Guidelines for Changeable Message Sign Messages

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Guidelines for Changeable Message Sign Messages
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Project Team
Work Order Manager Thomas Granda, FHWA Project
Champion Rick Bennett - Missouri DOT Project
Team Members Manny Agah Arizona
DOT Robert Copp CALTRANS Mark Demidovich
Georgia DOT Michael Floberg Kansas
DOT Jeffrey Galas Illinois DOT Mark
Heberling New York DOT Cynthia Levesque RI
DOT James Mona Connecticut DOT Kunwar
Rajendra Michigan DOT
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Objectives

• CMS Message Policies, Guidelines, Procedures
• Identify current regarding management,
  operation, and content
• Summarize existing analytical empirical support

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Objectives

• CMS Message Policies, Guidelines, Procedures
• Good support Make recommendations leading to
  standards
• Poor support Make recommendations prioritize
  for further research
• Produce document with technical guidance

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Intended Audience

• Operation of CMSs
• State, region, and local transportation agencies
• Managers supervisors of TMCs

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Schedule Task AIdentify Current CMS Policies,
Guidelines, Procedures, Practices

• Kickoff meeting in Wash DC May 7, 2001
• Sampling Plan Sub May 28, 2001
• Interview Forms Mailed Jun 2001
• Annotated Bibliography Sub Nov 28, 2001

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Schedule Task AIdentify Current CMS Policies,
Guidelines, Procedures, Practices

• 3 Draft Summary Report Current Guidelines,
  Policies, Procedures, Practices
  Originally due Dec 15, 2001
• 3 Final Summary Report Current Guidelines,
  Policies, Procedures, Practices
  Originally due Jan 31, 2002

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Schedule Task AIdentify Current CMS Policies,
Guidelines, Procedures, Practices

• Meeting Jan 14, 2002
• Jon Obenberger, Thomas Granda (FHWA) David
  Register, Moe Zarean (SAIC)
• Instructions
• Write (Task B.1 Report) what I know about good
  CMS message design including policies,
  guidelines, procedures

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Schedule Task AIdentify Current CMS Policies,
Guidelines, Procedures, Practices

• 3 Preliminary Research Recommendations
• Sub Jan 25, 2002

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Schedule Task BSummarize Analyt. Support for
Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, Practices

• Outline Draft Report on CMS Message Design Sub
  Mar 7, 2002
• Draft Report on CMS Message Design Sub Apr 29,
  2002

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Schedule Task BSummarize Analyt. Support for
Policies, Guidelines, Procedures, Practices

• 3 Draft Working Paper
• 4 Revised Working Paper

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Guidelines for CMS MessagesManualMessage Design
Process
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Guidelines for CMS MessagesManual

• Introduction
• Background significance of Manual
• Importance of TMC managers and operators to know
  how to design effective messages
• Summary of message design process

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Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual

• Principles of CMS Operations
• Basic principles of CMS use
• Common types of applications
• Overview of issues for design/display of messages
• Relationships of message design and CMS purchase

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Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual

• 3 CMS Operations Policies
• Federal policies guidelines
• Guidelines for developing state or region
  policies (23 items)
• Policy
• Policy statement example
• Justification and/or considerations

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Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual

• CMS Operating Fundamentals
• Determine purpose of CMS
• Determine which CMS is appropriate
• Determine what to display
• Determine how long to display message
• Resolve message signing conflicts
• Display verify message

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Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual

• Principles of CMS Message Design
• Overview of issues for design
• Design of Basic CMS Message
• Initial guidelines for reducing Basic CMS Message
• Meanings of words/phrases
• Classification of diversion routes

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Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual

• Dealing with Long Messages
• Guidelines for reducing message length
• Splitting messages into two frames
• Deleting dead words
• Abbreviations

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Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual

• Establishing the Maximum Message Length
• Maximum number of units of information

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Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual

• 8 Formatting Messages
• Message element priorities
• Examples of correctly formatted messages
• Examples of messages that violate principles with
  recommendations

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Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual

• Dynamic Features on CMSs
• Flashing a one-frame message
• Flashing message lines
• Alternating one line in a two-frame message

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Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual

• Developing CMS Operations Guidelines
• Listing of items to include in CMS operations
  guidelines

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Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual

• Appen A Message Design Process Incident
• Appen B Message Design Process Roadwork

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Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities

• Priority Scale
• Very High
• High
• Moderate
• Low
• Very Low

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Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities

• Priority 1
• Dynamic Features on CMS
• Flashing an entire message
• Flashing one line of a one-frame message
• Alternating one line of text and keeping two
  lines constant (redundant) on a two-frame message

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Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities

• Priority 1
• Cycling Time for Two-Frame CMS Message
• 4 sec/frame vs. 2 sec/frame with repetition
• 3 sec/frame as per Older Driver Handbook

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Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities

• Priority 1
• CMS Message Design and Format Issues
• Propensity to divert with problem type
• Interpretation of qualitative delay messages
  (e.g., MAJOR DELAY, DELAY, MINOR DELAY)
• Inconsistent formatting of messages among state
  agencies relative to existing guidelines

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Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities

• Priority 1
• CMSs in Highway Work Zones
• Conditions and applications for CMSs
• Best placement of CMSs for specific applications

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Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities

• Priority 1
• Provision of Real-Time Travel Time Information
• Driver interpretation of historical travel time
• Which is best? Travel time or other direct
  measures of impacts (e.g., delays, speeds)
• Propensity for diversion
• Credibility of daily posting of travel time

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Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities

• Priority 2
• Improvements/Better Understanding of Operational
  Approaches
• Effects Credibility in the absence of
  incident
• Blank sign
• Congestion information
• Public service announcements
• Upcoming roadwork
• Other

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Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities

• Priority 4
• Bilingual Messages (near border areas)
• How much demand?
• Impacts on understanding of messages?
• Impacts on reading time of messages?
• Displayed with English version?
• When is it useful?

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Research Topics, Issues, and Priorities

• Priority 5
• Use of Symbols
• Amount of demand for symbol messages
• Types available to include in messages
• New types that might be effective
• Effectiveness of combining with text
• Legibility Understanding

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Feedback from TMC PFS Members

• Guidelines for CMS Messages Manual
• What is missing?
• What should be deleted?
• Comments on organization?
• Disagreements with specific content? Why?
  Suggest something better with support.
• Disagreements with specific message formats?
  Why? Suggest something better with support.