Executive Summary

Background

The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Road Weather Management Program (RWMP) has identified the integration of weather information into the operations of Transportation Management Centers (TMCs) across the country as one of its key objectives. Since early 2004, the RWMP has sponsored a series of three linked studies to develop a concept of weather integration, identify best practices being used by TMCs, and support leading TMCs as demonstration sites for effective integration of weather information in their daily operations. This report describes the third phase of this effort that has focused on the preparation of detailed weather integration implementation plans by selected TMCs, the deployment of integrated systems, and the evaluation of the performance and benefits of those systems. Weather information integration is beginning to take hold but much remains to be done to further raise awareness of the benefits of weather integration and encourage more widespread adoption of weather integration strategies. This report offers several recommendations for additional steps that will need to be taken to more fully accomplish the program objectives.

During the current phase of this weather integration project, assistance was provided to the Sacramento Regional TMC (RTMC) in implementing and evaluating a weather alert notification system based on a strategy identified in their self-evaluation. Three additional TMCs participated in the self-evaluation and integration planning process, including Kansas City Scout, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the Louisiana statewide TMCs. This study included expanding weather integration activities with additional TMCs, supporting the development and distribution of various marketing strategies and materials, and refining the self-evaluation and planning guidelines to support greater integration in the future. The scope was expanded further to include two interested TMCs (Cheyenne, Wyoming and Redding, CA) that were willing to work with the Guide on their own, with minimal outside support, to conduct the self-evaluation and develop a plan. These efforts allowed both TMC’s to identify new levels of weather integration on their own, and proved the ability of the Guide to support such efforts. In addition to these activities, a strategic marketing plan was developed to guide various promotional activities and products in support of weather integration. Finally, the self-evaluation and planning Guide was updated and refined based on the experiences working with the TMCs and their suggestions for improvement. This report describes these and all TMC weather integration activities supported by FHWA to date.

TMC Self-Evaluation, Planning and Implementation Process

Individual deployment plans were prepared in collaboration with the teams formed at each of the TMCs that selected the integration strategies and developed schedules for implementing the integration strategies. With assistance provided through periodic conference calls and several site visits to each participating TMC, their teams worked through the self-evaluation Guide to identify the priority integration strategies that were aligned with their expressed needs to improve operations using integrated weather information. Each TMC cycled through this process several times, making adjustments to their prioritized needs, in order to develop a manageable set of weather integration strategies that seemed feasible for them to implement. The next step was to prepare an integration plan that included an initial outline of the tasks they intended to implement, along with a schedule, in order to achieve the new levels of weather integration they desire. This report provides extensive details for each of these TMCs on their selected priority needs, their target levels of weather integration for each of eleven items of integration, and the specific integration tasks they selected for implementation. The activities of each TMC are noted below:

• Sacramento, California Regional TMC: Implemented and evaluated the performance of a weather alert notification system
• Kansas City Scout TMC: Integrating weather event forecast information into their Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS)
• Colorado Springs TMC: Conducting a pilot study on winter weather arterial signal timing in one of their city grids
• Louisiana statewide TMCs: Completed a comprehensive statewide self-evaluation and integration plan across their four TMCs
• Wyoming Statewide TMC: Expanding road weather information sensor coverage and implementing additional variable speed limit notification system in key corridors
• Redding, California TMC: Completed their self-evaluation but resource limitations prevented them from completing an integration plan

Evaluation of the Sacramento Regional TMC Weather Alert Notification System

Since 2007 the Caltrans District 3 Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC) has been participating in the FHWA weather integration study to identify, implement and evaluate strategies to improve the use of weather information in their operations. A separate report documents the full details of a weather alert notification system they developed and the results of an evaluation of this system (Report No. FHWA-JPO-10-063. NTL No. 14969).

The evaluation of the Sacramento RTMC weather alert notification system examined several adverse weather events in detail in order to assess quantitatively how the alert system was performing and how the operators were able to use it in supporting their operational decisions regarding posting of advisory messages. In assessing the RTMC operator responses to these weather events, several indicators were considered:

• Were the warnings and alerts issued appropriately and according to the designated thresholds?
• To what extent was the event covered by messaging to the public?
• Were the appropriate message signs activated based on receipt of alerts and readings from the various sensor sites?
• Were signs deactivated in an appropriate and reasonably timely way?
• Did the operators record information about the event and their decisions in the TMC log?

Key findings included the following:

• The alerts were mostly well timed, indicating the alert notification system was working as planned.
• Messaging coverage was generally good but not complete. However, coverage improved over the duration of the evaluation from December 2009 to April 2010, suggesting that the alerts were helping operators post messages more appropriately.
• A low number of primary message signs had messages posted during the weather event case studies examined, but coverage improved over the course of the evaluation period, presumably due to the operators’ increasing familiarity with, and understanding of, the new procedures.
• There were a number of periods after weather events had subsided during which messages were left active longer than needed or desired. The RTMC intends to address this issue with a future system upgrade that will provide operators an alert for the end of an event.
• Operator training is essential for successful weather integration.
• Alert notification procedures need to be clearly and consistently specified.
• Time and resource constraints faced by TMCs affect the performance of an alert notification system.

Strategic Marketing of Weather Integration

As a generalization, weather integration is currently at a relatively low level in most TMCs across the country. In many TMCs it is nonexistent at this time, even though weather, in some form, is affecting transportation safety and mobility everywhere. In addition to the technical tasks that involved working with a small set of TMCs, the strategic marketing efforts focused on activities aimed at increasing the awareness and capabilities of TMCs for integrating weather information in their daily operations.

A strategic marketing plan was developed as part of this study. The plan identified the primary and secondary audiences, the key messages to be conveyed, the challenges to be overcome, and the benefits of weather information integration. The plan also contained an itemized list of activities that supported the marketing efforts. Over the course of the project, various activities were conducted based on the plan.

Overall, the marketing approach resulted in a broad dissemination of the concepts of weather information integration and shared the experiences of the various TMCs engaged in this project. Quantitative numbers are difficult to track and in some cases may be realized only at a later date. The outputs of the marketing and outreach effort identified to date include the following:

• There were over 70 downloads of the Guide following the webinar held June 10, 2010.
• Over 10 presentations were made at various conferences and stakeholder groups on the project by team members and FHWA.
• A Public Roads article published in January 2011 for managing traffic operations during adverse weather events (authored by Roemer Alfelor and David Yang of FHWA) contained a subsection on weather information integration drawing upon results of this study.
• Over 23 TMCs were contacted as part of this study to participate in self-evaluation efforts, and the final participants were selected from that initial list of contacted TMCs.
• A total of six (6) agencies have completed the self-evaluation process. All but one of them have developed integration plans.
• Four (4) TMCs (Sacramento, Kansas City, Wyoming, Colorado Springs) are starting to implement their integration plans/strategies.
• Wyoming TMC and Kansas City Scout have made presentations to other peer groups (ITS Heartland, Clarus/Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) stakeholder groups) about the benefits of weather information integration and the self-evaluation process.

Ongoing marketing activities for the weather information integration will likely have to overcome a number of challenges. These include challenges associated with TMC willingness to consider weather integration, to invest in the effort and resources required to make integration successful, and to understand and use the Guide effectively. Recognizing these challenges and preparing to overcome them will be essential to a successful marketing effort.

Refinement of the Self-Evaluation Guide

The TMC representatives who participated in this project appreciated the thoroughness of the Guide content, clarity of instructions, and the applicability of the integration strategies presented. Specific feedback was requested and obtained based on the use of the electronic version of the tool. The Guide was updated and improved based on the suggestions from the users.

Technically, the Guide needs a periodic update of the Weather Information Integration Strategies and User Needs. Currently, there are 11 items of integration and 5 levels for each item. These were developed to cover the gamut of information integration options in 2008. With improving technologies and capabilities within TMCs, these strategies need to be reviewed and updated. Similarly, the user needs should be reviewed and updated to reflect the current desires of TMCs.

Accomplishments and Lessons

The accomplishments of many of these TMCs toward the implementation of selected integration strategies are noteworthy and reflect their managements’ recognition of the critical impacts of weather on their operations and a strong motivation to better position their operations to take advantage of improved access to weather information.

All these TMCs can point to a common set of important accomplishments achieved through their participation in the weather information integration study, as follows.

• Four comprehensive weather integration plans were prepared that serve not only to guide each TMC’s future integration implementation efforts but also to offer clear examples for the benefit of other TMCs of weather integration across a range of strategies and under varying conditions.
• Each TMC established, through participation in the weather integration process, new partnerships, both internal and external to their agency that served to enhance their overall operations, provide benefit to the traveling public, and chart a pathway to improved working relationships in the future.
• TMCs acknowledged the importance of working closely with their counterparts in maintenance. Stronger relationships were established that will encourage collaborative activities and foster active sharing of weather information.
• Awareness was raised at all levels of the DOT organizations involved, from TMC operators and field staff to upper management, of the potential role and value of weather information to enhance the quality and content of traffic operations, and the value of a more proactive stance with regard to managing their systems before, during, and after weather events.

A review of the accomplishments achieved so far by the TMCs that have participated in the weather information integration program over the past six years illustrates a number of “success factors,” lessons, and remaining challenges based on these experiences that can be expected to be relevant to any TMC. Various lessons learned have been identified in prior reports related to this project (Report Nos. FHWA-HOP-06-090. EDL No. 14247; FHWA-JPO-08-058. EDL No. 14438; and FHWA-JPO-10-063. NTL No. 14969), and the potential value of these lessons is tied to creating a wider awareness of the benefits of weather integration and engagement in a process to identify and deploy integration strategies that can improve the operations of TMCs across the country. Broad lessons, common across each of the TMCs in this study, include the following:

• TMC managers are not generally predisposed to seek out new ways to integrate weather information into their traffic operations, and often they are unaware of weather resources that exist within their broader agency. After participating in the self-evaluation and integration planning process, the TMCs in this study recognized the potential value offered by weather integration, but for the most part required considerable assistance in moving forward to incorporate new ways to integrate weather. Self-motivation sufficient to support achievement of real changes in operations based on weather integration, along with a clear understanding of the steps they needed to take, appears to be rare.
• Resources, both financial and staff, constitute a serious challenge to the successful promotion of weather integration in TMCs. While this point has been made a number of times before, it deserves repeating. This is not just a temporary problem associated with particularly difficult economic conditions in many states. TMC personnel are so stretched to fulfill their daily obligations and tasks, that motivating them to take on a new set of tasks and responsibilities, including modifying policies and procedures to support new ways of operating with weather information, is very difficult. Although TMC managers and operators may agree that enhanced weather integration could help them better meet their operational needs and serve their traveling public, weather integration simply does not represent a high enough priority for them among their many tasks.
• While the weather integration study has focused on enhancing TMC operations, the process depends on teamwork not only within the TMC but also with other agencies and stakeholders. Many, though not all, TMCs have separate structures for their operations and maintenance components. The most effective weather integration implies a seamless sharing of information and decision making across operations and maintenance, but the historical arrangements in TMCs often present major institutional and cultural barriers that hinder information sharing. Engagement in the weather information integration project has helped overcome these barriers where they have existed, but the motivation for TMCs and State DOTs to make that happen is lacking.

Recommendations

Four recommendations are offered that focus on the need to build a sustainable weather integration program, effectively promote such a program with documented benefits, refine and maintain a comprehensive tool to evaluate weather information integration in a particular TMC, and identify the most technologically advanced strategies to enhance its capabilities.

1. Assure Progress and Sustainability of Weather Integration
   • Objective: A goal of the RWMP is to encourage widespread awareness of the value of integrating weather information and systems into TMC operations and progress toward accomplishing that, resulting in a high degree of weather information usage in transportation operations and management.
   • Approach: Long-term progress incorporating weather integration into TMC operations must be grounded in a motivated TMC constituency that understands the role of weather integration in the context of WRTM, and not allowed to remain dependent on continued outside assistance. This can be achieved by a multi-pronged strategy that includes the following elements:
     • Follow-up actively on the marketing strategies identified in the current program.
     • Continue to emphasize weather integration as a key component of WRTM.
     • Develop and actively support an institutional strategy within the RWMP to respond to TMC questions and needs with regard to weather integration, including training and networking support.
     • Sponsor one or more workshops with representation from all stakeholders (TMC operations and maintenance; emergency management agencies; software developers; meteorologists; etc.). Include leading weather integrators who can speak from successes.
     • Work closely with and provide support to organizations or groups that include members of the TMC community or work with TMCs, such as the TMC Pooled Fund Program, the TRB, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and their committees and subcommittees that focus on operations and maintenance. Make presentations to these groups based on successful weather integration experiences, encourage them to focus on weather integration, and make them a part of an institutional strategy for sustainable support of weather integration.
     • In the short run, actively support TMCs that express an interest in weather integration, but seek to replace such ad hoc responses with an institutionalized, sustainable support infrastructure.
     • Engage each of the major new transportation initiatives to educate and promote with regard to weather integration and include their representatives in the new institutional mechanisms.
     • Seek to overcome the traditional separation and communication barriers between TMC operations and maintenance.
   • Outcome: The outcome of this recommended set of activities would be a rapid increase of the number of TMCs that undertake weather integration activities in their operations and a growth in sophistication among TMCs that have already made some headway toward weather integration. Weather integration should become mostly self-supporting and no longer require on-going costly outside support in order to motivate adoption.
2. Identify and Document Evidence of Weather Integration Benefits
   • Objective: In order to successfully promote the weather information integration initiative and encourage TMCs to consider weather integration strategies to improve their operations, they need to better understand the potential benefits of implementing these strategies.
   • Approach: Continue to support Kansas City Scout TMC to finalize and implement their evaluation plan. Continue working with the Wyoming Statewide TMC to complete their integration plan implementation, prepare an evaluation plan, and evaluate their implementation. Continue to work with the Colorado Springs TMC to complete the pilot test of their weather responsive signal timing plans, develop a plan to evaluate the performance of that test, and evaluate the test as a basis for considering expansion throughout their system. Investigate other TMCs that may be enhancing their weather information integration capability (including those that downloaded the Guide and those that are known to be improving their capabilities), prepare a short list of those that are actively implementing a weather integration strategy, and assist them to evaluate their strategy implementation.
   • Outcome: The outcome of this recommendation will be a set of documented benefits (a report and database) attributable to the implementation of specific weather information integration strategies that could be used to promote and sustain the RWMP’s weather integration in traffic operations initiative.
3. Assure Currency and Relevance of Weather Integration
   • Objective: In order to encourage and assure the adoption of weather information integration strategies in TMC operations, the RWMP must facilitate the on-going evolution of integration strategies to “keep pace” with rapid technology and programmatic developments of direct interest to TMC traffic operations and management.
   • Approach: Prepare a white paper on “Relevance of Weather Information Integration to TMCs” that would:
     • Describe advances in ATMS hardware and software that can accept and support improved processing and management of weather information.
     • Identify and describe the major current transportation program initiatives and how weather information serves as inputs to those programs along with how the programs can encourage and benefit weather integration strategies. The role of weather information integration needs to be examined in three major emerging programs – Active Transportation Demand Management (ATDM), Integrated Corridor Management (ICM), and the Connected Vehicle initiative. In each of these programs, RWMP should encourage increased understanding and use of weather information. For example, future ICM initiatives around the country should consider a weather-responsive scenario and the ATDM program could focus on linking active traffic management & travel demand management during adverse weather. The RWMP has already started engaging the Connected Vehicle community in considering vehicles not only as mobile observation platforms but also as receivers of customized spot-specific road weather information.
     • The white paper should clarify in practical terms, using real examples, what it means to be proactive with regard to weather integration and how being more proactive offers benefits.
   • Outcome: This recommendation emphasizes the importance of staying flexible and adjusting weather information integration strategies and rationale to keep current and relevant. Outcomes would include clear, practical examples of how weather integration fits in with the current and projected major transportation program initiatives. The recommended white paper will support further marketing and promotion of weather integration among TMCs by further clarifying its operational benefits.
4. Refine Self-Evaluation Process and Improve Tool
   • Objective: In order for TMCs to evaluate their current and future potential level of weather integration, they require a tool that is both easy to use and is up-to-date with the most current advances in weather integration strategies.
   • Approach: Refine and update the weather integration self-evaluation and planning process, improving the tool’s usability, and incorporating the most current technological advances in both (the process and the tool). Specifically:
     • Review and update the need statements to be more reflective of TMC desires to be more proactive with their responses to road weather conditions.
     • Research and update the road weather integration strategies to reflect the most advanced practices being promoted by USDOT and implemented by state DOTs and TMCs. These incorporate the latest communication, programmatic and technological advances, reflect today’s best practices, and support new program initiatives such as Connected Vehicles, ICM and ATDM.
     • Improve the matrix of needs for weather integration strategies based on the findings of the first two bullets.
     • Revise and host the tool on a new and more flexible platform (an Internet-based product).
   • Outcome: The outcome of this recommendation will be a technically and programmatically current weather integration self-evaluation and planning process, and an easier tool that TMCs can use to investigate and implement possible road weather integration strategies to improve their operations during inclement weather conditions.

Conclusion

This report has demonstrated significant progress towards implementation of advanced levels of weather information integration strategies among many of the TMCs that participated in this study. They have important accomplishments to show for their efforts. The future holds great opportunity to extend the benefits of weather integration to many more TMCs across the country that face weather challenges in their daily traffic operations. This study presented some lessons from the experience of the past six years of the FHWA Road Weather program that highlight the importance of strong self-motivation within TMCs to engage a team composed of operations, maintenance and related agency representatives in weather integration within an environment of constrained resources. The four recommendations presented are directed toward sustaining and enhancing the weather integration program, building additional evidence supporting the benefits of integration, and assuring that the support and tools available to TMCs to help them are effective and up-to-date.