511 Migration Path: A Discussion of Concepts and Issues

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511 Migration PathA Discussion ofConcepts
and Issues

• Rick Schuman, PBSJ

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Coalitions Longer-Term Goals

• National deployment by 2010
• Mission critical services in eyes of public and
  agencies
• Sustainable services
• Interoperability between adjacent services
• Consistency of basic services

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Challenge

• Several states/regions slow to or not
  implementing 511
• Why?
• Some reasons heard
• Perception that state or region too complex to
  deploy useful phone service
• Perception that service is too difficult to plan,
  implement, operate, maintain
• Funding start-up and/or operations
• Technology has passed by voice over phone
• Does not deliver enough value for the investment
• Too big to bite off all at once
• If we could start small, we might be able to
  do/afford

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Issues

• Can mini or targeted 511 service concepts be
  developed that
• Offer easier points of entry
• Lower implementation cost, complexity and time
• Still deliver value
• Point states/regions on a path to full 511?
• Can a migration path from one or more mini or
  targeted service types to full 511 be
  described?
• Or, are we playing with firesignaling that
  services with less than the basic 511
  functionality per guidelines is ok?

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Examples

• Alerting Focus
• Road Conditions Focus
• Interstate Focus
• Small Region Focus
• Transit Focus

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Alerting Service Example

• Coverage
• Statewide or region
• Function
• Simple method of communicating MAJOR issues
• Floodgates only
• Types of Information
• Road Closure(s)/Detour(s) major roads and/or
  delays
• Major accidents major roads, long duration,
  high impact
• Major Construction (active, extremely significant
  and abnormal)
• Weather events, Evacuation information
• AMBER Alerts
• Bridge closure/lifts
• Major transit/ferry/airport disruptions

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Alerting Service Example (2)

• Single recording or multiple recordings appended
  together
• No menu
• As appropriate, leverage and be consistent with
• Existing web site(s)
• Conditions reporting systems
• Other public information communication content
  and methods
• Part of incident and emergency management plans
• Procedures would be established for when to use,
  what to say and who does what to ensure useful,
  timely, accurate, reliable and brief (as possible
  and appropriate) messages are provided

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Alerting Service Example (3)

• Advantages
• Low implementation complexity, cost
• No voice recognition or speech software needed
• No menu needed
• Could be multi-agency, multi-modal
• Useful in times of big problems
• Limitations
• Low functionality
• Only as good as the current recording
• Does not eliminate need for data collection
• No connections/transfers

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Alerting Service Example (4)

• Implementation Steps
• Establish IVR capability
• Support usage spikes
• Develop processes and procedures for recordings
• Call routing coordination
• Develop and implement marketing/communications
  plan
• Clearly identify service as alert-driven
• Market service so callers know when to call
• Include details of how to market during alerts

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Road Conditions Service

• Coverage
• Statewide, most likely
• Function
• Focus on weather-related travel conditions
• Types of information
• Road conditions
• Weather conditions

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Road Conditions Service (2)

• Full-fledged IVR
• Voice recognition, touchtone back-up
• Menu selectable by road (possibly segment and/or
  region)
• Concatenated and/or digitized message output
• Could include floodgate alerts
• Could be used to provide other critical
  information as appropriate
• AMBER, major accidents, etc.

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Road Conditions Service (3)

• Advantages
• Focus on a single type of information would make
  easier to implement and automate
• Provide some of the functionality found in 511
  guidelines
• Provide highest priority information according to
  public surveys
• Limitations
• Limits content available to only one type of
  information
• Likely not multi-modal
• How much money would really be saved?

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Road Conditions Service (4)

• Implementation Steps
• Data development
• Integration with RWIS, NWS, anecdotal and/or
  private sector feed
• Establish IVR capability
• Support usage spikes
• Call routing coordination
• Develop and implement marketing/communications
  plan
• Clearly identify service as weather conditions
  related
• Market service so callers know when to call
• Include details of how to market during inclement
  weather

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Interstate Service

• Coverage
• Statewide, Interstate system only
• Function
• Exception reporting
• Types of information
• Incidents (perhaps only major)
• Road and Weather conditions
• Construction
• Congestion (only major)?
• Closures
• Bridge lifts, etc.

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Interstate Service (2)

• Full-fledged IVR
• Voice recognition, touchtone back-up
• Menu selectable by road (possibly by segment
  and/or region)
• Could provide recorded messages or speech files
• Could include floodgate alerts
• Could be used to provide other critical
  information as appropriate
• AMBER, evacuations, other modes, etc.

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Interstate Service (3)

• Advantages
• Focused on best monitored, most used roads
• Provide much of the functionality found in 511
  guidelines for roadways (guidelines call for NHS
  roads)
• Could be multi-agency (DOT, police)
• Could expand road coverage relatively easily
• Limitations
• Likely not multi-modal
• How much money would really be saved?

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Interstate Service (4)

• Implementation Steps
• Data development
• If automated need to go through full planning
• If recorded need to develop operations plan
• Establish IVR capability
• Steady-state use plus spikes
• Call routing coordination
• Develop and implement marketing/communications
  plan
• Clearly identify service as interstate only

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Small Region Service

• Coverage
• Metropolitan area (small?) or portion of state
  (district or certain counties?)
• Function
• Regular 511 service
• Types of information
• Regular multi-modal service content

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Small Region Service (2)

• Full-fledged IVR
• Voice recognition, touchtone back-up
• Menu selectable by road/segment, region
• Concatenated and/or digitized message output
• Could include floodgate alerts
• Could be used to provide other critical
  information as appropriate
• AMBER, evacuations, etc.

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Small Region Service (3)

• Advantages
• Fully compliant with guidelines
• Multi-agency, multi-modal
• Could scale to grow statewide
• Limitations
• Limited geographic coverage
• How much money would really be saved?

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Small Region Service (4)

• Implementation Steps
• Data development
• Need to go through full planning for region
  covered
• Establish IVR capability
• Steady usage and spikes
• Call routing coordination
• Wireline easier/cheaper than statewide
• Wireless same (or more difficult?) than statewide
• Develop and implement marketing/communications
  plan
• Clearly identify service coverage area
• Limit marketing to covered area

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Transit Service

• Coverage
• Transit agency/agencies service area
• Function
• Automated/enhanced transit customer service
• Types of information
• General transit service info
• Reduce call taker load
• Service disruptions
• Transfer to operators
• Schedule info (next bus/train arrival)?

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Transit Service (2)

• Full-fledged IVR
• Voice recognition, touchtone back-up
• Recorded messages
• Possibly do automated service disruption
  messages?
• Could include floodgate alerts
• Could be used to provide other critical
  information as appropriate on regions
  transportation system
• AMBER, evacuations, major incidents/road
  closures, etc.
• Could become regions primary transit service
  number
• Likely call volume increases

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Transit Service (3)

• Advantages
• Natural extension of transit agency customer
  service functions
• Good transit focused services
• May reduce transit call center costs via
  automation and/or increase usage/impact of
  customer services
• Limitations
• Little/no roadway content
• Possible to scale to multi-modal?
• No examples yet of transit-led 511

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Transit Service (4)

• Implementation Steps
• System development
• Customer service process improvement/integration
• Establish IVR capability
• Steady usage and spikes
• Call routing coordination
• Wireline easier/cheaper than statewide
• Wireless same (or more difficult?) than statewide
• Develop and implement marketing/communications
  plan

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Discussion

• Can we develop viable mini or targeted 511
  service concepts?
• If so, should we?
• If so, how well do the above examples fit the
  bill
• Top-level concepts are these the right
  examples? Are there others?
• Details in examples are these accurate and at a
  proper level of detail?
• If so, how much do we focus on the concepts vs.
  the migration path from the concepts to full 511?
• If appropriate, how do we develop and share the
  concepts?