American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Special Committee on Research and Innovation

 

FY2023 NCHRP PROBLEM STATEMENT TEMPLATE

 

Problem Number:  2023-G-13

 

Problem Title

Transportation Operations Manual Best Practices Guide

 

Background Information And Need For Research

The Transportation Operations Manual (NCHRP 03-126) is nearing completion and should be published in 2022.

 

To support the implementation of the Transportation Operations Manual, this project would identify best practices for each of the Transportation Operations Manual topics by organizing and identifying best practices found in existing case studies gathered by the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE), from the CTSO best practices webinar series, and other industry resources.

 

The project will identify gaps between the existing body of knowledge already gathered by the NOCoE and the Transportation Operations Manual chapters and fill those gaps through gathering of additional case studies and best practices.

 

The resulting product would be a digital best practices guide that would support the Transportation Operations Manual chapters with practical real-world examples and best practices.

 

Once the framework for the best practices guide is established, it will continue to be updated through the NOCoE’s ongoing work in gathering case studies and best practices.

 

Literature Search Summary

The Transportation Operations Manual Best Practices Guide will build directly upon the Transportation Operations Manual (NCHRP 03-126) by identifying and organizing existing best practices that will aid in the implementation of the manual itself.

 

Additionally, existing research around TSMO Workforce practices, TSMO training, and TSMO strategies will be evaluated for best practices and, where appropriate, be organized around the Transportation Operations Manual topic areas to also assist in implementation.

 

Research Objective

The objective of this research is to have a digital best practices guide that would support the Transportation Operations Manual chapters with practical real-world examples and best practices.

 

To build the guide, the project will likely involve:

1.         Identifying and categorizing best practices found in the NOCoE Case Study Library.

2.         Identifying and categorizing best practices found in additional resources, including the CTSO Best Practices Webinar Series, resources in the NOCoE Knowledge Center, existing NCHRP research, and FHWA peer exchange and state-of-the-practice materials.

3.         Identifying gaps between the existing body of knowledge already gathered by the NOCoE and the Transportation Operations Manual chapters and filling those gaps through gathering of additional case studies and best practices.

4.         Establishing a framework for the best practices guide, including both how best practices are categorized to support the implementation of the guide as well as how users will most effectively access the information.

 

 

Urgency and Potential Benefits

Increasingly, transportation agencies are working to leverage their existing infrastructure and to deploy TSMO strategies to preserve capacity and to improve the security, safety, and reliability of the transportation system.

 

The forthcoming Transportation Operations Manual will provide staff at state, regional, and local transportation agencies with a seminal resource in advancing transportation systems management and operations.

 

The proposed Best Practices Manual will be the key resource in implementing and deploying the strategies identified in the Transportation Operations Manual and contribute to uniformly and efficiently achieving the goals of preserving capacity and improving the security, safety, and reliability of the transportation system.

 

Implementation Considerations

The manual will be utilized directly by TSMO practitioners looking to implement specific TSMO practices. State DOT practitioners will have the Transportation Operations Manual to build internal knowledge on potential TSMO strategies and then be able to utilize the Best Practices Manual to assist in implementing those strategies based on existing and proven practices.

 

To implement the use of the Best Practices Manual, marketing and outreach will need to be conducted by NOCoE, CTSO, and other knowledge sharing organizations that can assist state DOTs in the access and use of both the Best Practices Manual as well as the Transportation Operations Manual.

 

Once completed, maintenance and updates to the Best Practices Manual will be accomplished through the ongoing work of the NOCoE in gathering and promoting TSMO best practices.

 

Recommended Research Funding and Research Period

$350,000 for 18 months.

 

Problem Statement Author(S): For Each Author, Provide Their Name, Affiliation, Email Address And Phone.

Galen McGill

Oregon Department of Transportation

455 Airport Rd SE, Bldg K

Salem, OR 97301

503-409-8797

Galen.e.mccgill@odot.state.or.us

 

Chris Hilyer

Alabama Department of Transportation

1409 Coliseum Boulevard

Montgomery, AL  36110

334.242.6883 – office

334.850.1159 – cell

 

Potential Panel Members: For each panel member, provide their name, affiliation, email address and phone.

           Chris Hilyer, Alabama DOT (Co-Chair)

           Galen McGill, Oregon DOT (Co-Chair)

           Brent Cain, Arizona DOT

           Benjamin Acimovic, Colorado DOT

           Susan Klasen, New Hampshire DOT

           Sal Cowan, New Jersey DOT

           Brad Freeze, Tennessee DOT

           Jianming Ma, Texas DOT

           Dwayne Cook, Virginia DOT

           Pamela Vasudeva, Washington DOT

           Vince Garcia, Wyoming DOT

 

Person Submitting The Problem Statement: Name, affiliation, email address and phone.

Galen McGill

Oregon Department of Transportation

AASHTO CTSO Research Coordinator

Phone number: (503) 508-1881

Email address: galen.e.mcgill@odot.state.or.us