Measurable Performance Indicators for Roads: Canadian and International Practice

Performance indicators are an essential part of modern road asset management. The basic rationale for having measureable performance indicators is that limited availability of resources makes it necessary to allocate these resources as effectively as possible among competing alternatives; moreover, that considerations of safety, capacity, serviceability, functionality and durability are explicitly recognized. A comprehensive approach to developing performance indicators should consider the basic rationale, a balance in use and reporting, efficiency and effectiveness, a tie to transportation values, objectivity in the measurements used and the stakeholders involved in the development of a framework. A basic framework for the roads sector which represents a consolidation of international and Canadian practice is presented and consists of: • General macro-level overview, and • Detailed level involving: (a) service quality provided to road users, and (b) institutional productivity and effectiveness. Other examples of performance indicators from OECD, Australia and the United States are also presented. Performance indicators should be tied to an agency’s policy objectives and to implementation targets or minimum acceptable levels of performance, as described in detail in the paper. Finally, a comprehensive set of performance indicators for roads, matched to assessment criteria, as part of a new initiative on “Development of a Framework for Assessment of the State, Performance and Management of Canada’s Core Public Infrastructure” are presented.