By Blake Holub, Contributing Author
Modern geographic information system (GIS) mapping technology and asset management solutions are transforming how transportation agencies capture, monitor and maintain infrastructure assets.
Centralized data and connected workflows improve the decision-making process through each stage of the asset lifecycle and enhance communication with key stakeholders. As a result, productivity is improved with streamlined workflows, helping deliver asset projects on time and on budget.
Public safety is enhanced with more infrastructure assets being updated and well-maintained. Better overall transparency increases accountability, drives confidence and builds trust with citizens and other key stakeholders.
In Washington, D.C., the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Maintenance and Performance Management Divisions maintain core infrastructure, including roads, bridges, sidewalks and alleys, as well as vertical assets like streetlights, signage and trees, throughout the nation’s capital.
In 2018, DDOT launched PaveDC, an initiative aimed at upgrading road quality in the city by boosting infrastructure inspections, enhancing engineering efforts and improving work order management and recordkeeping to track inquiries and deploy resources better.
DDOT maintains a network of nearly 1,100 miles of roadway. At the time the program was kicked off, about 35% of those roads were rated as deficient. In addition, several other core assets also were in poor condition.
Today, the number of DDOT roads with a deficient rating is roughly 10%.
A high percentage of poorly rated routes are awaiting resurfacing due to projects involving other third-party entities such as DC Water, local gas, electric and telecom utilities. These maintenance efforts require sequencing to ensure DDOT work does not disturb or undermine investments from partnering entities.
Significant improvements have also been made across the other pavement assets. Today, less than 10% of DDOT sidewalks are rated as poor quality, and only 8% of local alleys need attention.
Pavement markings are a current priority, with data identifying about 20% of roadway markings needing restoration.
Digital mapping and asset management resources play a critical role in DDOT Maintenance and Performance Management’s success story. Trimble’s GIS-centric enterprise asset management system enables DDOT teams to access and share reliable data, including real-time updates, that facilitate seamless workflows between the office and the field.
Streamlining Inspections
Collecting and managing powerful GIS data enables DDOT to better determine and predict when and where maintenance work is or will likely be needed. The agency uses comprehensive inspection processes and quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) programs for completed work.
On the front end of the maintenance process, DDOT teams take to the field for service request inspections. During these initial assessments, team members review all requests to confirm that a problem exists and prompt the creation of a work order to detail necessary maintenance activities that address the situation.
Proactive inspections are also built into DDOT’s routine maintenance process. Assets without service requests, work orders or documented restoration projects within the past five years are automatically scheduled for inspection.
During the most recent 12-month period, proactive inspections of nearly 2,100 locations resulted in 1,176 work orders. Many required only minor repairs. Yet, some significant or substantial restorations were identified as well.
Digital data has also helped DDOT improve reactive inspections. Washington D.C. has been sectioned into specific geographic segments using digital mapping tools.
The Maintenance Inspection Branch collects and evaluates data for each sector to identify and track historical maintenance efforts.
Strategic data collection intervals assigned to asset categories drive efficiencies. Data for roads is collected annually, as mandated by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Sidewalk data is collected on a five-year cycle, pavement markings every three years, and alleys every seven years. No regulatory requirements exist for these resources, yet DDOT recognizes a responsibility to keep every asset in good condition.
Scoping inspections are another tool that enhances maintenance capabilities and efficiencies. DDOT engineers triple-check needs and identify site limitations for all potential projects in the asset management system.
This information is added to work plans, helping to manage budgets and better justify maintenance resources at the local and federal levels, depending on the classification of the route.
Performance-based inspections that evaluate assets on which restorations have been conducted are the final element of the DDOT’s quality assessment process.
These evaluations use digital data to assess and document how materials and work processes have held up over time, helping to predict the need for future maintenance work and updates.
Performance-based inspections help establish standards for materials and workmanship that drive efficiency, value and cost savings. For example, the information is used to create warranties with performance standards for external contractors.
Enhancing Decision-Making
Enhanced decision-making is among the most significant contributions provided by GIS-centric technologies. Digital data provides access to information that can streamline complexities, eliminate unnecessary clutter and get to the heart of what is important.
With enormous amounts of data – gathered on assets and through extensive inspection processes – DDOT can depict what is most important to the field teams and, at the same time, align efforts with organizational goals and objectives.
Coupling quality digital data with cutting-edge asset management software delivers incredible flexibility and capabilities. DDOT has minimized human error and manual data entry through digital data and automated workflows.
A GIS-centric solution can serve up a simple map service that provides a quick and clear view of specific projects and work order details. GIS-centric applications are streamlined for ease of use when managing work orders, tracking inquiries and assisting with resource deployment. Duplications are removed from work orders so maintenance teams can accurately, effectively and efficiently manage and communicate activities.
DDOT has leveraged digital mapping tools using maintenance data to create saved searches and publish extensive reports that show the real-time status of maintenance activities.
These digital technologies make sharing accurate and detailed information easy, whether a simple inspection or work orders with dozens of service requests. In addition, the open, object-based collaboration environment enables contractors and other partners outside of the agency to access relevant information. The availability of reliable information facilitates better-informed decisions.
Better Communication
Digital technologies also enhance communication capabilities. With access to data and asset management reporting, DDOT can share maintenance activities and results with internal teams and key stakeholders.
Good communication is critical for aligning teams in the field and the office. DDOT integrates service requests with its project management platform, connecting work orders and records for all projects with an open service request order. When work is completed at the location, the program closes out the open request and communicates developments back to the team and project partners who have been granted access.
Data supporting asset maintenance efforts also is populated into reporting dashboards. The dashboard on DDOT’s new hub site showcases maintenance plans, where work is underway or in near-term plans, and detailed conditions based on collected data.
The PaveDC webpage uses digital information to populate the Road Paving Progress Map, which provides details about roads that have been resurfaced since the beginning of the program. Roads that were in poor condition in 2018 are shown in red, and resurfaced roads are shown in green. Moving the slider on the map enables a comparison between then and now.
Expanding the Scope
DDOT serves a unique role in that it oversees the area’s National Highway System, similar to a typical state DOT, as well as municipal roadways and other local assets, like a city or county agency. This unique combination of responsibilities enables DDOT to provide best-practice insights across the various transportation agencies.
DDOT has demonstrated proven success using a GIS-centric approach to bolster inspection practices, improve decision-making, and enhance communications.
These powerful capabilities enabled DDOT to create forward-thinking maintenance plans while addressing 311 requests and managing issues via automated work orders. In addition, information and insights accessible from comprehensive and organized digital data help eliminate work order duplication. DDOT teams enjoy a clear and concise picture of the most pressing issues at hand.
With digitally enabled operational improvements and enhanced communication capabilities, the PaveDC program generated buy-in from stakeholders and key constituents, resulting in significant funding increases. Prior to the launch of the program, DDOT's paving program budget was less than $30 million. Today, the annual budget has expanded to $95 million to maintain these core assets.
Moving forward, technology will continue to be at the core of DDOT’s infrastructure management efforts. The big-picture plan is to establish an even more holistic approach, building on enhancements and advancements made with the pavement asset maintenance program and applying best practices to drive efficiency and quality performance across all agency assets. RB
Blake Holub is the Deputy Chief Operations Officer for the District Department of Transportation.
