Transportation Asset Management (TAM) methods have been instrumental in helping state departments of transportation (DOTs) maintain and improve the performance of their transportation systems in consideration of the anticipated life cycle of transportation assets. While TAM practices have matured, they remain primarily focused on preserving and maintaining system assets with limited integration of risk factors that may affect asset longevity, such as evolving vehicle characteristics, flooding and other naturally occurring risks, or other operational changes. Simultaneously, transportation planning and programming (i.e., program funding) decisions may account for these factors but are often not directly informed by the life cycle analyses that guide TAM. This disconnect can result in project funding priorities that do not fully reflect the impacts of these risks on asset durability and performance. To address this gap, research is needed to help state DOTs and their local partners integrate TAM with planning and programming processes, enabling a more comprehensive consideration of the factors that affect the reliability and longevity of critical transportation assets.
