On May 4, 2005, the Operations Data for Planning Applications: Identifying Needs, Opportunities, and Best Practices Peer Exchange was held in Washington, D.C. The goal of the peer exchange was to identify opportunities to improve the linkages between transportation planning and operations. Given recent technological advancements, operations data exist for the
development of system performance measures, improvements to travel models, and a greater understanding of traffic condition dynamics (e.g., characteristics on nonrecurring congestion).
Invitations to the peer exchange were extended to state departments of transportation (DOT), metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), and the private sector. Participants were
selected from across the county to discuss their utilization of operations data in the transportation planning process. Appendix A contains the list of peer exchange participants.
Before the meeting, participants were also asked to respond to a set of questions about the relationship between operations data and planning processes to create the foundation for the
meeting and facilitate discussion. The section on peer exchange material contains a summary of these responses (complete responses are located in Appendix B). The section entitled Summary Concerns summarizes the meeting discussions including some ideas on linking operations data
and transportation planning, additional observations from recent experiences, potential next steps, and existing resources.
Peer exchanges offer a unique opportunity to not only engage in discussion and share experiences and lessons learned but also to identify potential solutions and prioritize areas for
additional advancement through research, technical assistance, and other activities. This report serves to document and further distribute the issues and insights raised during the meeting.