ITS concepts for rural corridor management 
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ITS CONCEPTS FOR RURAL CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT
Final Report 615
Prepared by: Micah Henry, P.E., PTOE Michael Wendtland, P.E., PTOE ITS Engineers and Constructors Inc. 22505 North 19th Avenue, Suite 101, Phoenix, Arizona 85027
September 2007
Prepared for: Arizona Department of Transportation 206 South 17th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007 in cooperation with U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect official views or policies of the Arizona Department of Transportation or the Federal Highway Administration. The report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Trade or manufacturers' names that appear herein are cited only because they are considered essential to the objectives of the report. The U.S. Government and the State of Arizona do not endorse products or manufacturers.
Technical Report Documentation Page
1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No.
FHWA-AZ-07-615
4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date
INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS) CONCEPTS FOR RURAL CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT
7. Authors
September 2007
6. Performing Organization Code
R0615 18P
8. Performing Organization Report No.
Micah Henry, P.E., PTOE, Michael Wendtland, P.E., PTOE
9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. 11. Contract or Grant No.
ITS Engineers and Constructors Inc. 22505 North 19th Avenue, Suite 101, Phoenix, Arizona 85027
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
SPR-PL-1(69)615
13.Type of Report & Period Covered
Arizona Department of Transportation 206 S. 17th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007
15. Supplementary Notes
FINAL August 2006 � July 2007
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
16. Abstract
The Arizona Department of Transportation's (ADOT) SPR-570: Rural ITS Progress Study - Arizona 2004 provided 20 key recommendations for improved utilization of the rural ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) infrastructure. Two years later, in reviewing the outcomes of the 2004 study and the ongoing rural technology deployments, the Department identified several of the key concerns as still being unresolved. In general, ADOT has been successful in implementing the recommendations of the 2004 statewide review, but five areas of unmet needs or unfulfilled potential remain. These five gap areas are the primary focus of this new research project, to fully implement the potential of all of the recommendations from the 2004 study. The five primary focus areas are: ITS Maintenance, Weather Information Systems, Highway Advisory Radio, Motorist Assist Patrols, and Information Sharing. The research team interviewed the project's stakeholders from Arizona's rural districts to identify recent changes in their ITS deployment, goals, and visions for future deployment, as well as current needs and desires since the previous 2004 study. The investigators also reviewed the current practices and concepts of rural ITS among other transportation agencies throughout the country. This included conducting personal interviews with recognized industry leaders, attending industry conferences, and performing extensive research in literature, products (both off-the-shelf and in-development), and on-line. Based on the interviews and state-of-the-practice research components, the investigators developed a list of ITS concepts that might service the rural needs of the Department. Each of the five focus areas contains several concepts that address needs identified as original project goals, or new topics identified during the field interviews. Each discussion section provides a conceptual approach and application of ITS technology or state-of-the-practice development, a breakdown of benefits and challenges for implementation, implementation recommendations, and a breakdown of the engineer's opinion of cost. Each concept has been ranked by the project advisory group based on implementation priority. A potential process owner and potential resources for deployment are also identified.
17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement 23. Registrant's Seal
Intelligent Transportation Systems, Rural Corridor, Implementation, ITS Maintenance, Weather Information Systems, RWIS, Highway Advisory Radio, Motorist Assist Patrol, Information Sharing
19. Security Classification 20. Security Classification
Document is available to the U.S. Public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia, 22161
21. No. of Pages 22. Price
Unclassified
Unclassified
165
SI* (MODERN METRIC) CONVERSION FACTORS
APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS TO SI UNITS
Symbol When You Know inches feet yards miles Square inches square feet square yards acres square miles Multiply By To Find Symbol Symbol
APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS FROM SI UNITS
When You Know Multiply By To Find Symbol
LENGTH
in ft yd mi in2 ft2 yd2 ac mi2 25.4 0.305 0.914 1.61 millimeters meters meters kilometers square millimeters square meters square meters hectares square kilometers mm m m km mm2 m2 m2 ha km2 mm m m km mm2 m2 m2 ha km2 millimeters meters meters kilometers square millimeters square meters square meters hectares square kilometers
LENGTH
0.039 3.28 1.09 0.621 inches feet yards miles square inches square feet square yards acres square miles in ft yd mi in2 ft2 yd2 ac mi2
AREA
645.2 0.093 0.836 0.405 2.59
AREA
0.0016 10.764 1.195 2.47 0.386
VOLUME
fl oz gal ft3 yd3 fluid ounces gallons Cubic feet Cubic yards 29.57 3.785 0.028 0.765 milliliters liters cubic meters cubic meters
3
VOLUME
mL L m3 m3 mL L m3 m3 milliliters liters cubic meters cubic meters 0.034 0.264 35.315 1.308 fluid ounces gallons cubic feet cubic yards fl oz gal ft3 yd3
NOTE: Volumes greater than 1000L shall be shown in m .
MASS
oz lb T ounces pounds short tons (2000lb) Fahrenheit temperature foot-candles foot-Lamberts poundforce poundforce per square inch 28.35 0.454 0.907 5(F-32)/9 or (F-32)/1.8 10.76 3.426 4.45 6.89 grams kilograms megagrams (or "metric ton") Celsius temperature lux candela/m2 Newtons kilopascals g kg mg (or "t")
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MASS
g kg mg (or "t")
�
grams kilograms megagrams (or "metric ton") Celsius temperature lux candela/m2 Newtons kilopascals
0.035 2.205 1.102
ounces pounds short tons (2000lb) Fahrenheit temperature foot-candles foot-Lamberts poundforce poundforce per square inch
oz lb T
TEMPERATURE (exact)
�
TEMPERATURE (exact)
C C 1.8C + 32
�
F
F
ILLUMINATION
fc fl lbf lbf/in
2
ILLUMINATION
lx cd/m2 N kPa lx cd/m2 N kPa 0.0929 0.2919 0.225 0.145 fc fl lbf lbf/in2
FORCE AND PRESSURE OR STRESS
FORCE AND PRESSURE OR STRESS
SI is the symbol for the International System of Units. Appropriate rounding should be made to comply with Section 4 of ASTM E380
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................... 1 DISTRICT NEEDS...................................................................................................................... 1 STATE-OF-THE-PRACTICE INVESTIGATION ..................................................................... 2 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN & RECOMMENDATIONS............................................4 PRIORITIZATION AND PROCESS OWNERSHIP...................................................7 PART ONE - ITS NEEDS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 9 1.1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................... 9 1.2 FOCUS AREAS............................................................................................................. 9 1.3 OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................. 10 1.4 REPORT ORGANIZATION ....................................................................................... 10 2. ITI DEPLOYMENT UPDATE ........................................................................................... 11 2.1 DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS .................................................................................. 16 2.2 511 TRAVELER INFORMATION............................................................................. 16 2.3 HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO............................................................................... 17 2.4 ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS ...................................................... 18 2.5 MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS ................................................................................ 19 2.6 REMOTE CAMERAS (CCTV)................................................................................... 19 2.7 PASSIVE ACOUSTIC DETECTORS ........................................................................ 20 2.8 LICENSE PLATE READERS..................................................................................... 20 2.9 SPEED DETECTION AND WARNING DEVICES .................................................. 20 2.10 INSTRUMENTED TRUCK ESCAPE RAMPS.......................................................... 21 2.11 EXPEDITED PROCESSING AT INTERNATIONAL CROSSINGS........................ 21 2.12 EMERGENCY ROADSIDE CALL BOXES .............................................................. 21 3. STAKEHOLDER FOCUS REVIEW .................................................................................. 23 3.1 DISTRICT ITS VISION .............................................................................................. 23 3.2 COMMON NEEDS ..................................................................................................... 26 3.3 WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS .................................................................. 27 3.4 ITS MAINTENANCE ................................................................................................. 28 3.5 HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO............................................................................... 28 3.6 MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS ................................................................................ 29 3.7 INFORMATION SHARING ....................................................................................... 29 3.8 OTHER NEEDS .......................................................................................................... 29 3.9 CORRIDOR-SPECIFIC NEEDS: SUMMARY MAPS .............................................. 30 PART TWO - STATE OF THE PRACTICE 4. ITS MAINTENANCE STATE OF THE PRACTICE .........................................................37 4.1 ITS MAINTENANCE BUSINESS PLANS................................................................ 38 4.2 ITS MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY SURVEY .................................................... 45 5. WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS .......................................................................... 55 5.1 WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS BUSINESS PLAN SURVEY .................. 55 5.2 WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY SURVEY ..................... 72 6. HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO.......................................................................................79 6.1 RADIO AS A TRAVELER INFORMATION DELIVERY TOOL............................ 80 6.2 ACQUIRING INFORMATION FOR HAR SYSTEMS ............................................. 85 7. MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS........................................................................................87 7.1 MOTORIST ASSIST PATROL NEEDS..................................................................... 87
7.2 INFORMAL MOTORIST ASSIST PATROL SERVICES......................................... 88 7.3 VOLUNTEER MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS ....................................................... 89 7.4 PROFESSIONAL RURAL MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS ................................... 92 7.5 PROFESSIONAL URBAN MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS ................................... 94 7.6 EMERGENCY TOWING SERVICES........................................................................ 97 7.7 MAJOR INCIDENT TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT TEAMS....................................... 97 7.8 BUSINESS PRACTICES AND OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS .................. 98 8. INFORMATION SHARING ............................................................................................ 101 8.1 ITS INFORMATION SHARING RESOURCES ...................................................... 101 8.2 CONFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 104 8.3 INTERNAL ADOT MEETINGS .............................................................................. 104 8.4 COMMERCIAL VEHICLE OPERATIONS MONITORING .................................. 105
PART THREE - IMPLEMENTATION PLANS 9. ITS MAINTENANCE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ........................................................ 109 9.1 THIRD-PARTY ITS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ................................ 109 9.2 TRUCK ESCAPE RAMP MONITORING ............................................................... 110 9.3 EXPANSION OF RURAL CELLULAR COVERAGE............................................ 113 9.4 ADDITIONAL DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGN CONSTRUCTION ......................... 113 9.5 ITS MAINTENANCE CONCEPTS SUMMARY .................................................... 116 10. WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS PLAN ............................................................. 117 10.1 PARTICIPATION IN CLARUS ............................................................................... 117 10.2 ROADWAY WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT................. 118 10.3 HIGHWAY-FOCUSED STATE METEOROLOGIST............................................. 120 10.4 LOW-COST WEATHER STATION DEPLOYMENT ............................................ 121 10.5 LOW-VISIBILITY DETECTION ............................................................................. 121 10.6 BRIDGE DECK ANTI-ICING MONITORING ....................................................... 124 10.7 INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENTS - FLOOD DETECTION................... 125 10.8 MOBILE DATA COLLECTION FOR SNOWPLOWS ........................................... 126 10.9 WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS CONCEPTS SUMMARY ..................... 128 11. TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEMS PLAN ............................................................ 131 11.1 DISTRICT-OWNED PORTABLE HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO .................... 131 11.2 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR WORKZONE H.A.R. ................................ 132 11.3 PERMANENT HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO SITES........................................ 132 11.4 INTELLIGENT REST AREA DEPLOYMENT ....................................................... 134 11.5 CORRIDOR TRAVEL TIME MONITORING......................................................... 136 11.6 EMERGENCY DETOUR ROUTING....................................................................... 138 11.7 TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEMS CONCEPTS SUMMARY .................... 140 12. MOTORIST ASSISTANCE AND SAFETY SERVICES PLAN.......................................141 12.1 STANDARD SPECIFICATION FOR M.A.P. .......................................................... 141 12.2 COLLISION REDUCTION AND SAFETY HELP VEHICLES.............................. 141 12.3 ENHANCED INTERNAL AND D.P.S. RADIO COMMUNICATIONS ................ 142 12.4 DISTRICT TRAINING PROGRAMS ...................................................................... 143 12.5 MOTORIST ASSISTANCE AND SAFETY CONCEPTS SUMMARY ................. 143 13. INFORMATION SHARING PLAN ................................................................................. 145 13.1 OVERSIZED LOAD MANAGEMENT.................................................................... 145 13.2 SIMULATOR INTERAGENCY TRAINING........................................................... 147 13.3 INTERNAL INFORMATION SHARING ................................................................ 147 13.4 INFORMATION SHARING CONCEPTS SUMMARY .......................................... 149 14. RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................... 150 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 155
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. I-8 Corridor ITS Needs...................................................................................... 31 Figure 2. I-10 Corridor ITS Needs.................................................................................... 32 Figure 3. I-17 Corridor ITS Needs.................................................................................... 33 Figure 4. I-19 Corridor ITS Needs.................................................................................... 34 Figure 5. I-40 Corridor ITS Needs.................................................................................... 35 Figure 6. US 93 Corridor ITS Needs ................................................................................ 36 Figure 7. Clarus Network Vision ..................................................................................... 62 Figure 8. ESS / RWIS Deployments by State as of 2006 ................................................. 63 Figure 9. Maintenance Decision Support System User Interface ..................................... 64 Figure 10. Mohave County ALERT Station Sites ............................................................ 67 Figure 11. Pima County ALERT Station Locations ......................................................... 68 Figure 12. Maricopa County ALERT Station Locations .................................................. 69 Figure 13. Yavapai County ALERT Station Sites ............................................................ 70 Figure 14. LPR Technology Installation for DPS Vehicles.............................................. 77 Figure 15. DPS Motorist Assist Patrol Vehicles............................................................... 89 Figure 16. Typical Oversized Vehicle Programmed Route on I-10 ............................... 106 Figure 17. Truck Escape Ramp Locations...................................................................... 112 Figure 18. Existing Dual DMS in Globe ........................................................................ 114 Figure 19. Existing and Future DMS Locations ............................................................. 115 Figure 20. Roadway Weather Information Systems Deployment .................................. 119 Figure 21. Low Visibility Monitoring Locations............................................................ 123 Figure 22. Permanent HAR Deployment Plan................................................................ 133 Figure 23. Intelligent Rest Area Implementation ........................................................... 135 Figure 24. Travel Time Monitoring Stations .................................................................. 137 Figure 25. Emergency Detour Routes............................................................................. 139
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. ITI Deployment Matrix Update .......................................................................... 12 Table 2. Incident Entries into HCRS per Year ................................................................. 17 Table 3. Licensed Traveler Information Stations ............................................................. 18 Table 4. Districts Needs Matrix ........................................................................................ 26 Table 5. Advantages and Limitations of NOAA Forecasts .............................................. 58 Table 6. Advantages and Limitations of Free Weather Forecasts .................................... 58 Table 7. Breakdown of Weather Data Collection Stations by County in Arizona ........... 66 Table 8. Technologies to Deliver Traveler Information via Wireless Communications.. 81 Table 9. Florida Road Ranger Motorist Assist Statistics.................................................. 96 Table 10. MAP Operator Performance Measures of Effectiveness.................................. 99 Table 11. Class C Permits Issued by ADOT Since 2003................................................ 105 Table 12. Engineers Opinion of Cost for ITS Maintenance Concepts ........................... 116 Table 13. Identified Snowplows per District .................................................................. 128 Table 14. Engineers Opinion of Cost for WIS Concepts................................................ 129 Table 15. Engineers Opinion of Cost for Traveler Information Systems Concepts ....... 140 Table 16. Engineers Opinion of Cost for Motorist Assistance and Safety Services....... 144 Table 17. Engineers Opinion of Cost for Information Sharing Concepts....................... 149 Table 18. Engineers Opinion of Cost for Rural ITS Concepts ....................................... 150 Table 19. Total Engineers Opinion of ADOT Cost for Rural ITS Concepts.................. 152 Table 20. Prioritization of Rural ITS Concepts .............................................................. 152
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
Term 4WD ADA ADOT ADT ADOT-ALERT ALERT AM ATRC AVL AWOS BOR CAD CCP CCTV CDOT CHP CITE CMML DMS DOT DPS DSRC DTN DUI EB EOC EPIC ESS ETA FAST FDOT FHWA FM FMS FSP FTE FY GPS HAR HCRS I-[#] IGA Definition Four Wheel Drive Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Arizona Department of Transportation Average Daily Traffic Arizona Local Emergency Response Team Automated Local Evaluation in Real Time (weather data) Amplitude Modulation Arizona Transportation Research Center Automatic Vehicle Location technologies Automated Weather Observing System Bureau of Reclamation Computer Aided Dispatch Communications & Community Partnerships (ADOT) Closed Circuit Television Colorado Department of Transportation California Highway Patrol Consortium for ITS Training and Education Canadian Meteorological Mark-up Language Dynamic Message Sign (alternate to VMS: Variable Message Sign) Department of Transportation Department of Public Safety (Arizona Highway Patrol) Dedicated Short Range Communications Data Transmission Network Driving Under the Influence Eastbound Emergency Operations Center Expedited Processing at International Crossings Environmental Sensing Station Estimated Time of Arrival Freeing Alternatives for Speedy Transportation Florida Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Frequency Modulation Freeway Management System Freeway Service Patrol Full-Time Employee Fiscal Year Global Positioning System (Satellite) Highway Advisory Radio Highway Condition Reporting System Interstate [Number] Intergovernmental Agreement
ITI ITOC ITS kHz KM LED LTAP MAP MDSS MP MHz MVD NAB NAFTA NB NOAA NRCS NWS O&M ODOT PAD PAG PR PTZ RWIS SB SPR SR [#] TB TI TIS TOC TTG TV UDOT US [#] USACE USGS VHF WB WIM WIS WYSIWIG YTD
Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure Interim Traffic Operations Center Intelligent Transportation System Kilohertz Kilometer Light Emitting Diode Local Technical Assistance Program Motorist Assist Patrol Maintenance Decision Support System Mile Post Megahertz Motor Vehicle Department National Association of Broadcasters North American Free Trade Agreement Northbound National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Natural Resources Conservation Service National Weather Service Operating and Maintenance Oregon Department of Transportation Passive Acoustic Detector Pima Association of Governments Public Relations Pan/Tilt/Zoom Road Weather Information System Southbound State Planning and Research State Route [Number] Trailblazer Sign Traffic Interchange Traveler Information System Traffic Operations Center Transportation Technology Group Television Utah Department of Transportation United States Highway [Number] United States Army Corps of Engineers United States Geological Survey Very High Frequency Westbound Weigh-In-Motion Weather Information System "What You See Is What You Get" (graphic interface format) Year to Date
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BACKGROUND Large-scale planning and deployment of modern Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology in rural areas by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) essentially began with a 1997 project to create the Strategic Plan for Early Deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) on (the) Interstate 40 Corridor.1 This initial effort was followed in late 1998 by the Strategic Plan for Statewide Deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems in Arizona.2 Deployment elements of the strategic plan were also regularly updated between 1997 and 2002 in the ADOT Transportation Technology Group's internal Statewide Plan � Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure. ADOT soon recognized the need to measure progress, and to better define the ITS issues that are specific to the rural highway environment. Another research project was initiated, the Rural ITS Progress Study � Arizona 2004.3 This project measured the performance and documented the benefits of all currently deployed systems, and developed 20 key recommendations for improved utilization of ADOT's rural ITS infrastructure. ADOT has been successful in implementing the recommendations of the 2004 statewide review, but five areas of unmet needs or unfulfilled potential remain. These five areas ITS maintenance, weather information systems, highway advisory information, motorist assist patrols, and internal information sharing - are the primary focus of this research project. The further development of ITS concepts related to these five focus areas is an effort to fully implement the potential of all of the recommendations from the 2004 study. The project's primary focus is to review and recommend ITS concepts that can be applied in rural regions of the state to better meet the needs of ADOT. The objectives are to: � � � � � Document the existing conditions of rural ITS deployment for the Department. Identify the stakeholders' needs that ITS can address. Research state-of-the-art technologies and business practices being used throughout the nation by other agencies. Develop ITS concepts that can be deployed in Arizona's rural settings. Develop an Implementation Plan prioritizing those ITS concepts.
This study will enable ADOT to build from their experience with new technologies and business practices as they relate to all of Arizona's rural ITS program. DISTRICT NEEDS The initial tasks for this study were to review the implementation status of all of ADOT's rural ITS infrastructure elements statewide through June 2007, and to document District needs that ITS can address. The information was collected through interviews with senior staff in all of the Department's rural districts, and its Transportation Technology
1
Group (TTG). The participants in the interview process represent the core of ADOT's rural district management including all of the District Engineers and many Maintenance Engineers, Development Engineers, Traffic Engineers, Maintenance Superintendents and Supervisors. The questions solicited information regarding recent deployments or decommissioning of ITS devices, planned elements to be installed, and ITS needs. Topics varied from district to district, but generally included Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), 511 traveler information, highway advisory radio (HAR) or traveler information stations (TIS), road weather information systems (RWIS), motorist assist patrol (MAP) programs, closedcircuit television (CCTV) cameras, passive acoustic detectors (PAD), license plate reader systems, speed detection and warning systems, oversize/overweight permitting, instrumented truck escape ramps, and roadside callbox systems. Of the five focus areas, ITS maintenance and weather information systems were identified by all of the Districts as most important. Each District identified a particular vision for ITS programs and deployment, as well as individual ITS needs. Some of these needs were identified as being corridor-specific. The collected information indicated that there are regional needs that cross district boundaries, relating to varying storm and weather effects, incident detection and highway monitoring, and relaying traveler information to the public. STATE-OF-THE-PRACTICE INVESTIGATION The needs defined during the District interviews provided direction for the next task of the project, which was to conduct research on current ITS deployment technologies and business practices by public agencies nationwide. This included reviews of technology and business plans used for innovative rural ITS systems to help identify the state-of-theart practices to best address the identified concerns of the Department. The research methods used to collect data and information included conducting a webbased survey of new products and innovations related to rural ITS. The focus areas of the research included: effective ITS maintenance and management practices and tools, weather information systems, highway advisory radio systems, motorist assist patrol fleet and program management, and innovative ITS technology transfer opportunities. The research effort included web searches focused on federal, state government and DOT websites, on-line searches of transportation libraries, literature review of industry periodicals and pooled-fund studies, and reviews of new vendor products. To learn about some of the latest developments in the rural ITS field and to develop a strong background in the underlying materials, the research team participated in numerous industry conferences including the National Rural ITS Conference in Montana, the Weather and Transportation Workshop in Missouri, the ITS Arizona Conference in Phoenix, and the I40 Corridor Coalition Meeting in Flagstaff. Interviews were conducted with multiple vendors, field experts, project and maintenance contractors, and other state agencies' technical supervisors for ITS-related experiences. 2
The principal findings of the research varied from topic to topic. ITS maintenance research identified successful third-party contracting for deployed ITS devices in Colorado, where the Department of Transportation (CDOT) has employed an operations and maintenance contractor since 1998 to facilitate its ITS program, showing the benefits of a properly funded and maintained system. Other programs in Florida and Montana have had varying success with operations and maintenance of ITS programs in-house. Funding of programs, regardless whether performed in-house or out-serviced, remains an issue for agencies as budgetary constraints and delivery of adequate service continue to be challenges. In reviews of other southwestern states, Arizona ranked high in ITS deployment, as other states viewed ADOT deployments as being ahead of the curve. Arizona's ITS deployment in weather information systems also is seen by other agencies as advanced and well-developed. A new contract for Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) was initiated during the execution of this study, with a third-party contractor responsible for maintaining all of ADOT's RWIS sites, and being paid to deliver data. The research indicated that both state agencies and the traveling public benefit from this weather information, when presented in a user-friendly, accurate and timely manner. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) employs meteorologists for statewide monitoring of storm systems, and is a model of a single-point source for information and data analysis. National programs such as Clarus will serve as a weather information data collection service for participating states to provide and share weather data. Arizona can view neighboring states' weather data to assess approaching storms. Intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) allow state agencies to share weather data and information, for example, at flood monitoring sites. Mohave County and ADOT have had great success with such an IGA for data sharing. Other weather technologies investigated include roadway icing monitors, automated antiicing systems, and low-visibility detection and warning systems. Each of these technologies offers varying ability to assist ADOT in hazardous roadway conditions due to storms, ranging from reactive to proactive processes. Most weather monitoring technologies can be integrated with traveler information systems to alert motorists to changing roadway conditions. Research on Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) resulted in a plethora of options for deployment, from permanent sites to portable units to synchronized services. The goal of information delivery is to reach as many customers as possible with pertinent information in a timely fashion. HAR uses AM radio to broadcast specific messages to motorists on roadway conditions, usually for long-term construction projects. The broadcast range limits the penetration of information delivery, with the Arizona terrain being a challenge for radio service. Numerous agencies have benefited from HAR deployment, as broadcast messages can be modified and changed easily and quickly. Motorist Assist Patrol (MAP) programs are common in urban and suburban settings throughout the nation, especially for large metropolitan areas with heavy traffic. In rural 3
settings, MAPs are challenged by distance; incident detection and response times are hindered by the long routes and limited manpower. Contracted rural MAP programs are initiated during construction projects to help stranded motorists in work zones. Volunteer programs usually consist of sporadic route monitoring when the participants have time. Information-sharing opportunities exist in the traffic engineering industry, with both national and state conferences regularly occurring. Several professional societies have a strong presence in Arizona, including the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), the Arizona chapter of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, and the International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA). These groups, as well as ADOT's Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) each offer periodic conferences and diverse training. Even with a multitude of conference opportunities, ADOT staff are always challenged by limited time, excessive travel distance, and budgetary constraints. The use of ITS for innovative solutions in areas of operational training and commercial vehicle permitting were also reviewed as topics of interest. Oversize loads in particular could be monitored more effectively by ADOT in the future with ITS. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN & RECOMMENDATIONS The final task was to develop a detailed implementation plan that integrates numerous ITS deployment concepts into a set of recommendations to ADOT. Each concept relates to one of the five ITS focus areas and addresses original scope-defined goals as well as stakeholder needs from the field interview process. The discussion points on each area include conceptual operations, deployment benefits and challenges, and implementation recommendations and cost basis. The ITS concepts developed for this study are tabulated below, including an engineers' opinion of the initial capital costs, the annual operations and maintenance costs, and the resulting five-year funding estimate total for each concept. Engineers Opinion of ADOT Cost for Rural ITS Concepts
Deployment Concept Project Goal Initial / Capital Costs Annual Operating & Maintenance Costs Opinion of Cost (Over 5 Years)
Focus Area: ITS Maintenance Third-Party ITS Operations & Scope Maintenance Contracting - $200,000 Annual Contract Truck Escape Ramp Monitoring Field $700,000 - 7 Sites at $125,000 Per Site (Total) Expansion of Rural Cellular Coverage Scope $75,000 - Major US Highways & State Routes DMS Construction Scope $2,300,000 - 8 Sites at $312,500 Per Site (Total)
$200,000 $35,000 $40,000
$1,000,000 $875,000 $75,000 $2,500,000
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Annual Operating & Project Deployment Concept Maintenance Goal Costs Focus Area: Weather Information Systems Participation in Clarus - Database Scope $100,000 Development & Maintenance, Coordination with National Agency RWIS Deployment Scope $768,000 $921,600 - 48 Sites at $112,000 Per Site (Total) State Meteorologist Field $85,000 - 1 Position at $85,000 Annual Salary Low Cost Weather Stations Scope $64,000 $7,200 - 40 Sites at $2,500 Per Site (Total) Low Visibility Detection Field $900,000 $45,000 - 15 Sites at $75,000 Per Site (Total) Bridge Deck Anti-Icing Monitoring Field $240,000 $12,000 - 3 Locations at $100,000 / Site (Total) Develop IGAs for Flood Detection Field $770,000 Data - 11 Counties at $70,000 (each) Mobile Data Collection for Snowplows Field $540,000 $21,600 - 54 Snowplows at $12,000 / Vehicle (Total), w/ satellite communication. Focus Area: Traveler Information Systems Portable HAR Scope $200,000 $8,000 � 8 Units at $30,000 Each (Total) Work Zone HAR Specification Development Scope $5,000 � One-Time Consultant Fee Permanent HAR Sites Scope $400,000 $20,000 - 20 Sites at $25,000 Per Site (Total) Intelligent Rest Area Deployment Scope $645,000 $15,000 - 15 Sites at $48,000 Per Site (Total) Corridor Travel Time Monitoring Field $800,000 $20,000 - 8 Sites at $112,500 Per Site (Total) Emergency Detour Routing Field $148,500 $9,900 - 33 EMS at $6,000 Per Sign (Total) Initial / Capital Costs
Opinion of Cost (Over 5 Years)
$500,000 $5,376,000 $425,000 $100,000 $1,125,000 $300,000 $770,000 $648,000
$240,000 $5,000 $500,000 $720,000 $900,000 $198,000
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Annual Operating & Deployment Concept Maintenance Costs Focus Area: Motorist Assistance and Safety Services MAP Specification Development Scope $30,000 - One-Time Consultant Fee CRASH Vehicles Scope $360,000 - 20 Vehicles at $90,000 Per Vehicle Enhance Field Communications with Scope $75,000 Phoenix District via 800 MHz Radios - 50 Units at $1,500 Per Unit Installed ADOT VHF Radios in DPS Vehicles Scope * * - 440 Units at $1,500 Per Installation - Total $660,000: *All Costs by DPS District Training Programs Field $8,000 - Consultant Fees for Protocol Updates Focus Area: Information Sharing Oversized Load Management - Initial Implementation of System Field $400,000 * * System Expansion and On-Going Costs Absorbed by Industry Agencies Simulator Interagency Training -LTAP Field $12,000 - Supplemental Activities to Establish Coordination with Partner Agencies Internal Information Sharing - 5 Conferences Per Year for 20 Scope $50,000 Participants Project Goal Initial / Capital Costs
Opinion of Cost (Over 5 Years) $30,000 $1,800,000 $75,000 $0 $40,000
$400,000
$60,000 $250,000
Conceptual five-year cost commitments for each of the five ITS focus areas are totaled, and averaged per year, in the following table: Total Engineers Opinion of ADOT Cost for Rural ITS Concepts Focus Areas Deployment Concepts ITS Maintenance Weather Information Systems Traveler Information Systems Motorist Assistance and Safety Services Information Sharing TOTAL OVER 5 YEARS AVERAGE TOTAL COST PER YEAR Opinion of Cost $4,450,000 $9,244,000 $2,563,000 $1,945,000 $710,000 $18,912,000 $3,782,400
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PRIORITIZATION AND PROCESS OWNERSHIP The ITS concept recommendations that were developed from this project were prioritized by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Each member was asked to identify the level of priority (high, medium, low) for each ITS concept. In addition, each was asked to identify potential process owners or champions for each ITS concept. Lastly, each TAC member was asked to suggest potential resources for deployment of these concepts. The following table lists the TAC's recommendations as to key implementation elements, showing who within ADOT may best champion these concepts, and what likely ADOT resources are identified for funding. Some ITS elements may also qualify for Federal-aid construction project funds. The TAC's prioritization level for each of these ITS concepts is also shown. Prioritization of Rural ITS Concepts
Deployment Concept Project Priority Goal Potential Process Owner(s) Identified or Potential Resources for Deployment
*Note - Some ITS elements of projects as noted may be eligible for regular Federal-aid construction funding.
Focus Area: ITS Maintenance Third-Party ITS O&M Contracting Truck Escape Ramp Monitoring Expansion of Rural Cellular Coverage DMS Construction Participation in Clarus RWIS Deployment Scope Field High Med TTG TTG Funds
TTG or Districts w/ TTG and District Minor Ramps Funds* Right-Of-Way ITD Funding Scope Med Section Scope High TTG / District TTG or District Minor* Focus Area: Weather Information Systems Scope High TTG TTG Funds* TTG or Central TTG and District Minor Scope Med Maintenance Funds* Field Scope Field Field Field Field High Med Med Low Med Med TTG Central Maintenance TTG or District District State Maintenance Engineer Equipment Services Cost Share Each District District Minor Funds* District Minor or HES* District Minor or HES* Maintenance Fund Districts and Equipment Services
Highway-Focused State Meteorologist Low Cost Weather Station Deployment Low Visibility Detection Bridge Deck Anti-Icing Monitoring IGAs for Flood Detection Mobile Data Collection for Snowplows
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Project Potential Process Identified or Potential Priority Goal Owner(s) Resources for Deployment Focus Area: Traveler Information Systems Construction Fund or Portable HAR Scope Med District District Minor* Work Zone HAR Standard CCP Fund or Scope Med CCP Specifications State Construction Fund* District Minor or Permanent HAR Scope High District Maintenance Fund* Intelligent Rest Area Roadside Construction Fund Scope Low Deployment Development (Rest Area Fund)* Corridor Travel Time Field High TTG or Districts TTG Fund* Monitoring Emergency Detour Field High TTG or Districts TTG Fund Routing Focus Area: Motorist Assistance and Safety Services Standard MAP Scope Med TTG or Districts TTG Fund* Specification State Engineers Office and Districts and District Funds for Equipment CRASH Vehicles Scope Med Equipment Services Services Enhanced Communication Central Scope Med Maintenance Fund w/ Phoenix Maintenance Maintenance via 800 MHz Radios Secondary ADOT UHF Scope Med DPS DPS Radios for DPS State Maintenance District Training Programs Field Med Maintenance Fund Engineer Focus Area: Information Sharing Regional Traffic Oversized Load Maintenance Fund Field Med Engineers Management Simulator Interagency Field High Districts and LTAP LTAP and Third Party Funds Training Internal Information Scope High ITD / TTG ITD & District Funds Sharing Deployment Concept
*Note - Some ITS elements of projects as noted may be eligible for regular Federal-aid construction funding.
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
Large scale planning and deployment of rural ITS by the Arizona Department of Transportation essentially began in 1997 with completion of the Strategic Plan for Early Deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems on (the) Interstate 40 Corridor.1 This initial effort was followed in late 1998 by the Strategic Plan for Statewide Deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems in Arizona.2 Periodic updates of the strategic plan have been captured in the ADOT Transportation Technology Group's internal Statewide Plan � Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure (ITI), between 1997 and 2002. ADOT soon recognized the need to measure progress and to better identify those ITS issues specific to the rural environment, and so initiated another research project, the Rural ITS Progress Study � Arizona 2004.3 This study had the following key objectives: � � � � Measure performance and document the benefits of deployed systems, and of ADOT's rural ITS program. Document ADOT's current operating and maintenance costs and issues. Determine travelers' perceptions and reactions to Arizona's rural ITS elements. Determine how well ADOT had adhered to the 1998 Statewide ITS Plan's vision.
The 2004 study developed 20 key recommendations for improved utilization of ADOT's rural ITS infrastructure. Two years later, in reviewing the outcomes of the 2004 study and the ongoing rural technology deployments, the Department identified five stillunresolved areas of concern. In general, ADOT had been successful in implementing the recommendations of the 2004 statewide review, but five areas of unmet needs or unfulfilled potential remained. The five gap areas, described below, are the focus of this new research to fully implement the potential of all recommendations of the prior study. As long-term planning and deployment of rural ITS continues in rural Arizona, it would also be of great benefit to review current practices and concepts of rural ITS among other transportation agencies. This new study will enable ADOT to build on their experience in new technologies and business practices as they relate to Arizona's rural ITS program. 1.2 FOCUS AREAS
The following five ITS concepts, issues, and systems are the primary focus of the research workscope for Project SPR 615: Focus Area 1: Rural ITS Maintenance � Review of options to better address and balance resources, issues, and abilities to support and maintain ITS devices including HAR, DMS, RWIS, CCTV cameras, etc.
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Focus Area 2: Weather Information Systems � Resources for weather data such that the districts can manage the appropriate response to severe weather conditions, including snow and ice storms, dust storms, flooding, low visibility, etc. Focus Area 3: Highway Advisory Radio - Resources to broadcast advisory messages to the traveling public for specific sections of roadway regarding construction or maintenance, or short-term alerts for weather, or traffic restrictions due to incidents. Focus Area 4: Motorist Assist Patrols � Options for rural service patrols to aid stranded motorists. The emphasis is on clearing vehicles from the travel lanes and assisting motorists in need of fuel, towing, or other emergency services. Focus Area 5: Sharing of Practical ITS Ideas & Experiences � Options and resources for the districts to review available ITS technologies, including trade publications, regional or national conferences, dialogues with other agencies and districts, etc. 1.3 OBJECTIVES
The project's primary focus is to review and recommend ITS concepts that can be applied in rural regions of the state to better meet the needs of ADOT. The main objectives are to: � � � � � 1.4 � � � � � Document the existing conditions of rural ITS deployment for the Department. Record the stakeholders needs that ITS can address. Research state-of-the-art technologies and business practices being used throughout the nation by other agencies. Develop ITS concepts that can be deployed in Arizona's rural settings. Develop an implementation plan prioritizing the ITS Concepts. REPORT ORGANIZATION Chapter 2 reviews the results from the 2004 study and updates the information regarding ITS deployment statewide. Chapter 3 summarizes stakeholder needs information collected through a series of structured interviews held at each ADOT District Office in late summer and early fall of 2006. Chapters 4 to 8 present research conducted to survey the current ITS deployment technology and business plans in use around the nation, with emphasis on the most promising aspects previously identified. Chapters 9 to 13 compile each of the ITS concepts into an implementation plan, where each concept relates to an identified focus area, with an engineers' opinion of probable cost over a five-year life cycle. Chapter 14 integrates numerous ITS deployment concepts into a summary of conceptual recommendations and program costs that address both the original project goals, and the needs identified by the stakeholders.
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2. ITI DEPLOYMENT UPDATE
The initial task for this study was to review the implementation status of all of ADOT's rural ITS infrastructure elements statewide for the fiscal year ending in June, 2007. The information presented in this chapter was collected through interviews with the District Engineers in all of the Department's rural districts, and the ADOT Transportation Technology Group. The information gathering interviews were conducted during the months of August and September 2006. Approximately thirty senior staff members from the rural districts provided the information compiled in this report. Some of the statistics for utilization of the central ITS systems were provided by the TTG staff. The participants in the interview process represent the core of ADOT's rural district management: all District Engineers and many Maintenance Engineers, Development Engineers, Traffic Engineers, Maintenance Superintendents and Supervisors. The Coconino County Engineer also participated in the Flagstaff session. The key question asked in the interviews was, "What is new since 2004?" Some of the follow-up questions used to elicit further input included: � � � What ITS elements have you installed since 2004? Have you removed any ITS elements since 2004? What ITS features or elements do you have planned for your District?
Table 1 on the following pages presents the study findings from the Rural ITS Progress Study (SPR 570) conducted in 2004. All revised or updated information is italicized. The 2006 "deployment update" column has been added to highlight the significant changes that have occurred since 2004 (as shown in italics). The matrix presents the rural ITS deployment facts and utilization statistics as of Fall 2006, as reported in the field interviews. The discussion following the matrix describes trends in the utilization of each ITS element, along with the advantages and limitations associated with each of the elements. The discussion of each element concludes with a look towards the future.
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Table 1. ITI Deployment Matrix Update
ITS Element
Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS)
2006 Deployment Update
� � � No additional sites deployed Vendor change in progress Changed from ADOT owned & maintained system to Weather Information Service (data purchase contract) Eliminated from RWIS sites Used only in Phoenix FMS Now part of RWIS contract except for three DMS sites on I-17 and I-40 which still use the old RWIS infrastructure Fixed Warning System remains in place on US 93 north of Kingman City of Prescott Valley has applied for ADOT permits to do photo speed and red light enforcement on SR 69 at three locations. Permit issuance for this speed enforcement is onhold pending completion of the evaluation of the Loop 101 photo enforcement The license plate reader system was removed upon completion of the SR-68 Design-Build Project There are no license plate readers in use in Arizona System utilization is expanding 2003 Volume: 10,000 entries 2004 Volume: 20,000 entries 2005 Volume: 30,000 entries 2006 YTD Volume (through July): 25,000 entries Call volumes rising rapidly 62,000 calls per month is now typical Number of inbound lines being increased
Outputs
Wind, temperature, precipitation, chemical Speed, volume, occupancy Camera images (still frame) Speed warning messages
Outcomes/Benefits
Plowing & deicing operations; dust storm prediction/warning; additional data for National Weather Service (NWS); traveler safety Supplement automatic traffic recorder data; improves employee safety Verify current weather and pavement conditions; public can access images Reduced 85th percentile speed 18%; improved safety/reduced repair costs
Costs
Weather Information Service will cost approximately $1,700 per site per month over the five year term of the Weather Information Service Program. Integral part of RWIS stations; about $2,500 per unit. Capital cost to install 2 cameras at existing DMS site: $20,000 Capital cost for pilot installation on existing structure - $48,820
Passive Acoustic Detectors (PAD) Remote Cameras (CCTV) Speed Detection/ Warning Devices
� � � � �
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License Plate Readers Highway Condition Reporting System (HCRS) Traveler Information via Telephone (511)
�
� � � � � � � � � �
License plate matches (11%data from 2001) Traveler information entries (12,450/year � 2000 to 2002)
96% of incentive was collected; improved level of service/reduced delay Improved project and emergency communications; traveler information is quickly available to the public
Incentive to maintain travel time: <1% of project cost $270,000 to develop HCRS; $62,000/yr for data entry labor; monthly maintenance costs
About 344,000 Less demand on public calls / year (data agency staff for from 2003) information; public relations; better travel decisions; easy to remember
$270,000 to develop voice interface; $85,000-system upgrades; $137,000/yr O&M; promotion
*Note: Italicized items represent updates, modifications or changes since the SPR 570 study. Updated 2006 information is shown in italics.
ITS Element
DPS CAD System Traveler Information via Internet: www.az511.com Overhead Dynamic Message Signs (DMS)
2006 Deployment Update
� � ADOT now has a DPS CAD terminal at the TOC
Outputs
Outcomes/Benefits
Costs
Not applicable System hardware/software development & maintenance costs; promotion costs
ShoulderMounted DMS
� � � � � � �
Incident Reports Increased awareness of incidents on the roadway 75 million hits/yr; Less demand on public Rising number of hits (19 million hits per month is 10 million page agency staff for now typical) views/yr (data information; public from 2003) relations; better travel decisions; restrictions data access. Less demand on public Signs added at an average rate of four signs per year About 8,800 messages/year agency staff for New DMS Vendors Selected (data from 2003) information and LED sign technology now available on state contract congestion management; Walk-in sign cases now available on state contract better travel decisions Multiple sign sizes now available New signs will be made in USA Removed from US-93 upon completion of construction work Speed warnings; steep grades ahead/HAR frequency messages In-routine use on all significant construction projects Many deployments/ year HAR messages Deployed in Kingman and Holbrook Districts (broadcast as I-40 Winslow TI construction project usage needed or US-93 Truck restrictions at Hoover Dam continually) Use of HAR has reduced the number of truck turnarounds at the dam Routine application for public information on major construction projects Professionally updated messages maintained by a PR firm in-use Windows Media Player software used to queue and play messages Widespread usage of HAR from a local vendor, The Info Guys" in multiple districts
Capital costs - $385,000; O&M costs - $1,035/$2,478/year
Safety improvements; Installation - approx. $70,000 per lower infrastructure repair sign; O&M costs � under costs $1,000/yr (estimated) Deployment flexibility; ease of set up; better travel decisions. Effective part of public outreach program for construction projects; better travel decisions. Solar $925/mo.; diesel $450/mo (Equipment Services rates) Typical turnkey cost $1,900/ month (includes licensing, setup, maintenance, removal)
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Portable TrailerMounted DMS Highway Advisory Radio (HAR)
� � � � � � � � �
*Note: Italicized items represent updates, modifications or changes since the SPR 570 study. Updated 2006 information is shown in italics.
ITS Element
Scenic Byway Information System
2006 Deployment Update
� � � � � � � Deployed in Kaibab National Forest on SR 67 near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon 2 Web Cameras Byway Information Website Weather Station Interactive Kiosk at the Jacob Lake Visitor Center Interactive Kiosk at the Kaibab Lodge No current usage reported
Outputs
Weather Information, Snapshot Webcam Images, Traveler Information Kiosks Traffic signal indications
Outcomes/Benefits
Promotes Visitation Provides snapshots of road conditions http://www.kaibab.info/
Costs
$190K Scenic Byway Grant includes 3 years of Maintenance Operated under permit to the Kaibab National Forest
Portable Traffic Signals Commercial Vehicle Electronic Clearance (PrePass)
�
System remains active at all major ports of entry
Expedited Processing at International Crossings (EPIC)
� � � �
Instrumented Truck Escape Ramps
� � �
System actively used by MVD without transponder features System expanded to cover two new FAST lanes at Nogales Software enhancements under contract Alternative Transponder System being deployed nationally by the Department of Homeland Security Hardware updated on both ramps on SR-68 Satellite Communications installed at MP-1 Web-based interface developed
As flagger replacement, reduces labor costs, improves safety (more visible). 85% of trucks Improve business bypass during environment by port times ports are automation; improve open (data from compliance/ enforcement; Aug. 2004) more economic delivery of goods; fuel savings; reduce truck wear and tear; improve on-time service Average queue Improved port throughput wait time and compliance verification; increased security, efficiency, traffic management; public access to queue wait time information Intrusions Improved agency detected: coordination; improved 37/ramp/yr (data: safety; improved Jan-Sep 2004) emergency response and ramp repair time
About $70,000 to purchase; rental $200 to $300/day Equipment installation free; labor costs for creating software/database links minimal. PrePass funded by others.
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Construction costs: about $700,000; Systems integration: $275,000; Annual O&M costs $30,000.
$227,350-design/instrument two ramps; $16,200/yr/ramp for O&M
*Note: Italicized items represent updates, modifications or changes since the SPR 570 study. Updated 2006 information is shown in italics.
ITS Element
Emergency Roadside Callboxes
2006 Deployment Update
� � Systems remain in-place No system expansion
Outputs
153/yr/callbox; calls requesting services: 18% (data from July 2003-June 2004)
Outcomes/Benefits
Costs
US 93: $6,845/site to install (low; other costs absorbed by concurrent project); $1,720/yr/site for O&M
Rural Nighttime Motorist Assist Patrols (MAPs)
�
US-93 MAP continues to operate
Improved incident response time; identification of call location; increases public sense of safety; booster antennas increase cellular communications range 124 assists/year Public relations; quickly (data from 2001- assess needs; relieve 2003) Department of Public Safety resources; improved incident response time/safety; accident prevention
Bid item on current US 93 project represents less than one-half percent of total project cost $150,000 for 30 month project
*Note: Italicized items represent updates, modifications or changes since the SPR 570 study. Updated 2006 information is shown in italics.
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2.1
DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS
Permanently-mounted overhead Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) are well liked, highly visible and effective traffic management tools valued by each of the Districts. These signs are also referred to as Variable Message Signs (VMS). Every District expressed interest in having more DMS deployed within the District. A contract to purchase fiber optic signs from a French supplier recently expired. The contract has been replaced with a new DMS procurement contract which allows the state to procure signs in multiple sizes from multiple vendors. The overhead sign for freeway application will have a walk-in case, to facilitate maintenance without lane closures. Many of the Districts rely on the Traffic Operations Center (TOC) to control the signs. Some Districts (e.g., Flagstaff, Tucson) will operate the signs during working hours from the District office. ADOT continues to expand rural DMS deployments at a rate of four to five signs per year. A contract was awarded in 2006 to CS Construction Inc. of Phoenix to install statefurnished DMS with fixed CCTV at the following locations: � � � � Interstate 15 at MP 8 (NB Direction) Interstate 15 at MP 28 (SB Direction) Interstate 40 at MP 124 Interstate 17 at MP 228 (SB Direction)
The engineers' estimate for this work was $596,127. The low bid was $891,807, so the average installation cost per site on this contract is approximately $223,000. The overall cost per rural full-matrix DMS site is likely to be in the $300,000 to $350,000 range including design, the state-furnished sign, and installation, making fixed permanentlymounted DMS a relatively high-cost ITS element. The ability of the signs to provide warnings to nearly all travelers on a particular route, and possibly prevent crashes and other delays, is likely to justify continued investment in this technology. Portable Dynamic Message signs have been universally accepted in all of the Districts as an effective work zone traffic management tool, and as a means of delivering public information. They are normally rented from construction contractors, who provide and maintain the signs for the duration of the contract period. All ADOT Districts also have portable DMS units available to assist with maintenance activities and long-term detours. Shoulder-mounted DMS are effectively being used in the Kingman District as part of the truck ramp warning system. Shoulder-mounted DMS can be cost effective for providing real-time information on two lane roads, and for long term construction operations. 2.2 511 TRAVELER INFORMATION
Rapidly rising call volume statistics indicate significant public interest and awareness in the 511 telephone service. Call volume has grown from 314,000 calls per year in 2002 to 760,000 calls per year in 2006, with 411,000 calls through the first half of 2007. The
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service incorporates voice recognition technology. Despite the popularity and increasing usage of this service, two challenges were identified during the district discussions: � Events may not be entered into the 511 system, for example, a problem or closure ahead that the traveler information system is not yet aware of. This appears to be primarily an issue of ADOT staff entering the information into the system, but it can lead to some motorist frustrations. The first example would be motorists sitting in a queue with no idea why they are stopped despite using the 511 service. The second case would be a driver approaching a closure and "demanding" to be let through because 511 indicated that the road is open. The voice recognition feature has not yet been perfected. The problem cited is that it does not understand voice prompts from callers. It is likely that this is due to high background noise and cellular signal quality, as many users call this service from their cars.
�
The Internet traveler information service www.az511.com continues to increase in popularity. The number of webpage hits has grown to more than 200 million per year (19 million per month) in comparison to 75 million in 2003. The installation of a Department of Public Safety (DPS) computer-aided dispatch (CAD) terminal at the ADOT Traffic Operations Center has increased that facility's operator timely awareness of incidents as they occur on Arizona's roadways. The Highway Condition Reporting System (HCRS) is the underlying database for ADOT's web-based and telephone-based 511 information services. The process to transfer incidents from the CAD system into HCRS is currently done manually. Utilization of this tool has increased each year since 2003. Table 2 summarizes the number of entries into HCRS by year. Table 2. Incident Entries into HCRS per Year Year # of HCRS Entries 2003 10,000 2004 20,000 2005 30,000 2006 46,000 2007 (through June) 24,000 2.3 HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO
The Department is using highway advisory radio (HAR) or traveler information stations (TIS) for Hoover Dam truck restriction warnings, and as part of the public information component for major construction projects. HAR furnished and maintained by the contractor has become a mainstream tool for public information during construction projects. Professionally-prepared weekly updates to the messages have been required on recent construction projects. The ADOT Communications and Community Partnerships (CCP) public and media outreach group is also a resource to prepare and update the HAR messages consistently, if so requested by the district staff.
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Table 3 shows the licensed TIS users in Arizona in the authorized AM bands at 530 kHz and in the range of 1600 to 1700 KHz. Recent licensing activity shows that there is significant interest in the State for providing traveler information via radio. Table 3. Licensed Traveler Information Stations Transmitter Agency License # Site City County Gila County WPKL489 North Broad St. Globe Gila Cordes Junction Yavapai ADOT WPPD286 I-17 MP 262 ADOT WPPD286 I-10 MP 133 Tolleson Maricopa State of Arizona WPQI768 Statewide N/A N/A State of Arizona Game & Fish Dept WPXX642 Hwy 260 Eagar Apache State of Arizona S. Lake Mary Game & Fish Dept WPZH433 Rd. Flagstaff Coconino
ADOT City Of Winslow State of Arizona Governors Office Highway Safety ADOT City of Phoenix Grand Canyon National Park WQCY276 WQDF361 WQDL670 WQEL573 WXK790 N/A Mohave County I-40 Exit 233 Delgado St Mohave County Sky Harbor Blvd Desert View; Tusayan Kingman Mohave Winslow Coconino Flagstaff Kingman Phoenix Grand Canyon Yavapai Mohave Maricopa Flagstaff
Frequency (kHz) 1610
530 530 530 530 530 1610, 1640 1610 1610 1610, 1620 & 1630 1610 1610, 530
The quality of HAR equipment available in the marketplace varies widely, and some Districts have reported much better success with some vendors than others. The user interface for the newer HAR systems is the Windows Media Player Software, which makes HAR an easy-to-use tool. While none of the Districts have formally studied the effectiveness of HAR, it is perceived as effective and there is some interest in expanded use of the tool. Widespread radio coverage of I-40 is of interest to the Holbrook District. 2.4 ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Nearly all of the Districts would value data supplied by road weather information systems, however only two new RWIS sites have been deployed since 2004, on SR 264 at Window Rock, and on I-40 at Two Guns. The problem has been lack of reliability of the previous field hardware deployments. Quixote Corporation is now under contract to upgrade the 16 RWIS sites, and to provide weather information services to ADOT for five years. If weather data can be obtained reliably and at a reasonable cost, some interest exists in an expansion of the number of weather stations.
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The Kingman District has created an innovative Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Mohave County to obtain data from its Automated Local Evaluation in Real Time (ALERT) system. The system is comprised of stream gauging sensors interconnected via a VHF radio system to collect weather data. There was only a limited awareness of County ALERT systems as a source of weather data in most of the other Districts. The Kingman and Globe Districts reported making limited use of contracted weather forecasting services. Globe uses Accuweather and Kingman uses DTN. The other Districts use publicly available sources of weather information for winter maintenance scheduling and anti-icing treatment planning. Contracted forecasting services will be available through ADOT's Weather Information Services Contract for the next five years. The contract price is $300 per site per month. The Safford, Tucson and Yuma Districts all expressed interest in better detection and warning for dust storms. ADOT's only dust storm detection resources, the RWIS sites at Bowie and San Simon on I-10, have not been expanded in the last two years. 2.5 MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS
A contracted ADOT motorist assist patrol continues to operate at night on US 93 south of Kingman. This motorist assist patrol is funded through a construction project. There also are motorist assist patrols being operated on an as-available basis by DPS volunteers in the Prescott and Flagstaff Districts. The Tucson District contracts for an emergency tow service on the I-10 widening project in downtown Tucson, through the end of the project in 2010. This is a continuous operation, on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The Flagstaff District is also considering the use of an emergency tow service for the I-40 reconstruction programmed for 2010 or 2011. Most other districts also provide more informal assistance to stranded motorists in their regular maintenance operations. 2.6 REMOTE CAMERAS (CCTV)
New web cameras have been deployed at the following locations since 2004: � � � � � � � � SR-68 MP 1 Truck Escape Ramp SR-68 MP 5 Truck Escape Ramp SR 67 at Kaibab Lodge SR 67 at Jacob Lake Interstate 15 at MP 8 Interstate 15 at MP 28 Interstate 40 at MP 124 Interstate 17 at MP 228
Additional cameras are also planned for the Tucson area, as part of the I-10 widening project. The contract specifications also call for the existing Tucson freeway management system (FMS) cameras to be kept in operation during the construction 19
phase. This requires the cameras to be relocated; the video data stream is to be routed to an Interim Traffic Operations Center (ITOC), operated by the construction contractor. The Tucson District hopes to add FMS features and cameras on Interstate 10 from Ina Road to Tangerine Road, as the urbanized area expands northwards towards Marana. The districts would generally value additional camera images of critical roadways. 2.7 PASSIVE ACOUSTIC DETECTORS
The few rural passive acoustic traffic detectors installed as part of the old RWIS system are being removed and not replaced, since the data was not being used and the sensors were inappropriately positioned for effective traffic counting. PADs are still being used in the Phoenix FMS. There is presently no infrastructure in place on ADOT's rural roadways for real-time traffic counting and speed reduction detection. The ADOT Transportation Planning Division maintains some traffic count stations that provide basic volume counts for rural roadways for statistical purposes. There is interest in monitoring travel time, and detecting bottlenecks, on I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff. 2.8 LICENSE PLATE READERS
A pilot license plate reader system on SR-68 west of Kingman was removed upon completion of the design-build project in 2001, because it was intended to measure travel times during the construction phase only. The travel time data was to be used in combination with monetary incentives to ensure that the contractor conducted the construction operations with some sensitivity to the convenience of the roadway user. The system was never used as intended because Hoover Dam, the alternative route to the work zone, was closed to truck traffic in 2001. The Kingman District also reported that some motorists had privacy concerns about the use of the license plate reader system. 2.9 SPEED DETECTION AND WARNING DEVICES
One permanently-installed speed detection and warning device is in use on US-93 on the northern edge of Kingman. Use of portable speed detection and warning devices has become routine in many cities, particularly in school zones. The Prescott District reported a cooperative effort with DPS, the Yavapai County Sheriff, Prescott Police and Prescott Valley Police using portable speed warning trailers and a multi-agency speed enforcement task force to manage speeds on State Route 69. Speed warning trailers are available for rent through barricade companies. Photo enforcement of speed was being tested into early 2007 on SR 101 in Scottsdale. This is the first application of photo enforcement on a state highway in Arizona. ADOT granted an access permit to the City, on a temporary basis. Following this pilot program, the Highway Patrol (DPS) was mandated to independently review various photo enforcement system options that may meet the state's criteria for future highway operations. A municipality has also requested an ADOT permit to do photo enforcement for speed and red light violations on SR 69 in the Prescott District. As of mid-2007, no photo enforcement permits have been issued for SR 69. 20
2.10
INSTRUMENTED TRUCK ESCAPE RAMPS
The Department has instrumented two truck escape ramps in the Kingman District. They are on SR 68 approaching Bullhead City, at Milepost (MP) 1 and MP 5. The system was upgraded in 2005 to provide functional warning sign control, night vision cameras, webbased user interface and e-mail alerts. The Globe District has four truck escape ramps. They are currently not monitored, and the district has expressed mild interest in instrumenting their ramps. There are also two truck escape ramps on I-17, which do not have any such monitoring systems.. 2.11 EXPEDITED PROCESSING AT INTERNATIONAL CROSSINGS
A weigh in motion system is in place at the Nogales Port of Entry. The system was expanded from two lanes to four lanes in 2006. 2.12 EMERGENCY ROADSIDE CALL BOXES
Roadside call box systems on I-19 and US-93 remain in operation, but no call boxes have been added or removed from service since 2004. Some call boxes on I-19 have been upgraded to meet Americans with disabilities Act (ADA) standards. No new ADOT call box installations are currently planned in Arizona. The Yuma District, however, would consider the use of call boxes on I-8 and I-10, since these routes enter Arizona from California. Across the border, the State of California installs call boxes at one-mile spacing on these Interstates and some other main routes, wherever cell service is adequate. Most other Districts would prefer to invest in improved cellular coverage for the State Highway System.
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3. STAKEHOLDER FOCUS REVIEW This chapter details the 2006-07 stakeholder needs assessment process. The project team interviewed key staff in each of ADOT's rural districts to identify specific ITS needs, resource gaps, and operational issues. This effort developed a consensus from each district on the current ITS needs, with emphasis on the originally scoped five focus areas. Each ADOT district's Rural ITS champion was interviewed for specific regional needs. Anyone with specific insight into the district's ITS experiences and needs was also encouraged to take part. Participants in the interview process included the district engineers, regional traffic engineers, development engineers, maintenance engineers, maintenance superintendents, and the ATRC project manager and project consultant for this study. These meetings were intended to help identify ITS data, procedural, functional, infrastructure and agency needs and constraints in each of the five primary study focus areas. On-site district meetings were conducted in: � � � � Flagstaff Globe Holbrook Kingman � � � � Prescott Safford Tucson Yuma
The purpose of the interviews was for the research team to learn about each district's needs and its existing ITS deployments. The needs assessment included the five focus areas, general needs, and any additional needs. Each focus area was reviewed to gauge the level of importance and priority that each stakeholder group places on the focus areas. A secondary purpose for the interviews was to inform the districts about current ADOT activities that relate to rural ITS, including other districts' experiences with ITS deployments. The meeting minutes recorded the district's responses to structured interview questions. A summary of needs is presented in matrix form to help identify commonalities between the districts, and to determine the primary needs. A discussion and analysis for each of the five focus areas were documented, as well as general district needs. Each individual district's experiences and needs are summarized in this chapter, which also identifies its vision for ITS deployment. Identified ITS needs are compiled in a matrix by district. The matrix is accompanied by a discussion of needs in each of the focus areas. Specific needs for each major corridor in the State are also identified, where an ITS needs assessment for each of the primary corridors in the state is presented. 3.1 DISTRICT ITS VISION
Each of the districts has differing priorities, ITS needs, and current deployment levels. The following sections will show that there is a significant overlap among the districts'
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perceived needs, and their regional visions of ITS for the future. However, some needs that are unique to specific districts were also identified, as summarized below: 3.1.1 Flagstaff District The Flagstaff District includes parts of Mohave, Coconino, and Yavapai Counties. The District's primary concerns include accurate weather forecasting, real-time traffic monitoring, coordination with other agencies on interstate closures, ITS maintenance funding, bridge deck icing, and wildlife collisions. The most important of the five project issue areas for the District are ITS maintenance and weather forecasting. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Flagstaff District is to have a fully automated communication system to alert motorists to hazardous conditions, including icy road surface conditions, low visibility conditions, rockslide events, wildlife presence, and severe weather conditions. 3.1.2 Globe District The Globe District includes parts of Navajo, Apache, Gila, Maricopa, Pinal, Graham, and Greenlee Counties. The District's primary concerns include accurate weather forecasting, snow and ice removal, and traveler information systems. The most important issues for the District are weather information systems and ITS maintenance. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Globe District is to have more ITS technology, particularly DMSs and low cost weather information systems, if funding for capital costs and on-going maintenance are available. 3.1.3 Holbrook District The Holbrook District includes parts of Navajo, Apache, and Coconino Counties. The District's primary concerns include traveler information systems, coordination with other agencies on interstate closures, black ice detection, snow and ice removal, accidents due to driver fatigue, and flooding. The most important of the five issues for the District is weather information systems; the least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Holbrook District is to have an ITS program that all of the maintenance and construction staff will buy into. The available ITS tools would become an important part of the job. The District would value tools to make the roadway safer, and to prevent fatal crashes. 3.1.4 Kingman District The Kingman District includes parts of Mohave, Coconino, Yavapai, and La Paz Counties. The District's primary concerns include weather forecasting, snow and ice removal, flooding, and traveler information systems. The most important issues for the District are ITS maintenance and weather information systems. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols.
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The vision for the Kingman District is to have accurate early warning; they stressed the need for maintainable systems. Without money to maintain it, it should not be put in. 3.1.5 Prescott District The Prescott District includes parts of La Paz, Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo, Gila, and Maricopa Counties. The District's primary concerns include interagency communications, traveler information systems, and weather forecasting. The most important issue for the District is communication and coordination with other agencies. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Prescott District is to enhance the safety of all district corridors, specifically reducing collisions due to wildlife presence, severe weather conditions, and high speed zones. Prescott needs real-time traffic monitoring for the I-17 corridor to provide motorists with accurate roadway information. 3.1.6 Safford District The Safford District includes parts of Greenlee, Graham, Cochise, and Pima Counties. The District's primary concerns include traveler information systems, interagency communications, coordination with other agencies on interstate closures, communications area coverage, weather forecasting, weather information systems, and flooding. The most important issues for the District are weather forecasting and maintenance. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Safford District is a better informed public, better interagency communications, a more informed workforce, a better command structure and better radio and cell phone coverage. 3.1.7 Tucson District The Tucson District includes parts of Pinal, Pima, Maricopa, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties. The District's primary concerns include traveler information systems, expansion of its Freeway Management System (FMS), real-time traffic monitoring, and weather forecasting and weather information systems. The most important issue for the District is weather information systems. The least important issue is information sharing. A special concern is better monitoring of commercial vehicle operations throughout the state, and especially tracking and inspections of oversize and overweight loads. The vision for the Tucson District is to expand the I-10 Freeway Management System to the north, and to the south. The current Tucson area FMS is on I-10 from its intersection with I-19 to Ina Road. The district would like to expand FMS northward from Ina Road. to Tangerine Road. There is significant growth in the Marana and Red Rock areas, with large residential subdivisions being constructed. FMS should also be considered on I-19. 3.1.8 Yuma District The Yuma District includes parts of La Paz, Yuma, and Maricopa Counties. The District's primary concerns include communications with staff and other agencies, realtime traffic monitoring, traveler information systems, dust storms, and storm flooding. 25
The most important of the five project issues for the Yuma District is incident management. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Yuma District is to keep the roads open and to advise motorists of any hazards. They intend to focus on the roadway user's best interest and safety. 3.2 COMMON NEEDS
During the interview process, multiple needs and experiences were explored and discussed for each district. To determine commonalities between the districts, each need is categorized and identified in the matrix presented in Table 4. Needs specific to the five focus areas are grouped together. Additional needs that fall outside of the five focus areas are also included in the matrix. Cross-referencing the districts and the needs allows the most critical needs to be identified for more in-depth discussion. Table 4. Districts Needs Matrix
Prescott Safford Tucson Yuma Flagstaff Globe Holbrook Kingman Identified Need
� During the interview, this need was identified as a significant need � During the interview, this need was identified as a minor need
Intelligent Transportation System Data Needs AVL for Snowplows Chemical Application Rate Monitors for Plows Snow Plow Simulator Training Truck Ramp Monitoring Systems ADOT Radios in all DPS Officer's Vehicles Real Time Traffic Monitoring (US 93) Real Time Traffic Monitoring (I-40) Real Time Traffic Monitoring (I-17) Real Time Traffic Monitoring (I-10) Real Time Traffic Monitoring CCTV Monitoring Procurement or Leasing of ITS with Full Maintenance & Support Budgetary Funding for ITS Maintenance Commercial Vehicle Operations Monitoring Wildlife Presence Detection Reduced Night Time Speeds Dam Monitoring (Flooding) Weather Information Systems Needs Weather Forecasting Services Dust Storm Warning System Low Cost Weather Sensors Additional RWIS Sites Portable RWIS Flood Detection Sensors Black Ice Detection Bridge Deck Icing Monitors Fog Warning Advisories Rock Fall Detection
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Prescott
Safford
Tucson
Yuma
Flagstaff
Globe
Holbrook
Kingman
Identified Need
� During the interview, this need was identified as a significant need � During the interview, this need was identified as a minor need
Traveler Information Systems Needs Additional DMS Locations Portable DMS Good DMS Maintenance Service CCTV Image of DMS Multiple Agency Coordination for Traveler Information and Incident Response District-Wide Communications (Radio, Cell, Satellite Coverage) Improved Traveler Information Comprehensive AZ 511 System Alert System for Wide-Load CVO Permitting & Tracking Traveler Information Kiosks (Wi-Fi Hot Spots at Rest Areas) Portable Speed Display Trailers & Photo Enforcement Programs Weigh-In-Motion Systems at Ports of Entry Highway Advisory Radio Needs Highway Advisory Radio for Work Zones Highway Advisory Radio for Port of Entry and Rest Areas Highway Advisory Radio for Rock Slide Hazards Highway Advisory Radio for Traveler Information (Corridor-wide) Information Sharing Needs Technical Publications ITS Arizona Conference I-40 Corridor Coalition Training Sessions ATRC Reports & Research Programs Winter Maintenance Conference Roads and Streets Conference PAG Contacts Informal Information Discussions Incident Management Workshop Motorist Assist Patrols Needs For I-40 Reconstruction through Walden Canyon For Major Construction Projects For Severe Weather Conditions Quick Clearance Law
3.3
WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Of the five focus areas from the previous project report that are being reviewed for wider rural ITS implementation, the need for weather information systems was a primary issue for all of the districts. Although the terrain and elevations vary from district to district, adverse weather conditions were targeted as a key concern for alerting motorists, deploying maintenance resources, and communicating with other agencies regarding road closures and establishing alternative routes. In the southern districts, dust storms are also
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critical to freeway operations. The Safford, Tucson and Yuma Districts all identified the need to advise motorists of low visibility conditions, and to seek alternative routes. In the northern districts, snow and ice removal were constant themes in the interviews. The districts identified accurate weather forecasting as a primary concern for maintenance response, including snowplow dispatch, deicing chemical application, and freeway closures. The collective experience with the previous state RWIS infrastructure has been negative. Despite the poor performance, the need for accurate weather information is still a pressing matter and the districts are interested in obtaining this data. The drastic range of topographies in Arizona presents a challenge to all of the districts. Across large areas of the state, and numerous interstate routes and state highways, the primary areas of concern for winter weather are typically above an elevation of 3500 feet. Areas above that level experience severe weather conditions in the form of snow, ice and freezing rain; lower areas experience dust storms and flooding conditions. The varied weather, including the unpredictable fire season, presents challenges to all of the districts. Snowplow operations were frequently mentioned by the districts in the north. Automatic Vehicle Location technologies (AVL) were identified as a tool to improve plowing efficiency. Chemical application monitors and weather sensors mounted on the vehicles were viewed as useful tools for managing anti-icing and deicing chemical application. There is significant interest in snowplow simulator training both within ADOT and at Coconino County. Each agency has a frequent need to hire new plow vehicle operators. 3.4 ITS MAINTENANCE
ITS maintenance was a close second to weather data needs in the level of importance to the districts. Many districts described funding and resource challenges for maintaining the deployed ITS devices. Funding and staffing for these duties typically did not exist. Other districts described excellent relations with ADOT TOC for servicing DMS, but some expressed frustration with delayed responses to maintenance because of unavailable parts. This experience hasn't deterred the common reaction of requesting that even more DMSs be constructed. Several of the districts identified favorable circumstances regarding maintenance through service agreements with third-party private companies. These outside resources provide expertise and faster response time. The exception would be the old RWIS hardware, which was effectively un-maintainable. 3.5 HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO
District experience with Highway Advisory Radio systems was generally favorable, except one instance where a district reported receiving low quality hardware. HAR in the rural districts is generally used for construction projects along routes undergoing major construction. The deployment is funded through the construction contract with maintenance by a third party for the duration of the contract. The districts reported favorable experiences with the vendor for several HAR sites. HAR was viewed as a
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means to directly communicate with motorists, and several requests were made to offer this service corridor-wide if possible. 3.6 MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS
District experience with motorist assist patrols was sparse. This focus area was identified by almost all of the districts as being the least important of the five study areas. Several districts cited local or regional efforts by DPS to assist stranded motorists with dedicated urban freeway service patrols, volunteer rural patrols, or on-duty officers. Some tended to view it as a DPS function or service, not an ADOT function. Lack of budget and lack of time were also frequently mentioned as reasons for MAP's low priority in ADOT. Previous experience with motorist assist patrols usually related to major construction projects, where the service was funded by the project and contracted to a third party. 3.7 INFORMATION SHARING
Internal information sharing about ITS deployments and innovations was fairly limited. Responsibility for many other duties, and lack of time, were typical reasons cited for having a limited interest in learning about ITS. ADOT's ATRC research projects were viewed as a useful method to bring technology to the Districts. The effort to explore new ITS technology was typically limited to trade publications, statewide conferences, and informal discussion with other district and maintenance managers. The typical response on the information sharing focus area was that any new technologies could not be maintained with the existing staffing levels, and therefore, new information was not beneficial to explore and pursue. It was commented by some that any new devices would unquestionably be an additional strain on the already over-strained maintenance staff. The two conferences most mentioned with relevant ITS content were the annual ITS Arizona Conference and the semi-annual ADOT-LTAP Winter Maintenance Conference. 3.8 OTHER NEEDS
Several other needs outside of the five primary focus areas were frequently expressed in the district interviews. Real-time traffic monitoring of specific corridors was mentioned by almost all of the districts. Traveler information systems were also part of the discussions. Several districts requested the capability to detect changes in freeway operations and to alert motorists to changing conditions. In some cases, alternative route guidance was mentioned, to be suggested to drivers. In other cases, at least relaying the details of any delay to the motorists would help alleviate frustration, regardless of the availability or lack of practical detour routes. Traveler information kiosks were also requested in some areas to help alert motorists to anticipated driving conditions. In regard to traffic management and traveler information systems, the districts frequently mentioned the need for inter-agency communication and inter-communication with adjacent districts. Numerous instances of freeway closures were mentioned in which the affected districts, county road departments and local agencies were not alerted to the changed condition. Traffic control in response to freeway closures would assist motorists 29
along detour routes that are long and off the beaten path. Contacting other agencies and even maintaining communications with other ADOT employees is a challenge in some districts. Better radio and cell phone coverage was requested. The southern region identified the need to monitor commercial vehicle operations throughout the state. 3.9 CORRIDOR-SPECIFIC NEEDS: SUMMARY MAPS
During the stakeholder interviews, each District was asked to identify specific areas or locations where issues exist that could be managed through the use of ITS tools, in order to capture these locations on a map. This section should be considered as a predecessor to a deployment plan (rather than an actual deployment plan) because it focuses only on locally-expressed needs, without consideration of any of the practical concerns associated with deployment. Some examples of the issues not considered would be whether the deployment is feasible, or if the extent of deployment is realistic. For example, if a realtime traffic monitor is chosen for deployment on Interstate 17, it would make little sense to end the functionality at a District boundary. Regional corridor maps are shown in Figures 1 - 6 for the following corridors: � � � I-8 I-10 I-17 � � � I-19 I-40 US 93
The corridor-wide needs represented on the maps include real-time traffic monitoring (vehicle speeds, volumes, etc.), weather information (roadway surface temperatures, weather forecasting, precipitation type, etc.), wildlife presence detection, and HAR coverage. The location-specific needs represented on the maps include: � � � � Trailblazer Signs Traveler Information Systems Dynamic Message Signs Bridge Deck Monitoring � � � Flood Detection Ice Detection CCTV Monitoring
Trailblazers include signage for detour routes that are either static or fold-down signs to alert motorists to the correct direction of travel. These way-finding signs would be used when the major corridors are closed due to severe weather or major incidents, and would help motorists stay on the desired route through rural sections of the districts. Traveler information systems could include information kiosks at appropriate sites for updating travelers and alerting them to roadway conditions. Bridge deck monitoring, flood detection, and ice detection would initiate automated chemical deployment or advanced warning systems alerting drivers to adverse roadway conditions. DMS and CCTV monitoring would be placed at strategic locations to alert drivers to roadway and weather conditions, and to provide remote monitoring for the Department, respectively.
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31 Figure 1. I-8 Corridor ITS Needs
32 Figure 2. I-10 Corridor ITS Needs
33 Figure 3. I-17 Corridor ITS Needs
Figure 4. I-19 Corridor ITS Needs
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35 Figure 5. I-40 Corridor ITS Needs
Figure 6. US 93 Corridor ITS Needs
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PART TWO � STATE OF THE PRACTICE 4. ITS MAINTENANCE STATE OF THE PRACTICE
This chapter is the first in a series that documents the information and experience collected through research conducted on current ITS deployment technologies and business practices by public agencies nationwide, as well as newly available technology from industry vendors. These five chapters compile the reviews of technology and business plans used for innovative rural ITS systems to help identify the "best practices" to effectively address the identified concerns of the Department. The emphasis is on the most promising aspects that were researched. The research methods used to collect data and information included conducting a webbased survey of new products and innovations related to rural ITS. The primary focus areas of the research were: effective ITS maintenance and management practices and tools, weather information systems, highway advisory radio systems, motorist assist patrol fleet and program management, and innovative ITS technology transfer opportunities. Research methods and resources employed included: � � � � � � � � � General web searches using standard search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Specific web searches of federal, state government and DOT websites. On-line searches of transportation libraries (TRB, UC Berkeley, TTI, FHWA). Reviews of relevant pool-fund study materials through the Enterprise, Aurora, Clarus, and TMC pool fund programs. Professional Society Databases (ITE and ITS America) Industry conference proceedings (including the National Rural ITS Conferences) Professional society journals (IMSA Journal, ITE Journal) Industry publications (Traffic Technology, ITS International) Vendor literature
To learn about some of the latest developments in the rural ITS field, and to develop a strong background in the underlying materials, the research team participated in the following conferences, teleconferences and meetings specifically for this project: � � � � � � National Rural ITS Conference in Big Sky, Montana, Fall 2006. QTT Weather and Transportation Workshop in St. Louis, Missouri, Fall 2006. ITS Arizona Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, Fall 2006. I-40 Corridor Coalition Meeting, Flagstaff, Arizona, Fall 2006. Teleconference with Mr. Scott Rose, President of The Infoguys. Teleconference with Daryl Mayhew, UDOT.
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Recent relevant experience in this area of research also included the following conferences and meetings: � Site visit to Enroute Systems, CDOT's Maintenance Contractor, 2005. � Meeting with Frank Kinder, CDOT's ITS Maintenance Manager, 2005. � ITE District 6 Meeting in Bozeman, Montana, 2005. � Site visit to City of Los Angeles Special Traffic Operations Branch to discuss incident and special event management, in 2005. � Exploratory Meeting with Caltrans District 9 for ITS on US 395, in 2005. � Scenic Byway Coordination Meeting with the Hennepin County Department of Parks and Recreation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2004. � Round Table Discussion of ITS Maintenance at the National Rural ITS Conference in Palm Harbor, Florida, in 2003. ITS maintenance was of primary interest to the districts during the stakeholder interview process. Many districts acknowledged funding and resource challenges for maintaining deployed ITS devices. Funding and staffing for ITS device maintenance typically did not exist at the District level outside of the Phoenix Metro area. Some common maintenance challenges that an ITS Maintenance Business Strategy should seek to overcome are: � � � � � � � � 4.1 Sufficient funding may be available for deployment, even though ongoing maintenance costs are being neglected or underestimated. Maintenance response-level issues including long outages and extended times to complete repairs. Availability of spare parts and long lead times for spare parts orders. Obsolete equipment. Remote physical locations of field devices. Low quality equipment or end-of life systems. Lack of properly trained or qualified staff to perform maintenance operations. Clear delineation of maintenance responsibilities. ITS MAINTENANCE BUSINESS PLANS
This section discusses a series of ITS Maintenance case studies based on the experiences of several DOTs. The first part of each case study describes the challenges faced by the agency; the second section describes solutions that are being implemented or explored. The rural ITS maintenance experiences of the following agencies are discussed: � � � � Colorado Department of Transportation Florida Department of Transportation Montana Department of Transportation Oregon Department of Transportation
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4.1.1 Colorado Department of Transportation The Colorado Department of Transportation began its intelligent transportation system program with a small number of devices in 1998: 4 � � � � 14 Variable Message Signs 3 Dial Up Closed Circuit Television Cameras 5 Highway Advisory Radios 22 Call Boxes
In 1998, CDOT had little or no ITS maintenance capability. Between 1998 and 2004, the Department's intelligent transportation systems grew rapidly, with a $25 million investment. Through a variety of projects and a politically savvy defense contractor turned intelligent transportation integrator, significant ITS field infrastructure was deployed. By 2004, the system had grown to include the following devices: � � � � � � � � 214 Variable Message Signs 204 Closed Circuit Television Cameras 19 Highway Advisory Radios 72 Ramp Meters 112 Call Boxes 84 Weather Stations 11 Weigh-in-Motion Locations 400+ miles of fiber & wireless communications
Rapid and massive expansion of the system without a commensurate growth in maintenance forces was the major challenge for the system. Other challenges included: � � � � � Staffing determined by state statute must not exceed a given level of Full-Time Employees (FTEs). ITS Staffing level has been constant for the last 7 years. Currently limited in the ability to hire new staff. Insufficient vehicle resources. ITS maintenance was not a priority for the traffic signal technicians.
CDOT recognized the investment in the technology and established performance standards for the system. These systems goals include: � � � � � Maintain high device reliability. Maintain 90% plus up-time. Maintain high visibility devices to foster positive public image and perception. Effectively operate the devices for their intended purpose. Maintain high levels of customer satisfaction for highway users and traveler information service users.
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CDOT then took an asset-management�based approach and established a maintenance asset tracking system to document the investment in ITS devices and their current functional state. This tool was used to garner the support of senior management to enable the Department to engage in contracting for ITS maintenance. As a result of these efforts, a local start-up contractor was chosen to provide maintenance services. The contractor, Enroute Systems, currently provides high levels of service to CDOT through a dedicated full-time staff exclusively serving the ITS maintenance needs of the Department. The firm is co-located in CDOT facilities in Lakewood, Colorado. Staff provided includes: � � � � 1 Working Manager 1 Maintenance Coordinator 6 Technicians 1.5 Network Managers
The firm functions as an extension of the Department's staff and assists with a variety of duties such as troubleshooting communication links, optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) testing of fiber optic cable and deploying portable DMS. 4.1.2 Florida Department of Transportation Florida DOT created the ITS office in 2000 to facilitate deployment of ITS through a centralized resource in the department.5 In 2003, the office reported that it is focused on deployment instead of maintenance and operational issues. While developing the plan, the department developed cost estimates for maintenance and operations. The estimated cost over 10 years was $54 million for new ITS (not the cost of existing systems such as I-10 in Jacksonville, I-4 near Orlando, and southeastern Florida). Cost estimates were based on Federal guidelines and existing maintenance costs where available. Obviously, maintenance is a big concern for the department. Since the system is relatively young, not all maintenance challenges have been solved. Florida DOT developed a "cost-feasible" ten-year ITS plan with a total $500 million budget, which supplements $200 million in committed district funds. The plan covers both urban and rural areas through 2012, though urban areas receive the bulk of the funding in the plan. The plan doesn't address maintenance or operational issues. In 2005, the Department created a Change Management Board with the stated purpose of overseeing and managing ITS deployments in Florida. The specific emphasis is on implementing needed changes in a deliberate, controlled manner that takes into account the impact on regional and statewide systems. The board includes members from multiple FDOT districts, the state ITS office, local universities and a consultant to provide program support. Creation of this board is an important step in managing the lifecycle of ITS deployment.
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Some of the ITS maintenance challenges reported by the Florida DOT include: � � � � ITS is "the new kid on the block" as opposed to building and maintaining roads. Roads don't have the immediate, 24-hour maintenance issues that ITS projects do, so it is hard to get senior management to recognize the urgent resource needs for ITS maintenance. Florida DOT still has a predominantly asphalt-and-concrete mindset. Maintenance problems should wane once that mindset changes, although there will always be funding questions.
Potential solutions and current steps by FDOT to better manage ITS maintenance are: � � � � � Working group meetings and teleconferences between districts and state occur frequently to discuss ITS deployment and maintenance issues. Maintenance is frequently brought up by districts, since they will need to take care of maintenance. Maintenance funding is done largely by formula, based on unit costs by device. One problem is that there are only four categories of unit costs, so the system of allocating funds needs to be improved. With more ITS projects in the state, it will become more mainstreamed, so managers will think more of necessity to provide maintenance. Training and education is crucial for ITS maintenance. An important piece of this is educating managers to change the concrete/asphalt mentality, so that they're more sensitive to need for resources to maintain ITS. Greater support from management about ITS maintenance will help. Initial maintenance during the early stages of deployment can often be handled through the installation contractor as a warranty or support issue. Florida DOT is moving away from in-house maintenance, due to state budgetary problems. Maintenance lends itself well to outsourcing due to manpower issues, but there is still a need to train personnel so they can effectively oversee maintenance projects, and to manage maintenance contracts.
� � �
4.1.3 Montana Department of Transportation The Montana DOT6 has a relatively small rural ITS deployment, but system expansion is taking place with several new devices added each year. Deployment to date includes: � � � � Seven permanent Dynamic Message Signs (DMS). Five Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) stations. The 511 road condition information system. 60 road weather information station (RWIS) sites, 12 of which have cameras.
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Some of the challenges faced by the Montana Department of Transportation include: � � � � � Coordination among three divisions within the Department responsible for deployment, telecommunications and maintenance can take significant effort. The Department also does not have a long-term strategy for ITS maintenance. The lack of a long-term plan makes it difficult to plan training for workers or hire contractors. An FTE limitation prevents the Department from hiring staff to be responsible for ITS maintenance. In remote areas, there are no qualified contractors to perform maintenance.
In Montana, maintenance and deployment of ITS devices are woven into one funding element, but managed through three separate divisions in the department over the lifecycle of the device. The Engineering section is responsible for design and deployment. The Maintenance section is responsible for device maintenance. The Information Services section is responsible for communications connections. Montana DOT is investing resources in training for its maintenance staff to help troubleshoot devices. When the equipment fault cannot be solved locally, the suspect equipment is packed and shipped to the vendor for depot repair. In the future, Montana DOT is looking more toward contracting as the number and types of devices in the field increases and overwhelms the capacity of the existing staff. Montana is looking towards the Oregon DOT model to make good decisions on who maintains what devices, and how. 4.1.4 Oregon Department of Transportation As part of its mission to provide safe and effective transportation systems that support economic opportunity and livable communities for Oregonians, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is increasingly relying on the use of intelligent transportation systems.7 ODOT developed a statewide ITS Strategic Plan outlining the deployment of ITS devices from 1997 through 2017 to improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation system. In 1999, ODOT recognized that for the ITS devices to meet the needs of the Department and the traveling public, proper maintenance is essential. This realization led to the development of a Statewide ITS Maintenance Plan for ODOT by the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University in Bozeman. This plan was intended to be a long term plan that addresses both technical and institutional issues. Activities involved in plan development included stakeholder outreach, a literature review, development of a maintenance model, establishment of priority guidelines, definition of a preventative maintenance program, resource analysis, and short, mid and long term maintenance budgets.
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ITS maintenance challenges facing the Oregon Department of Transportation include: � � � � � � � � � Traditional channels within ODOT for maintenance of other systems are not adequately handling ITS maintenance needs. Electricians are the first line responders for problems with ITS devices, but are only trained in the areas of lighting and traffic signals. The IT staff maintaining the computers in the offices is not familiar with specific ITS applications. Inadequate staffing levels exist for current ITS deployment; ODOT stakeholders perceive the Department to be moderately or severely understaffed in this area. Devices have been added to the regions without staff to maintain them. Maintenance has been reactive, by "putting out fires," and preventative maintenance is de-emphasized. Conflicting staff priorities. Ambiguous responsibilities. Inadequate training. Poor or non-existent tracking systems. Non-standardized devices.
The Oregon solution began by recognizing the need for a long term ITS maintenance plan developed by engineering and research staff with significant stakeholder input. The plan recognized the need to have a maintenance model, which the study defined as a method for logging, tracking and processing service requests and repairs through the organization so that maintenance is done efficiently and effectively. Based on stakeholder input, Oregon DOT chose a two-tiered maintenance model with differing procedures for mainstream technologies and newer, limited deployment or emerging technologies. The maintenance program established an ITS maintenance coordinator, whose primary role is to be a single point of contact to log and track maintenance activities. The model uses district and regional maintenance staff to perform maintenance on ITS field devices, and information services staff to perform maintenance on back-end computer support and communications links. At the discretion of the support coordinator, vendor and contractor support can be used to supplement state maintenance forces. The ODOT team elected to prioritize maintenance of ITS devices based on how mission critical they are, rather than by the type of technology. Priority guidelines are based on the following criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4. Fulfilling legal mandates. Addressing safety hazards. Deploying critical field devices that provide and promote safety. Establishing communications links that provide transfer of data from field devices to a centralized location.
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5. Establishing information dissemination tools for motorists, beginning first where traveler benefit is maximized 6. Restoring all other devices with emphasis on devices that have the greatest visibility to the public. The maintenance plan included a resource analysis that examined an inventory of current and future devices and estimated the amount of time per device needed for maintenance. The plan indicated that the currently available maintenance staff consists of four to six FTEs, and that upon build-out of the strategic plan, up to 50 maintenance staff would be required, leaving a gap of more than 40 unfilled positions. Contracting of maintenance duties was identified as a tool for fulfilling the maintenance gap. The plan recommended that contracting should be targeted towards activities where response time was not critical, where the number of deployed devices is fairly extensive, and where clear lines of responsibility between contractors and ODOT can be defined. Devices for which maintenance contracting was recommended included: � � � � � � � � � Weigh-in-Motion systems. Kiosks. Preventative maintenance for CCTV. Preventative maintenance for DMS. RWIS field units / Environmental Sensing Stations. Travel time estimation systems. AVL in-vehicle equipment. Maintenance of portable DMS. Fiber optic communications.
ODOT uses maintenance contracting to expedite certain maintenance services; they report that in-house capability is desired for mission-critical, safety-oriented business such as traffic signal and lighting maintenance. Whenever expedited response time is required, the ODOT stakeholders hesitate to use contractors. ODOT views the use of maintenance contractors for a short term supplement to its staff as a viable stop-gap measure. This would suggest that some members of the ODOT maintenance team still view maintenance as primarily an in-house function. ODOT believes that in many rural areas, maintenance contractors with the requisite skill will not be available or that companies will demand a premium fee to maintain rural ITS devices due to the travel times involved. ODOT has utilized maintenance contracting as a result of legislatively mandated FTE caps. The number of employees in many DOTs, including Oregon's, is legislatively capped, thereby limiting DOTs' ability to hire employees. Furthermore some DOTs and law enforcement agencies are challenged in filling available positions with qualified technical staff in the electronics field because a significant gap exists between public
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sector and private sector wages. As a result, many well-qualified individuals choose employment in the private sector, rather than the public sector. Retention of staff can be difficult in a high-tech environment, but there are ways to improve retention, such as providing opportunities for advanced training, allowing travel to technical conferences and workshops, and other non-salary-related perquisites for agency maintenance staff. It should be noted that many municipalities hold a differing perspective in areas where there are established signal maintenance contractors, such as California, Colorado and Florida. For example, Republic Electric Company reports having more than 180 public agency clients for whom they perform traffic signal maintenance, lighting maintenance or ITS maintenance. WL Contractors of Arvada, CO reports operating a regional Traffic Operations Center which monitors traffic signal operations for a number of cities in the Denver area, who chose to use WL's traffic signal maintenance and timing services. ADOT at one point employed maintenance contractors with limited scopes as a stopgap measure before hiring internal maintenance staff for the Phoenix FMS. Due to the limited scope, the contractor was perceived as having responsibility to repair the system, but the contractor did not have the authority to make the required repairs, such as pulling electrical conductors or replacing knocked down cabinets. 4.2 ITS MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY SURVEY
ITS maintenance is the primary focus area identified by the ADOT districts as having the most importance and highest priority. Nearly all of the districts clearly expressed a wide range of the challenges for maintaining the deployed ITS devices, and concerns about maintenance and service for future installation of ITS devices. Some districts described excellent relations with ADOT's TOC for servicing of Dynamic Message Signs. However, some expressed frustration with delayed responses to maintenance requests for a significant variety of reasons, including insufficient parts availability, lack of vendor response, and lack of in-house expertise. The expressed concerns and issues for ITS maintenance include: � � � � � � Maintenance funding: typically, estimated upfront costs of the devices are being considered; however, the ongoing maintenance costs are being neglected or underestimated. Maintenance response level: only partial needs are being covered in response to maintenance requests. Remote monitoring of devices and reporting of device status is inconsistent. Insufficient parts supply on site: some basic parts can be ordered in advance and stored locally to be available to any District on an as-needed basis. Unacceptable parts delivery delays after replacement or repairs are requested. Shortage of trained and experienced ITS maintenance personnel.
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Upgrades and updates of the hardware are unavailable. No designated technician for individual devices. Remoteness of the device locations.
There are two types of conceptual maintenance for ITS devices: Responsive Maintenance is the repair or replacement of failed equipment and its restoration to safe, normal operation. Typically unscheduled, this maintenance is performed in response to an unexpected failure or damage. This category refers to operations that are initiated by a fault or trouble report. The report can come either from a person or from software that is monitoring parts of the system. Most general faults fall into the responsive maintenance category. Depending on the severity of the failure, some malfunctions can require days or weeks to repair. Preventive maintenance: Also called "routine" maintenance, it is the activity performed at regularly scheduled intervals for the upkeep of equipment and to keep the systems operating. It includes checking, testing and inspecting, recordkeeping, cleaning, and periodic replacement when called for in the preventive maintenance schedule. Preventive maintenance includes basic functions, such as cleaning camera housings and the front of DMSs. In some cases, preventive maintenance requires sophisticated technology, such as optical testing equipment to ensure that the fiber-optic in the communications system is operating within acceptable parameters. Preventive maintenance is initiated on a schedule, but resource limitations might eliminate preventive maintenance altogether. 4.2.1 Maintenance Management Software ITS maintenance concerns can be addressed through a variety of technologies, including: AVL, Mobile Data Collection, System Monitoring, Network Management, and devicespecific automated monitoring. Other concerns are more operation-oriented. This section reviews technological maintenance options available for ITS devices. Due to the cost of ITS deployment, a method of assessing technologies' functionalities and operational statuses can alert the agency of under-performing devices to help facilitate maintenance dispatch. By cataloging maintenance efforts, maintenance can be performed on a consistent basis. ITS maintenance activities that are consistent are considered under the preventive maintenance category. Activities that support life-cycle maintenance requirements can be defined as: � � Risk management: examine system failures and causes of such failures to determine risk of obsolescence and failure to meet agency expectations. Configuration management (traceability): adjust maintenance concepts and requirements to maintain system performance measures, documentation of system modifications, and repair history for long-term tracking of system reliability measures.
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Validation and verification: in addition to acceptance testing, periodically conduct a validation of maintenance concepts and requirements and adjust to any changes in operational concepts or functional requirements. Performance metrics and monitoring: key performance indicators provide the tools needed for technical management of the maintenance program and allow the optimization and cost-effective allocation of resources.
In some cases the product life-cycle may outlive advances in technology, therefore, expected maintenance can be circumvented through implementing new devices and either removing the out-dated equipment or abandoning it in-place. Decisions can be expedited with maintenance management software that uses the above documentation techniques. The challenges of Rural ITS Maintenance include: � � � � � Very high contracting expense. Long distances between field devices and maintenance offices. Specialized training requirements. Limited system redundancy. Limited research to date on Rural ITS Maintenance.
One of the recognized solutions for ITS maintenance problems is to be able to estimate device reliability, maintainability, and expected device life-cycle. A management program can facilitate these solutions. The ranges of functions that ITS maintenance management software can perform include: � � � � � � � Maintaining equipment inventories across warehouses, shops, and sites. Recording trouble calls and repairs for equipment in the maintenance system. Recording technician information as to trouble calls and equipment repairs. Accessing logged information on equipment movement and repairs made. Generating reports to show reliability metrics on equipment in the system. Transferring data from a bar-code scanner into the maintenance database tables. Managing all information and making corrections where appropriate.
Such software applications provide a series of screens that allow the operator to enter and view the status of trouble calls, and to view which ones are currently open. By using the repair data, comparisons can be made between equipment types, such as whether one camera manufacturer requires more repairs than another. This is an example of configuration management (CM).8 CM is defined as a process for establishing and maintaining consistency of a product's performance, functional and physical attributes throughout the product's design, implementation, operations, and maintenance lifespan. The more complex a system becomes, the greater the range of variables that impact system performance. With more variables, the potential for permutations and variations on possible configurations grows exponentially. Without a rigorous configuration management process facilitated by maintenance management software that documents all 47
changes and modifications to the system, it is nearly impossible to diagnose what changes may have caused a system malfunction. These applications provide location information for users. As systems grow, the overall number of devices that must be maintained can become quite large. When the number of deployed devices is significant, monitoring their location at all times is a challenge. Devices move for a variety of reasons. The site can be abandoned, and devices can disappear as part of reconstruction or maintenance activities. Equipment often gets moved as repairs are made. In some cases, components of old equipment are used to repair other devices. Knowing where everything is becomes a problem that can be addressed by some combination of inventory control software. 4.2.2 Dynamic Message Sign Maintenance Dynamic Message Signs (DMSs) were identified in the district meetings as key tools for alerting motorists to changing roadway conditions. These signs are used for advising travelers en-route of upcoming or existing events and conditions on the roadway. The intent is to increase safety and prepare travelers for road conditions ahead, or notify travelers that certain events will be happening in the near future. DMSs use a large lighted display to provide text and symbol messages. The text the signs display can be programmed from a remote location using a wireless transmitter or a phone line and modem. DMS can have either a permanent or portable installation. Usually DMSs are mounted as overhead signs or on overpasses and are hard-wired with a power supply and telephone line. These are used more for incident management, since traffic conditions can change by the minute. Permanent installations can be used as part of a warning system of any kind (fog, snow, dust, flood, rocks, animal presence, etc). Signs that are in disrepair are a primary concern, which is especially frustrating for motorists. If a DMS is dark while a motorist sits stalled in traffic congestion, his or her stress from the delay is compounded by the uncertainty of the incident. The key components for successful DMS maintenance are good diagnostic tools, easy access to the components, logical architecture of the device, compatibility of the components, and availability of replacement parts. Typically, device monitoring systems are built into the sign hardware and sign control software. Some compatibility between signs of different manufacturers and third party vendor control systems can be achieved through application of the NTCIP protocol for DMS. Some of the key diagnostic and maintenance features include:
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Ability to monitor and diagnose all systems from a front panel menu. Real-time diagnostics for pixels, power systems, and fans. Ability to monitor temperature, light, door, other in-sign sensors. Remote controller reset capability. Event logging capability.
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Reserve power that allows controller and internal modem to operate during brief power outages. Real-time message monitor in WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) format. Ability to send notification of malfunctioning components.
4.2.3 Automatic Vehicle Location Systems The ability to monitor the vehicles in a fleet can expedite deployment and maximize resources. During the winter season, ADOT is responsible for deploying snowplows to respond to roadway conditions. Being able to track the vehicles in the snowplow fleet can help ADOT determine how to apply available resources, and redirect resources to important areas, in an effort to boost operational efficiency. Fleet tracking can be accomplished with Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems. This technology has been successfully implemented by a wide variety of industries including commercial trucking, DOT maintenance fleets, and mass transit systems throughout the country. The applications for highway maintenance are very robust, and have been shown to increase the efficiency, utilization, and safety of the typical maintenance fleet. Through the use of satellite communications and mapping software, the agency can track individual vehicles with AVL across a region. Based on updated information and data integration, the system users can determine where individual units are located, how much anti-icing material is available, how long the drivers have been deployed
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| Rating | |
| TITLE | ITS concepts for rural corridor management |
| CREATOR | Henry, Micah |
| SUBJECT | Intelligent Transportation Systems--Arizona--Planning; |
| Browse Topic |
Transportation |
| DESCRIPTION | 167 pages (PDF version). File size: 3250.214 KB. "Final report 615"; "Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal HIghway Administration.; Arizona Dept. of Transportation FHWA-AZ-07-615. |
| Language | English |
| Contributor | Wendtland, Michael; Arizona. Dept of Transportation; United States. Federal Administration; |
| Publisher | Arizona. Dept. of Transportation. |
| TYPE | Text |
| Material Collection |
State Documents |
| Acquisition Note | Publication or link to publication sent to reports@lib.az.us |
| RIGHTS MANAGEMENT | Copyright to this resource is held by the creating agency and is provided here for educational purposes only. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission of the creating agency. Any attempt to circumvent the access controls placed on this file is a violation of United States and international copyright laws, and is subject to criminal prosecution. |
| DATE ORIGINAL | 2007-09 |
| Time Period |
2000s (2000-2009) |
| ORIGINAL FORMAT | Born digital |
| Source Identifier | TRT 28.3:R 37 I 77/3 |
| Location | 187179417 |
| DIGITAL IDENTIFIER | AZ615.pdf |
| DIGITAL FORMAT | PDF (Portable Document Format) |
| REPOSITORY | Arizona State Library. Archives and Public Records--Law and Research Library. |
| File Size | 3250.214 KB |
| Full Text | ITS CONCEPTS FOR RURAL CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT Final Report 615 Prepared by: Micah Henry, P.E., PTOE Michael Wendtland, P.E., PTOE ITS Engineers and Constructors Inc. 22505 North 19th Avenue, Suite 101, Phoenix, Arizona 85027 September 2007 Prepared for: Arizona Department of Transportation 206 South 17th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007 in cooperation with U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect official views or policies of the Arizona Department of Transportation or the Federal Highway Administration. The report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Trade or manufacturers' names that appear herein are cited only because they are considered essential to the objectives of the report. The U.S. Government and the State of Arizona do not endorse products or manufacturers. Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. FHWA-AZ-07-615 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS) CONCEPTS FOR RURAL CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT 7. Authors September 2007 6. Performing Organization Code R0615 18P 8. Performing Organization Report No. Micah Henry, P.E., PTOE, Michael Wendtland, P.E., PTOE 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. 11. Contract or Grant No. ITS Engineers and Constructors Inc. 22505 North 19th Avenue, Suite 101, Phoenix, Arizona 85027 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address SPR-PL-1(69)615 13.Type of Report & Period Covered Arizona Department of Transportation 206 S. 17th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85007 15. Supplementary Notes FINAL August 2006 � July 2007 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration 16. Abstract The Arizona Department of Transportation's (ADOT) SPR-570: Rural ITS Progress Study - Arizona 2004 provided 20 key recommendations for improved utilization of the rural ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) infrastructure. Two years later, in reviewing the outcomes of the 2004 study and the ongoing rural technology deployments, the Department identified several of the key concerns as still being unresolved. In general, ADOT has been successful in implementing the recommendations of the 2004 statewide review, but five areas of unmet needs or unfulfilled potential remain. These five gap areas are the primary focus of this new research project, to fully implement the potential of all of the recommendations from the 2004 study. The five primary focus areas are: ITS Maintenance, Weather Information Systems, Highway Advisory Radio, Motorist Assist Patrols, and Information Sharing. The research team interviewed the project's stakeholders from Arizona's rural districts to identify recent changes in their ITS deployment, goals, and visions for future deployment, as well as current needs and desires since the previous 2004 study. The investigators also reviewed the current practices and concepts of rural ITS among other transportation agencies throughout the country. This included conducting personal interviews with recognized industry leaders, attending industry conferences, and performing extensive research in literature, products (both off-the-shelf and in-development), and on-line. Based on the interviews and state-of-the-practice research components, the investigators developed a list of ITS concepts that might service the rural needs of the Department. Each of the five focus areas contains several concepts that address needs identified as original project goals, or new topics identified during the field interviews. Each discussion section provides a conceptual approach and application of ITS technology or state-of-the-practice development, a breakdown of benefits and challenges for implementation, implementation recommendations, and a breakdown of the engineer's opinion of cost. Each concept has been ranked by the project advisory group based on implementation priority. A potential process owner and potential resources for deployment are also identified. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement 23. Registrant's Seal Intelligent Transportation Systems, Rural Corridor, Implementation, ITS Maintenance, Weather Information Systems, RWIS, Highway Advisory Radio, Motorist Assist Patrol, Information Sharing 19. Security Classification 20. Security Classification Document is available to the U.S. Public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia, 22161 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 165 SI* (MODERN METRIC) CONVERSION FACTORS APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS TO SI UNITS Symbol When You Know inches feet yards miles Square inches square feet square yards acres square miles Multiply By To Find Symbol Symbol APPROXIMATE CONVERSIONS FROM SI UNITS When You Know Multiply By To Find Symbol LENGTH in ft yd mi in2 ft2 yd2 ac mi2 25.4 0.305 0.914 1.61 millimeters meters meters kilometers square millimeters square meters square meters hectares square kilometers mm m m km mm2 m2 m2 ha km2 mm m m km mm2 m2 m2 ha km2 millimeters meters meters kilometers square millimeters square meters square meters hectares square kilometers LENGTH 0.039 3.28 1.09 0.621 inches feet yards miles square inches square feet square yards acres square miles in ft yd mi in2 ft2 yd2 ac mi2 AREA 645.2 0.093 0.836 0.405 2.59 AREA 0.0016 10.764 1.195 2.47 0.386 VOLUME fl oz gal ft3 yd3 fluid ounces gallons Cubic feet Cubic yards 29.57 3.785 0.028 0.765 milliliters liters cubic meters cubic meters 3 VOLUME mL L m3 m3 mL L m3 m3 milliliters liters cubic meters cubic meters 0.034 0.264 35.315 1.308 fluid ounces gallons cubic feet cubic yards fl oz gal ft3 yd3 NOTE: Volumes greater than 1000L shall be shown in m . MASS oz lb T ounces pounds short tons (2000lb) Fahrenheit temperature foot-candles foot-Lamberts poundforce poundforce per square inch 28.35 0.454 0.907 5(F-32)/9 or (F-32)/1.8 10.76 3.426 4.45 6.89 grams kilograms megagrams (or "metric ton") Celsius temperature lux candela/m2 Newtons kilopascals g kg mg (or "t") � MASS g kg mg (or "t") � grams kilograms megagrams (or "metric ton") Celsius temperature lux candela/m2 Newtons kilopascals 0.035 2.205 1.102 ounces pounds short tons (2000lb) Fahrenheit temperature foot-candles foot-Lamberts poundforce poundforce per square inch oz lb T TEMPERATURE (exact) � TEMPERATURE (exact) C C 1.8C + 32 � F F ILLUMINATION fc fl lbf lbf/in 2 ILLUMINATION lx cd/m2 N kPa lx cd/m2 N kPa 0.0929 0.2919 0.225 0.145 fc fl lbf lbf/in2 FORCE AND PRESSURE OR STRESS FORCE AND PRESSURE OR STRESS SI is the symbol for the International System of Units. Appropriate rounding should be made to comply with Section 4 of ASTM E380 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................... 1 DISTRICT NEEDS...................................................................................................................... 1 STATE-OF-THE-PRACTICE INVESTIGATION ..................................................................... 2 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN & RECOMMENDATIONS............................................4 PRIORITIZATION AND PROCESS OWNERSHIP...................................................7 PART ONE - ITS NEEDS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 9 1.1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................... 9 1.2 FOCUS AREAS............................................................................................................. 9 1.3 OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................. 10 1.4 REPORT ORGANIZATION ....................................................................................... 10 2. ITI DEPLOYMENT UPDATE ........................................................................................... 11 2.1 DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS .................................................................................. 16 2.2 511 TRAVELER INFORMATION............................................................................. 16 2.3 HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO............................................................................... 17 2.4 ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS ...................................................... 18 2.5 MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS ................................................................................ 19 2.6 REMOTE CAMERAS (CCTV)................................................................................... 19 2.7 PASSIVE ACOUSTIC DETECTORS ........................................................................ 20 2.8 LICENSE PLATE READERS..................................................................................... 20 2.9 SPEED DETECTION AND WARNING DEVICES .................................................. 20 2.10 INSTRUMENTED TRUCK ESCAPE RAMPS.......................................................... 21 2.11 EXPEDITED PROCESSING AT INTERNATIONAL CROSSINGS........................ 21 2.12 EMERGENCY ROADSIDE CALL BOXES .............................................................. 21 3. STAKEHOLDER FOCUS REVIEW .................................................................................. 23 3.1 DISTRICT ITS VISION .............................................................................................. 23 3.2 COMMON NEEDS ..................................................................................................... 26 3.3 WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS .................................................................. 27 3.4 ITS MAINTENANCE ................................................................................................. 28 3.5 HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO............................................................................... 28 3.6 MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS ................................................................................ 29 3.7 INFORMATION SHARING ....................................................................................... 29 3.8 OTHER NEEDS .......................................................................................................... 29 3.9 CORRIDOR-SPECIFIC NEEDS: SUMMARY MAPS .............................................. 30 PART TWO - STATE OF THE PRACTICE 4. ITS MAINTENANCE STATE OF THE PRACTICE .........................................................37 4.1 ITS MAINTENANCE BUSINESS PLANS................................................................ 38 4.2 ITS MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY SURVEY .................................................... 45 5. WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS .......................................................................... 55 5.1 WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS BUSINESS PLAN SURVEY .................. 55 5.2 WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY SURVEY ..................... 72 6. HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO.......................................................................................79 6.1 RADIO AS A TRAVELER INFORMATION DELIVERY TOOL............................ 80 6.2 ACQUIRING INFORMATION FOR HAR SYSTEMS ............................................. 85 7. MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS........................................................................................87 7.1 MOTORIST ASSIST PATROL NEEDS..................................................................... 87 7.2 INFORMAL MOTORIST ASSIST PATROL SERVICES......................................... 88 7.3 VOLUNTEER MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS ....................................................... 89 7.4 PROFESSIONAL RURAL MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS ................................... 92 7.5 PROFESSIONAL URBAN MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS ................................... 94 7.6 EMERGENCY TOWING SERVICES........................................................................ 97 7.7 MAJOR INCIDENT TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT TEAMS....................................... 97 7.8 BUSINESS PRACTICES AND OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS .................. 98 8. INFORMATION SHARING ............................................................................................ 101 8.1 ITS INFORMATION SHARING RESOURCES ...................................................... 101 8.2 CONFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 104 8.3 INTERNAL ADOT MEETINGS .............................................................................. 104 8.4 COMMERCIAL VEHICLE OPERATIONS MONITORING .................................. 105 PART THREE - IMPLEMENTATION PLANS 9. ITS MAINTENANCE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ........................................................ 109 9.1 THIRD-PARTY ITS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ................................ 109 9.2 TRUCK ESCAPE RAMP MONITORING ............................................................... 110 9.3 EXPANSION OF RURAL CELLULAR COVERAGE............................................ 113 9.4 ADDITIONAL DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGN CONSTRUCTION ......................... 113 9.5 ITS MAINTENANCE CONCEPTS SUMMARY .................................................... 116 10. WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS PLAN ............................................................. 117 10.1 PARTICIPATION IN CLARUS ............................................................................... 117 10.2 ROADWAY WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT................. 118 10.3 HIGHWAY-FOCUSED STATE METEOROLOGIST............................................. 120 10.4 LOW-COST WEATHER STATION DEPLOYMENT ............................................ 121 10.5 LOW-VISIBILITY DETECTION ............................................................................. 121 10.6 BRIDGE DECK ANTI-ICING MONITORING ....................................................... 124 10.7 INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENTS - FLOOD DETECTION................... 125 10.8 MOBILE DATA COLLECTION FOR SNOWPLOWS ........................................... 126 10.9 WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS CONCEPTS SUMMARY ..................... 128 11. TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEMS PLAN ............................................................ 131 11.1 DISTRICT-OWNED PORTABLE HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO .................... 131 11.2 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR WORKZONE H.A.R. ................................ 132 11.3 PERMANENT HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO SITES........................................ 132 11.4 INTELLIGENT REST AREA DEPLOYMENT ....................................................... 134 11.5 CORRIDOR TRAVEL TIME MONITORING......................................................... 136 11.6 EMERGENCY DETOUR ROUTING....................................................................... 138 11.7 TRAVELER INFORMATION SYSTEMS CONCEPTS SUMMARY .................... 140 12. MOTORIST ASSISTANCE AND SAFETY SERVICES PLAN.......................................141 12.1 STANDARD SPECIFICATION FOR M.A.P. .......................................................... 141 12.2 COLLISION REDUCTION AND SAFETY HELP VEHICLES.............................. 141 12.3 ENHANCED INTERNAL AND D.P.S. RADIO COMMUNICATIONS ................ 142 12.4 DISTRICT TRAINING PROGRAMS ...................................................................... 143 12.5 MOTORIST ASSISTANCE AND SAFETY CONCEPTS SUMMARY ................. 143 13. INFORMATION SHARING PLAN ................................................................................. 145 13.1 OVERSIZED LOAD MANAGEMENT.................................................................... 145 13.2 SIMULATOR INTERAGENCY TRAINING........................................................... 147 13.3 INTERNAL INFORMATION SHARING ................................................................ 147 13.4 INFORMATION SHARING CONCEPTS SUMMARY .......................................... 149 14. RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................... 150 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 155 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. I-8 Corridor ITS Needs...................................................................................... 31 Figure 2. I-10 Corridor ITS Needs.................................................................................... 32 Figure 3. I-17 Corridor ITS Needs.................................................................................... 33 Figure 4. I-19 Corridor ITS Needs.................................................................................... 34 Figure 5. I-40 Corridor ITS Needs.................................................................................... 35 Figure 6. US 93 Corridor ITS Needs ................................................................................ 36 Figure 7. Clarus Network Vision ..................................................................................... 62 Figure 8. ESS / RWIS Deployments by State as of 2006 ................................................. 63 Figure 9. Maintenance Decision Support System User Interface ..................................... 64 Figure 10. Mohave County ALERT Station Sites ............................................................ 67 Figure 11. Pima County ALERT Station Locations ......................................................... 68 Figure 12. Maricopa County ALERT Station Locations .................................................. 69 Figure 13. Yavapai County ALERT Station Sites ............................................................ 70 Figure 14. LPR Technology Installation for DPS Vehicles.............................................. 77 Figure 15. DPS Motorist Assist Patrol Vehicles............................................................... 89 Figure 16. Typical Oversized Vehicle Programmed Route on I-10 ............................... 106 Figure 17. Truck Escape Ramp Locations...................................................................... 112 Figure 18. Existing Dual DMS in Globe ........................................................................ 114 Figure 19. Existing and Future DMS Locations ............................................................. 115 Figure 20. Roadway Weather Information Systems Deployment .................................. 119 Figure 21. Low Visibility Monitoring Locations............................................................ 123 Figure 22. Permanent HAR Deployment Plan................................................................ 133 Figure 23. Intelligent Rest Area Implementation ........................................................... 135 Figure 24. Travel Time Monitoring Stations .................................................................. 137 Figure 25. Emergency Detour Routes............................................................................. 139 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. ITI Deployment Matrix Update .......................................................................... 12 Table 2. Incident Entries into HCRS per Year ................................................................. 17 Table 3. Licensed Traveler Information Stations ............................................................. 18 Table 4. Districts Needs Matrix ........................................................................................ 26 Table 5. Advantages and Limitations of NOAA Forecasts .............................................. 58 Table 6. Advantages and Limitations of Free Weather Forecasts .................................... 58 Table 7. Breakdown of Weather Data Collection Stations by County in Arizona ........... 66 Table 8. Technologies to Deliver Traveler Information via Wireless Communications.. 81 Table 9. Florida Road Ranger Motorist Assist Statistics.................................................. 96 Table 10. MAP Operator Performance Measures of Effectiveness.................................. 99 Table 11. Class C Permits Issued by ADOT Since 2003................................................ 105 Table 12. Engineers Opinion of Cost for ITS Maintenance Concepts ........................... 116 Table 13. Identified Snowplows per District .................................................................. 128 Table 14. Engineers Opinion of Cost for WIS Concepts................................................ 129 Table 15. Engineers Opinion of Cost for Traveler Information Systems Concepts ....... 140 Table 16. Engineers Opinion of Cost for Motorist Assistance and Safety Services....... 144 Table 17. Engineers Opinion of Cost for Information Sharing Concepts....................... 149 Table 18. Engineers Opinion of Cost for Rural ITS Concepts ....................................... 150 Table 19. Total Engineers Opinion of ADOT Cost for Rural ITS Concepts.................. 152 Table 20. Prioritization of Rural ITS Concepts .............................................................. 152 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS Term 4WD ADA ADOT ADT ADOT-ALERT ALERT AM ATRC AVL AWOS BOR CAD CCP CCTV CDOT CHP CITE CMML DMS DOT DPS DSRC DTN DUI EB EOC EPIC ESS ETA FAST FDOT FHWA FM FMS FSP FTE FY GPS HAR HCRS I-[#] IGA Definition Four Wheel Drive Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Arizona Department of Transportation Average Daily Traffic Arizona Local Emergency Response Team Automated Local Evaluation in Real Time (weather data) Amplitude Modulation Arizona Transportation Research Center Automatic Vehicle Location technologies Automated Weather Observing System Bureau of Reclamation Computer Aided Dispatch Communications & Community Partnerships (ADOT) Closed Circuit Television Colorado Department of Transportation California Highway Patrol Consortium for ITS Training and Education Canadian Meteorological Mark-up Language Dynamic Message Sign (alternate to VMS: Variable Message Sign) Department of Transportation Department of Public Safety (Arizona Highway Patrol) Dedicated Short Range Communications Data Transmission Network Driving Under the Influence Eastbound Emergency Operations Center Expedited Processing at International Crossings Environmental Sensing Station Estimated Time of Arrival Freeing Alternatives for Speedy Transportation Florida Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Frequency Modulation Freeway Management System Freeway Service Patrol Full-Time Employee Fiscal Year Global Positioning System (Satellite) Highway Advisory Radio Highway Condition Reporting System Interstate [Number] Intergovernmental Agreement ITI ITOC ITS kHz KM LED LTAP MAP MDSS MP MHz MVD NAB NAFTA NB NOAA NRCS NWS O&M ODOT PAD PAG PR PTZ RWIS SB SPR SR [#] TB TI TIS TOC TTG TV UDOT US [#] USACE USGS VHF WB WIM WIS WYSIWIG YTD Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure Interim Traffic Operations Center Intelligent Transportation System Kilohertz Kilometer Light Emitting Diode Local Technical Assistance Program Motorist Assist Patrol Maintenance Decision Support System Mile Post Megahertz Motor Vehicle Department National Association of Broadcasters North American Free Trade Agreement Northbound National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Natural Resources Conservation Service National Weather Service Operating and Maintenance Oregon Department of Transportation Passive Acoustic Detector Pima Association of Governments Public Relations Pan/Tilt/Zoom Road Weather Information System Southbound State Planning and Research State Route [Number] Trailblazer Sign Traffic Interchange Traveler Information System Traffic Operations Center Transportation Technology Group Television Utah Department of Transportation United States Highway [Number] United States Army Corps of Engineers United States Geological Survey Very High Frequency Westbound Weigh-In-Motion Weather Information System "What You See Is What You Get" (graphic interface format) Year to Date EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BACKGROUND Large-scale planning and deployment of modern Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology in rural areas by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) essentially began with a 1997 project to create the Strategic Plan for Early Deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) on (the) Interstate 40 Corridor.1 This initial effort was followed in late 1998 by the Strategic Plan for Statewide Deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems in Arizona.2 Deployment elements of the strategic plan were also regularly updated between 1997 and 2002 in the ADOT Transportation Technology Group's internal Statewide Plan � Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure. ADOT soon recognized the need to measure progress, and to better define the ITS issues that are specific to the rural highway environment. Another research project was initiated, the Rural ITS Progress Study � Arizona 2004.3 This project measured the performance and documented the benefits of all currently deployed systems, and developed 20 key recommendations for improved utilization of ADOT's rural ITS infrastructure. ADOT has been successful in implementing the recommendations of the 2004 statewide review, but five areas of unmet needs or unfulfilled potential remain. These five areas ITS maintenance, weather information systems, highway advisory information, motorist assist patrols, and internal information sharing - are the primary focus of this research project. The further development of ITS concepts related to these five focus areas is an effort to fully implement the potential of all of the recommendations from the 2004 study. The project's primary focus is to review and recommend ITS concepts that can be applied in rural regions of the state to better meet the needs of ADOT. The objectives are to: � � � � � Document the existing conditions of rural ITS deployment for the Department. Identify the stakeholders' needs that ITS can address. Research state-of-the-art technologies and business practices being used throughout the nation by other agencies. Develop ITS concepts that can be deployed in Arizona's rural settings. Develop an Implementation Plan prioritizing those ITS concepts. This study will enable ADOT to build from their experience with new technologies and business practices as they relate to all of Arizona's rural ITS program. DISTRICT NEEDS The initial tasks for this study were to review the implementation status of all of ADOT's rural ITS infrastructure elements statewide through June 2007, and to document District needs that ITS can address. The information was collected through interviews with senior staff in all of the Department's rural districts, and its Transportation Technology 1 Group (TTG). The participants in the interview process represent the core of ADOT's rural district management including all of the District Engineers and many Maintenance Engineers, Development Engineers, Traffic Engineers, Maintenance Superintendents and Supervisors. The questions solicited information regarding recent deployments or decommissioning of ITS devices, planned elements to be installed, and ITS needs. Topics varied from district to district, but generally included Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), 511 traveler information, highway advisory radio (HAR) or traveler information stations (TIS), road weather information systems (RWIS), motorist assist patrol (MAP) programs, closedcircuit television (CCTV) cameras, passive acoustic detectors (PAD), license plate reader systems, speed detection and warning systems, oversize/overweight permitting, instrumented truck escape ramps, and roadside callbox systems. Of the five focus areas, ITS maintenance and weather information systems were identified by all of the Districts as most important. Each District identified a particular vision for ITS programs and deployment, as well as individual ITS needs. Some of these needs were identified as being corridor-specific. The collected information indicated that there are regional needs that cross district boundaries, relating to varying storm and weather effects, incident detection and highway monitoring, and relaying traveler information to the public. STATE-OF-THE-PRACTICE INVESTIGATION The needs defined during the District interviews provided direction for the next task of the project, which was to conduct research on current ITS deployment technologies and business practices by public agencies nationwide. This included reviews of technology and business plans used for innovative rural ITS systems to help identify the state-of-theart practices to best address the identified concerns of the Department. The research methods used to collect data and information included conducting a webbased survey of new products and innovations related to rural ITS. The focus areas of the research included: effective ITS maintenance and management practices and tools, weather information systems, highway advisory radio systems, motorist assist patrol fleet and program management, and innovative ITS technology transfer opportunities. The research effort included web searches focused on federal, state government and DOT websites, on-line searches of transportation libraries, literature review of industry periodicals and pooled-fund studies, and reviews of new vendor products. To learn about some of the latest developments in the rural ITS field and to develop a strong background in the underlying materials, the research team participated in numerous industry conferences including the National Rural ITS Conference in Montana, the Weather and Transportation Workshop in Missouri, the ITS Arizona Conference in Phoenix, and the I40 Corridor Coalition Meeting in Flagstaff. Interviews were conducted with multiple vendors, field experts, project and maintenance contractors, and other state agencies' technical supervisors for ITS-related experiences. 2 The principal findings of the research varied from topic to topic. ITS maintenance research identified successful third-party contracting for deployed ITS devices in Colorado, where the Department of Transportation (CDOT) has employed an operations and maintenance contractor since 1998 to facilitate its ITS program, showing the benefits of a properly funded and maintained system. Other programs in Florida and Montana have had varying success with operations and maintenance of ITS programs in-house. Funding of programs, regardless whether performed in-house or out-serviced, remains an issue for agencies as budgetary constraints and delivery of adequate service continue to be challenges. In reviews of other southwestern states, Arizona ranked high in ITS deployment, as other states viewed ADOT deployments as being ahead of the curve. Arizona's ITS deployment in weather information systems also is seen by other agencies as advanced and well-developed. A new contract for Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) was initiated during the execution of this study, with a third-party contractor responsible for maintaining all of ADOT's RWIS sites, and being paid to deliver data. The research indicated that both state agencies and the traveling public benefit from this weather information, when presented in a user-friendly, accurate and timely manner. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) employs meteorologists for statewide monitoring of storm systems, and is a model of a single-point source for information and data analysis. National programs such as Clarus will serve as a weather information data collection service for participating states to provide and share weather data. Arizona can view neighboring states' weather data to assess approaching storms. Intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) allow state agencies to share weather data and information, for example, at flood monitoring sites. Mohave County and ADOT have had great success with such an IGA for data sharing. Other weather technologies investigated include roadway icing monitors, automated antiicing systems, and low-visibility detection and warning systems. Each of these technologies offers varying ability to assist ADOT in hazardous roadway conditions due to storms, ranging from reactive to proactive processes. Most weather monitoring technologies can be integrated with traveler information systems to alert motorists to changing roadway conditions. Research on Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) resulted in a plethora of options for deployment, from permanent sites to portable units to synchronized services. The goal of information delivery is to reach as many customers as possible with pertinent information in a timely fashion. HAR uses AM radio to broadcast specific messages to motorists on roadway conditions, usually for long-term construction projects. The broadcast range limits the penetration of information delivery, with the Arizona terrain being a challenge for radio service. Numerous agencies have benefited from HAR deployment, as broadcast messages can be modified and changed easily and quickly. Motorist Assist Patrol (MAP) programs are common in urban and suburban settings throughout the nation, especially for large metropolitan areas with heavy traffic. In rural 3 settings, MAPs are challenged by distance; incident detection and response times are hindered by the long routes and limited manpower. Contracted rural MAP programs are initiated during construction projects to help stranded motorists in work zones. Volunteer programs usually consist of sporadic route monitoring when the participants have time. Information-sharing opportunities exist in the traffic engineering industry, with both national and state conferences regularly occurring. Several professional societies have a strong presence in Arizona, including the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), the Arizona chapter of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, and the International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA). These groups, as well as ADOT's Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) each offer periodic conferences and diverse training. Even with a multitude of conference opportunities, ADOT staff are always challenged by limited time, excessive travel distance, and budgetary constraints. The use of ITS for innovative solutions in areas of operational training and commercial vehicle permitting were also reviewed as topics of interest. Oversize loads in particular could be monitored more effectively by ADOT in the future with ITS. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN & RECOMMENDATIONS The final task was to develop a detailed implementation plan that integrates numerous ITS deployment concepts into a set of recommendations to ADOT. Each concept relates to one of the five ITS focus areas and addresses original scope-defined goals as well as stakeholder needs from the field interview process. The discussion points on each area include conceptual operations, deployment benefits and challenges, and implementation recommendations and cost basis. The ITS concepts developed for this study are tabulated below, including an engineers' opinion of the initial capital costs, the annual operations and maintenance costs, and the resulting five-year funding estimate total for each concept. Engineers Opinion of ADOT Cost for Rural ITS Concepts Deployment Concept Project Goal Initial / Capital Costs Annual Operating & Maintenance Costs Opinion of Cost (Over 5 Years) Focus Area: ITS Maintenance Third-Party ITS Operations & Scope Maintenance Contracting - $200,000 Annual Contract Truck Escape Ramp Monitoring Field $700,000 - 7 Sites at $125,000 Per Site (Total) Expansion of Rural Cellular Coverage Scope $75,000 - Major US Highways & State Routes DMS Construction Scope $2,300,000 - 8 Sites at $312,500 Per Site (Total) $200,000 $35,000 $40,000 $1,000,000 $875,000 $75,000 $2,500,000 4 Annual Operating & Project Deployment Concept Maintenance Goal Costs Focus Area: Weather Information Systems Participation in Clarus - Database Scope $100,000 Development & Maintenance, Coordination with National Agency RWIS Deployment Scope $768,000 $921,600 - 48 Sites at $112,000 Per Site (Total) State Meteorologist Field $85,000 - 1 Position at $85,000 Annual Salary Low Cost Weather Stations Scope $64,000 $7,200 - 40 Sites at $2,500 Per Site (Total) Low Visibility Detection Field $900,000 $45,000 - 15 Sites at $75,000 Per Site (Total) Bridge Deck Anti-Icing Monitoring Field $240,000 $12,000 - 3 Locations at $100,000 / Site (Total) Develop IGAs for Flood Detection Field $770,000 Data - 11 Counties at $70,000 (each) Mobile Data Collection for Snowplows Field $540,000 $21,600 - 54 Snowplows at $12,000 / Vehicle (Total), w/ satellite communication. Focus Area: Traveler Information Systems Portable HAR Scope $200,000 $8,000 � 8 Units at $30,000 Each (Total) Work Zone HAR Specification Development Scope $5,000 � One-Time Consultant Fee Permanent HAR Sites Scope $400,000 $20,000 - 20 Sites at $25,000 Per Site (Total) Intelligent Rest Area Deployment Scope $645,000 $15,000 - 15 Sites at $48,000 Per Site (Total) Corridor Travel Time Monitoring Field $800,000 $20,000 - 8 Sites at $112,500 Per Site (Total) Emergency Detour Routing Field $148,500 $9,900 - 33 EMS at $6,000 Per Sign (Total) Initial / Capital Costs Opinion of Cost (Over 5 Years) $500,000 $5,376,000 $425,000 $100,000 $1,125,000 $300,000 $770,000 $648,000 $240,000 $5,000 $500,000 $720,000 $900,000 $198,000 5 Annual Operating & Deployment Concept Maintenance Costs Focus Area: Motorist Assistance and Safety Services MAP Specification Development Scope $30,000 - One-Time Consultant Fee CRASH Vehicles Scope $360,000 - 20 Vehicles at $90,000 Per Vehicle Enhance Field Communications with Scope $75,000 Phoenix District via 800 MHz Radios - 50 Units at $1,500 Per Unit Installed ADOT VHF Radios in DPS Vehicles Scope * * - 440 Units at $1,500 Per Installation - Total $660,000: *All Costs by DPS District Training Programs Field $8,000 - Consultant Fees for Protocol Updates Focus Area: Information Sharing Oversized Load Management - Initial Implementation of System Field $400,000 * * System Expansion and On-Going Costs Absorbed by Industry Agencies Simulator Interagency Training -LTAP Field $12,000 - Supplemental Activities to Establish Coordination with Partner Agencies Internal Information Sharing - 5 Conferences Per Year for 20 Scope $50,000 Participants Project Goal Initial / Capital Costs Opinion of Cost (Over 5 Years) $30,000 $1,800,000 $75,000 $0 $40,000 $400,000 $60,000 $250,000 Conceptual five-year cost commitments for each of the five ITS focus areas are totaled, and averaged per year, in the following table: Total Engineers Opinion of ADOT Cost for Rural ITS Concepts Focus Areas Deployment Concepts ITS Maintenance Weather Information Systems Traveler Information Systems Motorist Assistance and Safety Services Information Sharing TOTAL OVER 5 YEARS AVERAGE TOTAL COST PER YEAR Opinion of Cost $4,450,000 $9,244,000 $2,563,000 $1,945,000 $710,000 $18,912,000 $3,782,400 6 PRIORITIZATION AND PROCESS OWNERSHIP The ITS concept recommendations that were developed from this project were prioritized by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Each member was asked to identify the level of priority (high, medium, low) for each ITS concept. In addition, each was asked to identify potential process owners or champions for each ITS concept. Lastly, each TAC member was asked to suggest potential resources for deployment of these concepts. The following table lists the TAC's recommendations as to key implementation elements, showing who within ADOT may best champion these concepts, and what likely ADOT resources are identified for funding. Some ITS elements may also qualify for Federal-aid construction project funds. The TAC's prioritization level for each of these ITS concepts is also shown. Prioritization of Rural ITS Concepts Deployment Concept Project Priority Goal Potential Process Owner(s) Identified or Potential Resources for Deployment *Note - Some ITS elements of projects as noted may be eligible for regular Federal-aid construction funding. Focus Area: ITS Maintenance Third-Party ITS O&M Contracting Truck Escape Ramp Monitoring Expansion of Rural Cellular Coverage DMS Construction Participation in Clarus RWIS Deployment Scope Field High Med TTG TTG Funds TTG or Districts w/ TTG and District Minor Ramps Funds* Right-Of-Way ITD Funding Scope Med Section Scope High TTG / District TTG or District Minor* Focus Area: Weather Information Systems Scope High TTG TTG Funds* TTG or Central TTG and District Minor Scope Med Maintenance Funds* Field Scope Field Field Field Field High Med Med Low Med Med TTG Central Maintenance TTG or District District State Maintenance Engineer Equipment Services Cost Share Each District District Minor Funds* District Minor or HES* District Minor or HES* Maintenance Fund Districts and Equipment Services Highway-Focused State Meteorologist Low Cost Weather Station Deployment Low Visibility Detection Bridge Deck Anti-Icing Monitoring IGAs for Flood Detection Mobile Data Collection for Snowplows 7 Project Potential Process Identified or Potential Priority Goal Owner(s) Resources for Deployment Focus Area: Traveler Information Systems Construction Fund or Portable HAR Scope Med District District Minor* Work Zone HAR Standard CCP Fund or Scope Med CCP Specifications State Construction Fund* District Minor or Permanent HAR Scope High District Maintenance Fund* Intelligent Rest Area Roadside Construction Fund Scope Low Deployment Development (Rest Area Fund)* Corridor Travel Time Field High TTG or Districts TTG Fund* Monitoring Emergency Detour Field High TTG or Districts TTG Fund Routing Focus Area: Motorist Assistance and Safety Services Standard MAP Scope Med TTG or Districts TTG Fund* Specification State Engineers Office and Districts and District Funds for Equipment CRASH Vehicles Scope Med Equipment Services Services Enhanced Communication Central Scope Med Maintenance Fund w/ Phoenix Maintenance Maintenance via 800 MHz Radios Secondary ADOT UHF Scope Med DPS DPS Radios for DPS State Maintenance District Training Programs Field Med Maintenance Fund Engineer Focus Area: Information Sharing Regional Traffic Oversized Load Maintenance Fund Field Med Engineers Management Simulator Interagency Field High Districts and LTAP LTAP and Third Party Funds Training Internal Information Scope High ITD / TTG ITD & District Funds Sharing Deployment Concept *Note - Some ITS elements of projects as noted may be eligible for regular Federal-aid construction funding. 8 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND Large scale planning and deployment of rural ITS by the Arizona Department of Transportation essentially began in 1997 with completion of the Strategic Plan for Early Deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems on (the) Interstate 40 Corridor.1 This initial effort was followed in late 1998 by the Strategic Plan for Statewide Deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems in Arizona.2 Periodic updates of the strategic plan have been captured in the ADOT Transportation Technology Group's internal Statewide Plan � Intelligent Transportation Infrastructure (ITI), between 1997 and 2002. ADOT soon recognized the need to measure progress and to better identify those ITS issues specific to the rural environment, and so initiated another research project, the Rural ITS Progress Study � Arizona 2004.3 This study had the following key objectives: � � � � Measure performance and document the benefits of deployed systems, and of ADOT's rural ITS program. Document ADOT's current operating and maintenance costs and issues. Determine travelers' perceptions and reactions to Arizona's rural ITS elements. Determine how well ADOT had adhered to the 1998 Statewide ITS Plan's vision. The 2004 study developed 20 key recommendations for improved utilization of ADOT's rural ITS infrastructure. Two years later, in reviewing the outcomes of the 2004 study and the ongoing rural technology deployments, the Department identified five stillunresolved areas of concern. In general, ADOT had been successful in implementing the recommendations of the 2004 statewide review, but five areas of unmet needs or unfulfilled potential remained. The five gap areas, described below, are the focus of this new research to fully implement the potential of all recommendations of the prior study. As long-term planning and deployment of rural ITS continues in rural Arizona, it would also be of great benefit to review current practices and concepts of rural ITS among other transportation agencies. This new study will enable ADOT to build on their experience in new technologies and business practices as they relate to Arizona's rural ITS program. 1.2 FOCUS AREAS The following five ITS concepts, issues, and systems are the primary focus of the research workscope for Project SPR 615: Focus Area 1: Rural ITS Maintenance � Review of options to better address and balance resources, issues, and abilities to support and maintain ITS devices including HAR, DMS, RWIS, CCTV cameras, etc. 9 Focus Area 2: Weather Information Systems � Resources for weather data such that the districts can manage the appropriate response to severe weather conditions, including snow and ice storms, dust storms, flooding, low visibility, etc. Focus Area 3: Highway Advisory Radio - Resources to broadcast advisory messages to the traveling public for specific sections of roadway regarding construction or maintenance, or short-term alerts for weather, or traffic restrictions due to incidents. Focus Area 4: Motorist Assist Patrols � Options for rural service patrols to aid stranded motorists. The emphasis is on clearing vehicles from the travel lanes and assisting motorists in need of fuel, towing, or other emergency services. Focus Area 5: Sharing of Practical ITS Ideas & Experiences � Options and resources for the districts to review available ITS technologies, including trade publications, regional or national conferences, dialogues with other agencies and districts, etc. 1.3 OBJECTIVES The project's primary focus is to review and recommend ITS concepts that can be applied in rural regions of the state to better meet the needs of ADOT. The main objectives are to: � � � � � 1.4 � � � � � Document the existing conditions of rural ITS deployment for the Department. Record the stakeholders needs that ITS can address. Research state-of-the-art technologies and business practices being used throughout the nation by other agencies. Develop ITS concepts that can be deployed in Arizona's rural settings. Develop an implementation plan prioritizing the ITS Concepts. REPORT ORGANIZATION Chapter 2 reviews the results from the 2004 study and updates the information regarding ITS deployment statewide. Chapter 3 summarizes stakeholder needs information collected through a series of structured interviews held at each ADOT District Office in late summer and early fall of 2006. Chapters 4 to 8 present research conducted to survey the current ITS deployment technology and business plans in use around the nation, with emphasis on the most promising aspects previously identified. Chapters 9 to 13 compile each of the ITS concepts into an implementation plan, where each concept relates to an identified focus area, with an engineers' opinion of probable cost over a five-year life cycle. Chapter 14 integrates numerous ITS deployment concepts into a summary of conceptual recommendations and program costs that address both the original project goals, and the needs identified by the stakeholders. 10 2. ITI DEPLOYMENT UPDATE The initial task for this study was to review the implementation status of all of ADOT's rural ITS infrastructure elements statewide for the fiscal year ending in June, 2007. The information presented in this chapter was collected through interviews with the District Engineers in all of the Department's rural districts, and the ADOT Transportation Technology Group. The information gathering interviews were conducted during the months of August and September 2006. Approximately thirty senior staff members from the rural districts provided the information compiled in this report. Some of the statistics for utilization of the central ITS systems were provided by the TTG staff. The participants in the interview process represent the core of ADOT's rural district management: all District Engineers and many Maintenance Engineers, Development Engineers, Traffic Engineers, Maintenance Superintendents and Supervisors. The Coconino County Engineer also participated in the Flagstaff session. The key question asked in the interviews was, "What is new since 2004?" Some of the follow-up questions used to elicit further input included: � � � What ITS elements have you installed since 2004? Have you removed any ITS elements since 2004? What ITS features or elements do you have planned for your District? Table 1 on the following pages presents the study findings from the Rural ITS Progress Study (SPR 570) conducted in 2004. All revised or updated information is italicized. The 2006 "deployment update" column has been added to highlight the significant changes that have occurred since 2004 (as shown in italics). The matrix presents the rural ITS deployment facts and utilization statistics as of Fall 2006, as reported in the field interviews. The discussion following the matrix describes trends in the utilization of each ITS element, along with the advantages and limitations associated with each of the elements. The discussion of each element concludes with a look towards the future. 11 Table 1. ITI Deployment Matrix Update ITS Element Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) 2006 Deployment Update � � � No additional sites deployed Vendor change in progress Changed from ADOT owned & maintained system to Weather Information Service (data purchase contract) Eliminated from RWIS sites Used only in Phoenix FMS Now part of RWIS contract except for three DMS sites on I-17 and I-40 which still use the old RWIS infrastructure Fixed Warning System remains in place on US 93 north of Kingman City of Prescott Valley has applied for ADOT permits to do photo speed and red light enforcement on SR 69 at three locations. Permit issuance for this speed enforcement is onhold pending completion of the evaluation of the Loop 101 photo enforcement The license plate reader system was removed upon completion of the SR-68 Design-Build Project There are no license plate readers in use in Arizona System utilization is expanding 2003 Volume: 10,000 entries 2004 Volume: 20,000 entries 2005 Volume: 30,000 entries 2006 YTD Volume (through July): 25,000 entries Call volumes rising rapidly 62,000 calls per month is now typical Number of inbound lines being increased Outputs Wind, temperature, precipitation, chemical Speed, volume, occupancy Camera images (still frame) Speed warning messages Outcomes/Benefits Plowing & deicing operations; dust storm prediction/warning; additional data for National Weather Service (NWS); traveler safety Supplement automatic traffic recorder data; improves employee safety Verify current weather and pavement conditions; public can access images Reduced 85th percentile speed 18%; improved safety/reduced repair costs Costs Weather Information Service will cost approximately $1,700 per site per month over the five year term of the Weather Information Service Program. Integral part of RWIS stations; about $2,500 per unit. Capital cost to install 2 cameras at existing DMS site: $20,000 Capital cost for pilot installation on existing structure - $48,820 Passive Acoustic Detectors (PAD) Remote Cameras (CCTV) Speed Detection/ Warning Devices � � � � � 12 License Plate Readers Highway Condition Reporting System (HCRS) Traveler Information via Telephone (511) � � � � � � � � � � � License plate matches (11%data from 2001) Traveler information entries (12,450/year � 2000 to 2002) 96% of incentive was collected; improved level of service/reduced delay Improved project and emergency communications; traveler information is quickly available to the public Incentive to maintain travel time: <1% of project cost $270,000 to develop HCRS; $62,000/yr for data entry labor; monthly maintenance costs About 344,000 Less demand on public calls / year (data agency staff for from 2003) information; public relations; better travel decisions; easy to remember $270,000 to develop voice interface; $85,000-system upgrades; $137,000/yr O&M; promotion *Note: Italicized items represent updates, modifications or changes since the SPR 570 study. Updated 2006 information is shown in italics. ITS Element DPS CAD System Traveler Information via Internet: www.az511.com Overhead Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) 2006 Deployment Update � � ADOT now has a DPS CAD terminal at the TOC Outputs Outcomes/Benefits Costs Not applicable System hardware/software development & maintenance costs; promotion costs ShoulderMounted DMS � � � � � � � Incident Reports Increased awareness of incidents on the roadway 75 million hits/yr; Less demand on public Rising number of hits (19 million hits per month is 10 million page agency staff for now typical) views/yr (data information; public from 2003) relations; better travel decisions; restrictions data access. Less demand on public Signs added at an average rate of four signs per year About 8,800 messages/year agency staff for New DMS Vendors Selected (data from 2003) information and LED sign technology now available on state contract congestion management; Walk-in sign cases now available on state contract better travel decisions Multiple sign sizes now available New signs will be made in USA Removed from US-93 upon completion of construction work Speed warnings; steep grades ahead/HAR frequency messages In-routine use on all significant construction projects Many deployments/ year HAR messages Deployed in Kingman and Holbrook Districts (broadcast as I-40 Winslow TI construction project usage needed or US-93 Truck restrictions at Hoover Dam continually) Use of HAR has reduced the number of truck turnarounds at the dam Routine application for public information on major construction projects Professionally updated messages maintained by a PR firm in-use Windows Media Player software used to queue and play messages Widespread usage of HAR from a local vendor, The Info Guys" in multiple districts Capital costs - $385,000; O&M costs - $1,035/$2,478/year Safety improvements; Installation - approx. $70,000 per lower infrastructure repair sign; O&M costs � under costs $1,000/yr (estimated) Deployment flexibility; ease of set up; better travel decisions. Effective part of public outreach program for construction projects; better travel decisions. Solar $925/mo.; diesel $450/mo (Equipment Services rates) Typical turnkey cost $1,900/ month (includes licensing, setup, maintenance, removal) 13 Portable TrailerMounted DMS Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) � � � � � � � � � *Note: Italicized items represent updates, modifications or changes since the SPR 570 study. Updated 2006 information is shown in italics. ITS Element Scenic Byway Information System 2006 Deployment Update � � � � � � � Deployed in Kaibab National Forest on SR 67 near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon 2 Web Cameras Byway Information Website Weather Station Interactive Kiosk at the Jacob Lake Visitor Center Interactive Kiosk at the Kaibab Lodge No current usage reported Outputs Weather Information, Snapshot Webcam Images, Traveler Information Kiosks Traffic signal indications Outcomes/Benefits Promotes Visitation Provides snapshots of road conditions http://www.kaibab.info/ Costs $190K Scenic Byway Grant includes 3 years of Maintenance Operated under permit to the Kaibab National Forest Portable Traffic Signals Commercial Vehicle Electronic Clearance (PrePass) � System remains active at all major ports of entry Expedited Processing at International Crossings (EPIC) � � � � Instrumented Truck Escape Ramps � � � System actively used by MVD without transponder features System expanded to cover two new FAST lanes at Nogales Software enhancements under contract Alternative Transponder System being deployed nationally by the Department of Homeland Security Hardware updated on both ramps on SR-68 Satellite Communications installed at MP-1 Web-based interface developed As flagger replacement, reduces labor costs, improves safety (more visible). 85% of trucks Improve business bypass during environment by port times ports are automation; improve open (data from compliance/ enforcement; Aug. 2004) more economic delivery of goods; fuel savings; reduce truck wear and tear; improve on-time service Average queue Improved port throughput wait time and compliance verification; increased security, efficiency, traffic management; public access to queue wait time information Intrusions Improved agency detected: coordination; improved 37/ramp/yr (data: safety; improved Jan-Sep 2004) emergency response and ramp repair time About $70,000 to purchase; rental $200 to $300/day Equipment installation free; labor costs for creating software/database links minimal. PrePass funded by others. 14 Construction costs: about $700,000; Systems integration: $275,000; Annual O&M costs $30,000. $227,350-design/instrument two ramps; $16,200/yr/ramp for O&M *Note: Italicized items represent updates, modifications or changes since the SPR 570 study. Updated 2006 information is shown in italics. ITS Element Emergency Roadside Callboxes 2006 Deployment Update � � Systems remain in-place No system expansion Outputs 153/yr/callbox; calls requesting services: 18% (data from July 2003-June 2004) Outcomes/Benefits Costs US 93: $6,845/site to install (low; other costs absorbed by concurrent project); $1,720/yr/site for O&M Rural Nighttime Motorist Assist Patrols (MAPs) � US-93 MAP continues to operate Improved incident response time; identification of call location; increases public sense of safety; booster antennas increase cellular communications range 124 assists/year Public relations; quickly (data from 2001- assess needs; relieve 2003) Department of Public Safety resources; improved incident response time/safety; accident prevention Bid item on current US 93 project represents less than one-half percent of total project cost $150,000 for 30 month project *Note: Italicized items represent updates, modifications or changes since the SPR 570 study. Updated 2006 information is shown in italics. 15 2.1 DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS Permanently-mounted overhead Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) are well liked, highly visible and effective traffic management tools valued by each of the Districts. These signs are also referred to as Variable Message Signs (VMS). Every District expressed interest in having more DMS deployed within the District. A contract to purchase fiber optic signs from a French supplier recently expired. The contract has been replaced with a new DMS procurement contract which allows the state to procure signs in multiple sizes from multiple vendors. The overhead sign for freeway application will have a walk-in case, to facilitate maintenance without lane closures. Many of the Districts rely on the Traffic Operations Center (TOC) to control the signs. Some Districts (e.g., Flagstaff, Tucson) will operate the signs during working hours from the District office. ADOT continues to expand rural DMS deployments at a rate of four to five signs per year. A contract was awarded in 2006 to CS Construction Inc. of Phoenix to install statefurnished DMS with fixed CCTV at the following locations: � � � � Interstate 15 at MP 8 (NB Direction) Interstate 15 at MP 28 (SB Direction) Interstate 40 at MP 124 Interstate 17 at MP 228 (SB Direction) The engineers' estimate for this work was $596,127. The low bid was $891,807, so the average installation cost per site on this contract is approximately $223,000. The overall cost per rural full-matrix DMS site is likely to be in the $300,000 to $350,000 range including design, the state-furnished sign, and installation, making fixed permanentlymounted DMS a relatively high-cost ITS element. The ability of the signs to provide warnings to nearly all travelers on a particular route, and possibly prevent crashes and other delays, is likely to justify continued investment in this technology. Portable Dynamic Message signs have been universally accepted in all of the Districts as an effective work zone traffic management tool, and as a means of delivering public information. They are normally rented from construction contractors, who provide and maintain the signs for the duration of the contract period. All ADOT Districts also have portable DMS units available to assist with maintenance activities and long-term detours. Shoulder-mounted DMS are effectively being used in the Kingman District as part of the truck ramp warning system. Shoulder-mounted DMS can be cost effective for providing real-time information on two lane roads, and for long term construction operations. 2.2 511 TRAVELER INFORMATION Rapidly rising call volume statistics indicate significant public interest and awareness in the 511 telephone service. Call volume has grown from 314,000 calls per year in 2002 to 760,000 calls per year in 2006, with 411,000 calls through the first half of 2007. The 16 service incorporates voice recognition technology. Despite the popularity and increasing usage of this service, two challenges were identified during the district discussions: � Events may not be entered into the 511 system, for example, a problem or closure ahead that the traveler information system is not yet aware of. This appears to be primarily an issue of ADOT staff entering the information into the system, but it can lead to some motorist frustrations. The first example would be motorists sitting in a queue with no idea why they are stopped despite using the 511 service. The second case would be a driver approaching a closure and "demanding" to be let through because 511 indicated that the road is open. The voice recognition feature has not yet been perfected. The problem cited is that it does not understand voice prompts from callers. It is likely that this is due to high background noise and cellular signal quality, as many users call this service from their cars. � The Internet traveler information service www.az511.com continues to increase in popularity. The number of webpage hits has grown to more than 200 million per year (19 million per month) in comparison to 75 million in 2003. The installation of a Department of Public Safety (DPS) computer-aided dispatch (CAD) terminal at the ADOT Traffic Operations Center has increased that facility's operator timely awareness of incidents as they occur on Arizona's roadways. The Highway Condition Reporting System (HCRS) is the underlying database for ADOT's web-based and telephone-based 511 information services. The process to transfer incidents from the CAD system into HCRS is currently done manually. Utilization of this tool has increased each year since 2003. Table 2 summarizes the number of entries into HCRS by year. Table 2. Incident Entries into HCRS per Year Year # of HCRS Entries 2003 10,000 2004 20,000 2005 30,000 2006 46,000 2007 (through June) 24,000 2.3 HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO The Department is using highway advisory radio (HAR) or traveler information stations (TIS) for Hoover Dam truck restriction warnings, and as part of the public information component for major construction projects. HAR furnished and maintained by the contractor has become a mainstream tool for public information during construction projects. Professionally-prepared weekly updates to the messages have been required on recent construction projects. The ADOT Communications and Community Partnerships (CCP) public and media outreach group is also a resource to prepare and update the HAR messages consistently, if so requested by the district staff. 17 Table 3 shows the licensed TIS users in Arizona in the authorized AM bands at 530 kHz and in the range of 1600 to 1700 KHz. Recent licensing activity shows that there is significant interest in the State for providing traveler information via radio. Table 3. Licensed Traveler Information Stations Transmitter Agency License # Site City County Gila County WPKL489 North Broad St. Globe Gila Cordes Junction Yavapai ADOT WPPD286 I-17 MP 262 ADOT WPPD286 I-10 MP 133 Tolleson Maricopa State of Arizona WPQI768 Statewide N/A N/A State of Arizona Game & Fish Dept WPXX642 Hwy 260 Eagar Apache State of Arizona S. Lake Mary Game & Fish Dept WPZH433 Rd. Flagstaff Coconino ADOT City Of Winslow State of Arizona Governors Office Highway Safety ADOT City of Phoenix Grand Canyon National Park WQCY276 WQDF361 WQDL670 WQEL573 WXK790 N/A Mohave County I-40 Exit 233 Delgado St Mohave County Sky Harbor Blvd Desert View; Tusayan Kingman Mohave Winslow Coconino Flagstaff Kingman Phoenix Grand Canyon Yavapai Mohave Maricopa Flagstaff Frequency (kHz) 1610 530 530 530 530 530 1610, 1640 1610 1610 1610, 1620 & 1630 1610 1610, 530 The quality of HAR equipment available in the marketplace varies widely, and some Districts have reported much better success with some vendors than others. The user interface for the newer HAR systems is the Windows Media Player Software, which makes HAR an easy-to-use tool. While none of the Districts have formally studied the effectiveness of HAR, it is perceived as effective and there is some interest in expanded use of the tool. Widespread radio coverage of I-40 is of interest to the Holbrook District. 2.4 ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS Nearly all of the Districts would value data supplied by road weather information systems, however only two new RWIS sites have been deployed since 2004, on SR 264 at Window Rock, and on I-40 at Two Guns. The problem has been lack of reliability of the previous field hardware deployments. Quixote Corporation is now under contract to upgrade the 16 RWIS sites, and to provide weather information services to ADOT for five years. If weather data can be obtained reliably and at a reasonable cost, some interest exists in an expansion of the number of weather stations. 18 The Kingman District has created an innovative Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Mohave County to obtain data from its Automated Local Evaluation in Real Time (ALERT) system. The system is comprised of stream gauging sensors interconnected via a VHF radio system to collect weather data. There was only a limited awareness of County ALERT systems as a source of weather data in most of the other Districts. The Kingman and Globe Districts reported making limited use of contracted weather forecasting services. Globe uses Accuweather and Kingman uses DTN. The other Districts use publicly available sources of weather information for winter maintenance scheduling and anti-icing treatment planning. Contracted forecasting services will be available through ADOT's Weather Information Services Contract for the next five years. The contract price is $300 per site per month. The Safford, Tucson and Yuma Districts all expressed interest in better detection and warning for dust storms. ADOT's only dust storm detection resources, the RWIS sites at Bowie and San Simon on I-10, have not been expanded in the last two years. 2.5 MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS A contracted ADOT motorist assist patrol continues to operate at night on US 93 south of Kingman. This motorist assist patrol is funded through a construction project. There also are motorist assist patrols being operated on an as-available basis by DPS volunteers in the Prescott and Flagstaff Districts. The Tucson District contracts for an emergency tow service on the I-10 widening project in downtown Tucson, through the end of the project in 2010. This is a continuous operation, on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The Flagstaff District is also considering the use of an emergency tow service for the I-40 reconstruction programmed for 2010 or 2011. Most other districts also provide more informal assistance to stranded motorists in their regular maintenance operations. 2.6 REMOTE CAMERAS (CCTV) New web cameras have been deployed at the following locations since 2004: � � � � � � � � SR-68 MP 1 Truck Escape Ramp SR-68 MP 5 Truck Escape Ramp SR 67 at Kaibab Lodge SR 67 at Jacob Lake Interstate 15 at MP 8 Interstate 15 at MP 28 Interstate 40 at MP 124 Interstate 17 at MP 228 Additional cameras are also planned for the Tucson area, as part of the I-10 widening project. The contract specifications also call for the existing Tucson freeway management system (FMS) cameras to be kept in operation during the construction 19 phase. This requires the cameras to be relocated; the video data stream is to be routed to an Interim Traffic Operations Center (ITOC), operated by the construction contractor. The Tucson District hopes to add FMS features and cameras on Interstate 10 from Ina Road to Tangerine Road, as the urbanized area expands northwards towards Marana. The districts would generally value additional camera images of critical roadways. 2.7 PASSIVE ACOUSTIC DETECTORS The few rural passive acoustic traffic detectors installed as part of the old RWIS system are being removed and not replaced, since the data was not being used and the sensors were inappropriately positioned for effective traffic counting. PADs are still being used in the Phoenix FMS. There is presently no infrastructure in place on ADOT's rural roadways for real-time traffic counting and speed reduction detection. The ADOT Transportation Planning Division maintains some traffic count stations that provide basic volume counts for rural roadways for statistical purposes. There is interest in monitoring travel time, and detecting bottlenecks, on I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff. 2.8 LICENSE PLATE READERS A pilot license plate reader system on SR-68 west of Kingman was removed upon completion of the design-build project in 2001, because it was intended to measure travel times during the construction phase only. The travel time data was to be used in combination with monetary incentives to ensure that the contractor conducted the construction operations with some sensitivity to the convenience of the roadway user. The system was never used as intended because Hoover Dam, the alternative route to the work zone, was closed to truck traffic in 2001. The Kingman District also reported that some motorists had privacy concerns about the use of the license plate reader system. 2.9 SPEED DETECTION AND WARNING DEVICES One permanently-installed speed detection and warning device is in use on US-93 on the northern edge of Kingman. Use of portable speed detection and warning devices has become routine in many cities, particularly in school zones. The Prescott District reported a cooperative effort with DPS, the Yavapai County Sheriff, Prescott Police and Prescott Valley Police using portable speed warning trailers and a multi-agency speed enforcement task force to manage speeds on State Route 69. Speed warning trailers are available for rent through barricade companies. Photo enforcement of speed was being tested into early 2007 on SR 101 in Scottsdale. This is the first application of photo enforcement on a state highway in Arizona. ADOT granted an access permit to the City, on a temporary basis. Following this pilot program, the Highway Patrol (DPS) was mandated to independently review various photo enforcement system options that may meet the state's criteria for future highway operations. A municipality has also requested an ADOT permit to do photo enforcement for speed and red light violations on SR 69 in the Prescott District. As of mid-2007, no photo enforcement permits have been issued for SR 69. 20 2.10 INSTRUMENTED TRUCK ESCAPE RAMPS The Department has instrumented two truck escape ramps in the Kingman District. They are on SR 68 approaching Bullhead City, at Milepost (MP) 1 and MP 5. The system was upgraded in 2005 to provide functional warning sign control, night vision cameras, webbased user interface and e-mail alerts. The Globe District has four truck escape ramps. They are currently not monitored, and the district has expressed mild interest in instrumenting their ramps. There are also two truck escape ramps on I-17, which do not have any such monitoring systems.. 2.11 EXPEDITED PROCESSING AT INTERNATIONAL CROSSINGS A weigh in motion system is in place at the Nogales Port of Entry. The system was expanded from two lanes to four lanes in 2006. 2.12 EMERGENCY ROADSIDE CALL BOXES Roadside call box systems on I-19 and US-93 remain in operation, but no call boxes have been added or removed from service since 2004. Some call boxes on I-19 have been upgraded to meet Americans with disabilities Act (ADA) standards. No new ADOT call box installations are currently planned in Arizona. The Yuma District, however, would consider the use of call boxes on I-8 and I-10, since these routes enter Arizona from California. Across the border, the State of California installs call boxes at one-mile spacing on these Interstates and some other main routes, wherever cell service is adequate. Most other Districts would prefer to invest in improved cellular coverage for the State Highway System. 21 22 3. STAKEHOLDER FOCUS REVIEW This chapter details the 2006-07 stakeholder needs assessment process. The project team interviewed key staff in each of ADOT's rural districts to identify specific ITS needs, resource gaps, and operational issues. This effort developed a consensus from each district on the current ITS needs, with emphasis on the originally scoped five focus areas. Each ADOT district's Rural ITS champion was interviewed for specific regional needs. Anyone with specific insight into the district's ITS experiences and needs was also encouraged to take part. Participants in the interview process included the district engineers, regional traffic engineers, development engineers, maintenance engineers, maintenance superintendents, and the ATRC project manager and project consultant for this study. These meetings were intended to help identify ITS data, procedural, functional, infrastructure and agency needs and constraints in each of the five primary study focus areas. On-site district meetings were conducted in: � � � � Flagstaff Globe Holbrook Kingman � � � � Prescott Safford Tucson Yuma The purpose of the interviews was for the research team to learn about each district's needs and its existing ITS deployments. The needs assessment included the five focus areas, general needs, and any additional needs. Each focus area was reviewed to gauge the level of importance and priority that each stakeholder group places on the focus areas. A secondary purpose for the interviews was to inform the districts about current ADOT activities that relate to rural ITS, including other districts' experiences with ITS deployments. The meeting minutes recorded the district's responses to structured interview questions. A summary of needs is presented in matrix form to help identify commonalities between the districts, and to determine the primary needs. A discussion and analysis for each of the five focus areas were documented, as well as general district needs. Each individual district's experiences and needs are summarized in this chapter, which also identifies its vision for ITS deployment. Identified ITS needs are compiled in a matrix by district. The matrix is accompanied by a discussion of needs in each of the focus areas. Specific needs for each major corridor in the State are also identified, where an ITS needs assessment for each of the primary corridors in the state is presented. 3.1 DISTRICT ITS VISION Each of the districts has differing priorities, ITS needs, and current deployment levels. The following sections will show that there is a significant overlap among the districts' 23 perceived needs, and their regional visions of ITS for the future. However, some needs that are unique to specific districts were also identified, as summarized below: 3.1.1 Flagstaff District The Flagstaff District includes parts of Mohave, Coconino, and Yavapai Counties. The District's primary concerns include accurate weather forecasting, real-time traffic monitoring, coordination with other agencies on interstate closures, ITS maintenance funding, bridge deck icing, and wildlife collisions. The most important of the five project issue areas for the District are ITS maintenance and weather forecasting. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Flagstaff District is to have a fully automated communication system to alert motorists to hazardous conditions, including icy road surface conditions, low visibility conditions, rockslide events, wildlife presence, and severe weather conditions. 3.1.2 Globe District The Globe District includes parts of Navajo, Apache, Gila, Maricopa, Pinal, Graham, and Greenlee Counties. The District's primary concerns include accurate weather forecasting, snow and ice removal, and traveler information systems. The most important issues for the District are weather information systems and ITS maintenance. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Globe District is to have more ITS technology, particularly DMSs and low cost weather information systems, if funding for capital costs and on-going maintenance are available. 3.1.3 Holbrook District The Holbrook District includes parts of Navajo, Apache, and Coconino Counties. The District's primary concerns include traveler information systems, coordination with other agencies on interstate closures, black ice detection, snow and ice removal, accidents due to driver fatigue, and flooding. The most important of the five issues for the District is weather information systems; the least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Holbrook District is to have an ITS program that all of the maintenance and construction staff will buy into. The available ITS tools would become an important part of the job. The District would value tools to make the roadway safer, and to prevent fatal crashes. 3.1.4 Kingman District The Kingman District includes parts of Mohave, Coconino, Yavapai, and La Paz Counties. The District's primary concerns include weather forecasting, snow and ice removal, flooding, and traveler information systems. The most important issues for the District are ITS maintenance and weather information systems. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. 24 The vision for the Kingman District is to have accurate early warning; they stressed the need for maintainable systems. Without money to maintain it, it should not be put in. 3.1.5 Prescott District The Prescott District includes parts of La Paz, Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo, Gila, and Maricopa Counties. The District's primary concerns include interagency communications, traveler information systems, and weather forecasting. The most important issue for the District is communication and coordination with other agencies. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Prescott District is to enhance the safety of all district corridors, specifically reducing collisions due to wildlife presence, severe weather conditions, and high speed zones. Prescott needs real-time traffic monitoring for the I-17 corridor to provide motorists with accurate roadway information. 3.1.6 Safford District The Safford District includes parts of Greenlee, Graham, Cochise, and Pima Counties. The District's primary concerns include traveler information systems, interagency communications, coordination with other agencies on interstate closures, communications area coverage, weather forecasting, weather information systems, and flooding. The most important issues for the District are weather forecasting and maintenance. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Safford District is a better informed public, better interagency communications, a more informed workforce, a better command structure and better radio and cell phone coverage. 3.1.7 Tucson District The Tucson District includes parts of Pinal, Pima, Maricopa, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties. The District's primary concerns include traveler information systems, expansion of its Freeway Management System (FMS), real-time traffic monitoring, and weather forecasting and weather information systems. The most important issue for the District is weather information systems. The least important issue is information sharing. A special concern is better monitoring of commercial vehicle operations throughout the state, and especially tracking and inspections of oversize and overweight loads. The vision for the Tucson District is to expand the I-10 Freeway Management System to the north, and to the south. The current Tucson area FMS is on I-10 from its intersection with I-19 to Ina Road. The district would like to expand FMS northward from Ina Road. to Tangerine Road. There is significant growth in the Marana and Red Rock areas, with large residential subdivisions being constructed. FMS should also be considered on I-19. 3.1.8 Yuma District The Yuma District includes parts of La Paz, Yuma, and Maricopa Counties. The District's primary concerns include communications with staff and other agencies, realtime traffic monitoring, traveler information systems, dust storms, and storm flooding. 25 The most important of the five project issues for the Yuma District is incident management. The least important issue is motorist assist patrols. The vision for the Yuma District is to keep the roads open and to advise motorists of any hazards. They intend to focus on the roadway user's best interest and safety. 3.2 COMMON NEEDS During the interview process, multiple needs and experiences were explored and discussed for each district. To determine commonalities between the districts, each need is categorized and identified in the matrix presented in Table 4. Needs specific to the five focus areas are grouped together. Additional needs that fall outside of the five focus areas are also included in the matrix. Cross-referencing the districts and the needs allows the most critical needs to be identified for more in-depth discussion. Table 4. Districts Needs Matrix Prescott Safford Tucson Yuma Flagstaff Globe Holbrook Kingman Identified Need � During the interview, this need was identified as a significant need � During the interview, this need was identified as a minor need Intelligent Transportation System Data Needs AVL for Snowplows Chemical Application Rate Monitors for Plows Snow Plow Simulator Training Truck Ramp Monitoring Systems ADOT Radios in all DPS Officer's Vehicles Real Time Traffic Monitoring (US 93) Real Time Traffic Monitoring (I-40) Real Time Traffic Monitoring (I-17) Real Time Traffic Monitoring (I-10) Real Time Traffic Monitoring CCTV Monitoring Procurement or Leasing of ITS with Full Maintenance & Support Budgetary Funding for ITS Maintenance Commercial Vehicle Operations Monitoring Wildlife Presence Detection Reduced Night Time Speeds Dam Monitoring (Flooding) Weather Information Systems Needs Weather Forecasting Services Dust Storm Warning System Low Cost Weather Sensors Additional RWIS Sites Portable RWIS Flood Detection Sensors Black Ice Detection Bridge Deck Icing Monitors Fog Warning Advisories Rock Fall Detection 26 Prescott Safford Tucson Yuma Flagstaff Globe Holbrook Kingman Identified Need � During the interview, this need was identified as a significant need � During the interview, this need was identified as a minor need Traveler Information Systems Needs Additional DMS Locations Portable DMS Good DMS Maintenance Service CCTV Image of DMS Multiple Agency Coordination for Traveler Information and Incident Response District-Wide Communications (Radio, Cell, Satellite Coverage) Improved Traveler Information Comprehensive AZ 511 System Alert System for Wide-Load CVO Permitting & Tracking Traveler Information Kiosks (Wi-Fi Hot Spots at Rest Areas) Portable Speed Display Trailers & Photo Enforcement Programs Weigh-In-Motion Systems at Ports of Entry Highway Advisory Radio Needs Highway Advisory Radio for Work Zones Highway Advisory Radio for Port of Entry and Rest Areas Highway Advisory Radio for Rock Slide Hazards Highway Advisory Radio for Traveler Information (Corridor-wide) Information Sharing Needs Technical Publications ITS Arizona Conference I-40 Corridor Coalition Training Sessions ATRC Reports & Research Programs Winter Maintenance Conference Roads and Streets Conference PAG Contacts Informal Information Discussions Incident Management Workshop Motorist Assist Patrols Needs For I-40 Reconstruction through Walden Canyon For Major Construction Projects For Severe Weather Conditions Quick Clearance Law 3.3 WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS Of the five focus areas from the previous project report that are being reviewed for wider rural ITS implementation, the need for weather information systems was a primary issue for all of the districts. Although the terrain and elevations vary from district to district, adverse weather conditions were targeted as a key concern for alerting motorists, deploying maintenance resources, and communicating with other agencies regarding road closures and establishing alternative routes. In the southern districts, dust storms are also 27 critical to freeway operations. The Safford, Tucson and Yuma Districts all identified the need to advise motorists of low visibility conditions, and to seek alternative routes. In the northern districts, snow and ice removal were constant themes in the interviews. The districts identified accurate weather forecasting as a primary concern for maintenance response, including snowplow dispatch, deicing chemical application, and freeway closures. The collective experience with the previous state RWIS infrastructure has been negative. Despite the poor performance, the need for accurate weather information is still a pressing matter and the districts are interested in obtaining this data. The drastic range of topographies in Arizona presents a challenge to all of the districts. Across large areas of the state, and numerous interstate routes and state highways, the primary areas of concern for winter weather are typically above an elevation of 3500 feet. Areas above that level experience severe weather conditions in the form of snow, ice and freezing rain; lower areas experience dust storms and flooding conditions. The varied weather, including the unpredictable fire season, presents challenges to all of the districts. Snowplow operations were frequently mentioned by the districts in the north. Automatic Vehicle Location technologies (AVL) were identified as a tool to improve plowing efficiency. Chemical application monitors and weather sensors mounted on the vehicles were viewed as useful tools for managing anti-icing and deicing chemical application. There is significant interest in snowplow simulator training both within ADOT and at Coconino County. Each agency has a frequent need to hire new plow vehicle operators. 3.4 ITS MAINTENANCE ITS maintenance was a close second to weather data needs in the level of importance to the districts. Many districts described funding and resource challenges for maintaining the deployed ITS devices. Funding and staffing for these duties typically did not exist. Other districts described excellent relations with ADOT TOC for servicing DMS, but some expressed frustration with delayed responses to maintenance because of unavailable parts. This experience hasn't deterred the common reaction of requesting that even more DMSs be constructed. Several of the districts identified favorable circumstances regarding maintenance through service agreements with third-party private companies. These outside resources provide expertise and faster response time. The exception would be the old RWIS hardware, which was effectively un-maintainable. 3.5 HIGHWAY ADVISORY RADIO District experience with Highway Advisory Radio systems was generally favorable, except one instance where a district reported receiving low quality hardware. HAR in the rural districts is generally used for construction projects along routes undergoing major construction. The deployment is funded through the construction contract with maintenance by a third party for the duration of the contract. The districts reported favorable experiences with the vendor for several HAR sites. HAR was viewed as a 28 means to directly communicate with motorists, and several requests were made to offer this service corridor-wide if possible. 3.6 MOTORIST ASSIST PATROLS District experience with motorist assist patrols was sparse. This focus area was identified by almost all of the districts as being the least important of the five study areas. Several districts cited local or regional efforts by DPS to assist stranded motorists with dedicated urban freeway service patrols, volunteer rural patrols, or on-duty officers. Some tended to view it as a DPS function or service, not an ADOT function. Lack of budget and lack of time were also frequently mentioned as reasons for MAP's low priority in ADOT. Previous experience with motorist assist patrols usually related to major construction projects, where the service was funded by the project and contracted to a third party. 3.7 INFORMATION SHARING Internal information sharing about ITS deployments and innovations was fairly limited. Responsibility for many other duties, and lack of time, were typical reasons cited for having a limited interest in learning about ITS. ADOT's ATRC research projects were viewed as a useful method to bring technology to the Districts. The effort to explore new ITS technology was typically limited to trade publications, statewide conferences, and informal discussion with other district and maintenance managers. The typical response on the information sharing focus area was that any new technologies could not be maintained with the existing staffing levels, and therefore, new information was not beneficial to explore and pursue. It was commented by some that any new devices would unquestionably be an additional strain on the already over-strained maintenance staff. The two conferences most mentioned with relevant ITS content were the annual ITS Arizona Conference and the semi-annual ADOT-LTAP Winter Maintenance Conference. 3.8 OTHER NEEDS Several other needs outside of the five primary focus areas were frequently expressed in the district interviews. Real-time traffic monitoring of specific corridors was mentioned by almost all of the districts. Traveler information systems were also part of the discussions. Several districts requested the capability to detect changes in freeway operations and to alert motorists to changing conditions. In some cases, alternative route guidance was mentioned, to be suggested to drivers. In other cases, at least relaying the details of any delay to the motorists would help alleviate frustration, regardless of the availability or lack of practical detour routes. Traveler information kiosks were also requested in some areas to help alert motorists to anticipated driving conditions. In regard to traffic management and traveler information systems, the districts frequently mentioned the need for inter-agency communication and inter-communication with adjacent districts. Numerous instances of freeway closures were mentioned in which the affected districts, county road departments and local agencies were not alerted to the changed condition. Traffic control in response to freeway closures would assist motorists 29 along detour routes that are long and off the beaten path. Contacting other agencies and even maintaining communications with other ADOT employees is a challenge in some districts. Better radio and cell phone coverage was requested. The southern region identified the need to monitor commercial vehicle operations throughout the state. 3.9 CORRIDOR-SPECIFIC NEEDS: SUMMARY MAPS During the stakeholder interviews, each District was asked to identify specific areas or locations where issues exist that could be managed through the use of ITS tools, in order to capture these locations on a map. This section should be considered as a predecessor to a deployment plan (rather than an actual deployment plan) because it focuses only on locally-expressed needs, without consideration of any of the practical concerns associated with deployment. Some examples of the issues not considered would be whether the deployment is feasible, or if the extent of deployment is realistic. For example, if a realtime traffic monitor is chosen for deployment on Interstate 17, it would make little sense to end the functionality at a District boundary. Regional corridor maps are shown in Figures 1 - 6 for the following corridors: � � � I-8 I-10 I-17 � � � I-19 I-40 US 93 The corridor-wide needs represented on the maps include real-time traffic monitoring (vehicle speeds, volumes, etc.), weather information (roadway surface temperatures, weather forecasting, precipitation type, etc.), wildlife presence detection, and HAR coverage. The location-specific needs represented on the maps include: � � � � Trailblazer Signs Traveler Information Systems Dynamic Message Signs Bridge Deck Monitoring � � � Flood Detection Ice Detection CCTV Monitoring Trailblazers include signage for detour routes that are either static or fold-down signs to alert motorists to the correct direction of travel. These way-finding signs would be used when the major corridors are closed due to severe weather or major incidents, and would help motorists stay on the desired route through rural sections of the districts. Traveler information systems could include information kiosks at appropriate sites for updating travelers and alerting them to roadway conditions. Bridge deck monitoring, flood detection, and ice detection would initiate automated chemical deployment or advanced warning systems alerting drivers to adverse roadway conditions. DMS and CCTV monitoring would be placed at strategic locations to alert drivers to roadway and weather conditions, and to provide remote monitoring for the Department, respectively. 30 31 Figure 1. I-8 Corridor ITS Needs 32 Figure 2. I-10 Corridor ITS Needs 33 Figure 3. I-17 Corridor ITS Needs Figure 4. I-19 Corridor ITS Needs 34 35 Figure 5. I-40 Corridor ITS Needs Figure 6. US 93 Corridor ITS Needs 36 PART TWO � STATE OF THE PRACTICE 4. ITS MAINTENANCE STATE OF THE PRACTICE This chapter is the first in a series that documents the information and experience collected through research conducted on current ITS deployment technologies and business practices by public agencies nationwide, as well as newly available technology from industry vendors. These five chapters compile the reviews of technology and business plans used for innovative rural ITS systems to help identify the "best practices" to effectively address the identified concerns of the Department. The emphasis is on the most promising aspects that were researched. The research methods used to collect data and information included conducting a webbased survey of new products and innovations related to rural ITS. The primary focus areas of the research were: effective ITS maintenance and management practices and tools, weather information systems, highway advisory radio systems, motorist assist patrol fleet and program management, and innovative ITS technology transfer opportunities. Research methods and resources employed included: � � � � � � � � � General web searches using standard search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Specific web searches of federal, state government and DOT websites. On-line searches of transportation libraries (TRB, UC Berkeley, TTI, FHWA). Reviews of relevant pool-fund study materials through the Enterprise, Aurora, Clarus, and TMC pool fund programs. Professional Society Databases (ITE and ITS America) Industry conference proceedings (including the National Rural ITS Conferences) Professional society journals (IMSA Journal, ITE Journal) Industry publications (Traffic Technology, ITS International) Vendor literature To learn about some of the latest developments in the rural ITS field, and to develop a strong background in the underlying materials, the research team participated in the following conferences, teleconferences and meetings specifically for this project: � � � � � � National Rural ITS Conference in Big Sky, Montana, Fall 2006. QTT Weather and Transportation Workshop in St. Louis, Missouri, Fall 2006. ITS Arizona Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, Fall 2006. I-40 Corridor Coalition Meeting, Flagstaff, Arizona, Fall 2006. Teleconference with Mr. Scott Rose, President of The Infoguys. Teleconference with Daryl Mayhew, UDOT. 37 Recent relevant experience in this area of research also included the following conferences and meetings: � Site visit to Enroute Systems, CDOT's Maintenance Contractor, 2005. � Meeting with Frank Kinder, CDOT's ITS Maintenance Manager, 2005. � ITE District 6 Meeting in Bozeman, Montana, 2005. � Site visit to City of Los Angeles Special Traffic Operations Branch to discuss incident and special event management, in 2005. � Exploratory Meeting with Caltrans District 9 for ITS on US 395, in 2005. � Scenic Byway Coordination Meeting with the Hennepin County Department of Parks and Recreation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2004. � Round Table Discussion of ITS Maintenance at the National Rural ITS Conference in Palm Harbor, Florida, in 2003. ITS maintenance was of primary interest to the districts during the stakeholder interview process. Many districts acknowledged funding and resource challenges for maintaining deployed ITS devices. Funding and staffing for ITS device maintenance typically did not exist at the District level outside of the Phoenix Metro area. Some common maintenance challenges that an ITS Maintenance Business Strategy should seek to overcome are: � � � � � � � � 4.1 Sufficient funding may be available for deployment, even though ongoing maintenance costs are being neglected or underestimated. Maintenance response-level issues including long outages and extended times to complete repairs. Availability of spare parts and long lead times for spare parts orders. Obsolete equipment. Remote physical locations of field devices. Low quality equipment or end-of life systems. Lack of properly trained or qualified staff to perform maintenance operations. Clear delineation of maintenance responsibilities. ITS MAINTENANCE BUSINESS PLANS This section discusses a series of ITS Maintenance case studies based on the experiences of several DOTs. The first part of each case study describes the challenges faced by the agency; the second section describes solutions that are being implemented or explored. The rural ITS maintenance experiences of the following agencies are discussed: � � � � Colorado Department of Transportation Florida Department of Transportation Montana Department of Transportation Oregon Department of Transportation 38 4.1.1 Colorado Department of Transportation The Colorado Department of Transportation began its intelligent transportation system program with a small number of devices in 1998: 4 � � � � 14 Variable Message Signs 3 Dial Up Closed Circuit Television Cameras 5 Highway Advisory Radios 22 Call Boxes In 1998, CDOT had little or no ITS maintenance capability. Between 1998 and 2004, the Department's intelligent transportation systems grew rapidly, with a $25 million investment. Through a variety of projects and a politically savvy defense contractor turned intelligent transportation integrator, significant ITS field infrastructure was deployed. By 2004, the system had grown to include the following devices: � � � � � � � � 214 Variable Message Signs 204 Closed Circuit Television Cameras 19 Highway Advisory Radios 72 Ramp Meters 112 Call Boxes 84 Weather Stations 11 Weigh-in-Motion Locations 400+ miles of fiber & wireless communications Rapid and massive expansion of the system without a commensurate growth in maintenance forces was the major challenge for the system. Other challenges included: � � � � � Staffing determined by state statute must not exceed a given level of Full-Time Employees (FTEs). ITS Staffing level has been constant for the last 7 years. Currently limited in the ability to hire new staff. Insufficient vehicle resources. ITS maintenance was not a priority for the traffic signal technicians. CDOT recognized the investment in the technology and established performance standards for the system. These systems goals include: � � � � � Maintain high device reliability. Maintain 90% plus up-time. Maintain high visibility devices to foster positive public image and perception. Effectively operate the devices for their intended purpose. Maintain high levels of customer satisfaction for highway users and traveler information service users. 39 CDOT then took an asset-management�based approach and established a maintenance asset tracking system to document the investment in ITS devices and their current functional state. This tool was used to garner the support of senior management to enable the Department to engage in contracting for ITS maintenance. As a result of these efforts, a local start-up contractor was chosen to provide maintenance services. The contractor, Enroute Systems, currently provides high levels of service to CDOT through a dedicated full-time staff exclusively serving the ITS maintenance needs of the Department. The firm is co-located in CDOT facilities in Lakewood, Colorado. Staff provided includes: � � � � 1 Working Manager 1 Maintenance Coordinator 6 Technicians 1.5 Network Managers The firm functions as an extension of the Department's staff and assists with a variety of duties such as troubleshooting communication links, optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) testing of fiber optic cable and deploying portable DMS. 4.1.2 Florida Department of Transportation Florida DOT created the ITS office in 2000 to facilitate deployment of ITS through a centralized resource in the department.5 In 2003, the office reported that it is focused on deployment instead of maintenance and operational issues. While developing the plan, the department developed cost estimates for maintenance and operations. The estimated cost over 10 years was $54 million for new ITS (not the cost of existing systems such as I-10 in Jacksonville, I-4 near Orlando, and southeastern Florida). Cost estimates were based on Federal guidelines and existing maintenance costs where available. Obviously, maintenance is a big concern for the department. Since the system is relatively young, not all maintenance challenges have been solved. Florida DOT developed a "cost-feasible" ten-year ITS plan with a total $500 million budget, which supplements $200 million in committed district funds. The plan covers both urban and rural areas through 2012, though urban areas receive the bulk of the funding in the plan. The plan doesn't address maintenance or operational issues. In 2005, the Department created a Change Management Board with the stated purpose of overseeing and managing ITS deployments in Florida. The specific emphasis is on implementing needed changes in a deliberate, controlled manner that takes into account the impact on regional and statewide systems. The board includes members from multiple FDOT districts, the state ITS office, local universities and a consultant to provide program support. Creation of this board is an important step in managing the lifecycle of ITS deployment. 40 Some of the ITS maintenance challenges reported by the Florida DOT include: � � � � ITS is "the new kid on the block" as opposed to building and maintaining roads. Roads don't have the immediate, 24-hour maintenance issues that ITS projects do, so it is hard to get senior management to recognize the urgent resource needs for ITS maintenance. Florida DOT still has a predominantly asphalt-and-concrete mindset. Maintenance problems should wane once that mindset changes, although there will always be funding questions. Potential solutions and current steps by FDOT to better manage ITS maintenance are: � � � � � Working group meetings and teleconferences between districts and state occur frequently to discuss ITS deployment and maintenance issues. Maintenance is frequently brought up by districts, since they will need to take care of maintenance. Maintenance funding is done largely by formula, based on unit costs by device. One problem is that there are only four categories of unit costs, so the system of allocating funds needs to be improved. With more ITS projects in the state, it will become more mainstreamed, so managers will think more of necessity to provide maintenance. Training and education is crucial for ITS maintenance. An important piece of this is educating managers to change the concrete/asphalt mentality, so that they're more sensitive to need for resources to maintain ITS. Greater support from management about ITS maintenance will help. Initial maintenance during the early stages of deployment can often be handled through the installation contractor as a warranty or support issue. Florida DOT is moving away from in-house maintenance, due to state budgetary problems. Maintenance lends itself well to outsourcing due to manpower issues, but there is still a need to train personnel so they can effectively oversee maintenance projects, and to manage maintenance contracts. � � � 4.1.3 Montana Department of Transportation The Montana DOT6 has a relatively small rural ITS deployment, but system expansion is taking place with several new devices added each year. Deployment to date includes: � � � � Seven permanent Dynamic Message Signs (DMS). Five Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) stations. The 511 road condition information system. 60 road weather information station (RWIS) sites, 12 of which have cameras. 41 Some of the challenges faced by the Montana Department of Transportation include: � � � � � Coordination among three divisions within the Department responsible for deployment, telecommunications and maintenance can take significant effort. The Department also does not have a long-term strategy for ITS maintenance. The lack of a long-term plan makes it difficult to plan training for workers or hire contractors. An FTE limitation prevents the Department from hiring staff to be responsible for ITS maintenance. In remote areas, there are no qualified contractors to perform maintenance. In Montana, maintenance and deployment of ITS devices are woven into one funding element, but managed through three separate divisions in the department over the lifecycle of the device. The Engineering section is responsible for design and deployment. The Maintenance section is responsible for device maintenance. The Information Services section is responsible for communications connections. Montana DOT is investing resources in training for its maintenance staff to help troubleshoot devices. When the equipment fault cannot be solved locally, the suspect equipment is packed and shipped to the vendor for depot repair. In the future, Montana DOT is looking more toward contracting as the number and types of devices in the field increases and overwhelms the capacity of the existing staff. Montana is looking towards the Oregon DOT model to make good decisions on who maintains what devices, and how. 4.1.4 Oregon Department of Transportation As part of its mission to provide safe and effective transportation systems that support economic opportunity and livable communities for Oregonians, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is increasingly relying on the use of intelligent transportation systems.7 ODOT developed a statewide ITS Strategic Plan outlining the deployment of ITS devices from 1997 through 2017 to improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation system. In 1999, ODOT recognized that for the ITS devices to meet the needs of the Department and the traveling public, proper maintenance is essential. This realization led to the development of a Statewide ITS Maintenance Plan for ODOT by the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University in Bozeman. This plan was intended to be a long term plan that addresses both technical and institutional issues. Activities involved in plan development included stakeholder outreach, a literature review, development of a maintenance model, establishment of priority guidelines, definition of a preventative maintenance program, resource analysis, and short, mid and long term maintenance budgets. 42 ITS maintenance challenges facing the Oregon Department of Transportation include: � � � � � � � � � Traditional channels within ODOT for maintenance of other systems are not adequately handling ITS maintenance needs. Electricians are the first line responders for problems with ITS devices, but are only trained in the areas of lighting and traffic signals. The IT staff maintaining the computers in the offices is not familiar with specific ITS applications. Inadequate staffing levels exist for current ITS deployment; ODOT stakeholders perceive the Department to be moderately or severely understaffed in this area. Devices have been added to the regions without staff to maintain them. Maintenance has been reactive, by "putting out fires" and preventative maintenance is de-emphasized. Conflicting staff priorities. Ambiguous responsibilities. Inadequate training. Poor or non-existent tracking systems. Non-standardized devices. The Oregon solution began by recognizing the need for a long term ITS maintenance plan developed by engineering and research staff with significant stakeholder input. The plan recognized the need to have a maintenance model, which the study defined as a method for logging, tracking and processing service requests and repairs through the organization so that maintenance is done efficiently and effectively. Based on stakeholder input, Oregon DOT chose a two-tiered maintenance model with differing procedures for mainstream technologies and newer, limited deployment or emerging technologies. The maintenance program established an ITS maintenance coordinator, whose primary role is to be a single point of contact to log and track maintenance activities. The model uses district and regional maintenance staff to perform maintenance on ITS field devices, and information services staff to perform maintenance on back-end computer support and communications links. At the discretion of the support coordinator, vendor and contractor support can be used to supplement state maintenance forces. The ODOT team elected to prioritize maintenance of ITS devices based on how mission critical they are, rather than by the type of technology. Priority guidelines are based on the following criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4. Fulfilling legal mandates. Addressing safety hazards. Deploying critical field devices that provide and promote safety. Establishing communications links that provide transfer of data from field devices to a centralized location. 43 5. Establishing information dissemination tools for motorists, beginning first where traveler benefit is maximized 6. Restoring all other devices with emphasis on devices that have the greatest visibility to the public. The maintenance plan included a resource analysis that examined an inventory of current and future devices and estimated the amount of time per device needed for maintenance. The plan indicated that the currently available maintenance staff consists of four to six FTEs, and that upon build-out of the strategic plan, up to 50 maintenance staff would be required, leaving a gap of more than 40 unfilled positions. Contracting of maintenance duties was identified as a tool for fulfilling the maintenance gap. The plan recommended that contracting should be targeted towards activities where response time was not critical, where the number of deployed devices is fairly extensive, and where clear lines of responsibility between contractors and ODOT can be defined. Devices for which maintenance contracting was recommended included: � � � � � � � � � Weigh-in-Motion systems. Kiosks. Preventative maintenance for CCTV. Preventative maintenance for DMS. RWIS field units / Environmental Sensing Stations. Travel time estimation systems. AVL in-vehicle equipment. Maintenance of portable DMS. Fiber optic communications. ODOT uses maintenance contracting to expedite certain maintenance services; they report that in-house capability is desired for mission-critical, safety-oriented business such as traffic signal and lighting maintenance. Whenever expedited response time is required, the ODOT stakeholders hesitate to use contractors. ODOT views the use of maintenance contractors for a short term supplement to its staff as a viable stop-gap measure. This would suggest that some members of the ODOT maintenance team still view maintenance as primarily an in-house function. ODOT believes that in many rural areas, maintenance contractors with the requisite skill will not be available or that companies will demand a premium fee to maintain rural ITS devices due to the travel times involved. ODOT has utilized maintenance contracting as a result of legislatively mandated FTE caps. The number of employees in many DOTs, including Oregon's, is legislatively capped, thereby limiting DOTs' ability to hire employees. Furthermore some DOTs and law enforcement agencies are challenged in filling available positions with qualified technical staff in the electronics field because a significant gap exists between public 44 sector and private sector wages. As a result, many well-qualified individuals choose employment in the private sector, rather than the public sector. Retention of staff can be difficult in a high-tech environment, but there are ways to improve retention, such as providing opportunities for advanced training, allowing travel to technical conferences and workshops, and other non-salary-related perquisites for agency maintenance staff. It should be noted that many municipalities hold a differing perspective in areas where there are established signal maintenance contractors, such as California, Colorado and Florida. For example, Republic Electric Company reports having more than 180 public agency clients for whom they perform traffic signal maintenance, lighting maintenance or ITS maintenance. WL Contractors of Arvada, CO reports operating a regional Traffic Operations Center which monitors traffic signal operations for a number of cities in the Denver area, who chose to use WL's traffic signal maintenance and timing services. ADOT at one point employed maintenance contractors with limited scopes as a stopgap measure before hiring internal maintenance staff for the Phoenix FMS. Due to the limited scope, the contractor was perceived as having responsibility to repair the system, but the contractor did not have the authority to make the required repairs, such as pulling electrical conductors or replacing knocked down cabinets. 4.2 ITS MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY SURVEY ITS maintenance is the primary focus area identified by the ADOT districts as having the most importance and highest priority. Nearly all of the districts clearly expressed a wide range of the challenges for maintaining the deployed ITS devices, and concerns about maintenance and service for future installation of ITS devices. Some districts described excellent relations with ADOT's TOC for servicing of Dynamic Message Signs. However, some expressed frustration with delayed responses to maintenance requests for a significant variety of reasons, including insufficient parts availability, lack of vendor response, and lack of in-house expertise. The expressed concerns and issues for ITS maintenance include: � � � � � � Maintenance funding: typically, estimated upfront costs of the devices are being considered; however, the ongoing maintenance costs are being neglected or underestimated. Maintenance response level: only partial needs are being covered in response to maintenance requests. Remote monitoring of devices and reporting of device status is inconsistent. Insufficient parts supply on site: some basic parts can be ordered in advance and stored locally to be available to any District on an as-needed basis. Unacceptable parts delivery delays after replacement or repairs are requested. Shortage of trained and experienced ITS maintenance personnel. 45 � � � Upgrades and updates of the hardware are unavailable. No designated technician for individual devices. Remoteness of the device locations. There are two types of conceptual maintenance for ITS devices: Responsive Maintenance is the repair or replacement of failed equipment and its restoration to safe, normal operation. Typically unscheduled, this maintenance is performed in response to an unexpected failure or damage. This category refers to operations that are initiated by a fault or trouble report. The report can come either from a person or from software that is monitoring parts of the system. Most general faults fall into the responsive maintenance category. Depending on the severity of the failure, some malfunctions can require days or weeks to repair. Preventive maintenance: Also called "routine" maintenance, it is the activity performed at regularly scheduled intervals for the upkeep of equipment and to keep the systems operating. It includes checking, testing and inspecting, recordkeeping, cleaning, and periodic replacement when called for in the preventive maintenance schedule. Preventive maintenance includes basic functions, such as cleaning camera housings and the front of DMSs. In some cases, preventive maintenance requires sophisticated technology, such as optical testing equipment to ensure that the fiber-optic in the communications system is operating within acceptable parameters. Preventive maintenance is initiated on a schedule, but resource limitations might eliminate preventive maintenance altogether. 4.2.1 Maintenance Management Software ITS maintenance concerns can be addressed through a variety of technologies, including: AVL, Mobile Data Collection, System Monitoring, Network Management, and devicespecific automated monitoring. Other concerns are more operation-oriented. This section reviews technological maintenance options available for ITS devices. Due to the cost of ITS deployment, a method of assessing technologies' functionalities and operational statuses can alert the agency of under-performing devices to help facilitate maintenance dispatch. By cataloging maintenance efforts, maintenance can be performed on a consistent basis. ITS maintenance activities that are consistent are considered under the preventive maintenance category. Activities that support life-cycle maintenance requirements can be defined as: � � Risk management: examine system failures and causes of such failures to determine risk of obsolescence and failure to meet agency expectations. Configuration management (traceability): adjust maintenance concepts and requirements to maintain system performance measures, documentation of system modifications, and repair history for long-term tracking of system reliability measures. 46 � � Validation and verification: in addition to acceptance testing, periodically conduct a validation of maintenance concepts and requirements and adjust to any changes in operational concepts or functional requirements. Performance metrics and monitoring: key performance indicators provide the tools needed for technical management of the maintenance program and allow the optimization and cost-effective allocation of resources. In some cases the product life-cycle may outlive advances in technology, therefore, expected maintenance can be circumvented through implementing new devices and either removing the out-dated equipment or abandoning it in-place. Decisions can be expedited with maintenance management software that uses the above documentation techniques. The challenges of Rural ITS Maintenance include: � � � � � Very high contracting expense. Long distances between field devices and maintenance offices. Specialized training requirements. Limited system redundancy. Limited research to date on Rural ITS Maintenance. One of the recognized solutions for ITS maintenance problems is to be able to estimate device reliability, maintainability, and expected device life-cycle. A management program can facilitate these solutions. The ranges of functions that ITS maintenance management software can perform include: � � � � � � � Maintaining equipment inventories across warehouses, shops, and sites. Recording trouble calls and repairs for equipment in the maintenance system. Recording technician information as to trouble calls and equipment repairs. Accessing logged information on equipment movement and repairs made. Generating reports to show reliability metrics on equipment in the system. Transferring data from a bar-code scanner into the maintenance database tables. Managing all information and making corrections where appropriate. Such software applications provide a series of screens that allow the operator to enter and view the status of trouble calls, and to view which ones are currently open. By using the repair data, comparisons can be made between equipment types, such as whether one camera manufacturer requires more repairs than another. This is an example of configuration management (CM).8 CM is defined as a process for establishing and maintaining consistency of a product's performance, functional and physical attributes throughout the product's design, implementation, operations, and maintenance lifespan. The more complex a system becomes, the greater the range of variables that impact system performance. With more variables, the potential for permutations and variations on possible configurations grows exponentially. Without a rigorous configuration management process facilitated by maintenance management software that documents all 47 changes and modifications to the system, it is nearly impossible to diagnose what changes may have caused a system malfunction. These applications provide location information for users. As systems grow, the overall number of devices that must be maintained can become quite large. When the number of deployed devices is significant, monitoring their location at all times is a challenge. Devices move for a variety of reasons. The site can be abandoned, and devices can disappear as part of reconstruction or maintenance activities. Equipment often gets moved as repairs are made. In some cases, components of old equipment are used to repair other devices. Knowing where everything is becomes a problem that can be addressed by some combination of inventory control software. 4.2.2 Dynamic Message Sign Maintenance Dynamic Message Signs (DMSs) were identified in the district meetings as key tools for alerting motorists to changing roadway conditions. These signs are used for advising travelers en-route of upcoming or existing events and conditions on the roadway. The intent is to increase safety and prepare travelers for road conditions ahead, or notify travelers that certain events will be happening in the near future. DMSs use a large lighted display to provide text and symbol messages. The text the signs display can be programmed from a remote location using a wireless transmitter or a phone line and modem. DMS can have either a permanent or portable installation. Usually DMSs are mounted as overhead signs or on overpasses and are hard-wired with a power supply and telephone line. These are used more for incident management, since traffic conditions can change by the minute. Permanent installations can be used as part of a warning system of any kind (fog, snow, dust, flood, rocks, animal presence, etc). Signs that are in disrepair are a primary concern, which is especially frustrating for motorists. If a DMS is dark while a motorist sits stalled in traffic congestion, his or her stress from the delay is compounded by the uncertainty of the incident. The key components for successful DMS maintenance are good diagnostic tools, easy access to the components, logical architecture of the device, compatibility of the components, and availability of replacement parts. Typically, device monitoring systems are built into the sign hardware and sign control software. Some compatibility between signs of different manufacturers and third party vendor control systems can be achieved through application of the NTCIP protocol for DMS. Some of the key diagnostic and maintenance features include: � � � � � Ability to monitor and diagnose all systems from a front panel menu. Real-time diagnostics for pixels, power systems, and fans. Ability to monitor temperature, light, door, other in-sign sensors. Remote controller reset capability. Event logging capability. 48 � � � Reserve power that allows controller and internal modem to operate during brief power outages. Real-time message monitor in WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) format. Ability to send notification of malfunctioning components. 4.2.3 Automatic Vehicle Location Systems The ability to monitor the vehicles in a fleet can expedite deployment and maximize resources. During the winter season, ADOT is responsible for deploying snowplows to respond to roadway conditions. Being able to track the vehicles in the snowplow fleet can help ADOT determine how to apply available resources, and redirect resources to important areas, in an effort to boost operational efficiency. Fleet tracking can be accomplished with Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems. This technology has been successfully implemented by a wide variety of industries including commercial trucking, DOT maintenance fleets, and mass transit systems throughout the country. The applications for highway maintenance are very robust, and have been shown to increase the efficiency, utilization, and safety of the typical maintenance fleet. Through the use of satellite communications and mapping software, the agency can track individual vehicles with AVL across a region. Based on updated information and data integration, the system users can determine where individual units are located, how much anti-icing material is available, how long the drivers have been deployed |
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