Problem
For the last 15 years, maintenance budgets for transportation agencies have largely gone down or remained flat. As a result, every new purchase has to have a cost-benefit analysis to justify its dollar value. The current situation requires an effective method for determining the cost-benefit of incorporating new products and methods into agency operations.
Objective
The goal was to develop a practical tool that could be used by Clear Roads states and other agencies to calculate the cost-benefit and justify expenditures for specific new practices, equipment and operations used in winter maintenance activities.
Results
The project team developed a user-friendly, web-based tool that provides support for cost-benefit analysis (based on available research) for ten practices, equipment and operations. A training guide was also included.
See the article in the “Highway Contractor” section of the June 2011 issue of Better Roads magazine.