State departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation agencies are responsible for development, utilization, and maintenance of a spatially-distributed system of physical assets. A DOT’s management structure necessarily is also distributed spatially, but typically is influenced more by the particular technical concerns associated with bridges, pavements, and other classes of assets, rather than geography. While the organization’s overarching goal is to develop and manage the system to yield the highest possible return on the public’s investment in transportation infrastructure, exercising effective stewardship and ensuring that available resources are applied most effectively across asset classes are continuing challenges. Individual DOTs, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have actively pursued development of principles, practices, and technologies to support effective TAM. Rapid advances in the capabilities and sophistication of computer software and hardware for GIS applications have led to widespread and growing GIS adoption in transportation planning and systems management. Applications of GIS technologies to TAM are yielding a variety of improvements in such areas as asset inventory control and maintenance management, condition assessment and monitoring, and database management. The objectives of this research were to (1) develop guidance for how DOTs and other transportation agencies can enhance their asset-management capabilities through effective adoption of GIS technologies and (2) encourage more extensive adoption of GIS technologies by conducting pilot demonstrations and workshops on implementation of GIS-based TAM practices. The guidance developed is intended to present for senior DOT leadership the business case for investment in GIS technologies and for practitioners information on lessons learned from leading current practice, approaches to evaluating benefits of adoption of GIS technologies, and strategies for how an agency can effectively apply GIS technologies in TAM. The research was conducted by a team led by Spy Pond Partners, LLC, of Arlington, MA. The research team conducted a critical review of recent experience among public- and private-sector users of GIS technologies for management of fixed-capital assets, considering applications outside the transportation sector as well as within transportation agencies. From this review the team extracted important lessons regarding benefits and challenges in the adoption of these technologies. Using these lessons and other examples, the research team prepared guidance materials to present to senior DOT leadership the business case for adoption of GIS technologies in TAM. The team also produced guidance for DOT staff and contractors regarding the rationale and practical strategies for implementation of GIS-based TAM. These guidance materials were then tested and refined through a series of pilot demonstrations, workshops, and webinars engaging DOT personnel. The team’s final report presents this work and the resulting guides for senior DOT leadership and for TAM practitioners. The final report, meant to be used by DOT staff and others responsible for advancing TAM in their agencies, is structured to facilitate both strategic thinking about adoption of GIS in a DOT’s TAM activities and practical adoption of GIS technologies. NCHRP Report 800: Successful Practices in GIS-Based Asset Management presents guidance for state transportation agencies on using geographic information system (GIS) technologies in transportation asset management (TAM). The guidance is in two parts: The fist, for senior transportation agency leadership, presents the business case for investment in GIS technologies for TAM; the second part, for TAM practitioners, describes lessons learned from current examples of successful practices for implementing these technologies and practical evidence of the benefits and challenges associated with adoption of GIS-based TAM. In addition to the report, the Executive Guide (http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_800_ExecutiveGuide…) and Implementation Guide (http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_800_Implementation…) are available online. (Author/publisher)
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