September 30, 2014
2009 Oregon legislation called for the Oregon Department of Transportation to develop a least cost planning tool to help inform transportation decision making. Based on least cost planning from the energy sector, and defined in the legislation as “a process of comparing direct and indirect costs of demand and supply options to meet transportation goals, policies or both, where the intent of the process is to identify the most cost effective mix of options,” Mosaic was developed by ODOT and CH2MHILL in collaboration with a group of stakeholders representing a diverse range of interests. It offers transportation planners and decision makers an efficient, transparent way to evaluate the social, environmental, and economic costs and benefits of transportation programs and investments, including roadways, transit, transportation demand management, and active transportation. By helping decision makers identify investments that provide the best value for money, it will help make the most of limited resources.
Sam Seskin, CH2MHILL Transportation Planning Director, and Erik Havig, ODOT Planning Section Manager, explained how this tool can shape transportation investments and how it can be used by both transportation professionals and citizens for planning at all levels of government.
View the presentation slides here or watch the a recording of the webinar below.