An Alternative Pavement Management System Approach for Local Governments

Local agencies such as cities or counties often lack a general procedure to manage their road network. This problem is augmented by the fact that in recent years city budgets have been shrinking because of the current economic crisis. The use of pavement management systems (PMS) aids in the management of road networks by city and county officials in several different ways. The Utah Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) center has developed a PMS called TAMS (Transportation Assets Management System) to provide local agencies throughout Utah and other states with the necessary help to manage their road networks. The use of a basic PMS helps efficiently allocate the limited available funding throughout the road network, predicts deterioration rates, provides recommendations for pavement maintenance, and allows the creation of maps showing road conditions. This paper covers all the algorithms and processes involved in the use of TAMS and the corresponding output provided by the software for the city of West Valley, Utah.