Measuring State Highway Sustainability

Abstract

Sustainability is vital to the future of America’s transportation infrastructure. Achieving a sustainable highway system contributes to overall transportation development. This article focuses on the development of a sustainability index that can be used to measure and benchmark state highway transportation systems. The index was derived from a principal components analysis (PCA) of 2007 U.S. state highway systems data. Seventeen variables measuring four dimensions of highway sustainability were utilized to derive a composite index. This study finds a wide variation in highway sustainability across the U.S. states and regions. The PCA-based index provides a simple and robust measure of state highway sustainability, enables benchmarking and tracking state highway performance, and helps states identify viable strategies for addressing the challenges toward a sustainable highway transportation system.

Support for and Behavioral Responses to Tolls

“…Many of these sustainability factors play into the fiscal sustainability approach of this chapter, consistent with Chen's (2014) argument that the financial component is a critical foundation for supporting other aspects of sustainability. This chapter focuses on the use of tolls as a means to generate revenues while simultaneously managing congestion.…”

“…Future research could use the Hampton Roads HOT experience as a basis for expanding knowledge about the behavioral responses beyond this chapter's focus on the introduction of tolls on previously untolled facilities (to expand and improve the facilities) to include scenarios where tolls are implemented on previously untolled HOV lanes. Chen (2014) argues that financial sustainability is a critical foundation for overall transportation sustainability. This chapter used the case study of the recent tolling experience in Hampton Roads to assess, from the public's perception, tolls as a means to generate revenues while simultaneously managing congestion.…”

Reducing Risk in Public-Private Partnership Contracts

“…Given their numerous benefits, we expect to see more HOV/HOT tolling projects in the future. In addition, to reducing reliance on state and local governments for the funding of new infrastructure, these projects add another layer of financial sustainability to transportation development by reducing reliance on the motor fuel tax, which in this era of fuel efficient and electric vehicles, is producing increasingly inadequate revenue for road building and maintenance (Chen, (2014). And they reduce the overall environmental harm of fossil fuel consumption by increasing the cost of driving, resulting in more use of transit and fewer miles driven in single occupancy vehicles (Bartle & Devan, 2006;Black, 2010;Leuenberger & Bartle, 2009;O'Connell & Yusuf, 2013;Wachs, 2003;Yusuf, O'Connell, & Abutabenjeh, 2011…”

35 Years of Public Capital Budgeting: A Review and Future Research Agenda

“…Based on the literature on capital budgeting, a list was created in which the constructs that are used most are ranked and classified (Table 2). , and Wright, 2001;Bland, 2007;Beckett-Camarata, 2003;Boex, Martinez-Vazquez, and McNab, 2000;Bohn and Inman, 1996;Chen, 2014Chen, , 2016Chen, , 2018Dorotinsky, 2008;Dowall, 2001;Dupont-Morales, and Harris, 1994;Farazmand and Neill, 1996;Halachmi and Sekwat, 1997;Hamel and Prahalad, 1989;Hush and Peroff, 1986;Hyde, 2002;Ermasova, 2012Ermasova, , 2013Marcelo, Mandri-Perrott, House, and Schwartz, 2016;Mintzberg and Waters, 1985;Pagano,1984;Premchand, 2006;Schick, 2008;Srithorgung, 2008Srithorgung, , 2018Walt and Barenbaum, 2007; Wie and Srithongrung, 2017 Dual budgeting 28 Bland, 2007;Bunch, 1996;Hwan Chung, 2013;Ermasova, 2013;Jacobs, 2009;Mikesell, 2007;Mintzberg and Waters, 1985;Premchand, 1983;Srithorgung, 2018;Vogt, 2004 Investments in public infrastructure and problems of maintenance 25 Afonso, 2014;Chen, 2014Chen, , 2016Chen, , 2018…”

“…This requires good information systems and regular, comprehensive condition assessments to determine the status of assets, the cost of maintaining them in good condition, and the financing available to pay for the maintenance needs" (p.66). Many authors pointed out the importance of investments in public infrastructure and maintenance planning capital infrastructure (Afonso, 2014;American Society of Civil Engineers, 2013, 2017Chen, 2014Chen, , 2016Chen, , 2017Chen and Bartle, 2017;Dowall, 2001;Ebdon, 2007;Ermasova, 2012Ermasova, , 2013Frankel and Wachs, 2017;Jimenez and Pagano, 2010;Klasse, 2018;Pagano and Perry, 2008;Pritchett, 2000;Srithorgung, 2008Srithorgung, , 2018Srithongrung and Kriz, 2012).…”