1. Weather-Responsive Transportation Management Weather-Responsive Transportation Management ROEMER ALFELOR Federal Highway Administration NTOC Webcast March 14, 2007

2. FHWA Road Weather Management Program Goals: Better understand the impacts of weather (i.e. snow, rain, fog, wind, heat, etc.) on highway operations Better understand the impacts of weather (i.e. snow, rain, fog, wind, heat, etc.) on highway operations Develop, promote and implement strategies and tools to mitigate those impacts Develop, promote and implement strategies and tools to mitigate those impacts

3. Weather Impacts on Highway System Safety Safety –Approx 1.57 million weather-related crashes/year Mobility Mobility –About 25% of non-recurring delays on freeways is due to weather, total system delay is 1 billion hrs/yr. Productivity Productivity –Weather affects about 1/3 of the national GDP Environment Environment –Chemical anti-icing and deicing account for roughly 1/3 of expenditures for snow and ice control

4. Road Weather Management Program Elements Partnership and Collaboration Partnership and Collaboration Tools and Technologies Tools and Technologies Customer Service, Training and Outreach Customer Service, Training and Outreach Program Monitoring and Evaluation Program Monitoring and Evaluation

5. Road Weather Management Tools and Technologies Maintenance Decision Support (i.e. MDSS) Maintenance Decision Support (i.e. MDSS) Road Weather Observation and Forecasting (i.e. Clarus) Road Weather Observation and Forecasting (i.e. Clarus) Weather-Responsive Transportation Management Weather-Responsive Transportation Management

6. Weather Responsive Transportation Management (WRTM) Goals: Develop strategies and tools to help agencies effectively manage traffic and highway operations during inclement weather. WRTM Strategies: Advisory Advisory Control Control Treatment Treatment

7. WRTM Measures of Success Transportation agencies use current and forecast road and weather conditions to manage and control traffic flow and highway operations Transportation agencies use current and forecast road and weather conditions to manage and control traffic flow and highway operations Weather impacts incorporated in traffic analysis and engineering models Weather impacts incorporated in traffic analysis and engineering models Motorists receive and respond to road weather and traffic information Motorists receive and respond to road weather and traffic information

8. Weather Response System for Transportation Weather Response System for Transportation Integration of Weather into Traffic Management/Operations Center Integration of Weather into Traffic Management/Operations Center Empirical Studies on Weather and Traffic Empirical Studies on Weather and Traffic Current WRTM Activities

9. Weather Response System (WRS) Goals Bring together advanced weather and road condition technologies Bring together advanced weather and road condition technologies Operationalize the use of weather information for transportation management Operationalize the use of weather information for transportation management Apply advisory, control and treatment strategies for road weather management Apply advisory, control and treatment strategies for road weather management Serve as a model for national deployment Serve as a model for national deployment

10. Elements of Missouri WRS Project Prototype Development including Concept of Operations Prototype Development including Concept of Operations Prototype Enhancement and Operational Use Prototype Enhancement and Operational Use Statewide and National Deployment Statewide and National Deployment

11. Provides information on precipitation, temperature, dew point, wind speed, sky cover, water vapor, etc. Provides information on precipitation, temperature, dew point, wind speed, sky cover, water vapor, etc. Utilizes National Weather Service (NWS) digital forecast database Utilizes National Weather Service (NWS) digital forecast database Tested and evaluated for 3 months in Kansas City, MO Tested and evaluated for 3 months in Kansas City, MO Prototype WRS in Missouri DOT www.mixonhill.com:8080/wrs

12. Prototype WRS Modules National Weather Maps National Weather Maps Statewide Weather Maps Statewide Weather Maps Local Weather Maps Local Weather Maps MapShow MapShow –Local View –Statewide View –National Views Planner Planner –Dates & Times Graphics Graphics Radar Radar

13. Recommended WRS Enhancements Longer than 7-day weather forecasts Longer than 7-day weather forecasts Storm tracking capability Storm tracking capability Info on precipitation type and rate, lightning location, frost, pavement temperature and river crests (ESS data) Info on precipitation type and rate, lightning location, frost, pavement temperature and river crests (ESS data) Decision-support capabilities Decision-support capabilities –MODSS (Maintenance and Operations Decision Support System)

14. Weather Integration in TMC’s GOALS Review and synthesize existing practices around the country Review and synthesize existing practices around the country Identify needs and opportunities for weather integration Identify needs and opportunities for weather integration Provide guidance and tools to transportation agencies Provide guidance and tools to transportation agencies Describe benefits of weather integration Describe benefits of weather integration

15. Weather Integration in TMC’s Baseline Conditions Report and Final Report Baseline Conditions Report and Final Report 38 TMC’s/TOC’s surveyed, 10 visited 38 TMC’s/TOC’s surveyed, 10 visited Five levels of integration were analyzed Five levels of integration were analyzed –Operational, physical, technical, procedural, institutional Summary of Practices Summary of Practices –Most centers respond to traffic, not weather –Use info from Weather Channel and ESS –16 TMC’s receive daily weather info, only 4 integrate weather in daily operations (mostly advisory purposes) –MD and UT centers highly integrated

16. TMC/TOC Sites Surveyed

17. Recommendations for TMC Weather Integration Build awareness and create culture in TMC’s Build awareness and create culture in TMC’s Improve communications between HQ and field Improve communications between HQ and field Develop guidelines and self-evaluation programs Develop guidelines and self-evaluation programs Improve quality of road weather data Improve quality of road weather data Develop weather products and tools tailored to TMC needs Develop weather products and tools tailored to TMC needs

18. Empirical Studies on Weather and Traffic Flow GOALS Analyze and quantify how various weather events impact traffic flow Analyze and quantify how various weather events impact traffic flow Improve existing knowledge on traffic flow under adverse weather conditions Improve existing knowledge on traffic flow under adverse weather conditionsSCOPE Conduct Literature Review Conduct Literature Review Develop Data Collection & Analysis Plan Develop Data Collection & Analysis Plan Collect and Analyze Data Collect and Analyze Data Update Existing Traffic Models Update Existing Traffic Models

19. Research Approach Analyze over a full range of traffic states Analyze over a full range of traffic states Expand number of traffic stream variables Expand number of traffic stream variables –Previous studies limited to capacity and free flow speed Make use of disaggregated and localized weather data Make use of disaggregated and localized weather data –Detailed weather data is lacking in previous studies Investigate the potential for regional differences in weather impacts (Baltimore, Minneapolis, Seattle) Investigate the potential for regional differences in weather impacts (Baltimore, Minneapolis, Seattle)

20. In general, snow has more impact on free-flow speed and capacity (5-20%) than rain (2-15%) In general, snow has more impact on free-flow speed and capacity (5-20%) than rain (2-15%) Traffic density is not affected by weather. Traffic density is not affected by weather. Low visibility with snow has higher impact on free-flow speed and capacity compared to low visibility with rain Low visibility with snow has higher impact on free-flow speed and capacity compared to low visibility with rain In general, snow causes more variable traffic flow than dry and rainy conditions In general, snow causes more variable traffic flow than dry and rainy conditions Regional differences – Precipitation impacts on Minneapolis higher than Baltimore Regional differences – Precipitation impacts on Minneapolis higher than Baltimore Final report will be available from FHWA website Research Results

21. Conclusions WRTM requires timely and accurate road weather data and forecasts WRTM requires timely and accurate road weather data and forecasts Institutional changes are necessary Institutional changes are necessary Integrating weather elements in TMC operations result in significant agency and highway user benefits Integrating weather elements in TMC operations result in significant agency and highway user benefits Decision-support capabilities and robust analytical tools and models are essential. Decision-support capabilities and robust analytical tools and models are essential.

22. RWM Training and Outreach NHI Course 137030 – Principles and Tools for Road Weather Management NHI Course 137030 – Principles and Tools for Road Weather Management Road Weather Resource Identification (RWRI) Tool, Version 2.0 Road Weather Resource Identification (RWRI) Tool, Version 2.0 MDSS Roadshows MDSS Roadshows

23. roemer.alfelor@dot.gov roemer.alfelor@dot.gov 202-366-9242 202-366-9242 www.fhwa.dot.gov/weather www.fhwa.dot.gov/weather Contact Information