Transportation Asset Management in For-Credit Higher Education Course Offerings

Abstract

Transportation asset management is a systematic process of operating, maintaining, and upgrading transportation facilities cost-effectively. It combines engineering and mathematical analyses with business practice and economic theory. Asset management systems are goal driven and include components for data collection, strategy evaluation, program selection, and feedback. The asset management model explicitly addresses integration of decisions made across all program areas. The purpose is simple: to maximize the benefits of a transportation program to its customers and users, on the basis of well-defined goals within available resources. This concept is emerging prominently in several state and local transportation agencies. In 2005 a study was commissioned by the Michigan Asset Management Council and the FHWA to develop a thorough catalog of existing training opportunities in the field of transportation asset management. Part of that effort included an analysis of university-based courses or programs reflecting the elements of transportation asset management. This paper reflects the university-level analysis and presents nine common elements among the various courses embracing the current state of the practice in transportation asset management. The final part of this analysis compares the National Highway Institute's (NHI) professional development–training short course modules with the common elements of the university-based programs. It is contended that there are gaps in the information presented in existing university courses and the NHI-sponsored effort. That may complicate the adoption of transportation asset management.

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References

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