to be shared between organizations and

between parts of the system.

Creating and beginning linkages

There are several steps that DOTs can take

to create improved links between planning and operations through regulation.

It is clear in the language of SAFETEA-LU

that cooperatively developed strategies

are required thereby encouraging those

linkages between planning and operations

groups. One such beginning would be for

State DOT planning groups and operations group to engage with MPOs as they

develop their Congestion Management

Process for their regions.

Developing an ITS Architecture is another

good first step in creating linkages

between planning and operations. An

architecture defines a framework within

which a system can be built. It functionally

defines what the pieces of the system are

and the information that is exchanged

between them. An architecture is imporCaltrans Corridor Mobility

Improvement Account

In 2006, California passed a $4.5-billion

bond measure, a significant portion of

which funded the Corridor Mobility

Improvement Account (CMIA)

Program. The CMIA Program focuses

on managing and operating transportation systems and corridors for

highest sustained productivity and

reliability using performance measures. Projects funded by the CMIA

program must include traffic system

management elements such as detection, ramp metering and other

operational improvements, in addition

to new lanes or other traditional transportation improvements. 

www.catc.ca.gov/CMIA_Guidelines_

Adopted.pdf 
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 2-31

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

tant because it allows integration options to be considered prior to investment in

the design and development of the pieces of the system. Intelligent Transportation

Systems are interrelated systems that work together to deliver transportation services. Integration of these systems requires an architecture to illustrate and gain

consensus on the approach to be taken by a group of stakeholders regarding their

particular systems. An ITS Architecture defines the systems and the interconnections and information exchanges between these systems. To develop such an

architecture required collaboration between those groups planning and operating

future and existing systems.

In transportation planning, a regional ITS architecture has its greatest impact on

institutional integration in that it is not developed in a vacuum, rather with many

stakeholders together detailing the future systems. It provides a structure around

which discussions can take place among regional stakeholders to gain consensus

on the direction of ITS. It implies roles and responsibilities for each stakeholder

involved to realize the benefits of ITS within the region. 

Sustaining linkages

Sustaining linkages requires special effort

in the area of regulations and policy,

because of the potential links to satisfying

requirements for funding in transportation

programs. The ITS Architecture is crucial

in appreciating the existing and future

interconnections, or even the simple

ability to communicate, between agencies

and systems. The ITS Architecture, which

is by design a living document, to be

updated on a periodic basis, provides an

institutional framework as well as a vision

of the interconnectedness among technologies, systems, and subsystems. Through

these periodic revisions linkages between

the planning and operations areas of the

State DOTs are sustained.

Regional and Statewide ITS Architectures

are living documents where routine revisions must be made for the document to

remain a viable resource to the agency.

Policies may be established by the State

DOT so that continual revision cycles are

established for the ITS architecture document thereby linking planning and operations with working groups dealing with

the revisions for the ITS architecture. 

Integrated Corridor Management

The USDOT's five year integrated corridor management (ICM) Initiative is

designed to promote innovation in the

development of new approaches for

efficiently managing existing assets

within a corridor. Eight locations were

selected as pioneer sites to test operational coordination of multiple

transportation networks and the institutions responsible for corridor

mobility. Through the ICM initiative,

the USDOT will demonstrate how

intelligent transportation systems (ITS)

technologies can efficiently and proactively manage the movement of people

and goods in major transportation corridors. The integrated approach helps

decision-makers invest in the best combination of strategies to minimize

congestion and improve safety within

a corridor.

www.its.dot.gov/icms/index.htm
2-32 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

Challenges and Opportunities

Although the ITS Architecture and metropolitan planning activities such as the

CMP present significant opportunities to link planning and operations at State

DOTs, there are clear obstacles to improving this linkage. Often times organization

cultures find it hard to shift to a new way of doing things. Clearly FHWA policy

is moving towards finding, creating, and maintaining those linkages between planning activities and operations. Until the shift is fully accepted a continued

emphasis on establishing the link should exist. 

Often the value of operations are overlooked as ribbon cutting ceremonies are

rarely held for operations improvements. The obstacle to overcome is in recognizing and reporting on advancements and benefits realized by linking planning

and operations. Newsletters or articles documenting system-wide improvements

are cost-effective ways to overcome this obstacle.
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 3-1

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

3.0 Self Assessment

The following table is designed as a self-assessment tool to help State DOT planning and operations groups to consider their current level of coordination and

identify areas where addition attention can be brought to the agency. Key findings

from the guidebook presented above were used in preparing the following questions for State DOT to use in assessing their status in linking planning and

operations. The indicators are generic and not exhaustive. As such, these questions should be regarded as only the starting point for subsequent discussion

focused on the five project categories detailed in the Quick Reference and discussed at length in Chapter 2.

While answering these questions may illuminate issues and opportunities, perhaps

the greatest value of this work is in the resulting discussion among State DOT planning staff and staff involved in operations activities. The checklist may be applied

effectively in facilitated group settings, as a useful catalyst to discussion, and with

less attention to scores. “Yes” responses generally suggest progress toward linking

planning and operations, and the more “Yes” responses the further the agency is

in linking the important functions.
3-2 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

1 Linkage Opportunity: Performance Measures, Data, Analysis

Tools YES NO

Have the benefits of using and sharing operations data been communicated with potential partners and stakeholders?

Have data needs for planning, performance measures, and other purposes been identified and compared to available data for possible use?

Is there a task force, committee, or other team/group composed of both

Operations and Planning staff who consider the use and issues with

operations data?

Is there a task force, committee, or other team/group composed of both

Operations and Planning staff who work together to develop and refine

performance measures?

Is there training available for the use of operations data for planning 

applications?

Do the traffic analysis tools and methods used for planning applications

consider operational strategies or projects?

Have Planning staff been educated on the capabilities and benefits of

using traffic analysis tools, particularly those that can analyze operational strategies and/or produce more realistic results (e.g., optimization

and simulation models)? 

Are performance measures generated on a regular basis?

Are some of the State’s performance measures operations-oriented

(e.g., crashes, travel time reliability or variability)?

Were experiences and lessons learned from other States or agencies

obtained and used for establishing performance measures?

Are roles and responsibilities for developing, implementing, evaluating,

and publicizing performance measures documented and clear?

2 Linkage Opportunity: Operations in Transportation Plans and

Corridor Studies YES NO

Do the State’s plans and studies include a vision, goals, and/or objectives that reflect operational considerations (i.e., provide safe and

reliable transportation system)?

Do technical advisory committees for statewide, corridor, and regional 

planning studies include operations staff?

Do statewide planning studies include consideration of operations

investments as well as major capacity investments, access management, and other strategies?

Do planning staff have easy access to information about the long term

needs for operating the state highway system?

Do planning staff conduct implementation activities as part of the long

range planning process?
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 3-3

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

Do planning studies make use of rigorous analysis tools to evaluate

transportation projects and investments?

3 Linkage Opportunity: Institutional (Coordination, Partnerships,

Training, Organization, and Education) YES NO

Are project champions from the State DOT formally identified on projects or programs?

Are there regularly scheduled meetings or task force meetings for the

Planning group and Operations group to discuss shared activities?

Does the Operations group issue a newsletter or have a website to

share operations based activities and information?

Does the Planning group issue a newsletter or have a website to share

planning activities and information?

Does the State DOT have formalized systems to catalog and maintain

memorandum of understanding with project partners?

Are there regularly schedule learning or training session focused on

operations in the State?

Are there regularly schedule learning or training sessions focused on

planning activities in the state?

Are there internal periodic meetings, conferences, or events where planning staff and operations staff have the opportunity to share program

successes throughout the State DOT?

Does DOT staff participate in external meetings, conferences, or events

where planning and operations staff interact?

4 Linkage Opportunity: Regional Considerations YES NO

Does the State DOT consult with and provide awareness to MPOs,

regional/local planning agencies, or neighboring State DOTs of planning

or operational activities occurring within their jurisdiction?

Does the State DOT coordinate and/or collaborate directly with MPOs,

regional/local planning agencies, or neighboring State DOTs on planning

or operational activities?

Are there scheduled meetings, committees, or other activities designed

to coordinate with regional/local planners and operations personnel?

Does the State DOT actively work with or provide guidance to MPOs

and/or local planning agencies on how to include operations in 

planning?

Are any formal agreements between the State DOT and MPOs,

regional/local planning agencies, or neighboring State DOTs regarding a

shared vision or approach to operating and managing the transportation

system in place?
3-4 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

Are any formal arrangements or agreements between the State DOT

and MPOs, regional/local planning agencies, or neighboring State DOTs

regarding standardizing data management, storage, or performance

measures in place?

5 Linkage Opportunity: Regulation and Policy YES NO

Does your agency have a policy to work with MPOs on the Congestion

Management Process (developed by MPO)?

Does your agency have a policy for revisions to the Statewide or

Regional ITS Architecture?
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 4-1

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

4.0 Resources

This primer is designed to raise awareness of the benefits and opportunities for

coordinating planning and operations activities within State DOTs, and to be a reference for further resources available on this topic. To facilitate this effort a “quick

reference” of recent and current research publications was developed (Figure 1.2)

cross referencing available information to five linkage categories. Also case studies

synopses are presented throughout the material. This section presents further

resource material that the reader may pursue to learn more about linking planning

and operations. 

For the quick reference graphic presented as Figure 1.2 the reference material is

divided into “primary” resources, those resources directly targeted to the category,

and “secondary” resources, resources that are associated with the category. The

below information steps through each linkage category and presents the status of

the material along with a weblink of the full text, where available. 

Performance Measures, Data, Analysis Tools

Primary

• Guidebook to Effective Freeway Performance Measurements NCHRP 03-68,

2007. http://gulliver.nationalacademies.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?ID=7477

• Traffic Analysis Toolbox Volume II: Decision Support Methodology for

Selecting Traffic Analysis Tools. 

http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficanalysistools/tat_vol2/index.htm

• Use of existing Analysis tools to Advance Operations in Planning, ongoing

• Operations Data for Planning Applications: Identifying Needs, Opportunities,

and Best Practices http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/circulars/ec095.pdf

Secondary

• Getting More by Working Together. 

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/lpo_ref_guide/index.htm

• ITE Traffic Engineer’s handbook Planning for Operations – Ch. 6.

http://www.ite.org/bookstore/TEH/

• Integrated Corridor Management Initiative. www.its.dot.gov/icms/index.htm

Operations in Transportation Plans/ Corridor Studies

Primary

• ITE Traffic Engineer’s handbook Planning for Operations – Ch. 6

www.ite.org/bookstore/TEH/
4-2 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

Secondary

• FHWA Management & Operations in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan: A

Guidebook for Creating an Objectives-Driven, Performance-Based Approach,

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/moguidebook/moguidebook.pdf 

• Getting More by Working Together

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/lpo_ref_guide/index.htm

• Operations Data for Planning Applications: Identifying Needs, Opportunities,

and Best Practices, http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/circulars/ec095.pdf

• Peer Exchange, June 2007, Ongoing

• Integrated Corridor Management Initiative, www.its.dot.gov/icms/index.htm

• Use of existing Analysis tools to Advance Operations in Planning, Ongoing

• Multi State Operations Guide, NCHRP 03-84, To be published soon

Institutional

Primary

• Coordinating Planning and Operations Peer Exchange, Volpe, Ongoing

• Integrated Corridor Management Initiative, www.its.dot.gov/icms/index.htm

• Multi State Operations Guide, NCHRP 03-84, To be published soon

• NCHRP 20-7 – Business Plan: Mainstreaming Systems Operations in State

DOTs, www.transportation.org/sites/ssom/docs/mainstreaming.pdf

• Transportation Operations Training Framework (AASHTO) NCHRP 20-77,

Newly started

Secondary

• Getting More by Working Together,

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/lpo_ref_guide/index.htm

• Use of existing Analysis tools to Advance Operations in Planning, ongoing

• ITE Traffic Engineer’s handbook Planning for Operations – Ch. 6,

www.ite.org/bookstore/TEH/

• FHWA Regional Concept for Transportation Operations: A Primer (RCTO),

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/rctoprimer/rcto_primer.pdf

Regional Considerations

Primary

• Getting More by Working Together, 
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 4-3

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/lpo_ref_guide/index.htm

• FHWA Regional Concept for Transportation Operations: A Primer (RCTO),

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/rctoprimer/rcto_primer.pdf

Secondary

• FHWA Management & Operations in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan: A

Guidebook for Creating an Objectives-Driven, Performance-Based Approach,

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/moguidebook/moguidebook.pdf 

• ITE Traffic Engineer’s handbook Planning for Operations – Ch. 6,

www.ite.org/bookstore/TEH/

• Integrated Corridor Management Initiative, www.its.dot.gov/icms/index.htm

• Multi State Operations Guide, NCHRP 03-84, To be published soon

Regulation and Policy:

Primary

• An Interim Guidebook on the Congestion Management Process in

Metropolitan Transportation Planning (FHWA-HOP-08-008),

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/cmpguidebook/cmpguidebook.pdf

• FHWA Management & Operations in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan: A

Guidebook for Creating an Objectives-Driven, Performance-Based Approach,

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/moguidebook/moguidebook.pdf 

• NCHRP 20-7 – Business Plan: Mainstreaming Systems Operations in State

DOTs, www.transportation.org/sites/ssom/docs/mainstreaming.pdf

• FHWA Developing and Implementing Transportation Management Plans for

Work Zones, 

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/publications/trans_mgmt_plans/

index.htm

Secondary

• Mainstreaming Management and Operations into Transportation Program

Development: Guidance for Institutional Change, 

www.transportation.org/sites/planning/docs/nchrp2.doc

Case Studies

Case study text boxes are located throughout this document to showcase specific

examples of linking planning and operations. More detail with regard to each case

study can be found at the weblink presented below. 

Caltrans Traffic Analysis Tools:

pems.eecs.berkeley.edu 
4-4 Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

Statewide Opportunities For Linking Planning and Operations

Cost/Benefit Databases:

www.itscosts.its.dot.gov

www.itsbenefits.its.dot.gov

www.itsdeployment.its.dot.gov

www.itslessons.its.dot.gov 

Minnesota DOT:

www.dot.state.mn.us/tmc/incmgmt.html

WSDOT Gray Notebook:

www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/

Caltrans I-880 Corridor System Management Plan:

calccit.org/880-report.pdf 

Oregon Transportation Plan:

www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP/ortransplanupdate.shtml

Minnesota DOT Highway Systems Operation Plan:

www.oim.dot.state.mn.us/hsop.html

PennDOT Transportation Systems Operations Plan:

www.paits.org/tsop 

Maryland CHART Non-Constrained Deployment Plan:

www.chart.state.md.us 

Kansas DOT ITS Unit:

www.ksdot.org/burTransPlan/burovr/wwdo/itsu.asp

University of Maryland Operations Academy:

www.operationsacademy.org/

The Doug MacDonald Challenge:

www.wsdot.wa.gov/Traffic/Congestion/Rice 

Kansas City Scout:

www.kcscout.net 

511.org:

511.org 

Hampton Roads ITS Strategic Plan:

www.hrpdc.org/TRANS/TRANS_ITS.asp 

Oregon Transportation System Plan Guidelines:

www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP/TSP.shtml 

EZ-Pass Toll Collection:

www.e-zpassiag.com 

FHWA Workzone Policies:

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/index.asp

Caltrans Corridor Mobility Improvement Account:

www.catc.ca.gov/CMIA_Guidelines_Adopted.pdf

Integrated Corridor Management:

www.its.dot.gov/icms/index.htm

Federal Highway Administration

FHWA-HOP-08-028

May 2008