There is great potential value in expanding asset management beyond the transit system and the NHS to local roads and local jurisdictions. As of 2016, only 40 percent of the region’s municipalities used a pavement condition measure as part of a pavement management system and set long-term targets for pavement condition. While fully implementing pavement management systems can sometimes reduce maintenance expenditures, these plans have also provided convincing evidence of the need to devote more resources to preventing long-term declines in pavement conditions. Because their budgets are so limited, many communities with pavement management systems prioritize fixing the worst conditions first rather than undertaking preventive maintenance. But this practice only drives up costs in the long-term and limits their capacity to undertake preventive maintenance.

More uniformity in data collection and analysis may help decision makers understand and prioritize pavement conditions. While IDOT collects pavement data for the National Highway System, there is limited pavement data for the remainder of the federal-aid system, consisting of collector streets and minor arterial highways. Furthermore, there is no uniformly adopted measure of pavement condition within the region. Improving the consistency of pavement condition data will enable the first region-wide pavement condition data system for all federal-aid roadways not on the NHS.

Action 1

Implement pavement management systems and base pavement management decisions on minimizing lifecycle maintenance costs.

Implementers

Local agencies

Action 2

Pilot asset management plans employing lifecycle cost principles with local communities.

Implementers

CMAP

Action 3

Continue to invest in systems that allow for tracking and evaluating the impact of investments on asset condition.

Implementers

Transit agencies

Action 4

Work with partner agencies toward uniformity in pavement data collection.

Implementers

CMAP

Action 5

Develop trainings to assist all of the region’s municipalities in implementing and improving asset management systems over the long term.

Implementers

Councils of Government and CMAP