The Indiana Division

Planning for Operations

A Program Overview

Indiana Congestion Conference
August 5, 2008

Rick Backlund – FHWA Office of Operations

Harlan Miller – FHWA Office of Planning

Agenda

• What Is Planning for Operations?
• Where We Are Headed
• Current Activities Underway
• Next Steps for the Program

What is Planning for Operations?

Planning for Operations is:

• Coordination between planning and operations
• Coordination between planners and managers for day-to-day operations

Planning for Operations Program Goals

• To enhance and strengthen both the planning and the operations functions to support regional operations in the 21st Century.

• To enhance the regional decision-making process so that operations investments are on par with investments in construction and system preservation.

Motivation for the Program

• SAFETEA-LU Requirements

  • CMP: “The transportation planning process shall address congestion management through a process that provides for effective management and operation”

  • Mgmt and Ops: LRTP’s shall contain “Operational and management strategies to improve the performance of existing transportation facilities”

• Secretary’s Congestion Initiative

  “Transportation is key to the productivity, and therefore the success, of virtually every business in America. Congestion and delay not only waste our time as individuals, they also burden our businesses and our entire economy with inefficiency and higher costs.”

  - Secretary Norman Mineta, 2001

Implications for Regional Planning

Improving regional transportation system performance

Implications for Transportation Operations

Improving regional transportation system performance

Where We Are Headed – A “Cultural Shift”

Understanding that there are opportunities in existing process,

We set out to identify a range of mechanisms by which planning/operations coordination can be enhanced..

So we:

• Reviewed of Previous Linking Planning and Operations Working Group materials
• Interviews with practitioners in 10 regions
• Interviews with FHWA staff in relevant operations and planning programs

We defined seven current linkage opportunities.

Will spend remainder of time

• Describing these seven opportunities
• Giving and example or two, to illustrate what were talking about
• And giving a couple of example actions that can be implemented to take advantage of such opportunities

Key Aspects of Planning for Operations

• New and improved linkage opportunities between regional operations collaboration activities and regional planning

• Management and operations with the context of the regional transportation planning process; and

• Unprecedented Regional Transportation Operations Collaboration and Coordination (RTOCC) activity

RTSMO Focus Areas Include:

• Traffic Incident Management

• Traveler Information Systems (for roadways & transit)

• Freeway Management

• Automated Vehicle Location for Transit

• Traffic Signal Coordination

• Work Zone Traffic Management

• Roadway Weather Information

• Electronic Payment (for transit, parking and tolling)

• Freight Management

• Coordination of highway, rail, transit, bicycle and pedestrian operations

Related Strategic Program Areas

• Metro and Statewide Planning

• Congestion Management

• Traffic Incident Management

• Emergency Response and Homeland Security

• Work Zone Traffic Management

• Roadway Weather Management

• Planning for Special Events

• Regional ITS Architecture

• Data Management

• Performance Measures

• Freight Management

Key Audiences and Stakeholders

• Audiences: Operations Managers and Regional Transportation Planners

• Stakeholder Groups:

• FHWA Resource Center Staff

• FHWA Division Staff

• FTA Regional Offices

• AASHTO

• AMPO & NARC

• NTOC

• NAWG Membership

• TRB Committees

Key Issues and Challenges to Better Planning for Operations

• Cultural Shifts in Operations & Planning

• Attitudes and Control

• Organizational and Institutional Settings

• Regulatory vs. Voluntary Approaches

• Awareness and Understanding

• Technical Guidance and Tools

• Investments and budgets

• Moving to 21st Century Thinking

Operations/Planning Joint Pathway

• Awareness and Outreach
• Development and Delivery
• Showcase Best Practices

DESIRED OUTCOMES

Raise Awareness
Motivate Action
Guide Evolution

Planning for Operations:
Current Activities Underway

• Release of Interim Guidebook Documents on CMP & M&O

• Guidebooks Outreach Initiative Commenced

• AMPO “Operations at the Table” Guidebook

Planning for Operations:
Current Activities Underway

• Model Transportation Plans with Regional Operations and Safety Objectives

• Statewide Opportunities for Linking Planning & Operations – A Primer

• National Conference on Advancing Regional Operations

Planning for Operations:
Other Technical Activities

• ITS Deployment Analysis System (IDAS) Support and Maintenance

  • IDAS training workshops & outreaches

  • Software maintenance and tech support

• Innovative Application of Existing Analysis Tools and Methods

  • Workshops

  • Outreach activities

CMP and M&O Interim Guidebooks

• Completion of Interim Guidebooks of Best Practices for the CMP and M&O SAFETEA-LU Requirements

• Commencement of Multi-Faceted Outreach Effort to Promote Messages in the Guidebooks

How the CMP Supports Management & Operations

A set of tools, including objectives-driven performance measures; data collection and management protocols or systems; potential congestion mitigation strategies and techniques; and analytical methods, which enable transportation planners to optimize use of existing transportation capacity, and to make the most efficient and effective use of new or expanded capacity.

A CMP is required for Transportation Management Areas.

CMP and M&O Interim Guidebooks

• Interim Documents Have Been Completed

• May:  Guidebooks Posted on Office of Operations Website:

• May to November 30:  Comment Period to Seek Input on the Documents

• Fall 2008:  Guidebooks Will be Finalized

View the Guidebooks

• FHWA Planning for Operations Website
  www.plan4operations.dot.gov

• An Interim Guidebook on the Congestion Management Process in Metropolitan Transportation Planning
  www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/cmpguidebook/cmpguidebook.pdf

• Management & Operations in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan: A Guidebook for Creating an Objectives-Driven, Performance-Based Approach - Interim Draft
  www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/moguidebook/moguidebook.pdf

Interim Guidebooks Outreach Efforts

• Communications Strategy Developed

• Communications Strategy Focus Areas:

  • Informational Workshops

  • Web Seminars

  • Web-based Training Tools

  • Updating of FHWA, NHI & NTI Training Courses

  • Brochure for Decision Makers

  • CD of Ready-Made Presentations

Roadmap for the Outreach Efforts

Interim Guidebooks Outreach:
Next Steps Scheduled

• June: Completed Web Seminars to DOTs, MPOs and Transit Operators

• July & August:  Six Informational Workshops Across the US Explaining the Guidebooks & Seeking Input

  • Special Focus:  Technical Assistance to TMAs on Improving Quality of Their CMPs

Locations of the Workshops

• Seattle – July 31

• Chicago – August 7

• Philadelphia – August 12

• Denver – August 14

• Providence – September 9

• Atlanta – September 23

Special Workshop for California in Sacramento – September 16

Other Guidebooks Release Support Efforts

• Fall 2008:  Complete Revisions to FHWA, NHI & NTI Training Courses to Reflect Guidebooks Philosophy

• Winter 2009:  Brochure for Decision Makers Released Explaining Objectives Driven Approach

Model Transportation Plans with Regional Operations and Safety Objectives

• New Initiative Commencing October 2008

• Outgrowth of Work of Offices of Planning, Operations, Safety & FTA as part of TSP Committee

• Product Envisioned:  Desk Reference Document with Menus of Model Regional Operations and Safety Objectives in Transportation Plans

• Goal:  Provide Best Practice Objectives in Regional Operations and Safety for Small, Medium & Large Sized MPOs

National Conference on Advancing Regional Operations

• December 2008

• Being Developed with TRB RTSMO Committee

• Focus Will be Metro Areas:  Improving Inter-Agency Collaboration in Operation of Transportation Systems

  • Identify Opportunities for Collaboration

  • Formulate New Approaches that can be advanced in Metro Areas

  • Formulate What Research Needs to Occur to Support this Enhanced Collaboration

Statewide Planning & Operations
(SP&O)

• Advance Operations Driven, Performance Based Approach & Collaboration Between Planning & Operations in State DOTs

• Primer Document Showcasing Opportunities Linking Statewide Planning & Operations Opportunities Being Completed

• Next Steps:  Continued Outreach with the States to Promote the Primer Document to Happen Later in 2008

FY 2008 and Beyond Next Steps:

Advancing Our Joint Initiatives in Planning for Operations

• Completed Guidebooks on CMP and M&O

• Desk Reference Document:  Model Transportation Plans with Regional Operations & Safety Objectives for MPOs

• Statewide Planning for Operations Primer Outreach

• National Conference on Advancing Regional Operations

• Workshops to Showcase Innovative Analysis Methods for Operations

For More Information

Contacts:

Rick Backlund, FHWA, Office of Operations
richard.backlund@dot.gov

Harlan Miller, FHWA, Office of Planning
harlan.miller@dot.gov