SSTI s PennDOT Smart Transportation Webinar

Transcription

1 SSTI s PennDOT Smart Transportation Webinar June 28, 2011 Introduced by Joel Rogers, SSTI Presenters: Douglas B. MacDonald Former Secretary of Transportation Washington State Dept. of Transportation James Ritzman, P.E. Deputy Secretary for Planning Penn. Dept. of Transportation 1

2 The State Smart Transportation Initiative SSTI operates in three ways: A community of practice.. A source of technical assistance... A resource to the wider transportation community. SSTI s first peer visit at the invitation of a state DOT SSTI is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the U.S. Department of Transportation Penn DOT report online: www. ssti.us /resources Subscribe to the SSTI news feed or visit 2

3 Peer Meeting Participants Hosted by PennDOT in Harrisburg, January 5, 2011 SSTI Group* PennDOT Douglas Foy SSTI, Massachusetts Douglas MacDonald Wash. State Astrid Glynn Mass. & New York Michael Meyer, Ph.D. Mass. (Georgia Tech.) John Halikowski Arizona Julie Hunkins North Carolina Eric Sundquist SSTI Staff Ellen Partridge SSTI Staff * States identify current or former state DOT affiliations [Ritzman to add]... and [#] other people participating at one time or another in the group. 3

4 PennDOT s challenges: Framework for its Smart Transportation approaches Steady growth in transportation/traffic demand Static or shrinking constant dollar funding Sprawling development Back-log of deteriorated infrastructure, especially bridges Complex state/local governmental structures and partnerships Statewide efforts to build smarter communities; better land use/transportation connections More attention to multi-modal transportation 4

5 A very challenging picture... Sprawl: Land development racing ahead of population growth. Crumbling infrastructure: Collapsed box girder over Interstate 70 Huge gap in funding needs Unachievable expectation for big capacity projects 5

6 PennDOT s Smart Transportation programs responded directly to its huge challenges: Big projects - redesign and resize: New ways of thinking about investments in facility improvements Fix it first: The turn to preservation as an almost all-absorbing investment priority Empowering flexibility in design: Design manual revisions for expanding design solution and more community sensitive opportunities for non-limited access roadways Demonstrating fresh approaches and opportunity: The Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative New thinking across the agency: Vitalized partnerships with others; PennDOT staff engagement at headquarters and in district offices across the state 6

7 Big projects: Re-design and resize March, Back to the drawing boards for 26 much-anticipated projects of unattainable scale: value $5B A right-sizing initiative with big needs for community outreach and collaboration toward new project visions and design solutions Fix it first: Bridges and other preservation needs Worst-in-nation backlog of structurally deficient bridges and falling further behind Accelerated bridge repair/rehabilitation program and shift of investment priorities Fix it first led to shrinking share of investment inn new capacity projects. 7

8 Big steps for the Design Manuals Headquarters and district offices all recognized need to legitimate flexibility in design through changes in the design manuals. Wider range of land use contexts Broader spectrum of roadway elements Stretching dollars to meet more projects and more needs Community Arterial Lane Width (feet) Desired Operating Speed (mph) Rural Suburban Neighborhood *(14) Suburban Corridor *(14-15) Suburban Center *(14) Town/Village Neighborhood *(14) Town/Village Center *(14) Urban Core *(14) *outside lane if no shoulder or bike lane 8

9 Smart Transportation Themes and the Smart Transportation Guidebook 1. Money counts 2. Understand the context: plan and design within the context 3. Choose projects with high value/price ratio 4. Enhance the local network 5. Look beyond level of service 6. Safety first and maybe safety only 7. Accommodate all modes 8. Leverage and preserve existing investments 9. Build towns, not sprawl 10. Develop local governments as strong land use partners A manual for better design practices for non-limited access highways produced by PennDOT and New Jersey DOT with FHWA and Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission 9

10 New business processes across the entire agency: New guidance documents and handbooks New condition and risk assessment tools for improved asset management New project prioritization and selection program - Linking Planning with NEPA PCTI: The Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative Calls for projects in 2008 and submissions Competitive selections for 91 awards worth $85M What can Smart Transportation mean in local communities? Altoona: Multi-use trail linking Penn State campus and downtown Altoona. $300,000 contribution to $1.6M project. Completed in

11 In sum, what were the main points impressed upon the SSTI peer review team? A shift in capital investment strategies A fundamental change in project design and development guidelines Creation of a modest, but very visible competitive funding program PCTI for Smart Transportation approaches to community transportation needs 11

12 Smart Transportation approached some fundamental issues in Pennsylvania s transportation program with: more creativity flexibility listening efficiency choices solutions community less costs constraints conflicts confusion limitations do-overs sprawl 12

13 The SSTI review team made several observations and suggestions for further work and attention Increased development and use of existing and new tools for land use/ transportation planning integration Less fragmented decision-making - even more collaboration with other state agencies, local governments and MPOs/RPOs More attention to performance measures to track and communicate outcomes Hard focus on tolling for demand management and new user pay revenue sources. Challenge / opportunity Coming economic boom from development of Marcellus Shale natural gas resources. How will transportation systems meet new demands? Will regional boom times build strong communities for the long term? Transportation planning and investment will be key in both respects! 13

14 PennDOT Today The funding crisis looms large, especially with tolling revenues slashed [Empty box for tolling comment. Recommended funding (in millions) Highway & Bridge Public Transportation Local Government $2,576 $4,693 $6,545 $484 $1,383 $3,063 $432 $670 $1,092 TOTAL $3,492 $6,746 $10,700 Needs identified by the Pennsylvania State Transportation Advisory Committee, Transportation Funding Study, Final Report (May 2010) 14

15 New administration to incorporate many Smart Transportation themes within a sharpened focus on new funding From the Final Report (January 2011) of the Pennsylvania State Transportation Advisory Committee TAC commends PennDOT and its partners for the fine job they have done to operate and maintain Pennsylvania s transportation system with the resources available to them... [There should be a] broader dialogue in the coming months on what must be done to ensure that transportation remains a strategic asset for the Commonwealth The TAC determined that the transportation funding issue is so important bordering on crisis that few other issues discussed in this report can progress without first addressing funding.. Funding is the top priority for this Future Directions document. All other strategic themes largely hinge on a comprehensive funding strategy. 15

16 For further information on SSTI, its PennDOT review, and other smart transportation insights, projects, and resources, visit: Eric Sundquist, Managing Director Ellen Partridge, Transportation Policy Analyst 16