Transportation Management Center Data Capture for Performance and Mobility Measures Guidebook

The Guide to Transportation Management Center (TMC) Data Capture for Performance and Mobility Measures is a two-volume document consisting of this summary Guidebook and a Reference Manual. These documents provide technical guidance and recommended practices regarding concepts, methods, techniques, and procedures for collecting, analyzing, and archiving TMC operations data to develop measures of roadway and TMC performance, as well as documenting the benefits of TMC activities for a variety of stakeholders. This guide is designed to be used by TMC technical and management staff involved in developing, implementing, and/or refining a TMC performance monitoring program. Effective performance monitoring efforts can assist the user in a variety of tasks including traffic performance monitoring, asset management, evaluation of TMC activities and strategies, and planning and decision-making. They can also provide persuasive data in support of continued or enhanced TMC programs; conversely, a lack of available data regarding the value of TMC programs can make agencies more vulnerable to budget reductions when resources are constrained and the remaining budgets are being allocated. The Guide to TMC Data Capture for Performance and Mobility Measures consists of two parts: The summary Guidebook and the more detailed Reference Manual. This Guidebook provides an overview of TMC performance monitoring guidelines, measures, and issues, with a focus on the "what" and the "why"(i.e., what are the primary metrics that TMCs should consider for their performance and mobility monitoring programs, and why should they be used?). The Reference Manual includes details on the "how" (i.e., how does a TMC implement a monitoring program using a given performance metric?). The Reference Manual also expands on the discussion in the Guidebook and provides a convenient synopsis of each performance measure (or group of related performance measures), including an overview of the measure's usefulness, required data sources, primary calculation steps or equations, useful variations of the measure, issues or implementation considerations associated with the use of that measure, and example applications from TMCs around the country.