Transportation Operations Manual

For decades, AASHTO’s A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (the Green Book) has been a foundational guidance document for determining the geometric features of the nation’s highway system. This guidance is built upon documented research and general assumptions of how geometric elements affect system performance. The Green Book continues to provide the content that is the basis for the design standards that are adopted and deployed nationally as well as at a state and local level and drives a significant portion of highway investments.   As transportation agencies look for ways to maximize the effectiveness of this highway infrastructure, operational strategies are becoming broadly recognized as necessary and cost effective in accomplishing system performance objectives. These strategies often bring with them the ability to affect driver behavior, with direct connection to how drivers react to the conditions they encounter along their routes, both in terms of real-time non-recurrent events as well as static features such geometric elements. These strategies rely upon a different type of infrastructure and provide the ability to influence and, in some cases, redefine traditional geometric elements.   Many transportation agencies have begun formalizing transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) programs that go beyond operating efficiency to providing the best way to develop, manage, and operate transportation networks and infrastructure. NCHRP Project 20-07/Task 392 explored the need and scope for a future AASHTO Operations Guide and developed a plan for its development (see Special Note A). This project found considerable support for the development of a new AASHTO publication, including approval by the predecessor to the AASHTO Committee on Transportation System Operations (TSO).   The objective of this research is to develop the first edition of a “Transportation Operations Manual,” for publication by AASHTO under the auspices of the TSO Committee. The manual should be an authoritative companion to the AASHTO Green Book and should take a holistic view of the operation and management of the transportation system, both in urban and rural settings and for people and goods. The primary audiences will be staff at state, regional, and local transportation agencies.   At the strategic level, the manual should assist in: (1) Building support for operational strategies and approaches throughout the agency; (2) Developing agency goals, policies, and inter-agency cooperative agreements (the manual should include content to be downloaded and customized for the agency's need); (3) Developing programming, funding, and organizational approaches for operations programs and infrastructure (including the resources associated with operating and maintaining them); (4) Evaluating alternative procurement processes; and (5) Establishing standards for operational capabilities for corridors and networks. At the tactical level, the manual should assist in: (1) Involving the right stakeholders (e.g., partner transportation agencies, incident responders) and asking the right questions during project development; (2) Defining recurrent and nonrecurrent operational, safety, and reliability challenges, needs, and metrics during the development of a project’s purpose and need; (3)Identifying and evaluating alternative designs that include operational strategies, particularly as part of a performance-based design process; (4) Identifying accepted best practices for operational strategies being considered; and (5) Budgeting and resource planning for operational assets.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4178
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Source of proposed project: AASHTO Highway Subcommittee on Transportation Systems Management and Operations. Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $500000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 03-126

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Derr, B

• Start Date: 20190801
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 40797

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Geometric design; Guidelines; Highway design; Highway operations; Infrastructure; Traffic control devices; Work zone traffic control
• Identifier Terms: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01598914
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 03-126
• Files: TRB, RiP
• Created Date: May 8 2016 1:00AM