Cost Comparison of Washington Safety Rest Area Operations With Other States: 2020-2022

Shrestha, Kishor · 2022 · ROSA P / Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) (UTC)

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Summary

This study addresses the rising operational costs and budget constraints facing State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) regarding Safety Rest Areas (SRAs). SRAs are critical infrastructure designed to reduce driver fatigue-related crashes, yet many states have closed facilities due to funding shortfalls. The research was motivated by the need to determine if Washington State’s in-house workforce model for operating SRAs is cost-effective compared to other states that utilize traditional or performance-based contracting. The primary objective was to compute and compare the average annual operating costs of Washington’s SRAs against those of other U.S. states. The methodology involved collecting detailed cost data from the Washington State DOT for its 39 regular, year-round SRAs from 2013 to 2019. Costs were categorized into labor, materials and supplies, equipment, and other services. To enable comparison, a two-phase national survey was conducted with 21 states, yielding responses from 18 states that reported data from 2010 to 2020. The study adjusted all costs for time using the Engineering News Record cost index (base year 2020) and for location using the City Cost Index to normalize expenses to Washington state values. The analysis focused on three operational methods: in-house workforce, traditional contracting, and performance-based contracting. The findings revealed that Washington’s average annual SRA operating cost was $148,198.22, which was statistically significantly lower than the averages for other states. Specifically, the average annual cost for other states using an in-house workforce was $325,824.30, for traditional contracting was $206,209.49, and for performance-based contracting was $289,883.09. In Washington, labor constituted approximately 60% of total operating costs, followed by other services (22%), materials and supplies (9%), and equipment (9%). The study also noted that SRA operating costs increased linearly across all surveyed states from 2010 to 2020. However, the authors emphasized that these comparisons are limited by the lack of normalized data regarding SRA size, amenities, visitor volume, and service quality, which vary significantly between states. The significance of this research lies in its suggestion that Washington’s in-house model appears more cost-effective than the methods used by other states, potentially offering a model for maintaining SRAs without closure. However, the authors caution against generalizing these findings due to the limited sample size and missing contextual data. The study concludes that future research should collect more comprehensive data on factors such as visitor counts, facility size, and amenities to provide a more accurate cost-benefit analysis. This work supports DOTs in making informed decisions about SRA operations to balance budgetary constraints with highway safety needs.

Key finding

The average annual operating cost of Washington State's Safety Rest Areas was $148,198.22, which was statistically significantly less than the costs reported by other states using in-house workforces, traditional contracting, or performance-based contracting.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 18

Provenance

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