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This study addresses the development of a sampling protocol for condition assessment of selected assets in the state of Maryland. The proposed sampling protocol targets a desired precision and level of confidence in the estimates of levels of service (LOS) for individual assets at each maintenance shop. This work includes the evaluation of the effect of sample size [i.e., number of 0.8 km (1/2 mi.) roadway sections] on the accuracy of estimates of LOS. The distribution of sample sizes among the various maintenance shops accounts for factors such as roadway functional classification, average annual daily traffic, geographical location, the approximate distribution of assets, and the variability in estimates of LOS for each individual asset. The implementation of the proposed sampling protocol will allow maintenance personnel to make reasonable inferences regarding the condition level of the entire asset population. This information will be useful to prioritize areas of need and determine levels of funding, personnel, and equipment. Three different variations of the proposed sampling protocol are evaluated. These variations are a function of how sample sizes are calculated: Option 1, sample size based on the asset with the largest number of required samples; Option 2, sample size based on the asset with the largest number of required samples from a selected group of assets; and Option 3, sample size based on the average number of required samples for all assets. It was concluded that, for a given confidence level, if a minimum precision is to be met for all assets, Option 1 should be used. However, if the sample size is to be limited and a minimum precision is to be met only for a selected group of assets, then Option 2 would be the best alternative. The framework proposed in this study can be modified so that it can be applied to other geographical regions.

Presentation updated for the Delaware and Maryland T2 center's Asset Management Conference 11/5/09.

Protecting the critical infrastructure and key resources (CI/KR) of the United States is essential to the Nation’s security, public health and safety, economic vitality, and way of life. Attacks on CI/KR could significantly disrupt the functioning of government and business alike and produce cascading effects far beyond the targeted sector and physical location of the incident. Direct terrorist attacks and natural, manmade, or technological hazards could produce catastrophic losses in terms of human casualties, property destruction, and economic effects, as well as profound damage to public morale and confidence. Attacks using components of the Nation’s CI/KR as weapons of mass destruction could have even more devastating physical and psychological consequences. The overarching goal of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) is to: Build a safer, more secure, and more resilient America by enhancing protection of the Nation’s CI/KR to prevent, deter, neutralize, or mitigate the effects of deliberate efforts by terrorists to destroy, incapacitate, or exploit them; and to strengthen national preparedness, timely response, and rapid recovery in the event of an attack, natural disaster, or other emergency. The NIPP provides the unifying structure for the integration of existing and future CI/KR protection efforts into a single national program to achieve this goal. Protection includes actions to mitigate the overall risk to CI/KR assets, systems, networks, functions, or their inter-connecting links resulting from exposure, injury, destruction, incapacitation, or exploitation. In the context of the NIPP, this includes actions to deter the threat, mitigate vulnerabilities, or minimize consequences associated with a terrorist attack or other incident. Protection can include a wide range of activities, such as hardening facilities, building resiliency and redundancy, incorporating hazard resistance into initial facility design, initiating active or passive countermeasures, installing security systems, leveraging “self-healing” technologies, promoting workforce surety programs, and implementing cyber security measures, training and exercises, business continuity planning, and restoration and recovery actions, among various others. Achieving the NIPP goal requires actions to address a series of objectives that include: (1) Understanding and sharing information about terrorist threats and other hazards; (2) Building security partnerships to share information and implement CI/KR protection programs; (3) Implementing a long-term risk management program; and (4) Maximizing efficient use of resources for CI/KR protection, restoration, and recovery. These objectives require a collaborative partnership between and among a diverse set of security partners, including the Federal Government; State, Territorial, local, and tribal governments; the private sector; international entities; and nongovernmental organizations. The NIPP provides the framework that defines the processes and mechanisms that these security partners will use to develop and implement the national program to protect CI/KR across all sectors over the long term.

Presented at the first FTA SGR Roundtable. TERM is used to assess the current physical condition and future investment needs of the nation’s transit assets / operators. TERM uses six modules to estimate national transit investment needs: Rehab–Replacement (Maintain or Improve Condition); Asset Expansion (Maintain Performance); Reduce Crowding (Improve Performance I); Increase Average Speed (Improve Performance II); Benefit-Cost I (Maintain/Improve Condition, Maintain Performance); and Benefit-Cost II (Improve Performance), to Evaluate cost-effectiveness of performance improvement investments.

Update to the National Bridge Inspection Standards regulation. The updated regulation, still at the same location within the CFR, contains nine sections. New sections include: Purpose, Definitions, Bridge Inspection Organization, Reference Manuals.

Asset Management Case study of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, a multimodal organization serving the Buffalo Niagara Region.

Introduces and discusses the key functions of The King County Metro Asset Management Team and their current approach for Capital Asset Management and Replacement.

Overview of the National Bridge Inventory – Per 23 CFR 650C – National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS), each State or Federal agency must prepare and maintain an inventory of all bridges subject to the NBIS. Discussion of the recognized need to update the existing Coding Guide.

Presentation and discussion of the results of the SGR Workshop in August 2008, including discussion of the “Transit State of Good Repair: Beginning the Dialogue” and the Rail Modernization Study.

FTA SGR Existing Practice Review, Reviewed SGR/transit asset management literature from 2003-present. Description of Case studies of the London Underground, and Victoria Department of Transport (Melbourne). Discussed Ingredients for Sustaining an Asset Management Approach

On July 8 – 10, 2009 the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the Federal Transit Administration co-hosted the First State of Good Repair (SGR) Roundtable with representatives from 30 transit agencies from around the United States in Washington, DC. The SGR Roundtable provided a forum for transit properties to discuss and share best practices on addressing issues associated with the state of repair of transit infrastructure and equipment, transit asset management, and the nexus between capital asset condition and safety. Participants and FTA shared ideas on initiatives and research activities to advance the State of Good Repair. The SGR Roundtable also provided a better understanding of the common and unique needs of large, old, smaller, and newer transit systems.

Final minutes from the First State of Good Repair (SGR) Roundtable, July 8-July 10, 2009, Washington, DC.