Completed

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.

Many Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) deployments include signs and other traffic control device displays that require locating them and other ITS components within the roadway clear zone. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) requires these devices to be crashworthy.

Agencies wishing to deploy ITS devices within the clear zone are responsible for ensuring that the device is either protected by a longitudinal barrier or mounted on a breakaway support in a configuration that is crashworthy. The ENTERPRISE Pooled Fund Program completed a research project to document available resources to assist state, provincial, and local agencies in the process of designing and deploying ITS devices in the clear zone.  The final report summarizes the large number of resources available from federal and state agencies.

Presentations

The Crashworthines and Protectino of ITS Field Devices project was presented at the following:

• ENTERPRISE Project Webinar (April 2014)

Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) is a communication tool that has been used since the late 1970s by government organizations to deliver public information over short ranges by radio. Systems typically consist of a transmitter, antenna, recording device and power. Most modern systems use control software and wireless communication options that allow messages to be recorded or activated remotely. HAR is often used by departments of transportation, in particular, to deliver information about road conditions, construction and other traffic conditions. 

The overall intent of this project was to provide ENTERPRISE member states with guidance to help them better understand how they should pursue HAR technologies and approaches in the future.  To accomplish this, the project goals of the project were defined as follows:

• Goal #1: To help members understand how HAR is being used by transportation  agencies today;
• Goal #2: To help members understand the potential value of HAR; and
• Goal #3: To help members understand the current and potential future state of HAR technology practices.

The final document for this project presents a general background of HAR, a summary of HAR uses and value, as well as the state of HAR technology and operational practices.  Information for this project was gathered through literature reviews and interviews with transportation agencies operating HAR and manufacturers of HAR systems.

ENTERPRISE established a working relationship with General Motors’ OnStar during the Multi-Jurisdictional Mayday (MJM) project in the late 1990s to explore how automatic collision notification (ACN) technology could enhance roadway safety and traveler information if data from such systems were available to emergency medical staff and transportation agencies. In the years since, OnStar has worked diligently with the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) to establish parameters around the crash data that they can provide. Using those parameters, OnStar has published a data stream for emergency services and transportation agencies to use.

In addition to the safety and convenience services offered by OnStar, similar services are being offered by other automobile manufacturers. For example, Ford provides a service called SYNC that literally syncs your mobile phone with your vehicle to provide various safety functions, and Hyundai offers Assurance Connected Care as a standard feature for three years on most of their new vehicles. Insurance companies are also providing similar safety and rate reduction services such as In-Drive offered by State Farm.

Given the evolution and potential value of crash notification technology, this project researched the current data available from OnStar and similar telematics service providers, suggested the value of such data for transportation operations, and worked with ENTERPRISE member agencies to understand how they could use this type of data. This summary report provides information about the data currently available from telematics service providers and suggests the potential value of such data for transportation agency operations.

The ENTERPRISE Pooled Fund Program initiated a project to document the resources available as well as uses and benefits regarding the following Intelligent Work Zone (IWZ) technologies: queue warning systems, dynamic merge systems, alternate routes and variable speed limits in work zones.  A detailed literature search was conducted to summarize work zone materials available related to the four work zone technologies. In addition, intelligent work zone representatives from transportation agencies were contacted to provide details on recent related deployments and provide input to the project.

The purpose of the final report is to understand the current status of work on IWZ activities by combining the resources gathered through a literature search with the information collected from the transportation agencies on recent deployments.  Also included is a summary of the four IWZ technologies including examples of successes, any guidance possible when technologies are most effective, and the configurations that demonstrated the best results.  Seperate documents were then created from the final report highlighting the summary of uses and benefits for each IWZ technology as a quick reference for the specific technology of interest.

Presentations

The Synthesis of Intelligent Work Zone Practices project was presented at the following:

• ITS Minnesota Fall Forum (October 2014)
• ENTERPRISE Project Webinar (April 2014)