Management & Operations in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan: A Guidebook for Creating an Objectives-Driven, Performance-Based Approach

Overview

An objectives-driven performance-based approach to planning for management and operations includes the following elements conducted in collaboration with operating agencies and other stakeholders within the region:

• Engage transportation planners and operators, as well as non-traditional entities to ensure a regional perspective of transportation system performance informs the planning process.
• Establish one or more goals that focus on the efficient management and operation of the transportation system.
• Develop regional operations objectives that will lead to accomplishing the goal or goals.
• Create a set of performance measures that allow tracking of progress towards the objectives. Performance measures (and objectives) should be established based on data availability.
• Using performance measures, analyze transportation performance issues and develop management and operations strategies for inclusion in the MTP. This may be addressed as part of the congestion management process (CMP) for those MPOs that have a CMP.
• Select management and operations strategies within fiscal constraints that can best address the region's needs.

It is suggested that MPOs include in their MTPs discussion of M&O strategies that are funded by state, regional and local transportation agencies even without use of Federal funding. Because many M&O strategies (e.g., incident clearance, emergency response) are planned and executed within these agencies, this added discussion in MTPs will provide a more holistic picture of the totality of M&O strategies being employed within a region.