Mathematical Programming for Highway Project Analysis

Abstract

The development of a methodology to assist in the evaluation of alternative highway projects is described. The methodology selected is based on a multiple objective decision making approach and uses a goal programming technique as the evaluation mechanism. To examine the effectiveness of the technique, goal programming was compared to linear programming and to costbenefits analysis. Proposed improvements to the road system in the Acadian Peninsula of New Brunswick, New Brunswick, Canada were selected as the case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique. Goal programming was considered to be the most suitable technique for evaluating sets of alternative highway projects with mutiple policies and objectives. The technique provides an easy method of assessing the impact of different policy structures on the selection of alternative highway improvement programs. The methodology is capable of multiyear analysis as used in programming of highway projects and accepts input from both the public and the decision makers in the highway planning process.