Strategic fit for road maintenance and operations

Introduction

For the latest information, please see the Assessment Framework for the 2015-18 NLTP.

This section sets out the guidance on assessing strategic fit for activities within the maintenance and operations activity class for both local roads and the state highways.

The maintenance and operations activity class includes all maintenance and operations work categories. Refer to the activity class definition for more details.

Links to planning

The NZTA expects maintenance and operations programmes to be well linked to long term planning documents, particularly Activity Management Plans Plans describe the tactics to give effect to a strategy. They are specific in content, action oriented and outputs focussed, resulting in a tangible set of activities to be delivered within a clear timeframe. (AMPs) and Long Term Plans (LTPs). These documents should describe the information assumptions underlying the network management.

Forward work programmes and budgets for road maintenance and operations must be derived from network inventory and condition information, a regular field inspection programme, a robust treatment selection process and funding affordability considerations.

Approved Organisations and the NZTA (state highways) should be able to demonstrate how the proposed road operations, maintenance, renewal and improvement activities optimise the life-cycle costs of their road networks.

Information provided to support maintenance and operations programme should make reference to the relevant parts of these planning documents.

Default strategic fit

By default, the strategic fit rating for road maintenance and operations is low.

Requirements for medium rating

A component of a road maintenance and operations programme may be given a medium rating for strategic fit if there is potential for timely intervention action taken appropriate to the risk and consequence to meet agreed level of service A level of service agreed with the NZTA for funding (in the current NLTP) or planning (for future NLTP periods) For roading the agreed levels of service means the maintenance target values for the particular road group set out in the NZTA's Maintenance guidelines for local roads, or as otherwise agreed with the NZTA. appropriate to:

• state highways using the State Highway Classification System or
• local roads using a road classification system

for:

• safety  in reducing the actual crash risk or predicted crash risk The predicted crash risk is calculated using crash prediction models outlined in section A6 of the NZTAs Economic Evaluation Manual.  A high predicted fatal and serious crash rate is greater than 3 fatal and serious crashes over a 5 year period or 5 fatal and serious crashes in the last 10 years    involving deaths and serious injuries in line with the Safer Journeys The government's strategy to guide improvements in road safety over the period 2010–2020. http://www.transport.govt.nz/saferjourneys/Pages/default.aspx strategy
• a secure and resilient A secure and resilient transport network means eliminating the risks of effects of disruption. Network security means the elimination of risks or effects of a disruption. Network resilience The ability of the network to withstand, or recover quickly after a disruption. The availability and restoration of each facility when there is a weather or emergency event, whether there is an alternative route available and the road user information provided.  This can be measured through the number of journeys impacted by unplanned events, or acceptable risk where there is no viable alternative access should it be closed by an unplanned event. means the ability of the network to withstand, or recover quickly after a disruption. Consideration of the effects of risk from natural hazard or other transport operation disruptions, and agreed level of service appropriate to the network. To meet agreed levels of service improvements in network security Network security means the elimination of risks or effects of a disruption. and resilience The ability of the network to withstand, or recover quickly after a disruption. The availability and restoration of each facility when there is a weather or emergency event, whether there is an alternative route available and the road user information provided.  This can be measured through the number of journeys impacted by unplanned events, or acceptable risk where there is no viable alternative access should it be closed by an unplanned event. requires that there is no alternative, and the network or route is demonstratively susceptible to disruption. transport network
• managing adverse environmental effects from land transport
• efficient network management

Requirements for high rating

A high rating for strategic fit must only be given to a component of a road maintenance and operations programme if there is significant potential to optimise whole of life cost of existing networks appropriate to:

• state highways using the State Highway Classification System or
• local roads using a road classification system

by:

• making better use Making better use of existing services and infrastructure means fully considering and analysing existing services and use of infrastructure and identifying opportunities for change without significant additional expenditure. of existing transport capacity on key routes Key routes are routes providing access to: - Markets, areas with: - volume or value of freight greater than 10% of the total volume or value of freight in New Zealand; or - areas with a high concentration of firms, i.e. at a local authority level, the number of firms in the local authority area is greater than 1% of the total number of firms in New Zealand; or to: - Areas of employment, areas with: - share of employment greater than 1% of the total number of employees in New Zealand; or to: - Areas of economic growth, areas with: - growth in number of firms over the last 5 years is more than 20% above the national average; or - growth in number of firms in an industry over the last year is more than 20% above the national average for that industry; or - growth in employment over the last 5 years is more than 20% above the national average.
• optimising levels of service Optimisation of levels of service for roads involves rational analysis of current and future:
  
  • demand in volume and loading
    
  • asset condition
    
  • asset deterioration/life
    
  • service level targets
    
  • whole-of-life costs
    
  • risks and mitigation
    
  • decision-making processes, and
    
  • maintaining the existing levels of service, including the service level target values, with reduced resources, or
    
  • increasing the existing service levels, including the target values, within existing resources in response to changed demand, or
    
  • reducing government costs while maintaining the existing service levels, including the target values,
    
  • through the consideration of:
    - making better use Making better use of existing services and infrastructure means fully considering and analysing existing services and use of infrastructure and identifying opportunities for change without significant additional expenditure. of existing infrastructure, and
    - extracting maximum value Extracting maximum value from existing services and infrastructure includes optimising services and the use of existing infrastructure to realise the full potential capacity and benefits. from existing services and infrastructure.
  for a secure and resilient A secure and resilient transport network means eliminating the risks of effects of disruption. Network security means the elimination of risks or effects of a disruption. Network resilience The ability of the network to withstand, or recover quickly after a disruption. The availability and restoration of each facility when there is a weather or emergency event, whether there is an alternative route available and the road user information provided.  This can be measured through the number of journeys impacted by unplanned events, or acceptable risk where there is no viable alternative access should it be closed by an unplanned event. means the ability of the network to withstand, or recover quickly after a disruption. Consideration of the effects of risk from natural hazard or other transport operation disruptions, and agreed level of service appropriate to the network. To meet agreed levels of service improvements in network security Network security means the elimination of risks or effects of a disruption. and resilience The ability of the network to withstand, or recover quickly after a disruption. The availability and restoration of each facility when there is a weather or emergency event, whether there is an alternative route available and the road user information provided.  This can be measured through the number of journeys impacted by unplanned events, or acceptable risk where there is no viable alternative access should it be closed by an unplanned event. requires that there is no alternative, and the network or route is demonstratively susceptible to disruption. transport network, journey time reliability The reliability of trips on the network, as defined in section A4.5 of the NZTA's Economic evaluation manual. Improvements in journey time reliability Journey time reliability is the reliability of trips on the network, as defined in section 3.5 of the NZTA's Economic evaluation manual, volume 1. Improvements in journey time reliability will reduce the level of unpredictable variations in journey times, which are experienced for a journey undertaken at broadly the same time every day. will reduce the level of unpredictable variations in journey times, which are experienced for a journey undertaken at broadly the same time every day. , easing of severe congestion Severe congestion congestion is where the volume to capacity ratio exceeds 80% for 5 days per week over at least a 1 hour time period that affects at least 1.5 km of a route.  For information on the volume to capacity ratio, see Appendix A3 of the NZTA's Economic Evaluation Manual is where the volume to capacity ratio exceeds 100% for 5 days per week over at least 1 hour in a time period on at least 3 km of a route and the average annual daily traffic (AADT) is greater than 20,000 vehicles per day.
  For information on the volume to capacity ratio, refer to Appendix A3 of the NZTA's Economic Evaluation Manual , more efficient freight supply chains Moving a volume of freight at the lowest whole of life and transport system cost and reducing the actual crash risk involving deaths and serious injuries in line with the Safer Journeys The government's strategy to guide improvements in road safety over the period 2010–2020. http://www.transport.govt.nz/saferjourneys/Pages/default.aspx strategy
• managing demand to address journey time reliability The reliability of trips on the network, as defined in section A4.5 of the NZTA's Economic evaluation manual. Improvements in journey time reliability Journey time reliability is the reliability of trips on the network, as defined in section 3.5 of the NZTA's Economic evaluation manual, volume 1. Improvements in journey time reliability will reduce the level of unpredictable variations in journey times, which are experienced for a journey undertaken at broadly the same time every day. will reduce the level of unpredictable variations in journey times, which are experienced for a journey undertaken at broadly the same time every day. and/or easing of severe congestion Severe congestion congestion is where the volume to capacity ratio exceeds 80% for 5 days per week over at least a 1 hour time period that affects at least 1.5 km of a route.  For information on the volume to capacity ratio, see Appendix A3 of the NZTA's Economic Evaluation Manual is where the volume to capacity ratio exceeds 100% for 5 days per week over at least 1 hour in a time period on at least 3 km of a route and the average annual daily traffic (AADT) is greater than 20,000 vehicles per day.
  For information on the volume to capacity ratio, refer to Appendix A3 of the NZTA's Economic Evaluation Manual