Active Studies

Regional Capital Investment Strategy (RCIS) Refinement and Strategy Effectiveness

Following the successful continued use of the Regional Capital Investment Strategy (RCIS) in Plan 2050, this project will enhance and provide greater transparency for the RCIS with the following aspects in mind:
• Retain well-presented NJTPA policy principles; enhance connections to Plan 2050
• Clarify formulation of allocation targets, recognizing funding history and capital programming practicalities
• Adjust, streamline, and reprioritize (as appropriate):
  • Allocation targets – emphasis on important categories of projects that receive smaller allocations (e.g., direct safety, direct walking/biking, dedicated freight, direct ITS, TDM)
  • Guidelines – highlight opportunities for NJTPA influence on more “discretionary” categories; explore variations contingent on how much transportation funding becomes available
• Strengthen the performance justification for RCIS choices, tying to established measures and desired outcomes
• Base on Plan 2050 financial element assumptions and forecasts
• Open the RCIS to a broader audience via interactive web application
• Help support advancement of NJTPA planning priorities; show contributions toward achievement of performance outcomes
Project Timeline
• Project Start: May 31, 2023
• Estimated Duration: 10 months
• Estimated Completion: May 2024
Consultant Team
• WSP USA Inc. (prime)
• Urbanomics (DBE subconsultant)
Tasks and Deliverables
1. Review of Existing RCIS
   • Review of previous LRTPs/RCIS, TIPs, SCIS,
   • Update (if needed) RCIS categories (building on existing RCIS strategy categories and NJDOT CIS categories)
   • Examine non-RCIS projects/programs and multi-category projects
   • Assess historical, ongoing, and anticipated TIP spending; observations regarding potential allocation changes
2. Strategy Effectiveness Assessment (tailored as possible for NJTPA region)
   • Literature review of performance measure resources and best practices
   • Identify measures of effectiveness (MOEs) for each strategy category (often local)
   • Explore (qualitative and/or quantitative) potentially affected MOEs and performance measures for specific strategy categories, context-sensitive to place type and location (as the research supports)
   • Develop guidance on data collection and tracking, to help establish a process for periodic assessment of the effectiveness of implemented strategies
3. RCIS Refinement
   • Review/enhance goals, objectives, and guidelines
   • Describe/clarify investment categories and allocation targets
   • Revisit/refine allocation targets, focusing on categories with smaller allocations
   • Describe desired outcomes, measures of effectiveness, and anticipated impacts
4. RCIS Website/Application
   • Create interactive self-directed exploratory tool to facilitate understanding about the interplay between investment decisions and progress toward planning goals
   • Combine contextual background, terminology clarification, and data visualization
   • Support exploration of key RCIS elements: investment categories, principles, guidelines, and performance impacts
   • Encourage feedback on RCIS
5. TAC Coordination
   • NJTPA staff from various divisions, subregional/agency (RTAC) partners
   • Four to five meetings, every 2-3 months
   • Structured with the start or end of key products
6. Final Report
7. Project Management
For more information, contact Keith Miller at [email protected]