One form of public-private partnership is emerging in the area of highway maintenance. As noted in the 2002 AASHTO "Guide for Methods and Procedures in Contract Maintenance," States are procuring maintenance and preservation services in a variety of ways. Two distinct contracting methods are typically employed by the States. The most common type specifies the means and methods to be used to accomplish specific maintenance activities. This type of contract is referred to as specification-based. The other type of contract is performance-based, in which all risks for the maintenance of certain assets are transferred from the agency to the contractor in accordance with level-of-service requirements outlined in the contract. This form of procurement is often referred to as asset management. Although contracting out asset management may be new to many transportation agencies, a number of State agencies have been using these techniques for more than ten years. One example is the long-term contract for maintenance of 250 miles on several interstate routes in Virginia over a 5.5 year performance period.