Problem/Issue

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) is dedicated to improving practices within the agency. The ADOT&PF headquarters manages the overall Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). However, the three regions within ADOT&PF (Northern, Central, and Southcoast) are responsible for nominating, planning, designing, constructing, and tracking projects. In consideration of this decentralized approach and the large scope of the State, ADOT&PF wanted to explore a more efficient communication and project tracking mechanism.

Solution

In 1998, ADOT&PF published the first edition of the Alaska HSIP Handbook and began tracking all safety projects in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The Handbook clearly defines the process of HSIP project development, implementation, tracking, and evaluation. The Handbook also addresses the handling of funds and project delivery activities. ADOT&PF reviews and updates the Handbook annually or on an as-needed basis to address changes in law, program and policy rules, and clarifications.

Alaska uses an Obligation Tracking Spreadsheet to track obligations on all new and ongoing projects. ADOT&PF updates the spreadsheet in the fall (typically November 1) to align with expected obligations in the HSIP Funding Plan. When a region requests approval to obligate funds on an HSIP project, headquarters staff verify the project is identified in the HSIP Funding Plan (or in a previous Funding Plan, in the case of a construction overrun or change order), then record the amount and the funding type in the spreadsheet (along with date and reason).

Data for tracking the program’s performance comes from the regional offices. Specifically, the regions prepare an HSIP Project Evaluation Spreadsheet to compile project-level details for each completed project, tracking critical project details such as three-year post-construction data. The spreadsheet provides an overview of project performance, including the benefit-cost ratio based on both the construction cost and the maintenance costs over the analysis period. The spreadsheet annualizes crash data for comparison of before and after periods, which is particularly useful if the before and after periods are different duration. The regional offices are responsible for collecting post-project crash data, entering project data in the spreadsheet, and submitting the tracking spreadsheets to headquarters. Headquarters aggregates the individual project data into a master spreadsheet to evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures and the entire HSIP program, track the frequency of implemented countermeasures, and provide an historical listing of completed projects.

Benefits

The benefits of ADOT&PF’s spreadsheets and HSIP Handbook reach beyond a streamlined reporting system. The process has also resulted in improved HSIP reporting, project evaluation, countermeasure identification and benefit-cost ratios, as well as improved funding allocation.

In Alaska, each project is evaluated based on a standard evaluation form and methodology, comparing pre- and post-implementation crash data and developing measures of effectiveness appropriate for the countermeasures selected for use in the project. The consistent project tracking and reporting facilitates evaluation of HSIP projects. Due to small sample sizes of similar projects, ADOT&PF does not develop state-specific crash modification factors (CMFs); however, headquarters is able to adjust statewide CMFs based on the collective evaluation of projects facilitated by regional project tracking.

Headquarters tracks the different countermeasures used on HSIP projects along with the number of sites at which a particular countermeasure was implemented. After the projects are constructed and evaluations are complete, ADOT&PF compares the expected benefit-cost ratio to the actual benefit-cost ratio, which helps the State make better estimations for future projects. For example, they can use the evaluation results to identify types of projects that are more or less effective, and implement effective, low-cost countermeasures systemically.

Coordination between headquarters and the regions in Alaska helps with effective scoping of projects, cost control, and the transition of projects from approval and funding to successful construction. ADOT&PF also uses the obligation tracking spreadsheet to identify funding that is unallocated, funding to be returned from projects constructed under bid price, and projects being held for future construction. Funds originally designated for HSIP all remain within the Alaska HSIP, providing flexibility in programming work.

Annual updates allow ADOT&PF to respond to lessons learned from previous evaluations and to adjust for emerging issues. For example, ADOT&PF identified a challenge related to the sporadic nature of incapacitating injuries and fatalities. Headquarters was able to use the process to first identify the problem and then a solution. As a result, they now combine incapacitating injuries and fatalities to help stabilize the analysis of rare crash severities.

Challenges

Headquarters updates the spreadsheets annually to reflect the latest crash costs and CMFs. ADOT&PF noted that one small challenge is ensuring the regions are using the latest version of the project evaluation spreadsheet. They currently post the latest version online with their HSIP Handbook for central access. As a final check, the central office reviews the submittals from each region and can notify the regions as needed to provide the latest version.

Contact

Matt Walker
Alaska Department of Transportation
(907) 465-6963
Matthew.Walker@alaska.gov