One of the Vermont Agency of

Transportation’s (VTrans) primary missions is to keep Vermont state highways open and safe

for the transportation network users, while managing the system in a cost

-

effective and environmentally sensitive manner.

Several states have initiated performance m

easures to ensure public safety, and improve efficiency. VTrans’ Operations Division

has developed levels of service for winter maintenance in its 2012 Snow and Ice Control Plan. Monitoring and evaluating the

material usage during the winter months can lea

d to a substantial increase in cost

-

effectiveness. Unfortunately, VTrans does not

currently have a standard method for rating its maintenance performance during winter maintenance activities.

An in depth literature search was conducted to determine what winter maintenance performance measure guidelines have

been established in state highway departments. In addition, state DOT’s were contacted and surveyed regarding the use of

Winter Maintenanc

e Performance Measures. The survey was conducted to ensure that newly adopted measures and measures

used informally would be

dis

covered even if they had not appeared in any official plans

or publications

yet.

According to NCHRP 6

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17, three factors are commonly incorporated into determining maintenance performance. These

factors are resources spent (Inputs), accomplishments of work performed (Outputs) and effectiveness of maintenance activities

(Outcomes). A n

umber of states have also created a Winter Severity Index of 0 to 100 to

relate

performance targets that are

based on public safety and driver expectations

better

.

A recommendation from this effort is that VTrans incorporate a performance metric that mea

sures the “time to bare

pavement conditions.” This method includes recording the time it takes maintenance personnel to achieve bare pavement

conditions in the wheel paths of the roadway from the time the storm event ends. The use of Global Positioning S

ystems, and

other computerized data collection and analysis technology is a means that could promote in effectiveness both in costs and i

n

effort over time. The use of these technologies will become more feasible as the automatic vehicle location (AVL) sys

tems are

implemented fleet

-

wide in Vermont’s snow and ice control vehicles.

Further research should focus on the relationships between performance metrics and safety. Establishing performance

measures is the first step in helping to improve and target roa

dway safety during winter months.