State Dot Outsourcing And Private Sector Utilization

This report will be of interest to state departments of transportation (DOTs), as well as to other transportation professionals and the public who seek to leverage their work forces by outsourcing key activities. The report examines the current practices in outsourcing, what decisions are involved in deciding when to outsource, procuring and administering outsourced services, what are the most commonly outsourced activities, and determining the effectiveness of outsourcing. This report is an update of NCHRP Synthesis 246: Outsourcing of State Highway Facilities and Services, which provided a comprehensive look at the status of outsourcing as it existed in 1997, and the data compiled for this synthesis are compared with the data of the earlier synthesis, where appropriate. The information for this effort was derived in part from a survey questionnaire distributed to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Replies to the survey came from 38 states and the District of Columbia. Information was also derived from a review of the relevant literature, which focused primarily on the engineering and design elements outsourced by state DOTs.

TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 692: Decision Making for Outsourcing and Privatization of Vehicle and Equipment Fleet Maintenance presents a framework for conducting systematic analysis and making decisions on outsourcing and privatization of vehicle and equipment fleet maintenance.

The report is designed to help the commercial transportation safety community and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in addressing issues involving the proliferation and availability of psychoactive chemical substances.

Long-term economic growth and increasing vehicle congestion is creating a greater demand for efficient and safe transportation. The high cost of maintaining and fixing pre-existing infrastructure is leading the industry to realize that sustainable long-term transportation planning is needed to keep pace with the growing economy. Building a Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure for Long-Term Economic Growth examines contemporary transportation issues through the lens of various modes of transportation while also focusing on the importance of sustainability, urban planning, and funding. The book covers the topics of sustainability and climate change, public management and planning, financing of transportation infrastructure, and revenue and spending issues facing modern transportation infrastructure. It is ideally designed for engineers, planners, government officials, transportation specialists, legislators, researchers, academicians, students, and industry professionals seeking current research on sustainable transport systems.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 352: Value Engineering Applications in Transportation examines the current value engineering (VE) practices of highway transportation agencies in the United States and Canada. Value engineering (VE) is the systematic review of a project, product, or process to improve performance, quality, and/or life-cycle cost by an independent multidisciplinary team of specialists. The report identifies the reported best practices, key strengths, and challenges of current VE study processes and agency programs, and offers guidance on applying and improving the effectiveness of VE in projects and programs.

Modern highway engineering reflects an integrated view of a road system's entire lifecycle, including any potential environmental impacts, and seeks to develop a sustainable infrastructure through careful planning and active management. This trend is not limited to developed nations, but is recognized across the globe. Edited by renowned authority