Guidance, Primers, and Desk References

• AASHTO Transportation Systems Management and Operations Guidance
• Advancing Metropolitan Planning for Operations: An Objectives-Driven, Performance-Based Approach – A Guidebook (HTML, PDF 977KB) – This guidebook presents an approach for integrating management and operations (M&O) strategies into the metropolitan transportation planning process that is designed to maximize the performance of the existing and planned transportation system. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-10-026, February 2010).
• Advancing Metropolitan Planning for Operations: The Building Blocks of a Model Transportation Plan Incorporating Operations – A Desk Reference (HTML, PDF 2.1MB) – This publication is a resource designed to enable transportation planners and their planning partners to build a transportation plan that includes operations objectives, performance measures, and strategies that are relevant to their region, that reflect the community's values and constraints, and that move the region in a direction of improved mobility and safety. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-10-027, April 2010).
• Advancing Transportation Systems Management and Operations Through Scenario Planning (HTML, PDF 1.2MB) - The intent of this primer is to inform planners, operators, and other transportation systems management and operations (TSM&O) partners on the potential use of scenario planning to advance TSM&O. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-16-016, October 2015).
• Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation for Traffic Incident Management Applications (HTML, PDF 2.9MB) – To support modeling and evaluation of TIM strategies, this document provides a synthesis of analysis, modeling, and simulation (AMS) methods for incident impacts. (Publication number: FHWA-HOP-12-045, July 2012).
• Applying a Regional ITS Architecture to Support Planning for Operations: A Primer (HTML, PDF 8.7 MB) – This primer offers transportation planners and operations managers a menu of opportunities for applying the regional ITS architecture to enhance planning for operations. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-12-001, February 2012).
• The Collaborative Advantage: Realizing the Tangible Benefits of Regional Transportation Operations Collaboration (HTML, PDF 2.9MB) – This manual uses nine collaborative efforts across the U.S. to illustrate the tangible benefits gained through key strategies such as sharing resources and expertise, performing joint operations, using common operations procedures, and exchanging real-time information. The manual includes a six-step process to allow agencies to estimate their benefits of collaboration. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-08-001, August 2007).
• Congestion Management Process Guidebook (HTML, PDF 3MB) – The guidebook is designed to provide information on how to create an objectives-driven, performance-based congestion management process (CMP). It describes a flexible framework of 8 actions that should be included in the development of a CMP. (Publication Number: FHWA-HEP-11-011, April 2011).
• Creating an Effective Program to Advance Transportation System Management and Operations: Primer (HTML, PDF 3.1MB) – The purpose of this Primer is to raise awareness of the opportunities for improving the effectiveness of State and local Transportation System Management and Operations (TSM&O) activities. The Primer provides high-level guidance focused on key program, process, and organizational capabilities that are essential to the development of more effective TSM&O strategy applications. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-12-003, January 2012).
• Designing for Transportation Management and Operations: A Primer (HTML, PDF 2.2MB) – This primer is focused on the collaborative and systematic consideration of management and operations during transportation project design and development. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-13-013, February 2013).
• Dynamic Traffic Assignment: A Primer, Transportation Research Circular, Number E-C153, June 2011.
• Getting More by Working Together – Opportunities for Linking Planning and Operations: A Reference Manual (HTML, PDF 5MB) – This resource guide is designed to help planning and operations managers understand the value of working together and realize the benefits of pursuing management and operations strategies at the regional scale. (Publication Number FHWA-HOP-05-016, November 2004).
• Improving Business Processes for More Effective Transportation Systems Management and Operations (HTML, PDF 2.5MB) – This primer presents business processes across several TSMO areas, including traffic incident management, planned special event traffic management, road weather management, work zones, and freeway traffic management. Case studies in each area illustrate where agencies have made concerted changes to their respective business processes, and modified aspects such as contracting, training, resource allocation, planning and other business processes. The primer also highlights available tools and resources to help assess business processes, provides strategies for engaging the right stakeholders, and provides a guide to next steps. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-16-018, February 2016)
• Incorporating Travel-Time Reliability into the Congestion Management Process (CMP): A Primer (HTML, PDF 6.5MB) – Incorporating Travel-Time Reliability into the Congestion Management Process (CMP): A Primer provides guidance and potential opportunities for using products developed through the SHRP 2 Reliability focus area. The Primer has been developed, in part, to support and advance the Congestion Management Process (CMP) and the Planning for Operations program as part of the metropolitan transportation planning process. (Publication number: FHWA-HOP-14-034, February 2015).
• Integrating Demand Management into the Transportation Planning Process: A Desk Reference (HTML, PDF 31MB) – The document has been developed to serve as a desk reference on integrating demand management into the transportation planning process. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-12-035, August 2012).
• Making the Connection: Advancing Traffic Incident Management in Transportation Planning (HTML, PDF 2MB) – The intent of Making the Connection: Advancing Traffic Incident Management in Transportation Planning primer is to inform and guide traffic incident management (TIM) professionals and transportation planners to initiate and develop collaborative relationships and advance TIM programs through the metropolitan planning process.
• Operations Benefit/Cost Analysis Desk Reference (HTML, PDF 4.16MB) – This Desk Reference is intended to meet the needs of a wide range of practitioners looking to conduct benefit/cost analysis of operations strategies. The guidance provided in the Desk Reference includes basic background information on benefit/cost analysis, including basic terminology and concepts and also describes some of the more complex analytical concepts and latest research in order to support more advanced analysts in conducting their analysis. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-12-028, May 2012).
• Planning for Transportation Systems Management and Operations Within Corridors: A Desk Reference (HTML, PDF 8.1MB) – This Desk Reference is designed to equip State, regional, and local transportation operations and planning professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively plan for and implement transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) within a corridor. Its purpose is to support transportation planners and operations staff to plan for and apply TSMO activities within corridors to achieve a more reliable, efficient, and livable outcome from their existing and planned transportation infrastructure. This document highlights a planning for operations approach at a corridor level to focus on issues, such as mobility, reliability, and safety, from a multimodal perspective and provides a variety of tools to advance TSMO within corridors.
• Planning for Transportation Systems Management and Operations within Subareas: A Desk Reference (HTML, PDF 3.1MB) – This desk reference is designed to equip State, regional, and local transportation operations and planning professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively plan for and implement transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) within a subarea context. Its purpose is to support transportation planners and operations staff in planning for and applying TSMO activities within subareas to achieve a more reliable, efficient, and livable outcome from their existing and planned transportation infrastructure. This desk reference highlights a planning for operations approach at a subarea level to focus on issues (e.g., mobility, reliability, and safety) from a multi-modal perspective and provides a variety of tools to advance TSMO within subareas.
• Regional Concept for Transportation Operations: The Blueprint for Action – A Primer (HTML, PDF 5MB) – A Regional Concept for Transportation Operations (RCTO) is a management tool to assist in planning and implementing management and operations strategies in a collaborative and sustained manner. The purpose of this document is to explain what an RCTO is, the development of its elements, and its applicability. (Publication Number FHWA-HOP-07-122, June 2007).
• The Regional Concept for Transportation Operations: A Practitioner's Guide (HTML, PDF 2.4MB) – This practitioner’s guide is a collection of the observed successes and lessons learned from four metropolitan regions as they developed Regional Concepts for Transportation Operations. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-11-032, July 2011).
• Regional ITS Architecture Guidance – Developing, Using, and Maintaining an ITS Architecture for Your Region (Updated 2006 Version) (HTML, PDF 6.9MB) – The Regional Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Architecture Guidance Document is written for those involved in the development, use, or maintenance of regional ITS architectures. It describes a process for creating a regional ITS architecture with supporting examples of each product and discusses mainstreaming ITS into the planning and project development processes. This update expands upon the topics of Using and Maintaining a regional ITS architecture. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-06-112, July 2006).
• Regional Transportation Operations Collaboration and Coordination: A Primer for Working Together to Improve Transportation Safety, Reliability, and Security (HTML, PDF 5.0 MB) – The document provides guidance on the five key elements that are associated with successful regional operations collaboration and coordination activity—structure, process, products, resources, and performance measures to gauge success. Regional operations collaboration and coordination is a deliberate, continuous, and sustained activity that takes place when transportation agency managers and officials responsible for day-to-day operations work together at a regional level. (Publication Number: FHWA-OP-03-008, 2003).
• The Role of Transportation Systems Management & Operations in Supporting Livability and Sustainability: A Primer (HTML, PDF 5.7MB) – This primer describes the role of transportation systems management and operations (M&O) in advancing livability and sustainability. The document highlights the connections between M&O and livability and sustainability objectives and the importance of a balanced, comprehensive approach to M&O in order to support those objectives. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-12-004, January 2012).
• Showcasing Visualization Tools in Congestion Management: A Guidebook (HTML, PDF 2.1MB) – This publication is a summary report describing visualization practices used as part of the congestion management process (CMP), and is a supplement to the CMP Guidebook. These visualizations include maps, charts, graphs, photographs, videos, and computer illustrations and simulations. (Publication Number: FHWA-HEP-11-015, April 2011).
• Statewide Opportunities for Integrating Operations, Safety and Multimodal Planning: A Reference Manual (HTML, PDF 1.8MB) – This publication is a reference manual designed to provide "how to" information to assist transportation professionals in taking actions to integrate these activities. It identifies and describes opportunities at various levels of decisionmaking – statewide, regional, corridor, and project – and the benefits of these approaches. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-10-028, May 2010).
• Statewide Opportunities for Linking Planning and Operations – A Primer (HTML, PDF 6.4MB) – This primer is designed to raise awareness of the benefits and opportunities for coordinating planning and operations activities within State DOTs, targeted at mid-level DOT planning and operations staff. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-08-028, June 2008).
• Systems Engineering for Intelligent Transportation Systems (HTML, PDF 2.7MB) – A handbook that provides an introduction for transportation professionals a basic understanding to system engineering. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-07-069, January 2007).
• Transit and Congestion Pricing: A Primer (HTML, PDF 4.39MB) – Examines the interrelationships between congestion pricing and transit operations and use. Provides an overview of the key elements of congestion pricing, illustrates the multidisciplinary aspects and skill sets required to analyze and implement congestion pricing, and provides an entry point for practitioners and others interested in engaging in the congestion pricing and transit dialogue. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-09-015, April 2009).
• Transit at the Table I: A Guide to Participation in Metropolitan Decisionmaking (HTML, PDF 4.71MB) – Explores how transit agencies in larger metropolitan areas (more than 200,000 in population) could be more effective partners with MPOs in the metropolitan transportation planning and programming process. (Publication Number: VA-90-1004-04-1, December 2004).
• Transit at the Table II: A Guide to Participation in Metropolitan Transportation Decisionmaking for Transit Agencies in Small- and Medium-Sized Metropolitan Areas (HTML, PDF 4.21MB) – Explores how transit agencies in smaller metropolitan areas (populations between 50,000 and 200,000) could be more effective partners with MPOs in the metropolitan transportation planning and programming process. (Publication Number: FTA MD-27-1004, June 2010).
• Transit at the Table III: A Guide to Effective Participation in Statewide Decisionmaking for Transit Agencies in Non-Urbanized Areas (PDF 2.84MB) – Explores how transit agencies in non-urbanized and rural areas can be more effective partners with state departments of transportation (DOTs) and other entities in the statewide transportation planning and programming process. (Publication Number: FTA-MA-27-1013, March 2011).
• The Use of Data in Planning for Operations: State-of-the-Practice Review – The purpose of this state-of-the-practice review was to identify current use of data by metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to perform planning for operations activities. This report covers information from national literature and research in the first several chapters and then provides detailed information for eight metropolitan areas in case studies in the last half of the document. The case studies highlight the use of data in the three key data-driven components of planning for operations: monitoring, analysis for planning, and post-implementation evaluation.
• Use of Freeway Shoulders for Travel — Guide for Planning, Evaluating, and Designing Part-Time Shoulder Use as a Traffic Management Strategy – Part-time shoulder use is the conversion of shoulders to travel lanes during some hours of day as a congestion relief strategy. This strategy is also known as temporary shoulder use or hard shoulder running, and is typically implemented on freeways. Part-time shoulder use is a transportation system management and operations (TSM&O) strategy that uses shoulders to provide additional capacity when it is most needed, and preserves shoulders as refuge areas during the majority of the day. This guide covers planning, design, implementation, and day-to-day operation of shoulder use. It covers a wide variety of design and operational concepts for shoulder use, and describes how a performance based practical design (PBPD) process guides the planning of facilities with shoulder use. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-15-023, February 2016).
• Use of Narrow Lanes and Narrow Shoulders on Freeways: A Primer on Experiences, Current Practice, and Implementation Considerations – This primer provides information to policy makers, transportation agency managers, designers and operators on the use of narrow lanes and narrow shoulders to improve capacity within an existing roadway footprint. Much of the information contained in the primer is presented in the broader context of both Performance Based Planning and Programming (PBPP) and Performance — Based Practical Design (PBPD). Primer contents include case studies on the use of narrow lanes, issues and approaches for analyzing the operational and safety impacts of narrow lanes and narrow shoulders, and the role of transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) in support of narrow lanes operations. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-16-060, August 2016).

For additional resources, see:

• SHRP 2 Capacity Area – Transportation for Communities – Advancing Projects through Partnerships (TCAPP)
• Transportation Systems Management and Operations Knowledge Transfer System