Vital Signs: Transit Asset Condition - By Operator

VITAL SIGNS INDICATOR Transit Asset Condition (T19) FULL MEASURE NAME Percentage of transit assets that have fallen out of a state of good repair LAST UPDATED September 2018 DESCRIPTION Transit asset condition reflects the relative age of the region’s transit infrastructure, as dictated by federally mandated performance measures. Vehicle condition (both for revenue and non-revenue vehicles) is measured by the vehicle’s age relative to its specified useful life. Condition of guideway is measured by the share of miles that have speed restrictions due to aging infrastructure. Condition of passenger and maintenance facilities is measured by the share of facilities with a condition rating below fair, weighted by the monetary value of the facility. DATA SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission: Regional Transit Capital Inventory (RTCI) CONTACT INFORMATION [e-mail] METHODOLOGY NOTES (across all datasets for this indicator) Condition of revenue vehicles and non-revenue vehicles is evaluated based on the Useful Life Benchmark (ULB) specified by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Useful Life Benchmarks represent the estimated number of years that a vehicle can be in service and still be in a state of good repair, weighing the cost of maintenance against the cost of replacement. ULBs range from 8 years for automobiles and vans to 42 years for ferry boats. Condition of guideway, or rail tracks, is defined as the percentage of directional route-miles with performance restrictions observed at 9:00AM on the first Wednesday of each month. Performance restrictions are defined as a speed limit on a segment of fixed guideway that is below the guideway’s design speed, and can result from a number of causes, including defects, signaling issues, or obstruction due to construction or maintenance activities. Condition of facilities is evaluated based on a five point condition rating scale developed by the FTA, known as Transit Economic Requirements Model (TERM). Facilities with a condition rating of one or two are deemed to be out of a state of good repair. Facilities are evaluated based on a minimum of 10 criteria, including electrical systems, plumbing, interiors, and exteriors. Facility condition is weighted by assessed monetary value of the asset. More information on federal performance measures for transit asset condition can be found on the FTA website. https://www.transit.dot.gov/TAM