Overview
This guidebook discusses the rationale for TMC business planning, the components and considerations of a TMC business plan, and five case studies of existing TMCs. TMC business plans help execute a long-range vision and goals, link ITS programs to regional objectives and funding sources, and outline TMC requirements, such as facility staffing, operational, partnership, and interface requirements, which can help identify gaps to be addressed.
Business plans outline strategy and attract support for a venture. Components generally include:
- Defining a business objective, service, and why there is a need
- Analyzing the marketplace and service to address the need, including risks
- Describing needed operational resources (technology, personnel, capital, partners)
- Outlining financial objectives including proposals and budgets
- Providing a marketing plan
- Outlining the operations and management environment
Specific to TMCs, the business planning process will allow managers to define specific operational roles and functions that the TMC fulfills, conduct a SWOT analysis, identify benefits and payoffs (value proposition), outline funding requirements and financial strategy, and develop requirements for needed partnerships, organization and management structure, and personnel needs. TMC business plans will likely overlap—and will need to be consistent with—other planning documents and processes, including regional ITS architectures, strategic deployment plans, concepts of operations, and operations and management plans.
The five case studies offer TMC overviews and business planning examples for different collaborative models:
- INFORM – Long Island, NY: regional with private operation and support under contract to state DOT
- Mn/DOT Regional TMC – Minneapolis, MN region: statewide with public sector operation
- Regional Transportation Control Center – Tucson, AZ: public-private partnership operation with multiple jurisdictions
- FAST – Clark County, NV: regional with separate public sector operating entity
- Caltrans District 12 TMC – Orange County, CA: regional with public sector operation