Policy and Planning for Infrastructure
Challenge
Comprehensive transportation planning can help agencies effectively identify and address current and future needs of roadways, a collaborative task that involves many stakeholders and numerous complex considerations such as the communities and lands through which roads and highways pass.
Solution
ARA experts develop international, national, state, local, and industry standards, specifications, test methods, procedures, and requirements. From structural requirements of rail and transit vehicles to permeable pavements, ARA experts are establishing the standards that industries rely on for safe and effective transportation systems.
ARA is advancing the industry through our leadership in transportation policy and planning-related research and consulting services at the national, state, and local levels. Our staff regularly supports and interacts with:
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
- Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP)
- State departments of transportation (DOTs)
- Local and county agencies
- Tollways and turnpikes
ARA researchers are practitioners first, recognizing that innovation does not happen without in-depth understanding of application. Drawing on this philosophy, we provide innovative policy and planning services in the areas of automated and connected vehicles, transportation asset management, freight accommodations, MAP-21 compliance, highway performance management, public-private partnerships, snow and ice control contracting, maintenance management, and highway improvement cost modeling and revenue analysis.
Through a series of efforts sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), ARA participated in the development and enhancement of Pavement Health Track (PHT) technology and PHT analysis tool. The purpose of the innovative research effort was to develop and deploy a robust, data-driven methodology for determining the health of a road network in terms of remaining service life (RSL). Through ARA’s help in developing the PHT analysis tool, transportation planners and policy makers can determine the health of different pavement types under various conditions, such as rural or urban environments or various climates, as well as a range of applications, including individual projects, highway networks, and corridors within a state or crossing state lines.
ARA has also worked closely with several Canadian agencies to acquire data on current asset management practices and used the information to develop a synthesis of asset management best practices for Canada.
Additionally, ARA offers comprehensive utility cut managements services, as well as a comprehensive suite of testing capabilities designed to assess the performance of pavement markings.
