Optimization Framework for Infrastructure Management Considering Traffic Safety Costs – Center for Integrated Asset Management for Multimodal Transportation Infrastructure Systems

Final Report (PDF)

Project Title	Optimization Framework for Infrastructure Management Considering Traffic Safety Costs
University	Penn State
Principal Investigator(s)	S. Ilgin Guler (PI, Penn State); Rajesh Paleti (co-PI, Penn State); Vikash V. Gayah (co-PI, Penn State)
PI Contact Information	Sig123@psu.edu
Funding Source(s) and Amounts Provided (by each agency or organization)	Federal Share — $96,983 Match — $97,000
Total Project Cost	$193,983
Start and End Dates	06/01/2020—12/01/2021
Brief Description of Research Project	The goal of this project is to develop a multi-objective optimization for IMS that can optimize MR&R decisions while simultaneously considering agency costs, total vehicle operating costs, and costs associated with safety performance. To do so, models that relate safety 3 (e.g., crash outcomes) to the roadway condition (e.g., IRI or overall pavement index) will be developed for Pennsylvania, and then used as input into a newly developed multi-objective optimization framework that utilizes a Markov Decision Process based on linear programming. The results will be compared to the two traditional approaches (an optimization where all costs are converted to dollar values and a bi-objective optimization, both excluding safety performance) to identify how MR&R decisions change when considering their impact on safety. If successful, this project can optimize how DOTs can utilize existing budgets for infrastructure management, as well as potentially expand the budget for MR&R activities.