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21st century operations using 21st century technologies

Webinars on Benefit Cost Analysis for Operations and Road Weather Management Strategies

Operations News

FHWA will be holding two webinars on Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) strategies and tools. The first webinar will focus on BCA for Transportation Systems Management and Operations and the second webinar will focus on BCA for Road Weather Management. These webinars are free and are open to anyone who is interested. You must register in advance as space is limited to the first 500 registrants for each webinar, and you may register for one or both webinars. Please note that you must register individually for each webinar. Once you register you will receive an email with login instructions. All that is needed to participate is a computer with an Internet connection and a telephone. Each webinar will include a question and answer session in addition to the presentations.

Due to an increasingly competitive fiscal environment, state, regional, and local transportation planning organizations around the country are being asked more than ever to justify their programs and expenditures. Transportation System Management and Operations (TSMO) programs have not escaped this scrutiny and are routinely asked to rank their projects against traditional expansion projects, as well as conduct other "value"-related exercises. This requirement can put TSMO projects at a disadvantage since many specialists in this arena have limited experience in performing benefit/cost analysis; and often, many of the established tools and data available for conducting benefit/cost analysis for traditional infrastructure projects are poorly suited to analyzing the specific performance measures, project timelines, benefits, and life-cycle costs associated with operational improvements. In response to the needs of system operators to conduct these analyses, a number of initiatives have been undertaken in recent years at the national, state, and regional levels to develop enhanced analysis tools, methodologies and information sources to support the conduct of benefit/cost analysis for many specific TSMO strategies. It often remains difficult, however, for practitioners to weed through the multiple information and guidance sources in order to understand and apply an appropriate methodology for meeting their own specific analysis needs.

Benefit Cost Analysis Tools For Transportation Systems Management and Operations

Date: October 30, 2014
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 pm EDT
Cost: Free

Agenda

  • FHWA Operations Benefit Cost Analysis Resources – Jim Hunt, FHWA and Michael Lawrence, Jack Faucett Associates
  • Benefit Cost Analysis of the Kansas City SCOUT Program – Jason Simms, KC SCOUT
  • Benefit Cost Analysis of FHWA's Urban Partnership Agreement Projects – Mark Burris, Texas A&M University
  • Florida's Integration of Benefit Cost Analysis into the Planning Process – Doug McLeod, Florida DOT and Kenny Voohries, Cambridge Systematics

Registration: http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=27915

Benefit Cost Analysis Tools for Road Weather Management

Date: November 6, 2014
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 pm EST
Cost: Free

Agenda

  • Benefit Cost Analysis for Operations and Road Weather Management – Roemer Alfelor, FHWA
  • Introduction and Application of TOPS-BC for Road Weather Management BCA – Michael Lawrence, Jack Faucett Associates
  • Clear Roads BCA Toolkit – David Veneziano, Montana State University, Western Transportation Institute

Registration: http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=28094

 

Please contact Jennifer Symoun, Leidos with any questions – symounj@leidos.com.