Goal Programming Framework for Prioritization of Low-Volume Road Projects Considering Network Accessibility and Stakeholders’ Preferences

Abstract

One of the benefits of implementing transportation infrastructure projects is the maximization of network accessibility performance, so that system users’ mobility is optimized. However, infrastructure investment decisions rarely consider stakeholders’ preferences to network performance measures and the impact of project selection and prioritization on the network accessibility performance. This paper presents a goal programming framework that considers network accessibility performance and the total cost of road infrastructure projects or project bundles to prioritize investments, taking into account stakeholders’ preferences to the performance criteria. Results of the case study using the low-volume road (LVR) network showed that the accessibility benefits of LVR projects depend on their relative spatial location in the network, their total project cost, target performance goals, and stakeholders’ preferences to performance criteria. The study results also showed that LVR projects could maximize network accessibility even after the occurrence of network disruption events. Therefore, the proposed framework could help the decision-makers develop efficient infrastructure investment plans to mitigate natural and human-made network disruption events.