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 (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 to meet agreed level of service 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  involving deaths and serious injuries in line with the Safer Journeys strategy
• a secure and resilient 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 of existing transport capacity on key routes
• optimising levels of service for a secure and resilient transport network, journey time reliability, easing of severe congestion, more efficient freight supply chains and reducing the actual crash risk involving deaths and serious injuries in line with the Safer Journeys strategy
• managing demand to address journey time reliability and/or easing of severe congestion