State transportation agencies (STAs) rely on federal and state funding to maintain and operate the transportation system within each state. The use of federal funds for transportation projects is regulated by the laws established by Congress. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) transportation bill introduced new programmatic performance measures with which the STAs must comply to use federal funds. MAP-21 has two major components: performance measures (i.e. data about the use, condition, and impact of the transportation system) and performance-based funding (i.e. performance measures to assist in prioritizing and selecting projects for funding), thus focusing on promoting transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds. Figure 1 summarizes the performance-based funding process. In order to comply with these new rules, STAs are relying on implementing innovative new processes and technology for managing roadway assets; LiDAR surveys are one of these key enabling technologies. LiDAR surveys comprise an ever-evolving set of technologies that allow for a rapid, yet very accurate, collection of roadway asset data through a single effort which, when specified, integrated, and used correctly, can result in efficient workflows for agencies. While STAs may already be collecting data for specific purposes, these efforts are often duplicated within various agency disciplines using a variety of collection methods and standards. LiDAR surveys help consolidate resources, thus maximizing funding and enhancing the accuracy and integration of information. Additionally, some traditional survey practices could expose staff to unsafe conditions and create unnecessary traffic delays for the traveling public. Thanks to LiDAR, agencies across the country are beginning to conduct a variety of activities across disciplines that can be completed more rapidly and in a much safer and collaborative environment. While the process for implementing LiDAR surveys will depend on a number of factors – most notably the agency’s current pre-construction, post-construction, asset inventory practices, process maturity, internal technical resources, and available funding – this guide draws the decision makers’ attention to the key issues that must be addressed for the optimization of data collection for use in an enterprise digital data solution. These include developing information requirements for data collection and products to be delivered for specific purposes and disciplines within the agency, and implementing the data collection program itself. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting