8.0 Recommendations

This section identifies specific recommendations that define a roadmap (next steps) to continue the efforts of the RWMP to promote and enhance the level of weather information integration in the nation’s TMCs. These recommendations focus on the need to build a sustainable weather integration program, effectively promote a weather information integration 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 their capabilities.

Specific recommendations include:

1. Assure Progress and Sustainability of Weather Integration
2. Identify and Document Evidence of Weather Integration Benefits
3. Assure Currency and Relevance of Weather Integration
4. Refine Self-Evaluation Process and Improve Tool

Each recommendation describes the objective, rationale, approach, and outcome – providing the details to understand its importance and significance to increase the breadth of the weather information integration initiative. Identified within each recommendation is a set of activities or tasks necessary to achieve the overall objective of the recommendation. Although the recommendations are not in a priority order, there is high degree of interaction among the recommendations. Outcomes of a particular recommendation may help to inform other recommendations. For instance, the identification and documentation of weather integration benefits (for a variety of strategies) would certainly support efforts to promote the initiative’s goals with TMCs that may be considering implementing weather information integration.

8.1 Recommendation 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 system operations and management.
• Rationale: The TMC Weather Integration project has shown that significant potential exists to improve weather information integration at TMCs. Recent advances in the availability of information and improvement in traffic management approaches and technologies significantly improve the ability to achieve weather responsive traffic management (WRTM). As champions emerge on behalf of TMC weather integration, there needs to be a focused push to enhance TMCs’ understanding of potential weather information integration opportunities and how they fit under the larger umbrella of WRTM. Even those TMCs that have made some headway with weather integration have difficulty visualizing the benefits of additional investments, and virtually all TMCs operate under very constrained budgets and difficult economic environments. State DOT and TMC managements want and expect clear evidence of a strong benefit-cost tradeoff before they will authorize capital investments to implement weather integration initiatives. The motivation among TMCs to pursue weather integration in the absence of on-going outside assistance is insufficient to overcome the financial hurdles and knowledge gap that hinder significant advancements in this regard. Reaching the RWMP goal without putting in place a sustainable strategy to support weather integration is going to be very difficult.
• Approach: This recommendation is grounded in experience working with some of the more advanced, progressive TMCs with regard to their recognition of the importance of weather in their operations. 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. This includes updating flyers and disseminating testimonials from TMCs that have successfully integrated weather information, and having them convince their peers from firsthand experience. Expand a database of success stories that demonstrate how weather integration has enhanced operations and provide implementation details.
  • The RWMP should present weather integration as a key component of WRTM, emphasizing how weather information integration dovetails with the other key elements of the WRTM program (illustrated in Figure 1).
  • Develop and actively support an institutional strategy within the RWMP to respond to TMC questions and needs with regard to weather integration. Offer training and support to the self-evaluation and integration planning process. Encourage the creation of a new working group of TMC representatives, and sponsor annual or more frequent meetings of this group that would focus on all aspects of weather integration (needs and strategy identification; integration planning; implementation approaches; performance evaluation).
  • 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. Encourage a proactive approach to weather integration that is open and sharing in its orientation and practice. Maintenance is currently better organized than operations, with their focus on winter pavement management issues. A good next step would be to seek to include traffic operations in their network, meetings and conferences to seek common ground around enhanced weather information and integrated decision making.
• 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.

8.2 Recommendation 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.
• Rationale: Recent research has revealed very limited measurable benefits of weather information integration applications to traffic operations. The evaluation of the Caltrans D3 Sacramento Regional TMCs’ weather alert system indicated how timely and accurate weather information could improve traveler information messaging. Although this analysis showed promising results, the alert system was limited and it only addressed one weather information integration strategy. Also, it addressed primarily better weather information coming into the TMC, but did not evaluate the actual integration of the weather information and how that might affect TMC operations. The RWMP needs a set of quantifiable benefits for a variety of strategies that can be shared with prospective TMCs interested in weather information integration acting as a catalyst to motivate them to perform a self-evaluation and move forward with implementation of weather integration strategies.
• Approach: The completion of this project has resulted in three TMCs that are ready to implement various weather information integration strategies, as follows:
  1. Kansas City Scout – newly assembled weather information integrated into their ATMS to alert operators and provide them with relevant weather information to make operational decisions.
  2. Wyoming Statewide TMC – weather information integrated into variable speed limit system to better inform operators to assign appropriate speed limits depending on road weather conditions.
  3. Colorado Springs TMC – weather information integrated in TMC to better assign traffic signal timing during snow and ice conditions. Currently conducting a pilot test on one signal grid area within the city involving a major arterial and feeder routes.
• In addition, other TMCs may be advancing their weather information integration capabilities. This group may include TMCs that were originally contacted and whose experiences formed the basis for the current strategies in the Guide and those that have recently downloaded the Guide from the FHWA website.
• This recommendation proposes to: 1) continue supporting the three TMCs listed above in implementing their respective weather information integration strategies and conducting an evaluation to identify and document evidence of weather integration outcomes and benefits, and 2) investigate other TMCs that also may be actively enhancing their weather information integration capabilities and assist them in evaluating and documenting their experiences. Specifically, this effort would:
  • Assist Kansas City Scout to complete their evaluation plan (based on their most current implementation approach) and execute the plan by conducting an evaluation of their new weather integration system. This effort would provide quantifiable measures of the benefits of integrating weather information into a sophisticated ATMS system to alert operators, provide them with enhanced road weather information, and support their decision making.
  • Work with the Wyoming Statewide TMC to prepare an evaluation plan (based on their weather integration implementation) and execute the plan by conducting an evaluation of their weather integration efforts. This activity would work closely with the University of Wyoming that is currently evaluating the variable speed limit system on I-80 in southern Wyoming. This effort would provide quantifiable measures of outcome benefits of integrating road weather information into their TMC to better inform operators and possibly automate their I-80 variable speed limit system.
  • Assist the Colorado Springs TMC to complete the evaluation plan for their pilot test and execute the plan by conducting an evaluation of the weather responsive signal timing plans. This effort would provide quantifiable benefits of implementing snow and ice conditions signal timing plans.
  • Investigate other TMCs that may be enhancing, or desiring to enhance, the integration of weather information in their TMCs. This activity would include contacting those that are known to have downloaded the Guide and determine their use of the Guide. This would also include contacting the original ten TMCs that formed the basis for the current state-of-the-practice in weather information integration. A short list of TMCs believed to have recently expanded their capabilities or planning to do so in the near future would be prepared.
  • Assist the above short list of TMCs to complete an evaluation plan and then carry out an evaluation of their TMC weather information integration implementation. This effort would add to the benefits database developed by working with the first three TMCs as described above.
  • Summarize the benefits realized through these proposed evaluations into a report and database that can be used by the RWMP and others to promote weather integration.
• 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.

8.3 Recommendation 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.
• Rationale: Weather information integration as an RWMP initiative is unlikely to become routinely accepted and implemented in the nation’s TMCs if it is presented as a concept essentially detached from the major transportation program initiatives and new information management technologies being introduced today and in the future. While TMCs for the most part understand the connections between road weather conditions, and system performance, traveler safety and mobility, they also need to understand how weather integration strategies fit in with and can be supported by the new technologies being introduced in state DOTs. Failure to maintain and promote weather integration that is fully consistent and integrated with the latest technologies and program initiatives can lead to reduced interest, adoption and deployment of potentially beneficial weather integration strategies.
• Approach: An initial challenge is to clearly characterize how the USDOT’s transportation initiatives can benefit from, as well as support, weather integration in TMC operations. A recommended approach is to prepare a white paper on “Relevance of Weather Information Integration to TMCs.” This white paper would seek to incorporate the following elements:
  • Describe advances in ATMS hardware and software that can accept and support improved processing and management of weather information. Clarify the data formats that optimize the utility of weather information, and describe the outputs that can most benefit traffic operations. Provide examples of effective uses of weather information in TMC operational settings utilizing current ATMS computer structures.
  • 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 RWMP has stressed the importance and value of encouraging TMCs to become more proactive with regard to weather information and its integration into operations. However, TMCs have difficulty visualizing what it means to be proactive with weather. Traditionally, TMC operations has focused on traffic performance, and attended to weather only after they observe evidence that weather has affected traffic adversely. Does being more proactive suggest anything more than increasing preparedness for dealing with on-coming weather? Most TMCs are not willing or prepared to notify travelers about weather before it strikes or before there is evidence that it is impacting traffic flow or safety. 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.
  • This approach overlaps with the recommendation related to updating the tools used to support TMCs working through the self-evaluation, planning and implementation process for weather integration, and the recommendation related to more thoroughly understanding and communicating the benefits of weather integration. The weather integration initiative must be kept responsive and relevant to TMC operational needs.
• 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 (both supporting and benefiting from them). The recommended white paper will support further marketing and promotion of weather integration among TMCs by further clarifying its operational benefits.

8.4 Recommendation 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.
• Rationale: The results of working with several TMCs (documented in this report) suggests that the current weather integration self-evaluation and planning guide (the tool) was extremely useful to assist them with identification of potential weather integration strategies based on their stated needs. However, they did offer suggestions for improvements to the guide to enhance usability, provide better interactive features, and improve the linkages between the needs, strategies and recommendations. Also, the TMCs had difficulty transitioning from selecting weather integration strategies to developing an integration/implementation plan – the consultant team assisted each of them to complete this task. Additionally, the consultant team noticed that all the TMCs got stuck in Section 5 of the guide not knowing how to proceed – they needed assistance at that point to complete the process. Their primary concern was how to select and prioritize the recommended strategies. It is essential that the RWMP’s weather integration self-evaluation and planning process, and the related tool, be understandable, easy to use, technically sound and up-to-date with the most current information.
• Approach: This recommendation focuses on refining and updating 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, this effort will:
  • 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. This may involve revising the weather integration strategy definitions and levels.
  • Improve the matrix of needs to weather integration strategies based on the findings of the first two bullets.
  • Review the complete weather integration self-evaluation and planning process as appropriate to possibly enhance and/or add elements such as how to describe a more iterative process, improve upon the implementation planning approach, and adding guidance on evaluating the benefits of the selected strategies for implementation.
  • Revise the tool based on the above outcomes and host the tool on a new more flexible platform (an Internet-based product) to address some of the input received by the TMCs to improve its usability. The current Microsoft Access based tool has limitations that can not be overcome using this platform.
• Outcome: The outcome of this recommendation will be a technically and programmatically up-to-date weather integration self-evaluation and planning process, and a more usable tool that TMCs can use to investigate and implement possible road weather integration strategies to improve their operations during inclement weather conditions.

8.5 Conclusion

This report has demonstrated significant progress toward the 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 this integration 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.