Activities that are undertaken to prevent or address defects or usage effects that, if carried out, help ensure the asset achieves its expected service life. Examples of maintenance activities include, but are not limited to, pothole repair, crack sealing, painting, debris clearing, vegetation control, graffiti removal, and snow and ice control. For large complex assets, such as bridges or traffic signal installations, maintenance may include replacement of individual components. For small inexpensive assets, such as ground-mounted signs, pavement markings, all activities performed on an existing asset, including replacement, may be considered maintenance.

The desired performance established for an asset in terms of a measure that can be used to track the effectiveness of maintenance activities. Maintenance level of service is commonly established based on measurable conditions, or customer ratings where different measured attributes for different assets are related to a single scale. The common scale is typically A through E, or 1 to 5, but can be any consistent scale. Maintenance level of service can be used in planning and evaluating the appropriate level for various maintenance activities with available funds.

Maintenance Level of Service (MLOS) is a framework used by transportation agencies to systematically assess and manage the condition and performance of diverse assets and features, such as roadways, bridges, drainage systems, vegetation, and more. The framework allows agencies to compare disparate assessments of condition (e.g., height of turn, pieces of litter present, or sign visibility) on a common scale, by associating each measure to a common scale. Typically, the common scale is a letter-grade rating. This uniform grading system ensures consistency in rating performance across various services and geographic regions and facilitates effective communication with stakeholders through visual representations. MLOS can operate on an outcome-based approach, focusing on maintenance results rather than just budgetary and planning inputs, allowing agencies to predict achievable service levels based on budgetary decisions and adjust maintenance priorities and budgets annually to meet evolving system needs and stakeholder expectations.

A role in guiding an organization that focuses on the impact of change in practice, maintaining alignment, and preventing negative outcomes of change.

FHWA-established measures to assess performance/condition in carrying out performance-based Federal-aid highway programs.

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Indicators that track progress toward goals and objectives. Used to establish targets
and assess progress toward achieving established targets (TPM Guidebook).

A structured approach to decision-making incorporating formal consideration of multiple, potentially competing objectives. Also referred to as multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) or multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA).

Congressionally established goals or program purpose to focus the Federal-aid highway program into specific areas of performance.

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