Weather Information for Surface Transportation: AASHTO Activities June 13, 2006 WIST Workshop Presented by Leland D. Smithson AASHTO SICOP Coordinator

AASHTO’s Relationship to WIST  AASHTO’s Vision AASHTO is the voice for transportation & catalyst for organizational & technical excellence AASHTO is the voice for transportation & catalyst for organizational & technical excellence  AASHTO’s Mission AASHTO advocates transportation-related policies & provides technical services to support states in their efforts to efficiently & safely move people & goods AASHTO advocates transportation-related policies & provides technical services to support states in their efforts to efficiently & safely move people & goods

AASHTO’s Relationship to WIST  AASHTO’s Goals & Objectives Goal 1 Re-establish transportation as a national priority Goal 1 Re-establish transportation as a national priority Objective 1D Establish safety as a national priorityObjective 1D Establish safety as a national priority Goal 2 Advocate & communicate to achieve AASHTO’s goals Goal 2 Advocate & communicate to achieve AASHTO’s goals Objective 2A Create strategic partnershipsObjective 2A Create strategic partnerships Objective 2B Develop & communicate the AASHTO Action Agenda to policy makers, partners, stakeholders, and the publicObjective 2B Develop & communicate the AASHTO Action Agenda to policy makers, partners, stakeholders, and the public

AASHTO’s Relationship to WIST  AASHTO’s Goals & Objectives (cont’d) Goal 3 Provide world class technical services Goal 3 Provide world class technical services Objective 3A Identify, communicate, and facilitate use of emerging research, technologies, materials, processes & programsObjective 3A Identify, communicate, and facilitate use of emerging research, technologies, materials, processes & programs Objective 3D Expand training opportunities & the array of offeringsObjective 3D Expand training opportunities & the array of offerings Goal 4 Assist State DOTs with leadership & performance Goal 4 Assist State DOTs with leadership & performance Objective 4A Identify & advance 21 st century leadership & management techniquesObjective 4A Identify & advance 21 st century leadership & management techniques

Activities Prior to SAFETEA-LU  Participated in 1999 & 2000 WIST Symposiums  Participated in the development of the National ITS Architecture  Participated on the Committee on Weather Research for Surface Transportation: The Roadway Environment to develop the BASC report, “Where the Weather Meets the Road”  Participated in the AMS Policy Forum, “Highways and Weather”  Participated in the 2004 AMS/National Academies Congressional Briefing

Congressional Briefing Focus  AASHTO supported a road weather R&D program that addresses: a robust, integrated observational network and data management system specifically designed to meet the need for enhanced road weather research and operational capabilities; a robust, integrated observational network and data management system specifically designed to meet the need for enhanced road weather research and operational capabilities; a coordinated research effort to increase understanding of road weather phenomena and options for increasing safety, mobility, and efficiency of the nation’s roadways during all types of weather; a coordinated research effort to increase understanding of road weather phenomena and options for increasing safety, mobility, and efficiency of the nation’s roadways during all types of weather;

Congressional Briefing (cont’d) improved modeling capabilities and forecast tools designed to provide relevant, useful information to those who build, maintain, and use the nation’s roadways; improved modeling capabilities and forecast tools designed to provide relevant, useful information to those who build, maintain, and use the nation’s roadways; multiple mechanisms for communicating road weather information to varied users in ways that support better informed decision making; multiple mechanisms for communicating road weather information to varied users in ways that support better informed decision making; an infostructure that takes advantage of new technologies to monitor and predict road weather conditions and then effectively convey road weather information to end users-both road users and road managers. an infostructure that takes advantage of new technologies to monitor and predict road weather conditions and then effectively convey road weather information to end users-both road users and road managers.

AASHTO’s Winter Maintenance Technical Service Program  WMTSP (1994) Mission is to ensure that requisite testing & evaluation of potentially implementable international or domestic winter maintenance technologies are performed & that the results of these efforts are presented & disseminated in such a manner that modern winter maintenance technologies are easily understood & integrated into individual state & municipal operational programs.

AASHTO’s WMTSP (cont’d)  SICOP is the Snow and Ice Pooled Fund Cooperative Program that supports the WMTSP projects.  Major accomplishments Published Snow & Ice Control Guide in 1999 Published Snow & Ice Control Guide in 1999 Developed AI/RWIS CBT Developed AI/RWIS CBT Regular participation in winter maintenance research conducted by TRB Regular participation in winter maintenance research conducted by TRB

AASHTO Participation in R & D  Aurora (1996) is a consortium of public agencies focused on collaborative research, evaluation, & deployment of advanced technologies for detailed road weather monitoring & forecasting. Aurora seeks to implement advanced road weather information systems (RWIS) that fully integrate state-of-the- art roadway & weather forecasting technologies with coordinated, multi-agency weather monitoring infrastructure.

AASHTO Participation in R & D  Aurora RWIS R & D Program (19 projects completed) RWIS Communication Standards RWIS Communication Standards RWIS Data Integration & Sharing Guidelines RWIS Data Integration & Sharing Guidelines Standardized Testing Methodologies for Pavement Sensors Standardized Testing Methodologies for Pavement Sensors Standardized Weather & Road Condition Information Presentation Standardized Weather & Road Condition Information Presentation Integration of Road Weather Information with Traffic Data Integration of Road Weather Information with Traffic Data

AASHTO Participation in R & D  Aurora RWIS R & D Program (26 ongoing) Benchmarking the Performance of RWIS Forecasts Benchmarking the Performance of RWIS Forecasts Development of an RWIS Quality Assurance Monitoring System Development of an RWIS Quality Assurance Monitoring System Pilot Test of ESS Sensor Testing Guidelines Pilot Test of ESS Sensor Testing Guidelines Promoting Development of Road Weather ESS Observation Systems Promoting Development of Road Weather ESS Observation Systems Support of Clarus Initiative Support of Clarus Initiative Support of MDSS Pooled Fund Study Support of MDSS Pooled Fund Study

AASHTO’s Participation In R & D  Clear Roads (2004) is a pooled fund research program aimed at rigorous testing of winter maintenance materials, equipment and methods for use by highway maintenance crews. Research launched in 2005 Research launched in 2005 Testing accuracy of ground-speed-control spreadersTesting accuracy of ground-speed-control spreaders Synthesizing best practices for eliminating fogging & icing on winter maintenance vehiclesSynthesizing best practices for eliminating fogging & icing on winter maintenance vehicles

Web Site & Contact Information  SICOP website  Aurora website  Clear Roads website  National ITS Architecture website  Leland Smithson, AASHTO SICOP Coordinator, phone