Geospatially Distributed Safety and Performance Benefits for Projects of a Transportation System

Prioritization of system improvements, such as in transportation systems, typically uses multi-objective analysis and cost-benefit analysis but overlooks how geospatial association will influence initiatives. Recent U.S. regulations have mandated project coordination processes that seek opportunities to reduce cost and improve the safety of infrastructure projects by identifying opportunities for collective construction activities. In this paper, a method is developed to evaluate the geospatial factors in the consideration of transportation project prioritization and coordination. The prioritization of projects is intended to effectively administer resources for improving safety through transportation infrastructure projects. A spatial association factor (Gi*) is assigned to projects, identifying the geospatial proximity and ranking of other projects under consideration. This finds opportunities of project coordination and addresses the geographic diversity of safety investments. The approach is demonstrated for a selection of 1,573 intersection improvement projects under consideration by a U.S. state department of transportation. The results and methodology are of interest to systems and enterprises that balance multiple investment projects with geographic attributes.