The HPMS is a national level highway information system that includes data on the extent, condition, performance, use, and operating characteristics of the Nation's highways. In general, the HPMS contains administrative and extent-of-system information on all public roads, while information on other characteristics is represented in HPMS as a mix of universe and sample data for arterial and collector functional systems. Limited information on travel and paved miles is included in summary form for the lowest functional systems. The HPMS was originally developed in 1978 as a continuing database to replace special biennial condition studies that had been conducted by the States since 1965. The HPMS has been modified several times since its inception, most recently in 1998; changes in coverage and detail have been made since 1978 to reflect changes in highway systems, legislation, and national priorities, to reflect new technology, and to consolidate or streamline reporting requirements.
The major purpose of the HPMS is to support a data driven decision process within FHWA, the DOT, and the Congress. The HPMS data are used extensively in the analysis of highway system condition, performance, and investment needs that make up the biennial Condition and Performance Reports to Congress. These Reports are used by the Congress in establishing both authorization and appropriation legislation, activities that ultimately determine the scope and size of the Federal-aid Highway Program, and determine the level of Federal highway taxation. These data are also used for assessing changes in highway system performance brought about by implementing funded highway system improvement programs under the Governemtn and Performance Results Act (GPRA), and for apportioning Federal-aid Highway Funds to individual States under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). HPMS is a nationally unique source of highway system information that is made available to those in the transportation community for highway and transportation planning and other purposes through the annual Highway Statistics and other data dissemination media.
West Virginia is currently one of four states that own all the roadways in the state, excluding municipal and federal roadways. The three other states having similar systems to West Virginia are Delaware, North Carolina and Virginia. Regardless of ownership, it is the responsibility of the DOT to submit all public roadway mileage that is consistent with each state’s Certified Public Mileage to the FHWA by June 15 of each year. FHWA supplies the detailed guidelines for this process in their publication “Highway Performance Monitoring System – Field Manual”. To achieve a quality program it is vital that systems be established to accurately collect and maintain internal data in accordance with these guidelines as well as establish communications and mechanisms with municipal and federal agencies to properly maintain and report their data.
The HPMS data is divided into two parts, “Standard Sample” roadway sections and “Universe Data” roadway sections. Standard Sample sections contain a mixture of state owned roads as well as municipal roads in both rural and urban areas. Standard Samples sections are unique because they contain 98 data items while the Universe sections only contain 46 data items. Expansion factors are then applied to the Standard Sample sections by FHWA to effectively create a representation of the entire state highway system performance.
WV Department of Transportation
Information Technology Division
Geospatial Infrastructure Section
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
Building 5, Room A-726
Charleston, WV 25305