With the passage of MAP-21, identifying and tracking performance measures will soon become a standard component of the statewide and metropolitan transportation planning processes in the US. For the Columbus, Ohio region, performance measures are already a critical part of the 2012-2035 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP).

For the MTP, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) adopted a set of broad regional goals through a parallel planning process called “Shaping our Future.” No single goal covers all transportation issues. Instead, these six goals cut across the social, economic, and environmental contexts that influence and are influenced by the transportation system. To tie these goals back to transportation, the MTP process set 16 specific objectives. For this step, MORPC convened technical experts from a variety of fields such as public health, economic development, and air quality. Progress toward each objective can be made through implementation of the MTP. The technical experts also helped identify a variety of performance measures by which MORPC will track that progress during plan implementation. These include 13 measures with short- and long-range targets. These objectives provided the framework for all other aspects of the MTP. All projects considered for inclusion were evaluated with criteria tied back to these objectives. All other MTP strategies are tied back to these goals and objectives.

The role of the performance measures and specific targets cannot be understated. In an era of limited public funds and increasing accountability tied to use of those funds, performance measures tell an important story for the public and other units of government. MORPC uses its annual “State of the Region” to report on key indicators, including these new performance measures. To tell the story effectively, MORPC is pioneering the use of online, interactive data visualization tools as a part of the Open Indicators Consortium.