• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2022.06a
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• pp.640-648
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• 2022

In the United States, the Safety Rest Areas (SRAs) were introduced as highway roadside infrastructures in the early 1900s. The State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) operate/maintain their SRAs using different methods. The Washington DOT used the in-house workforce method for over 20 years, whereas some states moved to Performance-Based Contracting (PBC) from the in-house workforce to save cost primarily. Several existing studies claimed that using the PBC approach saved costs on several highway assets. Thus, the principal objective of this study is to compute and compare the unit operating/maintenance cost of SRAs using the in-house workforce method (in Washington state) with the PBC approach (in other states). The findings of this study show that the average annual cost using the PBC approach was much more than the average annual cost using the in-house workforce approach. The findings also show that in Washington state, the 'Labor Cost' category was a key expenditure, which is statistically higher than other categories. The 'Labor Cost' was followed by the 'Other Services', and then 'Materials and Supplies' and 'Equipment.' The study's findings indicated that outsourcing does not always save costs for agencies. The study findings may help transportation construction/maintenance professionals select a cost-effective approach for their future planning.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 2017

PURPOSES : This study intends to estimate the tangible benefits derived from the integration of operations of an Express Intercity Bus Terminal and a Highway Service Area. METHODS: For the study, a highway service area was chosen to function as a bus terminal, integrating its services with that of a nearby bus terminal plagued by operating losses. The exercise also helped improve mobility owing to the introduction of local buses between the terminals and utilization of the existing infrastructure such as rest areas. Thus, a terminal that was not being utilized for its intended functionality was integrated with an existing facility to improve the utilization of both and subsequently aid local development. The impact of the exercise was then measured by evaluating the variation in utilization efficiency, operating costs, travel time between two regions (Seoul-Jeomchon and Seoul-Geumsan), and the social costs before and after the integration of the two facilities. RESULTS :The impact of the integration was an increase in utilization efficiency, a decrease in operating cost, a decrease in travel time, and a decrease in social cost in both the regions. The benefits of improved utilization and cost saving can be passed on to the citizens in the form of discounts. A local power generation facility will eventually replace the bus terminal, which can revitalize the local economy. CONCLUSIONS :The integration of the highway service area with the bus terminal is expected to have a win-win effect on the passengers as well as the operators. The study also proposes a sustainable strategic plan for existing terminals and rest areas to implement a method to compete with KTX transportation.