Operations Benefit/Cost Analysis TOPS-BC User's Manual – Providing Guidance to Practitioners in the Analysis of Benefits and Costs of Management and Operations Projects
Foreword
Notice
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Technical Report Documentation Page
1. Report No.
FHWA-HOP-13-041 |
2. Government Accession No. |
3. Recipient’s Catalog No. |
4. Title and Subtitle
Operations Benefit/Cost Analysis TOPS-BC User’s Manual
Providing Guidance to Practitioners in the Analysis of Benefits and Costs of Management and Operations Projects |
5. Report Date
June 2013 |
| 6. Performing Organization Code |
7. Author(s)
Doug Sallman, Krista Jeannotte, Rich Margiotta and Jennifer Strasser – Cambridge Systematics, Inc. |
8. Performing Organization Report No. |
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Cambridge Systematics, Inc.
555 12th Street, Suite 1600
Oakland, California 94607 |
10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) |
11. Contract or Grant No.
DTFH61-06-D-00004 |
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Operations
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590 |
13. Type of Report and Period Covered
User’s Manual |
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
HOP |
15. Supplementary Notes
FHWA Contracting Officer’s Technical Manager (COTM) Jim Hunt. |
16. Abstract
This document provides guidance on the setup and application of the Tool for Operations Benefit/Cost (TOPS-BC), which was developed to provide key decision support capabilities including:
- The ability for users to investigate the expected range of impacts associated with previous deployments and analyses of many TSM&O strategies;
- A screening mechanism to help users identify appropriate tools and methodologies for conducting a benefit/cost (B/C) analysis based on their analysis needs;
- A framework and default cost data to estimate the life-cycle costs of various TSM&O strategies, including capital, replacement, and continuing operations and maintenance (O&M) costs; and
- A framework and suggested impact values for conducting simple sketch planning level B/C analysis for selected TSM&O strategies.
This User’s Manual provides instruction on the installation and setup of TOPS-BC Version 1.0, instruction for using the basic capabilities, and discussion of adapting the available capabilities to the unique needs of an individual analysis.
The TOPS-BC tool was developed to support and complement the guidance developed as part of the FHWA Operations Benefit/Cost Desk Reference project. The Desk Reference provides more general discussion on the field of B/C analysis and methods for structuring analyses to overcome the many challenges often present when attempting to apply B/C analysis to Operations strategies. |
17. Key Words
Benefit/Cost Analysis; Cost Benefit Analysis; Economic Analysis; Transportation System Management and Operations; Operations Planning; Analysis Tools; Lifecycle Cost Analysis; Travel Time Reliability Analysis; Multiresolution/Multiscenario Analysis |
18. Distribution Statement
No Restrictions. |
19. Security Classif. (of this report)
Unclassified |
20. Security Classif. (of this page)
Unclassified |
21. No of Pages
88 |
22. Price
N/A |
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized
