1. HiDaC Florida’s Priorities and Challenges For Roadway Data Collection
The Third Biennial National Highway Data Conference and Workshop
HiDaC
Florida’s Priorities and Challenges
For Roadway Data Collection
Rodney Floyd
Manager, Highway Data Collection/Quality Control
Transportation Statistics Office
Florida Department of Transportation
Florida’s Priorities and Challenges
For Highway Data Collection

2. Overview Identify and Support Customer Data Needs
Satisfying reporting requirements
Data Collection Management and Quality
FDOTs approach to the challenges
Questions
Today I’ll cover the data needs,
Reporting requirements,
Data Collection,
And FDOTs approach to the challenges.

3. We ‘fish’ the roads for data, and ‘catch’ it one item at a time.
Currently in Florida we are like fishermen who fish the roads for data, and catch it one item at a time.

4. Analyst Manager RCI Data Collector RCI Data Input GIS Programmer
Explorer
Analyst
Captain
Manager
Fisherman
RCI Data Collector
Manager
RCI Data Input
There are many hats we have to wear to collect and deliver accurate data.
Director
GIS Programmer
Distributer
Web Developer

5. Know the needs Get accurate data Make it useful
We have to know what the data needs are, collect the data, enter it, store it, make it accessible, and serve it to our clients in a useful form.

6. We have to do more with less.
More fish - challenges
Smaller high-tech pole – priorities
Catch data one element at a time.
There is an ocean of data we have to collect and we are being asked to gather even more data.
And, like all of us, we have to do more with less. Money is tight. We have lost staff by attrition that have not been replaced.
We have to do more with less.

7. How do we catch and deliver accurate data that can be used?
Timely
(FRESH)
Accurate
(RIGHT)
Accessible
(USABLE)
So how does Florida catch and deliver accurate data that can be used? Data that satisfied the requirements for all our users?
The roads are full of data.
How do we catch and deliver accurate data that can be used?

8. Supporting Customer Data Needs
Know the needs
Supporting Customer Data Needs
We begin by knowing what data is needed, by identifying and supporting our customers data needs.

9. Satisfy the reporting needs.
Federal
State
Management
Internal/ Department
Public
And the needs are diverse. From Federal and State requirements, our internal management and departmental wants, as well as the publics needs.

10. Do more with less Quantity Utilization Quality Accessibility
We gather data to meet the many client needs. And we have to deliver it in different forms.
Some want just the raw data.
Other’s want it prepared for them already to use.
ITS and TTMS at same location redundant?

11. 528 324 What are the real needs? Reduced collection 40%
So what are the real needs? Florida did a survey
And found that of the 528 data items we were collecting, only 324 were needed.
324

12. The State Highway System
All Public Roads
(centerline miles)
~120,000
The HPMS requirements must be filled for over 120,000 miles of public roads.
The Roadway Characteristics Inventory covers the 12,000 miles of roads on our State Highway System. In addition, the Strategic Intermodal System is a new system that focuses on the links between multimodal nodes – connecting seaport and rail, airlines and transit – and has created additional data needs for off system roads that have to be met.
(State Highway System)
SHS
~12,000
(Strategic Intermodal System)
SIS
~4,300

13. HPMS Reassessment is being addressed
The HPMS is being strategically addressed.
3 year plan and goal
Training program to support it.

14. Make It Useful Satisfying Reporting Requirements
In order to Satisfy the Reporting Requirements, we have a number of tools we maintain and produce.
The Florida Traffic Information and Highway Data DVD is produced each year and distributed free of charge to thousands of individuals and consultants who have data needs. You can request one by joining our mailing list at the TranStat website.

15. Video Log
We maintain a video log of high resolution front and side images for the roads. We are currently exploring ways of extracting data directly from the video log.

16. FDOT TranStat IView
The Iview GIS software gives us access to the data through a GIS interface.
It also displays all the (orthoquad?) aerial photos as part of a unified interface.

17. Straight-line Diagrams
Data is reported in Straight-line diagrams. Our GIS section is generating all the Key Sheets using a new automated processes.

18. On-line Reports
Many reports are prepared and available from the internet website.

19. Roadway Characteristics Inventory RCI
Our old DOS based RCI database has been completely rewritten
into a much more user friendly browser based interface. This has enabled our internal clients direct access to the raw data.

20. Get the data Data Collection Management and Quality
outsourcing data collection
None of the rest is possible without accurate data.

21. Not All Data is Collected by the TranStat Office
Maintenance
Traffic Ops
Transportation Statistics
State Materials Office
The TranStat office is responsible for collecting the Roadway Characteristics data. We don’t collect all the data included in RCI. We have to coordinate data collection with the Maintenance Office, Traffic Operations, and State Materials Office for pavement data.
We also are being tasked to gather data collected by Cities, MPOs, and ITS data collection efforts.

22. Get Accurate Data Using traditional data collection methods
Currently we are using traditional data collection methods. Vans outfitted with DMIs, with a team of data collectors that ride the road, or measure the widths using handheld measuring devices.
We are currently exploring new technologies including:
Lidar
Aerial imagery
Remote sensing
Video Log
Using traditional data collection methods
Exploring innovative technology

23. What can technology do? HiDaC One item at a time Technology options
explored 3D aerial imagery techniques
+ can be done
- too expensive
example
can collect survey grade data +
What will the new technology do for us? Instead of riding the roads and collecting one data element at a time, we may be able to gather a large amount of data automatically, like catching data in a net.
HiDaC
Ride the roads

24. GIS/Roadway alignment
In order to deliver the data, we are specifically focusing on improving the GIS/Roadway alignment.
Our old data that was collected by old methods is now being pushed by the new technologies that is revealing data gaps. What used to be close enough, is no longer acceptable
maintain high quality
spatial environment
tied to videolog
aerial
interpolate into libraries
basemap process
coordination
data
mapping
talk to
GIS/Roadway alignment

25. Training
In order to improve the data collection accuracy – getting accurate centerlane and lane mile data, we have training supported by the central office that is provided in each of our 7 districts.
We have basic training on-line, and two new handbooks.

26. Two Handbooks define data collection specifics
The 2 handbooks for the TranStat office explain
what the date elements are
and how are they collected
The previous 77 page handbook is now more than 700 pages.

27. Getting accurate data that is within tolerance is the key to high quality data.
More and more of data collection is done by consultants. Managing the collection effort, and ensuring quality is a significant challenge.

28. Quality Improvement 4.5 Target 4.0 Min Stan
But our training methods are working. All districts exceeded our target goals in 2009.

29. Get the data FDOTs approach to the challenges
outsourcing data collection
What other approaches is FDOT taking to meet the challenges?

30. Research Projects & Application Development
Web enabled for internal users and data collectors
Research Project
Develop new Straight-line diagramming and GIS software with USF
RCI Training Evaluation & Improvement Research
RCI Project CIMES – Center for Information Management & Educational Services.
Using GPS to Establish RCI Control Points

31. Additional Approaches
As mentioned before, we are
Evaluating Approaches to data collections and tech
Exploring data collection with multiple data uses
Developing extracting data from imagery
Identify external partners for symbiotic relationships

32. We get the data one item at a time.
So Florida is still gathering data one item at a time.
It gets the job done. And we are looking for better ways.

33. We’re here to enjoy the feast.
Faced with similar challenges
These 3 days should be a feast for Roadway Data Collectors
Looking forward to learning from each other

34. Questions Rodney Floyd rodney.floyd@dot.state.fl.us (850) 414-4702
Thanks.
You can get the handbooks directly from our website, and also request a free copy of the Florida Highway Data DVD.
Best practices we are sharing
Questions.