ITS - Intelligent Transportation Systems Report

VI. Summary

The key findings under each of the three SAFETEA-LU goal areas are summarized in this Chapter. The measures under Goal 1 primarily seek to address changes over time in the use of road weather information products and services. Deployment statistics data from 2004 to 2007 show increases in usage of road weather information in all aspects of operations.

The number of states disseminating weather information to travelers has increased across various dissemination mechanisms from 2004 to 2007. In addition, the types of weather information disseminated have also substantially increased.
A variety of control strategies were reported by states in 2007, ranging from 30 states reporting the use of technologies to manage diversions and closures during inclement weather to 5 states reporting the use of variable speed control during weather events.
Since becoming a mature technology in 2005, MDSS has been utilized and tested by 30 agencies in 2008 in some manner with 5 agencies reporting operational use of MDSS.
Subscription to public and private road weather products and services has increased over the past three years.

The RWMP has had many direct and indirect effects on the increase in use over the past three years by promoting the use of weather information in transportation operations around the country through a variety of activities including providing tools, conducting field tests and demonstrations, collaborating with private and public agencies for improved road weather information services, promoting best practices for weather information integration, weather-responsive traffic management, and development of the Clarus system and MDSS.

While increase in use and access has been clearly demonstrated, the quality and nature of use among agencies vary greatly. In other words, future performance measurement, in addition to tracking usage, needs to monitor quality of use when possible. The RWMP study on “Baselining Current Road Weather Information” can provide valuable information in this regard in addition to specific deployment evaluations.

The four measures under Goal 2 seek to quantify the extent to which agencies are engaging in activities that will enhance the safety, capacity, and economic advantages of addressing the impacts of adverse weather conditions on roads and travelers, and do that while also minimizing impacts to the environment. National level trends reflect positively on RWMP performance. Although many of the best practices and new technologies being promoted by the RWMP have only recently become available, state transportation agencies are eagerly adopting them. Best practices have existed prior to the RMWP, and the RWMP has sought to promote and catalyze increased adoption and use of these techniques. Clear results are difficult to quantify in this early and selective nature of the deployments but the evidence to date suggests significant use and benefits. At the local levels of deployment, RWMP tools, products and services and the best practices that the RWMP supports have resulted in wide-ranging benefits in terms of safety, mobility, efficiency, productivity and customer satisfaction. Monitoring levels of use coupled with project evaluations clearly indicate that RWMP programs are having real benefits under this Goal 2.

The four measures under Goal 3 seek to quantify the extent to which the RWMP has been able to engage a wide range of stakeholders and potential users of road weather technologies, communicate the benefits, promote usage, and successfully transfer operational tools and systems to states and agencies across the country.

Awareness and participation in the RWMP is very high among the states, and they report significant benefits from participation in the program.
Participation in RWMP initiatives like Clarus and MDSS has continued to increase along with usage over the last four years.
In-person and web-based training activities, road shows, and informational webinars sponsored by the RWMP are widely attended and appreciated.
Close to 90 projects have been initiated in the area of Road Weather Management by private, public and academic groups that are involved with the RWMP.

RWMP performance findings are summarized in Tables 13-15, and the available data have been collected either in direct support of a measure or indirectly through one or more indicators that are linked to the measure. The data vary in their ability to support the measure, and some of the indicators only offer weak linkage to their measure. These issues are discussed further in the report and recommendations made regarding future adjustments to the measures and indicators, as well as the need to identify new sources of data that can offer stronger support for the measures. Currently, the available data sources include the ITS-JPO Deployment Statistics and Benefit-Cost databases, RWMP program records, and transportation agency surveys and interviews conducted as part of this project.

As has been pointed out in this report, the RWMP plays a variety of roles in its efforts to achieve the goals set for it under SAFETEA-LU, and these include initiating and implementing programs and projects that are designed to advance the frontiers of road weather research and development, providing training, engaging in partnerships and collaborative efforts, heightening awareness of the value of road weather information and its potential uses, and always seeking to encourage others to become more engaged in the application of road weather information and tools in support of advisory, control and treatment strategies in making our transportation systems safer and enhancing mobility. Both prior to the establishment of the RWMP, and since initiation of the range of activities and services described in this report, Federal, state and local agencies and the private sector have played, and will continue to play, a very significant role in the achievement of this program’s goals. While this report has sought to highlight the performance of the RWMP as illustrated by the findings shown in Tables 13-15, the attainment of the SAFETEA-LU goals is ultimately a widely collaborative effort in which the RWMP plays a leadership role.

Table 13. Summarized Results for Goal 1 of Measures of RWMP Performance
Performance Measure	Indicators and Data that Support the Measure
Goal 1: Maximize use of available road weather information and technologies.
1.1 Number or percentage of transportation agencies that use road weather information and decision support systems (based on current or forecast information) for making advisory, control and treatment decisions.		The number of states providing travelers with weather information, using DMS, HAR, 511 or Web, increased on average 46% between 2004 and 2007. States increased their dissemination of six specific types of weather information between 2004 and 2007 by an average of 49%. For example, 22 states reported providing route-specific weather forecasts in 2007, an increase of 69% over 2004. In 2007, 46 states reported using atmospheric data and 45 states using pavement data for their operations, 30 states used ITS technologies to implement weather-related control strategies to manage road diversions or closures, and 15 states were using such strategies to implement temporary road restrictions. MDSS usage has grown rapidly since 2004, and by 2008, 30 transportation agencies reported some use of MDSS, and five agencies reported operational use of MDSS to support winter maintenance operations. Between 2004 and 2007 the number of state DOTs using weather information increased an average of 31%, with 45 state DOTs using NWS information, an increase of 29% over 2004 usage.
1.2 Number or percentage of travelers who use road weather information for making travel decisions (both pre-trip and en-route).		In 2008, 33 states had 41 operating 511 systems, and 25 of those offered some type of road weather information. On average, an estimated 12% of calls to 511 have accessed weather information.
1.3 Number of environmental sensor stations (ESS) deployed and used by transportation agencies to support decision-making (normalized by total area or length of road network).		Between 2006 and 2008 the number of agencies contributing their ESS data to the Clarus System increased from 3 to 33, and these 33 agencies had 1,700 ESS reporting data to the Clarus System, which is about 68% of the national ESS deployed. Between 2004 and 2007 the number of agencies providing ESS data for agency use increased from 26 to 30 (15%), and for public use from 38 to 45 (18%).

Table 14. Summarized Results for Goal 2 of Measures of RWMP Performance
Performance Measure	Indicators and Data that Support the Measure
Goal 2: Expand road weather research and development efforts to enhance roadway safety, capacity and efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.
2.1 Number of agencies participating in and benefiting from road weather R&D projects.		Of 24 state agency respondents to interviews in 2009, 21 (88%) said they experienced moderate or substantial benefits (50% moderate and 38% substantial), and 20 of these respondents said they were involved in more than one RWM program.
2.2 Percentage of time roadway meets safety and capacity level of service (LOS) standards (i.e. V/C ratio, etc.) during and after weather events (normalized by the frequency/intensity of winter events).		National level statistics do not exist yet to directly address this measure but interviews reveal that agencies are beginning to use performance measures to track safety and capacity level of service. 32% of agency respondents interviewed in 2009 said they measure “time to wet/bare pavement.” 4% measure “percent of time that lanes are open during a weather event.” 7% measure “pavement friction measurements.” 11% measure “time to pre-event travel speeds after a weather event.” 18% measure “customer satisfaction with maintenance and recover time.” 25% use other performance measures.
2.3 Reduction in agency costs (i.e. labor, equipment, and materials) due to adoption of maintenance and operations decision-support systems for road weather management.		Between 2001 and 2007, nationwide costs for snow and ice removal ranged from $2.7 billion to $3.2 billion annually. Selected evaluations of MDSS usage show savings by three states that range from $1.2 million to $1.7 million per winter. A city maintenance unit saved $74,000 in shift labor costs in the 2008 winter. Another state reported saving $12.1 million in salt usage and $1.4 million in overtime compensation from previous years. These correspond to a 41% reduction in salt usage and a 26% reduction in overtime compensation.
2.4 Reduction in user costs (i.e. delay, crashes, vehicle operating costs, emissions, salt damage) due to improved road weather advisory, control and treatment strategies.		The RWMP encourages use of best practice technologies that reduce crashes due to weather and save lives. While these best practices may not have been developed by the RWMP, they are increasingly being used by transportation agencies and promoted by the RWMP as part of their program. Fog warning systems have reduced crashes by 70 to 100%; RWIS use by up to 17%; anti-icing strategies by up to 83%; wet pavement detection by 39%; and conditions reported on DMS by 2.8%. Low visibility warning systems reduced speed variability by 22% and increased speeds by 11%; HAR messages helped CVOs make better route choices; variable speed limits reduced average speed by 13%; weather-related signal timing reduced vehicle delay 8% and vehicle stops by more than 5%; and weather and road condition information on websites lead to increased traveler satisfaction (94% reported being better prepared and 56% reported it helped avoid delays due to weather).

Table 15. Summarized Results for Goal 3 of Measures of RWMP Performance
Performance Measure	Indicators and Data that Support the Measure
Goal 3: Promote technology transfer of effective road weather scientific and technological advances.
3.1 Number of agencies/individuals visited or contacted through technology transfer, training and outreach efforts.		Between 2004 and 2008, state DOT participation in annual Clarus stakeholder meetings promoted by the RWMP increased from 10 to 31 (68%). Of 30 state agency representatives interviewed in 2009, 22 (73%) reported their agency was involved in the Clarus Initiative. Between 2000 and 2008, 41 state DOTs have participated in one or more annual MDSS stakeholder meetings, and the participation level has remained stable. Agency interviews in 2009 indicate 17 of 30 agencies (57%) are involved with MDSS and 13 of 30 agencies (43%) with both the Clarus Initiative and MDSS. Agency interviewees reported deriving either “substantial benefits” (36%) or “moderate benefits” (48%) from their involvement in Clarus and MDSS, even though these are new programs. The RWMP sponsored 6 road weather management training courses over the past several years that drew 151 attendees. An ITE course on Fundamentals of Road Weather Management had 40 participants in 2008, and the RWMP sponsored MDSS Road Show has been conducted 28 times between 2006 and 2008 with 925 participants across the country. 22 out of 28 agency interviewees (79%) reported visiting the RWMP web site, and 12 said they downloaded materials. 20 of 28 respondents (71%) said they participated in one of the NTOC webcasts.
3.2 Rate of adoption of RWM technologies (e.g., decision-support systems) by agencies that participated in workshop or training activities.		Between 2006 and 2008, the number of state and local agencies contributing ESS data to the Clarus System increased from 3 to 33. In the early deployment of the Clarus Initiative, 5 private sector entities are active users of Clarus System quality-checked data. As noted under Measure 1.1, by 2008, 30 states and local agencies reported some use of MDSS, and five agencies reported operational use of MDSS to support winter maintenance operations.
3.3 Number of RWM technology development, testing and deployment activities initiated through public or private sector based on identified operational needs.		Between 2001 and 2008 approximately 90 projects have been initiated through federal, state and university sponsorship with RWMP input and support.
3.4 Number of road weather technologies developed through public-private and/or public-public partnerships reaching operational deployment.		Eight public-private and public-public partnerships supported by the RWMP are in various stages of operations across the country.

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