2017

Transportation agencies typically use an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) for activities such as monitoring conditions (e.g. through detectors, cameras, and third-party data) and managing traffic (e.g. through dynamic message signs (DMS), lane use signs, ramp metering).  As technology changes and systems age, agencies may purchase or upgrade their ATMS.  The process of procuring a new or upgraded ATMS typically involves a systems engineering approach of defining needs, developing a concept of operations, then developing detailed requirements that can be used in procurement.

Agencies generally share a common, core set of similar needs, operational concepts, and requirements for ATMS software solutions.  The purpose of this project was for members to collaboratively develop a set of common needs, concepts, and requirements to serve as model systems engineering documents. The resulting document was not intended to be inclusive of all possible ATMS capabilities, but rather a baseline of common capabilities to be used by the member agencies to support their systems engineering process and ATMS procurement. 

The project developed a Model ATMS Concept of Operations (ConOps) that provides a user-oriented view of the ATMS. It describes the ATMS operation in relation to how different stakeholders will use and experience the system. The ConOps is a key element of the Systems Engineering process. The ConOps is a direct input into the development of system requirements also included in the document, which define the required high-level functionality of the ATMS. The ConOps is also used to validate that the deployed ATMS performs the expected operations and meets the needs of the ATMS stakeholders, while the system requirements are used to verify the deployed ATMS meets the required specifications.

This ENTERPRISE project “Real-Time Integration of Arrow Board Messages into Traveler Information Systems” outlines an effort to integrate Arrow Board status information (e.g. direction of arrow) from the field into existing and future traveler information systems to alert Transportation Management Center (TMC) operators and travelers in real-time of for example a lane closure. Per direction from the ENTERPRISE Board, the project was separated into three phases in order to properly assess needs and potential solutions before deployment and evaluation at one or more ENTERPRISE agency sites.

Phase 1 of this project involved agency collaboration (i.e. ENTERPRISE Pooled Fund members) to generate Model Concept of Operations and Model Requirements documents for a system to report Arrow Board status information to TMC staff for improved traveler information dissemination and performance reporting, that would not require significant agency staff time in the field or at the TMC. These model systems engineering documents were developed for ENTERPRISE agencies to use and modify when implementing solutions to integrate active work zone notifications into their current traveler information dissemination systems. These model documents are likewise expected to enable Arrow Board manufacturers and third-party integrators to develop systems that are flexible to meet the various needs of multiple agencies.

The objective of this Phase 2 project was to generate an Evaluation Plan for examining the process, effectiveness, lessons learned, and benefits of Arrow Board Reporting Systems once they are deployed. The Evaluation Plan is expected to guide future evaluations of one or more pilot deployments conducted by ENTERPRISE agencies.

The Evaluation Plan will be used in Phase 3 of this project to facilitate and evaluate deployments of this concept in select ENTERPRISE member states. It is recommended that each deploying agency develop a concept of operations and requirements document based on the model documents as well as conduct a separate, detailed verification test to document requirements that are met (or not met) to establish a baseline for the evaluation in understanding the variations and capabilities of deployed Arrow Board Reporting Systems. Additionally, it is important to note that the developed evaluation strategy and plan is for use by each agency testing a deployment, however components may be modified once deployment details for an individual agency are finalized.

One of the most significant challenges with providing travelers reports on winter road conditions is the collection of information for such reports. Classifying winter road conditions for operations and traveler information has primarily been a manual process based on staff observations while performing maintenance activities. It is a resource intensive action, often required during the busiest times of winter storm response. Because reports are based on staff observations, they can also be very subjective. This leads to inconsistent and outdated reports that are of less value to travelers.

The introduction of road weather information systems (RWIS) at fixed locations along the road, mobile sensors and cameras on fleet vehicles, and advanced weather reporting have increased the availability of data for DOT staff to better understand road conditions in addition to staff observations. As the automobile industry prepares for wider deployment of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV), the transportation industry anticipates the opportunity to gather even more mobile data about road conditions from private vehicles.

For these reasons, ENTERPRISE commissioned this project to research the state of practice on automating or assisting staff with the classification of winter road conditions for traveler information. The objectives for the project were to assemble a Project Team to guide research and support contact with related efforts; and, research current approaches for automating or assisting winter road condition classification.

Phase 2 of this project explored specific attributes of data that can be used to automate road condition reporting with the intent of increasing agencies’ understanding and evaluation of this data.

It is typical for traveler information dissemination systems (e.g. Traveler Information websites, Smartphone applications) to display information about construction work zones, such as type of construction, lane closures (length and/or duration of closure), and detours. However, there are often challenges relaying the information about the impacts of roadwork to the staff responsible for preparing the travel information content for websites and 511 phones systems.  As a result, often the road work descriptions on websites and phone systems are generic (e.g. “expect intermittent lane closures from June 15 to August 30”).  

Arrow boards are routinely used in advance of active work zones to designate lane closures in the field, and display the most current information to approaching motorists.  Although no off-the-shelf system currently automatically integrates arrow board statuses into traveler information mechanisms for display to motorists, available technology could report the location and operation of Arrow Boards to TMC staff for improved traveler information dissemination and performance reporting, without requiring significant time of agency staff in the field or at the TMC. 

The overall intent of this project was for multiple states to collaborate together to follow a systems engineering process to develop an ITS solution that integrates active work zone notifications regarding lane closures from Arrow Boards into agency traveler information dissemination systems.  During this process, the project team identified a focus on integrating real-time information from Arrow Boards in the field; therefore, the Model Concept of Operations and Model Requirements documents have been titled to reflect this focus: Real-Time Integration of Arrow Board Messages into Traveler Information Systems.

This project (Phase 1) developed ‘model’ systems engineering documents (Concept of Operations and Requirements) that ENTERPRISE agencies could use when implementing solutions to integrate active work zone notifications into current traveler information dissemination systems.

The next effort (Phase 2) of the project, generated an Evaluation Plan for examining the process, effectiveness, lessons learned, and benefits of Arrow Board Reporting Systems once they are deployed.

Phase 3 evaluated the deployments of the arrow board concept in two ENTERPRISE member states (Minnesota and Iowa). In addition, an overview of the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada real-time arrow board reporting system deployment was included as another perspective.

Wireless communication has changed dramatically since the late 1800s when the first wireless communication began via the photophone and radio transmissions. Significant progress has been made over the past decade in improving the breadth and quality of cellular coverage, yet challenges still remain with using such communication in rural areas to support Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) devices.

Phase 1 of this effort outlined an initiative to identify, demonstrate, and evaluate one or more emerging communication technologies that could be used by transportation agencies to communicate with ITS devices in rural areas. Per direction from the ENTERPRISE Board, the project was separated into two phases in order to properly assess issues and potential solutions before coordinating a deployment and evaluation.

Phase 2 completed two distinct efforts:

• Evaluated commercially available products for transferring full motion video over cellular utilizing a temporary test deployment coordinated by the Iowa DOT and North Dakota DOT, to evaluate these products in real-world settings. An Evaluation Report was developed and documents the evaluation conducted.
• Explored potential solutions for checking the operability status of ITS devices from a remote location, by conducting research, survey, and/or interviews to document DOT practices and to investigate products used in the utilities industry. A technical memorandum was developed and distributed to the ENTERPRISE member agencies summarizing the research conducted.