Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) Plans
Transportation agencies across the country are moving from implementing ad hoc transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) projects towards institutionalizing TSMO as a core function of the agency. To structure and sustain this shift, many agencies have found it valuable to develop a TSMO program plan that outlines the strategic, programmatic, and tactical visions for TSMO and the steps needed to achieve them. Management and operations stakeholders work together with transportation planners, designers, and other partners to develop this vision by finding agreement on:
- Strategic elements: business case for TSMO; TSMO program mission; goals and performance measures
- Programmatic elements: organizational structure; staffing and workforce needs; leadership needs and roles; business processes
- Tactical elements: TSMO projects or services; policies for implementation.
TSMO program planning can help an agency increase the effectiveness of its TSMO efforts by providing a clear understanding of what the TSMO program entails, what it aims to achieve and how, and how it fits within the larger agency context. TSMO program plans can help stakeholders develop operations objectives to guide the selection of management and operations strategies, integrate projects in the region’s planning and programming processes, and identify performance measures that will enable them to track progress.
Resources to Help You Develop a TSMO Program Plan
Reports and Publications
Developing and Sustaining a Transportation Systems Management & Operations Mission for Your Organization: A Primer for Program Planning (HTML, PDF 2.0 MB) - describes the elements and process of TSMO program planning
Improving Business Processes for More Effective Transportation Systems Management and Operations (HTML, PDF 2.5 MB)
NCHRP Synthesis 567: Summary State DOT Practices for Developing and Implementing TSMO Plans
Webinars and Training
CITE Training: Program Planning for TSMO
FHWA-AASHTO TSMO Program Planning Webinar Series – hosted by NOCoE
- TSMO Program Planning – Dec 2019
- TSMO Program Planning: Developing and Sustaining a TSMO Mission for Your Organization – Sept 2018
- Keeping the Dialogue for TSMO Going: TSMO Program Planning Roundtable – June 2018
- TSMO Program Plan Development Roundtable Webinar – Part 1 – Dec 2017
- TSMO Program Plan Development Roundtable Webinar – Part 2 – Jan 2018
Advancing TSMO: Making the Business Case for Institutional, Organizational, and Procedural Changes – Dec 2018
Transportation Systems Management & Operations… What Does It Mean to Planners? – April 2017
Examples
Statewide TSMO Resources
- Alabama DOT Statewide TSMO Master Program Plan
- Florida TSMO Strategic Plan
- Iowa DOT TSMO Program Plan
- Maryland DOT SHA TSMO Strategic Plan
- Michigan DOT: Development and Maintenance of TSMO Implementation and Strategic Plan
- Minnesota DOT TSMO Program Plan
- Missouri DOT TSMO Program and Action Plan
- Nevada DOT Statewide TSMO Program Plan
- North Carolina DOT Statewide TSMO Strategic Plan, Programmatic Plan, and Service Layer Plans
- Ohio DOT: Transportation Systems Management & Operations website
- Pennsylvania DOT TSMO Program Plan
- South Dakota DOT TSMO Program Plan
- Texas DOT Statewide TSMO Strategic Plan and District Program Plans
- Washington State DOT: A Workforce Shift Toward TSMO
Regional TSMO Resources
- Atlanta Regional Commission TSMO website
- Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho: Treasure Valley Transportation System: Operations, Management, and ITS
- Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Transportation Operations Master Plan
- Genesee-Finger Lakes Regional Transportation System Management and Operations (TSMO) Plan
- Maricopa Association of Governments Systems Management and Operations Plan
- Oregon Metro: Regional TSMO Plan
- Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Regional TSMO Plan
Additional Resources
- Advancing Metropolitan Planning for Operations: The Building Blocks of a Model Transportation Plan Incorporating Operations – A Desk Reference (HTML, PDF 2.1 MB)
- AASHTO Guidance and Online Evaluation Tool to Improve Effectiveness of TSMO Programs
- Business Process Frameworks for TSMO - Assessment Tools, Resources, Case Studies
- Creating an Effective Program to Advance Transportation Systems Management and Operations: Primer
- Connecting and Communicating TSMO to Other Disciplines
- Integrating Operations Into Planning and Programming
- Organizing for TSMO - Case Study 1: Business Processes – Optimizing Existing Planning and Implementation Processes with TSMO (HTML, PDF 831KB)
- Organizing for TSMO - Case Study 11: Metropolitan Planning Organization Examples (HTML, PDF 608 KB)
