HOWELL – When a municipality has miles and miles of roads to keep in top condition, how do they decide what gets their attention – and resources – first?
In the case of Howell, officials turned to the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) at Rutgers University and the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) Pavement and Drainage Management Unit to help them decipher and optimize a pavement management tool they had invested in some time before.
According to a press release from the township, Howell’s administration and township engineer inherited a Pavement Management System (PMS) that they knew could help them economically manage their road network, but they also realized they were not using the resource to its full potential, until CAIT’s technical assistance team stepped in.
CAIT’s Pavement Resource Program (PRP) has comprehensive expertise and a long track record in asset management, which it put into action for Howell, a 65- square-mile township with about 50,000 residents.
At no cost to Howell, the PRP team evaluated the plan the previous firm had developed, identified problems and shortcomings and did a thorough economic analysis of the system.
The PRP team highlighted key components from the database and used the data to prepare reports that illustrated the best ways to analyze PMS data specific to Howell. Using the system’s tools, the PRP team then provided a clear presentation on how the benefits of a PMS could be applied on a local level to optimize Howell’s limited budget, according to the press release.
Results of the analysis were delivered just in time for this year’s round of budget discussions. The township engineers and public works administrators finalized their budget justifications and made their case before the Township Council.
“Without the help of (the CAIT) team, we would still be speculating on the appropriate budget and techniques required to maintain and improve our streets,” Howell Township Manager Helene Schlegel said.
“The approach clearly identifies the concepts of a Pavement Management System in selecting the right treatment on the right roads at the right time, resulting in maximum return on investment. We heartily recommend and believe that the local outreach model provided by DOT/CAIT could be used in other New Jersey municipalities and counties to address their asset management needs,” she added.
Schlegel said the results of the analysis will be used as the foundation by which to request grant funding from various government agencies.