Traditionally, transit systems managed their assets on an as-needed basis, but the urgency of overcoming deferred maintenance in the 1980s brought about an interest in capital programming to systematize the modernization of the physical plant better. Since the early 21st century, efforts to plan for capital maintenance needs have taken the form of the more ongoing process of asset management. Responding to several critical needs in the transit infrastructure of the Chicago, Illinois, area since the late 1980s, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) commissioned an asset condition assessment for transit in northeastern Illinois. The resulting study, released in 2010, is an industry leader in taking stock of an entire region's transit capital assets. The study establishes an estimated replacement cost for the system and 10-year state-of-good-repair needs. RTA intends to make an annual revision of this assessment into an ongoing process and is using the data as part of its overall performance measurement process. A decision tool is being developed in cooperation with other transit systems to help prioritize investments on the basis of the condition, importance, and impact of different assets.