Measuring and Improving Infrastructure Performance (1996) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
4 Measures of Infrastructure Performance
4 Measures of Infrastructure Performance
Pages 59-82
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 59... ...
Because performance should be assessed win the involvement of stakeholders infrastructure's owners, operators, users, and neighbors the specific set of measures used may differ from place to place and from time to time, as discussed in chapters 2 and 3, although a desire for comparability across regions may necessitate inclusion of common basic measures. The committee recommends that local agencies with responsi 59
|
From page 60... ...
There are fewer sources of infold citation on the functional interactions across infrastructure modes. Urban planners, for example, have sought to devise mathematical models that can forecast the influence of infrastructure investment on patterns of land use in a metropolitan area.
|
From page 61... ...
, provision of jobs and economic stimulus, and reduction of income inequalities. Broad goals may be stated more specifically when individual infrastructure modes are considered.
|
From page 62... ...
Land developers Business groups Environmental resistance groups (e.g., airport noise) Neighborhood associations - Fleet age distribution · Area of extent - Natural barriers - Airsheds, basins Water Supply · Provide adequate, reliable, · System size · Political jurisdictions sources of water - Miles of main, distributor - System ownership · Protect and improve public - Number of reservoirs, - Rate-setting, financing health treatment plants - Consumers, service area · Provide fire protection - Area piped - Supply sources · Enable and support - Total storage capacity · Formal institutions landscaping, gardening, · Condition - Utility agriculture - Pipe leakage - Regulatory authorities · Provide recreation and - Reservoir percent of design - Bonding, financing environmental amenity capacity authorities · Support biodiversity - Design supply (treatment)
|
From page 63... ...
- Ecosystems, biomes System size - Number of collection vehicles - Number of collection, transfer, disposal sites, facilities - Landfill design capacity - Labor force · Condition - Incinerator age - Landfill percent of design capacity - Haul distance · Political jurisdictions - Collection areas - Disposal sites Transportation routes · Formal institutions - Municipal agencies - Concessionaires, contractors Recycling and disposal firms - Regulatory agencies · Informal, community structure · System cost - Major producers (e.g., - Replacement cost industrial concerns) (construction)
|
From page 64... ...
Taken as a whole, the inventory represented by measures in Table 11 is a snapshot of the infrastructure system as seen from several perspectives. Like a photograph, the inventory represents a particular time and is taken to serve a particular function, giving perhaps a closeup look at some small part of a region's infrastructure or a broad view of the region within a statewide context.
|
From page 65... ...
maintains files of accident statistics, and the Environmental Protection Agency maintains water pollution data under the auspices of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
|
From page 66... ...
PRINCIPLES FOR SELECTING PERFORMANCE MEASURES Once the inventory has been made, performance measures must be selected or developed. Tables 12, ~3, and 14 display a range of example measures for, effectiveness, reliability, and cost, respectively.
|
From page 67... ...
MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS The committee proposed that effectiveness the ability of the system to provide the services the community expects may generally be described in terms of its capacity and delivery of services, the quality of services delivered, the system's compliance with regulatory concerns, and the system's broad impact on the community. As Table 4-2 illustrates, each of these four aspects of effectiveness encompasses an extensive and varied 67
|
From page 70... ...
1 lo Em u)
|
From page 73... ...
c. Operations costs Maintenance costs Repair and replacement costs Depreciation costs Depletion costs Timing of expenditure Discount and interest rates Exchange rates and restrictions (e.g., local versus foreign currency)
|
From page 74... ...
For example, clean air was taken for granted in the planning and management of cities until motor-vehicle pollution emissions were found to be an important contributor to declining air quality in urban regions. Rising public concerns eventually led to passage of federal legislation that imposed emissions restrictions on vehicles and set ambient air quality standards.
|
From page 75... ...
For example, decision makers concerned primarily about protection of public health will rely on indicators such as mortality, morbidity, and disability rates, rates of occurrence of specific sentinel illnesses, and costs of hospitalization and liability compensation. Federal agencies concerned with national spending and standards will want comparative local and regional analyses made using common measures specific to their programs.
|
From page 76... ...
For example, many aspects of water supply and wastewater infrastructure are analyzed in terms of an anticipated peak flood or water flow. The peak is stated in terms of its anticipated frequency of recurrence, (e.g., the "100-year flooded.
|
From page 77... ...
BENCHMARKS AND STANDARDS FOR ASSESSMENT Understanding the measures of effectiveness, reliability, and cost in a particular situation is generally accomplished by comparing the measurements to some example or base. The base may be informal and derived from experience, as is the case when most people recognize that traffic congestion on a particular highway is severe or that brown water flowing from the tap is abnormal.
|
From page 78... ...
High construction or maintenance costs, constraints on program funding available to cover certain types of cost, high interest costs, or potentially adverse consequences for some stakeholders, to suggest a few examples, lead decision makers to change their objectives or modify their priorities. The overall performance assessment will involve weighing and effectively trading off the various aspects of effectiveness, reliability, and cost.
|
From page 79... ...
may offer substantially improved traffic flow over He problem route and other parts of the regional network, reducing air pollution as well as relieving congestion.8 In the shorter term, traffic congestion might be relieved by diverting from the problem highway those vehicles bound for destinations outside the downtown area. These conclusions represent the completion of a performance assessment for making a plarlIiing decision.
|
From page 80... ...
Effectiveness measures State has established regional transit authority that operates public transit system; state transportation department retains authority for highway construction and improvements Capacity/delivery of · Average daily traffic on the road is approximately four services times planned capacity · Average daily rate of trips per capita in region is double what it was when the road was planned · Transit ridership has declined in absolute terms Quality of services · Each direction of segment operates at level-of-service "D" or below for approximately four hours each weekday · Frequent accidents at entry ramps · Air pollution emissions are high Regulatory concerns · EPA requires transportation control strategy to reduce ambient levels of pollutants
|
From page 81... ...
Rows in this table correspond to columns in tables 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, and 4~. state environmental reviews might warrant a great deal more analysis than a strategic planning discussion undertaken by community leaders following the start of a new political administration.
|
From page 82... ...
7The committee did note, however, that Weir visit to Portland illustrated where a different conclusion was drawn by local decision makers committed to implementing land use, parking, and other incentives or restrictions aimed at increasing transit ridership and discouraging automobile usage for downtown travel. Some stakeholders in the Twin Cities area will undoubtedly continue to maintain interest in rail transit development.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.