MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 1 RSTP Planning for Operations Jeffrey D. Ensor Malaysia Transport Group M.I.T. October 1, 2004

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 2 Presentation Outline Background on Operations Operations Planning –Current State of Practice –Federal Role Summary

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 3 Presentation Outline Background on Operations Operations Planning –Current State of Practice –Federal Role Summary

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 4 Background on Operations Operations are: –Performed by people in the field –24/7 –Most appropriately and effectively considered at the regional scale –Supported by ITS –Used to improve the system efficiency, safety, and reliability

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 5 Background on Operations Examples of transportation operations: –Traveler information systems –Transit scheduling –Traffic management systems –Clearing traffic accidents –Synchronizing traffic signals –Managing weather-related events

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 6 Background on Operations Increasing focus due to: –Need for customer and market focus –Constraints on building traditional infrastructure –Desire for sustainable transportation –ITS –ISTEA (1991), TEA-21 (1997)

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 7 Presentation Outline Background on Operations Operations Planning –Current State of Practice –Federal Role Summary

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 8 Operations Planning Regional Concept of Operations (RCO) –Is operations planning –Defines a shared set of expectations for the delivery of transportation service operations –Describes the physical elements, relationships and procedures, and resource arrangements necessary to achieve the operational objective –3-5 year time frame Operations planning ≠ operations –Different stakeholders, time frames, and cultures RSTP  ROA  RCO

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 9 Operations Planning Can you fulfill an expectation with operational improvements alone? YesNo Implement operational improvements Assess possible operational improvements and infrastructure options Meet objectives of the operational requirement document with a combination of operational improvements and infrastructure expansion Implement infrastructure and operational improvements Identify opportunities to fulfill other future potential needs while implementing this project Redefine project components based on operations requirements document Regional Strategic Transportation Plan Regional Operating Architecture Regional Concept of Operations Overarching Ideas Identify opportunities to fulfill other future potential needs while implementing this project Create operational requirements document Project Level

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 10 Operations Planning Operations planning should: –Be intermodal –Be information- and customer-based –Be focused –Be flexible –Allow routine disruptions to be managed in a routine manner and in real-time –Increase emergency preparedness Source: Sussman (2001) Transportation Operations: An Organizational and Institutional Perspective

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 11 Background on Operations Examples of operations planning: –Creating plans for clearing traffic accidents –Planning for special events –Scenario planning –Integrating traffic management systems –Planning for transit operations in the event of maintenance activities –Coordinating construction zone activities –Considering the infrastructure needs of operations (e.g., fiber-optic cable) while planning traditional infrastructure projects

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 12 Operations Planning Planning for Scenarios: –non-recurring congestion  ½ travel delay

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 13 Operations Planning Where does ITS fit in? –Link in creating a flexible and information-based system that can be managed in real-time –Has increased the focus on operations ITS architecture has been a catalyst for creating more sophisticated institutional architectures with regional collaboration and coordination –But not the solution in itself Need to think about more than just ITS deployment Tool

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 14 Presentation Outline Background on Operations Operations Planning –Current State of Practice –Federal Role Summary

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 15 Current State of Practice 1.Order of consideration in the planning process? –Traditional: Capacity expansion then Operations –Alternative 1: Operations then capacity expansion –Alternative 2: Operations and infrastructure planning together

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 16 Current State of Practice 2.Are operational requirements documents utilized? –Answer: for the most part….No.

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 17 Current State of Practice 3.1 What role are MPOs assuming? –Required to consider projects and strategies that will “promote efficient system management and operations” (U.S. Code, Title 23, Chapter 1, Subchapter I, § 134(f)1(F)) –Evidence from RTPs: –Difficult to tell –Mixed results –Many focus on ITS, group maintenance and operations together –Evidence from interviews: –More than from RTPs –Still mixed results

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 18 Current State of Practice 3.2 What role are MPOs assuming? cont. –MTC (San Francisco) performs far more than other MPOs –Creates operations plans and plays a role in actual operations –Focus on corridors  multimodal –Examples of ops planning –MTC Trans Response Plan (earthquake) –Emergency communications, coordination of regional transit services, and a “savings account” –CLEAR program with CHP –Freeway management strategies for major truck routes –Considers operational improvements before and in coordination with major capital investments

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 19 Current State of Practice 3.2 What role should MPOs assume? –Regional conops should be developed primarily by the transportation system operators, service providers, and public safety officials –MPOs are not the system operators –MPOs should participate in the development of a regional conops Coordination need

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 20 Current State of Practice 3.3 Role of formal coalitions? –Houston TranStar –Formal partnership between TxDOT, Harris County, METRO, and City of Houston –Constituent agency funding –Transportation management system –Traveler information system –Motorist assistance program –ITS development & deployment –Emergency management

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 21 Current State of Practice 3.3 Role of formal coalitions? –Houston TranStar –Benefits: Improved response times Centralized fleet dispatch Improved traveler information dissemination Reduced data collection costs BCR = 6.0

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 22 Current State of Practice 3.3 Role of formal coalitions? –TRANSCOM (NYC) –501(c)3 corporation –Over 100 participating entities –Entirely voluntary –Primary assets: –Information –Cooperation

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 23 Current State of Practice 3.3 Role of formal coalitions? –TRANSCOM services –Sharing information and resources –Operations information center –Regional construction coordination & multi-agency special event planning –Technology development program –Transportation management system –Traveler information –Additional funding

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 24 Presentation Outline Background on Operations Operations Planning –Current State of Practice –Federal Role Summary

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 25 Federal Role 4.What is the federal role? 1.Nothing 2.Enabling 3.Mandating Currently Here

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 26 Federal Role –Potential enabling role: –Educational programs –Seed or pilot funding for regional operations planning –Flexible agency type

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 27 Federal Role –Potential mandating role: –Requiring TIPs to document operations considerations would: –Document best practices –Develop performance measures and ORDs –Allow agencies to identify M&O funding needs earlier in planning process –Potentially create new funding sources

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 28 Presentation Outline Background on Operations Operations Planning –Current State of Practice –Federal Role Summary

MIT - October 1, 2004Jeffrey D. Ensor 29 Summary –Role of operations is increasing –Increasing need for operations planning –Some operations planning is occurring in different forms –Barriers still exist –Institutional change is necessary in many cases –Debatable federal role