Case Study: Economic Analysis of Statewide Roadway 3D Mapping Using Mobile LiDAR
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 146, Issue 7
Abstract
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has been using survey-grade mobile Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to scan and create three-dimensional (3D) representations of its more than 12,880 km of roadways and gradually replacing traditional surveying when possible since 2015. The application of such technology to create a repository of images of all roadways within a state is in the early adoption phase; the direct impact of such an endeavor on the public is minimal, as it mainly affects the state agency. This article presents a method to quantify the benefits and cost savings of this endeavor using a case study approach, a present value index, and a breakeven analysis. The present value index showed over a $2 saving for every $1 invested over the technology’s 5-year useful life. The breakeven analysis showed that ODOT will breakeven with its annualized cost when mobile mapping is used to survey 79.2 km of roadways and 14 projects annually, regardless of the amount of funding received.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request. All data used in this study are available in Sillars et al (2017) or by request. The detail calculation for all the costs and savings is included in Appendices D through F in Sillars et al (2017).
Acknowledgments
The work was supported by the Oregon Department of Transportation, under Project 30530-16-14. The authors acknowledge the contribution of Siqi Wang and Rime Elatlassi in a portion of the data collection tasks for this project.
Disclaimer
The content was written at the discretion of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of the Oregon Department of Transportation. The State of Oregon assumes no liability of its contents or use thereof.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 146 • Issue 7 • July 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 19, 2019
Accepted: Jan 13, 2020
Published online: Apr 25, 2020
Published in print: Jul 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Sep 25, 2020
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