Archived: Pilot Project - Development of Transportation Asset Management Plans (TAMP
by the Louisiana, Minnesota and New York State Departments of Transportation (DOT)
The FHWA Office of Asset Management has worked to advance Asset Management and encouraged best practices that would lead to preserving existing highway infrastructure assets. MAP 21 includes requirements pertaining to the process for development of Risk Based Transportation Asset Management Plans (TAMP) that includes strategies leading to a program of projects that would make progress toward achievement of the State targets for asset condition and performance of the National Highway System. Although the development of TAMPs has received a lot of attention because of the MAP 21 requirements, the real benefit is that of laying out in writing the process of how to best manage the highway pavements, bridges, and other physical assets for the long term. Short and long term resource allocation decisions should be based on data and analysis including consideration of engineering, life-cycle cost, and risk analysis with investment strategies being developed to best manage the physical assets with the limited funding available and anticipated in the future. Development of TAMPs should result in improved coordination between the maintenance, preservation and the capital programs. The TAMPs should also be an important means of incorporating asset management into the long range planning process.
The Office of Asset Management is undertaking this effort to support three State DOTs to develop their first TAMPs which will serve as models to be studied or serve as examples by agencies responsible for managing highway infrastructure assets both at the state or local level. The focus of this effort will be on pavements and bridges on the National Highway System (NHS). However, since TAMPs may be inclusive of the entire highway network, the entire state highway network and other physical (in addition to pavements and bridges) assets may be included in the developed TAMPs if data is readily available and the inclusion of such assets will not delay the development of the TAMPs.
It is expected that the developed TAMPs will be implemented to manage the organization's infrastructure so as to cost-effectively achieve the organization's strategic goals in the long-term. This effort should address: importance of gap identification, how to perform sophisticated and robust risk and trade-off analysis, the importance of establishing appropriate targets/goals/levels of service/measures based on strategic directions in managing the highway network and the tie between long-term financial forecasts and infrastructure management.
Updates and information developed as this Pilot Project proceeds will be posted on this section of the FHWA Asset Management website.