Linking Transportation Performance and Accountability

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• Executive Summary
  • Key Scan Findings
  • Key Lessons Learned
• Chapter One—Introduction
  • Scan Team
  • Agencies Visited
  • Definitions
• Chapter Two—Linking Transportation Programs With Government Goals
  • Transportation Performance is Linked to Government Goals
  • Broad Goals, Negotiated Targets, Ongoing Collaboration
• Chapter Three—Linking Budgets and Accomplishments
  • Performance-Driven Funding Allocations: A Difficult Goal
  • Ambitious Goals and Visions Drive Investment
  • Demonstrating Return on Investment: Value for Money
• Chapter Four—Transparency, Accountability, and Emerging Issues
  • Incentive-Based Management.
  • Cooperative Goal, Target Setting.
• Chapter Five—Reorganization and Refocus
  • From Building Highways to Moving People
  • Cross-Cutting Coordination
  • Safety Focus is Emphatic
  • Innovation in Reliability
• Chapter Six—Key Lessons Learned
  • Strategies for Implementation
  • Potential U.S. Tactics for Implementation
• Chapter Seven—Implementation Plan
  • Outreach Efforts
  • Research Efforts
• Appendix A—Amplifying Questions
• Appendix B—Scan Team
• Appendix C—Host Country Contacts

List of Figures and Tables

Figures

• Figure 1. The Victorian planning and accountability cycle.
• Figure 2. New Zealand's performance management steps.
• Figure 3. Great Britain's performance management approach spurred increased efforts to manage congestion.
• Figure 4. The Queensland transportation agencies have a well-articulated performance management system.
• Figure 5. The British rely on service agreements to implement government goals.
• Figure 6. The Swedish system translates broad government goals into agency action plans.
• Figure 7. New South Wales translates government strategy into measureable outputs.
• Figure 8. Victoria's performance pyramid illustrates linkages between broad government goals and agency services.
• Figure 9. Swedish maintenance expenditures are below those for new investment.
• Figure 10. Swedish maintenance expenditures are below those for new investment.
• Figure 11. Queensland captures the long-term cost of deferred maintenance.
• Figure 12. A project's congestion benefits are compared to a no-build scenario.
• Figure 13. Queensland officials track the overall risk to their bridge inventory as an ongoing metric in their reporting processes.
• Figure 14. ECTRI forums for sharing new research results internationally.
• Figure 15. Tracking trajectory against target is a British strategy to achieve performance
• Figure 16. British officials are implementing strategies to meet their carbon targets
• Figure 17. All of the agencies examined had fatality rates significantly below the U.S. average
• Figure18. Victoria tracks its fatalities throughout the year against its yearly target for continuing reductions
• Figure 19. Traffic on Great Britain's M25 illustrates the congestion challenges facing the nation
• Figure 20. The use of shoulders during peak periods has become a common British congestion strategy
• Figure 21. Great Britain's reliability indices allow the nation's transportation officials to track delay and how it is affected by events such as weather

Tables

• Table 1. New South Wales strategic framework.
• Table 2. Victoria priorities and strategies.
• Table 3. Swedish emission reduction trends.

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized

Prepared by the International Scanning Study Team:

April 2010

International Technology Scan Reports

he International Technology Scanning Program, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), evaluates innovative foreign technologies and practices that could significantly benefit U.S. highway transportation systems. This approach allows advanced technology to be adapted and put into practice much more efficiently without spending scarce research funds to re-create advances already developed by other countries.

FHWA and AASHTO, with recommendations from NCHRP, jointly determine priority topics for teams of U.S. experts to study. Teams in the specific areas being investigated are formed and sent to countries where significant advances and innovations have been made in technology, management practices, organizational structure, program delivery, and financing. Scan teams usually include representatives from FHWA, State departments of transportation, local governments, transportation trade and research groups, the private sector, and academia.

After a scan is completed, team members evaluate findings and develop comprehensive reports, including recommendations for further research and pilot projects to verify the value of adapting innovations for U.S. use. Scan reports, as well as the results of pilot programs and research, are circulated throughout the country to State and local transportation officials and the private sector. Since 1990, more than 80 international scans have been organized on topics such as pavements, bridge construction and maintenance, contracting, intermodal transport, organizational management, winter road maintenance, safety, intelligent transportation systems, planning, and policy.

The International Technology Scanning Program has resulted in significant improvements and savings in road program technologies and practices throughout the United States. In some cases, scan studies have facilitated joint research and technology-sharing projects with international counterparts, further conserving resources and advancing the state of the art. Scan studies have also exposed transportation professionals to remarkable advancements and inspired implementation of hundreds of innovations. The result: large savings of research dollars and time, as well as significant improvements in the Nation's transportation system.

Scan reports can be obtained through FHWA free of charge by e-mailing international@dot.gov. Scan reports are also available electronically and can be accessed on the FHWA Office of International Programs Web site at www.international.fhwa.dot.gov.

Safety

Assuring Bridge Safety and Serviceability in Europe (2010)
Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility in Europe (2010)
Improving Safety and Mobility for Older Road Users in Australia and Japan (2008)
Halving Roadway Fatalities: A Case Study From Victoria, Australia (2008)
Safety Applications of Intelligent Transportation Systems in Europe and Japan (2006)
Traffic Incident Response Practices in Europe (2006)
Underground Transportation Systems in Europe: Safety, Operations, and Emergency Response (2006)
Roadway Human Factors and Behavioral Safety in Europe (2005)
Traffic Safety Information Systems in Europe and Australia (2004)
Signalized Intersection Safety in Europe (2003)
Managing and Organizing Comprehensive Highway Safety in Europe (2003)
European Road Lighting Technologies (2001)
Commercial Vehicle Safety, Technology, and Practice in Europe (2000)
Methods and Procedures to Reduce Motorist Delays in European Work Zones (2000)
Innovative Traffic Control Technology and Practice in Europe (1999)
Road Safety Audits—Final Report and Case Studies (1997)
Speed Management and Enforcement Technology: Europe and Australia (1996)
Safety Management Practices in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand (1995)
Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety in England, Germany, and the Netherlands (1994)

Planning and Environment

Linking Transportation Performance and Accountability (2010)
Streamlining and Integrating Right-of-Way and Utility Processes With Planning, Environmental, and Design Processes in Australia and Canada (2009)
Active Travel Management: The Next Step in Congestion Management (2007)
Managing Travel Demand: Applying European Perspectives to U.S. Practice (2006)
Risk Assessment and Allocation for Highway Construction Management (2006)
Transportation Asset Management in Australia, Canada, England, and New Zealand (2005)
Transportation Performance Measures in Australia, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand (2004)
European Right-of-Way and Utilities Best Practices (2002)
Geometric Design Practices for European Roads (2002)
Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Across European Highways (2002)
Sustainable Transportation Practices in Europe (2001)
Recycled Materials in European Highway Environments (1999)
European Intermodal Programs: Planning, Policy, and Technology (1999)
National Travel Surveys (1994)

Policy and Information

Transportation Research Program Administration in Europe and Asia (2009)
European Practices in Transportation Workforce Development (2003)
Intelligent Transportation Systems and Winter Operations in Japan (2003)
Emerging Models for Delivering Transportation Programs and Services (1999)
National Travel Surveys (1994)
Acquiring Highway Transportation Information From Abroad (1994)
International Guide to Highway Transportation Information (1994)
International Contract Administration Techniques for Quality Enhancement (1994)
European Intermodal Programs: Planning, Policy, and Technology (1994)

Operations

Freight Mobility and Intermodal Connectivity in China (2008)
Commercial Motor Vehicle Size and Weight Enforcement in Europe (2007)
Active Travel Management: The Next Step in Congestion Management (2007)
Effective Use of Weigh-in-Motion Data: The Netherlands Case Study (2007)
Managing Travel Demand: Applying European Perspectives to U.S. Practice (2006)
Traffic Incident Response Practices in Europe (2006) Underground Transportation Systems in Europe:
Safety, Operations, and Emergency Response (2006)
Superior Materials, Advanced Test Methods, and Specifications in Europe (2004)
Freight Transportation: The Latin American Market (2003)
Meeting 21st Century Challenges of System Performance Through Better Operations (2003)
Traveler Information Systems in Europe (2003)
Freight Transportation: The European Market (2002)
European Road Lighting Technologies (2001)
Methods and Procedures to Reduce Motorist Delays in European Work Zones (2000)
Innovative Traffic Control Technology and Practice in Europe (1999)
European Winter Service Technology (1998)
Traffic Management and Traveler Information Systems (1997)
European Traffic Monitoring (1997)
Highway/Commercial Vehicle Interaction (1996)
Winter Maintenance Technology and Practices—Learning from Abroad (1995)
Advanced Transportation Technology (1994)
Snowbreak Forest Book—Highway Snowstorm Countermeasure Manual (1990)

Infrastructure—General

Public-Private Partnerships for Highway Infrastructure: Capitalizing on International Experience (2009)
Audit Stewardship and Oversight of Large and Innovatively Funded Projects in Europe (2006)
Construction Management Practices in Canada and Europe (2005)
European Practices in Transportation Workforce Development (2003)
Contract Administration: Technology and Practice in Europe (2002)
European Road Lighting Technologies (2001)
Geometric Design Practices for European Roads (2001)
Geotechnical Engineering Practices in Canada and Europe (1999)
Geotechnology—Soil Nailing (1993)

Infrastructure—Pavements

Warm-Mix Asphalt: European Practice (2008)
Long-Life Concrete Pavements in Europe and Canada (2007)
Quiet Pavement Systems in Europe (2005)
Superior Materials, Advanced Test Methods, and Specifications in Europe (2004)
Asphalt Pavement Warranties: Technology and Practice in Europe (2004)
Pavement Preservation Technology in France, South Africa, and Australia (2003)
Recycled Materials in European Highway Environments (1999)
South African Pavement and Other Highway Technologies and Practices (1997)
Highway/Commercial Vehicle Interaction (1996)
European Concrete Highways (1992)
European Asphalt Technology (1990)

Infrastructure—Bridges

Assuring Bridge Safety and Serviceability in Europe (2010)
Bridge Evaluation Quality Assurance in Europe (2008)
Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems in Japan and Europe (2005)
Underground Transportation Systems in Europe (2005)
Bridge Preservation and Maintenance in Europe and South Africa (2005)
Innovative Technology for Accelerated Construction of Bridge and Embankment Foundations in Europe (2003)
Performance of Concrete Segmental and Cable-Stayed Bridges in Europe (2001)
Steel Bridge Fabrication Technologies in Europe and Japan (2001)
European Practices for Bridge Scour and Stream Instability Countermeasures (1999) Advanced Composites in Bridges in Europe and Japan (1997)
Asian Bridge Structures (1997)
Bridge Maintenance Coatings (1997)
Northumberland Strait Crossing Project (1996)
European Bridge Structures (1995)

All publications are available on the Internet at U.S. Department of Transportation-Federal Highway Administration

Abbreviations and Acronyms