Caltrans presented the initial approach for a phased transportation asset-management plan the department is preparing in consultation with the commission. The plan responds to federal MAP-21 requirements and Californias SB 486 and aims to improve prioritization and transparency for SHOP spending.

Phase 1 scope and rationale

Caltrans said it will begin phase 1 by focusing on four asset classes: pavement, bridges, culverts and intelligent transportation system (ITS) elements. Staff said those assets present a mix of system performance and high-risk failure modes (for example, culvert failures can produce sudden route loss), so they provide a practical starting point for an outcomes-based approach.

What the plan will include

Caltrans said the phase-1 deliverable will present condition baselines, life-cycle analyses where data allow, a set of goals and performance measures, performance gaps, and investment scenarios and strategies. Staff also said the department is developing a decision-support tool as a SHOP pilot to allow transparent weighing of objectives and performance measures when scoring or prioritizing projects.

Role of the commission

SB 486 and MAP-21 give the CTC a role in adopting performance targets and reviewing the asset-management plan. Caltrans said it will bring a fuller package to the commission in March that will include the proposed performance measures, proposed targets and a schedule for implementation in time to inform the 2016 SHOP cycle.

Why this matters: Asset management is intended to make capital investments more strategic and to link condition data to funding decisions; the plan and pilot tool will inform project prioritization in SHOP and potentially improve life-cycle outcomes for core highway assets.

Next steps

Caltrans will return to the commission in March with a more detailed phase-1 plan (pavement, bridge, culvert, ITS), target recommendations, and a demonstration of the SHOP decision-support/pilot tool.