Overview
The report is based on a series of case studies, mainly from the United States, that describe successful business processes. One case study on active traffic management from the United Kingdom is also presented. The case studies show how business processes were successfully reengineered in operational areas such as traffic incident management (TIM), work zone management, planned special-event management, road weather management, and traffic control system management. Students of traffic operations will recognize these subject areas as corresponding to five of the seven causes of nonrecurring traffic congestion. (The two that are left out are related to inadequate base roadway capacity and fluctuations in travel demand.) This research report and an accompanying guide also provide a detailed introduction to one of the most useful tools for business process reengineering: business process mapping. An approach to business process mapping developed by the IBM Corporation for use in automating business processes, called Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN), is used in this report and the guide. This approach proved highly adaptable to business processes related to traffic operations. BPMN uses a straightforward, graphical approach to business processes, illustrating them with objects, flows, swim pools, and swim lanes. Business processes diagrammed using BPMN are simple to comprehend and communicate. This report, along with the accompanying guide (which focuses on showing how to use BPMN for mapping traffic operations business processes) and other SHRP 2 Reliability products related to institutional structures and business process reengineering, is intended to help transportation agencies move forward in addressing nonrecurring traffic congestion and delivering more reliable travel times on their highway networks.