Transportation Decision-making – Principles of Project Evaluation and Programming

Chapter 2Performance Measures

1K. C. Sinha and S. Labi

Purdue University School of Civil Engineering

Performance Measures in Transportation Evaluation

Introduction

Goals, Objectives and Measures

Network and Project Levels

Objectives

Linking Goals to Measures2

What is Performance?

Execution of a required function

Performance measures represent the extent to which a specific function is executed

Whose point of view?UserAgencyOperatorOther stakeholders

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Measures are needed at various levelsSystem-wide plans and programsSolutions for a specific localized problem

ISTEA of 1991

GASB resolution of 1989

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Goals

Objectives

Performance Measures

Performance Criteria

Performance Standards

Overall Goals

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Contd.

Overall Goal: Efficiency, Effectiveness, Equity

Goal: Under effectiveness, goals can cover condition (system preservation), operational characteristics, (safety, mobility) or external effects (environmental conservation)

Objective: If goal is to enhance regional air transportation mobility, objective can be to reduce air travel time

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Contd.

Performance Measure: Performance indicator, e.g. air traveler delay

Performance Criterion: A specific definition attached to a measure, e.g. to

minimize average transfer time

Performance Standard: A fixed value of a criterion – threshold, trigger

value, minimum level of service, e.g. averagetransfer time cannot exceed 90 minutes

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Typical Goals, Objectives, Performance Measures and Performance Criteria for Efficiency

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Typical Goals, Objectives, Performance Measures and Performance Criteria for Equity

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Network Level: System-wide evaluation of program, policies, funding, investment strategies.

Project Level: An optimum policy, design or preservation strategy for a specific facility (pavement section, bridge, transit terminal, etc.) at a given time or over life cycle.

Performance Measures at Network and Project Levels

Example: Air Transportation

1. Network Level: Change in average plane delay across a region or airline network in response to national airport security measures.

2. Project Level: Change in average plane delay at a given airport because of a runway expansion project.

Optimal decisions at project level may not mean optimal decisions at network level and vice versa.

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Properties of a Good Performance Measure

Appropriateness – adequate representation of goals and objectives.

Measurability – can be accurately measured.

Dimensionality – should be able to capture the required level of each evaluation dimension. e.g. appropriate spatial/temporal scales.

Realistic – data collection at a reasonable cost.

Defensible – clear and simple in definition and method of computation.

Forecastable – can be determined reliably in the future.

The set should be comprehensive, but manageable.12

Dimensions of Performance Measures

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Dimension Example

Overall Goals Economic Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Equity

Objectives Preservation of System Condition, Operational Efficiency, Economic Development, Quality of life, Safety, and Environment

Sector Concerns Private (Profit), Public (Service)

Flow Entity Freight and Passenger

Modal Scope Multi-modal and Single mode

Specific Mode Highway, Urban Transit, Railway, Waterway and Pipeline Inter-modal

Affected Entity and Stakeholder Agency, User or Non-User

Spatial Scope Urban, Rural, City-wide versus Intercity

Level of Agency Responsibility State, District, Local

Time Frame Long-term and Short-term

Level of Refinement Primary and Secondary Indicators

Intended Use Policy, Programming, Implementation, Post-implementation Review

Level of Use of Information Management and Operational Levels

Operational Performance

AccessibilityThe ability to handle specific types of passenger or freight

The capacity of specific inter-modal facilities

The ease of access to the system

The ease of connecting at transfer facilities

The percentage of population or freight – generating business within a certain time/distance

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Mobility

Travel time, LOS, speed, delay, congestion

Average speed vs. peak period speed

Transfer time at inter-modal facilities, hours of delay

Percentage of a facility not heavily congested during peak period.

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Operational Efficiency

Cost per unit of facility dimension (initial cost maintenance, preservation)

Total life cycle cost

User cost per unit use

Total life cycle user costs and benefits

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Safety

Frequencies or rates (per mile, per AADT, per VMT)

Severity types (fatal, injury or PD)

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Reduction in Vulnerability as a Measure of Performance

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Security from Extreme Events

Vulnerability RatingLikelihoodConsequence

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Economic Development and Land Use

Number of businesses

Business sales

Number of jobs

Per capita income

Average and proportions of commercial, residential and agricultural land areas

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Environmental Quality and Resource Conservation

Average of wetlands affected

Pollutant emissions and concentrations

Noise and vibration levels

Energy consumption

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Quality of Life

Overall well-being

Community spirit

Social equity

Privacy

Aesthetics

Concern for the disadvantaged22

Sector Concerns and Interests

Toll Roads OperatorTransportation ProviderShipperTruckerEtc.

Profit

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Federal, State and Local Government Agencies Service

Private Sector

Public Sector

Flow Entity

PassengerDelay/passengerOut-of-pocket costsTravel time reliability

FreightBoarding timeInventory time and costTravel time reliability

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Examples of Network-level Performance Measures Based on Highway System Goals and Objectives

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Contd.

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Summary of Transit Performance Measures

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Airport Facilities

Operational AdequacyGate delay

Physical AdequacyRunway/TaxiwayAirspace use restrictions

Environmental and Land Use CompatibilityHeight zoningAirport in local planningNoise management

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Continued –

Financial PerformanceOperating ratioLevel of subsidyRevenue passenger served

AccessibilityGround and air access

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Inter-modal Facilities

P.C. time congestion experienced

Incident frequency or severity

Average travel time for passengers or freight mode

Inter-modal transfer time reliability

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Entity or Stakeholder AffectedAgencyAdjacent businesses / residentsEnvironmental group

Spatial ScopeStatewide, Countrywide, Citywide, etc.Corridor or specific segment or mode

Level of Agency Responsibility State / Local

Time Frame and Level of RefinementPrimarySecondary

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Benefits of Using Performance Measures

Clarity and transparency of decisions

Attainment of policy goals

Internal and external agency communications

Monitoring and improvement of agency business processes

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