GENERAL APPENDIX 2

Performance Measures

Tables GA.1 to GA.12 present possible performance measures for various transportation program goals and objectives.
Sources of this information include Sinha and Jukins (1978), Poister (1997), and Cambridge Systematics (2000).

Table GA.1 Highway Performance Measures: Operational Efficiency

Goal or Objective Category Performance Measure

Passenger specific Roadway Vehicle/passenger miles of travel

(VMT/PMT)
Cost per vehicle for parking
Average vehicle occupancy
Multimodal, modal comparisons Origin–destination travel times by mode
Cost of intermodal trip as a percentage of
cost of auto use
Change in VMT or PMT per telecommuting
occasion
Freight specific Financial Revenue per ton-mile by mode
Cost per ton-mile by mode
Time, speed Line-haul speed
Tons transported per hour
Truck delay per VMT
Truck delay per ton-mile
Customs and administrative processing time
Operational Productivity and utility by mode
Mode split by ton-mile
Facility use by mode
Perception Quality of highway service in terms of travel
time, speed, delay, and scheduling
convenience

Transportation Decision Making: Principles of Project Evaluation and Programming. Kumares C. Sinha and Samuel Labi 527
Copyright  2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
528 GA.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Table GA.2 Performance Measures: Accessibility

Goal or Objective Category Performance Measure

Accessibility Passenger or Travel time, distance Average travel time from origin to destination by
freight mode
Average trip length
Accessibility index
Roadway condition, Truck system lane-miles
capacity Number of rest areas
Truck system lane-miles in acceptable condition
Number of miles with ITSa service
Modal choice Overall mode split
Mode split by facility or mode
Percentage of change in mode splits
Customer perception Perceived deficiencies
User identification of access issues
Passenger Population access to Percentage of population within a specified
specific destinations distance from their employment locations
Percentage of population that can reach specified
services mode
Transportation Percentage of region’s persons who have mobility
challenged impairments
Existence and quality of access for persons with
disabilities to all areas
Connections, transfers Transfer distance or time at passenger facility
Connectivity deficiency
Transit/roadway Percent of population within a specified distance
from transit routes or highways of a specific
class
Freight specific Business access to Percent of wholesale and retail sales in the
freight service significant economic centers served by market
artery routes
Percent of manufacturing industries within a
specified distance from interstate highways
Quality and quantity Number of package express carriers
of freight service Capacity of package express carriers
Availability of real-time cargo information
Roadway Average circuitry for truck trips of selected
origin–destination pattern
Percentage of bridges that are structurally deficient
or functionally obsolete
Intermodal service Number of intermodal facilities
Capacity of intermodal facilities
a
ITS: Intelligent Transportation System
 GA.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES 529
Table GA.3 Performance Measures: Mobility and Economic Development
Goal or Objective Category Performance Measure
Mobility Passenger or Travel time, speed Origin–destination travel time by mode
freight Average speed
Delay, congestion VMT by congestion level
Number and percentage of lane-miles congested
Delay per VMT by mode
Level of service
Peak volume–capacity ratio/Load factor
Amount of travel Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
Vehicle Miles Travel (VMT) per capita
Vehicle Hours of Travel (VHT) per capita
Reliability, variability Variation in trip time
Connections, transfers Transfer time between modes
Number of users of intermodal facilities
Facility access Time to access intermodal facilities
Average time from facility to major highway network
v/c on facility access roads
Customer perception Customer perception of time it takes to travel
Perceived deficiencies
Passenger Multimodal Average commuting time
specific Proportion of persons delayed
Passenger miles of travel (PMT) per capita
Cost of an intermodal trip as a percent of auto use
Mobility index
Transit/roadway Percent of lane-miles or number routes operating below
acceptable LOSa
Freight specific Roadway Line-haul speed
Tonnage moved by mode
Intermodal facilities Average travel time/delays
Average/transfer time/delays
Delay of trucks at facility per ton-mile
Other Average cost (or speed) for a sample of shipments
Economic Passenger or Indirect jobs supported or created
freight
Development Passenger Economic indicator for passenger movement
specific Percentage of employers that cite difficulty in accessing desired labor supply due
to transportation
Employee-related percent of employers who have relocated for transportation
reasons
Percent of region’s unemployed or poor who cite transportation access as a
principal barrier to seeking employment
Freight Economic indicator for goods movement
specific Percent of wholesale and retail sales in the significant economic centers served by
market routes
Percent of manufacturers/shippers relocated for transportation purposes
Tonnage moved on various transportation components by mode
Percent increase in intermodal facility use
Business volume by commodity group
a
LOS: Level of Service
530 GA.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Table GA.4 Performance Measures: Quality of Life

Goal or Objective Category Performance Measure

Quality of Life Accessibility or mobility Percentage of region’s unemployed or poor who cite
related transportation access as a principal barrier to seeking
employment
Average number of hours spent traveling
Customer perception of satisfaction with commute time
Land use related Difference between change in urban household density and
suburban household density
Availability and quality of pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
Safety related Vehicle collisions per million VMT
Customer perception of safety while in travel system
Percentage of population that perceives that response time by
police, fire, or emergency services has become better or
worse and whether that is due to transportation factors
Air quality related Tons of pollutants generated
Number of days that the pollution standard index or other
measure of air pollution is in the unhealthful range
Customer perception of satisfaction with air quality
Noise related Number of residences exposed to noise in excess of
established thresholds
Number of noise receptor sites above threshold
Other environmental Customer perception of satisfaction with transportation
related decisions that affect the environment
Project delivery related Customer perception of satisfaction with involvement in
preproject planning
Customer perception of satisfaction with projects completed
Customer perception of promises kept on project completion
Employment practices Compliance with affirmative action goals
related
Social and cultural Impact on community and institutional structures
related Number of area of residences/businesses/cultural areas to be
relocated
Impact on ethnic/racial composition and distribution
Quality of sociocultural resources associated with the
transportation facility
Visual and aesthetics Visual character of transportation facility in its surroundings
related Visual quality of overall viewshed containing the facility
 GA.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES 531
Table GA.5 Performance Measures: Safety and Environmental Considerations
Goal or Objective Category Performance Measure
Safety Number and cost of Collision rate (fatality, injury, PDO) per million VMT
incidents
Roadway condition Percent of vehicle collisions on highway system where
related roadway-related conditions are listed as a contributing factor
Number of highway miles driven at high-collision locations
Roadway segments not meeting safety standards
Vehicle collisions related to bridge characteristics
Customer satisfaction with snow/ice removal
Operator behavior related Number of collisions in which speed or traffic violation is a factor
Percent of operators driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Percent of operators complying with safety policy
Construction related Construction fatalities/construction costs
Workzone collisions
Incident response Average response time for emergency services
Percent of emergency road calls that get through to the agency
Environmental and Alternative modes, fuels Overall mode split
Resource Mode split by facility or route
Conservation Percent of change in mode splits
Percent of vehicles using alternative fuels
Air pollution Tons of pollutants generated
Air quality rating, emission levels, and concentration levels by
pollutant type
Number of days that pollution standard index is in unhealthful range
Customer perception of air quality
Fuel usage Fuel consumption per VMT
Average mileage per gallon
Land use Sprawl: difference between change in urban and suburban household
densities
Percent of developed region
Salt usage Amount of salt used per VMT, per mile, or per AADT
Government actions Customer perception of satisfaction with transportation decisions
which impact the environment
Number of transportation control measures planned and completed
Miscellaneous Collisions involving hazardous waste
Number and miles of designated scenic routes
Wetlands and other Number of area of wetlands or other habitals affected
ecosystems Level of habitat fragmentation
Species population and diversity
Ecosystem stability, quality, and productivity
Water resources Number or area of water bodies affected
Physical, chemical, or biological degradation of water bodies
Extent of disruption of water flow patterns
532 GA.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Table GA.6 Performance Measures for Intermodal Facilities

Goal or Objective Performance Measure

Intermodal, transfer Transfer time between modes

Number of users of intermodal facilities
Tons transferred per hour
Delay of trucks at facility per VMT
Delay of trucks at facility per ton-mile
Customs and administrative processing time

Table GA.7 Measures for Highway Program Performance: System Condition and Program Delivery
Goal or Objective Performance Measure
System condition Pavement Pavement quality index, condition index, roughness, etc.
Remaining service life
Percentage of highway pavements rated below or above a certain
threshold
Bridge Bridge wearing surface condition rating
Bridge structural condition rating
Percentage of highway bridges rated below or above a certain
threshold
Program delivery Time related Percentage of contracts planned for letting that were actually let
Number of lane-miles let to contract for system preservation
Number of lane-miles let to contract for capacity improvements
Cost related Net present value of future equipment and facility capital, operation
and maintenance costs
Percentage of budget allocated to system preservation
Percentage of budget allocated to capacity improvements
Average maintenance and preservation costs per lane-mile

Table GA.8 Measures for Postimplementation Transportation Program Performance
Goal or Objective
Financial General
Infrastructure construction,
engineering administration
Infrastructure operation and
maintenance
Vehicle, traveler operations
Time, speed Infrastructure construction,
operation and maintenance
Vehicle, traveler operations
Operational Infrastructure construction,
operation, and maintenance
Vehicle, traveler operations
Perception Infrastructure construction,
operation, and maintenance
Vehicle, traveler operations
GA.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES 533
Performance Measure
Public cost for transportation system
Private cost for transportation system
Percentage of variances between actual and predicted agency revenues
Benefit-cost of existing facility versus new construction
Average cost per lane-mile constructed
Construction productivity index
Administrative cost as a percentage of total program
Infrastructure maintenance expense
Operational cost per toll transaction (for toll roads)
Average cost per mile
Average cost per trip
Vehicle operating cost reductions
Percentage of increase in number of days to complete construction contracts
Units of work completed per hour worked
Average travel time
Average speed
Percentage of projects rated above or below a certain threshold
Percentage of projects requiring few or no variance orders
AADT or daily ridership
Volume–capacity ratio or load factor
Average fuel consumption per trip
Management/employee satisfaction with progress
Management/employee satisfaction with delivery efforts
Customer perception of satisfaction with completed projects
534 GA.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Table GA.9 Performance Measures for Highway Pavement Management Decisions

Goal or Objective Performance Measure

Pavement Project level Pavement condition level (in terms of International Roughness
Preservation Index, pavement condition rating, present serviceability index,
agency-specific pavement condition indices, skid number), design
ESALs or load
Rate of pavement deterioration
Remaining service life, in terms of time (years) or accumulated
loading
Jump in pavement condition (or new pavement condition) associated
with each standard preservation treatment
Network level Percentage of highway pavement sections that are above a certain
specified minimum condition level
Percentage of highway pavement sections that have a remaining
service life that exceeds a certain minimum level
Average pavement condition for the entire network
Average rate of pavement deterioration or improvement
Average remaining service life
Percentage of system receiving preservation treatments
Financial General Cost of pavement construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance
Variance between engineer’s estimate and winning contract bid
Tort liability likelihood and cost associated with surface defects
Agency construction Average cost per lane-mile, or per lane-mile-inch of pavement
and maintenance constructed
costs Pavement construction productivity index
Administrative cost as a percent of total pavement construction and
rehabilitation/maintenance costs
Average annual maintenance costs per lane-mile
Average annual preventive maintenance costs per lane-mile
Average annual corrective maintenance costs per lane-mile
Average annual in-house maintenance costs per lane-mile
Average rehabilitation costs per lane-mile per year or per aggregate
funding period
User costs User costs during normal highway operations
User costs during construction/rehabilitation work zones (delay,
safety)
Effectiveness of various preservation actions in reducing user costs
during normal highway operations (e.g., VOCa reduction upon
resurfacing)
Life cycle cost Life-cycle economic efficiency (benefit-cost ratio, net present value)
efficiency of intervention vis-à-vis “do nothing” to existing pavement
(agency and/or user)
a
VOC: Vehicle Operating Cost.
 GA.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES 535
Table GA.10 Performance Measures for Highway Bridge Management Decisions
Goal or Objective Performance Measure

Bridge Project level Bridge condition level (in terms of Sufficiency Rating, Health Index,
preservation National Bridge Inventory (NBI) condition rating, etc.)
Rate of bridge deterioration (overall, or per bridge element)
Remaining service life, in terms of time (years).
Jump in bridge condition (or posttreatment level of bridge condition)
associated with each standard rehabilitation activity
Network level Percent of highway bridges that are above a certain specified minimum
condition level
Percent of highway bridges that have a remaining service life
exceeding a certain minimum level
Average bridge condition for the entire network
Average rate of bridge deterioration or improvement
Average remaining service life of bridges
Percentage of system receiving rehabilitation, per annum or per
specified aggregate period

Financial General Cost of bridge construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance

Variance between engineer’s estimate and winning bid of bridge
contracts
Tort liability likelihood and costs associated with bridge inadequacies
Agency Average cost per square-foot constructed
construction and Bridge construction productivity index
maintenance Administrative cost as a percent of total costs of bridge construction,
costs rehabilitation, and maintenance
Average annual maintenance costs per square foot of deck area
Average rehabilitation costs per square-foot of deck area
User costs User costs during normal bridge operations
User costs during bridge work zones and detours (delay, safety, travel
time)
Life-cycle cost Life-cycle economic efficiency (benefit-cost ratio, net present value) of
efficiency intervention vis-à-vis “do nothing” to existing bridge
(agency and/or
user)
Safety Geometric rating or level of functional obsolescence
Inventory rating, operating rating
Protection from Collision vulnerability rating
extreme events Overload vulnerability rating
Scour vulnerability rating
Fatigue/fracture criticality rating
Earthquake vulnerability rating
Man-made disaster vulnerability rating
536 GA.2 PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Table GA.11 Performance Measures for Highway Safety Management Decisions

Goal or Objective Performance Measure

Number and rate of crashes by crash Crashes per AADT

severity (for fatal, injury, PDO, or
total)
Number and rate of crashes by crash
pattern (for rollover, head-on,
sideswipe, etc.)
Roadway condition related
Motorist behavior-related
Construction-related
Crashes per mile
Crashes per VMT
Percentage of vehicle collisions on highway system where
roadway-related conditions are listed as a contributing factor
Number of highway miles driven at high-collision locations
Roadway segments not meeting safety standards
Vehicle collisions related to bridge characteristics
Customer satisfaction with snow and ice removal
Number of collisions in which speed or traffic violation is a factor
Percentage of motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Percentage of drivers complying with safety policies such as seat belt
laws
Construction fatalities and construction costs
Work zone collisions and delay

Incident response Average response time for emergency services

Percentage of emergency road calls that get through to the agency
Efficiency Crash reduction per dollar of standard safety investments
Benefit-cost ratio of standard safety investments
Perception Perception of safety and security by facility users

Table GA.12 Performance Measures for Highway Congestion Management Decisions

Goal or Objective Performance Measure
Travel time, distance Average travel time from facility to destination by mode
Average trip length
Accessibility index
Roadway condition, capacity Number of rest areas planned versus completed
System lane-miles with acceptable condition and LOSa
Number of miles with ITSb service

Modal choice Overall mode split

Mode split by facility or mode
Percentage change in mode splits

Customer perception Perceived deficiencies

User identification of access issues
a
LOS: Level of Service
b
ITS: Intelligent Transportation System