PERFORMANCE-BASED PLANNING & PROGRAMMING
OVERVIEW
A national performance-based planning requirement for federal, state, and regional agencies was originally established in 2012, with the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) surface transportation program, in order to tie investments to transportation system performance. It was continued in 2015 with the passage of the federal transportation bill, Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. FAST Act continues the aggressive path toward performance-based planning and more specifically, performance-based transportation outcomes. Several divisions of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) are responsible for administering the national surface transportation, performance-based planning program with rule-making oversight by the FHWA and FTA.
BACKGROUND
Target Reporting Dates:
State: August 31st with annual HSIP report.
MPOs: 180 days after the State sets/adjusts its targets.
How Are Targets Set?
Up to each State and MPO; MPO can adopt State targets, or come up with their own
STATE SAFETY PERFORMANCE TARGETS
Goal: Reduce fatalities and serious injuries by half by 2035, moving towards zero by 2050.
Target: Where do we need to be by December 31, 2022 (current target setting year) to reach this goal by 2035?
Assessment of Significant Progress – 2019 Safety Targets
- FHWA does not directly assess MPO progress towards meeting safety targets.
- In early 2021, FHWA completed an assessment of target achievement for NCDOT’s calendar year 2019 safety targets, based on the 5-year averages for 2015-2019 for each measure.
- Per 23 CFR 490.211(c)(2), a State DOT has met or made significant progress towards meeting its safety performance targets when at least four of the safety performance targets have been met or the actual outcome is better than the baseline performance.
- Based on FHWA’s review, North Carolina has not met or made significant progress toward achieving its 2019 safety performance targets.
- As a result, NCDOT must ensure that all HSIP safety funds are obligated, and must develop an HSIP Implementation Plan that describes actions the State will take to meet or make significant progress toward achieving its targets.
RESOURCES
Safety Performance Management Resources
2019 North Carolina Strategic Highway Safety Plan
NCDOT Safety Data MapsFrequently Asked Questions: Safety Performance Management Measures Final Rule
BACKGROUND
Target Reporting Dates:
State: Initial targets had to be reported by October 1, 2018 in a baseline performance period report. States must report their established targets (2-year, where applicable, and 4-year) and progress toward achieving those targets in subsequent biennial performance reports. States have the option to adjust 4-year targets at the midpoint of a performance period.
MPOs: 180 days after the State sets/adjusts its targets.
How are targets set?
- Up to each State and MPO; MPO can adopt State targets, or come up with their own.
- A maximum of 10% of NHS bridges are allowed to be classified as structurally deficient (or poor) over a 3-year period and a maximum of 5% of Interstate pavement is allowed to be classified as in poor condition for any year (excludes bridges, invalid missing data, and non-Interstate NHS pavement)
Assessment of Significant Progress
- FHWA will determine whether a State DOT has maintained minimum condition levels and has made significant progress toward meeting pavement and bridge condition targets.
- FHWA will not directly assess MPO progress towards meeting pavement and bridge condition targets.
RESOURCES
Pavement Performance Measures Fact Sheet
Bridge Performance Measures Fact Sheet
HPMS Field Manual
National Bridge Inventory
Frequently Asked Questions: Pavement and Bridge Condition Performance Measures Final Rule
BACKGROUND
Target Reporting Dates:
State: Initial targets had to be reported by October 1, 2018 in a baseline performance period report. States must report their established targets (2-year, where applicable, and 4-year) and progress toward achieving those targets in subsequent biennial performance reports. States have the option to adjust 4-year targets at the midpoint of a performance period.
MPOs: 180 days after the State sets/adjusts its targets (except for PHED and non-SOV travel targets which must be set jointly with State)
How are targets set?
- Reliability targets: Up to each State and MPO; MPO can adopt State targets, or come up with their own.
- Emissions targets: Required for State and MPOs whose geographic boundaries contain all or part of a nonattainment or maintenance area for ozone, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter – The MPO target is the cumulative 2-year and 4-year emission reduction estimates for CMAQ funded projects by pollutant within the planning area. The State target is the sum of the MPO targets.
- Remaining targets: A single, unified 2-year and 4-year target must be set by the State and applicable MPOs in urbanized areas of more than 1 million people (first reporting period) or 200,000 (subsequent reporting periods) in nonattainment or maintenance areas for ozone, carbon monoxide, or particulate matter for PHED and non-SOV travel.
Assessment of Significant Progress
RESOURCES
Reliability Fact Sheet
Freight Fact Sheet
PHED Fact Sheet
Non-SOV Fact Sheet
On-Road Mobile Source Emissions Fact Sheet
Frequently Asked Questions: System Performance/Freight/CMAQ Performance Measures Final Rule
Background
Transit Asset Management (TAM) is a key component of the federal performance-based planning process. FTA published the TAM Final Rule on July 26, 2016 (effective date of October 1, 2016) to define the term state of good repair and to establish minimum Federal requirements for transit asset management that apply to all recipients and subrecipients of chapter 53 funds that own, operate, or manage public transportation capital assets.
Transit agencies are defined in the federal regulations as either Tier I or Tier II agencies. These agency types are based upon the number of vehicles owned, operated, and managed by a respective transit agency:
- Tier I agencies own/operate/manage > 100 vehicles during peak service
- Tier II agencies own/operate/manage ≤ 100 vehicles during peak service
A Tier I agency is responsible for setting its own transit targets, whereas Tier II agencies can set their own transit targets or defer to group sponsors (typically State DOTs) to set the targets. Currently, there are no Tier I transit agencies within the GCLMPO. Tier II agencies include Gastonia Transit, Gaston County ACCESS, Transportation Lincoln County, and the Transportation Administration of Cleveland County. All Tier II agencies have elected to participate in NCDOT’s Group TAM Plan and have agreed to support NCDOT targets.
Transit operators must update their TAM targets annually. MPOs are encouraged to update their TAM targets when they update their TIP or MTP.
Required Plans
All transit providers that are recipients or subrecipients of Federal financial assistance under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53 and own, operate, or manage transit capital assets used in the provision of public transportation are required to develop a TAM plan. The plan must be updated in its entirety at least every four years, and it must cover a horizon period of at least four years.
Tier I transit providers are required to develop and carry out their own TAM plans. As stated, the GCLMPO does not have a Tier I transit agency. Tier II providers may develop their own plans or participate in a group TAM plan (compiled by a Group Plan Sponsor – typically the State DOT). The North Carolina Department of Transportation/ Public Tranpsortation Division (NCDOT/ PTD) prepared a Group TAM (Transit Asset Management ) plan for all community transportation systems and small urban systems opting to be included in the plan. All four transit agencies within the GCLMPO area participated in the NCDOT Group TAM Plan: Gastonia Transit, Gaston ACCESS, Transportation Administration of Cleveland County (TACC) and Transportation Lincoln County (TLC).
Reporting
Transit operators do not submit their TAM plans to FTA, although they must be available for review and ongoing oversight. Transit operators are required to share their TAM plans with State DOT and MPO planning partners.
Transit operators are required to report annually to FTA’s NTD based on their system’s fiscal year end:
- January 1st – June 30th: Report by last business day of October
- July 1st – September 30th: Report by last business day of January
- October 1st – December 31st: Report by last business day of April
Submissions must include asset inventory data, condition assessments and performance results, projected targets for the next fiscal year, and a narrative report on changes in transit system conditions and the progress toward achieving previous performance targets.
GCLMPO reported its TAM targets to NCDOT in the form of a resolution.
Accountability & Transparency
In progress
Additional Resources
Background
Transit Safety is a key component of the federal performance-based planning process. FTA published the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) Final Rule on July 19, 2018 (effective date of July 19, 2019) to improve public transportation safety by guiding transit agencies to more effectively and proactively manage safety risks in their systems.
Performance Measures & Targets
The PTASP performance measures in the table below were established as part of the PTASP Final Rule. All operators of public transportation systems that are recipients and sub-recipients of federal financial assistance under the Urbanized Area Formula Program and all rail transit operator recipients must develop safety performance targets based on the safety performance measures established in FTA’s National Public Transportation Safety Plan (National Safety Plan). Targets must be reviewed and updated annually as part of a safety plan (see the Plans section below).
Initial PTASP targets are due to FTA by July 20, 2020. MPOs have 180 days after providers set and share their initial targets to establish their own targets.
Required Plans
ll recipients and sub-recipients of FTA grant funds are required to develop and certify that they have a safety plan meeting the requirements of the PTASP rule by July 20, 2020. Tier I providers must draft and implement their own safety plans. Tier II providers may have the state draft the safety plan on their behalf or may opt to draft their own safety plan.
Regardless of who drafts and certifies a safety plan, each transit operator is required to carry out and implement its own safety plan.
Safety plans must be signed by an operator’s Accountable Executive and approved by its Board of Directors (or equivalent authority). State Safety Oversight Agencies must approve the safety plans of the rail transit agencies they oversee.
NCDOT is currently developing an initial safety plan of behalf of the Tier II providers located within the GCLMPO area.
Reporting
Transit operators (or states on behalf of Tier II public transportation providers) are required to review, update, and self-certify their safety plans annually via FTA’s Certifications and Assurances process (which include safety performance targets).
GCLMPO will report its initial PTASP targets to NCDOT in the form of a resolution.
Accountability & Transparency
In progress