Performance-Based Planning
Federal law establishes performance measures to ensure states and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are investing in projects that contribute towards national goals. The USDOT has published rules for states and MPOs to collect data and establish performance targets that will support performance-based investment decisions. The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) must include a description of the anticipated effect of the TIP toward achieving the performance targets identified by the MPO. The TIP must also demonstrate the link between investment priorities in the TIP and achievement of performance targets in the plans. A summary of each set of performance targets and the relation to investment decisions is included below.
Roadway Safety
What do we measure?
This measure focuses on reducing fatal and severe injuries for all users, including both motorized and non-motorized modes of travel. Fatalities and injuries are measured in both total number and rate per 100 million vehicle miles travelled (VMT). A separate target is also set for non-motorized modes such as biking and walking to reflect the importance of protecting more vulnerable road users. The safety target is reviewed annually. The RRTPO has adopted the following targets for 2024.
| Target Description | Target Value |
|---|---|
| Fatalities | 107 |
| Fatalities per 100M VMT | 1.050 |
| Serious Injuries | 872 |
| Serious Injuries per 100M VMT | 8.543 |
| Non-Motorized Fatalities and Serious Injuries | 110 |
How will we achieve it?
To achieve the targets for fatalities and injuries across the region, funding is prioritized in both state and regionally administered programs for projects that are expected to reduce crashes resulting in fatalities or severe injuries. Some of the major funding programs with a focus on safety in evaluating applications are summarized below.
| Funding Program | Weight |
|---|---|
| RSTP (RRTPO) | 25% |
| CMAQ (RRTPO) | 25% |
| VHSIP (state) | 100% |
| Smart Scale (state) | 20% |
| CVTA regional (CVTA) | 38.5% |
In the FY24 – FY27 TIP, $40,213,747 in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding is dedicated to safety improvements throughout the region.
Beyond dedicated safety funds, the Safety/ITS/ Operational Improvements project group has $274,712,462 dedicated to improvements which improve safety and operations on existing roadways.
To improve the safety of more vulnerable non-motorized road users, $82,373,060 is programmed toward active transportation improvements in the Transportation Alternatives/Byway/Non-Traditional project group. These investments are expected to provide safer connections for non-motorized road users, reducing fatalities and serious injuries.
Pavement Condition
What do we measure?
This measure focuses on the condition of pavements along interstates and non-interstates that form the National Highway System (NHS). In planning and programming federal funds, MPOs are required to emphasize preservation of the existing transportation system. The RRTPO has adopted the following targets for pavement conditions for the next four years.
| Target Description | Target Value |
|---|---|
| Interstate Pavement in Good Condition | 45% |
| Interstate Pavement in Poor Condition | 3% |
| Non-Interstate Pavement in Good Condition | 25% |
| Non-Interstate Pavement in Poor Condition | 5% |
How will we achieve it?
Highways maintenance is primarily the responsibility of the Virginia Department of Transportation, particularly in the case of the interstates and state primary highways that form the NHS. Some localities including the Town of Ashland, Henrico County, and the City of Richmond own and maintain their own roadways to varying extents.
To ensure pavements throughout the state are maintained in good condition, funding for maintenance is set aside before distribution to the various competitive programs. Additionally, the State of Good Repair program makes funding for reconstruction and rehabilitation available for interstate and primary routes through a prioritization process.
In the FY24 – FY27 TIP, $134,737,913 in federal funds are programmed for Preventive Maintenance and System Preservation. These funds are expected to help meet the pavement condition targets and represent approximately 22% of the total federal funding programmed in the TIP.
Bridge Condition
What do we measure?
This measure is like the pavement condition target but focused on the condition of the deck or surface of bridges on the National Highway System (NHS) that are included in the National Bridge Inventory (NBI). The RRTPO has adopted the following targets for bridge deck condition for the next four years.
| Target Description | Target Value |
|---|---|
| Deck Area of Bridges in Good Condition | 25.1% |
| Deck Area of Bridges in Poor Condition | 3.6% |
How will we achieve it?
The primary funding source for bridge rehabilitation is the State of Good Repair program. This program provides funding for structurally deficient bridges (bridges in poor condition). Other funding programs such as RSTP or the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) regional program have also provided funding for bridge projects.
Bridge funding generally falls under either preventive maintenance, including deck overlays and inspections, or bridge rehabilitation, replacement, or reconstruction project groups. These two funds program $227,957,388 to support these bridge deck condition targets.
Roadway Performance
What do we measure?
This measure focuses on the consistency or dependability in the travel time of a trip weighted by the number of people travelling along a corridor. This measure looks at the longest 20% of travel times along the corridor relative to the median travel time. If travel time is at least 50% longer than normal during the worst periods, the segment is deemed unreliable. Each road segment is weighted by length, traffic volume, and vehicle occupancy to calculate the percentage of person-miles that are reliable. RRTPO has adopted the following targets for the next four years.
| Target Description | Target Value |
|---|---|
| Person-Miles Travelled that are Reliable (Interstate) | 85% |
| Person-Miles Travelled that are Reliable (Non-Interstate) | 88% |
How will we achieve it?
To achieve the targets for reliability across the region, funding is prioritized in both state and regionally administered programs for projects that are expected to reduce congestion and improve reliability. While congestion is not the same as reliability, the two measures are closely related. Congested roads are more likely to experience delays due to unexpected events (such as crashes or lane closures) and reducing non-recurrent congestion improves reliability. Some of the major funding programs with a focus on congestion or reliability in evaluating applications are summarized below.
| Funding Program | Weight |
|---|---|
| RSTP (RRTPO) | 15% |
| CMAQ (RRTPO) | 15% |
| Smart Scale (state) | 15% |
| CVTA regional (CVTA) | 23% |
Improvements to congestion bottlenecks and unreliable segments of the NHS are expected to improve regional performance toward these measures. Identified projects based on the RRTPO’s Congestion Management Process (CMP) include:
- UPC 102952 - RTE 10 (I-95 - Rt 1) - WIDENING
- UPC 120374 - #I64CIP - I-64WB EXIT 181 IMPROVE INTERCHANGE CONFIGURATION
- Grouped projects (Construction: Safety/ITS/Operational Improvements):
- UPC 101034 - #HB2.FY17 RTE 6 PATTERSON AVE AT PARHAM RD INTERSECTION
- UPC 112051 - I-195 - SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS
- UPC 115412 - #SMART20 - RCUT Route 60 and Woolridge\Old Buckingham
Freight Movement
What do we measure?
This measure is like roadway performance but focuses on the reliability of travel for trucks on the interstates. This measure looks at the median travel time and compares it with the longest five percent (5%) of travel times for the same corridor. A lower value (closer to one) indicates more reliable travel. The RRTPO has adopted the following target for the next four years.
| Target Description | Target Value |
|---|---|
| Truck Travel Time Reliability Index | <1.56 |
How will we achieve it?
To achieve the targets for truck travel time reliability across the region, funding is prioritized in both state and regionally administered programs for projects that are expected to reduce congestion and improve reliability, with a focus on truck movement. As noted under roadway performance, congestion and reliability are closely connected and improvements to congestion often improve reliability. Some of the major funding programs with a focus on congestion or reliability for truck travel in evaluating applications are summarized below.
| Funding Program | Weight |
|---|---|
| RSTP (RRTPO) | 3.75% |
| CMAQ (RRTPO) | 3.75% |
| Smart Scale (state) | 4% |
Improvements to unreliable freight segments of the interstate are expected to improve regional performance toward these measures. Identified projects based on the RRTPO’s CMP include:
- UPC 107458 - #HB2.FY17 RTE 64 - MAJOR WIDENING
- Grouped projects (Construction: Safety/ITS/Operational Improvements):
- UPC 109320 - #HB2.FY17 SB I95 Belvidere St Interchange Safety Improvement
- UPC 109321 - #HB2.FY17 RTE 95 - IMPROVE INTERCHANGE AT MAURY ST
- UPC 109322 - #HB2.FY17 RTE 95 - IMPROVE INTERCHANGE AT RTE 10
Transit Asset Management
What do we measure?
This measure focuses on the condition of vehicles and facilities owned and operated by public transportation service providers. All rail operators and fixed and non-fixed route providers with more than 100 vehicles (Tier 1 agencies) set their own performance targets and develop a Transit Asset Management (TAM) plan. Smaller, non-rail providers (Tier 2 agencies) can choose to follow a group asset management plan developed by the state rather than developing their own targets. The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) is a Tier 1 agency and the only system subject to the TAM requirement in the RRTPO area.
GRTC has adopted policies for asset management for revenue vehicles, non-revenue vehicles, and facility conditions in the Transit Asset Management Plan. The targets for vehicles are set as a percentage of vehicles beyond their useful life benchmarks (ULB), an FTA developed measure of expected useful life of a vehicle. Facilities are assessed based on the percentage classified as marginal or poor (less than 3 on the 5-point TERM scale). A summary of the targets by asset class for 2023 is included below.
| Target Description | Target Value |
|---|---|
| Rolling Stock | |
| AO - Automobiles | 0% |
| BU - Bus | 23% |
| BR - Over the Road Bus | 50% |
| CU - Cutaway | 57% |
| Equipment | |
| Automobiles | 100% |
| Trucks & Other Rubber Tired Vehicles | 43% |
| Facilties | |
| Administrative/Maintenance Facilities | 0% |
In addition to GRTC, the eastern portions of the region are served by Bay Transit, a nonprofit community transit service. Bay Transit is a Tier 2 provider which has opted into the state-sponsored group plan published October 1, 2022. The performance targets for 2023 are summarized below.
| Target Description | Target Value |
|---|---|
| Rolling Stock | |
| AB - Articulated Bus | 5% |
| BU - Bus | 15% |
| BR - Over the Road Bus | 15% |
| CU - Cutaway | 10% |
| MV - Minivan | 15% |
| VN - Van | 15% |
| Equipment | |
| Automobiles | 30% |
| Trucks & Other Rubber Tired Vehicles | 30% |
| Facilties | |
| Administrative Facilities | 10% |
| Maintenance Facilities | 10% |
| Passenger Facilities | 15% |
| Parking Facilities | 10% |
How will we achieve it?
In allocating funds, DRPT prioritizes State capital assistance provided to transit agencies via the MERIT Capital Assistance Program. The MERIT program is designed to favor projects that:
- Achieve the statewide policy objective of maintaining a state of good repair of existing assets and,
- Have the greatest impact on the provision of public transportation services throughout the state.
To achieve these targets, the region is investing significantly in the replacement and maintenance of rolling stock. In total, the TIP programs $44,598,150 for maintaining GRTCs fleet in a state of good repair.
Additionally, just over $1 million is planned to be invested in support vehicles and $575,000 is programmed to renovations of administrative and maintenance facilities. These investments will help the region to meet the designated targets for asset management.
Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan
What do we measure?
This measure focuses on the safety of public transportation, specifically fatalities, injuries, safety events, and the frequency of these incidents in terms of both of revenue miles and distance. All rail operators and fixed and non-fixed route providers with more than 100 vehicles (Tier 1 agencies) set their own performance targets and develop a Transit Asset Management (TAM) plan. Smaller, non-rail providers (Tier 2 agencies) can choose to follow a group asset management plan developed by the state rather than developing their own targets. The Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) is a Tier 1 agency and the only system subject to the PTASP requirement in the RRTPO area.
GRTC has developed policies and targets for reducing fatalities, injuries and safety events which were originally adopted on July 21, 2020. The targets for 2023 are summarized below.
| Target Description | Fixed Route | Demand Response |
|---|---|---|
| Fatalities (total) | 0 | 0 |
| Fatalities (per revenue mile) | 0 | 0 |
| Injuries (total) | 108 | 60 |
| Injuries (per revenue mile) | 0.13 | 0.22 |
| Safety Events (total) | 144 | 96 |
| Safety Events (per revenue mile) | 0.22 | 0.15 |
| Distance between Major Failures | 9,500 miles | 15,500 miles |
| Distance between Minor Failures | 3,200 miles | 5,200 miles |
How will we achieve it?
In allocating funds, DRPT prioritizes State capital assistance provided to transit agencies via the MERIT Capital Assistance Program. The MERIT program is designed to favor projects that:
- Achieve the statewide policy objective of maintaining a state of good repair of existing assets and,
- Have the greatest impact on the provision of public transportation services throughout the state.
To achieve these safety targets, the region has prioritized investments in preventive maintenance for GRTC rolling stock. Total spending on preventive maintenance exceeds $33 million for the four years covered by the TIP.
The TIP also programs $600,000 in additional security equipment for the GRTC system. This equipment will help to reduce injuries and safety events on the system.
Air Quality Conformity
The Richmond-Petersburg Area was previously designated a nonattainment area under the 1997 ozone standard and later a maintenance area before being designated an attainment area under the 2008 ozone standard. The area is currently in attainment for all current standards. As an attainment area under the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), RRTPO is not required to adopt the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality standards.
In February 2018, the D.C. Circuit Court issued a decision in South Coast Air Quality Management District v. EPA which impacted areas like the Richmond-Petersburg Area that had been designated nonattainment and/or maintenance under the 1997 ozone standard but designated attainment under the 2008 ozone standard. One of those impacts is that new, updated, or amended Transportation Improvement Program and Long-Range Transportation Plan must demonstrate conformity in keeping with the anti-backsliding requirements associated with the revocation of the 1997 ozone standard.
In coordination with the Tri-Cities Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and Virginia Department of Transportation, the RRTPO has prepared a Transportation Conformity Analysis to demonstrate compliance with these requirements. A PDF of the final report can be read here. Please leave any comments related to Air Quality Conformity below.