Training
The U.S. DOT offers workshops, courses, and webinars to advance the awareness, understanding, and application of planning for operations concepts and approaches. Below is a sample of the training provided by the U.S. DOT to support planning for operations:
Web Based Informational Sessions
- Web-based Informational Session: Applying Archived Operations Data in Transportation Planning (HTML, PDF 312 KB)
- Web-based Informational Session: Advancing Transportation Systems Management and Operations within Corridors and Subareas (HTML, PDF 336 KB)
- Web-based Informational Session: Advancing Transportation Systems Management and Operations through Scenario Planning (HTML, PDF 336 KB)
In Person Training
- Planning for Reliability Workshop
- Integrating Planning for Operations into Metropolitan Transportation Plans and Programs - A Workshop
- Advancing Planning for Operations in Metropolitan Areas (NHI 133111)
- Applying Analysis Tools in Planning for Operations
- Benefit Cost Analysis of Operational Strategies
- Implementing an Effective Congestion Management Process as Part of Performance-Based Planning
Web-based Training
Web-based Informational Session: Applying Archived Operations Data in Transportation Planning
The purpose of this web-based informational session is to assist transportation planners and their operations partners in effectively using archived operations data for developing, analyzing, and evaluating transportation plans and programs. It aims to raises planners’ awareness of the opportunities afforded through archived operations data and provides guidance on how to take advantage of that data to expand and improve planning practices. The session provides information on how to overcome the barriers to obtaining and using data.
The three modules of this session include video presentations by instructors, lessons learned from experienced practitioners, demonstrations, and narrated slides.
Module 1: Introduction to the Use of Archived Operations Data for Planning
Web-based Informational Session: Advancing Transportation Systems Management and Operations within Corridors and Subareas
The purpose of this informational session is to provide transportation planning or operations professionals at the State, regional, and local levels with a performance-based, integrated, and multimodal approach to planning for transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) within corridors or subareas. This web-based session brings the lessons learned at the State and regional levels to advance a holistic, integrated approach to planning for TSMO within a corridor or subarea. This session includes video lectures by instructors, lessons learned shared by experienced practitioners, and narrated presentations from subject matter experts.
Module 1: Laying the Foundation
Module 2: An Approach to Planning for TSMO within Corridors and Subareas
Web-based Informational Session: Advancing Transportation Systems Management and Operations through Scenario Planning
The intent of this session is to inform planners, operators, and other transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) practitioners on the use of scenario planning to advance TSMO including why and when to use it and how to apply the phases of scenario planning to TSMO. This session will provide a general understanding of scenario planning and then a framework for applying scenario planning to advance TSMO. This session includes video presentations by workshop instructors and practitioners. It also includes a video question and answer session and demonstrations of how to apply scenario planning in mock TSMO-related cases.
Module 1: Introduction to Scenario Planning
Planning for Reliability Workshop
Length: 1 – 2 Days
Travel time reliability is critical to many transportation system users, whether they are drivers, transit riders, or freight shippers and carriers. This 1-2 day workshop equips planners and operators to integrate reliability and operations into transportation planning using a performance-based approach. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the concept of reliability and its measures. Small group exercises allow participants to apply what they have learned to realistic scenarios and leave the workshop with an action plan.
Contact: jim.hunt@dot.gov
Integrating Planning for Operations into Metropolitan Transportation Plans and Programs – A Workshop
Level: Beginner - Intermediate
Length: 1/2 – 2 Days
This workshop aims to assist metropolitan planning agencies and their planning partners adopt and begin to utilize and integrate key elements of planning for operations into their metropolitan transportation plans and programs. The session consists of an introduction to planning for operations and then one or more modules, focusing on specialized topics. Modules are selected to respond to the specific interests of the region(s) represented at the workshop. Module options include:
- Applying Analysis Tools in Planning for Operations
- Benefit-Cost Analysis of Operational Strategies
- Integrating Travel Demand Management into the Transportation Planning Process
- Developing a Regional Concept for Transportation Operations (RCTO)
- Supporting Livability and Sustainability with Operations
- Applying the Regional ITS Architecture to Support Planning
- Organizing for Operations
- Advancing Traffic Incident Management (TIM) in Regional Planning
- Marketing Operations to Decisionmakers
Contact: jim.hunt@dot.gov
Advancing Planning for Operations in Metropolitan Areas (NHI 133111)
Level: Beginner
Length: 1 1/2 – 2 Days
This course provides a foundational understanding of planning for operations. It focuses on the use of specific, measurable objectives and performance measures to advance operations in the metropolitan planning process. It encourages enhanced regional collaboration and coordination between planners and operators in advancing M&O and integrating the congestion management process in transportation planning. The course includes an optional half-day workshop tailored for the region.
More information available from the National Highway Institute.
Applying Analysis Tools in Planning for Operations
Level: All Levels
Length: 1 Day
This workshop provides planners and operators with insights into the range of best practice models, analysis methods, and analytical approaches currently used for decisionmaking. Some of the tools that are discussed include: sketch planning, travel demand models, simulation models, application-specific models, and the use of archived data for performance monitoring and reporting.
Contact: James Colyar
Benefit Cost Analysis of Operational Strategies
Level: All Levels
Length: 1 Day
The Office of Operations is conducting workshops for interested stakeholders to explain and validate the Benefit-Cost (B/C) for Operations Desk Reference and Decision Support Tool. The B/C guidance and tool will assist planners and operations practitioners in assessing the economic value of management and operations (M&O) strategies. The tool will perform sketch planning B/C analysis, provide guidance on sophisticated B/C models based on user needs, and will provide estimates of life cycle costs for M&O strategies.
Contact: jim.hunt@dot.gov
Implementing an Effective Congestion Management Process as Part of Performance-Based Planning
Level: Beginner
Length: 1 Day
This workshop is intended to be a refresher on the development of the congestion management process (CMP). It features best practice examples from CMPs developed by other transportation management areas, and also aims to cover changes from previous guidebooks, explore Federal requirements, and provide an overview of the components of an effective CMP.
Contact: ben.williams@dot.gov
Making the Business Case for Institutional, Organizational, and Procedural Changes for TSMO
Level: Intermediate
Length: 1.5 hours
This course is designed to teach state and local Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) champions how and why they need to make a business case for TSMO implementation. The course teaches the basic concepts presented in the online manual Advancing TSMO: Making the Business Case for Institutional, Organizational, and Procedural Changes.
Contact: joseph.gregory@dot.gov
