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Appendix A: Transportation Asset Management Web-Based Survey

Asset Management Data Collection for Supporting Decision Processes

Web-Based Electronic Survey

Introduction

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) in conjunction with the Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) are studying the area of Asset Management data collection. The goals are to document the existing state-of-the-practice and to investigate the relations between data collection and supported decision processes. The investigation focus is on the data needed for the selection of projects for funding and implementation.

In the following questionnaire you are being asked to provide information from your State's experience and practice on various topics including: asset management implementation; data collection, management and integration; and decisionmaking processes and level. The information asked can refer either to planned or already implemented efforts in the related fields. Your individual answers will be used for statistical analysis in order to extract current trends and identify champions in this area; they will also be used to support the development of the project objectives by leading to scientific results on this very interesting and important topic.

The survey should take about 5-15 minutes to complete.

Please complete the electronic survey at ___________ by ________________.

For questions on the survey please contact:
Dr. Gerardo W. Flintsch
3500 Transportation Research Plaza
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Tel: 540-231-9748
Fax: 540-231-7532
Email: tamsurvey@vt.edu

Section 1: General Agency Information on Asset Management, Decision Levels, and Decision Processes

1. Has your agency/organization implemented or is planning to implement an Asset Management System (please check one)?

o Yes, it has already implemented an Asset Management System.

o No, it does not plan to implement an Asset Management System.

o It is planning to implement an Asset Management System but it does not have one yet.

o Don't know.

2. Please check the management systems your agency/organization currently has, along with the status of each system within an overall Asset Management framework (please check all that apply):

Table 2. Classes of methods that can be used in priority analysis.
Stand-alone management system: Integrated within Asset Management framework
o Pavement (PMS) o Yes o No o Planned o Don't know
o Bridge (BMS) o Yes o No o Planned o Don't know
o Highway Safety (SMS) o Yes o No o Planned o Don't know
o Traffic Congestion (CMS) o Yes o No o Planned o Don't know
o Public Transportation Facilities and Equipment (PTMS) o Yes o No o Planned o Don't know
o Intermodal Transportation Facilities and Systems (ITMS) o Yes o No o Planned o Don't know
o Maintenance Management (MMS) o Yes o No o Planned o Don't know

Please list any other management systems used by your agency/organization:

 

3. Please specify the decisionmaking levels that have been explicitly defined in your agency/organization (check all that apply):

o No explicit definitions for decisionmaking levels (skip to Question 4).

o Strategic level (i.e., concerning policy of decisions for the overall network).

o Programming and budgeting level (i.e., concerning overall resource allocations for design, maintenance and rehabilitation throughout the entire network).

o Project selection level (i.e., selection of individual projects or groups of projects for funding and/or implementation).

o Project level (i.e., design of concerning specific treatments or action for the selected projects).

o Don't know what decision levels are defined.

4. Please rate the following Asset Management decision processes in terms of their relative importance within your agency/organization:

Asset Management Decision Processes Level of Importance
Very Important Somewhat Important Not Very Important Not at all Important Don't know
Policy formulation o o o o o
Performance evaluation and monitoring o o o o o
Fiscal planning o o o o o
Program optimization and trade-offs o o o o o
Development of alternatives (for sustaining assets through their life-cycle) o o o o o
Impact analysis o o o o o
Performance-based budgeting o o o o o
Project selection o o o o o
Resource allocations o o o o o
Program delivery/project implementation o o o o o
Audit, reporting and communication o o o o o

Please list up to three other decision processes important for your agency/organization:

 

5. Please rate the following criteria according to their level of importance for selecting projects that are candidates for funding and implementation within your agency/organization:

Project Selection Criteria Level of Importance
Very Important Somewhat Important Not Very Important Not at all Important Don't know
Available budget earmarked funds o o o o o
Project significance o o o o o
Usage of the project o o o o o
Proximity of the project to major urban areas o o o o o
Ease/difficulty of implementation o o o o o
Engineering parameters (including asset condition) o o o o o
Geographic distribution of projects/funds o o o o o
Distribution among asset types o o o o o
Public demands/user opinion o o o o o
Environmental consideration o o o o o
User costs/benefits o o o o o
Agency costs/benefits o o o o o
Community costs/benefits o o o o o

Please list up to three other criteria important for project selection within your agency/ organization:

 

6. Do you think that the above criteria that are used by an agency in order to select between different projects or groups of projects are or should be uniform and consistent for all types of different roadway assets (please click one)?

o Yes.

o No.

o Don't know.

If Yes please explain why:

 

Section 2: Information regarding data collection, management and integration and their relation to the Project Selection decision level of Roadway Assets

1. Does your agency/organization have an Asset Management roadway inventory/database or is planning to develop one (please check one)?

o Yes, it already has an Asset Management inventory.

o No, it does not have an Asset Management inventory.

o It is planning to develop an Asset Management inventory but it does not possess one.

o Don't know.

2. Please indicate if your agency collects data for each of the following roadway assets types and specify the data collection method (check all that apply).

Table 2. Classes of methods that can be used in priority analysis.
Roadway Assets: Data Collection Method:
o Drainage o Manual* o Automatic** o Both
o Roadside Assets o Manual o Auto o Both
o Pavements o Manual o Auto o Both
o Bridge o Manual o Auto o Both
o Traffic Items o Manual o Auto o Both
o Special Facilities o Manual o Auto o Both

* Manual data collection involves two or more data collectors that record the data either with pen or most recently with hand-held computers.

** Automatic data collection involves the use of some type of data collection vehicle or equipment, e.g., video cameras, laser sensors, etc. to capture, store, and process the collected data

3. Which of the following statements best describes how your agency/organization decides which data (and their related level of detail) will be collected to support the project selection decisions? Check all that apply:

Data collection decisions are:

o Based on historical practice and staff experience defined within the agency/organization (agency and staff culture).

o Based on widely accepted data collection standards.

o Based on specific needs of individual or integrated management systems/decision processes to be supported.

o Don't know exactly.

Please list any other consideration(s) that your agency's data collection decisions are based on:

 

4. Which roadway asset data are most important in your agency's view for the selection between two projects, e.g. between different pavement projects or between a pavement project and a bridge project (please rate all data types)?

Roadway Asset Data Level of Importance
Very Important Somewhat Important Not Very Important Not at all Important Don't know
Location o o o o o
Attributes/characteristics (i.e., materials, service life, geometry, etc.) o o o o o
Structural condition (i.e., how adequate it is for its purpose) o o o o o
Functional condition (i.e., how well it can serve the public) o o o o o
Initial agency cost (construction/provision) o o o o o
Life-cycle costs (including M&R and user costs) o o o o o
Usage (i.e., how many users utilize it on a speciic time basis, e.g., a day) o o o o o
Customer/user feedback and/or complaints o o o o o

 

5. Has your agency/organization identified and/or formally documented any relationship between the roadway data collected to support Project Selection and the decisions made? Please check one:

o Only identified.

o Identified and formally documented.

o Neither identified nor formally documented.

o Don't know.

 

6. Please provide details and contact information (if available) about any agency/organization (other than your own) that has documented links between data collection and decisionmaking processes:

 

Supplementary Information

Please provide the following information about yourself:

Name:

Current Position/Title:

Agency:

Address:

City: State: Zip:

Telephone: Fax:

Email:

Please provide any other thoughts, information or contacts concerning data collection for supporting decisionmaking in Asset Management that you believe may be of benefit to this project.

THANK YOU!!

Updated: 06/27/2017
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000