Abstract
The January 2015 issue of Public Works Management & Policy contains five research papers on a variety of topics that epitomize the wide scope of PWMP and its appeal to both academics and practitioners.
“How Satisfaction Is Achieved in the Implementation Phase of Large Transportation Infrastructure Projects: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis Into the A2 Tunnel Project” by Verweij and Gerrits investigates how managers respond to unplanned events that occur during project implementation and which management responses can produce satisfactory outcomes. The paper offers empirical evidence that different management strategies will produce differing results depending in particular on the nature of the cooperation that occurs between principal and contractor in the project.
As the paradigm shift from command-and-control statutes to collaborative partnerships increases, public administrators, policy makers, and watershed stakeholders will become more dependent on collaborative partnerships to solve complex environmental problems. This is the argument put forward by Miller-Stevens and Diaz-Kope in “Rethinking a Typology of Watershed Partnerships: A Governance Perspective.” The paper explores watershed management partnerships and suggests a new typology of collaboration built on the variable of governance that can enhance the ability of public administrators and policymakers to provide the best approach for addressing a particular watershed goal.
A recurring question in urban mobility analysis is whether low parking costs play a role in skewing travel toward the private automobile and away from transit. Based on a survey of public parking agencies in 107 U.S. cities, “Public Parking Fees and Fines: A Survey of U.S. Cities” by Auchincloss et al., found that higher parking cost was associated with an increase in public transit miles in larger cities (adjusted for economic features of the city). This exploratory study provides baseline data with which to compare future parking data that could inform parking policy decisions on the basis of how they could influence modal choice.
In “Business Perceptions of Access Management Techniques,” Cunningham et al. examine how initiatives by transportation agencies to reduce accidents and increase capacity along strategic highway corridors could negatively affect highway-oriented businesses. The study found that the perceptions of business owners adjacent to multilane highways regarding median treatments were more positive following their implementation than they did prior to it. Reported impacts on business revenues showed no direct evidence of negative economic impacts due to median improvements.
Finally, Kennedy, Miller, and Schneider report on research to evaluate alternative strategies for managing wash water generated during routine washing of salt trucks at Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) maintenance facilities. In “Evaluation of Management Alternatives for Truck Wash Water Generated During Winter Maintenance Activities,” 18 potential management strategies were identified and evaluated. In most cases studied, the capital cost of connecting to the sanitary sewer system was the determining factor in cost effectiveness.