Caltrans outlines phased asset-management plan; commission to review targets and pilot tool in March
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Summary
Caltrans staff introduced a phased transportation asset-management plan required under SB 486 and federal MAP-21 and said the department will focus the first phase on pavement, bridges, culverts and ITS elements, then add additional asset classes. The department will return in March with details on targets, performance measures and a SHOP
Caltrans presented the initial approach for a phased transportation asset-management plan the department is preparing in consultation with the commission. The plan responds to federal MAP-21 requirements and California—s SB 486 and aims to improve prioritization and transparency for SHOP spending.
Phase 1 scope and rationale
Caltrans said it will begin phase 1 by focusing on four asset classes: pavement, bridges, culverts and intelligent transportation system (ITS) elements. Staff said those assets present a mix of system performance and high-risk failure modes (for example, culvert failures can produce sudden route loss), so they provide a practical starting point for an outcomes-based approach.
What the plan will include
Caltrans said the phase-1 deliverable will present condition baselines, life-cycle analyses where data allow, a set of goals and performance measures, performance gaps, and investment scenarios and strategies. Staff also said the department is developing a decision-support tool as a SHOP pilot to allow transparent weighing of objectives and performance measures when scoring or prioritizing projects.
Role of the commission
SB 486 and MAP-21 give the CTC a role in adopting performance targets and reviewing the asset-management plan. Caltrans said it will bring a fuller package to the commission in March that will include the proposed performance measures, proposed targets and a schedule for implementation in time to inform the 2016 SHOP cycle.
Why this matters: Asset management is intended to make capital investments more strategic and to link condition data to funding decisions; the plan and pilot tool will inform project prioritization in SHOP and potentially improve life-cycle outcomes for core highway assets.
Next steps
Caltrans will return to the commission in March with a more detailed phase-1 plan (pavement, bridge, culvert, ITS), target recommendations, and a demonstration of the SHOP decision-support/pilot tool.