Transportation Improvement Program Project Priority Process White Paper

Transportation Improvement Program Project Priority Process White Paper Pierce County Public Works- Office of the County Engineer Division Introduction This paper will document the process used by the Office of the County Engineer to determine the overall priority of projects included in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) in the current fiscal year and the following 5 years. While the Fourteen Year Ferry Program is included with the TIP for approval and adoption by council, it is not included in the prioritization process undertaken by the Office of the County Engineer. As with all cities and counties in Washington State, Pierce County is required to prepare and annually update a six-year comprehensive transportation program known as the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Per WAC 136-15-010, the program shall be adopted by the county council and shall include all anticipated road and bridge construction projects, capital ferry expenditures, paths and trails projects, and any other capital projects and programs anticipated in the following six-year period. In order to develop a program that is based on a realistic assessment of funding needs verses anticipated revenues, project costs and priorities must be evaluated. This can be achieved through priority programming. Per WAC 136-14-010 priority programming is defined as the development and application of techniques designed to rank any array of potential projects in order of importance to serve as a guide in the formulation of the road program and distribution of limited resources. The prioritized list of approved projects serves as a foundation for the development of the next year s TIP, providing a six year plan used to make strategic financial decisions for projects across different project priority groups from year to year. Documenting the process also aligns with recommended standards of good practice and satisfies requirements of WAC 136-14 which requires counties to use a documented prioritization scheme, with specified parameters, to set its road construction programs...in an efficient, explainable, and supportable manner. Legal Requirements Below is a brief summary of the portions of each statutory requirement related to prioritizing programs and projects in the TIP and may not include the entire text. The statutory requirement can be viewed in its entirety by clicking on each link or visiting the Washington State Legislature s website. RCW 36.78 County Roads Administration Board (CRAB) is created by this chapter. Duties of the board include establishing Standards of Good Practice for the administration of county roads and the reporting requirements thereof. Standards of Good Practice are general and uniform practices for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods over county roads and the effective use of transportation-related information. If the review of the County s operations RCW- Revised Code of Washington

WAC- Washington Administrative Code practices and results does not meet standards of good practice, the County s share of motor vehicle fuel taxes can be withheld. See WAC 136-04 Annual Certification of Good Practice. Two elements in CRAB Standards of Good Practice are directly related to prioritizing programs and projects in the TIP. Priority Programming Procedures- Requires counties to use a documented prioritization scheme, with specified parameters, to set its road construction programs, assuring that the dedicated fuel tax funds are expended in accordance with their constitutional and statutory purposes, and in an efficient, explainable and supportable manner. o WAC 136-14 Priority programming is the development and application of techniques designed to rank any array of potential projects in order of importance to serve as a guide in assisting a county legislative authority in the formulation of road programs and distribution of limited resources. Priority programming procedures for counties must be adaptable to a wide variety of situations. Each County shall perpetually have available advanced plans looking to the future for not less than six years as a guide in carrying out a coordinated transportation program. Priority programming techniques shall be applied in the ranking of all potential projects on the arterial road system of each county. They may be applied to all arterial projects combined in a single group, or may be applied to individual functional classes of arterials and further subdivided into rural and urban systems if desired. Each county engineer will be required to develop a priority programming process tailored to meet the overall roadway system development policy determined by his or her county legislative authority. Items to be included and considered in the technique for roads shall include, but need not be limited to, the following: Traffic volumes; Roadway condition; Geometrics; Safety and accident history; and Matters of significant local importance. A description of the priority programming technique to be used shall be submitted to CRAB. The priority programming process for roads shall be applied to all potential arterial projects. The priority array shall be consulted together with bridge priorities during the preparation of the proposed six-year transportation program. Six-Year Programs- Assures the development of a statutorily required six-year program forecast, appropriately considering both priorities and fiscal capabilities. Assures that citizens can affect and see the county needs and priorities over a period of time, providing a sound foundation for effective annual programming decisions. o WAC 136-15 Implements the statutory requirements in RCW 36.81.121 with assurance that the program is based on realistic assessment of available funding during the program period.

A six-year program shall be adopted by resolution of the County legislative authority after appropriate public hearing at any time before adoption of the annual budget. The resolution of adoption shall include reference to availability of: A priority array; An engineer s bridge condition report; and The multiyear financing plan of the transportation element of the County s comprehensive plan. RCW 36.81.121 The purpose of this section is to assure that each county shall perpetually have available advanced plans looking to the future for not less than six years as a guide in carrying out a coordinated transportation program. Background- Why Prioritize? The overarching goal of the County related to the transportation system is to achieve greater efficiency in the movement of people and goods throughout Pierce County. In order to achieve this goal, Public Works focuses on needs for maintenance, operations, preservation, improvement, and administration-collectively known as MOPIA-for each division. According to the 2013 Capital Facilities Plan, preservation and maintenance of existing, essential public facilities are the highest priority followed by upgrades or expansion to meet service levels or concurrency standards, which are discussed later. Of these activities, preservation and improvement of the roadway systems are the main focus of the projects included in the TIP. Preservation can be defined as those specialized maintenance activities including treatments, replacing, or repairing, that serve to extend the originally estimated useful life of each type of roadway, roadway structure and facility without significantly changing its function, capacity or efficiency. Improvement is defined as adding new function or capacity to a roadway system. With the housing and economic boom in mid 2000, acquiring funding for projects was not as much of a challenge as it is today. As the recession loomed in 2008 and funding sources dwindled, the Office of the County Engineer implemented a plan to reduce staffing and budget levels to realistic and sustainable numbers. As a result, a strategic, sustainable TIP was developed through a comprehensive process of evaluating and prioritizing projects based on their purpose, need, and benefit to the County transportation system. This process allows the County to plan and revise the ensuing program in a thoughtful, systematic manner, comply with statutory requirements, and allocate limited funding amongst competing projects. Typically, the costs of projects outpace the funding available, which is why project prioritization is so important. Solution- The Project Prioritization Process A governance group consisting of the County Engineer and his or her leadership group evaluate and rank projects in the current year s approved TIP on an annual basis. Many factors are considered in determining how projects are prioritized in the TIP. Projects are grouped by type and then ranked within their respective groups. Each priority group has

individual triggers and processes to determine their importance. A brief description of each priority group and how they are prioritized is as follows: Bridge- The Engineer s Bridge Inspection Report is consulted to assist in determining which bridge projects are included in the TIP, as required by WAC 136-20-060. The Engineer s Bridge Inspection Report is used as an informational tool for planning and maintenance activities and reflects the general conditions of the County s bridges at the time of inspection. The priority of each Bridge project within this group is determined by factors such as sufficiency rating, level of funding, type of funding, and timelines in which funding must be utilized. Concurrency/Capacity- Concurrency/Capacity projects are included in the TIP based on the evaluation of information contained in the Transportation Concurrency Management System (TCMS). The TCMS identifies County arterial roadway congestion levels and concurrency deficiencies in the current year and subsequent 5 years. Concurrency projects include roads and corridors that fail to meet established service level thresholds, as defined by a Volume to Service (V/S) ratio (Observed daily traffic volume divided by a Service Threshold). The V/S ratio is a measure describing the operational conditions within a roadway traffic system and is generally described in terms of such factors as speed, travel time/delay, freedom to maneuver, comfort and convenience, safety, and percentage of truck traffic. Concurrency projects consist of roads and corridors needing action or improvement to meet the required V/S ratio within six years from time they first failed concurrency. Capacity projects are analyzed based upon traffic volume, peak flows, and V/S ratios. While specific spot locations may not meet preferred V/S ratio, they may still meet the established concurrency standards. A capacity project will generally add additional lanes or widen a roadway. A capacity project may also prevent concurrency failure. The priorities of the projects are based on V/S ratio; date of concurrency failure; percentage of funding; and type of funding. New Alignment- New Alignment/Corridor projects have been selected primarily from the Pierce County Transportation Plan project list in which new corridor priorities are identified. Projects are included in the TIP based on their ability to provide links in the County transportation system; improve safety and operations; provide facilities for transit, high occupancy vehicles, or non-motorized transportation; be cost effective; and leverage funds from outside sources. Projects in this group are prioritized based on level of funding, type of funding and associated timelines; construction funding, and right of way needs. Non-Motorized- Non-Motorized projects have been identified through the Pierce County Non-Motorized Plan and consist of non-motorized travel such as sidewalks and multi-use paths, within the County right of way. These projects are typically included in the TIP as an element of proposed road projects or by identifying exclusive non-motorized projects where no roadway projects are proposed. The projects are prioritized based on factors such as safety, funding, outside participation (school districts), grants, and projects costs. Preservation- Projects in this group include transportation assets that should be replaced

or rehabilitated at the point of lowest cost in the life-cycle of the asset in order to maximize County funding sources. The lowest cost in the life-cycle is the point in an assets life-cycle when it becomes more cost effective to replace or refurbish the asset than to continue to maintain it. Preservation projects extend the useful life of an asset and result in renewed functionality before more extensive and costly repairs or reconstruction is needed. Several annual programs include asphalt overlay and guardrail projects. Other projects included in this priority group are restoration of roadway shoulders, bridges, traffic signs, along with many other roadway elements. These are typically high priority projects because they maintain and protect the County transportation infrastructure. The priorities of these projects are based on annual programs, types of funding, amount of funding, projects under construction, and whether maintenance and operation costs approaching or exceeding acceptable thresholds. Safety/Operations- Projects in this group have been selected from the Traffic Safety/Intersection priority analysis system or the Bridge Rail Priority Program, projects of which are listed in the Engineer s Bridge Inspection Report. The Traffic Safety/Intersection priority analysis system analyzes accident data, turning movements, approaching traffic volume conditions for a specific intersection, and other safety conditions and factors. The Bridge Rail Priority Program deals exclusively with updating and/or retrofitting bridge rail and approach guardrail for existing Pierce County bridges in order to meet current design criteria. Projects in this category may include new or rebuilt traffic signals, turn lanes, widened lanes, updating or retrofitting bridge rail, and guardrail. Projects in this group are prioritized based on factors such as safety, funding, projects under construction, grants, funding timelines/deadlines, traffic operation needs, or outside influence. Miscellaneous Programs- These programs include categories of work that are recurrent or ongoing in nature. These programs may or may not generate a project each year or have a specific location, therefore are not prioritized. Programmed funds in these categories provide for some degree of flexibility to respond as necessary to unforeseen circumstances. If a project develops from a program and needs funding it will be moved to the corresponding priority group and prioritized within that group. Miscellaneous Projects- This group includes projects generated by commitments to partnerships with others. Projects in this priority group require interagency coordination and/or agreements between or among two or more parties. Pierce County may or may not act as the lead agency for these projects. The County s participation may be required by the WAC or the RCW. Alternatively, the County may participate on projects within an incorporated area, or on private developer or other agency projects that are in the best interest of the public. These projects are not prioritized until additional information is available. At that time, if a project needs funding it can be moved to the corresponding priority group and prioritized within that group, if applicable. Ferry- Roadway System Projects- The Ferry projects listed in the TIP are considered roadway projects and don t include buildings or vessels. Projects listed are the result of input from County departments, governmental agencies, business organizations, citizen

groups, and individuals. Much of the data also appears in the July 2003 Waterborne Transportation Study, prepared for the Department of Public Works. These projects provide a blueprint for the effective, efficient, and continuing operation of the Pierce County Ferry System. The priorities of the projects are based on levels of service, level of funding, type of funding and associated timelines, and cost vs. benefit. Once projects are ranked within each group, the overall TIP project prioritization can begin by comparing all projects regardless of their priority group. The process starts with comparing projects ranked number one in each priority group (except Miscellaneous Programs and Projects), referred to as the comparison group in this document. The group then determines the project with the highest overall priority, using the criteria listed below and ranks it number one overall. The next highest ranked project from that priority group is added to the comparison group for evaluation using the criteria below. The process continues until all projects have been assigned an overall priority ranking. The number of factors or criteria that apply to a project can increase the overall priority ranking of a project. Criteria Used to Determine Overall Project Priority Ranking: Active Grants- projects with active grants have deadlines that must be met in order to utilize the money. Stakeholder Influence- outside influences can include Council, School District, Industry, or other entity participation. Projects Underway- projects that are already in the Preliminary Engineering, Final Engineering, Right of Way, or Construction phases. Projects in the Construction phase are typically given the highest priority. Potential Grants- projects for which grants are being pursued or have potential for grant applications. These projects may be given a higher priority than those that don t have funding or lack elements that would make them competitive grant candidates. Cost- not all projects are fully funded due to their high cost. In order for high cost, high priority projects to move forward, they are included in the TIP and funds are allocated as they become available for different phases. High priority projects tend to stay at the top of the list in their group due to factors such as concurrency failure or sufficiency rating of bridges. These projects may have a higher overall priority than other projects that meet more of the prioritization factors in order to keep them moving forward and eventually completed as funding becomes available. The project may gain additional funding or complete funding through grants or other outside sources. Funding Source- depending on how a project is funded and the associated timelines and requirements tied to the funding determines the priority of each project. Examples are municipal bonds, traffic impact fees, and the Bridge Replacement Advisory Committee (BRAC). Timing/Deadlines- projects may have deadlines associated with funding or need to be constructed by a certain date due to factors such as concurrency failure or inadequate sufficiency rating. Regulatory Requirements- projects may not be a priority within the County system, but due to regulatory requirements for compliance, such as American with Disabilities Act, they must be included in the TIP. These projects are then prioritized by assessing need, cost, timing, and other applicable factors.

Professional Judgment- once all factors are considered and an overall ranking is not apparent, the governance group relies on their professional judgment to rank a project accordingly. It should be noted that while priority programming determines the order in which projects are pursued, various factors such as available funding and the need for additional analysis or design can influence the order in which projects are actually implemented. Assessment by the governance group of the overall project priorities shall be conducted on a yearly basis starting in November of the current year and completed by January of the following year. The list is then distributed and planning for the next year s TIP begins with the assessment of the projects currently listed and incorporation of new projects. The previous year s list of projects will assist in determining funding levels and resources available for each project listed on the upcoming TIP. Benefits- What Do We Gain Besides a List? Through the project prioritization process the County achieves the best balance of projects that maximize the return on County investments. Before the project priority evaluation process could begin, a plan to attain sustainable staffing levels and budget was implemented. This allows strategic funding decisions to be made given the limited resources available. Prioritizing projects also helps determine consistent strategies in funding projects from year to year and provides direction to staff on which projects they should be working. Attached are Exhibit A- Procedure; Exhibit B- Process Flow Chart.

Procedure Exhibit A Prioritizing Projects on the TIP Prioritizing Projects on the TIP Effective Date: 4/6/2015 Approved by: Brian D. Stacy, P.E. Revision Date: Purpose: Documents the annual process of prioritizing projects on the approved Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The Governance Group consists of the County Engineer and his leadership group in the Office of the County Engineer Division. The group meets in November to begin the project prioritization process for the approved TIP. This process can take 2-5 meetings to complete and should be finalized for distribution in January. Action By Council Governance Group Action 1. Approves six year TIP for following year as part of the budget approval process each November. 2. Meets in November to prioritize projects included in the approved TIP. The resulting document is a TIP Priority list. 3. Groups projects by type, called a Priority Group. 4. Incorporates new projects from the approved TIP and grant awards into their respective Priority Groups. Those projects receiving grant money may or may not be included in the approved TIP. 5. Revises comments to reflect critical dates (PE, FE, ROW, CON) and to add information that will assist with prioritizing each project. 6. Moves constructed projects with outstanding administrative tasks to the bottom of the list under the heading Construction Physically Complete with Admin Tasks Outstanding. These projects are not prioritized. 7. Determines the rank of each project within each Priority Group from highest to lowest. The highest priority is ranked number 1; the next priority is ranked number 2, and so on until all projects within each group are ranked from highest to lowest. 8. Once each group s projects are in order of priority, the process of prioritizing all projects within the TIP, regardless of group, begins. 9. Compares all projects in each group with a priority ranking of number 1 and determines the project with the highest overall priority and ranks that project number 1 overall priority. 10. Replaces that project with the number 2 ranked project from its Priority Group and compares the projects again to determine the number 2 overall R:\ProgMngmt\TIPProjectPriorityProcess\TIP Project Priority Process White Paper\TIP Project Priority Procedure Exhibit A.docx

Procedure priority. Exhibit A Prioritizing Projects on the TIP 11. Pulls the next highest priority project from the group the number 2 overall ranked project came from and compares all projects again for the number 3 overall priority, so on an so forth until all projects in all Priority Groups, except Miscellaneous Programs and Miscellaneous Projects are assigned an overall priority number. 12. Finalizes Priority List by showing projects in their Priority Groups in order of group ranking from highest to lowest. 13. Provides finalized list to the OCE and other stakeholders as needed. 14. Schedules TIP Project Prioritization meeting for the following November to prioritize projects on the next years TIP. 15. Revisits the priority list throughout year to assess if priorities need revising or when projects are removed or added. R:\ProgMngmt\TIPProjectPriorityProcess\TIP Project Priority Process White Paper\TIP Project Priority Procedure Exhibit A.docx

Exhibit B TIP Project Prioritization Process Flowchart Priorities Triggers Process Projects Bridge Structurally Deficient (1) Functionally Obsolete (2) County Engineer Inspection Report (Annually) BRAC Funding Concurrency/ Capacity V/S = 1.05 Traffic Volumes Level of Service Travel Time/Delays Trans Concurrency Mgmt System Report on a Yearly Basis Number of Years Since Failure New Alignment Transportation Plan Political Influence Council Resolution Corridor Study Route Establishment County Engineer's Report Non-Motorized Non-Motorized Plan Grants Political Influence School Districts Component of a Road Improvement Project Improvements Need to be included in County ROW Preservation Visual Rating Life Cycle ADA Plan Preservation Program 3-R Program ADA Retrofit Program (New) Safety/ Operations Signal Priority Array Guardrail Priority Array Spot Safety Traffic Calming Operational Reviews Collision Reviews Location Selection Process (Annually) Miscellaneous Programs Identify programmatic need of the road system Assess programs on a yearly basis that may or may not generate specific projects. Miscellaneous Projects Commitments generated by partnership with others Assessment of financial commitment on a yearly basis. To allocate funding projects will be moved to a different priority grouping. Ferry-Road System Projects Waterborne Transportation System Ferry facilities directly related to the road system. Maintenance Operations Preservation Improvement Administration M O P I A Criteria for Overall Ranking Active Grants Stakeholder Influence Projects Underway Potential Grants Cost Regulatory Requirement Funding Source Timing/Deadlines Professional Judgment Target Sustainable TIP PE/FE $ ROW $ CON $ Total $ Annual Planning Schedule November Begins the project priority process for the approved TIP Updates previous year's list with new projects from approved TIP and grant monies received January - November Revisits TIP Priority Project list throughout year if project priorities need revising November - January Prioritizes projects within each Priority Group and then assigns each project an overall ranking, regardless of group January Provides final TIP Project Priority list to OCE Schedules meetings in Nov-Jan for the following years approved TIP project prioritization process R:\ProgMngmt\TIPProjectPriorityProcess\TIP Project Priority Process White Paper\TIP Project Prioritization Process Flowchart Exhibit B.xlsx Rev: April 6, 2015