Original Scope: Legislators and leadership within transportation agencies continuously face the challenge of providing appropriate funding to ensure adequate maintenance of aging transportation assets. While MAP-21 created a streamlined and performance-based surface transportation program that aimed to ensure a state of good repair, long-term federal funding is uncertain. Gas tax revenues, a primary source of state as well as federal transportation funds across the country, are generally declining, increasing the challenge of determining how to allocate resources between maintenance of current facilities and investment to upgrade or extend the system.
When polled in mid-2013, many state maintenance managers indicated that securing adequate funding is among the most pressing issues they face. This scan undertakes to identify funding allocation practices within state DOTs and other transportation agencies that have successfully ensured reliably adequate funding to support the delivery of efficient and effective maintenance programs.
Implementation and Impact
Following the scan workshop in October 2015, the scan team worked at the regional and national level to advance scan findings. Highlights of these activities include:
Scan team presented findings at the TRB Committees on Maintenance and Operations Management (AHD10); AASHTO’s Maintenance Committee, Standing Committee on Highways; Subcommittee on Finance and Administration; and the Transportation Asset Management Conference. Presentations were also conducted at the Southeastern Regional Maintenance Meeting and a northeastern tristate (NH, VT, ME) maintenance group.
The scan team conducted a national-level Peer Exchange in September 2018 in Nashville, TN. This peer exchange, funded by NCHRP 20-44: Moving Research into Practice and attended by 27 states, was aimed at sharing best practices in performance-based maintenance budgeting and identified key findings in the areas of data, processes, staffing, and technology.
The Peer Exchange Final Report can be found here.
The presentations from the peer exchange can be found below.
Day 1: Session 1; Session 2.
Day 2: Session 3; Session 4; Session 5.
Scan team members continue to work closely within their own states and nationally to monitor needs and identify opportunities to communicate and implement advances in performance-based budgeting. This includes an article in TRNews (Issue 323) entitled, Maintenance Peer Exchange Supports Workforce Development Efforts; and a research needs statement entitled, Guidance on Using Performance-based Management Approaches for Maintenance, which has been supported by the AASHTO Maintenance Committee and the Committee on Performance-based Management.
Scan Members
- Mark McConnell, Mississippi DOT, AASHTO Chair
- Tim Lattner, Florida DOT
- Laura Mester, Michigan DOT
- Cory Pope, Utah DOT
- Dale Doughty, Maine DOT
- Thomas Van, FHWA
- Tony Sullivan, Arkansas State Highway & Transportation Department
- Lonnie Watkins, North Carolina DOT
- Katie Zimmerman, Subject Matter Expert, Applied Pavement Technology, Inc.
Scan Locations and Participants
The scan members visited the following sites.
- Nashville, TN
- Tallahassee, FL
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Olympia, WA
While visiting the sites above, the scan members also heard from the following agencies.
- Arizona, DOT
- Colorado DOT
- Wisconsin DOT
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