Resources

The NZ Transport Agency has been using performance indicator analysis and levels of service reporting for some years to assist with funding allocation, monitoring the application of funds and ensuring these are spent appropriately. Undertaking performance reporting assists in the funding decision process by utilising:

• trend monitoring to show the network ‘health’ of an authority
• benchmarking/relative comparisons with similar networks, as trend monitoring by itself cannot establish the appropriateness of funding levels.

Historical indicators, however, have struggled to give an absolute measure of spending efficiency or network health, ie is the network in good health or at risk. This report presents the outcome of a Transport Agency research project that included a complete review of the current performance framework. It assessed the limitations to performance measures such as the surface condition index, smooth travel exposure and the pavement integrity index.

It also introduced new performance measures including structural indices, a rutting index, longitudinal profile wave lengths and a failure risk index. The value of the performance framework is demonstrated using a network level example. This report will be of value for all roading asset managers, as it provides a framework for condition performance monitoring that can be applied at both local and national levels.

Keywords: benchmarking, failure risk, performance monitoring, roughness, rut index, strength indices trend monitoring