TMC Weather Integration SelfEvaluation and Planning Guide

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TMC Weather Integration Self-Evaluation and
Planning Guide

• Chris Cluett
• TMC Pooled Fund Meeting Nashville
• July 15, 2008

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Weather Integration What is Involved?

• Identifying Wx conditions
• Understanding Wx impacts
• Identifying TMC needs forweather information
• Current level of Weather integration
• Identifying available Wx integration strategies
  and making choices

TMC Ops
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RWMP Guidelines for Integration

• TMC team evaluates their needs and opportunities
  for enhanced weather integration
• An electronic version of the Guide sorts through
  the information provided by the TMC and
  identifies optional integration strategies
• TMCs develop a practical weather integration plan
  to implement those strategies

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Examples of Weather Integration inTMC Operations

• Increased internal weather information resources
  (e.g. camera imagery, use of satellite and ASOS
  data, etc.)
• Increased use of external weather information and
  forecasts
• Expanded availability of weather information
• More frequent weather forecasts (occasional to
  continuous)
• Use of more road weather observations
• Greater coordination of weather information
  within TMC, with maintenance, meteorology staff
• More extensive weather coverage
• Closer association with weather experts
• Automated weather alert notification
• Greater use of decision support systems (such as
  MDSS)

Level 1 Cable channel or subscription weather
information vendor providing general weather
information Level 2 Internet provided weather
radar or satellite image on video wall Level 3
Field observers or ESS network providing
scheduled road or driving condition
reports Level 4 Vendor provided daily surface
transportation weather forecasts and observed
weather conditions Level 5 Meteorologist,
located within TMC, forecasting and interpreting
weather
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Strategic Approach to Encouraging Greater Weather
Integration in TMCs

• Start with a few TMCs that can serve as models
  for others to emulate
• We have initially worked with the Sacramento
  Regional TMC (Caltrans District 3) and the
  Milwaukee State-wide TOC.
• Sacramento RTMC has prepared a detailed weather
  integration plan
• We have refined the Self-Evaluation Guide based
  on very helpful input from these two TMCs

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Flow-Chart for the Self-Evaluation Guideand
Weather Integration Plan
Step 1 Self-Evaluation
Step 2 Identify and Describe Candidate Weather
Integration Strategies
Step 3 Develop Weather Integration Plan Based on
the Selected Weather Integration Strategies
Characterize Regional Weather
Weather Impacts on TMC Ops
Existing Level of Weather Integration
Operational Needs Assessment
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Step 1a Identify Regional Weather
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Step 1b Identify Weather Impacts

• For the weather events identified, indicate their
  impact on traffic operations
• Increased travel times
• Increased crash risk
• Reduced roadway capacity
• Traffic management device impairment
• Disruption of CVO or specialized vehicle
  operations
• Road closures
• Other impacts (Please specify)

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Step 1c Existing Level of Weather Integration in
the TMC
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Step 1c Existing Weather Integration Matrix

• For this example TMC, there is no weather
  integration for Item 1 (Weather Information
  Resources), and a high level for Item 4
  (Frequency of Weather Forecasts) at Level 5.

Integration Levels
-
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
Items of Integration
3
4
Etc.
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Step 1d Identifying TMC Operational Needs for
Managing Weather

• 22 needs statements in five categories
• Weather information gathering
• Institutional coordination
• Advisory functions
• Control functions
• Treatment Functions
• TMC can add additional needs statements
• Example need statement
• Better short-term forecasts of arrival time,
  duration, and intensity of specific weather
  events at specific locations
• Ranking of needs by priority (high, medium, low)

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Step 2 Identify Candidate Integration Strategies
Suitable for the TMC

• The strategy should address identified
  operational needs, taking into account the TMCs
  current level of weather integration (the Guide
  does this matching)
• This approach follows a structured pathway
  towards meeting needs
• Maps integration strategies that minimally
  address each identified operational need
• Clearly points to the next several higher levels
  of integration above current levels
• Allows selection of an integration strategy below
  what would be required to fully address the need
  as an interim pathway to meeting that need

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The Guide Allows TMCs to Select Optimal Weather
Integration Strategies
Item of Integration
Current Level
Level required to meet needs
Select strategy here
Possible Intermediate steps
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The Guide provides detailed information for the
selected Integration Strategies

• Information on strategies include
• Definition
• Relative complexity and costs (high/medium/low)
• Sample requirements for this strategy
• Five dimensions - Technical, operational,
  physical, procedural, institutional

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Next Steps

• Work with the Sacramento RTMC to implement their
  plan
• Develop a strategic marketing plan for the Guide
• Identify 3 new TMCs to work on their
  self-evaluation and plan development
• Update the Guide

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For More Information, Contact

• Chris Cluett
• Battelle
• [phone]
• cluett_at_battelle.org

Roemer Alfelor FHWA [phone] Roemer.Alfelor_at_
dot.gov