New Guidebook Helps Transportation Agencies Develop Effective Sustainability Measures

The Texas Transportation Institute and the Transportation Research Board recently published “A Guidebook for Sustainability Performance Measurement for Transportation Agencies,” which offers state transportation departments and other agencies a series of practical, easy-to-use tools to continuously integrate sustainability into current agency performance-measurement programs.Sustainability has become a key component in transportation planning at all levels of government, but until now few tools were available to help planners develop meaningful ways to measure the effectiveness of these efforts, according to TTI.

“Working with performance measures can be a daunting task due to the large number of possible measures, extensive data required, and the complexity involved in making these calculations,” study co-author Joe Zietsman, head of TTI’s Environment and Air Quality Division, said in a statement. “The guidebook provides a practical approach to identifying and applying sustainability-related performance measures, including those that may already be integrated into agency business practices.”

The guidebook incorporates real-world examples from DOTs and private industry in both the United States and Europe.

“The examples included illustrate how sustainability can be successfully added to an agency’s existing performance-measurement system,” Lori Sundstrom, a senior program officer with TRB, said in a statement.

Sustainability is discussed in the context of many primary DOT goals such as safety, reducing congestion, preserving system assets, enhancing economic opportunity, and improving air quality.

The guidebook was prepared for TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP Report 708). It is available at bit.ly/TRBTTI708.