Office of Operations
21st Century Operations Using 21st Century Technologies
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The Value of a Business Case in Mainstreaming TSMO

4. Current Resourcing for TSMO

Resource levels are one possible indicator of how accepted and supported TSMO is within an agency. A TSMO business case can help an agency make the case for enhancing resources directed at TSMO efforts, such as additional projects, services, and staffing.

To understand the current state of TSMO budgets and staffing, information was gathered from agency websites and during interviews. Table 1 summarizes budgets and staff for TSMO implementation at State DOTs, including overall budgets and staffing counts. Basic statistics for the States are also included to help provide context, including miles of public roads, population, and annual vehicle miles traveled (VMT). (USDOT n.d.)

The research team also included information, if available, as to whether a State’s TSMO resources are increasing, decreasing, or staying the same. Table 1 is for reference only; it is not a definitive statement about how agencies invest in TSMO, and it does not compare State DOT TSMO investments. However, table 1 does offer examples of how agencies approach their commitment of resources to TSMO initiatives. Rather than providing a model, agencies in table 1 are examples of how TSMO programs may expand or change based on population, miles of roads under DOT management, budget limits, and staffing availability.

Gathering data on TSMO-related budgets and staff through online research proved to be difficult. The research team gathered some of this information through direct interviews; certain agencies did not have defined numbers. The following are some key observations:

  • Agencies do not consistently define what a TSMO-related activity is or is not. TSMO-related activities are often grouped in a larger traffic, operations, or maintenance budget.
  • As TSMO becomes more mainstream in an agency, the ability to separate specific TSMO activities from other activities becomes more difficult and lines become blurred. This made it difficult to identify specific, relevant information and also means overall information across agencies should not be compared.
  • Staff at many agencies may have a role in TSMO activities, but they are often not dedicated to TSMO functions, which made it difficult to count staff.
  • TSMO budgets appear to be stable or slightly increasing, but this is based on a small sample.
  • TSMO-specific line items in the budget generally represent only a portion of TSMO funding. For example, TSMO applications may be included within larger capital investment projects and not identified as a TSMO investment.
  • Separating TSMO funding from other activities may not support mainstreaming and may be perceived as a threat to funding for other DOT activities.
Table 1. Examples of States’ TSMO budgets and staffing.
State Information
Department of Transportation (DOT) Budget Information
Staffing Information
Arizona
  • 66,558 mi of public roads
  • 7.2 million population 
  • 65.1 billion vehicle miles traveled (VMT) 
  • $3.4 billion total Arizona DOT budget (Arizona DOT 2018)
  • $42 million transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) budget, including maintenance, operating the system, people, and projects (Cain 2020)
  • 4,552 full-time employees (FTE) in Arizona DOT for fiscal year (FY) 2018 (Arizona DOT 2018)
  • 290 FTEs in TSMO Division (Cain 2020)
Colorado
  • 88,818 mi of public roads
  • 5.7 million population
  • 53.4 billion VMT
  • $1.96 billion total Colorado DOT budget
  • TSMO budget categories (Colorado DOT n.d.):
    • Mobility Operations: Planning, Performance, and Programs – $2.8 million
    • Mobility Operations: Real-Time Operations – $10.6 million
    • Mobility Operations: Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Asset Management – $21.2 million
    • Mobility Operations: ITS Investments – $10 million.
    • Traffic Signal and Ramp Metering Program – $16.1 million
    • RoadX: Program intended to carry out Colorado DOT’s vision to transform Colorado’s transportation system into one of the safest and most reliable in the nation by harnessing emerging technology – $12.1 million
    • National Highway Freight Program: may include some TSMO-related projects – $23.1 million
    • Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality budget – $50.2 million
  • 3,327 FTEs in Colorado DOT (Colorado DOT n.d.)
Florida
  • 122,848 mi of public roads
  • 21.3 million population
  • 218.8 billion VMT
  • $10.8 billion Florida DOT budget for FY 2018–19 (Florida DOT 2017)
  • $231 million per year TSMO-related annual budget; includes TSMO cost feasible plan, annual maintenance, connected and autonomous vehicles, operations, and replacement; does not include Florida DOT staff costs

Some exceptions:

  • Some of the work on motor carrier size and weight may also be TSMO.
  • Does not capture entire cost of major managed lanes projects, such as Interstate 4 Ultimate and Tampa Bay Next, but does capture costs of ITS technology within those types of major projects. It could be argued that managed lanes are a TSMO strategy, so the entire cost could be applicable.
  • Does not capture bus rapid transit projects that may be funded locally or by the transit office (Ponnaluri, 2018)
  • Does not capture projects funded by local agencies
  • Approximately 6,500 employees (Florida DOT 2014)
  • Approximately 80 FTEs with full-time TSMO role; includes both freeway and arterial management staff, some from traffic management centers, etc.
  • Approximately 12 FTEs with a part-time TSMO role; includes lead roles in several areas, including traffic operations and other offices (Ponnaluri 2018)
Iowa
  • 114,880 mi of public roads
  • 3.2 million population
  • 33.8 billion VMT
  • $1.3 billion total Iowa DOT budget for FY 2020 (Iowa DOT 2018)
  • $20–21 million TSMO budget identified for FY 2019, roughly the same budget for FY19 and FY20
  • $15–18 million spent the prior year.
  • TSMO program budget has been in place approximately 3–4 years; budget has been held fairly steady over the program years. TSMO budget does not include staff salaries; includes ITS maintenance statewide and on-call consultant TSMO support to any bureau within the Operations Division. (Matulac 2018)
  • 2,722 total FTEs in Iowa DOT for FY 2019 (Iowa DOT 2017)
  • Currently three TSMO positions across the State. One position in the central office and two positions in the district offices (Matulac 2018)
Maryland
  • 32,211 mi of public roads
  • 6.1 million population
  • 60 billion VMT
  • $6.1 billion total Maryland DOT budget for FY 2019 (Maryland Department of Budget and Management 2019)
  • $3–4 million for TSMO planning efforts; $6 million if State planning and research (SPR) budgets are included
  • Maryland DOT State Highway Administration’s Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART) Program annual budget is $30 million for capital, operations, and maintenance activities. Approximately $15–18 million per year is used for capital projects, such as ITS infrastructure and advanced transportation management system (ATMS) upgrades, which enable TSMO strategies. Some of the ongoing major projects, such as the Interstate 270’s $100-million project and traffic relief projects, include coordinated ramp metering, adaptive signal software, ATMS, and information technology components. (Mahapatra 2018)
  • Approximately 11,000 FTEs at Maryland DOT (Maryland Department of Budget and Management 2019)
  • TSMO deputy director was the first job description. Recent mid-management hires, such as the active traffic management program manager, have the required understanding and experience in TSMO. Moving forward with other vacancies, job requirements will have TSMO aspects included, for example, planning/engineer positions include TSMO knowledge as a criterion. (Mahapatra 2018) CHART has reorganized to support the TSMO program and specific TSMO strategies.

New Jersey

  • 38,896 mi of public roads
  • 8.9 million population
  • 77.5 billion VMT
  • $3.7 billion total for FY 2019 Transportation Capital Program:
    • $2.3 billion for New Jersey DOT
    • $1.4 billion for New Jersey transit
  • Approximately $50 million in FY 2020 for staffing and program/project funding (Cowan 2020)
  • New Jersey DOT program provides $337 million to address highway congestion through infrastructure improvements as well as through efforts to better manage traffic and respond to incidents.
  • New Jersey DOT program provides more than $90 million for multimodal investments that support maritime, freight, and rail initiatives as well as bicycle and pedestrian improvements. (New Jersey DOT 2018)
  • New Jersey DOT Transportation Mobility Division is considered the DOT’s TSMO unit.
  • 183 FTEs in Transportation Mobility Division, working under three groups (Cowan 2020):
    • Mobility Operations: 136 (traffic operations center, safety service patrol, central dispatch, Office of Emergency Management/Incident Management)
    • Mobility Engineering: 45 (ITS, signals, connected vehicles, construction analysis)
    • Mobility Planning and Research: 2 (resource center/SPR planning)
Ohio
  • 122,987 mi of public roads
  • 11.7 million population
  • 119.6 billion VMT
  • $2 billion total Ohio DOT budget for 2019 (Ohio DOT 2018)
  • Approximately $5 million Ohio DOT TSMO capital budget (MacAdam & Kieffer 2020)
  • 4,857 Ohio DOT employees in FY 2018 (Ohio DOT 2018)
  • Some staff are partially dedicated to TSMO; others are fully dedicated to TSMO.
  • Roughly five TSMO positions have been added in the central office as a direct result of recommendations from Ohio DOTs TSMO plan. Other central office staff impact TSMO activities (traffic management center, ITS, traffic management, traffic incident management, etc.).
  • Districts are shifting resources toward more staff time to TSMO. There are three or four total new TSMO positions at the districts, as recommended by Ohio DOT’s TSMO plan. Two districts have dedicated TSMO coordinators; the other 10 districts are partially dedicated. (MacAdam and Kieffer 2018)
Oregon
  • 79,275 mi of public roads
  • 4.2 million population
  • 36.8 billion VMT
  • $5.3 billion total revenue during the 2017–2019 biennium (Oregon DOT n.d.)
  • Exhibit 18–8 in Oregon DOT’s Analysis Procedure Manual Version 2 lists potential TSMO funding sources and application cycles. (Oregon DOT 2019)
  • Oregon DOT’s 2018–2021 State Transportation Improvement Program showed 58 TSMO-related entries classified as OP–ITS, such as:
    • $2.3 million for Clackamas County Regional Freight ITS – improves reliability of the regional freight system by reducing freight delays in known congested areas through a variety of ITC system enhancements.
    • $79,000 for SMART Employer Outreach Program – travel options, including vanpooling, riding transit, bicycling, walking, and telecommuting.
    • $770,364 for Canby (M J Lee) Ferry ITS project
    • $1.9 million for TSMO/ITS 2020 – to provide strategic and collaborative program management, including coordination of activities for TransPort TSMO committee
    • $2 million for TSMO/ITS 2021 – to provide strategic and collaborative program management, including coordination of activities for TransPort TSMO committee
    • $6 million for Interstate 205: Interstate 5 – OR213, phase 3 – install active traffic management improvements throughout the project limits to help travelers get where they are going safely and efficiently. These signs can display traffic flow information, roadway conditions, and advisory speed limits.
  • Approximately 4,500 employees at Oregon DOT (Oregon DOT n.d.)

Pennsylvania

  • 120,521 mi of public roads
  • 12.8 million population
  • 101.6 billion VMT
  • $9.1 billion total Pennsylvania DOT budget (Pennsylvania DOT 2019)
  • pproximately $5 million dedicated TSMO budget per year, with a planning partner match. Statewide funding is provided for transportation management center (TMC) staff and maintenance of ITS equipment. (Tomlinson 2018)
  • 11,375 employees at PennDOT (PennDOT n.d.)
  • 38 TSMO staff including TMC management staff but does not include TMC operators or supervisors (Tomlinson 2020)

Tennessee

  • 95,986 mi of public roads
  • 6.8 million population
  • 82.3 billion VMT
  • $2.2 billion Tennessee DOT budget (Tennesee DOT 2018)
  • $30 million per year TSMO program, not considering specific TSMO deployment projects in the 3-year program; currently have 17 deployment projects programmed, totaling $101,100,000 over the next 3 years (Freeze 2018)
  • About 3,400 employees (Tennessee DOT n.d.)
  • 40 FTEs in headquarters traffic operations division. 186 FTEs in the regions carrying out activities of the traffic management center and Highway Emergency Local Patrol programs (Freeze 2018)

Texas

  • 314,319 mi of public roads
  • 28.7 million population
  • 273.0 billion VMT
  • Almost $13 billion total Texas DOT budget (Texas DOT 2017)
  • Texas DOT executed four engineering consultant contracts in October 2018 for TSMO planning and implementation in the various districts and divisions statewide. Each contract is 5 years and can be funded up to $5 million. (Cameron 2018)
  • 12,419 total FTEs at Texas DOT (Texas DOT 2017)
  • Each of the 25 Texas DOT districts has identified TSMO coordinators and champions who will be leading TSMO planning and facilitating collaboration among stakeholders in their respective districts; these are not official Texas DOT job titles or roles defined in agency or district organizational charts. (Cameron 2018)

Virginia

  • 75,348 mi of public roads (2019)
  • 8.5 million population
  • 85.4 billion VMT (2019)
  • $6.4 billion total Virginia DOT annual budget (Virginia DOT 2019)
  • Within Virginia DOT’s maintenance program:
    • Transportation Operations Services (604004) improves mobility, safety, travel time reliability, and security on the transportation system through the deployment of a variety of operational strategies, including regional smart traffic centers, emergency services, traveler services, congestion management, and traffic signalization optimization. Budget:
      • FY 2018: $168,477,856 
      • FY 2019: $148,056,155 
      • FY 2020: $160,899,429
    • o  Ground Transportation System Research (602002) includes a number of research areas; a portion of the budget is dedicated to operations research. Budget:
      • FY 2018: $9,197,341
      • FY 2019: $9,500,838
      • FY 2020: $9,606,334
    • Toll Facility Maintenance and Operation (606003) provides for the operational costs of the four toll facilities operated by Virginia DOT. Budget:
      • FY 2018: $24,929,766
      • FY 2019: $41,532,467
      • FY 2020: $45,814,657

(Virginia DOT 2018)

 About 7,735 FTEs at Virginia DOT (Virginia DOT 2019)

Washington

  • 80,429 mi of public roads
  • 7.5 million population
  • 61.4 billion VMT
  • $6.75 billion total Washington DOT 2019–2021 biennium budget (Washington State DOT 2019)
  • More than 6,800 FTEs at Washington DOT (Washington State DOT n.d.)
  • 250 FTEs related to TSMO in regions and headquarters traffic operations and incident response; does not include other aspects of the agency, such as public and active transportation (Nisbet, Harwood, and Neeley 2018)
  • Has a statewide TSMO development engineer (Washington State DOT n.d.)

Wisconsin

  • 115,547 mi of public roads
  • 5.8 million population
  • 65.3 billion VMT
  • $6.8 billion Wisconsin DOT biennial budget (July 1, 2017–June 30, 2019) across all programs (Wisconsin DOT Office of Management and Budget 2019)
  • $300.4 million Wisconsin DOT FY 2019 budget for State highway maintenance, repair, and traffic operations
  • $299.4 million budget for FY 2018 was a broad budget that included more than just TSMO items. (Wisconsin DOT 2018)
  • About 3,400 FTEs at Wisconsin DOT (Wisconsin DOT 2018)
Note: Table 1 is for reference only and it is not a definitive statement about how agencies invest in TSMO.
Source: Federal Highway Administration