2013

The ENTERPRISE Pooled Fund Study in 2009 developed initial warrants for the following Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) devices to assist agencies in the decision process of deploying technology devices as well as to validate the location of deployed devices. 

• Closed Circuit Television (CCTV);
• Dynamic Message Signs (DMS);
• Highway Advisory Radio (HAR); and
• Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS).

The second phase of the project was completed in 2010 and focused on developing warrants for the following technology devices:

• Variable Speed Limit (VSL) Signs;
• Dynamic Speed Display Signs (DSDS);
• Curve Warning Systems;
• Ramp Meters; and
• Intelligent Work Zones.

Transportation professionals at the state/province, county, and city levels face challenges on how to handle increasing requests for the deployment of technology devices.  The overall approach to the ITS warrants is modeled after the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) warrants for traffic signal installations.  Based on this model, the ITS warrants identify guidelines to assist deployment decisions of technology devices.    

During the initial warrants effort more than 20 transportation professionals participated in testing the warrants and some of these agencies are continuing to actively using the warrants as part of the decision making process for selecting device locations.  The next warrant efforts continued to support the success of the initial phase by providing additional device warrants for transportation professionals to use.

• Phase 3: This phase documented the activities ENTERPRISE conducted as owner and maintainer of the ITS planning guidance to assist in identifying potential organizations for transitioning the guidance. After the ENTERPRISE Board reviewed the different options for one organization to maintain the warrants, it was agreed that ENTERPRISE should continue to own and maintain the warrants and partner with organizations to review the warrants. The AASHTO Subcommittee on Traffic Engineering (SCOTE) agreed to review and provide comments on the planning guidance in 2013. In Phase 3, ITS Planning Guidance was also developed for Intersection Conflict Warning Systems.
• Phase 4: The purpose of Phase 4 was to continue to partner with the SCOTE task force to update the ITS planning guidance documentation and website based on recommendations and enhance the planning guidelines developed to date.

Website

The ITS Warrants developed by ENTERPRISE are available at: http://enterprise.prog.org/itswarrants/. The warrants website includes background information of the development of the warrants, instructions on how to use the warrants, and the warrants for the devices developed to date.

This project builds off a series of projects (ITS Warrants – Phase 1 and Phase 2) that have been conducted by the ENTERPRISE Pooled Fund Study to develop preliminary warrants for ITS devices. The warrants were designed to assist agencies with deployment decisions and site selection. ENTERPRISE continues to test and refine the warrants while exploring industry acceptance for the concept. The overall approach to developing the ITS warrants was modeled after the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) warrants for traffic signal installations.   

Ideally, the ENTERPRISE Program envisioned that a National or International agency would embrace the concept of technology device warrants and carry the concept forward in order to support traffic engineers for years to come. In order to move towards this vision, ENTERPRISE approved this project “Supporting the Transition of ENTERPRISE ITS Warrants to a Permanent Home”. The objective of this project was to document activities ENTERPRISE had conducted as owner and maintainer of the warrants to assist in identifying potential organizations for transitioning the warrants to a new owner.

As ENTERPRISE documented the details of each task that was involved with owning the warrants, a number of options were suggested as potential organizations to transition the ownership and maintenance of the warrants. However after the ENTERPRISE Board reviewed the different options for one organization to maintain the warrants, it was agreed that ENTERPRISE should continue to own and maintain the warrants and partner with organizations to review the warrants. This approach was based on the understanding that it would be easier to find agencies willing to review and comment on one or more warrants periodically than it would be to find an organization willing to accept the entire workload of all the warrants. Given this, ENTERPRISE as part of this project developed a warrants review process to assist with review and modifications of the warrants.

The Phase 3 effort, also included developing ITS warrants for Intersection Conflict Warning Systems.

At the completion of this project, ENTERPRISE moved forward with Phase 4 to work with a task force from the AASHTO Subcommittee on Traffic Engineering to review and provide input to the ITS Warrants.

Website

The ITS Warrants developed by ENTERPRISE are available at: http://enterprise.prog.org/itswarrants/

The overall objective of this project was to understand the use and impacts of camera images and other “unverified” displays of information that can be interpreted by travelers, especially when compared to the use of “verified” reports such as traffic maps, incident reports, and other information that is formulated and/or verified by agencies. Results from this project could be used by agencies to help make decisions about what types of information to display and whether or not to increase/decrease current displays (e.g. add more cameras for display to the public). The focus of the project was on traveler information websites hosted by transportation agencies. A public survey, analysis of web usage statistics, and interviews with agency staff were used to inform project findings.

Presentations

The Use of Impacts of Camera Images and Other Displays of Traveler Information project was presented at the following:

• ITS Canada 2013 Annual Conference and General Meeting (June 2013)
• 2013 National Rural ITS Conference (August 2013)
• ITS Wisconsin 2013 ITS Forum (October 2013)

Project Summary

In the previous ICWS ENTERPRISE effort, Developing Consistency in ITS Safety Solutions – Intersection Conflict Warning Systems (Phase 1) , the project concluded with a preliminary design guidance and an evaluation framework for intersection conflict warning system (ICWS) deployments. The project engaged several national standards groups and industry associations including the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, AASHTO Subcommittee on Traffic Engineering, and the Traffic Control Devices and Evaluation of Low Cost Safety Improvements pooled funds.

This project furthered supported the standardization of intersection conflict warning systems by coordinating among the various national standards and association groups, and by developing a concept of operations and system requirements for the four types of ICWS identified in the Design and Evaluation Guidance for Intersection Conflict Warning Systems. 

Related Documents/Links

For a listing of related documents and links to this intersection conflict warning systems ENTERPRISE project click here. For more information about the other phases of ENTERPRISE work with intersection conflict warning systems go to:

• Phase 1 – Developing Consistency in ITS Safety Solutions – ICWS: The purpose of this project was to develop a consistent approach for accelerated, uniform deployment and further evaluation of intersection conflict warning systems (ICWS), and to recommend preliminary standards for MUTCD consideration. This work was initiated through a webinar and two in-person workshops. Participants included ENTERPRISE pooled fund states, other states that have deployed systems, FHWA, NCUTCD, AASHTO and NACE.
• Phase 3 – ICWS Support and Outreach: This phase will continue coordination with national standards groups, industry associations and other pooled fund programs that have been engaged through the ENTERPRISE ICWS work. Phase 3 will also continue to provide ICWS deployment support to ENTERPRISE members.
• Phase 4 – Roadmap for Next Generation Intersection Conflict Warning Systems (ICWS): This project identified and documented issues related to the development and deployment of next-generation approaches to ICWS. This information was utilized to develop a roadmap of prioritized next steps to help guide future ICWS deployment efforts.

Over the last decade, 511 telephone and web services have been deployed in many states and provinces. Some agencies have already deployed ‘second-generation’ 511 systems with the intent of adding functionality, improving content or reducing operating costs. Agencies are also expanding their dissemination of real-time traveler information using push services like Constant Contact and social media tools like Twitter. Many agencies have also developed partnerships to reduce operating costs through sponsorship or outsourcing. It is increasingly challenging to plan, evaluate, operate and enhance real-time traveler information services because of limited resources, overwhelming information and rapidly changing dynamics.

The ENTERPRISE Transportation Pooled Fund sponsored this project – Next Era of Traveler Information – to help agencies understand how real-time traveler information technology and use is changing and how the changes are impacted by current and emerging trends. Emphasis was placed on sharing lessons learned by agencies that have experience related to current trends. The areas of interest that were explored during this project are described as follows.

• Dissemination tools. The project facilitated an exchange of experiences with push information services and social media to help agencies understand new options for delivering information without relying on incoming phone calls. In addition to describing the tools being used, agencies described their philosophy and goals for traveler information to provide a context for how their dissemination tools support them.
• Data management. Managing the availability, variety and formatting of a growing number of data sources creates a complex environment for delivering traveler information. The project explored data requirements outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 23: Highways, Part 511—Real-Time System Management Information Program (23 CFR 511) and the data format specifications being developed by USDOT to support the exchange of information from highway and transit monitoring systems.
• Cost management. Managing traveler information program costs continues to be challenging, particularly with increasing demands for information to be timely, accurate and delivered in a variety of formats. The project supported a peer exchange of alternative funding approaches, specifically sponsorships, to manage and optimize the costs of operating traveler information services.
• Customer needs. Understanding and meeting customer needs in an era when information is a premium commodity is especially problematic in government culture where market research is still rarely used to understand customer needs. The project facilitated a discussion of how agency approaches to understanding customer needs and presented findings from a nation-wide study conducted by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program to understand what information and services travelers find most useful.
• Performance targets. A key feature of the 2012 legislation, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), is the establishment of a performance- and outcome-based program that will encourage states to invest resources in projects that will make progress toward national goals. The project facilitated an exchange of information about states’ approaches to establishing practical performance measures and targets for traveler information programs, particularly as they relate to meeting requirements in 23 CFR 511

WebinarsMuch of the information exchanged for this project was done through a series of webinars and summary reports. For a summary of each webinar click here.