Highway Transportation Asset Criticality Estimation Leveraging Stakeholder Input through an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

This study presents a method to rank transportation assets like roadways and bridges based on their criticality to the transportation system by systematically gathering stakeholder input on criticality criteria weights. Six criteria were used to estimate asset criticality. Then, the criteria are combined via stakeholder input using a weighted ranking scheme called the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The AHP produces an average ranking based on the priorities of varied experts (i.e., Analysts, Engineers, Planners, etc.) using a pairwise rating system implemented as an online survey. Thirty complete surveys were collected (13.2% response rate) with resulting ranks from highest to lowest priority as: Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT), redundancy, freight output, roadway classification, Social Vulnerability (SoVI), and tourism. The stability of the criteria ranking to sample size was established with 15 samples. Using this approach, a state-wide vulnerability and/or resiliency assessment can consider multiple stakeholders’ perspectives within a single, consistent criticality metric.