Tools and Technology for Roadside Landscape Asset Management
The rights-of-way of the national highway system includes an estimated 3.4 million acres of unpaved land as the interface between highways and natural and human landscapes. There are unexplored opportunities to include roadside landscape in highway asset management, including the application of geospatial information, data collection tools and technology, and data management systems. By having a system to plan roadside projects, tracking completion, and documenting results over time, an increased understanding of the evolving processes of roadside vegetation growth and resulting maintenance treatments could result in improved life-cycle management practices and increased system resiliency. Because roadside management integrates many topics, including safety, ecosystem services, social equity, sustainability, and climate resiliency, there are overlapping research efforts and interests from different sectors of the transportation community. Research on roadside management has been and currently is being conducted around the United States, and many state departments of transportation (DOTs) have developed and published management practices on this topic. Identification and implementation of beneficial practices is an ongoing challenge for DOTs and relevant stakeholders. Asset based vegetation management practices developed for transmission power line corridors may also provide insights helpful for management of roadside landscape assets. Concerns over impacts to endangered species, pollinator declines, roadside fires, climate change, invasive species, and other pressures on native ecosystems are intensifying the focus on inventory and assessment of roadside landscape assets. At the same time, rapid developments in mapping and data analysis technologies and new tools and innovative data management systems offer new opportunities to understand and manage these assets. NCHRP Research Report 903: Geotechnical Asset Management for Transportation Agencies provides an example of the type of tools and methods that would be useful to develop for roadside landscape assets. Research is needed to provide up-to-date tools and technologies for roadside landscape assets that can be used in a performance-based management system. The objective of this research is to develop a guidebook for the use of performance-based management strategies for highway roadside landscape asset management. The guidebook should cover the tools and technology currently available for planning and decision-making, including estimation and benefits optimization, and enhancing maintenance operations efficiency and effectiveness.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Active
- Funding: $350000
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Contract Numbers:
Project 14-47
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Sponsor Organizations:
National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Project Managers:
McKenney, Christopher
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Performing Organizations:
1500 N Mantua Street
Kent, OH United States 44240 -
Principal Investigators:
Daniels, Cheryl
- Start Date: 20221114
- Expected Completion Date: 20241114
- Actual Completion Date: 0
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Asset management; Best practices; Landscape maintenance; Roadside; State departments of transportation; State of the practice
- Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01773413
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
- Contract Numbers: Project 14-47
- Files: TRB, RIP
- Created Date: May 27 2021 7:33PM