Integration of Equity and Justice in Transportation Asset Management

The current transportation legislations MAP 21 and FAST acts were enacted to integrate performance-based asset management into federal, state, and local transportation decision-making programs. Through the implementation of Transportation Asset Management (TAM), state departments of transportation are developing a systematic process of operating, maintaining, preserving, and expanding physical assets effectively throughout their lifecycle. However, current systems lack integration with equity and justice considerations and interactions with other relevant metrics, such as performance and budget availability. The proposed research aims to develop practical guidelines and a decision-making tool for integrating equity and justice considerations into TAM systems. Identification of applicable and commonly accepted guidelines will occur using a survey of DOTs and input from public and private stakeholders. A decision-making workbench will be developed and demonstrated within a standard TAM system that will utilize the latest technological advancements and be flexible enough for state departments to customize for their needs. Implementation examples will be explored by project type where maintenance priorities had resulted in dispersed outcomes on access and mobility for different populations. Examples can include bridge repair and replacement projects where some past practices had negatively impacted underserved communities. State agencies can utilize the developed decision-making tool to ensure bridge replacement and repair priorities consider equitable access to economic and transportation benefits. Additional examples where decision-making can benefit from the developed methodology include transit state of good repair priorities and changes in bus routes or station closures.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $990673
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552344813

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  National Center for Infrastructure Transformation

  Prairie View A&M University
  Prairie View, TX  United States  77446
• Performing Organizations:

  Rutgers University, New Brunswick

  New Brunswick, NJ  United States  08901

  Prairie View A&M University

  Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
  P.O. Box 519
  Prairie View, TX  United States  77446

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135
• Principal Investigators:

  Demetracopoulou, Vassiliki

  Maher, Ali

  Perkins, Judy

  Khun, Beverly

• Start Date: 20230901
• Expected Completion Date: 20250831
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
• Source Data: 01-11-RU

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asset management; Decision support systems; Equity; State departments of transportation; Transportation planning
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01893164
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: National Center for Infrastructure Transformation
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552344813
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Sep 13 2023 1:11PM