Performance Management
Introduction
Performance Management is one of the six process areas identified in the ICM capability maturity model (CMM) developed by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. This area centers on actively managing a transportation network with performance measures to track outcomes.
CMM Levels
Below are the criteria for each level of the Performance Measures process area in the ICM Capability Maturity Model.
Performance Management
This section is an overview of the Performance Management Summary Report. To read the whole report, click here.
Introduction
Iowa DOT has begun to define an approach for managing performance of the Des Moines Metropolitan Area Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Program. To do this, Iowa DOT wanted to understand existing performance management practices, assess regional partner agency preferences and needs and develop an approach for collecting performance data. This page will document what has been completed to date and the next steps needed for implementation.
What is Performance Management?
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) defines transportation performance management as a strategic approach that uses system information to make investment and policy decisions to achieve performance goals. Iowa DOT recognizes the importance of performance management but also understands that regionally, understanding and use of performance management practices vary and are inconsistent among regional ICM partners. As such, Iowa DOT desired to initiate a task to better understand performance management practices, improve regional understanding, and establish and build momentum for sustained performance management practices within the region.
Why Measure Performance?
Performance management will help Iowa DOT and regional partners determine how well ICM strategies are performing in real-time and on a historical basis. Based on measured findings, Iowa DOT and regional partners can take steps to improve real-time operations or change investment priorities to implement those that are more cost-effective.
Focus Areas
Three focus areas have been identified to direct the development of the performance management system
1. Real-Time Operational Decision Making Measuring real-time performance is important for answering the question – how well are ICM strategies addressing real-time conditions? Based on this understanding operations staff can be more proactive in their response, making more effective decisions regarding how to operate their respective transportation networks/modes.
2. Long-Term Operational and Investment Decision Making In a manner similar to real-time operational decision making, measuring the historical performance of strategies is important for answering the question – how cost effective are ICM strategies in addressing transportation issues over time? Based on this understanding, executives within the Iowa DOT and other regional agencies can make more effective decisions regarding how to prioritize limited funding and determine whether or not funding should be used to support existing ICM strategies.
3. Enhanced Institutional Integration One of the underlying goals of ICM is to optimize the use of disparate transportation networks and modes to realize improvement in safety and the efficient movement of people through the transportation system. To realize these goals transportation agencies, responsible for specific portions of the transportation network, must collaborate to make transportation as seamless as possible. In this vein, ICM provides the opportunity to and often requires that agencies work collaboratively to address issues and operate the transportation holistically.
State of The Practice
Below is a graphic developed by the ICM team that shows how Iowa DOT compares to other agencies when it comes to tracking performance measures. To learn more about the specific measures tracked by each agency, please see the full performance measures fact sheet
Local State of Practice
Iowa DOT
The Iowa DOT regularly assesses operational performance of the State transportation network; however, real-time performance information is not generally used internally within the DOT for real-time decision making. The DOT recognizes the importance of real-time information sharing among regional agencies. This is demonstrated through active participation in the regional traffic incident management committee and in sharing real-time incident information within construction zones. The Iowa DOT also publishes incident and travel alerts through its 511-travel information system.
Stakeholders
As part of this task, meetings were held with local agencies to discuss the ICM performance management task and to solicit interest and needs with respect to a potential ICM performance management program.
- City of Ankeny
- City of Des Moines
- City of West Des Moines
- Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
- Des Moines Area Rapid Transit (DART)
- Iowa State University, Institute for Transportation (InTrans)
- Iowa Department of Transportation Systems Planning Bureau
- Iowa Department of Transportation Systems Operations Bureau
- Iowa Department of Transportation Traffic Management Center
A summary of individual agency input collected through stakeholder interviews is provided in Appendix B of the Performance Management Summary Report.
In general, regional ICM partners do not have formalized performance management programs. Most agencies do not have the resources required to monitor performance. Even if performance could be monitored, many agencies lack the resources to take timely action based on real-time conditions. However, all the agencies interviewed recognized the importance and benefit of performance monitoring and most would like to take steps toward more actively monitoring their operations. Currently, most agencies focus on day-to-day operations and attempt to respond to public complaints as they are received. While most agencies would like to track performance, they indicated that any efforts to do so must be meaningful and must be need and goal driven. Agencies do not see the value of tracking performance just for the sake of tracking performance. Most agencies would rather start small and monitor a limited number of performance measures that are applicable to most stakeholders. This approach is thought best to foster an environment where most partners can work effectively together and improve operations across jurisdictional boundaries.
Proposed Performance Management Concept/Framework
Using input gathered from agency interviews the Project Team identified several activities considered necessary to define an approach for ICM performance management. These activities (collectively referred to as the ICM performance management approach roadmap) are shown in the graphic below:
Recommended Near-Term Performance Measures
To help build regional collaboration and establish a framework for meaningful ICM performance management, the Project Team identified and subsequently recommended a limited set of near-term performance measures. The measures were reviewed with regional ICM partners and modified based on input received. They are broken into five different categories: network safety measures, network mobility and reliability measures, advanced traffic signal measures, traffic incident measures, and transit measures.
The full list of proposed performance measures, broken out by category is listed below:
- Network Safety Measures
- Total Crashes
- Crash Rate
- Crash Severity Rate
- Intersection Crash Rate
- Intersection Crash Severity Rate
- Network Mobility and Reliability Measures
- Travel Time
- Travel Time Index
- Level of Travel Time Reliability (LOTTR)
- Planning Time Index
- Peak Congested Hour Vehicle Throughput
- Advanced Traffic Signal Measures
- Arrivals on Red
- Intersection Delay
- Traffic Incident Measures
- Total Incidents
- Average Roadway Clearance Time
- Transit Measures
- Ridership Levels
- On-Time Performance
- Pedestrian Delay
For descriptions of each performance measure, see the full Performance Management Summary Report.
Recommended Freeway Segments for Performance Monitoring
Working from the recommended set of performance measures, the Project Team identified and recommended candidate freeway segments where performance could be monitored. These segments were selected primarily based on a number of considerations including:
- The locations of known safety or congestion issues
- The locations of proposed freeway management strategies
- Anticipated or future construction activity
- Alignment with potential connecting arterial corridors that could serve as alternate routes
The segments are listed in the table below:
Potential Arterial Segments for Performance Monitoring
Based on the recommended freeway segments that can be monitored, the Project Team identified arterial segments that could potentially be monitored. These segments were selected based on a high-level assessment of their ability to service traffic that may divert from the freeway segment. Termini for each segment roughly aligned with the termini of freeway segments and routes that connect the arterial to the freeway/arterial interchange.
The arterial segments are listed in the table below:
Recommended Next Steps
Identifying performance measures and corridors to apply them to are the two main activities completed to date. This section will walk through the next steps that are required to achieve implementation of the performance management system.
Recommended next steps include:
- Investigate Approaches to FIlter and Promote Incident Information and Alerts
- Develop Inventory of Existing Data Collection Technologies
- Identify Gaps in Existing Data Collection Technologies
- Develop DOT Vision for Regional ICM Performance Management
- Identify Regional ICM Data Champion
- Data Champion On-Boarding
- Develop a Near-Term Performance Reporting Format
- Develop Long-Term Performance Dashboard
To learn more about the proposed activities, see the full Performance Management Summary Report.
Contact Us
To learn more about performance management, please contact Tim Simodynes at Tim.Simodynes@iowadot.us