Visualization of Highway Performance Measures (2022)

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1   The objective of this synthesis is to document the current practices and methods used by state departments of transportation (DOTs) for visualizing highway performance measures and their use of visualization techniques for communication and decision support. This synthesis focused on how visualization supports Transportation Performance Management (TPM), a strategic approach that uses performance data to inform decision making and outcomes. When implemented effectively, TPM can improve project and program delivery, inform investment decisions, and provide greater transparency and accountability. Creating shareable visual representations of performance measure data (visualizations) improves accessibility and the understanding of the data and has become increasingly widespread as more DOTs have found visualizations to be effective tools. The study methodology for this synthesis integrated a literature review, the results of a survey encompassing all 50 state DOTs and the District of Columbia’s DOT, and one-on- one interviews with practitioners in five DOTs. Of the 50 state DOTs (plus the District of Columbia’s) surveyed, 44 responded to the survey—an 86% response rate. However, not every DOT answered every survey question, so statistics shown throughout this report reflect the percentage of the DOTs answering the question. For example, if 40 DOTs answered a particular question, then 75% of responses would signify 30 DOTs (30 out of 40). The literature review results, the survey, and the interviews are contained in Chapters 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Based on information gathered from the literature review and the survey, the synthesis results show that agencies are using visualization to attempt to communicate, analyze, and report on system performance, and for synthesizing the data into presentations that can be easily understood by decision makers, analysts, and other system stakeholders. The DOTs reported that they seek to achieve one or more of the following objectives with their perfor- mance measure visualizations: • Document current status. • Show trends over time. • Communicate progress toward a target. • Help tell a performance story. • Support a policy. • Inform long-term planning. • Inform medium-term planning. • Inform day-to-day operations. In addition to meeting these objectives, DOTs report using visualizations that present information with different levels of granularity and complexity, depending upon the audi- ences with which they are communicating. The results of the synthesis show that most S U M M A R Y Visualization of Highway Performance Measures

2 Visualization of Highway Performance Measures agencies use different visualization techniques and reporting styles when communicating internally with engineers, planners, and operations staff compared to communicating with public officials and the media. The survey results of the responding DOTs show that • 100% (44 of 44) create simple charts for internal leadership (decision makers) and 61% (27 of 44) for elected public officials and external audience, • 84% (27 of 32) responded that they create infographics for internal leadership and 69% (22 of 32) for elected public officials, • 97% (31 of 32) use complex charts for internal DOT analysts, • 95% (36 of 38) have created a dashboard that is used by internal DOT analysts, • 66% (25 of 38) have published a dashboard that is available to an external audience on the internet, and • 98% (43 of 44) report using Microsoft Excel for visualizing data. A total of five state DOTs (Arkansas, Florida, Utah, Virginia, and Washington) were selected for case examples and interviewed to discuss which practices they have found to be effective for visualizing performance measures. The examples included a summary of each state DOT’s practice, as well as lessons learned. The theme of audience in relation to success also emerged regarding intended internal or specific stakeholder audiences. One common DOT response stated that an information- rich visualization allows person-to-person time to focus on explanation, analysis, and solu- tion strategy planning. It serves as an educational tool for use within the agency and with external stakeholders. This synthesis found that DOTs are grappling with a number of challenges in their efforts to use data visualization. These challenges include • Managing the acquisition, storage, and access to the data that underpin the visualizations; • Maintaining the timeliness of the visualizations; • Maintaining focus on key information as opposed to trying to maintain an expanding kaleidoscope of visualizations that are more overwhelming than informative; and • Developing visualizations that impact a behavior or encourage change. To address the challenges identified, Suggestions for Future Research in Chapter 5 describes how a Dashboard and Visualization Toolkit that incorporates an audience evaluation pro- cess could be helpful to practitioners. The guide would not only provide fundamental prin- ciples that form the foundation for creating visualizations that serve today’s needs, but also create a platform that tomorrow’s technology could build on to answer even more complex questions. Beyond mobility and infrastructure challenges, the issues of resilience, equity, and sustainability are likely to become increasingly important to meet local, state, country, and international transportation needs for both people and freight.