This study was initiated as a response to the need of the city of gainesville, florida, to develop methods to prioritize the allocation of funds for roadway improvement projects. Because funds are limited, only the highest priority projects can be funded immediately. The uncertainty of federal highway funding programs and change in public attitude toward transportation investment costs are driving factors in forcing decision makers to devise systems for priority setting to allocate limited funds for needy improvement projects. In thispaper, the author provides an overview of the traditional allocation mechanisms and then focuses on a step-by-step roadway improvement prioritization procedure that has been devised for the city of gainesville, florida. In the step-by-step procedure, (a) roadway network improvement criteria are identified, (b) the city's roadway network system is divided into segments of homogeneous characteristics, (c) numerical point ratings are assigned to each roadway segment based on roadway sufficiency ratings derived from an overall roadway condition, and (d) cost per segment deficiency improvement is calculated for funding allocation. In addition, a simple computerized improvement ranking procedure is developed to rank and identify signalized intersections as candidates for improvement. A similar program is also developed for sidewalks. In general, the models are simple and easily understood by public officials, and they are practical tools readyfor implementation by city, county, or state officials. The models are flexible to accommodate variable standards and modifications that are useful to city, county, state, and federal projects. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1229, Economics, finance, planning, and administration.
Abstract