Start Date:
-Summary:
Background
External factors are those influences that affect transportation system performance but are typically outside the control of transportation agencies, such as fuel prices, economic conditions, and employment levels. Transportation agencies that wish to effectively manage system performance should understand the nature and extent of this influence of external factors on system performance. Understanding the nature and extent of external factors helps in several elements of performance management, particularly in communication and target setting.
Target Audience
The target audience includes practitioners that have responsibilities in transportation system management and operations, as well as those who have responsibility for implementing and/or maintaining performance measure and management programs.
Host
Rich Taylor, Program Manager
Operations Performance Measures and Management Program
FHWA Office of Operations
Presentations
1. Research Results: Presenting External Factors with Operations Performance Measures
Shawn Turner, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, will present FHWA research findings that identified key external factors that were highly correlated with performance measures reported in FHWA’s Urban Congestion Report. Shawn also will present recommendations for communication and chart design techniques that highlight and reinforce the connection between system performance and external factors.
2. Real-World Examples: Vital Signs – Taking the Pulse of the San Francisco Bay Area
Dave Vautin with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission/Association of Bay Area Governments (MTC/ABAG), will provide an overview of Vital Signs, the Bay Area’s comprehensive performance monitoring website which tracks 40 indicators related to transportation, land use, economic, environmental, and social equity (http://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov). Since launching in 2015, Vital Signs has been used by over 90,000 Bay Area residents to learn more about trends on the regional, county, city, and neighborhood levels.
3. Real World Examples: Florida Transportation Indicators
Jessica VanDenBogaert, Florida Department of Transportation, will provide an overview of FDOT’s Trends and Conditions program, including Fast Facts, and Florida Transportation Indicators.