Agent-based Cost Model of Inclement Ambient Weather and Transportation Maintenance Data for Budgetary Decision Making

Transportation agencies spend large amounts of maintenance budgets to combat inclement weather such as snow and ice. One method for transportation agencies to reduce the cost of winter maintenance is to implement new technology, equipment, material, and practices in ways that minimize cost while maximizing efficiency. One piece of equipment being considered by transportation agencies is a specialty plow, which allows two traveling lanes to be treated in one pass of the plow truck. An in-field evaluation of this specialty plow was conducted in northeast Ohio to determine if and where specialty plows should be considered based on the benefit-cost analysis. This specialty plow was shown to be utilized differently depending on the amount of snowfall. Using the data collected in the field, a model to determine the average cost associated with the specialty plow in comparison to the standard plow truck is developed. There was an annualized cost savings averaging $22,551 when compared to the equivalent standard trucks needed to match the specialty plow's winter maintenance capabilities. The model allows different weather distributions as inputs to determine potential cost savings, which may aid other agencies when deciding if a specialty plow should be implemented